something to hold on to

My husband likes to say I “over produce” everything.  I guess I am the type of person who, when tackling a project or a task, I give it my best…my all.

Although that sounds like a wonderful attribute, I have to admit, it can be at times, paralyzing.  With our data access at almost over capacity, my computer has been quite slow lately…largely due to the fact that I have over 9000 photographs on my computer.  And my computer is not even a year old!

According to Facebook, on average over 250 million photographs are uploaded each day.

I wonder if in this "Facebook era", do we take millions of pictures to boast what we’ve done or seen.  Or do we do it to remember it?  It might be a little bit of both, but I’d like to hope that people photograph obsessively because we love to share.  For me, there are so many beautiful things that I see, things my children do, special “Kodak moments” that I want to capture, that I want to hold onto it forever. 

I think keeping these memories are a gift.  When I look at past photographs, I’m thankful that I've documented everything and have memories to share as a gift for others.

Quick and Easy Photo Gift Card holder

Print a sheet of paper with your message.
Take as many photographs of your loved ones holding the greeting sign.  Print the photograph.
Attach the gift card using tape, or cutting out around the hands, so the card fits into the slits.

Enjoy the gift of giving.

a smile a day

The advent calendar is a fun tradition in our home.  Every morning in December, the children rush to see if there is any little surprise in the “pockets” of their calendar. Chocolate covered smiles follow.

According to Wikipedia,

“The origins of the Advent calendar come from German Lutherans who, at least as early as the beginning of the 19th century would count down the first 24 days of December physically. Often this meant simply drawing a chalk line on the door each day, beginning on December 1.”

Advent calendar using the actual windows of the German city of Hünfeld's town hall in Advent

The advent calendar is such a lovely way to anticipate the big day.  Although today, most advent calendars are made for children, I thought it would be nice to have an adult reminder too.

1)  Find a plain wreath.  2) Using heavy stock paper, fold into envelopes.
3)  Using stencils found at the dollar store, number accordingly.
 4)  Assemble favour boxes (found in the wedding section of craft stores, like Michaels).
5) Stencil numbers on labels.  6) Attach labels to ribbon, and tie all the boxes & cards to the wreath.

As I look at our advent calendar, it puts a smile on my face too...now we can enjoy our own special countdown before Christmas day.

{Attending these beautiful  parties...Domestically Speaking, Coastal Charm, Homemaker on a Dime, House of Hepworths}

worth a thousand

Madikwe, South Africa

What a cozy place to sit.  Love being surrounded by lanterns.

it's beginning to look a lot...

...like Christmas.  Ev'ry where you go.  Take a look at the five and ten glistening once again.  With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  Toys in ev'ry store.

But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be...

...on your own front door.

-Lyrics by Meredith Wilson

cran it in

The big weekend is about to approach. You know this weekend...the first weekend of December. It's when the Christmas season officially kicks off. Christmas trees are put up. Ornaments have been dug out of hiding, dusted and are ready to go on the tree. Christmas songs begin to play on the radio, and you can start to see the parking lots getting A WHOLE LOT busier. The sale signs begin enticing you. Coupons sent in flyers to bring you into the stores. We start checking our lists...more than twice.

It's a feeling of "it's here!"...and then, "ughhh..it's here!"

Thankfully, it is also a season to gather with friends and loved ones. To find holes in the schedules to share hugs and warm cocoa. Holiday parties and Christmas cheer. To momentarily, take a breather from the commercial madness to sit back, really enjoy each other's company and rejoice in the season. And to worry about cramming in the last minute "to do" list for another day.

Cranberry with Dried Fig Sauce on Brie

(adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe)

It's more like a chutney than a traditional cranberry sauce, can be served several ways (as a condiment with dinner or an appetizer with brie cheese and crackers).

Ingredients

• 1 bag fresh or frozen (thawed) cranberrie
• 5 ounces dried Calimyrna figs, halved (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cranberry juice

Preparation

• In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients and cook over low heat until most of the cranberries have burst, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer cranberry sauce to a small bowl. 
• Let cool; cover, and refrigerate up to 3 days. 

Top the brie cheese with the cranberry fig sauce, and warm brie in the oven at 350degrees until soft (approx. 15 minutes).  Serve with crackers.

Enjoy.

relish the moment

After dinner, my son wanted to eat one of the pomegranates I had on the counter.  So I sliced it open, handed him a spoon with the fruit, and said "go for it".  Then had an "oh-no" moment because I realized what I just did.

As anyone who has tried to remove pomegranate seeds would know, this is not exactly a mess-free act of consumption.  And as much as I wanted to take back the fruit so I can serve him just the juicy seeds, I actually stopped myself and had a little laugh as I quietly stood there, watching my little boy dig voraciously into that red-juice-squirts-everywhere-in-sight fruit (and afterwards, let's just say my white kitchen looked like a scene from a horror movie!).

I've been told by many friends who have teenaged children, to enjoy my children while they're still young now. I have to admit...this is a sweet age.  They're still young enough to want to be around me, but old enough for some kind of independence.  I know this won't last forever...eventually they'll want total independence, but for now, I'll take whatever I can get.

With Christmas fast approaching, and my "to-do" list getting longer, I hope I can get everything done so I can sit back, enjoy the holiday season...and relish more moments like this.

Apple Relish with Pomegranate and Raisins
(adapted from Gourmet Food)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large green apple, peeled, cored, and chopped fine
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon raisins
• ½ cup pomegranate seeds 
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Preparation:

• In a small skillet, melt butter. 
• Add apples and sugar and cook over medium heat until browned and soft, about 5-8 minutes. Add lemon juice, raisins, pomegranate seeds, and syrup and heat 1 minute more. 
• Remove from heat and keep relish warm until serving.

Serve with pork or chicken and enjoy.

worth a thousand

Island Residence designed by Tom Stringer

Welcome to my island home...

a toast

It is exactly one month before Christmas.  The other evening, I finally finished my week long project of  designing our Christmas cards and had them sent to the printer.  It was the first hurdle for this Christmas season, and it was finally done, albeit done into the wee hours of the early morning.  So now, I am now officially in the Christmas mode, as those cards were the catalyst for me to prepare for Black Friday, and finalize my Christmas shopping.

An excerpt from last year's Christmas photo session.

I look back on my childhood and wonder how my parents did it.  They didn't have the luxury of having their cards created online to be printed.  They didn't have access to outlets, Black Friday sales, or online shopping.  Back then, Christmas ornaments, decor, or pretty dishes didn't change with the "style of the year"...what ever they received from their wedding registration, they used.  Every year.

But every Christmas was magical to both my brother and I.  The silver tinsel and the brightly coloured ornaments were a staple, along with every single handmade ornament we made at school, proudly hung on the FRONT of the tree.  Although I'm sure my parents fretted over the latest "toy" they had to line up and get for their wide eyed children, for the most part, Christmas seemed simpler. Every Christmas morning, my brother and I would race down the stairs, eat the fastest breakfast of the year and tear open our gifts.

I recently heard a poll on the news that said about 70% of shoppers will be spending less this Christmas.  They will be more budget minded, try to take some time off work and focus on things that really matter.

When I heard this and wondered if this is something we should have been doing all along...instead of escalating the Christmas holiday as the latest expression of fashion, maybe we should remember why we're doing this in the first place (religion aside).  As much as I love partaking in the latest trends, and decorating our home with all the beautiful ornaments and decor like it's displayed in the magazines, I need to keep reminding myself...ten years from now, will we remember the latest "pre-lit, multi-functioning, hottest coloured Christmas tree" we had sitting in our home, or the look on our kids' wide-eyed, syrup covered face, as they smile with glee, holding their latest treasure, with the wrapping paper skewed all over the floor.

Quick French Toast

(adapted from Ina Garten's Challah French Toast)

Ingredients

6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon good honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large loaf challah, brioche (I used a French baguette, pre sliced the night before, and stored in a zip lock bag)
Unsalted butter

To serve:
Pure maple syrup
Good raspberry preserves (optional)
Sifted confectioners' sugar (optional)

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, honey, and salt. Slice the challah in 3/4-inch thick slices. Soak as many slices in the egg mixture as possible for 5 minutes, turning once.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven. Fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter as needed, until it's all cooked. Serve hot with maple syrup, raspberry preserves, and/or confectioners' sugar.

Enjoy slowly.

and pesto, it's done!

I like Wednesdays.  It's the "hump" day that signals that we're half way there to the weekend.  The kids have hot lunch at school, which means I get a small "break" from making lunch. Usually I've already planned my week, so I begin to plan for the weekend.  

I like doing little things that help the week move forward.  It mostly involves lists.  Lots of them. With Christmas coming up fast (and Thanksgiving this weekend for my American friends), it's easy to feel a little overwhelmed.  But it's the little steps that help... each time helping me feel more and more accomplished as I finish each one.

When I keep taking small steps and keep moving...all of a sudden, PRESTO, like magic, it all gets done.

Pesto Chicken Goat Cheese & Red Onion Pizza

Ingredients

• Homemade or pre-purchased pizza dough
• 3 tablespoons of basil pesto
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup  crumbled goat cheese
• 2 small chicken breasts, chopped
• Red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup parmesan and 1/4 cup of mozzarella, mixed together for topping.

Preparations:

• Preheat the oven to 450degrees
• Roll out pizza dough onto a pizza pan.
• Spread 3 tablespoons (or more, to taste) the pesto onto the dough.
• Spread the 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.  Add the goat cheese, chopped chicken and onions. 
• Add the parmesan/mozzarella mix on top.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese bubbles and browns on top.

Serve.

liebster

This past summer, as they watched a few beautiful swans swimming along the shoreline, the kids learned about how in nature, animals naturally support each other.  One of the swans was hurt, so an on-looker tried to help pull it out of the water.  In an instant, the other swans came to fend off, what they thought was a perpetrator.  The hurt swan was whisked away.

In German, the word "liebster" is derived from "liebe" which means love, friend or dearest.  I was recently awarded the Liebster award, which spotlights up-and-coming blogs who are still in their early stages (less than 200 followers), ready to blossom into beautiful swans.

So, first, I must thank Janny from Que Linda for awarding me this lovely award.  She has great ideas on her blog, and her pumpkin pie ice cream is something that should be on everyone's must try list.  

Now I get to pass this forward and spread the love...here's my Liebster award recipients, who have simply  great ideas and beautiful  creations, to help us enjoy life now.   Please visit them...meet a new friend and support their efforts.

Liebster Blog Award

Belclaire House

Living Beautifully

June and Bear

Anythingology

{Re} Pear Tree Design

The goal of this award is to spotlight up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 followers

The official rules for this award are:

1. Copy and paste the award on your blog

2. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you

3. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog

4. Hope that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers