Rainy and Random

I should be practicing my typing, but I am not.
I guess I sort of am...but not really.
I still poke and look rather than float and execute precision. Me and Mavis will meet soon...

Bah! 

Nevermind! Life is good!

Except...someone has a cold and is teething.

And...she is starting to talk like crazy. 

I love how she says her brothers name...

EEEEEEston. 

I smile every time. 

So does Mr.Man.

She is growing up. 

Like the messes around the house.

It was toy clean out aka "mommy wants to organize" this Sunday at our house.

A toy infestation was talking over so it was time to cleanse and purge.

Each time there is less and less whining and complaining from Little E. 

We donate the toys to the VV Boutique and broken toys are recycled if possible. 

The recycling system in our city os AWESOME. They take all sorts of things. 

Except laundry. I seem to have piles and piles to fold. 

Mountains of dishes to scrub. 

I made lunch though! 

Wanted to be in my jammies like the three bears here. 

Little E loves to play with this puzzle still. 

Mix and match their clothes...he tells a little story of where they are going. 

He likes to give them mad faces, sad faces, happy faces and sleepy faces. 

I think they are happy today to be in there PJ's and not cleaning. 

Right Slinky Dog?

After some cleaning and folding we all got cleaned up and ready for a birthday party. 

Mr. Man caught these two on the couch...

Having fun...

My Little E...getting so big. 

Mr. Man and Baby A. 

Mr. Man has that hurry up Erin we are going to be late look in his eyes...

Little E got his face painted at the party. 

It was at the local community centre. Awesome idea. The kids loved it.

Bouncy Castle and all...who wouldn't? 

Up and down...up and down...up and down...

There were toys for all ages...parents could relax...well...for a moment anyway.

We drove all the way home (back to the burbs) and the kids slept in the car. 

Of course we didn't pack jammies.

The next day was a ProD day so...we went to the Aquarium!! 

We hadn't been there since the summer. 

It is little E's favourite place. 

Baby A was so funny this time. So much more engaged.  

She was "wow"ing everything and pointing and looking...it was great.

They are redoing the entrance so the whole place was moved around...

This was a cool new exibit. Or at least it looked new to me. 

Little E thought so too...

I took her out of the stroller so she could roam free in the amazon...she LOVED it. 

Stood there for about 10 min pointing and squatting...ohhhing and awwwing. (are those words?)

We had a great time and the drive home was uneventful. 

The sun was blazing and they were quiet. I had a coffee and my sunglasses.

All was well. 

Now...if it would only stop raining so I could go for a run. 

Guess I should be happy it is not snowing. 

Burr...

E

Nourish

I have been nesting. 

It happens in the fall. 

Cooking.

Snuggling.

Layering. 

Coffees with foamy milk moustaches.

Last weekend I made some apple crisps.

I have an apple peeler that really does the trick. 

Lots of sugary goodness. Coated with more buttery goodness.

I made it for my Mom's going away dinner. 

She is going to Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam for a month. 

We are going to miss her, but know that she will be having the time of her life.

Be safe Mom. We love you! 

Mr.Man was on table setting duty for the dinner party.

Tried his best to incorporate some ethnic elements. 

Little E was on clean-up duty...

And I was on cooking duty. 

Usually Mr.Man cooks when people come over as he can woo better than me and he loves to cook. 

I am the Monday to Friday cook. 

I think a pretty good one at that.

I make the classic old stand-by meals. 

However...I have decided to take on a new challenge in the kitchen. 

 I want to start cooking out of my "box" of stand-by recipies. 

You know...things I have been making for the last  15 years.

So for this night I chose to make a sage butter butter rub for the pork loin we were serving.   

I picked a Jamie Oliver recipe. 

Dead simple. 

The recipe didn't call for wine. 

That was for me. 

To drink.  Just in case. 

I am a bad food blogger (trying to get better!) so I forgot to take pictures. 

But I got some...

I did get this one of my roasted vegetables. See the beets. I love beets. Especially roasted beets. 

Peel. Cut. Par-boil. Toss in Olive Oil (good oil people). S&P. Roast in HOT oven.

Here my handsome assistant gathers them to serve. 

They and you will be golden. 

After all the prep...and no photos...the pork was overcooked. 

Boo to over cooked pork. 

Lesson learned. 

However...my cream cheese mashed potatoes were AMAZING and the homemade coleslaw was tangy.

Everyone enjoyed themselves and Mom got some good translating apps for her trip. 

The next day I rested and then it was Monday.

I had leftover pumpkin in the fridge from the pancakes Mr.Man made for breakfast and Baby A was busy... 

So I decided to make some soup. Or at least attempt to.

I just yanked from the fridge.

Loosely followed a recipe from a friend. 

I should have roasted fresh pumpkin...I know...but I was just playing.  

Whirl, whirl...

Stir, stir...whisk, whisk...

Prep, prep.

Chop, chop.

Voila!

It was average.  

Would have been better with fresh pumpkin.

But...It was pumpkin soup!

 It was comfort. 

It was yum. 

The week pushed on and so did my desire to create in the kitchen. 

What to cook for these two tonight? Something with mushrooms you say?

Hmmm...

Mommy!!!!

So out came the laptop and up came Jamie Oliver's site for...Cottage Pie. 

Not shepherds pie...Cottage Pie. 

Apparently shepherds pie is made with lamb and cottage pie with ground beef. 

Who knew? Not me...been calling it Shepherds pie forever. 

I highlighted the Russian garlic. From Olympia. 

***GROCERY LIST TIP*** 

People...please...pass on the garlic from China. 

I know...three bulbs for $1...but it is SO tasteless and bland. 

Go for the local garlic if you can (when in season) or the garlic from washington. 

It will rock your world and make any Vampire run.  

All the veggies were cut and sizzling...

The aroma of the cloves and the worcestershire was intoxicating. 

I had a little helper cleaning up after me. She was awesome...

She was rewarded with a kick ass Cottage pie.

 It was so darn awesome that I had two helpings. 

I loaded the top with my leftover cream cheese potatoes. 

Kick ass. 

This one didn't call for the gravy...but it was still SOOOOOOooooooooOOOOO moist. 

The rest of the week involved some playing outside in the sunshine and some much needed runs for Mommy.

I am really beginning to enjoy running.

Yes. I said that. 

Enjoy. 

It is my saving grace. It is my me time.

My push myself time. My I did it time.

It is just me and the trail.

Me and the wind. The leaves. The dirt. The wet. The sun. The rain.

It makes me happy. 

I work off the calories from the food. 

I work off the stress and anxieties of the day. 

Win win. 

Plus I see things like this on the way...

Frozen.

Beautiful. 

Wednesday I saw a recipe for quick baguette bread. Hmmm...I can do this. 

Right?

So I did. 

I DID!!!!

I...made...bread. 

ME. 

I know...all you bread makers out there...laughing at me...I just always found it so intimidating. 

But now...I am a changed person. I am inspired to keep going. 

Here is the yeast and water mixture waiting. Growing. Bonding. 

Heating. Cuddling. Loving. 

Lots of flour...

...kneed until the right texture.

Which is....?

I took and uneducated guess.  

Very important to have an assistant. 

Cut into four.

Stop for picture....

Roll and braid bread. I need to work on my technique...

Worry that it won't work. I mean how can it? It was too easy. 

Pace. Fret. Bend down and peek. 

Pace. 

Check e-mails...

Smell. 

What was that?

Was that the smell of fresh bread baking? 

Ding!

Pray....

Open the oven...

Smile...no...really smile!!

Wow. I made this? 

But how would it taste...

I am sceptical. 

Wait a minute...this is pretty good! 

Dam good! 

Next time I want to let the yeast sit a bit longer to grow a bit more...but I was pleased.

Very pleased. 

Not only did it look good...it tasted good. 

I will do this again.

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It is really raining outside this morning... 

 torrential sounding. 

It is also Remembrance Day. 

Unfortunately the two always seem to go together. 

I don't mind. 

I can stand in it for 1 hour. They stood in it for weeks...

For us. 

Lest we forget. 

E.

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