Weekly Menu

Weekly Menu for February 27th to March 5th:

Saturday: Dinner with family. Dessert: Banana splits with hot fudge sauce!
Sunday: Crepes with ricotta, ham, and spinach filling (Cook's Illustrated).
Monday: Swedish meatballs served over egg noddles with baked asparagus.
Tuesday: Minestrone soup and homemade bread.
Wednesday: Potato pancakes with sausage and applesauce

Thursday: Succulent braised pork, mashed potatoes and salad.

Friday: Basil tomato pasta.

Small Successes

"It's important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) This week I brought Monkey to the pool and to the museum! Our day goes so much smoother if he gets the chance to expend a lot of energy in the morning.

2) We went to the library two nights ago to restock our shelves with new books. Expect some book reviews in the coming week.

3) I managed to go through three boxes of Christmas ornaments that were given to me by my Mom. Most of the items I decided to give to our local thrift store but I did keep a bunch of beautiful wooden crosses and ribbon for Christmas this year. I also found an unfortunate lunch bag (with an old scary bagel... I was too scared to look further) that was accidentally thrown into the mix - yuk!

Iny's Prune Cake with Buttermilk Icing

It's finally time for me to return The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl to the library. I've tried a few of her recipes and I thought I'd share with you my favorite one.

Iny's Prune Cake with Buttermilk Icing
Makes one 9 by 13 inch cake.

Cake
1 cup prunes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup sugar (I reduced to 3/4 cup)
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil (or 1/2 cup apple sauce and 1/2 canola oil)
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Icing
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and butter a 9 by 13 inch pan.

2. Place prunes in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until soft and mashable, about 8 minutes. Drain water, and mash prunes. Set aside.

3. Sift together flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice in a medium bowl.

4. In a large bowl mix together oil (and apple sauce if using), sugar, eggs and vanilla.

5. Combine wet and dry ingredients and add buttermilk. Stir until just combined. The mixture will be slightly lumpy. Add mashed prunes and stir to combine.

6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Do not overbake!

7. While cake has about 5-10 minutes left, make the icing. Combine the icing ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine. Bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat. No need to stir. Boil for 5 to 7 minutes, or until icing starts to turns a light caramel colour. Do not over boil. Icing should be pourable not firm and sticky.

8. Remove cake from oven and pour the icing over top. Serve warm.

Books of the Week

I finally finished reading The Way of Boys: Raising Healthy Boys in a Challenging and Complex World and I really liked it. Would I buy it? Yep. If you have a boy I really suggest that you give it a read. It has helped me to readjust my expectations of Monkey and has made me realize that Monkey is really a very healthy boy. I could write a lot about this book. I really liked the chapters discussing discipline since it confirmed what I was experiencing. Time out in a corner? Waste of energy! Speedy removal of toy or from situation? Much better. Act first - explain later, and be consistent!

Lately Monkey and I have been enjoying books by Jez Alborough.  They are so much fun to read because they rhyme, have great art and end in a surprising funny way. Eventually I'd like to add them to our library collection. These are our favorites so far:

Duck in the Truck

Hit the Ball Duck

Fix it Duck

Some Dogs Do

I've also been reading books about childbirth. Some of the books are part of my library and others I've borrowed. If you are pregnant here are some books that you may want to check out:

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
When I read this book the first time (pregnant with Monkey) I was a little shocked by it. Women calling their contractions "rushes" and having orgasmic births. After going through one childbirth and now reading this book a second time, I have a better appreciation for the crunchiness of this book and I hope its ideas will help me achieve a more calm childbirth.

The Birth Partner
This is a great book for those who want to attend your birth. Husbands, mothers, friends and especially yourself (if you are having a baby) should read it. It's full of practical tips and suggestions.

Weekly Menu

Here it is again, our weekly menu. I've been trying to link my recipes online when possible but if you ever notice an unlinked recipe that you'd like to try let me know and I'd be glad to post it.

Menu for February 20-26:

Saturday: Burrito pie and sliced veggies.
Sunday: Dinner with family.
Monday: Belgian Beef Carbonnade, mashed potatoes and broccoli.
Tuesday: Clam chowder, homemade bread an sliced veggies.
Wednesday: Chicken and lentil curry, rice and cauliflower.
Thursday: Homemade mushroom and pepperoni pizza.
Friday: Corn and black bean quesadillas and sliced fruit.

Ash Wednesday

Our Lenten calendar is on the fridge, our Jesus tree is on the wall and I'm over 37 weeks pregnant... so Lent begins. On Ash Wednesday we go to church and have ashes traced on our foreheads in the shape of a cross. Hubby's cross was so nice and clear, mine was a smudge that looked nothing like a cross. Monkey stared at us for a second and then pointed and laughed as though having ashes on our foreheads was the silliest thing he'd seen all day. I guess it does look a little silly :)

Mardi Gras

What is all this about Pancake Tuesday? No no no, it's Mardi Gras and you eat crepes not pancakes. Alright, I admit, this is my French stubbornness speaking out, but I think crepes are so tasty. Tonight we ate crepes for dinner. We filled them with peaches, syrup, whipping cream, butter and brown sugar... or some combination of those things. But, even if you do call it Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday and eat pancakes (instead of crepes) here is you chance to try the French way:

Crepes 
La recette a Mamie
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 Tbsp. sugar (omit in savory crepes)
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup milk (not skim milk)

Mix flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Mix together eggs and milk in small bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid ingredient. Slowly whisk dry ingredients into the wet creating a smooth uniform mixture. Let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour in fridge. Batter should not be pancake thick, it should be like a thick cream (whipping cream) consistency. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat and add a little vegetable oil. Pour a ladle full of crepe mixture into pan and swirl to coat the bottom of pan. Flip when under side has begun to have golden in spots and cook other side until cooked through. Crepes can be stacked on top of each other until ready to serve. Serve with syrup, butter and brown sugar, lemon juice and white sugar... a savory filling of mushrooms, bacon and bechamel sauce...the options are endless!

Enjoy!

Our Lenten Calendar

Lent is a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter. Last year, we acknowledged that it was Lent but that's as far as we went. This year I've been trying to find tools to help us use this special time to grow closer to God. I came across the idea of making a Lenten Calendar at Shower of Roses. I thought it would be a helpful tool for our family, so I made us one. Knowing that our baby might arrive any day I tried to keep our Lenten plans as simple as possible. Each day of the week we'll pray for a special intention and read from our Bible, we will use the Development and Peace Share Lent Campaign Lifestyle Awareness Calendar as our way of giving alms to those less fortunate and we won't be eating meat on Fridays. Do you have any special Lenten traditions?

St. Valentine's Day

Who was St. Valentine? Apparently there were three St. Valentines martyred on the date of February 14th, one was a Roman priest, the other a bishop and the last lived in Africa. It's usually the Roman priest that people come across when researching St. Valentine but the story of this person is somewhat vague. One of the stories of St. Valentine can be read in Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda. It's the legend of how the imprisoned St. Valentine restored the sight of a jailer's blind daughter. A very beautiful story.

For St. Valentine's day Hubby and I bought each other a gift. This is the first Valentine, since we've been married, that we've done this. I bought Hubby the first expansion for Race to the Galaxy and he bought me a new knife. Yes, I know, not romantic and maybe a bit creepy but I've been wanting a new knife for a long time. Angel and Monkey got new pink play-doh and we enjoy a very yummy dirt pie after dinner.

1 John 4:7

Weekly Menu

There's a lot happening this week: Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday. Sunday is also Chinese New Year. We aren't Chinese but we thought Angel, our Korean student, would like it if we had a little celebration. Since Sunday will be busy we decided to have our celebration on Saturday instead. Keep posted for some delicious recipes and fun craft ideas over the next week!

Diner menu for February 13-19th:

Saturday: Chinese New Year Beef chow mein and vegetarian steamed dumplings (with dipping sauce).
Sunday: St. Valentine's Day Dinner with family. Dessert - Dirt Pie! yum yum!
Monday: Pioneer Woman's Meatloaf, twice baked potatoes and salad.
Tuesday: Mardi Gras Crepes!
Wednesday: Ash Wednesday Moroccan lentil soup and homemade bread.
Thursday: Crispy baked rosemary garlic chicken legs, rice pilaf and steamed broccoli.
Friday: Mac and cheese and sliced fruits and veggies.

Toilet Paper

While I was organizing our linen closet this morning Monkey took out the toilet paper rolls. I was a little curious to see what he would do with them...

After bringing them to the living room, which is hard work as you can see...

he started to stack them...

and made a huge toilet paper tower. What a great idea!

Small Successes

"It's important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) This week we all got haircuts! Hubby and Monkey were looking like shaggy surfer dudes and I haven't had my hair cut since April last year (way beyond the surfer look). It's amazing what a little spring cleaning does for those frizzies.

2) We bought a nice used bassinette for our newest addition. Originally we were going to borrow a bassinette from our lovely SIL but then we found a couple selling the same bassinnet (barely used) and a co-sleeper for a great price. The bassinette is set up and awaiting the arrival of baby, officially due the first week of March.

3) I went to one of our thrift shops on their "50% off all clothing" day and found some much needed items for Hubby (PJs, shirts), Monkey (pants, shirts) and the baby (onesies, bassinet sheets). It was a so busy there but Monkey did really well.

Toys, Toys, Toys

Yesterday, Jen over at Wildflower and Marbles had a fantastic blog about toys. She gave some great tips about toys and offered some really good ideas for purchasing toys. Inspired by her post, and hoping to get some of you to check it out, I figured I'd write a little something about toys too. Once you start having children it's amazing how quickly the toys pile up in your home. Monkey is two which means he's had two birthday (three if you count his "birth" day), two Christmases and two Easters and as a result "too" many toys :) I rarely buy him toys and when I do it's usually second hand. I've talked to a few moms and moms-to-be about "toy philosophy" and there is a huge range of opinions and ideas out there. After reflecting a little, I thought I would share our "home toy philosophy":

The toys in our home should enrich our children's learning and development by allowing them to explore, imagine and be themselves. Quality is more important than quantity and simple toys allow more freedom of play than complex toys (think battery operated). Our toys should also reflect the interests our children which is often shaped by their nature (yes! I am totally for "gender stereotyped toys" like pretty dolls and big trucks). 

Over the last two years I've taken note of what Monkey likes and what he isn't interested in (which we've happily given away). Here are some of the toys he's liked over the last year:

• Mega blocks
• Sorting and Stacking toys (e.g. stacking cups)
• Puppets
• Board books 
• Wooden Puzzles
• Cars, trucks and trains (wooden or non-electric)
• Ride on car (non-electric)
• Balls

I'm sure there are others but that's what came to my mind first. I really like the wooden toys made by Melissa & Doug and I'd like to invest in some nice play silks.

What are your thoughts about toys? What kind of toys is(are) your little one(s) interested in right now?

Watching Anime

Have you ever watched an anime? When hubby first asked me if I wanted to watch an anime with him (quite a few years ago) a picture of Sailor Moon popped into my head  "mmm... not so interested Honey". Somehow (it must have been those gorgeous blue eyes) he convinced me to sit down and watch an episode of something. Afterward, I reluctantly agreed that it was actually quite funny. Since then, we've watched a bunch of different animes together and we just started watching a new one together a few nights ago. Now you have to be careful with animes, some of them are great (and clean) and others are violent and filled with brazen nudity. I'm pretty picky about the animes I watch but here are the ones I've enjoyed:

Angelic Layer

Full Metal Alchemist

DN Angel

Right now we are watching Death Note. It's very dark ("note" the scary picture) and I'm still not sure about it.... we'll see how the story unfolds.

Books of the Week

I picked up some new books from our library and I've been enjoying them a lot. Here's watch I've been reading.

Heir of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marilier

I finished reading this last night. The novel starts a little slow; the first 75 pages lay the groundwork for the adventure ahead. Once the action starts the book is hard to put down. I haven't read a lot of fantasy novels. The ones I have read I really enjoyed: C.S Lewis' Narnia, Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Raymond Feist's Riftwar Saga and Brian Jacques' Redwall Series. This book was quite good. It reminded me of Feist's books. The protagonists acted with moral integrity which I liked very much. I would definitely read her other works.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl

My SIL introduced me to the Pioneer Women blog about half a year ago, and like many of her "followers" I was excited to get my hands on her recently released cook book. It's a beautiful book, filled with lots of pictures and lots of colour. The tone is relaxed and chatty. The recipes are written in the same style as her blog (with smaller pictures of course). I highly recommend borrowing this book if you can find it at your library. I've already picked out a few recipes that I'd like to try - yum! I can't wait.

The Way of Boys: Raising Healthy Boys in a Challenging and Complex World by Anthony Rao and Michelle Seaton

I've only read the first few pages of this book but it looks promising. I recently read War Against Boys by Christina Sommers and while she had a lot of interesting points the book was repetitive and not as much about boys as you'd expect. The Way of Boys seems to be more what I was hoping to read in Sommers' book.

Carnival d'hiver

Lent is approaching quickly so it's the perfect time to go to a winter carnival. Our winter carnival is organized by the local French community (which we are part of because we're French!) so it's filled with French food and French activities. Monkey had a lot of fun and so did we. Here are some pictures of the festivities :)

La tire sure la neige. Monkey wasn't so sure at first, but he loved it.

Pure maple syrup is boiled in a huge pot. The stirring and watching are very important jobs. The maple syrup has to hit a specific temperature before it can be poured on snow.  My Papa (Dad) was the expert in charge of this important task and he did a great job!

The maple syrup is ladled onto the snow to cool and then wrapped on a stick.

 

Here is my Maman (Mom) pouring the syrup while I wrap it on the stick.

My Maman, brother and myself. It's quite the family event!

There are definite perks to making this stuff. You get to eat the biggest pieces and they are so delicious :D

After eating all the sweet maple syrup, you need to find a way to use all that sugar flowing in your blood. Here Hubby and my brother are competing in the log cutting tournament - they won this round :)

Weekly Menu

Over a month ago we noticed that Monkey was developing a sensitivity to tomatoes. Every time he ate anything with tomato he got a fiery red rash around his mouth (ouch!). So, you may have noticed that a lot of our dinner meals lately are (or have the option of being) tomato free. I love cooking with tomatoes so it's been a bit of a challenge. Eventually we will try reintroducing tomatoes into our meals but not for a few months at least.

Dinner menu for February 6-12th:

Saturday: Pulled pork on buns with sliced veggies.
Sunday: Asparagus risotto and salad.
Monday: Thai chicken pizza with sliced veggies.
Tuesday: Broccoli soup with homemade bread.
Wednesday: Sweet and sour meatballs, rice and steamed veggies.
Thursday: Potato salad, sausage and corn.
Friday: Tuna burgers.

Small Successes

It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. 

So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that.

1) Today Monkey and I made forty (40!) cinnamon rolls using The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls 101 recipe. I froze thirty-six rolls for quick and easy snacks after baby is born, cooked four rolls for dessert tonight and resisted the urge to eat one before then (go willpower!).

2) We are slowly getting things ready for Lent. Today I started making our Lenten Calendar (inspired by Shower of Roses) and I've finally finished making all the symbols for our Jesus Tree.

3) Now that I'm back on my feet I've managed to make dinner every night. Life almost feels back to normal - even my back is sore again :)

Books on my Bed Stand

My bed stand is usually covered by books. There are books that I'm reading, books that I'd like to read and books that appeared mysteriously and need to be put away. Right now I'm reading through these books:

Heat: An Amateur's Adventure as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany

A book about writer (= not a trained chef) who decides to intern in Mario Batalli's kitchen Babbo. An entertaining book if you're interested in food and cooking, but be warned, the book has quite a bit of crude language and the occasional sexual reference.

Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols

Mike Aquilina describes the signs and symbols that were used by early Christians as they practiced their faith in a difficult and often hostile environment. This book is easy to read and can be inspiring to those who enjoy arts and crafts. I'm thinking about using some of the symbols as ideas for embroidery work.

The Big Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions for Children's Faith Formation

I recently bought this book from Amazon and have been slowly reading parts of it here and there. Some of the activities and suggestions are targeted for a classroom setting but most can be used at home. It has feast day plans and ideas for each month of the year with special sections for Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter.

Slow-Cooked Comfort: Soul Satisfying Stews, Casseroles and Braises for Every Season

Cook books are so much fun to read, especially when they are seasonally appropriate. When I read about the stews I feel all warm and cozy despite the cold wintery weather outside. I've made the beef bourguignon (delicious!) and this week I'm trying out the chicken etouffee. This is definitely a book I would consider buying.

Bed rest update: 35 weeks pregnant

Last Thursday my midwife told me I could start doing more things around the house (hurrah!). My Braxton Hicks contractions haven't been getting worse, in fact I'd say they're less frequent and less uncomfortable compared to two weeks ago. I still have to "take it easy" and can't do a lot of activities (like rugby and karate - jk) but I'm happy to be doing more.

I know there has been a request to post a pregnancy photo. I tried to get hubby to take a few but I wasn't happy with the outcome. I wish my SIL lived in town so that she could do maternity pictures for us again. Here are a few that she took when I was pregnant with Monkey. I'll try and get a decent picture of me this week and post it soon.