Decide on Five

A list of decisions I have made:

1. Put Cohen back in school.  This decision scares me to bits.  I imagine children giving him tips on how to drive me crazy, torment his siblings even more than he already does, and develop unhealthy habits like drinking milk through his nose!  School is a scary place.  I should know I lived taught there for a few years.  I know...I know...he will be fine.

I just love this picture of my first and last. Sweet!

2.  Embrace my domestic life.  When my husband's cousin read that I wrote for Blissfully Domestic she laughed and made fun-just a little.  I felt a tinge of hurt but dismissed the thoughts that carpooled along.  I tried to explain that I am not living in la la land.  I know that parts of my life scare most people - even me.  But I do find bliss throughout my life in little pockets on my apron, in cheeks full of home cooking, and size 3 overalls.  I love being at home.  I wish I could conjure up a list of reasons right now.  But it is more about the things I can't describe or take pictures of.  The pauses.  The luxury of time.  The learning woven in and out.  It is in pyjamas at noon and time to make filet-au-poivre just because.  It is making rainbows throughout the day, and Costco runs with the Besties.  Okay I said I wasn't going to make a list but I did.  What can I say- I made a decision.

The epitome of domestic bliss!

3.  Take a compliment.  Thank you.

4.  Take care of myself.  It all started with the girls weekend away.  I washed my face- at night.  I bought my favourite body product and dressed in the light.  I even looked in the mirror up close and from afar.  Something in me clicked.  I wanted to paint my toes, wear lipstick that didn't blend, and wash my face every night.  It felt good.  It made me feel human- again.

We really did not want to leave.  

5.  Dream.  Which would involve sleep.  So on that note good night.

What's your five?

Bake Mix Stir

Two of my close friends and I decided to do some large scale cooking.  I can't tell you what it does to my heart to be in a professional kitchen.  I love the large stove that holds more pots than I own and a counter top that can handle endless cinnamon roll logs.  

Our cooking journey started on Tuesdays where we would grab our carts assemble the my two girls into them and stroll the isles looking for the most inexpensive way to make pot roast, pulled pork, roasted chicken or pasta meals.  One of my favourite moments was standing up to the grocery manager who mislabeled elephant garlic as colossal garlic.  Instead of paying almost $4 a pound we paid half that.  Don't mess with us, we are armed with our mixers, sharp knives and nights of recipe hunting.  We always ended our shopping days with a Costco lunch with the girls.  Our three daughters and the three of us would dip french fries, smother hot dogs and sing endless rounds of  ring around the rosie.


I can't tell you how much I looked forward to our shopping and cooking sessions.  On Thursdays we roasted garlic, made endless trays of meat balls, hand rolled fragrant rosemary dinner rolls and had the occasional meringue mishap.  Our time gave us an opportunity to catch up, giggle, and trade secrets.  I learned a lot from my fellow cooks.  Here are some lessons learned:

1. Montreal steak spice is a must have.  You can use it in meat balls (amazing!), pulled pork and just about any meat dish that needs garlic and onions.

2.A & W root beer.  A & W root beer.  It deserved a second mention.  Libby (one of the cooks) pours a bottle into her slow cooker and cooks her pork shoulder in it.  Can someone say AMEN!

3. Homemade dinner rolls are a must.  This has become one of my favourite things to make for dinner.  When I make dinner rolls for my family, friends, or church it is the equivalent of a cherry on top, a chocolate on your pillow, and a red carpet at the Oscars.  It sends the message - you are special.  Have a dinner roll.  We used the Pioneer Woman's cinnamon roll recipe and just omitted the sugar and rolling part.  

4. Clean up. All three of us brought something valuable to the team.  The most valuable member is the woman who cleans/tidies/organizes WHILE she cooks.  She does this so well you don't notice - until she is sick and you realize it took you twice as long to make that meal.


What are you bringing to the kitchen?

Planned to the Plate

I posted pictures of my old kitchen a few days ago.  It was so easy to be presentable with those perfectly white planned to the plate cabinets.  When I designed it I made sure everything had a place and there was not much to distract anyone from it's beauty.  I remember when we first completed the kitchen I would come down the stairs just to stare at it.  The white cabinets and nearly naked counter tops gave me such peace.  They were little pats on the back that I was doing something right!

Now I find reminders of my inability to find a place for everything- even egg carton creatures!

 We had another home school family over for the day.  It's great when you meet people who you can just hang out with.  While the kids (all 7 of them) played (very well) the moms chit chatted about home school, church, cooking, home decor... I apologized continually for my lack of "perfect nestiness" and my getting sorted while she was over.  I was a little distracted because I felt that I should have had the chocolate-banana-coconut-walnut (exhale) bread baked before they arrived.  I was initially thrown because I wanted to have the fruit washed and set out in my white matching trays.  I was a bit off put because I wanted the croissant sandwich station to be sorted and plated before the kidlets were hungry.  So I apologized, heart sinking and disappointments lingering.

I asked my friend why I couldn't be like The Nester or the Pioneer Woman or  any other perfectly held together bloggy mom on the planet.  Why do I have stacks of stuff, piles of papers, and baskets of crafts laying about.  Why can't things find a home in my home.  I felt like a two year old throwing a tantrum...Why? NO FAIR! HMMM!

So the grace fell out of her mouth and drifted on to my heart.  She reminded me of the baby that still cried for me, the other 3 that can't be left out of sight and the banana bread that shared a little of itself through my oven vent.  She gave me permission to live in a little chaos- for now.  I needed that. Thank you Ms. S!