Pizza Snowman

 

 

The best pizza ever!

good quote

“For there to be betrayal, there would have to have been trust first.”

Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games

Happy Birthday Layla!!

Dearest Layla, If Daphne turns out exactly like you, I would be so proud!  We wish you nothing but the best on your birthday!  You came into our lives at the right time and when I first held you I knew you were so special.  We love you lots!  Happy Birthday:)

Another Chapter!!

To my faithful followers and friends, I do not know if this is the right way to do it but before you send your Christmas cards my way...I have started another chapter in my life.  a chapter in which Jeff and I are no longer together:(

Breton, Daphne & I are stronger than ever.

Recap: Daphne's 8th Birthday

Here are some photos from Daphne's special day:

Birthday decorations competing with Halloween ones!

Giant tissue flowers

Double great day:  daphne's |birthday and we learned that Molly is going to be a Big Sister!

 

Cake 101?

So over the past 2 weeks we have had 2 birthday parties.  One for Dapher and one for Jeff.  So I had to make two cakes...

 

 

This is Daphne's cake:(  When I tried to take it out they both broke!  Thank goodness I had just watched an episode of 19 KIDS and Counting, where they had a cake disaster and in order to fix it they froze the cake.  I froze the unfrosted cake over night, woke up the next morning and did a crumb frosting, froze it again.  When I got home from work I did the last layer of icing...

 

And VOILA a #8 cake for Daphne!

 

 

This was Jeff's cake.  It is 2 layers of brownies (I made 4 pans in total, the first one broke coming out of the pan and another was from a double batch and I did not divide the batter evenly so one was really thin and brick like:()  Each layer had a thin coating of chocolate icing and then in between there was a whipped cream/marshmallow layer...

 

Way too sweet!!! 

(No I did not use the Hershey syrup in the last photo on the brownies?!)

Thank you to all who so kindly ate the cake.

 

CONCLUSION:  I will buy the next cakes or stick to my ice cream sandwich cake from B's birthday last year.

 

 

It may not look pretty but at least it tasted delicious!!

 

 

 

Yet another b-day...

Happy birthday Maddie!

 

 

 

Hugs & kisses from moi!!

 

 

Wanted to let you know I am thinking of you!

 

 

 

 

Time to party!

Another Happy Birthday!

Happy happy birthday Sean!

 

 

You are so sweet, cupcake!  We wish you nothing but the best.

 

Sean is twinsies with Jeff (November 2nd b-days just a few years apart!)

 

By the way we need to get together so I can get some new pix to use for your next b-day?!



Thank You Pat Trew

Breton delivers the EMC our local newspaper.  Within this paper, there is always a recipe from Pat Trew (recently I blogged about Kitchen Sink Cookies, a modified version of her Breakfast Cookies).  I have also adopted her homemade oatmeal recipe and it has become my traditional Christmas Oatmeal that we eat all year round.  This recipe, we even used as Christmas gifts to our parents in my class last year.  Well Pat Trew submitted her final recipe last week.  After 34 years of recipes, she revealed that she is battling lung cancer.  So sad:)  Not only have these two recipes become part of my regular recipe box but I have collected and tried several other recipes from her.  I actually looked forward to them each week.  I knew, as I flipped through the paper when I saw Mary Cook's article, in a couple pages there would be Pat Trew's recipe.  Thank you Pat Trew for inspiring me to cook with your easy to follow yet so delicious recipes.

www.emcbarrhaven.ca if you want to look through past recipes from Pat Trew

Happy Halloween!!!

Wishing you a spooktacular Halloween!

 

This is my classroom jack-o-lantern.  We made it by hammering metal cookie cutters for the eyes and nose (stars & hearts)  They named him JACKY:)

Halloween resolution:  Be less judgemental

 

Cross Country Creatures

#1 Cheerleader: Grammy!

Their #1 FAN!

so fast (that's Daph comin' into the shot.

Racin'

On your mark get set...

And they are off!

Home stretch.  A race to the end!

 

 

On Tuesday Breton and Daphne participated in a cross country race through school @ Baxter Conservation Area.  The top 10 students (girls & boys) qualified to go.  Daphne came in 7th and Breton didn't have to run because there wasn't even 10 students in Grade 5 who wanted to do it.  It is Breton's 3rd year running the race.  Jeff took the great pix!

Breton finished 13th and Daph was 21st out of approx 60 girls.  She was  5th for her school.  Breton was 3rd for Berrigan.

Kitchen Sink Cookies

Here is a recipe I have modified.  It was originally in the local paper that Breton delivers EMC (Pat Trew) and they were called Breakfast Cookies.  And yes we have eaten these for breakfast.

3/4 cup margarine or soft butter
3/4 cup Brown sugar
2 eggs
3 tbsp molasses
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour (multi grain/whole wheat or white)
1 cup bran (I have used bran cereal (ALL BRAN)for this, take the 1/2 cup milk and soak the cereal 1st with it before adding to the other ingredients)
2 cups oatmeal
3/4 tsp baking powder*
1 tsp salt

Here is the kitchen sink part:

I have, at different times added the following ingredients, by handfuls.  You may add them all or add others you like

One handful of:  chopped dates, chocolate chips (maybe 2 handfuls for this one), sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds (shelled), coconut, flax seeds

Instructions:

Cream together sugar and margarine.  Add eggs, molasses and mix well.

Stir in all other ingredients, mixing thoroughly.

I drop them by the tablespoon on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350F for 11 minutes

Enjoy!

8 is GREAT!!!

Happy 8th Birthday Daphne!!!

 

 

Too cool for LIFE!!

 

 

 

D- delicious, daring, delightful

  

A- awesome, amazing, always caring

  

P- passionate, polite, PERFECT!

 

H- happy (you are & you bring us so much -ness)

 

N- never gives up

 

E- energetic, exciting

 

 

 

We love you soooo much and are sooo proud of everything you do!!  Happy happy happy birthday!!

 

Belated Thanxgiving

Belated Happy Thanksgiving

Daphne's Thanksgiving Picture

Our Thanksgiving Table - placements by Daphne:)

 

 

I have recently realized that Autumn may be my actual favourite season...I have always said that spring was my favourite because some of the greatest people ever, were born in this season (my sisters and moi) but I really enjoyed the Thanksgiving weekend.  Not just because it was a long weekend, but also because of seeing lots of family and everyone getting together, the big meals with delicious food and even digging out my warmer winter clothing.  There was a coziness to the weekend.  We went to the Gatineaus and then had a delicious lasagna and penne alfredo meal with my marvelous in laws!   I really have so much to be thankful for!  Hope yours was just as grand.

 

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Help out with this survey.  It only takes a few minutes!  It is about MILK = Yum:)
https://survey.edudata.ca/es/czI1Mg/YzMyOA/


 

Thank You

The kids and I visiting the Pink Bus this summer!


Thank you to everyone who sponsored me for the Run For The Cure.  This year the kids & I raised $ 855!!!  I continue to dream of a future where breast cancer is no longer a fear for my daughter.  Thank you again to everyone who joined us and who supported us:)

My Summer Part Deux

I know you were dying for part 2 of my summer vacay:)

 Thanx to everyone who continues to read my blog.  Some have said they do not! This could be why I have not blogged lately and also September is a busy month in general for moi!   I will no longer be sending out my blogs but still continue to check back to see what is new.  Become a follower or bookmark me under favourites.  Thanx:P

 

So this was the second car adventure we had on our trip to the cottage.  The 1st was a speeding ticket in Quebec!!!  Despite these two events we had a great time and going to the cottage is one of my favourite things to do.

 

 

Breton, Daphne and I did yoga on the Hill.  It was very cool to see the front lawn of Parliment Hill filled with people doing yoga.  It was also pretty hot.  And my hockey, soccer, all sport playing son must have grunted and groaned with every change of position.  B will have to work on that flexibility:)

 

Waiting for fireworks @ the fireworks competition at Lac Leamy.  Not as good as I remember from the first time I saw them.  Did not help that we were packed in like sardines and we had a baby with a stinky bum behind us!   I do not know what was up with Gatineau this year.  We also went to see the balloon festival there...waited an hour for the balloons to launch...and they never did.  There were tonnes of people waiting and the balloons never went up.  Kinda disappointing:(

I know it was hot and dry this summer but our summer flew by and we had lots of fun.  Even despite the fact that Daph ended up with LICE!!!  That is its own blog in itself but I do not know if I want to revisit that experience...EVER!!!

My Weekend

So I wrote a "c" on my hand Fridaymorning, so that I would remember to do/get something.  Well throughout the day I saw the "c" and could not remember what it was I was suppose to remember!!  Well I did not remember until today!  Monday why I had wrote that "c" on my hand...it was to remind me to bring home my mini chalkboards from my class to paint them with my leftover chalkboard paint (I painted my front hall closets with the chalkboard paint {see last blog for Dad/Grandpa's birthday wishes written on said chalkboard}).  YIKES!

This weekend we babysat Molly

And we met up with Dad & Bev to watch cousin Noah play football in Brockville.  Noah plays for the Redskins and he is on the offense?  the nose???  I do not know anything about football so I am just learning.  His team is 3 - 0.

Go #70!!! Go REDSKINS!!!

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Happy Birthday Uncle Johnny!!!

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Hey you, yes you!  Ya you with the boobs and yes you too, standing besdie the lady with the boobs!  Have you donated to Sue's Crew?  Click here to help cure breast cancer!  Thanx

 

 

http://www.runforthecure.com/goto/suescrew

 

The Birthday

Happy Birthday (belated Sept 8th) Dad!!!

 

Love you lots Robyn Jeff Breton & Daphne

Hair Removal done 4 U

So over this past summer I tried a few different hair removal treatments.  I usually shave but this summer I tried the No No laser hair remover, Veet and Nair.

The No No was an OH NO!!  and I sent it back.  Along with a blue light laser it also has a fine wire that tends snap if you are not going smoothly along your skin.  Well I do not know about you but I am not flat and smooth all over?!  I ended up with small cuts in certain areas that were curved and the small head of the laser would have taken forever to complete and area and to see results.  I did smell hair burning but the practicing to get it just right and the time spent doing the same area over and over was just too much plus the slice and dice on my skin!  They tried to convince me to keep it  and told me I could practice on a table to get the pressure just right???!!  The laser only works for so long and then it must be replace and I am suppose to waste it on my table!  I got a refund and I was still fuzzy:(

The Veet shower hair removal was my favourite.  I had tried these depilatories before in high school and they smelt awful and did not work that great.  They have certainly improved them.  I did my upper thighs and bikini line.  I used the in shower version of Veet. It came with a small sponge to wipe the hair away in the shower and it did just wipe away!  I kept it on for the full 6 minutes.  I continue to use it.

I also tried the Nair version of the in shower.  It said to keep it on for 10 minutes and I did.  I got a slight irritation but it could have been that I scrubbed instead of wiping off the hair.  But there was just something about it that I did not like and will not use it again.

Next I plan to try the Epilady (small version).  It has spinning coils that rip your hair out!1 Remember it from the late 80s early 90s?

I will let you know how that goes:)

www.veet.ca
www.trynono.com
www.naircare.com

My Experience With Donate Naturally

So I recommended the grocery website DonateNaturally.com...I thought it was wonderful that at the same time you could order healthier food and make a donation to a charity of your choice plus it gets delivered right to your door...

Well I have to say the order did come quick.  I had to remove the hummus and pesto from my order because I do not live in to Toronto area and who knows what they would have been like if they did send them?!  I did order some blue tortillia chips and they had placed a glass jar of pasta sauce on top of the chips so they got crushed.  I emailed them they refunded my $.  Then as I was putting my organic salad dressings in the fridge (the next day) I noticed that 2 out of the three expired in September!  I emailed them again and they refunded the $.  They also said they would notify the warehouse who is packing the orders...

I will order again from this website. Although their prices are close to if not the same as what is in the grocery store, I tend to stick to what is on sale and they do have a few items I do not find in my grocery store.  When I do order for the second time I will let you know how that goes.

Back 2 School Pix

1st day of school ever!!! 2006

1st ride home from school 2006

1st day for Daphne @ Montessori school 2007

1st day at Montessori school together 2008 

1st day together @ Berrigan 2010

 

 

1st day 2012!

CUTEST KIDS EVER!!