Something Sweet

Every now and then I'll look at my sweet Little One and have this conversation with her:

"Oh my goodness! I cannot believe you're growing so fast! Please slow down so I can enjoy you being so little for a while longer. I sometimes wish I could freeze time and capture these moments with you. You are such a sweet little miracle. Really, you are! If you think about all the things you've gone through in your four and a half months on this planet, you are a miracle. You've come so far and have gone through so much. I can't believe your Daddy and I made you! We are very blessed to be your Mom and Dad. Please don't grow up too fast. I just want to keep you here, tucked in my arms for just a while longer."

Now she's smiling and starting to expand her "vocabulary" (ermm...grunts, coos, cries).Photos of Little One in the sling were taken by Hubby. Little One is finally big enough to fit in the sling comfortably! This means her Mama can vacuum and do housework with her in it! Yay!

Another sweet thing is...

Having very good friends.
Our fantastic friends and their kids came over for a visit on Saturday.
You can tell that J is a Dad. Every time Little One would spit up, he'd be right there with something to wipe her up. Such a Dad! :) Little One was so comfortable with him. Please don't look at the background in these pictures (now that I've drawn attention to it!). Our house just got work done on it and though every single window has been replaced, the window treatments have not been done yet.One of the great things about having friends with young children is that the kids teach us just what and where we need to childproof :) In essence, that means our entire house. I can totally see Little One going for the books in my bookcase and opening all the cabinet doors when she gets mobile. We've got a few months still until that happens.
J and R's kids are so great! Give them paper and markers or let them run around on the farm, and they're as happy as can be! We love those kids! They're so well-behaved, cute, friendly, smart, helpful, and each of them has a distinct personality. Love them!

J and R are also professional photographers. While they were visiting, they took our family portraits! I am sooooo excited! You're going to have to wait to see their amazing work! For now, check out their PhotoCaptiva website! In the baby section of their site, you can see Little One's little footsie and a photo of me kissing Little One. Those were taken when J and R visited us while Little One was still in the hospital.

Here's a cute vid of Little One smiling on demand now :) It's not just the smile babies get when they have gas now! Don't mind my dorky, high pitched voice!

On Breastfeeding

...in public.



I was at the mall in "the closest big city to us" and I saw a poster for the video posted above. It caught my attention and made me think about my feelings toward breastfeeding in public.

I have chosen to nurse my baby. It is my personal opinion that if a woman can breastfeed and wants to breastfeed, then it is the best option for her baby. Breast milk is, after all, liquid gold. It's got all that good stuff that babies need. I won't get into it too much, because this will end up being a rather lengthy post. What could be better than passive immunity though!?

Little One, being a preemie, could surely benefit from breast milk. Even if she weren't a preemie, I'd still believe that it was the best thing for her. This said, her doctors have encouraged me to nurse her for as long as I can. I'm not sure how long that would be, but I'm hoping to do it for a year if I can.

Anyway, I have run into several situations where I don't know whether or not to feed my baby right then and there. When I was in the hospital and my SIL and her husband came to visit, I was in the midst of nursing. The nurse came in and said, "Your SIL and her husband are here. Do you want me to tell them to come back?" "Ummm...no. They've driven two hours to get here. Please tell them to come in." "Oh, but you're breastfeeding!"

I smiled and said, "It's okay". The nurse returned with a blanket to "cover me up" and said, "I wouldn't feel comfortable breastfeeding in front of my BIL".

Really, it doesn't bother me. It's not like I'm whipping them out for everyone to see. In fact, you can't even really see anything when I nurse. Nothing is exposed unless you're gawking and looking for it.

Hubby and I had to bring Little One to the hospital for her neonatal follow-up and monthly RSV shot during flu season. It's a 2 hr drive and we stopped off for a pit stop on our way home. Hubby went in for his Tim Horton's coffee and Tim Bits. I had to feed the baby. I ended up changing the baby's diaper in the vehicle and nursing her in there too. 1) I absolutely HATE public restrooms! Seriously, they're disgusting. I carry a bottle of Purel in my purse and have on in the vehicle too. I wouldn't change Little One's diaper in there unless I absolutely had to. The vehicle was fine. 2) I ended up nursing her in there too because...Well, I wouldn't know where to feed her while in Tim Horton's.

I struggle with wanting to do what's best for my baby and not wanting to offend anyone. I know that there are still some "issues" people have with women breastfeeding in public. In fact, we were having supper at the home of someone very close to us (who is of an older generation) and when it came time to nurse Little One, she told me to go into another room and that I "don't need an audience".

Whenever we've had friends or family visiting, I've always nursed Little One in their presence. I have no qualms with doing so. To me it's only natural. Why make it something perverse or awkward? Again, I don't want to make people uncomfortable, but I also have to feed my baby. One person even said to carry a bottle or two with me for times that I need to feed the baby. Why? What if I don't want her to get used to having bottles if I can help it?

I'm not a hardcore, militant, in-your-face person. Do I advocate breastfeeding? Yes. Do I think it's the right thing for my baby? Yes. Do I feed her in public? Sort of. I don't feed her in the middle of fancy restaurants or anything. I fed her while waiting to see the doctor at Sick Kids in the waiting room. It was full and there were lots of parents and children there. Hubby did put a receiving blanket over my shoulder and draped it so that Little One had a bit of privacy though. She tends to get distracted if there are too many people while she's eating.What are your thoughts on breastfeeding in public? Any tips or suggestions on how to not offend others? Where do you nurse your baby when you're out of the house? I definitely will not resign myself to feeding her in a public bathroom. Ick. Would you eat your lunch in the bathroom? I didn't think so.

There Goes My Heart

For the past few days, I’ve been admiring the deer in our back field. They are so beautiful and so graceful. What majestic creatures they are.

This morning, while we were having breakfast, Hubby ran to the living room window and then reached for the binoculars. “We’ve got wolves”, he said in a low voice. “Let me see! Let me see!” I rushed over to the big picture window with Little One in my arms.

Sure enough, two LARGE wolves were scouting the field. I was mesmerized. Being a city girl, this isn’t something I see often. WOLVES! Not only that, but wolves in our field! The wolves were beautiful though. They wouldn’t do any harm to us. We’re the ones who have encroached on nature’s environment and the animals are doing what they’re supposed to do. Plus, wolves don’t want to be around us any more than we want to be around them. I could deal with that…admiring them from a distance (and from behind a glass window)!

This afternoon, while I was nursing my hungry little milk monster, something made me turn toward the window. I looked out and saw about a dozen deer gliding across the field. They were prancing so elegantly, almost like they were dancing across the snow laced ground. Their white tails swayed up and down as they pranced.

Then I thought, “Why are they running?” I immediately thought Chance was being curious and chasing deer again. It wasn’t the pup though. One of the wolves from this morning was hot on the deer’s trail. I stood in horror as I watched what looked like something from a National Geographic documentary. The deer began to split up. They no longer ran together. Some went toward the bush and some scattered to the left field. The wolf continued its chase.

There was a lump in my throat as I watched from my living room window. I know that this is all part of nature. It’s survival of the fittest. I also realize that we do need natural predators to control the population of certain species. Wolves would go for the weaker animals or the sick, right? It doesn’t make it any easier for a faint-hearted city girl like me.*Photo of the deer in our back field- taken by me.*

My 900th Post!

I was shocked to see that this is my 900th post since I started blogging in 2006.

A lot has happened since then. I got married. I've been adjusting to life in the country. Not only am I now living in the country, but I'm also living on a farm! I do miss my friends and family in the city sometimes. I also miss traveling. I have been having a blast teaching ESL, so at least I can bring the rest of the world to us! I've been taking a break from teaching ESL since Little One has come into our life.

Life is good. I couldn't possibly ask for anything more.

Cherry, Canine, and everyone else, here are some "before" and "after" shots you asked for. I got quite a bit of hair cut off, got some layers and bangs. This is the shortest I've had my hair, but it's fun and light. Maybe next time I'll try to be a bit more daring and do something more exciting! Trust me, the bangs and few inches cut off were daring enough for me! ;p

Jane Fonda Ain't Got Nuthin' On Her

Remember this?

Little One looked like she came straight out of a 1980s Jane Fonda workout video the other day. Jeanna, thought you might think this was funny :)

This is what happens when Hubby dresses the baby. Just because she had a striped onesie on didn't mean it would match her striped Wee Warmers! I love the onesie and I love the Wee Warmers...just not together! ;p

It's a good thing she's cute.

**In case you haven't noticed by now, I love Wee Warmers on Little One! Thanks, Lee-Anne, for the awesome warmers. Little One alternates between both sets of warmers (navy set and the navy and pink striped set) that you sent her. I think it's so cool how they were the first "preemie" sets you made! She lounges around the house in them, she uses them instead of tights, they make diaper changes easier, AND they fit perfectly!**

Mama Always Said...

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get". Okay, my mom never said that. That was Forrest Gump's mom. My mom always said that "a woman should always look her best". My mom and my grandma are always so well put together. You won't find either of them without make-up or their hair done.

My mom always says that a woman should always look her best because you never know who you will run into. "C, do not leave the house without putting on make-up!" or "C, you really need to do something about your hair!" or "You look terrible without make-up". She's right though. I do look exhausted like I was hit by a bus (or a truck) when I don't have make-up on.

Now that I've had this adorable little hatchling,

I see more and more what my mom means about not knowing who you will run into. Now that I live in the country, people just pop in to say hello (without any notice). It's nice and I love that small town community feel, but it's hard to stay in your pyjamas with a nursing baby when you want to have a pj day and not feel like a slob in front of others. It's not like I'm "letting myself go". Really. It isn't. I still brush my teeth and brush my hair. I do slap on some lip gloss and if I'm going out, I'll put on some eyeliner and mascara. I'm not making any excuses. I know lots of moms out there look totally glam AND take care of their babies, husbands, and houses. Fancy Pantsy Momma and Audrey always look so stunning!

It's just that now that I'm at home with the baby for now and don't have to see my ESL students every day or I don't have to go out if I don't need to, I don't see the need to have to put make-up on (with the exception of lipgloss).

I remember how elegant my grandma always looked in her old photos when she was younger. She wore ruby red lipstick, her hair was always perfectly in place, and her dresses were always pressed. She was a wife, a school principal, and a mother to eight children...and she still looked like a movie star all the time!

Just the other day, I looked in the mirror and realized that Mama needs a new haircut! I do. I really do. My hair has gotten long and unruly. I've got a wedding to go to in May. My cousin and his amazing fiancee are having a traditional Filipino wedding and I'm part of their entourage (I'm one of the sponsors). For any of you who are familiar with Filipino weddings, there's the bridal party (best man, groomsmen, maid of honour, bridesmaids, flower girls, ring bearers), the Godparents, and the sponsors.

Any ideas for haircuts/styles? I need your help trying to find something new and almost maintenance-free! I'm pretty boring and usually just end up getting a couple of inches chopped off. Sometimes I get some layers done to make my hair look thicker, but I never do anything daring. Although, I once told a hairstylist to give my hair a trim and he ended up lopping most of it off and giving me these weird "wings" a la Farrah Fawcett/Charlie's Angels style. That's as daring as I ever got, and it wasn't intentional. Oh, wait. There was the time when I was in Japan and again asked for just a trim. The hairstylist PERMED my hair and gave me bangs! Straight bands and poodle-like hair for the rest of my head.

*Photo of Smiley Little One and Scary-No-Make-Up-Mama taken with cell phone cam. The pics are pretty grainy.*

Mmmmm...Phyllo!!!

I love phyllo pastry and I love, love, love Brie! Who am I kidding? I love cheese in general! One of my favourite things in the world is warm Brie with red pepper jelly slathered on stone-milled sesame seed multi-grain crackers! Whew! That was a mouthful!

Warm Brie Wrapped in Phyllo with Red Pepper Jelly!

Ingredients:

• 1 x Brie round
• Red Pepper Jelly (I always get mine made by our neighbours who have a "pick-your own"fruit and veggie farm)
  
• 4 x sheets of phyllo pastry, thawed
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Lay out a sheet of phyllo (one at a time) and brush with melted butter. Place another sheet on top and repeat until you have 4 layers.
2. Slice the Brie in half horizontally. Spread a thick layer of red pepper jelly on the bottom half of the Brie. Place the top half back on the bottom and put the Brie in the centre of the phyllo.
3. Bring opposite corners of the phyllo together and twist all four corners to form the shape of a flower in the centre of the Brie. Brush the top with butter and place in a pie plate.
4. Bake at 350 for 10 – 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
   
5. Top with MORE red pepper jelly!! Serve with stone-milled sesame seed multi-grain crackers or sliced baguette. Enjoy!

Photo from www.wish.ca via Google Images

Save the Earth. Drink Beer.

Not really, but check out this post on Green Is Her New Blog!

Friday Funnies

Our lovely and talented friend, E was over the other week and Little One just had to show off her latest trick. She's been lifting her head up on her own since she was 32 weeks (8 weeks before her due date). It's only been in the past two months that she has had really good control of her neck muscles though. She just loves showing off to everyone what she can do. Here's a funny photo of E and Little One. This just cracks me up! Little One lifts her head up for a few minutes and looks around the room. Then she'll do the bobble head thing for a while and then end up face planting or headbutting you! Too cute! Okay, maybe it's just me who thinks that this is hilarious! :)

Rock Band Album Cover

IF I *WAS IN A ROCK BAND, THIS WOULD BE MY ALBUM COVER.

1 - Go to "wikipedia." Hit “random”
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to "Random quotations"
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.

5 - Post it with this text in the "caption" and TAG the friends you want to join in. I'm not tagging anyone, but try it out if you want to. It's hilarious what you can come up with...and it's so random!

*The original meme has "If I was in a rock band". Grrrrr! It should be "If I were in a rock band"!!! C'mon people! Please! Correct usage of Type 2 Conditionals!!!
Aside from my annoyance at that horrible grammar gaffe, isn't this a fun meme? How funny is it that my band name is Doodle and my album name is Slave to Pen and Ink!?!?

This Reminds Me Of My Childhood

While Nerds, Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Pops, Pop Rocks, Bazooka gum, PEZ, Gummy Worms, Chiclets, Swedish Berries and other things that rot your teeth candies remind me of my childhood, there's a certain confectionery goody that totally brings me back to afternoons spent in my grandparents' kitchen.

This particular treat is Polvorón. (Pron. "pulburon" in filipino/tagalog) Eating polvorón was always a treat, because where we lived (in Montreal, Quebec) it wasn't always easy to come by. When family members or friends would go to the Philippines, they'd bring back some for us. Sometimes one of our aunts or friends of our aunts would make some for us around Christmastime.I always thought that polvorón was a type of candy, but it turns out it's actually a type of shortbread. Polvorón is made of flour, sugar, powdered milk, and sometimes nuts. If you're feeling really ambitious, here's a recipe you can try. Me? I'd rather wait until Christmas or until one of my family members returns from a trip to the Philippines with Polvoron for us! Goldilocks perfected the polvoron, so why mess with perfection?

As a kid, I only knew of one type of polvoron. It was the original flavour with pinipig (immature glutinous rice that is pounded into flakes--kind of like filipino Rice Krispies). The Pinipig polvoron has great crunch and it's not too sweet. Like shortbread though, it can leave your mouth a little dry. Now, there are lots of different flavours, such as...Choco polvoron- Hubby's favourite. He likes the delicate hint of chocolate. Okay, he didn't say those exact words. In any case, I think that's one of the reasons my husband married me. He gets to sample all kinds of food from the Philippines, China, the Caribbean, Spain, etc. Way to test out his purely Anglo-Saxon taste buds! Those were his exact words! Ha! Remember this post?!?!
Cashew polvoron- I didn't really detect any cashew flavour. It seemed almost bland and very dry. Kind of gave me the pasties. Not a fan of the cashew polvoron.

Cookies 'n Cream polvoron- Pretty good! Though I'm a stickler for tradition and almost always hate any new twist to traditional food because I think it takes away from the history of one's culture (I know, I'm a weirdo), I kind of like the cookies 'n cream polvoron. Tasty, yet not overly sweet.Peanut polvoron- Ick! Not a peanut fan to begin with...unless we're talking Reece's Peanut Butter Cups! Why they come in packs of three is shocking to me though, since one is just about as much sweetness and richness I can handle. Am I going on a tangent here? Okay, the peanut polvoron. Hubby says it tastes like stale peanuts. Enough said.

Woot! Just discovered that Goldilocks polvoron can be purchased in the U.S.!! Oh, wait! We live in Canada...on an island!!! I suppose we can always order online. Nah. I'll just wait until my aunt returns from vacationing 'back home'.

P.S. The first photo is of Little One amidst the Nerds and Hi-Chews Jeanna, one of our fave Chedheads sent while I was on bed rest during my pregnancy. The Cow Pies and Udder Fingers were already sampled, but we just had to include photos of them. Note the opened/empty boxes in the first photo? I do have a photo of me in the hospital wearing that Babcock Ice Cream t-shirt while I was pregnant. Just need to find it. Thanks again, Jeanna! xo

Cool Twilight Prize Pack Giveaway!!!!

The lovely ladies at Mom Generations are giving away a very cool Twilight Prize Pack! What's included in this $150 prize pack? The book - New Moon, Twilight DVD, T-shirts, jewelry, keychains, even a Twilight tote!

Thanks to Canine and Fancy, I've become a HUGE Twilight fan. I'm so much of a fan that I even ironed that "Team Edward" iron-on sticker onto one of Little One's onesies! Photos to come. Embarrassing? Yes. Can't help it. I just loooooooove the Twilight series.

Anyway, check out the Mom Generations site for the giveaway details!

Apparently, I don't know my shoulder from my knee!

Oh, the crazy things parents do for their kids...

Like post silly videos of themselves like this one!

Only because Dot Facebooked me and asked me to post more videos of Little One. Facebooked! Ha! Don't you just love how nouns that were never used as verbs have made their way into a new way of English usage? Take the word "fax" for example. Fax is a noun, but is now used as a verb too. "Can you fax me that proposal?" What about "text" as in "text message"? "Can you text me his phone number?"

Now Facebook! "Just Facebook me if you want to meet this weekend" or "I Facebooked you last night"!

Okay, maybe it's just me who finds these things interesting! :)

Because You Asked...

Okay. Maybe you didn't ask, but Cherry did! :)

This is what our house looked like before the renovations. I didn't get a chance to post photos of the master bedroom, baby room, guest room, dining room, bathroom or basement.
Our greenhouse helps us warm our house during the winter months. We try to maximize the daylight hours and use up all that wonderful heat from the sun. It's lovely! The greenhouse is a disaster right now. I won't be posting new photos until we are done cleaning up.

I've been working away at cleaning little by little. I've spent two full days trying to clean the kitchen. Since EVERY single window in the house was replaced, there's sawdust everywhere. The house looks like it EXPLODED! Seriously, every room in the house looks like it threw up! All of the books, furniture, clothing, dishes, and pretty much everything needs to be washed and returned to its proper place. It is unbelievable how much work needs to get done AFTER having renovations. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!There is a reason I am not posting any photos of the house NOW. Too depressing! Luckily for me, my Mom and Dad have been coming over every day (okay, Dad only came over once this week) to help me out. Mom totally did a clean sweep in the bathroom. She is pretty OCD when it comes to stuff like that, which in this case I am thankful of! She scrubbed the walls, the ceiling...everything! Oh, and the chrome in the bathtub has never been that shiny and spotless before!!!

Little One has been very cooperative too. She sleeps while I clean. She has also started taking to her Baby Bjorn. I tried her in the Peanut Shell sling and she tolerated it...for all of a few minutes! Now that she is a bit bigger, I have her facing away from me in the Baby Bjorn while I wash every single thing in the kitchen or while I vacuum. She seems curious about the world around her.

Well, break time is over! Will post photos when we are completely done...which will most likely be four months from now! ;p

One Year Ago...

It's hard to believe that exactly one year ago, we were here.

Today, we are here:

With Little One.

Little One was supposed to be born on February 3rd. This is her one month "corrected" photo (above). On the 11th she will be four months old! Wow! Can't believe how fast time flies!

Hubby says "She's getting bigger! Our hatchling is doing well". 7 lbs (as opposed to 2 lbs, 3 oz at birth) and getting noticeable rolls! Her legs are so cute! She lifts her head and looks around. She's got fantastic control of her neck muscles. She's very alert and curious. Oh, and she's trying to roll over on her own.This is her 1 day old "corrected" (3 months in actual age) photo. It's not a great one for comparison, since I think she looks bigger in this photo than she does in the more recent one!
Thank you to Canine, for suggesting that we take photos of her and her Moo every month! Just in case any of you wanted to see another ADORABLE baby, Fancy Pantsy Momma has been taking photos of her sweet Charlotte and her bear :)

One last thing before I sign off :)
Everyone who knows me, knows I am not a very materialistic person. Material wealth is not very important to me, but there are a few material items that have sentimental value to me.
Among these few items (and don't laugh!) is my Tonari no Totoro musical wind-up figure. Before I left Japan(after two years of living and teaching in Fukuyama, Hiroshima), my good friend, Mizue (who was also the Japanese teacher at the school I taught at) took me on a trip to Kurashiki (in Okayama Prefecture). It was such a memorable day. Kurashiki is a very beautiful place and is rich in art, culture and history. After having lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant, Mizue gave me a sayonara present.
Totoro was my favourite Japanese anime, so Mizue presented me with a Totoro musical figure. The music it plays is beautiful. A special present to remember a special day and a special friend by!

When I returned from my nearly three month stay in Toronto (because Little One was in the NICU at Mount Sinai), I found out that my musical figure had been destroyed. Amidst all the renovations on our house, it probably fell and shattered. I was devastated and Hubby was apologetic. I scoured the internet to find the exact same musical figure and couldn't find it. I couldn't even find it on eBay! I put it back together, but we're missing an ear and the umbrella is no longer intact. The wind-up musical piece no longer works. Soooooooo sad! I had wanted to put it in Little One's room because the music is so soothing :( If any of you can find this model anywhere, please let me know! I will love you forever!!!

Meme Monday

...on a Tuesday.

Because I’ve got nothing else to do with my time this morning, except try to get the house ready for move-in day and do crazy loads of laundry, you get a meme from me today.

Updates first:

-Our house is almost not quite ready for moving in. Slowly, but surely we will get there. It just seems like every time I try to get more work done, Little One wants to be fed, changed or picked up.

-I should stop complaining about all the cleaning up. My wonderful husband got renovations done to our home so it would be perfect for Little One to move into. Sometimes I feel like I am the most ungrateful person on this planet. At least I have a home to clean up and am not living on the streets. I think of all the blessings that I have...and then I cry because it looks like my house exploded! ;)

-Speaking of explosions, I left the baby with Hubby for a few minutes so I could take a shower this morning, and not even two minutes into my shower, Hubby rushes into the bathroom yelling, "BLOWOUT"!!! He was on the bed with Little One on his lap and all of a sudden, she pooped. Not just a little poop, but a blowout! Apparently, she blew the seams right off her diaper! Hubby was standing outside of the shower with Little One...and they were both COVERED in poop! She even got the bedsheets and the duvet. *sigh*

Anyway, before I gross you out any further, here's the meme that I took from the lovely J. She just knew that I couldn't resist a good meme:
43 Things about me!*

1. Do you like blue cheese?
Hmmmm...I'm more of a Brie kinda gal. Mmmm! Brie or Camembert! A warmed up wheel of Brie! Warm Brie on stone milled sesame seed or poppy seed crackers, topped with red pepper jelly!

2. Have you ever been drunk?
Urgh. Don't even wanna talk about it! I was a party girl in my previous life (years before I got married and had a baby).

3. Do you own a gun?
Does a water gun count?

4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite?
Grape.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
Not really.

7. Favorite Christmas movie?
Can't choose just one! Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer...

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
A glass of milk

9. Can you do push ups?
Yes

10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry?
My wedding ring.

11. Favorite hobby?
Reading.

12. Do you have A.D.D.?
No.

13. What’s your favorite shoe?
I have some very comfy beige Steve Madden shoes. I love them so much that I think they'll be worn out soon :(

14. Middle name?
Grace. Apparently, my parents thought I was a blessing...and I was born a week before Christmas, so it seemed fitting.

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
I don't want to clean my house.
My house is turned upside down from the renovations.
Will we ever be able to move back in????

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
Milk, Water, orange juice. Oh, did you mean alcoholic ones? Don't drink regularly, but if I did, I'd say Bailey's on the rocks, Peach Bellini, Mojito...Do I only get to name three?

17. Current worry?
How am I going to get this house cleaned? It looks like the house threw up and every single room in the house exploded.

18. Current hate right now?
Hate is such a strong word. I guess if I had to hate something it would be social injustice? War? Poverty? Okay, I guess I can think of a few things I hate :)

19. Um, where did 19 go?
I have no idea!

20. How did you bring in the New Year?
In the NICU at Mount Sinai Hospital with my baby girl and the parents of one of the other babies there.

21. Where would you like to go?
New Orleans. I could have said Hawaii or Spain, but for some reason New Orleans just popped into my head. N'awlins seems to have an interesting history and culture...and great food. I wouldn't be going there for the beads though.

22. Name three people who will complete this?
I’m not tagging anyone.

23. Do you own slippers?
Yes.

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now?
A forest green blouse from Zara that is way too expensive to be cleaning the house in. Oh, and Little One just drooled all over it :)

25. Do you like sleeping on Satin sheets?
Yes, LOVE 'em. The only problem is Hubby, the farmer prefers flannel or cotton sheets and Little One just spits up or poops on everything, so satin sheets are not an option.

26. Can you whistle?
Sure can!

27. Favorite color?
Cerulean blue. Though like J, I wear a lot of black.

28. Would you be a pirate?
Nope.

29. What songs do you sing in the shower?
Don't laugh, but the selections for shower singing songs range from French folk songs I learned as a child living in Montreal, Habanera, Regina Coeli, Skye Boat Song (and other songs from Island Singers), Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Close to You (by the Carpenters), anything by Filippa Giordano, the Beatles, Warrant, Heart, Pink Floyd, Poison, Mr. Big...

30. Favorite Girl’s Name?
Little One's real name

31. Favorite boy’s name?
Leif. I don't know why. Leif...or Tristan...or Darcy. Hubby won't go for any of those names if we have a boy though.

32. What’s in your pocket right now?
Surprisingly, nothing!

33. Last thing that made you laugh?
Little One pooping all over Hubby this morning! Still laughing! What a sight!

34. Best bed sheets as a child?
White with pastel ballerinas.

35. Worst injury you’ve ever had as a child?
Never got injured as a child. It was only when I became a teenager that I became accident prone! Let's see...ski lift injury, falling down the stairs and landing head first on a concrete floor...need I go on?

36. Do you love where you live?
Yes...If only the house would clean itself up after being renovated!!

38. Who is your loudest friend?
Ummm...Not gonna answer this one! ;p

39. How many dogs do you have?
One very sweet, happy, friendly, worry-free canine baby who goes by the name Chance.

40. Does someone have a crush on you?
I think so. I think his name is Hubby.

41. What is your favorite book?
Yikes! Difficult! Do I have to name just one?!?! I guess it would be a toss up between Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

42. What is your favorite candy?
Swedish Berries. You know, the kind we used to get at the corner store for a penny each?

43. Favorite Sports Team?
Montreal Canadiens.

44. What song do you want played at your funeral?
Never even thought of this one! I'll have to think about it. Weird.

*The meme says 44, but there’s no number 6.

Ohhhhhhhhh, Jeanna!

I was reading comments from my last post and nearly fell out of my seat when Jeanna mentioned not knowing about Nanaimo Bars! Say it ain't so! My reaction must have been similar to Jeanna's reaction when she found out that I had never heard of a funnel cake before.

I'm just going to have to rectify the Nanaimo Bar situation, Jeanna. Be expecting some Nanaimo Bars (along with some other things that were supposed to be sent off to you while I was on hospital bed rest during my pregnancy)!

The Nanaimo Bar is a no-bake chocolate dessert that is popular in our neck of the woods. Errmmm...I guess for you, Jeanna, that would be north of the border in that place you call the Great White North! :) The dessert originated in Nanaimo, British Columbia. I went to Nanaimo in 1992 and had a "real" Nanaimo Bar. You know me. I have to go to the place where special dishes originated, just so I can have the real thing! Remember? I've been to Singapore for Singapore noodles and a Singapore Sling. I traveled to Philadelphia for a Philly Cheese Steak. I was in Japan for real sushi. I went to Quebec for real poutine. I was in the Philippines for a traditional longsilog breakfast. You get the picture.

Traditional Nanaimo Bars consist of a wafer crumb layer, a custard layer and a chocolate layer. There are many variations (mint, peanut butter, etc).

Here on the Island, "squares" are a common dessert to bring to parties, gatherings, and local events. There is one lady on the Island that makes the best Nanaimo Bars EVER! I refuse to eat any other Nanaimo Bar now. She knows that Hubby has a sweet tooth and whenever she makes Nanaimo Bars, she makes sure to send some over for him. She is such a sweetheart.

Here's a recipe for you, should you feel inclined. Jeanna, Hubby would tell you that it's a little taste of Heaven. Sooooooooooooo bad for you though!

I don't know if Nanaimo Bars will travel well...or if they'd even make it across the border! You will be getting some choice items from the Manitoulin Chocolate Works though. I promised you, J, Canine, Mom Generations and Cherry some goodies before I was hospitalized. Now that I'm out of the hospital, I have no excuses...other than an infant who wants to be fed every three hours :) I WILL get some goodies sent off to you pronto.

For now...

The Nanaimo Bar

Ingredients:

***Bottom Layer ***

* 1/2 cup unsalted butter
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 5 tablespoons cocoa
* 1 egg beaten
* 1 1/4 cup graham wafer crumbs
* 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
* 1 cup coconut

***Second Layer ****

* 1/2 cup unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons cream PLUS
* 2 teaspoons cream
* 2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder
* 2 cups icing sugar

***Third Layer ***

* 4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:

Bottom Layer

Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8" x 8" pan.

Second Layer

Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.

Third Layer

Melt chocolate and butter overlow heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator.

This recipe for Nanaimo Bar serves/makes 24 bars.

All images found via Google Images