Sometimes you just wanna vent
Our current lifestyle doesn't really allow for many days nursing hangovers. Now we have responsibilities like operating our own business and farm, and being role models to our students. With Hubby being on call all the time for First Response and Firefighting, he can't be under the influence when there's an emergency he needs to get to. I also feel the biggest guilt when I know how many calories and how much sugar go into an alcoholic beverage...especially the ones I like!
I'm not saying that we never drink. We do on special occasions and sometimes with friends. I'm glad that Hubby and I both don't drink much. It's so rare to find a partner who doesn't drink or smoke! However, sometimes (and I know this is bad), when life tosses you some pretty brutal curve balls, you just wanna sit back...and have one of these!!!
Tonight is one of those nights when I feel like having one of those babies. Unfortunately, since we don't drink much, we don't have anything alcoholic in our house. Okay, that was a lie. I think we have a bottle of ice wine (from the Niagara region, of course!) that one of my Colombian students gave me as a present. Oh, and perhaps a bit of vodka from our wedding last year! LOL! Oh right...and that one lonely bottle of mixed berry wine cooler in the fridge! I remember getting those in high school and thinking we were cool. I later realized that it was more like just a fizzy, carbonated fruit drink than an alcoholic beverage. Those were the days. Anyway, I would really love a Peach Bellini right about now. I remember having a really good one in a restaurant in Toronto with Dina when we were roomies. For now, all I can do is dream of this recipe that I will one day try again.
INGREDIENTS
The Drink
2 large peaches, cut into chunks
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 bottle Champagne or sparkling wine
Garnish
1 large peach, cut into 6 slices
6 mint sprigs Combine peach chunks, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Allow to rest 30 minutes. Place mixture in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour through a strainer, pressing solids to extract flavor and juices. Chill. Discard any solids.Place about 1 tablespoon peach syrup in each flute and fill with Champagne. Garnish with a peach slice and mint sprig.
FYI: I nabbed this recipe from the Oprah Winfrey site!
My Special Time With Dad
Mama Doggy Love posted the sweetest story about her special time with her dad. In honour of my Dad and since Father's Day is fast approaching, I would like to write a little something about my special time with Dad.If you want something done...Do it yourself!
I have been blessed with having a husband who is so patient with me. He's wonderful, loving, caring, understanding and unfortunately for me...rational! He'll do the craziest things to make me happy, but there are some things that are just too off the wall that he won't do. He would be so sweet enough to go to the kitchen and make me a cup of hot apple cider even if he had just been in the kitchen only minutes ago. He'll go out and bring me the most thoughtful trinkets of his love and appreciation (like that amazing fruit press I posted about)! He's there to bring me back down to earth when I get carried away with things I need not waste my time nor energy for. He's just a soothing, comforting presence and he complements (and compliments!) me well! Hey, don't get me wrong...I do my fair share of thoughtful deeds and complementing! :)
Anyway, it was 2:03 AM and I couldn't sleep. When I came home from Kingston the other weekend, I asked Hubby how things on the homestead were. "Oh, everything is great! We're all fine. Oh, except we're down one cat." "What?" "Yes. She tore a hole in the window screen in the living room and jumped out and fled." "OMG!" I was saddened because Fred (George's sister/littermate) was my little cuddle bunny! She always slept in our bed and she was always vying for my attention! I was also sad because I just knew she went out to get pregnant! Just what we need...more kittens! These girls are going to get fixed after they've weaned their babies!
Okay, so I was in bed awake at 2:03 this morning, thinking of Fred. Then, the craziest thing happened. I almost couldn't believe what was going on! I heard Fred's meeeeeeowing and it sounded like she was in our room! I then realized that she was outside our window!!! This is crazy, because our master bedroom is on the second floor, in a loft! I guess Fred had climbed up the greenhouse walls and ended up outside our window. Our windows are so old and they do not open, so I couldn't let her in. It was pouring rain last night/this morning and Fred was making a lot of noise, wanting to come in. The Prodigal Son (ummm...errr...Daughter...make that feline daughter) had returned!!!
She was scratching at the windows, trying to get in. There was no way I could get her, since she was on top of the greenhouse under our bedroom window. She had climbed to the top of the roof! It was dark, rainy, wet, slippery...I entertained the thought of finding a ladder to retrieve her. I then realized how dangerous that would be.
Me: Honey!!! You have to get her! She's crying and she's getting wet!
Hubby: She'll come down on her own.
Me: Hmph!
5 mins later
Me: Hubby...Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!!! You need to go get her!
Hubby: I need to go to sleep! It's after 2AM.
Me: Well, you can't sleep now with all that noise she's making. If you get her, then you'll be able to sleep!
Hubby: Ummm...That's not the only reason I can't sleep!
At this point, I already knew I was being unreasonable and irrational. If you know me, you already know that once I get a thought in my head, no matter how crazy it is, I always follow through.
Me: Fine then. I'll get her myself.
Hubby: (half asleep) Hmmm.
Rather miffed at this point, because things weren't going my way, I stormed outside in my green rubber boots and fuzzy purple housecoat! "C'mere! Fred! C'mere!!!" (She always answers to C'mere..you know, as in 'come here') After much prodding and persuading, she finally relented and came down. Almost an hour later, and fully drenched, I returned to our bed with the cat.
Me: I guess if a wife wants something done, she shouldn't ask her husband!"
Hubby: Hmmmm. (He was fast asleep and wasn't listening to me at all).
This morning when we were all up for breakfast around 7AM, I told Hubby that I had retrieved the cat from the roof in the pouring rain at 2 something in the morning. Hubby just said, "Wow! I didn't hear a thing!" LOL! *sigh* You've gotta love Hubby. He's too funny. Oh, and yes...I am sometimes irrational.
Living in the World of Excess
Lack of consideration, ingratitude, and never trying hard.
Babying, pampering, no inkling of "tough love"
Manipulation, being two-faced and feeling that you're above
all the others in the world and walking away unscathed.
Everything handed to, yet not knowing how to give back
No accountability for one's actions and always 'under attack'.
The result of this, no lessons learned,
but do as you wish and walk away
leaving not you, but others spurned.
LOL! Just some late night ramblings :) No real meaning to my crappy 'poem'. Yes, I know. It's horrible! LOL!
Pretty in Pink
* A cute Dooney & Burke bag
* A pink Juicy Couture vintage-inspired tee
AND
* TWO pairs of Victoria's Secret bikini undies!!!
Fun in the sun
Our nieces, Pook and Toad came over, since they were going to attend our concert with Hubby and P1. They played with the kitties, who are now almost two weeks old. Look how much they've grown!
It was I who complained about the heat and decided that housework would always be there waiting for me when we returned. It was I who mentioned to Hubby that we should take the kids to the beach to cool off. We took the kids and pup to the rocky beach. I'm quite partial to sandy beaches, but again, we didn't want Chance to drag sand into the vehicle.
Me: Kids, don't get tooooooooo wet! We don't have time to dry your clothes before the concert. Absolutely no swimming!Kids: (in unison) Okay, we won't swim! We'll just roll up our shorts and just wet our legs.
Now, enter the cheeky monkey (aka: Chance). Me being as brilliant as I am, I decided what fun it would be to get Chance to swim!! Lesson learned: Do not try to force a pup to swim if he absolutely does not wish to do so at the moment. He will do it on his own and when he wants to.
I guess you can imagine what happened next. I had Chance by the collar, leading him further into the water...and...*~SPLASH~* It was I who ended up going for a swim! Yes, Chance was the one who dragged me into the water. I was drenched (and more embarrassed than anything)! It was a good laugh and the children thought it was funny since I had said that they were not to get wet!
Art you can drink
Gift giving is part of many cultures and when you visit someone's home, many people bring tokens of their appreciation and friendship. This is true for most of my students. P1's mom packed a bunch of presents for us and one of the gifts from Korea was a pouch filled with these amazing little fragrant balls of dried flowers. You're supposed to boil some water and fill a tall, clear glass or teapot and put the dried up ball in it water. Then, you watch it steep for 3-5 minutes and you'll be dazzled my the most amazing sight.We (P1, P2, their mom, my mother-in-law, my two nieces, my husband and myself) all sat around the dining room table and marveled at the sight! Slowly, the ball opened up and "blossomed"!
Amazed, I "Googled" the special green tea and discovered that the ball is actually carefully woven groupings of jasmine, lily and osmanthus flowers. How on earth does one weave dried flowers and make it in a way that they open up like that in hot water?? Is that pure genius or what?
Not only is it beautiful to watch the flowers as they unfold, but the tea is delicious too. It's a really smooth, gentle, fragrant and flavourful tea.
Real Women Don't Cook???
I had a conversation with two girlfriends of mine about work, marriage, motherhood, and our roles as women in these three areas. Friend #1 said that she refuses to ever become a slave to her family and will never give up her freedom as an independent woman. Friend #1 is full of life, spontaneous, carefree and eventhough she's in her early 30's, she can still pick up and go whenever she wants and do what she wants since she just picks up work whenever and wherever she needs it. She's a self-procclaimed party girl and scoffs at anything considered even remotely 'domestic'. I love her zest for life and her ability to do whatever she wants because she's not tied to anything. She reminds me of the me I was in my early 20s. I loved that me! I love the me I am today, but the former me was crazy and fun...just like friend #1!
Anyway, an argument almost ensued, since friend #2 became offended. She felt that friend #1 was giving a personal attack on her life choices since she became a wife and mother.
In all fairness, I think we were all a little defensive. Friend #1 said that she couldn't understand how anyone would want to get 'tied down' and have to slave over a husband and family. She boasted about how she never cooks and how much easier it is to get a nice guy to take her out for a meal than to have to cook and wash dishes afterward. Though she enjoys hosting dinner parties, most of the food she serves is store-bought or catered. Friend #2 was still fuming at this point. She thought friend #1 was belittling her decisions and choice of lifestyle. We did find out one common thread through the heated debate though. Both women didn't cook homemade meals. Friend#2 said that she is so busy with running after her babies and trying to keep the house in order, that she doesn't have any time to waste in the kitchen to prepare meals. Most meals are fresh...from a box, bag or can. She swears by frozen meals that just get popped into an oven for 30 mins and she has the pizza delivery on speed-dial.
I totally understand how chaotic, hectic and crazy things get for both my friends. I'm a little like friend#1 and a little like friend#2. I'm not single and I can't just take off whenever I want. I am married, but we don't have kids of our own yet. I do know how exhausting things get with everything that goes on with having a family and people who depend on you. We have international students who live with us and that in itself is very tiring sometimes. Trying to juggle teaching, curriculum planning, maintaining the house, the garden, helping hubby with the wood business and the farm (though, he does the bulk of things)...and having to think of what to cook...that can all get a little crazy sometimes. I totally agree that a woman has no time to be slaving for hours in the kitchen. Hubby's used to homecooked meals and I love cooking. Because I don't have tons of time (I also tutor after supper), I've devised a slew of meal plans and recipes that don't take up a lot of time. I love effortless (yet seemingly painstaking to prepare) meals! To me, that's impressive.
At Baby Bro's girlfriend's parents' house, his girlfriend's mom made a dish called a "Wife Saver". It's a breakfast casserole that is super easy to make and not time consuming at all...hence the name! I'm going to post the recipe so that everyone can enjoy it. Real women CAN cook. All we need is a few tricks up our sleeves to make things easier and quicker. Even the busiest of us can spare a few minutes to make a dish. This said, I always keep a family sized frozen lasagna in the freezer for those nights when I'm too exhausted to cook! ;)
I didn't get a photo of just the Wife Saver, but you can sort of see it in the above photo. It's on the counter in a big dish. Baby Bro's girlfriend is hovering over it.
WIFE SAVER RECIPE (breakfast casserole)
Ingredients:16 slices white bread crust removed
Canadian bacon sliced thin
Slices of sharp cheddar
6 eggs
salt- pepper
1tsp dry mustard
1/4 cup onion
1/4 cup green pepper
2 tsp Worcesteshire sauce
3 cups milk
dash Tobasco
1/4 lb butter
Crushed Corn Flakes.
Directions:Butter a 9x13 glass baking dish, and line with 8 pieces of bread , add pieces to cover the bottom.Cover bread with bacon, lay cheese on top and cover with more bread to make like a sandwich.In a bowl beat eggs, salt pepper, add everything else except butter and Corn Flakes.Pour over bread, cover and let stand in fridge overnight. In the morning melt butterand pour over top. Cover with cereal. Bake uncovered 1 hour at 350. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Ying and Yang???
1) My student was extremely well behaved.
2) The apple trees were covered with delicate, white, fragrant blossoms.
3) A new batch of students are arriving in July.
4) The kittens are growing and they're healthy and strong.
5) It was so beautiful and breezy out today.
6) My friend, Dina called and she, her hubby, and their baby are coming for a visit in 2 weeks!
7) I made homemade tomato sauce this afternoon.
8) My parents came to visit us this evening.
9) I have a meeting for the library board.
10) This is my first "free" night in a while so I can watch TV!
I'm kinda bummed because...
1) We usually go for a day of excellent behaviour and several days of not listening.
2) Soon the apple blossoms will be gone. Oh, and the tent caterpillars are out now. Grrrr!
3) I kinda got comfortable with just having the one student for now. I know more students = good for hubby and me though. I guess I'd better start pumping myself up and getting energized for a busy summer!
4) Mama cat has started moving the kittens around the house and hiding them. They were no longer in the box in our bedroom. I was in the office and heard crying coming from behind the desk. Sure enough, she had stashed the little ones there. What fun. I can only imagine what the next few weeks are going to be like, since the kittens will be able to walk and run soon!
5) It was also stinkin' hot!!! Soooooooo hot that I had to open all the windows and turn on some of the fans! Grrrrrr! I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that until mid-late June!!
6) I'm just so excited to see Dina and her family. At the same time, I'm sad because we only get to see each other once or twice a year now that I've moved to the Island :(
7) Of course if you make tomato sauce, you're gonna have pasta, right?? We ate spaghetti tonight and I really wanted to eat something light. What can ya do when you live in a house with only men?
8) We didn't have much of a visit. Dad helped me organize my garden in front of the house. He brought me some hostas, day lilies, firecrackers and other plants. In exchange, I gave him some ferns for his garden.
9) My meeting's tomorrow. I thought it was today.
10) We can't find the remote control for our TV. I find it really bizarre and extremely irritating that the remote is lost. How does a remote control get lost?? It doesn't make sense! Grrrrrrr!
K-town and back
Pit stop somewhere. I think it may be Gravenhurst, but I'm not sure. My Korean student (P1) and my dad.
I always pass The Big Apple on my way to K-town and Montreal. Rarely do I stop in though. This time, we decided to take a break, do the touristy thing and even buy an apple pie.
Did you know that The Big Apple is only 10,631 Km from Seoul, Korea?
Inside the Big Apple Bakery/Factory, watching the workers make the pies.
Lots and lots of pies!!! You can smell all the yummy goodness as soon as you enter the building.
These things scare me. I'm sure I used to love them as a kid, but I haven't had one in over 20 something years. Seriously! I'm sometimes tempted, but every time I think I want one, I remember that I broke a tooth on one of those babies when I was a kid!!
The Big Apple from the highway.
Finally in K-town. Here's Grumpy Gramps and Kenny. Dad called dibs on holding the baby. No fair.
Can he possibly be any cuter???
Kenny and his Daddy.
Downtown Kingston.
I was craving enchiladas! They may not look very appetizing, but they were gooooooooood.
We ate at Baby Bro's place of employment. If you ever eat there, his work name is Hombre.
Back with Kenny. We can't get enough of the little guy!
Okay, I admit it. I hardly put him down all weekend. Horrible. I know.
Kenny's baptism. Godparents and soon-to-be husband and wife in the background.
LOL! It's like that scene in The Lion King. Don't you think so too?
On our way home from K-town on Sunday, we had lunch at Baby Bro's girlfriend's parents' farm. I've never seen a farm like this before!!!
P1 is so lucky to always be eating such good food! 
P1 with Baby Bro and C. C's mom is in the background and you can see a bit more of their gorgeous farm! Funny how Baby Bro and I have partners from rural areas, since we have always lived in the city.
Doesn't their place look like it's out of Home and Garden magazine or something?
After a long drive home, we arrived on the Island around 2 AM! We were exhausted. P1 had school and had to get up for the school bus at 7AM. I also had our Island Singers practice in the evening. I was beat!
Look who was waiting for me to return though! Sweet!
From Our Farm to Your Table
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About the Blog Author
City girl moves to the country, falls in love, and marries a farmer. She tries to incorporate her city ways with her new country lifestyle and blogs to keep in touch with friends, family & students who live far, far away :) Can this city girl go country? Watch as she learns all sorts of exciting things about life on the farm and in a small rural community. *UPDATE* We are now parents! Our baby girl was born on Nov. 11, 2008 (at 28 weeks gestation- 12 weeks premature, but she's quite the trooper)!!!
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