Vintage goodies galore

I have come to realize something about myself as I age. I have great potential to be a seriously awesome hoarder.
It's in my genes! My Nana is a hoarder, I'm pretty sure my mum is too and I really, really think I would be fantastic at it!!!
I have these great memories from my childhood, and maybe you have some similar as I know that people from my Nana's generation didn't throw ANYTHING away. Or maybe you don't and as it turns out my family is just plain weird!!!

Every Sunday we would go to my Nana's house, for as long as I can remember, that's just what our family did and still do..for me at least until I moved to Canada at the age of 26.
After we had eaten our "Tea" or dinner, we usually would play a board game, watch Walt Disney or 60 minutes and if we were lucky, on a warm summer evening, we would be allowed to go look for treasure in Nana's garage.
Nana and Poppy's garage was more like a covered carport or lean to, attached to the side of a shed that housed their caravan and seasonal stuff.

In that carport, there may have been a car buried under all the "stuff", I'm not altogether sure but my brain is not letting me access that information.
Now remember, I'm about 8 years old and to me, that garage was like stumbling upon the cave of Ali Baba and his forty thieves.
We would ask Nana if we could go pick something from the garage to take home, sometimes she would say yes and sometimes she would decline and we would sulk and go find something else to do. BUT......if she said yes, my two sisters and I would race to that hoard pile of treasure and climb up to the top of the "Stuff" and look for something fantastic to take home.
It was dark in there...and dusty...and soooooo much fun!!!

I don't recollect any of the objects that I selected so much as the thrill of the hunt..and climbing up as high as possible so I could maybe find that perfect something to be mine. In my mind I picture the scene to be like something out of a Dr Seuss story and I'm positive that the garage was not, in fact, filled to the ceiling with stuff but probably just had lots of boxes stacked around mixed in with important, necessary objects.
But that's my happy memory and I'm planning to keep it that way.

So I'm pretty sure that's where my hoarding gene was burned into my soul.

Now I'm not talking about being the type of hoarder that keeps stuff like clothing, garbage and useless stuff around. I'm more of a vintage/ furniture/ tchotchke type of hoarder.
I especially like going to thrift store's, the one's run by little old ladies where the store layout had no rhyme or reason and you really have to dig for your treasure. Remember, I'm all about the thrill of the hunt!!!!!

There is a fantastic antique store in Enderby which I pop into a couple of times a year. I usually end up leaving empty handed as I am married to a non hoarder and I can't justify purchasing 95% of what I would really love to bring home.
My mum was here recently so we took a family excursion to the store and spent a good hour in there looking at all of the treasures. My hubby was on the hunt for antique razors, his new addiction. Zoe collects old bottles and picked up a few lovely ones.
And me????? Well, I just took some great pictures of all of the things I wished I could bring home with me.

If you ever find yourself in Enderby with some time to kill, go check out Jerry's Antiques.

Pork, spinach, feta and pear sausage rolls.

As a mum of two, I can confidently say that some of the most rewarding and fulfilling moments that I have enjoyed are the one's that centre around feeding my family.
To me food is not just sustenance, it's also a declaration of my love for my tribe. And by tribe I also mean my friends and their families.
Food is love...good food, made with care for the one's you hold most dear.
Whether it's cooking with my children and passing on family recipes and techniques or simply cooking FOR them, there's not too many moments these days where we are all centred around the family table at the same time.
Life is busy, hectic and at times down right insane......you all know what I'm talking about.
I enjoyed a yummy meal tonight with my girls, hubby MIA,  probably on his way home from a long day at work. Not unlike every other night, we try our best to have at least one meal, each week day, all together.
Some days there is happy chatter and catching up on the events of the day; these moments usually occur when all of the stars align at just the right moment ( the food is well received!) and all parties have had an awesome day and are in good moods!!
Other days there are cranky kids, who don't want to eat what I have cooked, making for a cranky mum and dad who are left wondering why can't we all just GET ALONG?? REALLY???? It's the one time of the day we get to all be together, sitting, without distraction and the food becomes a battle of wits between the kids and the parents.
My kids are older now, and I'm proud to say there are not too many things that my kids won't eat...mushrooms for example.
But I find as the main food prep slave in the house, I do get stuck in a rut and struggle to keep things interesting at the dinner table. Sometimes I find myself on Pinterest scanning through all the beautiful food styling and recipes, I'm pinning like a woman possessed yet don't seem to get around to actually making anything I pin.
My compromise tonight was to take a recipe I found on Pinterest and tweak it to my liking.
SUCCESS!! Not only did my kids eat it without complaining, they actually went back for seconds and thirds. The recipe even made enough for the kids to take some for school tomorrow, as long as hubby doesn't go in for seconds.
UPDATE: Hubby only left two sausage rolls for the kids to fight over.

Pork, spinach, feta and pear sausage rolls.
Makes 16 rolls.


300g frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
500g ground pork sausage
1 cup of crumbled feta
1 cup of Panko breadcrumbs
5 green onions, chopped
1 red pear, finely diced
2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

1 pkg pre-made puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg, beaten
Parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 375f and line a large baking tray with parchment paper. 
I found that during baking the sausage roll released a lot of oil, so use either a tray with sides or place another tray underneath to catch the hot oil.

In a large bowl combine the sausage, spinach, feta, breadcrumbs, onions, pear, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
Mix well.

I used plain old No-name frozen spinach, Maple leaf pork sausage, Skotidakis feta and Presidents choice frozen puff pastry.

Cut the pastry sheets in half. 

Divide the spinach mixture into 4 equal portions, place down the centre of each of the 4 pastry halves. 

Brush a little of the beaten egg along the longer edge and roll to cover the filling.

Cut each roll in half so that you have 16 rolls and place them, seam-side down, on the prepared baking tray.

I scored and x into the top of each roll, brushed each roll with beaten egg and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 -30 minutes, until golden.

I served these hot from the oven with a side salad full of veggies, mango and more feta and some homemade tomato chilli jam.

nom nom!!!!

Spring break 2012

 

What to do, what to do with kids for spring break? My day yesterday went a little something like this.

•  Get up, feed kids.
•  Pull all the pictures off the wall and start moving things from wall to wall until it feels right.
• Change one thing, nothing else feels right.
• Put everything else back on the wall so that hubby doesn't notice when he comes home.
• Take pics of the one thing that you are happy with (see below).

• Feed kids lunch.
• Go outside and burn some energy (see below).

• Pack the kids back up in the car to get those icy cold toes into a nice warm shower.
• Put kids to bed to rest for another fun day tomorrow.

I'm having a moment today, so please bear with me while I think out loud.

I am in a place in my life right now where I am taking stock of my life, making big plans for the future and trying my darnedest to push ahead and make these secret yearnings a reality.
The biggest part of this plan, the part that causes me the most hesitation and heart ache, is the fact that I can't wrap all of my nearest and dearest up in a neatly tied little package and bring them with me.

They will always have a place in my heart, but if there's one thing that I've learnt from years of separation, it's that those connections are so easily lost with time and distance. And the thought of that is totally terrifying to me.

My people are my tribe...my family. So my new mantra is to cherish, connect with and nurture those connections with these seriously special members of my tribe.
To simplify and streamline my lifestyle and my environment, so that it is more conducive to connecting with the people of importance in my life.
I don't know the steps to make this happen or have the answers to make this a reality......... here's where the floundering around part comes back into play.

I'm finding since my return from Australia that there are so many things on my list that need to be conquered in order for us to be able to have the financial freedom to move back.

I keep tackling the little projects, the one's that have a start and a finish, they make me feel like I've accomplished one little miracle at a time.
But they're not really contributing to the big picture.
I feel like these little daily overhauls are taking time away from my people. I need to find a way to get my s&*t sorted in a more efficient, timely manner. Make better use of my down time when the kids are at school, spend less time cleaning and more time "making time" for my family.

The kids are on spring break for two weeks, so there's lots of family time to be had. There are adventures to chase, master pieces to create and lots of snuggles on the couch and movies to be watched. Today is one of those days, it's snowing out side and I have a few extra kid's for the day to keep my little one's busy.

So I'm allocating my morning to purging and cleaning a space for me. A space where I can sit, reflect, work and connect, without the weight of the overwhelming mess and clutter threatening to swallow me up.
Because now it's time to focus on the big scary things. Finishing renovations, bank refinancing, renting out the basement and my favorite, preparing for court to end this roofing nightmare.
And to do that, I need some organisation and focus so that it doesn't gobble me up like a big monster and leave nothing for my family.

It's not rocket science, but it's a start, hopefully in the right direction.

Nom, nom......winter food.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Perogy how I luuuurve thee. Empty calories all rolled into one delicious little package.
We made and served these little babies to the guests at our back yard wedding reception in Australia 12 years ago. The Aussies loved them, these strange, foreign, delicious pockets of potato. I think it made my hubby proud to share a little something from his native land and have it so well received. He also made his famous creamy mushroom perogy sauce, don't ask for the recipe, it goes to the grave with him.
We've not made them since then.....and now I know why. Because they are a lot of work!!!
Totally worth the effort though, just like homemade ravioli and bread baked from scratch. And what a great opportunity to teach the kids the difference between store bought and good down home cookin'.
There's an art to the forming of them, I was certain that after making 100 or so I'd have it all figure out.......NOPE.

They don't look at all bad and they tasted mighty fine but I absolutely must invite my adopted Ukrainian mother over and have her show me all her secrets.

We decided after returning from our last trip to Australia that every weekend would involve a new family recipe, we either make copious amounts of something we know and love or agree to experiment and hopefully create the next recipe to be added to our family cookbook. The weekend before it was lasagna, this weekend was perogies and next weekend is undecided. Any suggestions?

Anywho, back to the Perogies. So we made potato and cottage cheese, potato and bacon, potato with sauerkraut and bratwurst and my all time favourite...potato and roasted pumpkin...we were literally fighting over these ones, forks in hand.

I have a dough recipe to share, this is a new one that was passed on by my mother in law. I hope she doesn't read this, she really is not a random recipe sharer. Usually you have to marry into the family for her recipes so don't go telling Gramma Le!!!

Perogy Dough

6 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp salt

3/4 cup of oil ( I used a canola/olive oil blend)

1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes

Mix all ingredients together.

Add approximately 2 cups of warm water until texture is soft but not real sticky. I used my kitchen aid stand mixer with the hook attachment and then turned the dough onto a floured surface for a quick knead. If it feels too sticky, add a bit of flour.

For best results let sit covered for 1/2 hour. Dough can be frozen or refrigerated.

If refrigerated, take out 1/2 hour before. If frozen, take out the night before.

I found this dough to be very elastic and to be a bit tricky to work with at first. But after a while (100 or so perogies), you get the hang of things.....trust me.

For those of you who know how to make perogies you can stop reading here..the rest of you still wondering what the heck to put in the dough..follow me.

The recipes below came with the dough recipe, I have to tell you that we did not follow any of these recipes, not because they are bad but simply because the hubby wanted to create his own.

These are simply a guideline. Does that sound like a decent disclaimer??? Done!

Fillings:

Dry cottage cheese: Mash the cottage cheese, add salt and pepper, onion flakes, dill  (optional). Or, add mashed potato which helps keep the perogy together.

Cheddar Cheese: Grated cheddar cheese, mashed potato, salt and pepper, minced onion. Bacon is also welcome here!

Sauerkraut: Drain and fry sauerkraut. Add chopped onion, mashed potato, salt and pepper to taste.

Once you've made your perogies you can boil or fry them and sit down like a piggy and eat them all. Or like we did, you can eat SOME and then freeze the rest on baking trays and later; transfer them to ziploc bags.

From frozen, we like to gently boil them first and then fry them in a hot, oily pan with a little salt and pepper.

Soooooooooooooooooo goooood! Tootles.

N.S. images

It was a busy couple of weeks but we made it back to B.C intact and believe it or not we are still talking to each other.

The girls spent two weeks sharing an old twin sized bed, spending every waking minute with the family, meeting LOTS of "new to them" family and countless hours driving the coast of Nova Scotia exploring and enjoying the amazing weather.

I just wanted to do a quick post and share a couple of my favourite snap shots from our time out east.

I broke my camera half way through the trip so ended up having to use my camera phone for the remainder of the time. Hint hint to the hubby for a christmas present!!!!

Hello September

Just wanted to take a minute to share an image my friend Dana snapped on her visit to Canada. She really captured a precious moment with my girls, in my favourite place..our garden.

Summer is whizzing by at an alarming rate and today was the girls first day back at school, I feel like I didn't take enough pictures or cherish enough moments these last few months.

Zoe is all little lady like, heading into grade 6 *eek* and my baby Marley is now in grade 1 with her new teacher Mrs Pol, it seems like just yesterday that same lady was teaching my Zoe to ride her little heart out for the big bike rodeo at the May Day celebrations.

I'm so excited for them both, it's going to be a great year full of new adventures and challenges. I can't wait to hold their hands when they are scared, wipe away their anxiety with some cookies and milk and tuck them into bed at the end of the night after every little milestone.

I wandered across this piccie today and a big smile spread across my face, so thank you Dana for taking the time to freeze frame this moment for me.

I'm feeling like a bad little blogger lately..please excuse my tardiness. I'll try to be better next week......or maybe the week after that.

Wow, it's been a whole week since I last posted any juicy stuff, time flies when you're on spring break.
I forgot how busy the kids can keep me when they are home, I'm hearing a lot of "I'm Bored" and "There's NOTHING to do". Anyone one else out there have children that are impossibly bored with nothing to do?

Here's my week in pictures, because thinking back I'm almost positive we didn't do NOTHING!!!

I saw this fantastic idea on MADE and decided it was a fabulous boredom fighter. After picking a space and giving the walls a quick wipe, I let the girls decorate the space with a little SPRING flower fever. Any time I heard..." But there's nothing to do" my response would be..." Go make some flower's".

They have a long way to go, but then again Spring break is only halfway over. There's not much color outside but there sure will be inside when the girls are done!!

Zoe is my little chef in the making so we have had a few stuffed ravioli dinners this week with the use of my new toy. I am yet to freeze any of it as so far it's all been so darn good and it ends up in our tummies.
Roasted butternut squash was our last filling of choice, a little rich, maybe next time we can mix it with some ricotta cheese.

I meant to take a picture before they were all gobbled up, please excuse the poor food styling!!!!

Zoe's speciality is crepes, that girl has the recipe memorised and can whip out a patch of yummies at the drop of a hat.
I made a pavlova on the weekend for a surprise birthday party and was left with lots of egg yolks. What do you do with 6 large farm fresh egg yolks?
LEMON CURD!!!! To go with the crepes of course.

 

 A little spring clean and organising. Look how organised my cutlery is.....(cough...freak...Cough).

And last but not least....spring is just itching to put on a show, but we're not quite there yet.

I think I can, I think I can...I think I can!!!

Go little tulips GROW dammit.

Can you see the excitement on Zoe's face!!! NOT!

Made more of these.........yum.

And this needs to be raked and snipped and pruned and weeded. Feels good to be outside in the fresh air and getting my hands very, very dirty again. Although my rule this year is to wear garndening gloves whenever I'm in that dirt, I'm starting to get old lady hands and that's just not cool.