Valentine’s Weekend

How was everyone’s weekend? Do anything fun and interesting?  Anybody celebrate Valentine’s Day early?  Since Trevor leaves for work early Monday mornings, I won’t get to see him tomorrow.  So we spent Sunday evening together.  More about that later.  First…a weekend recap.

Trevor brought Bubba home from work this weekend.  Bubba is the farm dog…he was attacked by a cougar ( based on his battle wounds) and so he had to take a visit to the vet.  Before you begin to panick, Bubba is perfectly fine.  He actually fended off a bear a few years back… so we call him Bubba Beardog.  Maybe he should now be called Bubba Cougardog.  He’s one tough dog for sure.  Such a loveable and friendly dog.

I mentioned on Friday that I was going to be making treats for my class Saturday.  Kendra and her friend helped me make 20 S’more pops.  I wanted to make them look like Erin’s Heart Shaped S’more Pops from In Between Laundry. 

Unfortunately my heart-shaped cookie cutter was too big for the graham crackers and so I had to improvise.  Therefore my S’more pops turned into these Diamond S’more Pops.

We made 20 for the class and a few extras for us to munch on.  Yummy in our tummies.

I also played hockey again Saturday night.  It was an early game and so Trevor and all 3 kids came to cheer us on.  Brenda and Ashlee also came out to watch my game.  I played a hard game… normally I play wing, but last night I was asked to play Center.  If you’ve never played or don’t really follow hockey, playing center is hard work…A LOT of skating compared to playing Wing because you have to chase the puck all over the ice and support both your wing and defensive players.  And since there were only 2 of us playing center, it sure was a physical game. I think I may have lost a lung out there..lol. But I had a ton of fun..no goals last night. It’s not about winning or loosing, it’s about going out and having fun.

Here I am before the game.. sorry, no after picture…too sweaty ..hehe

Sunday night was my regular routine…shopping for the week and tidying up the house.  Unfortunately I was also nursing some major menstrual cramps.  I don’t usually suffer from cramps, but today was particularly bad.  I was curled up on the couch for a couple of hours with a hot water bottle on my tummy, but the stabbing in my lower abdomen was no fun.  After finally giving in to taking a couple of Advil, the pain has left, at least for a few hours.  Lets hope I’m cramp-free in the AM.

Once my cramps went away, I planned out my meals for the week and cooked up a scrumptious meal for myself and a friend.  Trevor came over after dinner with a yummy treat.

Sunday nights dinner was this…..

Bacon Wrapped Fillet Mignon with Balsamic Onions and Cocoa Roasted Butternut Squash Fries.

I will try to post the recipes for tomorrow… the fries were experimental, but oh so tasty… next time I think I’ll go a little easier on the cocoa though. 

For dessert Trevor brought over some Cappuccino Cheesecake.

More yummy in my tummy. 

We curled up on the couch together and watched a CTV Special on the 1 year anniversary of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.  It was awesome to relive some of the greatest Canadian moments.  Even though I did not get a chance to visit Vancouver during the Olympics (6 hour drive and school conflicts), I watched as much as I could on TV and celebrated the Olympics at school with my class. 

Did you have a favourite moment of the games?

That’s all for the night…going to make my lunch and get ready for bed.  Hope everyone had a great weekend and a great start to the week tomorrow. 

With love,

Bea

xoxo

I’m back…… :)

Sorry for the short hiatus yesterday.  I ended up going for a short run after school, with the hopes of it giving me a burst of energy, but it never happened.  When I got home I was so bagged.  I wasn’t all that hungry either, so I didn’t bother making anything new and tasty.  I just ate a bowl of oatmeal for dinner and a tall glass of Carrot Juice. I actually ended up in bed by 9:30pm.

Today was a rather busy afternoon too. I had a bunch of running around to do again after work.  Plus it’s been raining all day and the day is just so dreary.  I know I’m not all buckets of sunshine today… I guess we can’t always feel zippy all the time. 

As for some news today, I did find out today while running one of my errands that they are currently hiring lifeguards at the local pool.  Before I moved here, I lifeguarded on a part-time basis while still teaching full time.  It was a great job to make a little extra cash on the side and a great job for the summer.  Until recently I was under the impression that my certification has run out completely and therefore did not bother recertifying. Plus when I first moved here they were not hiring either, so I left it be.  But now that I know they are hiring and I only have to take a one day recertification course, I have decided to do so.  A job is not guaranteed to me, but I might as well give it a shot. At least my certification will be good for another 2 years.  I’ll be doing the NLS precert/recert course on the 26th of this month.  I better start refreshing my mind with everything I learned a few years ago. 

As for my plans this weekend?  We’ll be hanging low.  It’s supposed to be misereable out as well.  Tomorrow I’ll have the kids help me make these for my class for Valentine’s Day. 

 

Thanks to Erin over at In Between Laundry for the idea and inspiration.  I’m sure mine won’t look that pretty, but I’ll try.  Wish me luck

I also have hockey tomorrow night, so hoping to score more goals. 

Sunday is still up in the air…check back Sunday night for my weekend recap and good eats. 

What are your weekend plans? 

Bea

xoxo

Dropping like flies

Well it was an interesting day at work, that’s for sure.  The day started off with another beautiful blue-sky and gorgeous sunrise.  (Now if only I didn’t forget my camera at home…doh) 

I even had my friend come for a visit this afternoon.  I love these gals… such quiet neighbours.

As for school, today’s big event was called “Battle of the Books”.  This is a fun event that happens each February for grades 3 to 6.  Students read a selection of books between October and February and today was competition day.  The grade 3 and 4’s read 10  books, the grade 5 and 6’s read a total of 8.  I think it’s awesome because it encourages reading, fosters friendly competition and nurtures the love of books in young people.  At the yearly Battle, teams of 2 or 3 students then have to answer 30 questions based on the books they read.  The winning team of each grade at our school then goes on to the District finals at a later date.  Many of my students participated in today’s event.  I’m so proud of them.  My students came in 2nd and 3rd place. 

Unfortunately in mid competition and in front of a full gym, I had one of my students throw up all over the floor.  I knew something was up because he was very quiet and lethargic ever since coming to school.  Poor guy.. he must have been so embarrassed.  Shortly thereafter, another one of my boys got sick too.  I tell you, these days the kids seem to be dropping like flies.  It seems everyone is sick these days…some sort of nasty gastrointestinal flu going around… I’ve loaded up on Echinacea and green monsters, so here’s to hoping I won’t get the bug too.  That’s the last thing I need right now. 

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BACON AND EGG POPPYSEED BAGEL

Nothing too interesting tonight.  Tomorrow will be another leftovers night, so I thought today I’d make myself a little bagel sandwich.  I bought some Gluten-Free Poppyseed Bagels at Walmart the other day and thought I’d give them a try.  Since all GF bread products are frozen, I find it’s best to heat them up when eating.  Except that I don’t own a toaster, so I had to stick it in the oven.  The bagel wasn’t bad, just a bit dry I thought. 

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That’s it for tonight.  Off to work on an art project for my class. 

Have a wonderful night.

Bea

xoxo

Running around..how fun

It was another beautiful day on the island and a busy day today.  So busy I got home and just wanted to crash for the evening.  My day started bright and early with a 7:45am meeting.  Then after a long day of teaching, I tutored for an hour.  I also had to take Buster to get his nails clipped before coming home.  Buster was a lucky boy today; he spent the day in my classroom.  The kids love it when he visits… he was a well behaved dog, except for when he stole someone’s bagel out of their desk.  No matter how many times I tell them to not put any food in their desks, some still don’t learn.  Thankfully this boy also had more lunch in his lunch bag for lunch. 

As for my eats today, breakfast was a bowl of oatmeal.  Nothing worth taking a picture of really. 

Lunch was leftover dinner from last night:  Kasha with Roasted Butternut Squash.

For dinner I decided to make a Spinach Cauliflower Dip.  I also ate the last of the leftover lasagne. 

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sPINACH CAULIFLOWER DIP

This is an easy recipe to make.  I was inspired by another recipe I read somewhere in the blogo’sphere, but not sure where anymore.  If anyone knows, please feel free to let me know   This is also another GLUTEN-FREE dish. 

To make this yummy dip, follow these simple instructions:

1.  Cook one of these until very soft.  Allow to cool.

2.  When your cauliflower is cool enough, place in a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy.  Then add about 1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise, 4 ounces of Dill Havarti Cheese, 1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and finely chopped), 2 cloves of garlic, a pinch of salt and 3 cups of shredded Cheddar Cheese. 

Transfer to a bowl and mix in about 3 cups of chopped fresh baby spinach. 

Transfer the entire mixture into a ovenproof baking dish or casserole.  Sprinkle with another 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese and bake until hot and bubbly, about 35 minutes.

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Hope you guys had a great Tuesday. 

I’m off to relax for a bit on the couch.  Will be an early night tonight.

Bea

xox

Kasha..what’s that?

How was everyone’s Monday?  Ours was sunny, but a bit chilly.  The day went by smoothly, the kids were awesome at school today and we got lots accomplished.  We even had a drama workshop for the school today and my class loved it.  It was really neat to see some of them come out of their shells.  After work I went for a run with another teacher.  It was pretty chilly, but a clear blue sky with the sun shining definitely made up for that. 

After work it was time to prepare dinner.  On tonight’s menu:

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KASHA with roasted Butternut Squash

This was an experimental meal.  I’ve never made Kasha before but I was pleasantly surprised.  It’s another great Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free meal.  So what is Kasha?  It’s roasted Buckwheat.  First off, it’s not wheat.  Actually it’s not even a distant relative of wheat.  Did you know that it’s a seed from the rhubarb family.  I did some research on the health benefits of buckwheat and this is what I came up with:

• high in protein
• good source of fibre, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and copper
• 1 cup of cooked groats (Kasha) has 4.5 g of fibre, 5.6 g of protein, 1.3mg of iron, 1mg of zinc and more. 
• It’s low in fat and has no cholesterol

So here is what I did:

Turn oven to 400F.  Slice a butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place on baking sheet.  Roast in oven until skin can be peeled off, about 40 minutes or so.

Now you’ll need to roast your buckwheat groats to make the Kasha.  Take a pan and turn heat of medium.  Keep an eye on the groats so they don’t burn.  You’ll want to stir constantly.

 

 

 

 

 

Before                                                                     After

Then I boiled 2 cups of Chicken broth.  When the broth began to boil, add a pinch of salt and one Tbsp of oil.  Add your Kasha, cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until cooked through.  It should look like this when ready.  Set aside and cover until ready to serve.

While your buckwheat is cooking in water, prepare the chickpeas.  I like to peel mine because it just tastes a lot better.  And you’ll be done peeling them by the time the buckwheat is cooked.

Now make your vegetable mixture.  Chop up 1 onion, 3 garlic, 450g mushrooms and one red pepper. 

Heat olive oil in a large pot.  Add the onions, garlic, pepper and mushrooms.  Cook until translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add 1 tsp Thai Red curry paste, 3 splashes of Worcestershire Sauce, 1 Tbsp bouillon and 1/2 cup of water. 

You can also chop up some fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme and cilantro.  Add this to the mixture. 

Add cut up roasted squash and your prepared chickpeas to the pot.

Mix well and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes or so. 

To serve, serve vegetable mixture over a bed of the Kasha.  Top with a sprinkle of shredded cheese.  (or leave off the cheese of course if you want it to be dairy-free). 

 Have you ever made Kasha? How do you prepare it? Did you like it?

 

And thanks again to everyone for following my stories and foodie blogs…it really does put a smile on my face when I read all your lovely comments.  I love creating good eats. 

 

Night all

Bea

xoxo

Superbowl Weekend

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  Ours was pretty good.  Trevor and I got to spend some good quality adult time together since the kids were with their mom all weekend. 

Friday night started off on the right foot with my hockey game.  I scored another goal and assist.  So proud of myself.  I’ve only been playing for 3 years, could barely skate when I started and still have issues stopping on a dime.  I just use the other players to stop..hehe   Already looking forward to next weekends game. 

Saturday afternoon was spent cooking and prepping for our dinner party that night.  Since we were kid-less this weekend it was perfect to have some great adult time with some friends of ours.  We decided to make it a themed dinner party, so we decided it was going to be Italian.  Brenda was going to take care of the appetizer, and so we came prepared with dinner and dessert.  Brenda and Al offered to host it at their house since they have an 8 year old daughter and were unable to find a sitter. 

Brenda prepared some awesome bruschetta. 

And voila the lasagne I made.  Click here for the recipe. 

And of course dessert was Tiramisu.  It kind of fell apart on me since I think I didn’t leave it in the fridge long enough to set.  We kind of slept in too long Saturday morning, so we had a later start at making it.  Oh well…it still tasted pretty awesome.  Click here for the recipe.

After dessert we started the games night.  We played Cranium. 

The four of us played New Year’s Eve and the boys won..so tonight was rematch night….um, boys won again…. lets blame it on having had too much wine that night… it was a close game…but we’ll get you next time boys…muah haha.

Think hard boys

The evening went by really fast and great laughs were had by all.  Lots of giggling from the girls too.  Next thing we knew it was 2am and we had a quick 5 minute walk home in the dark and rain. 

Sunday was a really lazy day.  We slept until noon, Trevor made us some coffee and I cooked up some yummy Cinnamon French Toast for Brunch.  Then it was off to buy groceries for the week and get ready for some Superbowl entertainment.  I’m not much of a football fan, don’t know anything about the game. My favourite part is the Half Time Show.  I thought this years was pretty good… the costumes were awesome.  Go Packers

It was leftover lasagne and Tiramisu for dinner and dessert..and of course a glass of wine.  Getting ready to watch a new Glee episode now and then off to make my lunch for tomorrow. 

How did you spend your weekend?  What did you think about the Superbowl? 

Have a great night

Bea

xoxo

Tiramisu…. a great “pick me up”

I came up with this recipe after trying so many different ones… I find some are too heavy, some too light, some too bland..so I took them all and created my own version.  And this version I find is probably the healthier version of this dessert… I like it a lot..no, I love it a lot.  My favourite dessert of all time.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vanilla flavoured coffee syrup
• 1 envelope Knox unflavoured gelatine
• 454g light ricotta cheese
• 250g Quark or baking cheese (found at Superstore or Save-on-foods)
• 250g  light cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt ( a thicker variety)
• 2 Tbsp coffee flavoured liqueur (such as Kahluah)
• 36 ladyfingers – buy the version that is lower in sugar
• 3/4 cup extra-strong brewed coffee, cooled or same amount of boiling water and 1 Tbsp instant espresso powder
• 2 Tbsp Kahluah for the ladyfingers
• 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate for grating

Directions

1.  First make the filling.  Warm up the syrup in a small pot or you can also heat in microwave and then sprinkle the gelatine over top to soften. Set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

2.  Put the ricotta, cheese and yogurt in food processor or Vitamix and whirl until smooth.  Stir warm syrup-gelatine and add it to mixture along with 2 Tbsp of the liqueur.  Whirl again until smooth and set aside.

3.  Combine the cooled coffee and rest of liqueur in a shallow bowl.  You you have to dip each ladyfinger in coffee mixture and shake off the excess.  You have to make sure that you don’t soak them or they will fall apart on you; just a really quick dunk. 

4.  Line the sides of a trifle dish with ladyfingers to make it look like a crown (stand them up).  Also cover the bottom of dish with more fingers.  You’ll probably have to cut or break them to make the fit the best way possible. 

5.  Now spoon about 1/2 of the filling over the fingers.  Grate some chocolate over cheese filling until covered.  It’s best to use the finest holes of grater). 

6.  Repeat with layering:  ladyfingers, filling, chocolate.  Finish off with a the cheese mixture and grated chocolate.  Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for about 8 hours or overnight. 

7.  Serve tiramisu in dessert dishes.  You can also top with fresh fruit if you want. 

It kind of fell apart on me..didn’t leave it in the fridge long enough.