I'm posting this waaaaaay out of season, but The North Pole is cool link if you have kids or are looking for new recipes.

Marilyn Monroe

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."
- Marilyn Monroe

Cashew Cream

Cashew cream is an indulgently rich cream used as a base in many dairy-free vegan substitutes. It's much richer and more flavorful than soy milk. Here's how to make a homemade vegan cashew cream. As long as you use raw cashews, this is also a raw foods recipe.
Cashew cream recipe courtesy of Gardein.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole raw cashews
cold water

Preparation:

Put 2 cups whole, raw cashews (not pieces which are often dry) and rinse very well under cold water. Put in a bowl and add cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water.

Place the cashews in a blender with enough fresh cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth. Strain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve if it's not smooth.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups regular cashew cream.

Circus Cruelty

Join in the Shrine Circus Demonstration happening Tuesday July 20th, 2010 at Copps Coliseum 101 York Blvd, Hamilton. Hopefully people will think twice about choosing the circus as a "fun family event"!

Read more about what PETA has to say about circus cruelty at Ringling Bros Beats Animals

Schools Out For Summer

I admit it. I've done the "It's the most wonderful time of the year" dance when September comes and the kids go back to school. I think by the time summer is over, everyone is ready for a little routine to be put back in our lives.

Summer has just started however, and I'm thoroughly enjoying having my kids home again. These boys are growing up way too fast and I just want to freeze where we are right now for a little longer. They're independent enough to not need babied anymore, but still little enough to need mommied.  It upsets me to think that in another few years, they will be making their own plans for summer.

I'm really looking forward to spending these next 10 weeks with just them and do all that I can do to keep their minds learning and their bodies busy. I've come to the sad realization that this stage of my life is not going to last forever. I really can't imagine I'll be doing the back to school dance this year.

Chris Was Not Impressed With The Idea Of Fa-Chris Day!

“There is hardly a more gracious gift that we can offer somebody than to accept them fully, to love them almost despite themselves.”
— Elizabeth Gilbert

It Takes Two To Tango

Who knew that all it would take is a few dance lessons to re-connect and find a new way to have a little fun every week? 
For years I've been asking my husband to take lessons with me and for years he's flat out refused. At Christmas, my wonderful Mother-in-law bought me a gift certificate and told me to go ahead and take whoever I wanted..... but I wanted Chris to go with me so I waited. And waited and waited and waited. Every once in awhile I'd mention it and he'd shut me down. Finally, after five months of asking (and waiting) he caved and I booked our first lesson!
I pretty much had to drag him in from the parking lot when we got there but an hour later as we were leaving he confessed to having a good time because it was with me. There's something about having to look into each others eyes as you move through the steps that re-connects what has always been there. Although we do Date Nights, we hang out watching TV and we plan family weekends away, we seldom do get to do something outside of the house that requires this much focus on each other and without the kids. We race through our chaotic lives of parenthood each and everyday, trying to keep the household running smooth and sometimes the romance does get lost in that shuffle.
I only love him more for doing this with me. Good thing it takes two to tango!

Veggie-Chicken Salad

1 pkg Yves Ground Veggie Chicken

1 green onion

1/2 each green, red & yellow pepper

1 stalk of celery

1 tbsp dill relish

1/4 cup of Vegenaise

Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix together and stuff into pitas or wraps with leaf lettuce or baby spinach on Foccacia. Add more Vegenaise if it's needed.

Low Fat Brownies

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch Process Cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 4 ounces unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, sugar and salt in a small bowl. In a medium bowl, combine oil, applesauce, vanilla, egg and egg whites. Gradually stir in dry ingredients to wet ingredients until well combined. Pour into baking pan and bake for 20 minutes, until sides pull away from edge of pan. Cool in pan and cut into 16 squares.