It's starting to get just a wee bit chilly and it's only October! In order to keep nice and toasty warm during those cool nights, I've put our new polar fleece bedding on our bed. Between the Sheets is not a Canadian company, but American residents can order via internet. I'm not sure if Canadians can order, since we got ours as a wedding present. (Our set is exactly like the one in the photo- minus the cute bear)

We absolutely LOVE our fleece sheets. It's so warm and fuzzy and just feels so good --almost too good, since it makes it hard to get out of bed in the morning! I've seen other polar fleece bedding sets in stores like Sears. Many stores that sell all things for the home carry fleece bedding. Prices and quality may vary, depending on which brand you choose.

PS. Happy Birthday, Ed :)

If you're like me and have no time to spend heaps of time preparing and cooking meals but want your family to eat healthy, here's an easy 30 minute dinner :)

BAKED FRESH ATLANTIC SALMON on a bed of rice with broccoli:
4 fillets of salmon
a drizzle of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
a sprinkle of dill (I prefer fresh dill)
*Preheat oven to 450, bake salmon covered in a shallow pan for 20 minutes or until flaky. Do not overcook. It doesn't take long for salmon to cook.

1 c. wild rice (if you like lots of rice then add another cup)
While salmon is cooking, rinse/wash rice and drain. In rice cooker, add water to your rice. Many rice recipes call for 1 c rice to 2 c water. Therefore, if you have 2 c rice, then 4 c water.

Broccoli, 1 head. Wash and clean broccoli (peel the skin off the stems). Cut florets and stem into nice bite sizes. In a steamer placed over the rice cooker, add broccoli and cover. While the rice cooks, the steam from the rice will steam your broccoli. My rice cooker can have the rice and broccoli ready in 15-20 minutes.

Serve salmon on a bed of wild rice and arrange broccoli on the side.

There you go--easy, fast, delicious. Not cumbersome and so worry-free. This is definitely not a labour intensive meal...provided you have a rice cooker. You can buy them at many home and kitchen stores. Ours was a wedding gift from one of my students and he purchased it at Canadian Tire. Rice cookers are fairly inexpensive, and save a whole lot of time. You don't need to be constantly checking your stove to see if you've burnt your rice! Trust me, I used to burn my rice all the time (not to mention, ruin my pots)!

...since I last posted.
It's been a busy week with Thanksgiving dinners (at my parents and then at my SIL's the next day) and people have been taking Hubby and me to restaurants for supper for the past few days to celebrate him stepping down from his position as president of the board of directors. *sigh* I can't even stand thinking of food right now. Even my belly button hurts! LOL!It feels like my inny is going to become an outy!!

Today's Hubby's birthday, so I've planned a surprise birthday supper for him. It may not end up being a surprise, as I think he's scheduled a firefighters' meeting and practice. Grrrr. Anyway, it's just going to be a family thing so nothing way over the top. Plus, I've got a doc's appointment today (had one yesterday too). Sooooo much testing, bloodwork and an ultrasound. It's driving me crazy. I have a confession: I'm secretly afraid of the hospital and doctor's office. I'm always scared that they'll find something...and do I really want to know if something is wrong? I know. I'm stubborn and silly. I can't help it.

Every year, as my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner, I make my specialty cheesecakes. It's not like I have a choice in the matter. I'm always told, "This is what you're bringing and nothing else." Good thing Thanksgiving only comes once a year (unless you celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving followed by the American Thanksgiving holiday)! These cheesecakes are not overly sweet (I've reduced the amount of sugar in my recipes) and I try to use ingredients with 'less fat'...but hey, this is cheesecake, so either way, diabetics beware!


Things I'm thankful for this holiday weekend:
-spending time with family and friends
-my little brother coming up to the Island to be with us :) I love that kid!!!
-deer grazing in our frontyard
-my wonderful husband
-gorgeous sunsets
-living on such a beautiful island

rock because all the good TV shows are on. Thursdays also suck because all the good TV shows are on at the same time!!!

Channel flipping between Grey's Anatomy, CSI and Ugly Betty really, really sucks!!

I saw the first episode of Ugly Betty last week and thought it was kind of funny. My aunt and uncle in Venezuela loved the Colombian tele novela "Betty la Fea" (Ugly Betty). In fact, when visiting them in Venezuela, my mom even got hooked on Betty.

I wonder how the new TV show will fare, considering it has to contend with Grey's Anatomy!!!

I was thinking of cute little indoor crafts that I could do with my students and my neices. I came across this cute, colorful idea - courtesy of the Martha Stewart Show. My sister-in-law will probably kill me, since she LOATHES Martha Stewart :) Anyway, it's a cute idea and I know my little neices like this kind of girly girl stuff. It's funky cool like that, ya know.

This cocktail umbrella lampshade adds a decorative and creative touch to any room in your home. The idea comes from the Bright Lights Little City company.

MaterialsCocktail umbrellas (amount varies depending on size of lampshade)Glow-in-the-dark paintWire cuttersWaxed paperSelf-adhesive UL-approved mini lampshadeFabri-Tac glueSiliconeFire-retardant sprayClear automotive lacquer25-watt lightbulb
Process1. Dip the top point of cocktail umbrellas in glow-in-the-dark paint; let dry. Cut off the stick part of the umbrellas' sticks with wire cutters.
2. Working over waxed paper, place the first umbrella so that it overhangs the bottom of the UL-approved lampshade, creating a scalloped edge. Glue down.
3. Place the second umbrella next to the first so there is a matching scallop along the bottom of the shade. The areas of the umbrellas on the shade will overlap slightly. Glue down the second umbrella where it overlaps the first.
4. Place the third umbrella above the first two so it overlaps them and creates a triangle. Glue down the overlapping areas of the umbrellas. Once you’ve covered a large portion of the shade, the top row should overhang the top of the shade by about 3/4 inch. Remove the cardboard ribs from the overhanging portion of the top row by breaking them and unpeeling them from the umbrella, leaving just the colored paper.
5. Continue placing the umbrellas in a triangular pattern, following any color pattern you desire. If you’d like to highlight a certain umbrella, place the 4 umbrellas on the shade, leaving a place for the umbrella that will cover these. Glue this umbrella so it overlaps the others with no umbrellas covering its design.
6. To finish the top of the shade, glue together umbrellas where they overlap. Trim the overhanging scallop about 1/4 inch from the top of the shade. Put a thin line of Fabri-Tac glue on the inside of this row, and fold it over toward the inside of the shade top.
7. Patch any gaps or tears with scraps of matching umbrella paper. You can reinforce the edge of the umbrella scallop with a thin coat of silicone, applying it with your finger. Let the silicone dry for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can use the stick of a previously cut umbrella to apply the silicone to the bottom edges of the shade that your finger can't reach.
8. Spray the inside of the shade with a fire-retardant spray, and let dry. Spray the outside of the shade with clear automotive lacquer. Let dry overnight in a well-ventilated area.
9. Place the finished shade on a lamp base. Insert a 25-watt lightbulb.

I'm not an agressive person, and I don't like violence...BUT I do think Oscar de la Hoya is a hottie!! I saw an interview he did once and he didn't seem like a fighter, but more soft spoken and gentle in nature. He's soooooooo hot! No wonder he's known as the "Golden Boy"!

A friend and I were talking about pregnancy, her children, life, and all sorts of things. She mentioned that she had a miscarriage before she had her three children. We then spoke about D and C's. I was aware of what dliation and curettage was, but had no idea about what she would next tell me. She said that after her D and C, she conceived almost immediately. She said that the lady she shared a hospital room with had lost a baby too, and a few months later, they bumped into each other at the grocery store and they were both pregnant!

Basically, a dilation and curettage cleans the woman's womb. It can be performed on women who a) have experienced a miscarriage, b) have had an abortion, or c) experience extremely heavy menstruation and clotting.

that I had known BEFORE I started all my wedding planning that my aunt in Toronto had opened up a business that caters to all areas of wedding planning! Her site is www.bridestown.com "Toronto's best wedding professionals await you at Bridestown. Visit Bridestown to create the wedding of your dreams in our elegant and hands-on environment."

In all my excitement, I had purchased and rented all the things I needed for our big day...and then one of my aunts said, "Why didn't you ask your Aunt K for help? She has her own wedding business." DOH!!! Too late! Anyway, she got me some really neat things to add final touches to our special day, like a gorgeous lace garter with a jewelled heart and a pewter ring with a lovely caption to hang on our wall. I drooled over all the wedding stuff on her site. There's sooooo much out there...I can see how companies can make a mint on events like weddings! :)

If you live in the Toronto area and are planning a wedding or helping plan a wedding, check out the store (and the site)! You can also see some of the items she and her partner carry in their store at www.hbhwedding.com !!!

I know I'm already married, but looking at wedding stuff is always fun, especially when you have friends who are planning their big day!

I have never been able to get 'into' the TV program, "The Bachelor" (or "The Bachelorette" for that matter). The entire premise of finding your soul mate in such a short time and under such unnatural circumstances...and competing for that person's affection and attention seems to me, totally and utterly ridiculous! It amazes me what kind of programs TV producers come with.

I read that this season's bachelor is a prince from Italy. What would a PRINCE be doing on TV looking for true love? WHY would he NEED to go to such lengths to meet someone? Would he not have ample opportunities to meet a suitable partner through his friends, family, business associates, etc? The entire idea of such a show amazes (and baffles) me.

Perhaps I am just being a bit opinionated. I guess the show is sort of a diversion from people's real lives. I just think it's dumb.

LOL! This said, just to quench my curiosity, I MAY take a look in between commercials and CSI Miami. (Uhh...yeah, I know. CSI isn't exactly "realistic" either- like real CSI's don't solve cases in a day), BUT it's entertaining and oh so full of suspense. My, my...am I ever opinionated tonight! :) We don't watch much TV, but CSI (Las Vegas, Miami and NY) are ones we do watch.