Photo of the Day

On January 1st of this year, I purchased a kit and started a scrapbooking project called Project Life.  Project Life is designed by Becky Higgins and it's a really cool way to capture your memories in a format that is simple and easy to use. The idea is that you take a photo each day and then write a sentence or two about it.  The end result is a professionally-designed book.  Project Life is the simplest form of scrapbooking around.  As you know, I like simplicy, so I was all over this idea when I heard about it.

I really love it.  I love the challenge of taking a photo each day.  I won't lie - some days are easy ( like birthdays, holidays, special events) and other days, I'm taking a photo of my kettle of the new lipstick that I just purchased.  But that's what I love about Project Life.  It captures the every day stuff.  I think I'll love the finished product even more, especially in a few years from now when I look back at the year 2010 and remember what the inside of my closet looked like, some of the meals I made and how cute my kids looked.  Project Life has helped me to celebrate the ordinary and the extra ordinary.  It has helped me realize that every day is sacred and that life is meant to be lived in the moment. It's slowed me down. These are lessons I've needed to learn and will likely need to keep learning.
It's also given me a chance to develop my photography skills.  I carry my camera with me a lot these days :-)

Here are a few of my favourite "photos of the day"

I couldn't find it on the Canadian Amazon site, but I was able to find it at amazon.com.  Here's a link to it if you want to find out more.  Because today is Black Friday, it's just been reduced from $49.99 to $29.99.  I'm tempted to pick up another one for myself...
It would make a great Christmas gift for someone too :-)

or you can check out Becky Higgins website at beckyhiggins.com where you can also see the new stuff that she has designed for 2011.

Happy Birthday to my favourite nine year old!

Here are nine reasons why I love being Eva's Mom.  I need to warn you that for a moment I am going to shamelessly brag about my girl :-)

1.  She wakes up happy every day.  Always has.
2.  She is super affectionate and expressive
3.  She is a peace maker.
4.  She is funny.  Really funny.
5.  She can make friends with anyone.  Quickly.
6.  She is super cute when she is sleeping, especially with those long eye lashes and all.
7.  She is extremely generous.  She loves to give.
8.  She wears her heart on her sleeve.  I always know what she is thinking and how she feels.
9.  She sings like an angel.


She is also super creative and has such a freedom about her that I admire....a freedom to be who God made her to be. Her name, Eva means "gift of life" or "life giving".  We had no idea when we chose her name just how fitting it would be for her.

I can't believe Eva is nine today!   It honestly feels like yesterday she was born.

Here's some of my favourite photos from the last few months that capture her "spirit"

at the beach - why just build sand castles, when you can go underground?

Great attitude about her eye surgery in September 2010

This girl loves being outdoors and loves getting dirty!

It's way more fun to read a book when you are dressed up as Jasmine

she loves her Archie comics

"Weblina"
Hallowe'en 2010

Happy Birthday, girl!  We are crazy about you :-)

Monthly Dinner Parties

While reading Bittersweet this summer, Steve and I got on the topic of dinner parties.  If you have read anything by Shauna Niequist, you know that she loves getting people and food together as much as possible.  We began talking about all of the people we say we want to have over for dinner and never do anything about it.  We decided no more "someday".  We wrote a list of all of the people that we want to have over for dinner in the next year.  As we began to talk about it, I recognized that I have 8 seats around my dining room table, china for 8, 8 wine glasses and so on......so let's invite six people over for a meal once a month.  As I casually ran the idea past Steve, to say that he loved it would be an understatement. He is a strong extravert and would love to have friends over each weekend, all weekend. So from there, we put a list together of all of the people we would love to have over in the next 5-6 months and arranged them into groups - our criteria being that we wanted to stimulate great dialogue.  Typically we don't allow our worlds to collide much - so to combine family and friends and different groups of friends is a bit outside the box for us. But we're learning to take risks.  Our theory is that when you combine great food (hopefully!), wine and fantastic people around a table, what can go wrong?

The great thing about this is that you only have to make one large meal and you only have to get your house all tidy once.  I'm loving the simplicity aspect!

I still host life group and coffee dates and family dinners - but only one big hosting event a month and I never thought I would - but here's the thing...I love it.  I love the menu planning and using my china and going all out and experimenting with new recipes.  It's been really life giving for me.

We started in October and this past Saturday we had our "November Dinner Party".

So, here's the recap for this past Saturday...
Everyone came over for dinner at 7 p.m.  Beth was just falling asleep and I bribed my older girls with the Ramona and Beezus movie and a bowl full of popcorn and they were happy for the night :-)

I put on some Christmas Music and lit my candles and off we went.  This month we had Leah, Craig, Kelly, Chris, Becky and Jeff over.

For appetizers I made:
-cherry tomatoes wrapped in fresh basil plus ripe mozzerella balls placed on skewers and then I drizzled fig balsamic vinegar on them.  Simple and really yummy.
-Brie covered with pecans, brown sugar and brandy - all wrapped up in pastry and baked at 350 degrees - yummy and I served it with a fresh bagette sliced up.


I took these photos right before everyone arrived and left my camera out to take more more photos as the night went on, but got so caught up in the moment and was having so much fun that I totally forgot to take photos.  Whoops!

The dinner turned out great.  I'm a bit strange in the sense that I love to try new recipes when having friends over.  I love the menu planning aspect and here's what I came up with for November.  Fortunately for me, everything turned out awesome. This was the first time I ever roasted beets and they were delish.

PEPPERCORN ROAST BEEF WITH BALSAMIC BEETS
HOLIDAY FOOD AND WINE 2009
By: Julia Aitken
As with all roasts, remove the beef from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking. Crack the peppercorns either by grinding them in a pepper grinder set to the coarsest setting, or by crushing them with the base of a cast-iron skillet.

8 medium beets, trimmed and peeled,
about 1½ lb (750 g)
3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
2 tbsp (25 mL) finely chopped fresh
rosemary leaves
2¼ tsp (11 mL) salt
2 red onions, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm)
wedges
8 whole cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 tbsp (45 mL) cracked black peppercorns
1 beef tenderloin, about 3 lbs (1.5 kg)
2 tbsp (25 mL) good-quality balsamic
vinegar
Rosemary sprigs for garnish


1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).

2. Cut beets into 1-inch (2.5-cm) wedges. In a large shallow roasting pan, toss together beets, 2 tbsp (25 mL) oil, rosemary and ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt; spread beets out in roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring once.


3. Add onions and garlic to roasting pan; stir to combine with beets, breaking up onion wedges as you stir. Roast for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, stir together peppercorns and remaining salt in a small bowl. On work surface, lay a piece of plastic wrap large enough to enclose beef; sprinkle with half of peppercorn mixture. Rub beef all over with remaining oil. Lay beef on peppercorn mixture on plastic wrap; sprinkle evenly with remaining peppercorn mixture. Wrap beef in plastic wrap, pressing so that peppercorns and salt adhere evenly to meat. Unwrap beef; transfer carefully to a wire rack.

5. Stir vegetables. Set rack holding beef in roasting pan containing vegetables; roast for 25 to 30 minutes for rare (125°F/52°C on a meat thermometer), 30 to 35 minutes for medium-rare (135°F/57°C on a meat thermometer).

6. Remove beef to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and let stand for 15 minutes. Stir balsamic vinegar into vegetables; season with more salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Spoon vegetables onto a warm serving platter. Cut beef into slices; arrange on top of vegetables. Garnish with rosemary ( I forgot to do this part!)




Roasted Potatoes with Bacon, Onions, and Sage
Bon Appétit  | November 2009
by Josie Le Balch
1 pound thick-cut bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips
5 pounds assorted baby potatoes (such as red-skinned, white-skinned, and Dutch yellow), rinsed, dried, halved
2 large red onions, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
3/4 cup 1/3-inch pieces torn fresh sage leaves (from about 2 bunches), divided
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
Coarse kosher salt



Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp and golden. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Reserve 4 tablespoons drippings from skillet.

Combine potatoes, onions, 1/2 cup torn sage leaves, melted butter, and reserved 4 tablespoons bacon drippings in very large bowl. Sprinkle generously with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat. Spread potato mixture evenly on 18x12x1-inch baking sheet. Roast 1 hour, stirring occasionally. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand on baking sheet at room temperature.

Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Stir bacon into potato mixture and continue to roast until potatoes are tender and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer mixture to large serving bowl. Season to taste with more coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with remaining torn sage leaves and serve.

I also put out some fresh bread and lots of butter.

For dessert, Becky made a white and dark chocolate mousse/pie and it was divine.  Maybe I'll see if she'll share her recipe.  She makes the best chocolate desserts :-)

Not that we needed help with great conversation because we clearly did not..it was a lively and fun crowd..but we did play this game that my friend Christa introduced me to last month and it was super fun.  Easy to learn and easy to play.

Want to hear the spectacular thing? My husband, who is the king of the budget - is so excited about these monthly dinner parties -that he lets me blow the budget.  If you know him, you know that this is no small thing!   And on top of it all, he does all of the dishes after everyone leaves.  Seriously, this is win - win.  We'll see where things land in the next 6 - 12 months, but for now I'm sold on the idea.

Homemade Christmas

Last Christmas my sister Leah suggested that instead of purchasing gifts, we all make homemade gifts for each other.  We all agreed - well all of us except our parents.  I know that I was willing to participate, but if I'm honest, I had fairly low expectations.

WOW - was I ever blown away?  Last Christmas was full of so much laughter and surprise.  It was definitely our family's favourite Christmas.  Ever.
My parents were so sorry they didn't participate and have already started their homemade gifts for this year!  As for this year, I can't write about what I am making, but I will blog about it after Christmas:-)

Last year, I gave everyone local canned peaches (that I had made in the summer) and homemade chocolate truffles, all boxed up nicely :-)

Leah and Craig  put together family cookbooks for everyone.  This was a gift we all knew about, so we all had a chance to submit our favourite recipes.  The only thing we didn't know was how fantastic it would turn out!  They did an amazing job putting together the cookbook, complete with personal thoughts and photos!

Lauren beaded the girls all necklaces and gave each of the guys personalized t-shirts. Her and Nat bought the t-shirts and then either stitched a cool design on it or ironed on a personalized logo.  Super thoughtful.

Dave and Kristal made something different for each of us.  A birdfeeder for my family, an outdoor stand-up ash tray for Leah and Craig ( they are not smokers, but entertain a lot and have friends who do smoke), a Christmas tree stand for Lauren and Nat and a personalized "Gran and Granda" sign for my parents house.  I think Drew received money, being the student and all...

Drew was the wild card.  Last Christmas Drew was just finishing up his first semester of his second year at University.  He literally came home for Christmas after his last exam on the 23rd.  I think we all kind of assumed that Drew would make his famous "tablet" for everyone, which we were great with. Tablet is a british candy - kind of like fudge...made with condensed milk, sugar and vanilla.  It sounds easy to make, but it's trickier than it sounds.  The key to fabulous tablet is all in the boiling - knowing how long and how hard to boil it for.  This is a family recipe that my Granny Harper used to make and  Drew has continued the tradition.

In case you are wondering, Drew still did make tablet and I received a tin of it on my birthday just before Christmas.  Drew has started a bit of a tradition and each year he makes me a tin of tablet for my birthday. It's pure gold.  I'm already looking forward to my upcoming birthday :-)

Anyways, Drew totally surprised us and between the time he came home on the evening of December 23rd and the afternoon of December 26th when we exchanged gifts - Drew knit us all hats.  All different colours.  19 in total.  Unbelievable.

Here are some photos:

peaches

Leah

Dave

Steve and Drew

Eva

In addition to making my parents a family cookbook, Leah also put together a book for my Dad which was full of all his favourite sayings.

Even my girls got into it.  Grace made all of the females embroirdered pin cushions and all of the males crocheted dish clothes ( gotta love a modern girl!).  I had no idea what Grace had even made everyone, because she made them all one weekend at Gran's house and even wrapped them before she came home.  Eva painted every family a small painting on a canvas.  Super cute.

I'd love to hear from you...
Are you making homemade gifts this holiday season?  What types of gifts have you made in the past and what are some home made gifts you have received?  What went well and what didn't?

If you want to give homemade gifts, but don't have the time,  check out Hand Made Market.  It's happening in Niagara on the 27th and 28th of November and is fabulous.  Some of my friends are the organizers and this is their second year.  It's pretty fantastic.
handmademarket.ca

This year I am making homemade gifts for as many people as possible.  I figure it's super thoughtful and way easier on my budget.  These days I am trying to simplify in every area of my life and this seems like a good way to be creative and simplify at the same time.

There are so many cool things you can make.  Here are some that I have been thinking about and considering for the years to come:

- fudge
- knitting mittens, hats and/or scarves
- homemade chocolates
- homemade flower arrangements
- jam, jellies, preserves
- knitting slippers
- homemade greeting cards all boxed up as a gift
- jewlery
- a homemade quilt
- wine
- gift certificates for babysitting, delivery of cookies each month, meals etc
- a personalized scrapbook


In addition to making gifts, I've also been thinking how I can combine the gift of giving with making a difference in the world.  Here are some cool ideas I have come across:

- kiva gift cards Kiva.org
- fair trade jewlery, coffee, chocolate, ornaments, scarves and more from 10 000 Villages ( you can even order on line at www.tenthousandvillages.com)
- purchase a pair of shoes from www.tomsshoes.ca and a second pair is given to a child in a third world    country.  I just found out that you can also purchase Toms gift cards.  Super cool.
- purchase an item from the World Vision Catalogue on behalf of someone www.worldvision.ca/gifts
- It's not on the website yet, but  at Southridge, you can also purchase a gift on behalf of someone - a backpack for a child in Guatemala, a year's tuition for a child in Africa or a care package for a resident at the homeless shelter.

Oh and there are some great ideas for creative, homemade, eco-friendly and budget-friendly wrapping ( from the Simple Mom blog): at www.simplemom.net - just click on the "green and frugal" link.

There are so many great ideas out there and I love that Christmas awakens in each of us a spirit of generosity!  Happy giving!

Race Day

"And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us"

Last spring I started running.  And by started,  I mean I was running for 1 minute and then walking for 5.  Over time I gradually increased my running time and decreased my walking time.  Last year running was all new to me.  I wanted to get in shape and it seemed like a pretty reasonable way to get some exercise.  I mean the only start up expense was a good pair of shoes, right?  Fortunately my friend Alison started with me.  And fortunately for both of us, our friend Trish coached us.

Last fall, Alison, Laura and I ran a 5 km race.  I'm glad we did it, but for me it was challenging.  It took everything in me to finish that race!

Yesterday Alison and I ran our second 5 km race.  This race was a totally different story.  It felt like a do-over for me - a second chance and I am a big fan of second chances.  My time was better last year, but this year I felt strong and consistent.  By the end of the race yesterday, I didn't want to stop and I felt like I could have kept running.  Such a great feeling.

Lately, I have been coming up with all kinds of goals for the next 5 years.  Among them is running a marathon.  This year a 5 km.  Next year a 10 km.  And so on. Baby steps.

Running has become a very spiritual journey for me.  I listen to all kinds of music on my ipod, but my favourite songs for running are the ones that inspire me.

It doesn't really surprise me that there are all kinds of verses in the New Testament about the life of faith being compared to a race.  I was thinking about those verses on race day too.  Cool verses like Hebrews 12:1-2,  1 Corinthians 9:24-26 and 2 Timothy 4:7.

My last couple of weeks have been tough.   Like, lots of tears kind of tough.  Not the kind of stuff that I am ready to blog about yet, but maybe one day.  Anyways, here's the really cool thing.  Being a part of the race yesterday brought me up and out of myself and my own little pity party.  It solidified in me the truth that I am not a quitter and that I am not giving up on things when they are hard, tough or challenging.  The race yesterday also caused me to look beyond my own set of challenges and be a part of something that is bigger and greater.  It gave me the perspective I desperately needed and caused me to consider what it means to be a part of the solution to things like poverty.  I felt really proud to be a part of that race.  Check out the link to the Road 2 Hope:
www.hamiltonmarathon.ca


Lastly, here are some photos from yesterday:

Alison and I before the race

our girls wishing they were in the race

about half way through

we did it!!!

thankful for...

Here's what I am thankful for this morning...

1.  An extra hour of sleep.  Gotta love Daylight savings :-)

2.  A gorgeous red sunrise coming through my bedroom window this morning.  Simply breathtaking.

3.  A quiet house with a cup of tea.  All the kiddies are still sleeping :-)

The day is off to a great start.  I really want to slow down and savour the simple and the beautiful today.