enms-blog1

[enms-blog1]

Goals, goals, goals! 2013 edition

I am not big on New Year's resolutions. Like many, I have set them in the past, only to quickly fall off track and attempt to forget my failures due to laziness or being over ambitious in a moment of denial about my true abilities. Instead, I like to focus on goals.

When I turned 39 a while back, life was CRAZY. I had always intended to set some goals ramping up to my 40th birthday, but then wasn't the time to set any. I find that it's important for me to be in a clear & sensible frame of mind when working on goal setting, or else I am setting myself up for failure. 

So! Now that I am ready...

1. Read 40 books 

2. Try 40 new recipes

3. Try/do 40 new things - yes, this is broad, but I don't want to put limitations on what I try

4. Complete 40 random acts of kindness (I may not write about all of these, depending on what all I do)

I also want to do something fun for my 40th birthday! It lands on the first day of the Calgary Stampede this year. Normally, I don't mind sharing my birthday with the Stampede when it falls within those 10 days, but this is a big one & I kinda want it for myself this time!

[enms-blog1]

29 albums that are 20 years old. Spending my day listening to some classics. Thank you, BuzzFeed!

[enms-blog1]

It's that time of year!

[enms-blog1]

Day 2 - Peace #FMSphotoaday

[enms-blog1]

Day 1 - 8 o'clock #FMSPhotoaday Starting off the Christmas Sean right, surrounded by friends.

[enms-blog1]

I won’t say that hating our bodies is a universal experience, because I know that it’s not, but it is a pretty common one. The problem with a lot of the rhetoric around the whole “love and accept yourself unconditionally” ideology — popular and awesome-feeling though the words may sound — is that it doesn’t leave much space for individual realities, complicated as they are. There are many reasons why loving your body may occasionally be impossible. It happens. Allowing yourself to then feel like crap about your apparent lack of perfect loving joyfulness in your every molecule is self-defeating. I prefer to advocate for acceptance, because acceptance doesn’t place a value — positive or negative — on our bodies, or our bodily parts. Love can be fickle, but acceptance is not. Your body, and all its little idiosyncrasies and annoyances, exists. You cannot blink the frustrating parts away, and you cannot wish them into oblivion. If you are able to change them, it will probably take time. So you may as well accept them, as they are, right now.

Lesley Kinzel, SURPRISE! I Don’t Love My Body All the Time (And That’s OK)

So true. I need to work on this.

[enms-blog1]

Salted caramel sauce! #nofilter #baking

[enms-blog1]

Great way to start a work day! <3

[enms-blog1]

[enms-blog1]

Sunday Roasted Chicken with Veggies

Ingredients:

1 3-4 lb chicken

Bunch fresh rosemary

Bunch fresh dill

Bunch fresh parsley

1 large lemon

1 parsnip

Small bunch organic or garden variety carrots

3 stalks celery

1 large onion

1 shallot

1 bulb garlic

1 turnip

1 lb brussel sprouts

1 lb baby red and yukon potatoes

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked pepper

Olive oil

To Make:

Preheat oven to 475

Wash all the veggies but don’t peel. Cut onion and shallot in half and arrange into the corners of a baking dish or roasting pan. Cut the celery, turnip, and parsnip into large chunks and scatter into the dish. Break up the garlic but don’t peel it and throw the whole lot in with the other veg. Arrange half the carrots into the dish, whole or cut in half depending on size. Drizzle veg with olive oil. 

Place your chicken on a separate cutting board and remove any pieces from the inner cavity.

Stuff the inner cavity of the chicken with a bunch of fresh dill, some chopped parsley, and a good handful of fresh rosemary. 

Pierce the lemon on all sides with a tip of a knife and stuff into the chicken. 

Season all sides very well with salt and pepper and a few pinches of dill. Rub all over the chicken with olive oil.

Place chicken on top of the veggies in the baking dish and pop into the oven. Turn the heat down to 400 and roast for 1.5 hours. 

Half way through cooking, take chicken out of the oven and spoon over it the juices and oils at the bottom of the pan. Also add 1/4 cup of water the dish so the veggies don’t dry out. Put it back in the oven to finish. 

On a sheet tray arrange the rest of the carrots, all the brussel sprouts cut in half, and the baby potatoes cut in half. Season with salt and pepper, some fresh rosemary stalks, and drizzle over with olive oil. Use your hands to coat all the veggies with the seasoning and olive oil. (Side Note: Cut off the ends of the brussel sprouts before halving them if you don’t want to end up with the most horrific gas all night!)

Pop veggies into the oven until golden brown and cooked through, about 45-55 mins. 

When chicken is cooked through and juices run clear, let it rest for 10 minutes before carving. 

Carve the chicken and serve with roasted veggies, fresh bread, and a glass of wine. 

Enjoy!

If looking for a great reference on roasted meats, try Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. Great book that’s easy to use and understand. 

[enms-blog1]

[enms-blog1]

Banana Bread Waffles

Over the last year, waffles have become a staple in our home. It is one of those things you can make and know that everyone will eat them. No fighting necessary! Another fabulous thing about waffles is that there seems to be an endless variation of  recipes and ideas. It is also an easy thing to experiment with and come up with your own recipe, which is exactly what I did on Saturday!

This is a recipe in the making. I am already dreaming of ways to make them better, even though they are really darn good. Next time, I will find a way to incorporate sour cream to give them a little extra zing!

Banana Bread Waffles

makes 12 - 14 waffles

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoons white sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk, lukewarm

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

In a medium bowl, mash ripe (peeled!) bananas & set aside.

Chop pecans. Toast in a dry heated pan & set aside to cool. (Toasting brings out the nutty flavour.)

Preheat waffle maker to preferred settings (I use 400F.) Spray or oil waffle griddle if necessary. 

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add milk, melted butter and vanilla. Stir together.

Slowly add milk mixture into the flour. Stir until blended. Fold in mashed banana & toasted pecans.

Ladle waffle mixture onto hot waffle griddle. Cook until desired doneness. Serve while hot. 

What's a recipe without photos?

Banana Bread Waffle batter prior to folding in bananas & pecans.

Banana Bread Waffle batter on hot waffle iron.

Banana Bread Waffles ready to eat! Served with maple syrup & bacon.

Enjoy!

[enms-blog1]

Might be freezing out, but boys are enjoying their first live CFL game! Go @CalStampeders!

[enms-blog1]

Craft day! #family #children #crafts

[enms-blog1]

Great night to stay in with comfort food & wine!

[enms-blog1]

Mommy's day off lunch!

[enms-blog1]

I am in irreverent blogger, as well as an irregular one.

I will never be considered a "good" writer, I have found that it is important to have an outlet where I can just dump the contents of my brain and make room for more important things.

Sadly, most of my brain space these days is filled with inane things, instead of ones that should be there. I know myself well enough to know that when I no longer enjoy music playing in the background, because it's causing static in thought process, that it is time to do something.

So I am doing something...

Post may be frequent & then again maybe not. I do have a flurry of activity in my life right now. Setting up a new home & creating a new family unit. Moves mean lots of changes. From little, to big ones like new schools & communities. Holidays are quickly approaching (Yay, Christmas!) & with so much newness, it's a great chance to create new traditions, keeping old cherished ones & doing away with those done just out of habit (or sometimes guilt.)

In many ways, life right now is like a new bloom, getting ready to burst open. I am excited to see what beauty unfolds.

- e