Chef Extraordinaire!

OK, that title may be overstepping a bit, but hey...it's my blog!

When I was little, my mom worked full time and my father did most of the cooking.  His veggie choice always consisted of boiled peas (his favourite) that he would prepare and boil early in the day and the meat choice was always heavily peppered.  To this day, my brother and I hardly ever eat peas!  He did try to be creative though.  Just ask him about his 'amazing' creation of adding tuna to the meaty spaghetti sauce, or adding the cheese powder to the boiling water for our macaroni and cheese. 

Anyway, as I got older and mom retired, the chef's hat shifted from Dad's head to Moms. My study time  didn't present many opportunities to help my Mom in the kitchen, so as I grew older,  my cooking skills were rather lacking in skill and creativity.  When I lived on my own for the first time, microwave popcorn was a common dinner and my fridge contents consisted of milk and cheese.  When I lived in Asia, eating out in restaurants was so cheap that I never had food in my house. 

Now that I'm married with a daughter of my own, I find I am bored with making the same dishes night after night.  After having delicious home-made tacos at my friend's house the other night, and reading about another of my friends cooking Thai food, I got inspired!

So for the first time, I decided to make Asian Lettuce Wraps.  OK, probably not exciting to all you culinary experts out there, but for me it sounded delicious.

Once I decided on a recipe, I had to go shopping! 

I had to buy almost everything on the list!!  Those of you who know me...yes, that is an ONION in the bottom left corner.  I chopped that onion so fine, and only used half.  Baby steps.  Onions are still yucky.

There's my lettuce, all clean and shiny!  =)

Yep, the final product!  Eaten up, of course!  Pretty messy meal to eat especially when you have a one year old who insists on eating independently. 

Perhaps I'm Canada's next top chef.

Now I just need a Chef's hat.

And a new recipe.

How about a few more pictures...

OK, My Mom took these pictures a few days ago with her fancy schmanzy new camera...

Don't you think Elysia's hair looks rather auburn in these pics??

Thanks, Mom!!  The pictures turned out great!

Summer Fun at Buntzen Lake and White Rock

Elysia gets her very own water lounge chair to enjoy at Buntzen Lake.  Lucky kid!

Steve enjoyed a day off in the sun.Elysia absolutely loved the water.  She splashed away, and had a really great time.

In fact, she had so much fun she decided to crawl out into deeper waters...

No worries!  Grandma and Aunty Sara caught her before she got too far.

Time to splash!Time to visit the White Rock Boardwalk!Elysia loves hanging out with Grandma.She got to walk with Grandma on the Boardwalk.  She LOVED it.

After a busy day in White Rock, we took time to enjoy some yummy fish and chips.

I just love her 'scrunchy nose' expression.We've had a great summer so far!

Fun in the Sun

Ahhh...the hot days of Summer.  Time to bring out the hat!

Hmmm...How to beat the heat?

Water Park!!

Elysia loved the park.  She was a little unsure at first, but once she saw all the other kids playing in the cool water she just had to join in!

Aunty Sara seemed to enjoy it too. 

Thankfully there is another Water Park really close to our house.  Without A/C, our house sure gets hot!  Nice to cool off...

If we can't get to the water park, hanging out in our own backyard can be fun, too.

Time for a Change

Steve and I bought our home a little over two years ago and have really only begun to make some cosmetic changes.  We love our home, but the beige in our house had to go!  Beige walls, carpet, furniture...We needed colour.  Well, colour we got!

I wasn't too sure about this colour at first, but my hubby loved it, and I decided I'd just have to wait and see...

Work, work, work!

Today, it was finally all done.  Steve worked really hard to get all the painting done and then moved all the furniture around and hung up a few pictures.  Here is the result...

All done!  So, what do you think?

Now Steve is painting the dining room...pictures to follow!

Breakfast, Crackerjacks, Baseball, and Fireworks

What a day!

A few days ago it was my husband's 31st Birthday, so to begin our day we went out for breakfast.  Elysia loved the French toast, and she was quite the little hit in the restaurant!  It was really nice, she was all smiles and chatty, and Steve and I were able to enjoy a really pleasant breakfast.

After breakfast the three of us headed out to Steveston for a walk through the little seaside shops and along the water.  We brought Cody (our great big puppy), put Elysia in the stroller, and away we went.  I really like the little shops in Steveston, and unlike my hubby, I love to go in and look at all the funky things.  I walked by this cute little children's clothing shop and I, of course, couldn't just walk by and not go in!  So while I was perusing the little shoes and adorable outfits, my husband called me from outside.  I hurried out to find that Steve had been stung by a wasp!  Well, we think it was a wasp.  Whatever it was, it sure was nasty.  Something was in his hair, and when he flicked it out it stung him.  His finger and hand began to swell, so we headed over to the Pharmacy where I bought him some Benadryl. 

My hubby on Benadryl is quite funny.  It makes him extremely drousy, so we decided it was best to leave Steveston.  So now it was my turn to drive, as hubby fought the desire to fall asleep.  Next stop, my parent's house. 

We spent a little while at my parent's house while the Benadryl wore off, and then Elysia spent the evening with Grandma and Grumpa while Steve and I went out to see a Baseball game.  The Vancouver Canadians were playing their home opener, so we thought it would be a fun way to spend the evening.  We bought overpriced hot dogs, beers, and settled in to watch the game.  Half way through the game we saw the people behind us eating Crackerjacks and we just had to have some!  When was the last time you ate Crackerjacks???  I used to love them when I was a kid.  So the two of us enjoyed this yummy treat while watching the home team win their home opener.  Perfect!

Not long after the game ended, there was an amazing fireworks show for all the fans.  It was awesome!  Steve and I loved it, and it was the perfect way to end the day.  What a Birthday!!

The Trials of Parenting

Steve is really easygoing, and I was a very pliable child. Neither of us has a bad temper, and we never imagined that we would have a child with one.


My daughter turned one a week ago, and she seems to have already hit the terrible two’s. Everything seems to be a battle lately, and she is testing me daily. For example, when I change her throughout the day, she gets really angry, twisting her little body, arching her back, and trying to crawl away. Add to this screaming, clenched fists, and a very red little face, and you have one mad child.

I’m also having issues with feeding her. At breakfast she will sit in her chair and angrily scream if her food isn’t there fast enough for her. At other meals, if she doesn’t like what she is eating, she will raise her hand and shove you away. This causes the food to spill onto the floor, her clothes, and the chair. I decided when Elysia was able to eat regular food that I would give her pretty much everything I ate. This worked for a while, but now she is really determined to eat what she wants.

Bedtime is another trying time. As I write this, my daughter is screaming in her crib. She doesn’t want to go to bed, and she is letting me know it! If you’ve read my earlier blogs, you probably know that I have a terrible time getting Elysia to nap. This now often extends to bedtime.

I’m not really sure what to do. I mostly go on instinct, but I also always question my decisions. All this, and she’s only 16 lbs! Sigh...I guess she is 16 lbs of pure attitude.

One frustrated and confused Mama here.