A Prairie Winter Redux

Here's a few more pictures from the Sleigh Ride and winter picnic last weekend. Note how we're able to stay outside for a prolonged period of time. The next day the thermostat went the way of the Canada Goose and flew south with temperatures hovering around -30 to -40 until Wednesday. It's kind of scary to think that today it's only -25 and were talking shorts.

Sleigh Ride, Weenie roast and smores!

The staff of the school had a fun activity together on Saturday. We all piled on 2 sleds and were driven by horses to North Buck Lake (About 4 km from our house) where we had a weenie roast, smores and hot chocolate. The day was perfect. It was actually above freezing for the first time in months! I think it was about +2 degrees.




Evelyn thought she would be riding the horses, and wanted to bring her cowboy hat and 'lasso' (Aka a green dog leash) the hat blew off as soon as we left the house, so she decided to leave it.

On the way home, she got to hold the reigns. She was pretty proud of herself!





One of Ryan's co-workers just got a new puppy and brought it to the roast. It was so cute. Evelyn has a blast playing with it. It bowled her over a few times, but she took it in stride. She spent most of the time at the lake climbing a tall drift of compact snow and taking part in a snowball fight.








Ethan spent his time at the lake being held and cuddled and playing peek-a-boo and playing another game he made up. In this new game, the unsuspecting good Samaritan helps Ethan put his mitten back on his hand. Ethan makes cute-eyes at them and smiles and is basically a cutie. He then proceeds to remove his glove with a flourish, all the while maintaining eye contact with the good Samaritan. The game is that the person will again put his mitten on. And the process repeats. Thankfully, it was warm enough that his hands never got very cold.

After the sleigh ride back, some of the staff came over to our house for hot drinks, goodies and conversation. There were probably 13 people at our house! The kids played Wii, Evelyn had fun watching them. Ethan slept though it all.

Our house was the cleanest it has been in a while. I de-cluttered areas I have been procrastinating about for a long time. All the toys were out of the living room, Evelyn even helped clean up her playroom downstairs. So, today, I am having a very lazy day because everything is done! I love a clutter free, clean house!

It started to snow heavily last evening, and the temp has plummeted to -20! The timing of the outing was perfect! We could not have asked for better weather. I think I may have to shovel the car out of the driveway tonight so I can get to work tomorrow!. It is still snowing now, so I think I'll wait until after supper.

I almost took Ethan in to the hospital last night. His chest cold was sounding worse. He was a bit wheezy and congested. Instead, I used some vapor-rub, took him in the bathroom with the shower going for a while, then I took him outside to breath the cold air. It worked, and he sounded a lot better.

I was up much of the night coughing too. This cough just won't go away! I looked it up on the internet a bit, and read that it will probably take another week to go away-if not longer. I think I'm going to take some Tylenol #3 tonight (The codeine is a powerful cough suppressant) and hope to sleep well. I have to work in the morning.

Morrocan Tangine

Another dish for you. This one sounds like it could easily be converted to a slow cooker meal. I am including some of the comments from people who have tried this dish already. One substituted yams for squash, which sounds good. Others added more or different spices for good outcomes.

Reviewed: Mar. 18, 2007 Very tasty. Per other reviews, I added half a green pepper, a handful of chopped apricots, and a few dashes of cinnamon, turmeric, and cumin.

Reviewed: Mar. 3, 2007 This is an incredibly awesome meal!!! If there were more stars I'd rate it higher :) Very easy to do…it has a slightly sweet taste – from the squash I suppose. I added a dash of cinnamon as they were recommending it in the previous reviews. It’s soo good over couscous (I cooked couscou with chicken broth to add more flavour) My husband and children loved it!! I will definitely be making this again!!!

Reviewed: Sep. 12, 2005 Despite the fact that I punched this up with a tablespoon of minced ginger root and about a teaspoon of lemon zest (sauted with the chicken, onions and garlic) and added 1 tsp of tumeric, 1 tsp of cumin and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon with the spices, it still tasted rather bland. The chicken didn't pick up any of the flavors and the garbanzo beans seemed to add texture but no flavor. I think next time I'll put the chicken in a ziploc bag with the garlic, onion, ginger and lemon zest for a few hours before starting. I did like the butternut squash, though. It added just enough sweetness.

Moroccan Tagine

Submitted by: JRLJACKSON Rated: 4 out of 5 by 21 members

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes

Ready In: 1 Hour Yields: 6 servings

"An exotic warm stew that is loved by all and is very easy to make. Also delicious as a vegetarian dish, without chicken. Serve over couscous."

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks 1/2 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped 1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 carrot, peeled and chopped 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice 1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 dash cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the chicken, onion, and garlic about 15 minutes, until browned.
2.	Mix the squash, garbanzo beans, carrot, tomatoes with juice, broth, sugar, and lemon juice into the skillet. Season with salt, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, and continue cooking 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2007 Allrecipes.com

An update

I had hoped to have a video or two to share, but I'm having issues with Movie Maker. So, in lieu, a few pictures and a couple stories.

Evelyn was given a "Dora Dance Adventure" kit for her birthday. Here she is in the outfit that came with it. It is way to big, but she doesn't seem to mind. She has a blast dancing along with the maracas. I think her favorite part is the pirate dance. "Yo Ho Ho Ho, we're doing the pirate dance!" She swings her arms side to side and bounces up and down.




We played princess with her dress up stuff from her Grandpa and Grandma. She had to get her rocking horse in on the fun too.









She loves to look in her view master. I can remember loving my own little orange one when I was 3 years old too. Some times, she just explores and examines the disks without the viewer.









We have been having some deer visit us on a regular basis again this winter. Evelyn has called one of them "Co-Co Deer". It is pretty cute to hear her ask "Is it Co-Co Deer coming to eat?" each time I tell her I see a deer in the yard. I love that they come. We don't have any precious plants for them to destroy, so they are welcome to munch on whatever they want. Their favorite is our old grass clipping pile. Here she is looking at the Deer.


I have been doing a bit of organizing in our basement. I cleared out and set up a little "Hidey-Hole" under the stairs for Evelyn. She thinks it's pretty cool. We had a little tea party picnic for her Dollies. The doll in the yellow sleeper was my own special doll when I was little. I called her 'Baby Brenda'. I think she has faired well over the years.



She decided to have a little sleep over with her teddies. A little later, I set up a tent from a blanket and let her 'nap' in her camp-out.





No real reason for these pics. I decided to try to get a close up of their faces last week, then realized the resultant pic was very similar to one I had taken when Ethan was only a couple weeks old. Just the roles have been reversed!


I love the face Ethan is making here. He had more fun than I expected playing with my dish cloths. I think part of the fun was that he knew he had filched them from my laundry basket. Forbidden fruit can taste so sweet...









Ack! Ethan! What happened? (I'm obviously unconcerned enough that I snapped this pic before I went to his aide.) This is our makeshift tandem sled. Evelyn rides on the black one that is towed behind the wooden one. It works really well actually. Except, that is, when Ethan gets tipped back...





This is just a cute pic I wanted to share. Ethan has just cut a molar, and another is closely behind. That brings his total of teeth to 5 (almost 6). So, he has his 4 front teeth (2 up, 2 down) and his Left upper 1st molar. A bit odd as far as teething goes, but then again, just about anything goes in teething... He sure is drooling a lot!







Finally, "Peek -A - Bum!" Ethan is a pro at standing up now. We are still waiting for that first step though. It should be any time now... He is almost 15 1/2 months old! It's gotta be soon.... I think Evelyn was 15 months and 3 weeks when she walked. I'll keep you posted!

This sounds yummy

I think this would be good with any dried fruit. It does sound like it takes a bit of monitoring during cooking to baste and make sure the fruit doesn't dry out. The flavors sound yummy though. It looks pretty easy to prepare. Mix up the glaze, add the fruit, stick it in the oven.

I subscribed to AllRecipes.com daily dish e-mail. They send a new recipe to my inbox every day. Most of them are not appealing to me, but I'll post the ones that sound good. I like to try new recipes and get ideas for my own adaptations. Trying new stuff is the only thing that makes cooking bearable!

Fig and Lemon Chicken

Submitted by: Kimber Rated: 4 out of 5 by 40 members

Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 50 Minutes

Ready In: 1 Hour Yields: 12 servings

"Sweet figs provide a rich contrast to tart lemon in this citrus-glazed composition."

INGREDIENTS:

1 lemon, juiced 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup water 1 1/2 pounds dried figs

1 lemon, sliced 12 chicken thighs salt to taste 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 teaspoon dried parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2.	In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, brown sugar, vinegar and water; set aside.
3.	Place figs and lemon slices in the bottom of an 11x16 inch baking/roasting dish. Arrange chicken

	thighs on top, then pour vinegar mixture over chicken. Finally, sprinkle with salt and dried parsley to taste.
4.	Bake/roast at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 50 minutes, basting frequently (turn figs if they begin to brown).
5.	With a slotted spoon, remove chicken, figs and lemon slices from baking dish and place on a warm platter. Skim fat from cooking juices, then pour over chicken as sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2007 Allrecipes.com

New Photos loaded on Facebook

Check them out! They are from November to January. You have probably seen many of them already on this blog.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=37699&l=6ce29&id=650696549

(Parrish Bloggers: I added some pictures and a video to the Magna Bay group too.)

Winter Car care tips I just learned.

I just read a great article in our local paper about winter car care. I had no idea about some of this stuff, so I learned a bit more and thought I would share. For most of you, snow is a fleeting treat that you get to enjoy once or twice a year, and minus 10 is freaky cold. You can read if you want - it doesn't hurt to learn. For the few of you who also live in areas that have winter, I hope you can learn something new too! My content is in italics. Everything else is from CarJunky.com

. A recent survey conducted by Uniroyal found that most drivers have tires that are under inflated. A drop in outside temperature will mean a drop in the air pressure (PSI - pounds per square inch) in your tires. For every 5°C of temperature drop, tire pressure goes down by approximately one pound. Under inflation affects handling and can also cause your tires to wear faster. Check your air pressure monthly and maintain pressure at the vehicle manufacturer's recommended level, found in your owner's manual or inside the doorjamb.

Current RAC statistics show 23% of Canadian motorists drive with at least one tire that is under-inflated by 20% or more, resulting in more than 640 million litres of fuel being needlessly consumed. No wonder people are concerned - carbon dioxide spewing from vehicles is the single greatest cause of greenhouse gas emissions. By measuring your tires' pressure once a month, and maintaining proper tire inflation, you could save two weeks worth of gas a year, the cost of one or two sets of tires over the lifetime of your vehicle, reduce harmful emissions, and increase the safety of your vehicle. Proper tire care is simple and easy. Measure tire pressure monthly, including the spare, using a good-quality tire pressure gauge. You can't tell if your tires are properly inflated just by looking at them. If you're not sure how to do it, ask someone to help you.

. Check your vehicle's battery, fluid levels, defrosters and wipers to ensure that everything is in working order. Cold weather is especially hard on batteries. Have your battery checked to be sure all connections are clean and tight. Also, make sure your wipers are turned off when you start your car. They can freeze to the windshield overnight, and if they are turned on before you have cleared your windshield, the rubber wiper can be torn or damaged. Also, the drive motor for the wipers can be damaged if they are stuck so hard they can't move.

. Always keep the gas tank at least half-full to prepare for unexpected delays. Driving off the top half of your tank also improves mileage in the winter. This is because it allows for less condensation to form in your tank. It also reduces the amount of water that can get into your fuel line. It is a good idea to add a fuel antifreeze/conditioner once a month. These little bottles only cost about a dollar. It removes the condensation and water from you fuel line and improves mileage.
. Use a block heater in winter when the temperature drops to -20°C. A block heater keeps your engine oil and coolant warm, which makes the vehicle easier to start and can increase winter fuel economy by as much as 10 percent. (Use a timer to switch on the block heater one or two hours before you plan to drive). These things guzzle the electricity, so do use a timer. Your utility bill, and the Earth will thank you.

. Visibility is crucial when driving in inclement conditions. Scrape ice and snow from every window and from exterior rear view mirrors. Also, brush snow off the hood, roof, trunk, turn signals, lights and fender walls of your vehicle. When you stop to fill up your gas, make sure you clean off your brake lights and headlights (and license plate). Blown snow and road grime spray can make your lights almost useless. This can be very dangerous at night as others can't see you, and you can't see that great big Moose that is staring you down!
. In case of emergency, stock your vehicle with a first-aid kit, flashlight -make sure your batteries are fully charged, blankets, jumper cables, warm clothes and gloves, food, bottled water, a bag of abrasive material (such as sand, salt or clay-based cat-litter) small shovel, a cell phone (and a prayer for cell service when you need it)
Thanks to CarJunky.com for much of this content. Also thanks to our local paper for running a column called "your neighborhood mechanic".

http://news.carjunky.com/car_maintenance/car-care-tips-cold-months-cde779.shtml

I think I'm going to try this tonight.

I will try it with Haddock, but it should taste alright. Some of the people who tried this suggested baking it in tinfoil, then laying the fish over a bed of Cous Cous or Rice and pouring the juices of the fish over top. It would be nice with a side of mixed garden beans. They also said they cooked their fish at 400 degrees for 10-15 min. Some chose to put the lemon on after, as the acids can start to cook the fish and heat changes the taste of the lemon.

What are you making for dinner tonight?


Lemon Garlic Tilapia

Submitted by: Eireann Rated: 4 out of 5 by 357 members

Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ready In: 40 Minutes Yields: 4 servings

"Tilapia fillets are bathed in lemon juice and melted butter, seasoned with garlic and parsley, and baked to flaky perfection."

INGREDIENTS:

4 tilapia fillets 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2.	Rinse tilapia fillets under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels.
3.	Place fillets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets, then drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and pepper.

4.	Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 30 minutes.

Evelyn's 3rd Birthday

She is officially a preschooler now! We had a good time at Chuck E Cheese. Evelyn had 3 of her friends join us. They drove from as far as Lloydminster to be there, which meant a lot to Evelyn.
The experience was a bit overwhelming. I think the party planners of the restaurant plotted long and hard to come up with every possible sensory experience that could possibly be had, then they did it all - all at once! The kids had a blast on all the rides and playing the games. They were wired, and near the end, overloaded! (I think many of the adults were too).

Highlights of the party were: The cake(s), dancing with Chuck E and the hostesses, riding the Merry go Round, and playing in the overhead tube/slide thingy. I think Casey most enjoyed the air hockey table, and Ethan loved everything. Evelyn loved to follow the mouse mascot around the restaurant.

When cake and present time came, I loved how all the kids pitched in to blow out the candles and help rip the wrapping paper. Evelyn welcomed the help, and they all got to do the special party things that all 3 year olds love to do.

We coached Evelyn before hand on how to say thank you for her gifts and for coming to her party. She said all the right things, but I don't think her friends could hear her! So, "Thank you for your gift! I Love It!" and also "Thank you for coming to my party!" on Evelyn's behalf.

After doing a bit of shopping, we went to the Sahota's for dinner. (See the 'Sahota Visit Jan 12' blog entry) We got home about 11:30 pm. The next morning, Evelyn opened the remainder of her gifts which had been sent to her.

Just yesterday, Evelyn and I were talking about her birthday. I said "Happy Birthday" to her, and she quickly corrected me and said "My Birthday is over" So, I told her who had the next birthday (in our family) which is her Papa. I asked her what Papa would like for his birthday. This is how she answered:
"Maybe, a baseball! Yah, Yah, a baseball!"... "Or... a bath tub toy!..No, not a bath toy.." "How about a boat!" (A boat for the bath tub? I ask) "No, a boat for the lake! To go fishing!"

I was impressed that she was able to think of what Papa would want rather than what she would want. I was even more impressed that she got his likes and dislikes so correct!

So, that is Evelyn. She is 3 years old. Though, if you were to ask her her age, it would sound more like "Frwee" ;-)

Enjoy the video!

Sahota Visit

Life, Giggles, and getting to know the kids tonsils...

Here is a video of, well, just what the title of the blog says! Oh, there is a bonus clip of some bum wiggles too. Enjoy!

They are all from the first 10 days of January.

Bask in my children's cuteness.

Then, tell me what your favorite part was ;-)

Check this out!

Pretty cool! I wonder how much they cost?