Back Into My Groove

A few weeks ago I felt very off... off balance, out of sync, drained and just really not myself. The more I complained about being off, the more negative I became and I felt sick about it.  It seemed one bad karma kinda thing happened after another and at the time I felt completely overwhelmed. I try to live a positive life and I believe that whatever you put out into the Universe, will come back to you full circle. I'm not perfect by any stretch of the imagination and so I can accept that once in awhile this sort of thing happens... but it just seemed like I got more than I could manage that week.
I'm usually pretty good about not getting too down when something negative comes my way so I did some thinking, organized some thoughts and did snap out of it. I shifted my focus to the people and things most important in my life. I planned some family activities with my husband and my kids, looked into some PETA events that I want to be a part of, got the tattoo I've been wanting to get, met up with a few friends for a few drinks, re-connected all round and got back into my groove. Now I feel great again. Now I feel like Me. The real Me.... And I'm likin' it!

Callum Talking About Piglet

Cheddar & Onion Muffins

My good old and dear friend Cheri served these at her place with dinner one night. Amazing.
1 cup(250ml)shredded old Cheddar Cheese 

3 cups (750ml) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp(25ml) granulated sugar
4 tsp(20ml) bakingpowder

1 tsp(10ml) pepper
2 tsp(10ml) salt
1cup(250ml) milk
112cup(125ml) vegetable oil
112cup(125ml) sliced green onions
112cup(125ml) sour cream 

Preparation:

ln a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, pepper and salt. Stir in cheese.

Whisk together milk, oil, onions sour cream and eggs; pour over dry ingredients. Stir.

Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Add cheddar on top.

Bake in centre of 375'F(190'C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops are firm to the touch and muffins are golden. (Make-ahead. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 day or wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 weeks.) Add in pureed broccoli, cauliflower & carrots and send them in the kids lunches as Meal Muffins!

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