Long Weekend Trip

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

Last weekend was Victoria Day, a long weekend here in Canada, known as May "Two Four".  It actually occurs on the third Monday in the month May, despite it's original purpose, which was to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday on May 24th.  For many it marks the opening of summer here in Canada, even though the season doesn't officially open for another month.

As luck had it, my lovie actually had four days off, so we decided to take Mykaela out to Halifax to meet her boyfriend for the first time.  They met playing an online game a couple of years ago and just stayed friends, talking on MSN and Facebook.  They started "dating" over three months ago.

HUBBA WHA???????
You are probably thinking that we are insane for even considering letting them meet, and you are probably right. My hubby was "stationed" in Halifax for seven months in '09 and I had the pleasure of visiting him a couple times out there.  I fell in love with that city, so I'll use any excuse to go back.

Goofin around at the airport in Halifax.

And go back we did.  This time just my lovie and my baby girl... I was excited to share the city with her, but I should have known that she would care less about the city and only have eyes for her boyfriend.

The first meeting... can you say, "awkward silence"? LOL

It didn't take them long to warm up to each other though and soon they were holding hands and strolling along the boardwalk at the Halifax Harbour.

Jellyfish in the harbour.  We saw starfish too!

Mykaela LOVES cows (she gets that from me! :D) so she loved COWS shop/ice cream parlour. The best ice cream in the world! If you love cows or know someone who does, then check out their website for some really cool and unique cow themed gifts and original t-shirts. It's funny how everything relates to cows!

While I was climbing around on the rocks to take pics at Peggy's Cove, my Blackberry fell out of my pocket and down this crevice into the ocean.  We all tried to retrieve it, but it was just out of reach. :( Someday, after humans have annihilated themselves off the planet and the aliens discover Earth, they will find my Blackberry under the giant boulders at the edge of Nova Scotia. LOL

I did have a chance to browse through some shops on Saturday.  I just loved this store with lots of vintage styles and GREAT hats!  The last one was my favourite. No I didn't buy any of them because there's no where to wear them... Why don't we wear hats any more?

Recipe: Chicken Linguine Tettrazini

What's for Dinner?

My version of East Side Mario's dish by the same name. I use jarred alfredo sauce and pre-grilled chicken strips (the non-breaded kind) to make this yummy dinner in just the time it takes to cook the pasta, but if you have the time and ambition you can make your own sauce and chicken.

1 jar Classico Roasted Garlic Alfredo, or make your own
1 lb. grilled chicken strips, or cook your own
1 Roma tomato, diced
1 can whole mushrooms, or use fresh button mushrooms
Fresh basil, to taste
Enough Linguine noodles for everyone

If you're not using jarred sauce or pre-cooked chicken, prepare these first.
Cook pasta in a large pot according to package directions.
While pasta is cooking, cook the chicken strips and the mushrooms in a large skillet until heated through.
At the same time, heat the alfredo sauce in a medium saucepan until bubbly.
Chop basil in thin strips, leaving a few smaller leaves whole.  Fresh basil is quite potent, so you only need a little bit.
Drain and rinse pasta. Return to the pot. Pour sauce over noodles and toss to coat evenly. Add tomatoes, basil, chicken and mushrooms and toss lightly.
Serve.  Soooo yummy with garlic toast and a side salad too.  P:

The home improvements continue...

So... After eleven years of living here I finally got around to painting the dining room.  We have an open concept house and it's one of the "spaces" that you can see from the front door.

It has never been used as a formal dining room, since when we moved in we didn't have the "proper" furniture to put in it.  At first it was a play area for the kids, and then it evolved into the computer zone harbouring a large "C" shaped desk  which housed 3 computers for the family - mine, my hubby's and one that the kids shared.  I always said that when the basement was finished that the computers would be moved downstairs and I would be able to finally claim the space for it's original purpose.

That day is finally here...
The basement is finished.
The computers are in the basement.
The dining room is finally empty.

There was no real decision to make regarding colours because the living room, which is a part of the same space, has been painted for years. Benjamin Moore's Jalapeno, Dill Pickle, and Marblehead Gold.  I've always known how the dining room would look.

RED! Actually when we first moved in and I thought about the colours I wanted to use hot, hot pink in the dining room, but with the colour scheme I had for the rest of the space, hot pink wouldn't have fit, so I took one of the sofa cushions to Home Depot and sampled the lighter red in the print. The colour it came up with is called Regal Red.

I love, LOVE, L O V E the red!!!!
It really draws the eye and looks great as the focal wall.  The other walls in the dining room are the same Marblehead Gold as the hallway.

The dogs don't really care what colour the walls are... as long as they have a spot to snooze.

She's such a cutie patootie!

Ok... now you're just showing off.

:P

Recipe: My Homemade Deep Dish Meat & Cheese Lasagna

What's For Dinner? 

So I was making homemade lasagna for the first time in years the other day, and one of my daycare darlings asked if she could have the recipe for her mom cuz her mom's lasagna comes frozen from the store.  LOL So I thought I would just share my recipe here for anyone who wants to try it.  I totally forgot to take pictures while I was making it, so I will make a mental note to do that next time. It's no big secret, and honestly it would probably make a true Italian laugh, but this recipe developed over my first few years of being a housewife, way back when.... 

This makes a HUGE, THICK lasagna that feeds my family of 6, with leftovers.  There's really no hard and fast rule about the quantities of the ingredients, just adjust the amount to suit your needs.

2 lbs. lean ground beef

500g cottage cheese

500g ricotta cheese

2 cups italian blend shredded cheese, divided

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

7 cups (1.75L) pasta sauce - Prego has a large jar/bottle (that's what I use for this recipe)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato soup

1 can tomato paste

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove pressed garlic

Italian seasonings, to taste

Lasagna noodles (I use the "ready-to-bake" kind for convenience, but traditional boil-em-first noodles work too.)

In a large saucepan, heat a enough cooking oil to coat the bottom of the pot, over high heat until hot.  Add onion and garlic.  Stir frequently while cooking, until onions are semi-translucent.  (MMMMMmmmm... smells good!)  Reduce heat to med-high and mix in ground beef.  Stir often until meat is almost browned.  Add diced tomatoes (including liquid) and seasonings to taste.  Let simmer until all meat is cooked.

Once meat is completely brown, add pasta sauce, tomato soup, and tomato paste.  Add more seasoning at this point if you want.  Heat until bubbling, stirring often, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer.  The longer it simmers the more the flavours blend together, but if you are pressed for time, it doesn't have to be very long at all.  It's also important to keep in mind that if you are using the "ready-to-bake" noodles the sauce needs to have a lot of liquid to it (this is what softens the noodles as they cook), so don't simmer too long otherwise the liquid will reduce.  If this happens you can add a little water (or I prefer vegetable broth for better flavour) back into the sauce.  If you are using cooked pasta this won't be a concern for you, but now would be a good time to boil the noodles.

In a mixing bowl, combine all cheeses together, but be sure to set aside about 1 cup of shredded cheese.  Slowly mix in spinach. Set aside.

To assemble the lasagna, start with a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a DEEP 9x13 baking dish.  Alternate layers of sauce and the cheese mix, with noodles between each layer. Typically the layers will go as follows:

(bottom)

NOODLES

SAUCE

NOODLES

½ CHEESE MIX

SHREDDED CHEESE

NOODLES 

SAUCE

NOODLES

½ CHEESE MIX

SHREDDED CHEESE

NOODLES

SAUCE

SHREDDED CHEESE

(top)

At this point if I've used the uncooked noodles I let the lasagna sit for while to soften the noodles a little.  

Preheat oven to 425ºF.  Just before putting the lasagna in the oven cover it with a piece of "tented" foil over the entire dish to prevent the cheese from burning.  Bake on middle rack of oven for 25-50 mins, until heated through. The cooking time will depend on how thick your meat sauce is.  Remove the foil for the last 7 mins of cooking to brown up the cheese.

When done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 mins before serving with a nice thick slice of toasted garlic loaf.  Mmmmmm! 

If you try my recipe, please let me know how it turns out.  Enjoy! :)

Happy Mother's Day!

I want to begin by saying how grateful I am for all the women in my life whom inspire me and have taught me - albeit sometimes unwittingly - how to be the best Mom I can be (either by example or by realizing what NOT to do).  My own mother and her mother before her, of course, but my wonderful MIL without whom I do not know where I would be. Also, my dear friends whom I admire and love more than they know.  All these ladies are amazing mothers! They deserve all the best life has to offer.

Myself, I had a lovely day yesterday... I love mornings like that. No alarm clock. No rushing around. No dreading everything that needs to be done in the mere 18 hours you can keep your eyes open.  Just birds singing their love songs, sunshine streaming onto my face and a refreshing cool breeze bringing in the sweet spring air through the bedroom the window.

Bee had spent the night at my in-law's, so Bug made me breakfast in bed consisting of waffles with maple syrup, yogurt and a coffee.  While I ate she showered me with a hand made card and a colourful butterfly necklace, and my favourite: lots of love and kisses. I found a beautiful bouquet of brightly coloured daisies and a card on my computer from Devon, and Kaitlynd had given me her bouquet on Saturday. Mykie gave me the first sculpture she ever made, of a mermaid, that she made in Art class this year. I named her Rainbow because her tail and fin is all the colours of the rainbow.  I called my own mother and chatted for a bit, before having to get myself and Bug ready for her second day of  her dance recital.  She danced in 3 shows this year! 

The afternoon was peaceful and I had the house to myself for awhile, before my in-law's brought the Bee home.  They decided to stay and we had a very tasty dinner of spaghetti, deliciously prepared by my Lovie. We ended the day with a family screening of Disney's Tangled. 

Easter!

 Photos from the treasure hunt on Easter Morning...

Starting the Treasure Hunt...

Bug finds her golden egg! 

Devon reads his next clue.

Cujo couldn't care less...

Dizzy's golden egg was in the dishwasher.

It's not under the furniture... *sad face*

Mykie loves Perry the Platypus from Disney's Phineas & Ferb.

Kaitlynd finds an egg, Batman!

Even Bitzy got a few "eggs"... they were new balls!