Show & Tell: My Tummy Still Hurts From Laughing

Good Morning Humble Readers! 

Last night's adventure was sooooooooooo much fun! 

We got to the theater early so that we would be sure to get our tickets.  Then we decided to wait around a bit to see if we could see some of the others from my work.  We saw J and her friend M, but after waiting for what seemed like a long time, we finally decided to go find our seats...

And oh what seats!  Third row, just off center!  It was great! 

McLean started off the evening with a hilarious new Dave & Morley story, involving Dave wanting to try out his neighbour's uber-expensive bike.  It was so funny that I was crying.  And because I had never seen him tell his stories before, I was especially amused by the fact that he sort of acts them out. 

He had some great musicians with him.  The bassist and the pianist were really talented, but I forget who they are.  The Good Lovelies are nominated for a Juno (the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy) for best roots album.  They were fun and had a great bluegrass sort of sound.  I really enjoyed their music.

McLean went on to tell one of my favourite stories.  The one where Dave decides that he's going to move an outlet in the kitchen.  But of course Dave doesn't know anything about electrical work or home renos.  It ends up involving 8 neighbourhood men, their powertools, and fifteen holes in the wall before they finally overload the circuits and the house goes dark.  And that's when Morley comes home from work.  Of course I am not trying to do it justice.  You need to hear him tell it, or read it in one of his books. 

Just before the intermission, McLean invited a young kid on stage to help him give away a bunch of free cds.  Their interaction was great!  And the kid was totally brave!

After the intermission, we were treated to a collection of reminisences of McLean's childhood, growing up in Montreal, the son of two Australian transplants, and how he got into radio.  Very sweet and funny.

And after some more music, we got to another new Dave and Morley story.  Dave agrees to watch all the neighbourhood dogs over spring break.  Now, Dave has an interesting history with his dog, and with his neighbours... and when you combine the two you know that chaos is sure to follow. 

We had such a good time!  I wanted to leave you with a clip of one of his stories, and this was the shortest one I could find that was still a complete story.  I hope you enjoy it.

Now, don't forget to swing by the marvelous Mel's place and check out what the rest of the class is showing. 

Show & Tell: Two Weeks Late

Good Evening Humble Readers!

First off, thank you so much for all your support.  I'm feeling a bit more normal today.  Your kind words mean so much!

Now, it's time for Show & Tell.  I had originally planned to share these pictures just after Valentine's day, but life kind of happened, and well, here we are.

For those who don't know, Show & Tell is wasted on elementary schoolers!  We all have so many things we can and should share!  If you want to join the others standing at the front of the class, stop by Mel's and find out how you can participate.  ALL ARE WELCOME!

So, Valentine's day... an important day for us because it is the anniversary of when we were matched on eH.armony.  My Beloved was in my first set of matches, but due to a comedy of errors, we weren't actually able to communicate with each other for almost two weeks.  He had actually closed our match (and did so again a couple of weeks later) but he realized the error of his ways... and here we are four years later!

He brought me some beautiful red tulips (my absolute favourite... what I carried at our wedding) to work the night before V-Day.  He also got me a chick flick on dvd (Jane Austen Book Club).

My gift to him was an official Canadian hockey team jersey and I cooked a fancy dinner (which we ate on tv trays while we watched the Olympics)

Our dinner was this recipe (I so wish I could claim it as my own!) from one of my favourite recipe websites.  When I first read the recipe, I thought it was way to involved for me.  But I did some thinking and some planning and it turned out beautifully.

I altered it a little bit, using strip steaks instead of filet mignon and omitted the bacon. Here are the steaks, already stuffed full of crab, breadcrumbs, shallots, celery, etc.

I found a bag of small tri-coloured baby potatoes (gold, red, and purple) and I roasted those in the oven with a little bit of olive oil and some salt and pepper.

I also served some steamed asparagus.

The sauce is totally what made this meal spectacular, and I'm not kidding it is soooooo worth it!  It took about a half hour to make, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.  And here's the secret ingredient....

That's right... whiskey!  I honestly had never bought whiskey before and felt like I was 17 again sneaking into the liquor store.  It probably wasn't the best whiskey, but I was so flustered, I just grabbed one I recognized.  (I now have a half the bottle left... it was a little tiny bottle... and I don't know what to do with it)  I also bought some wine... a nice inexpensive merlot.

And this is the finished product. 

My Beloved was actually a tad on the stunned side when he took his first bite.  I will accept that I'm a pretty good cook, but this made me feel spectacular!

Now, don't forget to swing by Mel's place and check out what everyoe else is showing this week!

****
BTW... I'm totally digging the updates Blo.gger has made.  I don't know when it happened, but I can now do strikethrough text and upload more than five pictures.  Very nice!

Show & Tell: Excitement And A Thud

Good Morning Humble Readers..



Remember how much you loved show and tell when you were in elementary school? Getting to stand in front of the class and show off your newest do-dad or tell about your totally awesome trip to your uncle's hunting cabin... so much fun, right? Well, guess what? We can do recapture that sense of fun as adults... just participate in Mel's Show & Tell 2.0!



So what am I showing today?

This is what I'm showing today!


It came! My new pot! And it's not just a pot... it's an enamel coated cast iron 5.25 quart dutch oven. From the Rache.l Ra.y cookware line. Woohoo!


Just think of all the soups and stews and sauces I will be able to make in this thing... Heck, I might even get brave and consider attempting fried chicken (I'm sure my humble readers from the south aren't laughing at that at all). I am so excited to try making my braised lamb shanks in it.


So that was the excitement last night when I got home from work. What was the thud, you ask?


You recall that this hobbit is a big time klutz, right?


Well, I was attempting to get the big heavy pot out of it's box, and it was being particularly difficult. I tipped the box on it's side, thinking that gravity would help me. Gravity is not my friend (you'd think I would know that by now).


The pot started to slide out of the box, and then the lid started to slide faster. Because I was hanging on to the very heavy box/pot, I could not spare a hand to try to catch the lid. So, my toe thought it would be a good idea to step in (pardon the pun).


It didn't happen in slow motion. I didn't watch it as it fell. You see, the force of gravity on something that heavy generally makes it fall pretty darn fast. But then, you knew that.


Yes. The lid to the aforementioned 5.25 quart cast iron pot fell and landed on my my big toe.


I was clinging to the chairback in front of me, seeing stars, attempting very hard not to express my pain in four letter words, when my Beloved asks me, "Are you okay?"


Ummm, hell no!


This morning my poor toe is three times its normal size, and while I can bend it, walking really isn't pleasant. There is a particularly ugly gash on my toe as well. When the bruising comes in it's going to be a doozie for sure. *sigh*


Now don't forget to swing by Mel's place and check out what the rest of the class is showing!

Show & Tell: Yet Another Obsession

Good evening Humble Readers!

So, it's Wednesday and that means it's Show & Tell! It's been a bit of a quiet week, so there really isn't a lot of anything on my camera (except some shots from our staff party on Sunday... just a lot of book nerds eating and drinking).

So, I'm going to share with you one of my minor obsessions... Stripey socks! I love my stripey socks.

Here's the thing. I am a pretty mellow person. I follow the rules. I do what I'm told. I don't set out to buck the system.

But... there are two rules that I need to break, even just a little.

First, I've been told repeatedly that women my size shouldn't wear stripes, particularly horizontal ones. I will capitulate when it comes to trousers and shirts... but socks? Am I really going to be concerned that my feet look fat?

Second, my work has a fairly specific dress code. Only three colours of shirts allowed, and you must have a collar... pants are a little bit easier, so long as they are dress pants. No purple hair, limited piercings, offensive tattoos must be covered. But they even go so far as to specify 'co-ordinated socks'. Well, that just makes me WANT to rebel.

But even my rebellion is muted.

I am a good girl. My stripes always 'co-ordinate', at least a little bit, with the rest of my attire.

So, if you are lucky enough to get matched up with me in the Kym's Sock It Too Me (and if you haven't signed up yet... why the HECK not?!?!), you will have a leg up (if you pardon the pun) on what kind of socks I will like. :)

Of course, I don't own any truly rebellious socks... hmmmmm

Now be a good humble reader, and swing by Mel's place to check out what the rest of the class is showing. You do follow the rules, don't you?

Show & Tell: Flowers in Winter

Good Morning Humble Readers!

So it's been a while since I've stepped up to the front of the class and participated in Mel's Show & Tell. For those of you who don't know, show & tell is not just for school kids. Everyone is permitted and encouraged to step up and show or tell (or both) something... anything.

Today I'm showing some beautiful flowers that I grew myself! Yes, you read that right... I grew them! Me, the one with the black thumb. (my one un-hobbit-ish trait)

These are called paperwhites (some form of narcissus, I think).

I bought the bulbs and vase in a kit from my store at Christmas. It was far too easy to plant them, and they started growing right away, so I think that's what kept me motivated to keep watering them (my usual downfall). I also bought an amarylis bulb kit at the same time. It's doing well, and I will post pics when it blooms.

Now, two favours to ask... first up, don't forget to click over to Mel's place to check out what the class is showing. Second, scroll down and check out what we had for dinner last night. I was so happy with how it turned out, (seriously, it tasted as good as it looks) that I want everyone to try it.

Show & Tell: My New Favourite Commercial

Good afternoon, Humble Readers...

Ok, so this is a rather lame Show & Tell, but this commercial makes me laugh so hard (we're talking snorts here)... It brightens my day just seeing it.



I love when 'she' says pothole.

Do you have a favourite tv commercial? One that makes you laugh so hard you could spray milk out of your nose?

Now don't forget to stop by Mel's place to check out what the rest of the class is showing!

Show & Tell: NYC in Pictures

Greetings Humble Readers!

This post is very long in coming, and for that I apologize. I PROMISE, there will be a post about Terwilliger Turtle's Traveling adventures. He saw and did some fun stuff. But for tonight, you all get just a random sampling of some of my favourite pictures from our trip.

The Empire State Building. I loved this veiw.

Central Park... the most amazing urban greenspace ever!

The Chrysler Building... one of my better nightime shots.

Some navy boys in Times Square...

I don't know what his deal was... but we saw him all the time in the Park.

Some street performers... very cool to watch!

Lady Liberty... but why did she turn out white in this pic? Enquiring minds want to know!

From the top of the Empire State Building, at around 9pm.

An Italian cheese shop... I drooled buckets over those huge wheels of parm!

Us... waiting in line at the Letterman Show! Very Cool!

Now, make sure you head over to Mel's place to see what the rest of the class is showing!

Show & Tell: My Best Day in NYC

Good Afternoon Humble Readers! I hope you are all well.

I spent a ton of time trying to figure out where to start telling the story of our time in NYC, and ultimately it came down to beginning with the day that stands out the most in my memory.

Yes Humble Readers, that's right... I met Mario Batali!

I wish I could say that I was cool about it and was able to chat with him, but no... your friendly neighbourhood hobbit was star struck! Let me tell you the story...

It was Friday, the day we had decided was going to be my Beloved's very merry Un-Birthday, seeing as we had missed celebrating his actual birthday (it was right in the middle of his dad passing away and the memorial and all). On the itinerary for the day was an "On Location" New York TV & Movie tour and the Yankees game in the evening. We got on the bus right by the Ed Sullivan Theater (where we had seen the David Letterman show a few days earlier), and were treated to a ton of information about the area around Times Square and movies that had been filmed there. We slowly made our way south, heading toward Washington Square Park to check out some "When Harry Met Sally" and "I Am Legend" sites.

When the bus stopped and we all got off, we discovered that we were right outside Otto, where my Beloved and I had eaten lunch a few days before. (The food was fabulous... but I'm planning an NYC food post for later in the week... stay tuned!) We walked around the corner and spent a few minutes taking pics of the Washington Arch where Sally dropped off Harry, and the doorway that Will Smith came and went out of over and over.

At that point our guide mentioned that she had noticed that Mario had been sitting at the bar in his restaurant and if any of us wanted to meet him, he is usually very open to meeting fans. My Beloved and I, together with one other lady from the tour practically ran back to Otto.

We walked in, and at first I couldn't see him because he was sitting at the far end of the bar near the door to the kitchen. Immediately my shy-ness took over and I very hesitantly led the way (btw, when was I voted fearless leader?) over to him.

I didn't want to interrupt the conversation he was having with the man next to him so I waited a moment before speaking (read: was too star-struck to open my mouth). He looked over at me and smiled and said, "Well, you can't just stand there and not say hello." I must have stammered something intelligible about taking a picture with him. He graciously let my Beloved capture the shot above, and allowed me to take a picture for the other lady who had come with us.

At some point I managed to regain my powers of speech, and mentioned that we had just eaten there the other day and that the food was amazing. Especially the olive oil gelato (OMG!!!! All other ice cream will pale in comparison for the rest of my life). He laughed and mentioned that the secret is the salt sprinkled on top.

We thanked him profusely for his time, and then dashed back out to the bus. I couldn't stop grinning! I felt like a complete goober, but it was great!

The day continued with the rest of the tour, a wander down 5th Avenue (and some time spent in FAO Schwartz), and ultimately the Yankees game in the evening.

The game was great! Our seats were waaaaaaaaaaay up in the nosebleed section (fourth deck up, right on the first base line), and the breeze was so cold we ended up spending a small fortune on Yankees sweatshirts. We also spent a ridiculous amount of money on food (but man those sausages and fries tasted sooo good!). The Yankees won, and my Beloved thoroughly enjoyed himself (which was the point of going to the game)! It was a long subway ride back to the hotel, but it was a fabulous day!

Now don't forget to head over to Mel's place and check out what the rest of the class is showing.

Show & Tell: Date Night With A Cause

Good morning Humble Readers!

The company I work for puts a big emphasis on giving back to the community. Our in-house charity supports children's literacy. Every year, for the last five years, we have been able to distribute 1.5 million dollars among high needs elementary schools to help rebuild their libraries. Most of that money comes from the store level, donations provided by our customers and from our staff.

Here are some statistics for you (Canadian stats)... back in the day, when I was in elementary school, a school received $27 per student per year to buy new books and resources for their library. Today the average school receives $3 per student per year. Teachers invest an obscene amount of their own money in resources for their classrooms, and only 13% of Canadian public schools have a full time librarian. And the most shocking piece of info about this situation... if we increase the literacy rate in our country by just 1%, that will equal an $18.4 billion (yes, billion) boost for our economy. (One other piece of info that I don't recall the exact numbers on but is shocking nonetheless... the population of Canada's peneteniaries is more than 70% functionally illiterate!) Inspiring kids to read, and providing great resources for them is key for our coutry to continue to move forward.

So what does this have to do with our date night?

Well, one of my responsibilities at work is to come up with ways that we can fundraise for this project. I'm happy to say that my staff is really really gung-ho on this, and since April we have raised more than $10K, doing things like running lemonade stands, soliciting donations from our customers, and most recently a penny drive.

For the months of June-August we collected loose change. Pretty simple, right? We had a 5 gallon water jug more than half full of change. And last week my Beloved and I counted and rolled all that change!

We spent more than four hours on Friday night sorting, counting and rolling all that coin. My Beloved then spent a large chunk of Saturday rolling while I was at work the next day. All totalled we raised $340 in loose change. My Beloved did the math and we had more than 11,000 pennies.

And let me tell you... money is dirty! Check out the difference in my hands.

Don't forget to swing by Mel's place to check out what the rest of the class is showing this week!

Show & Tell: Travel Preparations

Good morning humble readers... and welcome to my Show & Tell for this week! For those of you who might be new to this, Show & Tell is wasted on elementary school kids, so once a week we all take the opportunity to show off whatever we feel like... If you want to know more, make sure to stop by Mel's place. And while you're there, check out what the rest of the class is showing! Everyone is welcome to join in on the fun!

So... we are now a week away from our big trip! Guess who is super excited? Yup, that would be me! However, in true hobbit form, I am a bit anxious as well, so I have reverted to one of my main coping mechanisms... lists. I have lists of things to do in NYC and lists of things to do before we go. I have finished most of the things on my "before" list and these pictures are the result of that.

Here's a rundown of what you are seeing:

• Our groovy new red luggage. I chose red so that it would stand out, but discovered on our recent trip to Prince George that I'm not the only one who thought that red would be unique.
• My new, much smaller new purse. Perfect size for the camera, a few essentials and a friend named Terwilliger.
• Our passports. I'm so glad that mine finally arrived!
• Our travel books. Bringing them along for reference.
• Our groovy luggage tags. Due to the aforementioned un-uniqueness of our luggage, I found some hopefully unique luggage tags.
• Our vitamins, et al. Like any good infertile, I can't leave home without my vitamins. The larger boxes are mine, and the smaller is my Beloved's
• My awesome travel journal. I couldn't believe it when I found this. Statue of Liberty embossed on the front, NYC taxicab embossed on the back.
• Various travel essentials. A map of NYC, a money belt for my Beloved to wear, luggage lock, and some aromatherapy oils. (I refuse to waste one day of this trip dealing with a headache or insomnia... peppermint for headaches and lavendar for sleep)
• And last but not least... introducing Terwilliger Tidewater Turtle, Traveller at Large. He's going to be having some adventures and is looking forward to sharing them when he gets back.

Show & Tell: The Smushed Fertility Goddess

Good Evening Humble Readers...

I meant to post this over a week ago, but recent events prevented me from finishing the post. In fact, I have even been remiss in thanking the sender of my Show & Tell item.

Lindsay (aka the Steadfast Warrior) sent me a lovely gift. She sent me her smushed fertility goddess! To learn more about how this lovely little object came into existance, check out this post.

To the untrained eye it's an odd little piece of clay. Only a few inches tall, with the aged look of something that has been handled and cherished for centuries, this little goddess has worked her 'magic' for Lindsay and maybe she will work for me. I hope to be able to pass her along to someone else in need someday in the not terribly distant future.

Thank you, Lindsay! I love her... she's lovely and I thank you so much for the gift!

Don't forget to stop by Mel's place to check out what the rest of the class is showing this week!

Show & Tell: Kitchen Adventures... Ham & Scalloped Potato Casserole

Good Evening Humble Readers...

It's Show & Tell time, and I was in the mood to cook today, you are getting food po.rn! I know it's August, summertime, and actually starting to warm up here again, but I was seriously in the mood for some comfort food.

Ham & Scalloped Potato Casserole

• 5-6 potatoes, peeled & cubed
• 3 cups cubed ham
• 1 med onion diced
• 1 can kernel corn, drained
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3-4 tbsp flour
• 2-2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tsp dry mustard
• fresh ground pepper
• fresh parsley
• shredded cheddar cheese

Boil potatoes until almost done (they should still be firm and not break easily with a fork), drain. Combine potatoes, ham, and corn in a deep, greased casserole dish. Melt butter in a skillet, and saute onions for two minutes or until tender. Add flour to skillet and stir until all the butter is absorbed. Slowly add milk to skillet, stirring constantly to make a roux. When roux is thick and smooth, add pepper to taste and dry mustard. Pour over potato and ham mix, and stir to coat thoroughly. Cover and bake for 25 minutes in a 350 F oven. Remove cover, add cheese and return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Top with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

This recipe makes a ton of food! And, if you omit the cheese and thin it with some more milk and some chicken stock, it makes a great potato corn chowder! This is one of the few recipes I haven't had to ask my Beloved if he liked it enough to have it again.

Alright, so that's all from me tonight. Don't forget to swing by Mel's place to see what the rest of the class is showing today. And while you're there, check out ICLW and Blogger Bingo... two great ways to get to know others in the ALI (adoption, loss, & infertility) community and bring others to your blog!

Show & Tell: The Violin

Good evening Humble Readers... It looks like I need a tardy slip, because I'm late for Show & Tell. For those of you who haven't heard, show & tell is wasted on elementary schoolers. Every week we can step to the front of the class and share something... be it silly or sublime. Check out Mel's place to see what the rest of the class is showing this week.

I've been rather sentimental this week. Thinking a lot about family in all its forms and how it shapes us. As I mentioned in my last post, my biological family isn't a big part of my life. But I cannot deny that they had a huge impact on my life.

One of the few things I have that ties me to them is a violin. A very old, very beautiful violin.

(the ugly black case)

For all my life, the violin has been carefully hidden away. As a child, I was never allowed to touch it. It resided under my Mom's bed, in an ugly black case usually covered in dust.

(look close and you can see Fredrick's handwriting... 1893)

I grew up hearing the stories of how my Grandfather's (not Grandpa from the previous post) great uncle Frederick made the violin in 1893. How Frederick played it in the Accrington (England) orchestra before the turn of the twentieth century. How my Mom was the first person in three generations to play it. There was a special family gathering when it was presented to her, and she played Rock of Ages. How my Grandfather was disappointed because to his tone-deaf ears, it sounded off key. How after one high school orchestra practice, my Mom's conductor asked her not to play it, except when she was given a solo because it sounded so much better than the school's instruments.

I remember when the violin was damaged. A babysitter looking after my sister and I (then 4 years old) got into my Dad's booze, and then started going through my parents' room. After rifling through my Mom's jewelry box, she pulled the violin out from under the bed, and proceded to crack the bridge and knocked out the sound post. It took eleven years for my Mom to find someone she trusted enough to repair it. The man who repaired it offered my Mom a large amount of money for it, but of course he was turned down.

Every time we moved, it would be either in the first load or the last. It traveled on my Mom's lap or on the front seat where she could keep it safe. This is a tradition that I have kept. Even on the long road from Lethbridge to Orlando and back again, it resided on the front seat beside me, and came into every motel room each night of the journey.

(with the original bow)

I am sorry to say, that the violin still resides under a bed... mine. I have long wanted to get it set up in a display box of some sort, where it would be safe from dust and humidity. I don't think it would ever get me a fortune on Antiques R.oads.how, but it's special nonetheless.

I have one more confession. I have never heard it played. Never. When I was born, the fall after my Mom graduated from high school, she put the violin away forever. The man who repaired it played a few notes on it, but I wasn't there to hear it. I hope that there is a point in the future, when someone (a child of mine, perhaps) will tune the strings and draw a bow across them.

I hope I'm there to hear it.

Show & Tell: Our Little Houseguest

Good Evening Humble Readers! It's Show & Tell time again, and I have a fun one this week...

As I have mentioned previously, my Beloved and I are currently investigating what it would take to convince our condo board to let us have a dog. As I type this, my Beloved is at a condo board meeting, where he has promised he will bring the subject up if the opportunity arises.

So, in typical Mrs. Gamgee fashion, I have been researching, asking questions, and just generally becoming obsessed with pugs. I have read a couple of different books, visited numerous websites, and picked the brains of many in my life. I have gotten a lot of opinions and had many questions answered.

Finally, it came down to two questions. Would I have allergy problems if I were around a pug? (I have a pretty intense cat allergy, and my family always had low-shed dogs when I was growing up) And, how would a pug do in our environment? (we live in a condo, and I was concerned about noise issues and living space for the dog)

It turns out that one of my staff has a pug. I was picking her brain about a week ago, and she offered to let us have her dog for a day. What an opportunity! So, yesterday afternoon a beautiful boy named Sunny invaded our home and I loved every minute of it.

He snuffed and snorted and grunted his way around, investigating every nook and cranny. He rolled himself over my Beloved's pillow, sniffed at my laptop, and hoovered up a few crumbs from the kitchen floor. He loved staring out the window at the cars, and he made sure to mark every tree in our neighbourhood while we were out for a walk. He was hilarious while he ate, knocking food onto the floor, and then having to balance on his front paws with his ass-end up in the air so that he could get at the kibbles on the floor.



Yes, he sheds but I didn't have much of a reaction a all. Only some puffy eyes this morning when I woke up. Yes, he grunst and snorts... but it was cute. So adorable! The only time he barked was when an obnoxiously loud car went by.

Sunny's owners left us some information they got from the breeder that they bought him from, and it answered a few questions (about genetic illnesses, red flags to watch for, etc) and raised a few others (when to neuter and nail care).

I was sorry to see him go when they came to pick him up, but I am more certain now that a pug is definitely what I want. My Beloved really enjoyed him, too. Especially, watching Sunny dig through his little bag looking for his toys.

So, now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well at the meeting.

Now, don't forget to swing by Mel's place and check out what the rest of the class is showing!

Show & Tell: Summer on the Flatland

Ok... after much computer induced angst, I do believe that I think I have overcome the challenge that is a slideshow on my blog! So, humble readers, for Show and Tell this week I submit 'Summer on the Flatland'. Most of the pictures were taken from a moving vehicle (I especially like the bug-splattered windshield one... oh so summer-in-Alberta). While I miss my mountains greatly, I cannot help but appreciate the beauty of the flatland at this time of year. I think some of my photography skills may be improving... I just need to work on taking pictures of people.


Please don't forget to stop by Mel's place to see what the rest of the class is showing.

Show & Tell: I'm too old but they're too cute!

Ok, so I'm way too old to be saying this... but I can't help myself!

They are just too yummy for words. All the way through the movie last night I couldn't help thinking that they have sure grown up! (Dra.co in that black suit... wow!)

If I were 15 years younger I'm sure that I would have posters of them all over my bedroom. But I think if I tried that now, my Beloved just might have something to say about it.

If you were a teenager again, who's poster would you be going ga-ga over?

Don't forget to swing by Mel's place to check out what the rest of the class is showing!

Show & Tell: Kitchen Adventures... Seafood Beginnings

Good evening Humble Readers... I know I haven't posted much lately (not a whole lot to tell just now) but I have been around, keeping tabs on all of you. :) I wasn't sure until just a couple of hours ago what I would use for my Show & Tell post this week. But I'm excited about this one for a lot of reasons, first and foremost that I am getting braver in my cooking.

Seafood has always been a bit daunting to me. It's always seemed to be so easy to screw up and so expensive, that I was scared to try much of anything. A few years ago I started with salmon. I became fairly proficient at several different ways of serving it... poached, baked, grilled, fried, oven roasted with maple glaze. Then I moved on to shrimp. I have yet to buy shrimp in their shells, and almost always the precooked, frozen shrimp. Last fall I started experimenting with tilapia and halibut... and am happy to say that I think I have that pretty well sorted out.

So today it was time to try something new... scallops! Tonight I thought I would keep it simple. This recipe made two very substantial servings (my Beloved and I have hearty appetites). Also, keep in mind that I like things very lemony... so feel free to cut back on the lemony-ness if you like.

Lemon & Saffron Risotto with Scallops & Shrimp

• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 small onion, diced
• olive oil
• 3.5 cups chicken stock
• .5 cup lemon juice
• .5 tsp saffron threads
• 1 lemon, zested
• butter
• 8-10 fresh scallops
• shrimp (I used cooked, shrimp... and I really don't know how much I used. It was about 1/3 of the pink bag from Cos.tco)
• dried dill
• grated parmesean cheese
• frozen peas

Combine lemon juice and chicken stock in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once stock is boilng, reduce to a slow simmer. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and half tbsp butter, and saute the diced onion. When the onion is translucent but not browned, add rice and cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Start adding stock one ladle full at a time, stirring constantly. As the rice absorbs the liquid, add more stock. When you have added about half of the stock to the rice, add the saffron to the stock. When you have added all the stock to the rice, reduce heat and stir often. Risotto will be done when it's creamy in texture and al dente (like pasta). When the risotto is almost finished, start to heat up a small skillet with some olive oil and a small amount of butter. Dust the tops of the scallops with just a bit of dill and add to hot pan. When the first side is browned, turn the scallops. While the scallops are finishing off, add shrimp and frozen peas to the rice (it won't take much to heat them through). Add the juice of half the lemon to the risotto, and the other half to the scallops. Plate the risotto, garnish with parmesean and lemon zest, and top with the scallops.

I know that risotto seems a bit finicky and time consuming, but once you get the hang of it, it's so easy and so worth it.

Now, don't forget to head on over to Mel's place and check out what the rest of the class is showing.

Show & Tell: Nothing Special

Good Evening Humble Readers! Like Mel says, show and tell is wasted on elementary school children. But like most elementary school kids... we all run out of things to show.

So this week I'm just going to show a few pictures that I have taken recently. Like the title says, nothing special... just me learning how to use the new camera. The first two are not the best... they were taken from a moving vehicle, and I was experimenting with the zoom lens. I really like the last one though. I think the fire looks awesome.

A couple shots of Alberta skies...

And one of my FIL, when we were out at a family campsite....

Now don't forget to head on over to Mel's place and check out what the rest of the class is showing!

Show & Tell: O Canada

Good Morning Humble Readers! And happy Canada Day!

In honour of my country's 142nd birthday, I am going to give you some cool Canadian trivia. (Btw, I am very proud of the pic of our flag... it took me more than 15 shots to get one I liked.) So...

• The name Canada comes from a Huron-Iroquois word (Kanata) which means settlement or village.


• Tim Hortons (the quintessential Canadian fast food chain... coffee and doughnuts) out sells the golden arches every year, earning us the nickname of the Timbit Nation


• Canadians have invented a lot of stuff including... basketball, five pin bowling, pacemakers, ginger ale, Trivial Pursuit, Superman, zippers, velcro, standard time, the electron microscope, the Canadarm, snowblowers, and IMAX


• Canada has the second largest land mass in the world, but the smallest population density


• In the entertainment world, Canadians are known for their comedy... Jim Carrey, John Candy, Mike Myers, Michael J. Fox, Dan Akroyd, Dave Foley, Tom Green, Phil Hartman, Eugene Levy, Rick Mercer, Howie Mandel, Andrea Martin, Leslie Nielson, Colin Mochrie, Rick Moranis, Martin Short, and my personal favourite, Shaun Majumder.


• In Canadian history, we have an equivalent to Paul Revere... her name was Laura Secord, and she warned the British of an impending attack by Americans during the War of 1812, and the Brits were able to win the battle (and ultimately the war). Also, during the War of 1812, Canadians managed to burn down the west wing of the White House (not one of our best moments).


• The Hudson's Bay company once owned more than 10% of the surface of the earth.


• The following statement is generally considered the most confusing thing a Canadian can say to anyone in the english-speaking world... "Hey, hand me a serviette because I just spilled my poutine on the chesterfield, and I don't want to use my toque to clean it up." (10 hobbit points to any of my American friends who can translate ;) )

I hope all you hosers out there have a groovy Dominion Day... enjoy your bbqs, beer, and fireworks! I know I will, eh...

And don't forget to head over to Mel's to check out what the rest of the class is showing this week!

Show & Tell: Farmer's Market Happiness

Due to our schedule at the store, I very rarely get a Saturday off. And due to that fact, I rarely get to go to the Farmer's Market. This is something that I am greatly looking forward to when I eventually (some day, please God!) get to go on mat leave.

So, Saturday morning my Beloved and I made our way to the Curling Club parking lot and began our meanderings up and down the rows of stalls. The farmer's market here is wonderful. Not to be derogatory to my hometown, but their farmer's market is pitiful. Because there are so many Hutterite colonies around here, the market is full of great produce. There are also a lot of great butchers and bakers represented, along with crafters, antique dealers, and the usual lemonade/grilled sausage stands.

Above is the collection of my victorious purchases from the past week. There are some beautifully fragrant herb seedlings (which I am hoping to keep alive... it's impossible to find fresh basil in our grocery store), some homemade perogies (potatoe and cheddar), pretzel buns (yum!), tomatoes (absolutely beautiful), and some confetti squares (for my Beloved).

I got three different varieties of basil, all of them smell incredible. I also got a rosemary plant, which will hopefully grow like gangbusters. The confetti squares didn't make it through that evening... I guess I need to find a recipe for them. The tomatoes are now half gone, and the perogies are in the freezer awaiting some night next week when I'll fry them up with some butter and onions.

There were also some cool local artists. There was a glass artist who, if he had some of his work framed in darker frames, I would have bought from him on the spot. He's going to be back later in the summer... I hope that he finds some dark wood frames!

So, while not very exciting, it was a blast! It was great to spend the morning out in the sunshine with my Beloved and getting to check out all kinds of local products. Now, don't forget to head on over to Mel's and check out what the rest of the class is showing this week!