Ready, set..

I love Christmas!  I love the gift buying, wrapping, decorations, the food (all the food), visiting with family and friends.  But this year, with my trip coming up I've been a little distracted.

Christmas seemed to sneak up on me a bit, and yet I was so relaxed this year. We had a wonderful Christmas Day.  My daughter spent three nights here arriving on Christmas Eve and leaving on Saturday. Since my son works retail, Christmas Day is the only full day we have together. Of course, being young adults they tend to sleep in so our day didn't get started until nearly noon.  It meant I had a quiet morning, sitting with my coffee in the glow from the lights of the Christmas tree.

I started our dinner, a beef roast, in the slow cooker about 8:30 a.m.  Later I set the table, getting a little help from Saku.

For dinner we had the roast, with Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, cooked carrots and a broccoli/cauliflower salad (it was so good!). I'd never made the Yorkshire pudding before, but they were easy and my daughter loved them!

My friend C joined us for dinner.  She spent the morning with her ex-husband and her son but was going to be on her own for the rest of the day.

We had a wonderful visit (and meal...if I do say so myself).  C has been part of our lives since my son was just a little guy; she was the one who rode the rides on the midway because mom was too afraid!  There was lots of laughter as we shared memories!


We'd opened gifts earlier in the day.

The cat is a gift from my friend's C & N.  On the card it reads in part:
"Pop Artist Romero Britto uses vibrant colors and bold patterns as a visual language of hope and happiness."

This is "Happy Cat" #1289/4000
Isn't he cute?

 
The bag is from my brother and his family.  He'd told me he bought something I could use on my trip and I'd guessed an umbrella!

It has a drawstring at the top so I wouldn't be able to use it as a carry-on.  But it will certainly be in my suitcase to be used for carrying groceries, or my camera ...and probably an umbrella. :)

My children gave me this Saskatchewan Roughrider hoodie.  I had suggested a t-shirt but this will be great for spring and fall.

Boxing Day I did go shopping, but not early as I have in the past.  I slept until 8  a.m. and then headed for Walmart. The big score was kitty litter - a large container is normally $15 but was on sale for $10.  I got four of them, along with cat food, both dry and wet (not on sale).  I wanted to stock up so my son C doesn't have to purchase any while I'm away.

I also picked up more yarn (yes, I'm getting quite a stash built up) at Michael's.  the project I was thinking I would take on my trip is too big so I wanted something smaller.  I'll share that in another post, suffice to say it's new to me and it's going to be fun!

After shopping I met my friend B for brunch at Denny's.  She wanted to try their pumpkin pancakes.  I stuck to the tried and true, the Grand Slam breakfast.  Later that day, I made a batch of buns and a salad to take to a potluck dinner that evening at C&N's.  We normally would go out for dinner but the restaurant was closing at 3 p.m.  C made a beef stew, there were two dishes of perogies, coleslaw, a veggie platter, and my offerings.  We all ate very well.  Did I mention I love the food?

After dinner, we watched some video of N's summer job; he flew water bombers fighting fires this year.  We played a Christmas trivia game C had put together,(do you know the name of the Grinch's dog?*) and listened to "The Shepherd".  This story, by Frederick Forsyth tells the story of a De Havilland Vampire pilot, going home on Christmas Eve in 1957.  Without his instruments, running low on fuel, and encountering heavy fog, the pilot is certain he is doomed, but a Christmas miracle occurs and he lives to tell the story.  If, like me, you've not heard the story, take a listen.


Yesterday was back to the normal weekend chores, and I took down most of the decorations, and undressed the tree.  My son still has to dismantle the tree and carry it downstairs for me so I can vacuum and wash the floors.  I also got my sewing/craft room re-organized so that I will be able to use it.

There is room to the left of my chair to set up the ironing board and the closet (not pictured since it still a mess)has my yarn stash, iron, material, and other supplies.

Today, I slept in until 9:30 (how lazy!).  The cats did have me awake earlier to feed them but I decided to let myself sleep until I woke up. Apparently, Christmas has tired me out!

I still have housework to do (see above) but I've taken it pretty easy so far.  There is batch of buns in the oven, and another pan to go in shortly.  Half of the batch I made on Boxing Day were eaten at dinner that night, and my children made short work of the rest.  This batch should last a little longer, I hope!

After the buns are done, I'm going to go outside, get some fresh air and shovel the driveway as we got a bit more snow yesterday. We're into a cold snap (-26C this morning) and this should be the last time before I leave.  (Yes, I started packing yesterday!).

It's going to be busy week before I get away.  I'm working full days on Monday and Tuesday, just three hours on Wednesday and then on Friday afternoon.  The latter two days are the result of the need to have sufficient managers in the office to supervise the minimal number of staff who will be around.  I've got a manicure and hair cut booked for Weds. a.m. and some last minute errands to run on Fri. before I fly out on Saturday.  By this time next week, I'll hopefully be posting pictures of my first walk on the beach on the island.

I'm horribly behind in reading blogs but hope to get caught up in the next week or so.  To atone for my lax ways, here's the recipe for the salad I made twice this week.

Broccoli/cauliflower salad (all measurements approximate)
3 cups of bite-sized pieces of broccoli tops and cauliflower**
minced red onion - as little or much as you like
cherry tomatoes halved - as little or much as you like
Dressing:
Equal parts of mayonnaise and sour cream (I used 4 tablespoons of each to start)
1 tablespoon of vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons of white sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Stir together and pour over vegetables.  Let stand in bowl for a couple of hours before serving.

This has to be my new favorite salad.  The dressing is fresh - it's the only word I can use to describe it and the colors, green, red and white are so Christmas'y.  A co-worker brought it for our Christmas Eve brunch and when I asked she gave me a list of ingredients but no measurements.  I just put it together by taste. No pictures available as it was all eaten by the time I thought about it.  Enjoy!

Have a wonderful week everyone!
*Max
**I cheated and bought two bags of pre-cut

Merry Christmas!

Wherever you are, however you choose to celebrate (or not) this day, I wish you all a day full of the things you enjoy most.

Love,
Eileen

*comments off

Countdown to Christmas

Another busy week is behind me, thank goodness.  Four more sleeps to Christmas, and in two weeks I'll be able to take my first walk on the beach in Parksville.   Oooh...I'm so excited.

I spent the week in our Saskatoon office.   The plan to work with my staff there was nearly thwarted when two were ill,  another was in a training course, a fourth was out of the office working so there was only one person actually in the office on Monday and Tuesday.  But by mid-week, with the exception of the one working away, the rest were in the office.   Thursday we all went for our Christmas lunch to a local restaurant.


In addition to a Chapters gift card, my staff gave me this lovely five piece calendar set.  It has the large calendar, a mini calendar, list pad, bookmark, and four note cards with envelopes.

They've come to know me well.  I made a stop at Chapters on Friday evening and spent the gift cards on a couple of books for me, a cookbook for my daughter and a set of ice-cube trays for my son. (I can tell you this knowing neither of them read my blog!)

Friday morning there was heavy fog in the area.  I left the office about 10 a.m. and it was starting to burn off.  I never had less than 1/4 mile visibility and the roads were clear.  Still I was glad to get home.

I  had planned to have my brother and his family over for dinner on Friday, but their plans changed so we arranged to get together on Saturday instead.

My niece, L will be 12 in January, while my nephew K was 14 in November.


They're fairly close in size and both were excited that they are taller than aunty now.

They came from L's basketball game, had lunch with me and a short visit, before they had to head over to their Granny's house before the next basketball game.  I'm glad I don't have their schedule!

Today, I'm trying to get caught on housework.  I did some laundry yesterday and loaded the dishwasher  The last of the gifts are wrapped and under the tree (except Santa's because he doesn't come until Christmas Eve!) and the kitchen counters are clear.  I still have to scrub the floor, vacuum the upstairs, clean cat litter boxes, and take out the garbage.

This morning I mixed up a batch of these crackers.  I was supposed to use Ritz cheese sandwich crackers but I messed up and bought the original.  The recipe is very simple, add two tablespoons of dill weed, two teaspoons of garlic powder, a package of Ranch dip mix (dry), and a cup of canola (or veg) oil to five 180 gram packages of the crackers.

Mix in a large bowl and stir every 20 minutes to half hour until the oil is fully absorbed. They are yummy whether you use the right crackers or not!

Before I get back to my housework, I'll leave you with some photos I took in the yard this morning. The hoar frost is sooo beautfiful!

 Have a great week everyone!

Friday Funny

Angelversary

I realized earlier today, it's been eleven years today since Mom left us.  No matter that we didn't always see eye-to-eye, I miss her.  I miss the Sunday afternoon telephone conversations, catching up on the news (or maybe it was gossip).  I miss visiting while we (or who I am kidding, while she) cooked a holiday meal.

I miss her acerbic wit (even when it was directed at me), her toughness in the face of the pain that her constant companion, and her spirit.  She may not have been perfect but she was pretty damn special.

There isn't a week that goes by that I don't think of something she said or did.  When I travel as I did yesterday, I imagine her in the passenger seat of my car, keeping me safe.

We may grow old, but I don't think we ever grow up to the point where we no longer miss our parents.

Love you mom!

Random Sunday

Christmas baking done, check.

Christmas cards addressed, check
Roast for Christmas dinner bought, check
Christmas gifts bought, check ???

To do:
Write the Christmas letter, insert in addressed envelopes and mail
Wrap gifts, realize I've haven't found a gift for my son

And I just realized what both these tasks mean - I'm going to have to venture out to the mall/post office.  Arrggh!!

I had to run to Walmart yesterday to pick up some dish detergent (I didn't count the loads of dishes from my baking but it was lot) and tissue paper for wrapping.  When I arrived home, I said to my son, "the next time I say I'm going to run to Walmart on a Saturday afternoon before Christmas, remind me not to be so f*ng crazy."  My first clue - there was a line-up into the parking lot!  Finding a spot wasn't difficult because I don't need to park within 10 meters of the store.  Especially when it's above freezing!  And I could use the exercise...though on that note I should have walked from home.

I digress.  The second clue was the lack of carts inside the store.  There were lots abandoned in the parking lot, and the rest were playing a game of seek and destroy in the store driven by the same idiots people who recently circled the parking lot.

The thought of heading out to the mall again makes me shudder!!!

****
Our warm weather is nearly at an end.  We've cooled down today, though I do see we're getting sleet or rain as I type this.  This close to freezing weather is a bit scary as the roads get dicey.

Thankfully the forecast for the next couple of wees is for normal temperatures and not bitter cold. We'll see temps around -10C for daytime highs and -17C for overnight lows.

Yesterday, I was able to let the cats out into the sun room briefly.   Unfortunately it wasn't sunny and my daughter borrowed my space heater a week or two ago and hasn't brought it back yet otherwise they could have been out there longer.

****
I'm off to Saskatoon this week as I'm going to take my staff out for lunch on Thursday.  My two staff and I joined another group, this past Thursday at a restaurant near the office.  We pre-ordered, which was a great idea as our food was out to us quickly and we were able to relax and visit for awhile before returning to work.

Friday was my earned day off.  So guess what I did?  Can't guess...don't want to guess...I went to the office.  Now why would I go to the office on my day off?

Because my boss decided we'd have our Christmas lunch on Friday.  He told me that the date worked for everyone else because they were all planning in the office so I reluctantly agreed to come in. Then on Thursday I discovered that he had told three of us the same fib.  I seriously thought about skipping the lunch but it wouldn't have been fair to the rest.

But I did cut it short by telling him I had to pack my computer, etc. for the trip to Saskatoon so we were all out of there in 90 minutes.

****
Speaking of packing, I'm starting to think about what I'll take with me to B.C. in January.  I am sooooo looking forward to wearing casual clothes most of the time. I'll take something dressy to wear just in case but t-shirts and jeans will be the norm.  But besides clothing I want to take a few things from home to make me feel at home.  I was thinking taking some photos but I'll have my laptop so will lots of pictures of the cats, and I can call or text my kids.

I am going to take some yarn to either crochet or knit though I don't want to take up too much space in the suitcase.  So I won't be taking the nearly complete afghan that just needs to be sewn together.  It's been in a bin in the craft room since...well a long time.  I have a project in mind that I'll share once I've actually started it.

Something else I'm taking is small packages of the spices I use most regularly.  I won't need or want to purchase full containers so the plan is to use the small travel bottles  (cleaned and labelled).

I'm also taking my camera with me.  I'm so looking forward to being near the water.  I'm imagining going for a walk every morning on the boardwalk.  Soon, very soon!

****
Enough dreaming, I still have more gifts to wrap, the floors need to be washed, and the curling finals of the Canadian Open have started.

Have a great week everyone and I hope you're able to avoid the Christmas crowds!!

Friday Funny

Making a list

I've been making lists but it doesn't seem to be helping any.  How can it be that I felt so prepared for Christmas a week ago, but today I'm having a conniption fit trying to figure out how I'm going to get everything done?

But I'm

I suppose if I didn't try to cram everything in on the weekend perhaps I'd feel less stressed.  But after a long day of work I feel like doing nothing more than curling up in my chair with a cat or two, watching television, and maybe catching up on blog reading.  So that's what I do even though I ultimately pay for my laziness.

As a result the weekend is busy!!  I did housework and errands on Friday, yesterday was shopping, a little baking, lots of curling to watch, and my daughter's birthday dinner (pizza/ribs/Caesar salad ordered in).  She and I ran to Costco and Michael's this morning, then it was home to watch more curling, and continue baking.  

Which reminds me - Trish mentioned last week that baking and not sharing my recipes isn't right.  At the bottom of the post you'll find the recipe for cinnamon sugar cookies that I made last weekend. These have been such a hit that they are on my do-over list.

Something that is not, is the fudge bar - basically fudge on a shortbread base.  Well, if you figure out a way to get fudge to adhere to the base you're way ahead of me.  So I have a pan of fudge with shortbread crumbs on the bottom.  Very disappointing!

This weekend I baked peppermint cream cheese brownies (yet to be iced and cut), Dundee cake (an almond cake with lots of fruit, shortbread, and mini chocolate cupcakes.  The latter will be iced and sprinkled with bits of candy cane.

The almonds on the top of the Dundee cake should be placed in a circle but I figure by the time it is cut no one will know the difference.

 There's my laziness rearing it's head again.

I'm taking a break for a little bit, then will try to get one more batch of shortbread done (no sugar on top - it's a gift for a friend) as well as a batch of white chocolate M&M cookies. 

AND that will be it for baking.

While I've been watching curling I've been knitting.  My daughter wanted dishcloths - I'm on the fourth one this weekend - she got to take three and I'll keep this one for myself.  

I picked up some more yarn at Michael's for a crochet project.  It's something, that if I don't finish over the next few weeks, can be taken with me to B.C. to finish there.

*****

We had some weird weather today over a period of about two hours.  It started with rain.

Then the snow started coming down in earnest and the wind started to blow.

Within 30 minutes the snow and wind stopped and it's simply been overcast ever since. Weird!

The weather is supposed to warm up significantly, we may even get above freezing.  

*****

Finally what you've been waiting for; the first is the recipe as it was published, and below that is my way...the lazy way.

"Cinnamon Roll" cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Pinch salt

Cinnamon sugar:

2 tbsp. packed brown sugar

2 tbsp butter, softened

1 tsp cinnamon

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla.  Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt; stir into butter mixture in 3 additions.

Divide dough in half; shape into discs.  Wrap each in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 1 hour. Let stand at room temperature until soft enough to roll out, about 15 minutes.

Between waxed paper or on a floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to 12 X 10 inch rectangle.

Cinnamon sugar

Combine sugar, butter and cinnamon, spread half evenly onto rectangle.  Starting at long side roll up dough.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Cut rolls into 1/4 inch thick slices, place 1 inch apart on parchment lined or greased baking sheets.  Bake 1 sheet at a time, in 375F oven until pale golden on bottoms and edges, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to racks and let cool completely.

Cream cheese glaze:

Quarter package (250g package) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup icing sugar

2 tbsp milk, warmed

Combine cream cheese, icing sugar and milk, drizzle over cooled cookies.

Makes about 60 cookies.

The lazy way:

Although I followed the recipe as far as ingredients went, the rolling and drizzling was too much futzing for me.  So I simply rolled out the dough, used a scalloped cookie cutter, and sprinkled a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon on top of each cookie.  As Jamie Oliver would say, "easy peasy".  

Enjoy!

Friday Funny