Weekly Menu

Here is our menu plan for January 30 - February 5th:

Saturday: Omelette and sausage.
Sunday: Ricotta-Stuffed Cannelloni and salad.
Monday: Chicken Mushroom Quesadillas.
Tuesday: Baked potato and cheddar cheese soup and sliced veggies.
Wednesday: Beef in beer with baked potato and salad.
Thursday: Chicken etouffee with carrots.
Friday: Sweet and sour meatballs, rice and broccoli.

Socks for Maman

After teaching myself to knit socks (way more complicated than I had expected) I decided that I should try to make a pair for myself. I found a sock pattern on The Purl Bee called Pom Pom Peds that seemed simple enough so I bought some pretty purple and green merino yarn and started to knit. I was surprised by how much faster these socks were to make (compared to my last pair which were half the size!). I didn't add the pom poms on the socks because they didn't seem very functional. I finished them today and they are a perfect fit! I've affectionately named them my Violets :)

 

Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas

Today is the feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas (born 1225/1227- died 1274). St. Thomas Aquinas was a scholar, theologian, philosopher and writer and so he is appropriately the patron saint of universities and students. To celebrate the life of St. Thomas Aquinas I had planned to take Monkey to our university for a picnic. But because I need to 'take it easy' we didn't go. However I did find on online copy of St. Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox by G.K. Chesterton in the Catholic Primer library under Authors:c. I haven't finished reading it (it's long) but I like Chesterton's comparisons between St. Franscis and St. Thomas Aquinas (quite funny!).

Bed Rest Diversion #9: Boardgames

Hubby and I enjoy playing boardgames together. It started in university when friends of ours introduced us to Settlers of Catan. Unbeknown to us, at that moment our eyes were opened to a new world of boardgames which we never knew existed! Since then we've played many fantastic boardgames and filled our shelves with our own collection of "must haves!".

Since I've been on "bed rest" hubby and I have had the chance to play some fun boardgames, one of which he just got for Christmas: Race for the Galaxy!

When Hubby first got this game I wasn't too interested in playing. First, I'm not really the "space, alien, conquering worlds" kind of gal and second, the rules seemed way too complicated. But, Hubby finally convinced me to give it a try. During the first three games I asked a lot of questions and had no idea what I was doing. By the fourth game I finally started to figure out the strategy. Strategy is important in this game but there is also an element of luck which I like. Also, the game also doesn't last long, 15-30 minutes, which is great.

Bed Rest Diversion #8: Frog Cupcakes

I really wanted to make chocolate "frog" cupcakes for Monkey's birthday yesterday but I wasn't able to. Today with all the helping hands around the house I coached (or coerced) Angel and my brother to make them. For the chocolate cupcake and butter cream icing I used a recipes from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book (a must have!). To decorate the cupcakes I used large marshmallows for the eyes. I cut a third off the bottom of a large marshmallow and then divided it into two pieces (picture an upside down U). The icing was coloured green, black and red and then slathered and piped on (so much fun!).

Monkey was trilled to see Froggie (AKA Nouille (grenouille), Waa-Waa) on a muffin and was a little unsure about eating it at first. Once he ate the eyes, there was no stopping him.

Weekly Menu

Even though I'm on bed rest, I want my family to eat well. Some of these recipes may look complicated but I plan on getting Hubby and Angel to do a lot of the prep work the night before. Also, I strategically put the more the labour intensive meals on our "non-busy" nights so I'd have more help.

Here's our menu for January 23-29.

Saturday: Family potluck at our place. For dessert we'll make chocolate cupcakes.
Sunday: Beef bourguignon, roast garlic mashed potatoes, and Ceasar salad.
Monday: Teriyaki chicken, rice and cauliflower.
Tuesday: Pulled Pork Barbecue, buns and sliced veggies.
Wednesday: Steak Fajitas.
Thursday: Sczechuan Noodles and ginger soy lime marinated shrimp.
Friday: Cream of cauliflower and red lentil soup with homemade bread.

Bed Rest Diversion #7: Celebrate a Birthday

Today Monkey turned 2 years old! 

It's been a busy day for Monkey. This morning he made his birthday cake with Memere (MIL) and in the afternoon he went with Papou (my dad) to the children's museum. For dinner we had hubby's family over and ate a yummy banana cake. Monkey opened a few birthday gifts and has been playing with his little new car ever since.

Bed Rest Diversion #6: Making Lists

I am a list maker. I write lists for cooking, shopping, cleaning, fixing, and making things. These days I've been stuck to a chair or bed most of the time so I've been writing, reviewing and re-writing lists. Don't worry I won't post all of them but I will share my Homemade Frozen Meals (wish) list for before the baby is born. If you have any suggestions for my list please share them!

Homemade Frozen Meals
Breakfast
Waffles
Breakfast burritos

Dinner
American Lasagna (done!)
Chicken enchiladas
Chicken pot pie
Mini meat loaves
Irish stew

Desserts + Baking
Cinnamon rolls
Raisin bran muffins
Assortment of cookies

Bed Rest Diversion #5: Tot Lap Book

I must admit, today I felt like I was going slightly insane. I read halfway through my book, embroidered some cars on Monkey's work apron, updated my nesting list and resisted multiple urges to clean. But, I've been really antsy. After dinner Angel, our Korean student, and I made a lap book for Monkey. I got the idea from Tot School in their Tot Books section. I like the way it turned out and took a few pictures to share with you. Cherish them because I guarantee that the lap book will be quite disassembled by tomorrow night and most likely in the recycling bin.

ps. I've added the Tot School button on my blog if you want to check out more of their Tot lap books.

Through the Thorns: Raising Rabbits

Over the summer my husband and I decided to start raising rabbits for meat consumption. When our four fuzzy Champagne D'Argent rabbits arrived we were excited to start our venture. We started with four breeding rabbits, two males and two females. We had to wait a few months before breeding them because the females were too young. When we started our breeding attempts the rabbits wouldn't breed! September, October, November and nothing. December came and we got some chilly -30 degree Celsius weather so we put our breeding pairs together to help them stay warm (we keep our rabbits outside). We hoped that they'd get pregnant but were resigned to the fact that we wouldn't be seeing any baby rabbits until the spring.

Tonight when my husband went to feed the rabbits he saw something very devastating. Our two female rabbits had indeed become pregnant 4 weeks ago and both had litters in the night. We had nothing set up for them and all eleven of their baby rabbits died in the cold. The female rabbits looked distraught and their frozen babies were laid around the cage - my heart broke...God had entrusted these rabbits to our care and by our negligence their babies all died.

I was quickly ordered to bed by my husband because I was starting to have a lot of contractions. My mother, who grew up on a farm, shared some consoling words about losing baby animals and reassured me that the rabbits would be alright. She did point out a positive fact "at least you know they can breed". Very true, I just wish the death of the babies hadn't happened the way they did.

Bed Rest Diversion #4: Family

Bed rest is purgatorial. It definitely feels like "a place of temporal punishment". I feel this way mostly because I'm so use to running around and doing this, that or the other thing. It's difficult for me to turn a blind eye to the dust bunnies sitting in the corners of the room or the sticky fingerprints here and there. I have to remember to take a breath and let it go, growing a healthy baby is my priority right now.

I have been very blessed though. My MIL has graciously come to spend the last two days with Monkey and I. She has been wonderful and Monkey is learning lots of new things with her. Yesterday they made these oatmeal raisin cookies and everyone has been enjoying them since. This afternoon my younger brother is coming by for a visit while my MIL runs a few errands. Family is such a blessing!

Today I embroidered a butterfly on a green pillowcase and finished my first pair of knitted socks. Getting these two things done made me feel somewhat productive. Enjoy the pictures and I'll be sure to update you with my next bed rest diversion soon.

Bed Rest Diversion #3: Reading

I'm still on bed rest. My tightenings seem to come in spurts and then go away for a while. I'm supposed to drink a lot of fluid but a full bladder seems to give my more tightenings - it's sort of a balancing act. I haven't been back to the hospital since getting my second dose of betamethasone Saturday night. "One day at a time" is my motto.

Today I did some sock knitting, pillow case embroidering, Monkey watching and reading. My wonderful husband went to the library and took out two full bags of books for me to read. He took out a few books on preemies which I found a little scary so I shelved them. Instead I started reading a slightly less depressing book: The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism is Harming our Young Men. It's an interesting book filled with a lot of statistics and random facts about boys in North America. If I finish it I'll share more thoughts.

Bed Rest Diversion #2: Knitting

In the past I've knitted dishcloths, scarves, and a small baby blanket, but I figured it was time to take things up to the next level - socks!

Right before Christmas my SIL and I stumbled into a delicious yarn shop in town. I couldn't resist the colourful Regia Flusi yarn, so I bought the Flusi and the Sock Yarn story-pattern books and a set of five double pointed knitting needles.

Now, I had a few things to learn about knitting socks and I thought that a few library books would help. They didn't, but thankfully a website www.knittinghelp.com did. I learned how to long tail cast on and to work the heel of a sock. I finally finished my first sock today. It isn't amazing and it's too small for Monkey. I did take notes as I went along so onto the next sock - which I've started and restarted about four times now :S

Bed Rest Diversion #1: Stitching

I haven't stitched or embroidered before but I've been wanting to try it out. Now that I'm on bed rest I figured it would be a good time to try it out. I'm missing some key supplies but hopefully Hubby won't mind picking them up for me. One of my inspirations to try stitching has been a book by Jenny Hart called Sublime Stitching: Hundreds of Hip Embroidery Patterns and How-to. It's a perfect book for newbies and I'm itching to give it a try.

In the hospital at 32 weeks pregnant

So last night I found myself laying in a hospital bed hoping not to give birth. I'm 32 weeks and have had (so far) a straight forward and easy pregnancy. My son, Monkey, was born almost two weeks past his due date so the idea of having a preemie never even crossed my mind. Anyways, for some reason last night I started having regular tightenings (every 3-5 minutes). I wouldn't say they were labour contractions - more like Braxton Hicks contractions. Our midwife decided to meet us at the hospital for an assessment and my care was quickly handed over to the obstetrician who declared that I was in "threatened preterm labour".

After being monitored on the fetal monitor, poked twice for an IV and stabbed in the butt with a huge needle (a corticosteroid to help mature the baby's lungs) I was given two Tylenol #3, some sleeping medication and told I had to stay the night. My tightenings reduced enough to be sent home this morning. I'm still getting the tightenings, sometimes regularly and sometimes not. I'm on bed rest for now but need to return to the hospital for a second poke in the butt tonight.

Hopefully I do not go into labour any time soon :)

Weekly Menu

Saturday: Baked ham, twice baked potatoes and steamed broccoli.
Sunday: Brunch - French toast with fruits and whipping cream.
Dinner - Leftovers.
Monday: Cheddar and corn chowder with bacon and homemade bread.
Tuesday: Chinese chicken pizza with hoisin sauce and sliced veggies.
Wednesday: Linguine with shrimp and lemon oil.
Thursday: Tuna casserole and sliced veggies.
Friday: Monkey's 2nd Birthday! Beef bourguignon, roast garlic mashed potatoes, and Ceasar salad. Lasagna! For dessert, banana cake with cream cheese frosting - yum!

For Tots

I get so excited when I find a great website or blog. Today I stumbled upon the blog 1+1+1=1 and the related website. The For Tots section of her website and the Totally Tots blog have so many great ideas for toddlers. Yay! I'm always on the lookout for fun ways to encourage Monkey to explore and learn. I've added the Totally Tots button to my blog if you'd like the check it out. Happy Surfing!

Help for Haiti

In a place where there is already so much poverty, this massive earthquake is a devastating event for the people of Haiti. Let us stand together with our brothers and sisters that are in need.

Here are some charities that are accepting donations for relief wok in Haiti. Let me know if you recommend any others.

Catholic Relief Services - Massive Earthquake in Haiti

Development & Peace - Emergency Appeal for Earthquake Victims in Haiti

World Vision - Earthquake in Haiti

Respect for Creation and the Environment

As a family we try to find little ways to protect our environment and the natural resources around us. One thing we do is recycle our paper products, cans, milk jugs and bottles. We also attempt to compost but the onslaught of fruit flies or the -30 degree Celsius weather do deterrent us at times. In fact, our compost pail is currently sitting outside in a pile of snow... cover with, yes, a pile of snow :)

Why the environmental rambling? Well I just came across this article on Zenit news: True Environmentalists are Pro-life, say Pope. I really enjoyed reading the full text article which touches upon many topics: the economic crisis, food security, nuclear arms, terrorism, and natural disasters to name a few. Here are a couple quotes from the article to peak your interest:

"It follows that the protection of creation is not principally a response to an aesthetic need, but much more to a moral need, in as much as nature expressed a plan of love and truth which is prior to us and which comes from God." 

"If we wish to build true peace, how can we separate, or even set at odds, the protection of the environment and the protection of human life, including the life of the unborn? It is in man's respect for himself that his sense of responsibility for creation is shown." - Pope Benedict XVI

If you read it I love to hear what you think!

Monkey the Fireman

For Christmas Monkey got a ride on fire truck and right now it's one of his favorite toys. I have to admit that it's one of mine too because there are so small bits to pick up off the floor at the end of the day :)

Asian Chicken Wrap with Hoisin Sauce

Tonight I made Asian chicken wraps for the first time and everyone seemed to enjoy them. I've included the recipe below, but I didn't follow it exactly. Some of the major changes that I made include: using six chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, using fresh cabbage instead of coleslaw mix, using sake instead of sherry, and adding more soy sauce and hoisin sauce.

Asian Chicken Wrap with Hoisin Sauce

Chicken
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. dry sherry
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch thick strips
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Vegetables
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup sliced button mushroms
2 scallion, white and green parts, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Half of a 1lb bag (about 3 cups) coleslaw mix
3 Tbsp. chicken broth or water
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. hoisin sauce
4 flour tortillas, heated

For the chicken, mix the soy sauce, sherry, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add chicken and mix to coat. Heat oil in a large skillet of high heat. Add chicken and cook until it turns white, about 31/2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

For the vegetables, heat the oil in the same skillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until they give off their juices and begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in scallions and garlic, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the coleslaw mix, broth, and soy sauce. Add the chicken. Cook, stirring often, until the colesalw is wilted and heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in hoisin sauce.

For each wrap, place the chicken mixture on a tortilla and roll up. Serve hot.

Recipe from Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families - Even Yours! by Art Smith.

Weekly Menu

Here is our menu for January 9th to 15th.

Saturday: Family over for dinner. Indian Food Night! Butter chicken, Dry beef curry, Shrimp korma, Naan, Basmati rice and Mango lassi. Yum! (I forgot to plan veggies - oops!)
Sunday: Wonton soup and sliced veggies.
Monday: Asian chicken wraps and sliced fruits.
Tuesday: Black bean soup and homemade biscuits.
Wednesday: Pasta with butternut squash and sage.
Thursday: Baked ham, twice baked potatoes and Ceasar salad.
Friday: Swedish meatballs over egg noodles with sliced veggies.

Cataloging Books

A few days ago I was searching the internet for an inexpensive program for cataloging our books at home. I've been wanting to organize our growing book collection for a while now, but when I started borrowing books from our local library only to find out that we own the same book I knew that it was time.

Luckily, I came across www.librarything.com and so far I love it! It's easy to use and it's free up to 200 books. I've already reached the 200 free books limit so I decided to pay the $25 lifetime membership.

It feels so good to go through all our books. I've already given away two full boxes and I've made some great discoveries too :)

Bookplates

One of my 2010 to do projects is to organize our home library. I need to clear out books to make room for new ones and figure out some sort of cataloging system. Last night, while I was researching cataloging systems for home libraries I came across this fun website and found some great bookplates I thought I'd share.

Aren't they great! If you want to print these bookplates or look at others visit www.myhomelibrary.org.

Meet Froggie

Meet Froggie (aka Bop-Bop), he is Monkey's official sidekick. Today I caught Froggie keeping guard outside the washroom while Monkey attempted to cut his finger nails with toe nail clippers. Luckily no fingers were lost and even Froggie got his nails trimmed.

Planning for 2010!

Happy New Year!

In only two months we will be welcoming our second little one into this world so I've been busy planning and preparing for 2010. Some people would call my need to plan and organize "nesting" but the truth is I like to plan and organize even when I'm not pregnant. Alright, I'll admit that my need to plan is "somewhat" accentuated by the fact that I'm 31 weeks pregnant, but not a lot... at least not yet.

My goals in the next few weeks are to plan and organize:
- our feast day plans for the first four months of the year (January to April).
- a list of prepared meals to freeze for later use (when baby arrives).
- a house deep cleaning/organizing/fixing-up plan-of-action for the next couple months.
- crafts that I want to finish or try out.

I'll post my results as I go along :) This is going to be fun!

Weekly Menu

Our menu plan for January 2-8, 2010!
Saturday: Crepes with peaches and whipped cream.
Sunday: Feast of the Epiphany - Slow cooker pot roast with boiled potatoes, carrots and a salad.
Monday: Macaroni and cheese and sliced veggies.
Tuesday: Potato and leek soup served with homemade biscuits.
Wednesday: Coq au vin with rice and baked squash.
Thursday: Beef tacos and sliced fruit.
Friday: Pirogies and sausage.