St. Valentine

So this is a different Valentine's day than I have had in the past... I'm spending it in the hospital with my baby boy after his surgery - SUCH a trooper!

For once I have something else to do. For once I don't have to feel bad when people ask if I have anything special planned and I say NO. For once I don't have to feel bad hearing what others did to celebrate this 'day of love' [insert sarcasm] when I am happy with my evening in front of the TV with a bottle of wine! Why is it that society is so caught up with this day that I feel like I have to lie & make up excuses.

Then I get to thinking ... I'll take the high road - my reply will be "I don't buy into the commercial aspects of the day - I am a good enough person I deserve to be loved & treated special every day!" But I do LOVE the sweets & chocolate that come with this day. Anyone, young, old, male, female, co-worker, friend or, oh yeah loved one, if ANYONE gave me little bit of heart shaped mouth watering goodness I would gladly say thank you with a smile, wish them a Happy St. Valentine and quickly hurry off with my bounty! No worries everyone this year I've bought myself some chocolates so there's no pressure to provide!

I can't help but seeing we've come a long way since the origin of this holiday. Although there are varied opinions on the holidays origin the most commonly accepted is that of Valentine, a priest during the third century in Rome. Emperor Claudius II decided that single men were better able to succeed & focus in war, than those married, so he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, being a romantic, defied Claudius and continued to marry young lovers - until he was caught & put to death! (For the full story & more check out: http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day). Now my next statement is in no way saying marriage should be outlawed... but I have to agree I see Claudius' point of view. Even today single people are just more productive than those coupled-off! Perhaps it's the lack of stress, children or the increased single (child-free) vacations - whatever it is I can say I was much more successful & advanced my career much farther when single.

Now for all my coupled-off friends (and my hubby) I am not saying I do not enjoy being married or would change it, I am merely stating a fact. Yes my time is now consumed with children, running a household, and trying to find time for a relationship and myself - which is the whole point of this blog - but somewhere in there my career has had to take a back seat to Dr. visits, runny noses & cuddling with my wee ones. That's the way it is for just every woman these days!

Next time Entertaining - 4 layer Pizza Dip

So everyone knows I like to entertain & I LOVE being entertained by friends!! While on my trip to Halifax my good friend Shelley (who I've know since kindergarten) had me over for a visit & served this amazing twist on the traditional sour cream/cream cheese taco dip (I've also heard it called a pizza dip because it looks like a pizza, but this one tasted like a pizza too). Her dip is served warm & she served it with multigrain Tositos, which I believe added a special something to it.

Was it good?? Let's just say THANK GOD she didn't make more of it, cause we woulda ate it all!

FIRST layer:
250ml sour cream (small container)
1 pkg cream cheese (block)
1 Tbsp mayo
*Cream together & spread onto 2 pie plates. Chill in fridge for 15 minutes.

SECOND layer:
1 can of pizza sauce (you can also use 1 jar of salsa - whatever heat you prefer hot, medium or mild)
*Spread over first layer once it has set in fridge.

THIRD layer:
mushrooms
green, yellow or red pepper
onions
tomato
pepperoni &/or salami
*Dice your choice of ingredient finely & spread over second layer

FOURTH layer:
Cheddar cheese
*Shred & spread over third layer.

- If using salsa serve cold.
- If using pizza sauce heat at 350 for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted.

I had hoped to get invited somewhere to watch the Superbowl, but that ain't happening but I plan on making this soon... just need to find someone to visit us or to invite us over! Does anyone get together anymore once they have kids???

Under the knife!!

So apparently my hospital time is not done yet!! We went to the Dr. to find out that it looks like Ryan will have to have his bumps cut out. Once again we're on a waiting list to find out when and hopefully there will be an opening soon so that it doesn't get worse than it is. I am REALLY hoping my faith in our health care system proves true & all goes well.

I can't help but taking a moment to enjoy what I have. I spend a lot of time looking for challenges, complaining about being woken up in the middle of the night, or tantrums and trying to keep my head above water that many times I don't stop & smell the baby! So this is my moment to gush... I am such a lucky kid to have 2 great giggling smiling loving-each-other kids. Whether it's kids, a partner, a great job, or even a few minutes of peace to partake in your favorite activity (watching a movie, baking, working out) whatever it is... never get so caught up in being this or that, that you forget to just be!

A Drink in cake form - Black Russian Cake

So... like every time I visit my Aunt S I am wined, dined & well taken care of. My Aunt & Uncle are great hostesses and I always go home with a few new recipes to try. This one I couldn't wait to try. It was my oldest friends birthday (we've been friends for 32 years - before the sand box!) and she, like many Newfoundlanders do, enjoys her White Russians!!

My aunt gave me this amazing recipe I HAVE TO share with you, not only is it tasty (& was a huge hit) it's super easy. The recipe is below & to let you know I made them into cupcakes which was a big hit, with people taking them home with them too!



Black Russian Cake

Heat oven to 350.

Put dry ingredients in a large bowl:
1 classic yellow cake mix
1 large box of instant chocolate pudding
1/2 cup white sugar

Pour wet ingredients on top:
1/4 cup Kahlua
1/4 cup vodka
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water.

Beat 2-4 minutes. Pour into a sprayed bunt (tube) pan. Bake 50 minutes or so. Let stand 10 minutes, then invert on plate. Wait another 15 minutes, then poke cake to create small holes to absorb the glaze.

Glaze: 1/2 cup icing & 1/4 cup Kahlua
- mix & drizzle over cake (I added a LOT more icing sugar to give it a little more body - use your best judgement).

It's also really good with Cool Whip.

Family - no place like Halifax!

I'm off to Halifax for a bit of R&R with the wee one 'little E'. It's not Newfoundland but I can tell you there are few other cities that are so welcoming!! I'm visiting with my Aunt S & Uncle C which is better than any 5-star resort! I am happy that my uncle is doing well with his MS & the stubborn streak that runs in our family seems to be doing him well, helping him keep moving!

Other than visiting with them, I am also heading to my friend who is turning 34 - where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday I was graduating high school... or university or something.
The weird thing is I don't feel older... I feel like I could be in University, starting that first crappy-paying job, or going on a awkward first-date. But my reality is that I'm not... I'm a married, mother of 2 who is currently un-employed (in case I didn't mention it earlier my former company laid me off while I was on maternity leave!!). Although I do love my life, I love my husband of almost 10 years, my 2 kiddies, and everything, just sometimes I wish I still had that exciting air of 'new-ness' that those formative early years provide!!

Guess it's like some say - I'll do it all again one day, just vicariously through my children! For now I'll have to find something new to challenge me.

Family - YEAH!!!

I am SOO lucky to have great in-laws. Although I know it's sometimes hard to adopt your in-laws lifestyle - not that there is anything wrong or bad it's just different than how you were raised... different family rituals, different holidays, different meals - it makes you miss your mom's home cooking!!

If you read my earlier blog about my hospital adventures, you'll see that I spent many, many, MANY hours in the hospital with my son. And I am SOOO lucky to have had my brother-in-law and my sister-in-law to be there for 2 of the days - my husband was away for work!! So not only did my in-laws help me with my son being in the hospital, they helped me with my 6 month old daughter & cancelled their plans at the last minute to be there!

On days when I miss having my family close, I will surely remember those days & be thankful for having my in-law family so close & such a big part of my life!

O Canada!

Recently I had the opportunity (not by choice) to be reminded how lucky we are that we live in Canada & have free health care!

My son had a bump on his neck, just below his ear, that I thought was a swollen lymph node due to perhaps him fighting a bug - he does go to daycare with kids, lotsa germs and he is a boy after all who would pick up anything & put it in his mouth - especially if it's a candy!! When his daycare provider told me she'd never seen anything like it in her 20 years of experience I decided to take him to his peditrician... who had no idea what it was & sent us to the hospital for tests. After a 7.5 hour wait at the hospital, they determined they didn't know what it was either - but they knew what it wasn't - an infection, so we went home.

The next day he was back to his VERY energetic self! The day after he awoke with a second lump so back to the Emergency room we went. After 12 hours & being seen by over 10 doctors (peditricians, ENTs, Infectious disease & specislists in each area) we were sent home to come back the next am for a CATscan. The next morning he had his scan & then we had to wait 7 hours to hear from the ENT specialist who told us they still didn't know what the lumps were specifically - but they had a greater idea of what it wasn't... it wasn't cat scratch fever or a bunch of things. It most likely was a microbacterial infection that is a fluke thing that reacted oddly with his body.

Now some who know would think that spending hours and hours in an emergency waiting room, see Dr. after Dr. would be a waste & others would be pissed that it took so long to not have a final answer! I think it coulda been better, but it was great as is - he saw over 25 doctors and they ran every test to determine what it was (by determing what it wasn't). Within 1 day he got a catscan to determine & they were all 100% sure that he was good enough to go home. Not only am I lucky to live in Canada I am lucky to be in Montreal - I know in many other remote places across the country (like Newfoundland) I'd have to wait weeks/months & take a plane to get a catscan!!

O'Canada you may be flawed at times, but I wouldn't wanna live anywhere else!!!