Saturday, July 27, 2013

Grandmas's Farm Fresh Biscuits

My Grandmother started off as a city girl in Saskatchewan, coming east to work where she met my Grandfather. They married, bought a farm and had eight children. My Grandfather worked out so my Grandmother took care of the farm and the house, all the while toting around babies. They had dairy cows, therefore, my Grandmother milked the cows by hand and separated the cream. She sold some of the cream and the rest was used in cooking and baking. She also churned butter. This farm provided food: meat, fresh vegetables and dairy. Grandma baked the bread and biscuits.  I still have a hard time grasping how she managed while having eight children.  In honor of this beautiful lady I would like to share a favorite recipe with you that she used and I have used. She always told me that people raved about her biscuits so I used her recipe and I have had compliments galore. Enjoy!

Grandma's Farm Fresh Biscuits

2 cups of all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Sift
Add in 
1/4 cup chopped butter (real butter)
Combine until butter and flour look like oatmeal. 
Add
1 cup cream (1/2 and 1/2 is ok)
Combine until dough forms al ball. Pat out or roll on a floured surface to an inch thick. You may add a little flour to top of dough if sticky but don't make it dry. Using a floured glass rim cut biscuits out and place onto a non oiled pan. Bake at 350 for aproximately 25 minutes or golden brown.  These biscuits are so delicious and rich you don't need to butter them. 

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Go and Seize the Summer!

Can you believe that we are almost at the end of July?  Summer is short and before long we will be getting the kids ready to go back to school.  Still looking to take that summer vacation?  This could be the perfect time for you.  Travelocity wants to give you $500 to Go and Seize the Summer.

Easy Pasta Primavera

Let's face it, we are all busy moms!  Whether you're the stay at home mom, who runs after the kids all day, trying to keep the house livable and playing taxi with your mom mobile.  Or you're the mom who works outside the home and finishes up at work only to have to pick the kids up at daycare, make dinner, do homework and well you get my drift.  Each way of life brings its benefits and challenges, but something that both have in common is having time to serve easy, fast and healthy meals to our family. 

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Sobeys Taste of Summer Twitter Party!

Oh the lazy days of  summer...sunshine, warm breeze and the smell of barbecue!  Nothing is more mouth watering than the aroma of burgers or steaks on the barbecue.  Pair it off with a garden salad made with fresh crisp veggies and an ice cold drink. 
 
Food is one of the best parts of summer.  Make it even better by joining the #LoveSobeys Twitter Party on Tuesday July 30, 2013 from 9:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. EST.
 

It's Tims Time!

I have to admit, I am addicted to Tim Hortons coffee!  Every morning I stop in and grab my fix. I tried the Tim Hortons latte and bam! Now it's my favorite morning pick me up.  I love the rich flavor, foamy top with a little cocoa sprinkle. It just makes my morning  I've been known to stop in through out my day!  Heading out for coffee with a friend. I hit the drive thru and grab coffee for us. Of course I don't want to put her through making coffee when it's so handy at Tim Hortons.

If you'd like to win a free $25 Tim Hortons gift card and enjoy your own addiction, enter bellow!

Always Tim Hortons!


 

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Organize the Kid's Room on a Budget



Books, blocks, dolls, doll clothes, you name it you would find it all over my house! We do have a good sized playroom and most toys are suppose to be there, mind you, my daughter has special toys in her bedroom and we do keep books in several locations because I am a huge fan of reading.  Other than that I like the toys in the playroom.  Yeah right!  The chaos in her bedroom most days would stagger you.  Then it starts spilling out into the living room and of course, the kitchen.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Have You Filled a Bucket Today?



If you hang around our house for any length of time, you will hear things like "did you fill a bucket today?" "are you bucket dipping?"  Some of you may be familiar with the bucket and others may not. 

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? is a guide to daily happiness for kids written by Carol McCloud.  The bucket filling concept has been used this year at my daughter's school to promote kindness among the children. 

Monday, July 15, 2013

Co-Sleeping With Your Baby

Co-sleeping is the practice of having your infant  or young child sleep with you instead of on their own room.  It has become quite a common practice.

I did not co-sleep with my first two sons. They were great little sleepers. I did, however, keep both babies in my room until they were a few months old and then made the transition to the nursery. 

When I brought my third son home things were very different. 

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Do I or Don't I?

Being a mom is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I was blessed with three boys and just when I thought that was it, along came my daughter!

Being a mom and career woman was tough when the boys were little. Long hectic days, I commuted to Ottawa to work. Picking them up and barely getting any time with them before it was bedtime   Up and at it again the next day.  The weekends were mostly spent doing chores, groceries and being plain old tired. I did carve out Wednesday evenings when I would have a family night and we played board games or something they wanted to do.  They loved those Wednesday nights so much. So did I.  

When we found out I was pregnant for my daughter,  we decided I would stay home with her until she went to school.  I didn't want to lose a minute of the time I would have her all to myself.  I loved being home with her but some days I would crave adult company.  The boys were older and doing their own thing and I was Kaylie's only playmate. Oh boy she was active! 

My dreams of the immaculate home, home cooked meals and mommy looking  like June Cleaver soon disappeared.  Most days the floors were covered in toys, dinner was whatever hubby brought home and I was in sweats and a ponytail. 

Eventually things started coming together as I learned to multi task at home and stop feeling guilty if I couldn't spend a full twenty-four hours with her.  I had to learn that it was ok if I did the dishes and let Kaylie amuse herself for awhile.  Or putting on a DVD to entertain her while I did some laundry.

I enrolled my daughter in Junior Kindergarten last fall, not because I didn't want to be home with her



June Cleaver? Not even close!

 
but I wanted her to have the opportunity to interact with other children her age.  We had decided if she liked it, great, she would continue with going to school.  If she didn't like it then she didn't have to attend.  Junior kindergarten isn't mandatory so it would be no big deal.  I cried the first week she was gone.  Kaylie loved it!  I should be happy but I wasn't.  I missed her so much.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Healthy Eating Made Easy

 
Wouldn't you just love to eat healthy?  If you need to lose weight, it would just naturally come off or keep your weight stable?  If you research "healthy eating" or "weight loss" you will come up with so much information that it is mind boggling! 
 
There's the no/low carb diets, the low fat diets, the food combining diets, the liquid diets and the list goes on.  I'm sure you have tried them, I know I have.  So why do you think they fail?  Well, regardless of which diet(s) you have tried, if they are not nutritionally sound, you will fail! You can't live your entire life never consuming a carb.  Likewise, the shakes that replace real food won't work long term.  You may use them for some initial weight loss but eventually you have to learn how to eat healthy and in moderation.  End of story. 
 
Your body needs certain nutrients and when you deprive yourself over and over again, something will give.  You!!  Anyone ever binged?  Well, that's what happens when you try to restrict your eating too drastically.  You can't control it any longer and you eat everything in sight!  Furthermore, it has been proven that in order to lose weight and maintain that weight, you need to be able to follow your eating plan for five years.  Can you see yourself still following your diet in five years?  Do you want to be following that diet in five years?
 

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Did You Brush Your Skin Today?

This a one of the best things you can add to your routine each day.  I dry skin brushed for years and it does the body good.

We wake each morning and brush our teeth, shower and wash our hair.  Many of us exfoliate our facial skin to get rid of dry dead skin and keep the glow shining through. But have you ever thought about exfoliating your whole body?  It's very simple. 

You buy a natural bristle brush, preferably one with a handle to reach your back.  They are inexpensive and can be purchased at any drug store or Walmart. 

Once a day for about two minutes you DRY brush your skin. Starting at the soles of your feet. Brush towards your heart always. Pay special attention to areas behind knees, groin and underarms as those are lymphatic areas. Brush palms of your hands and arms going towards the heart.  Avoid breasts as the brush will be too harsh on that area. You may use a softer bristle brush there.  Once you have brushed your whole body, shower or bath. This is great first thing in the morning before your shower.



Monday, July 8, 2013

The Hardwood Floor Drama

I always wanted hardwood floors.  So much easier to look after than carpets, or so I thought.  They are definitely better for allergy sufferers.  They would be cleaner too because you can actually wash the hardwood not just the top layer of fiber as with carpets.

Well my home now consists of wall to wall hard wood floors.  Yay! This will cut out a lot of housework, a quick vacuum and wipe, all done, or so I thought.  Wrong!

 I washed all the hardwood with a hardwood floor cleaner you squirt into a pail of water.  The floors looked great!  Clean and shiny, until they actually dried.  The clean left a film all over the floors.  I tried several different brands of hardwood floor cleaner and they all left a film of some sort.  Then I bought the steam cleaner for bare floors.  The kind you use only water to steam clean your floors.  I loved that idea because I wasn't using any chemicals.  It seemed to do ok the first time, but the mop gets dirty and you throw it into the washer to clean it.  Well then there's a residue left from laundry soap that ends up on you floors!!  On top of that I was told the extreme heat may damage the finish on hardwood floors.  Back to the drawing board.

I went back to using the hardwood floor cleaner and actually drying the floors as I went.  Awesome!  The floors shone like glass, no marks, no smears, pure perfection.  I could barely walk the next day my back was so sore, and my knees had seen better days.  I was at the end of my rope.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Get off the Fence

Ok so I'm on the fence about something that could make a positive impact on my life.

It has been on my mind for several days now, I even think about it when I wake up at night. 

What if I get off on the wrong side of the fence?  Is there a wrong side?  On one side I have the "same old" and I continue living life as I have been.  It's not a terrible place but its not a fulfilling place either. On the other side I see the possibility of a better, happier life. Although that is a little intimidating because its a whole new ball game over there.  The fear if failing and wishing I hadn't jumped off the fence so quickly.  

Friday, July 5, 2013

Avoiding the Child Care Nightmare

As a working mom it can often be a nightmare finding a good babysitter.  Say good bye to all those images of Mary Poppins floating around in your head.   Even if you're looking for someone to provide child care for a night out, you really need to do your due diligence.  Of course,  you can never guarantee the person you hire will be a great fit but it sure helps reduce the chance of a bad fit.

Here are a few questions that you should ask when interviewing a person who will potentially be providing child care to your children.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

How to Find Everlasting Love

Yesterday I watched a couple, they were holding hands as they walked through the store. The wife would pick something up of interest and ask her husband what he thought. He would respond and they both giggled liked school kids. It was so cute.  They would touch each others arm when they spoke. The husband would growl a little about something and his wife just waved the comment away with a smile.

I asked a coworker about them and I was told they had been married for seventy years.  Seventy years! That's a long time and they still cared very deeply about each other. How does that happen?  Well I'm sure it didn't just happen. There was probably a lot of work involved, some compromise, forgiveness and acceptance. 

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Making Time for Me

As busy moms our day is usually consumed with the kids, spouse, work, errands and household chores.  We seem to always be busy doing for others.  Even if we had plans to do something for ourselves, those plans are easily thrown aside to tend to someone else.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

You Can Have It All!

Ok, so you want it all.  You see other women who have it all, right? What do you think IT ALL is? Being supermom, looking like a supermodel, living in the lap of luxury, while you head up a major corporation pulling in a six figure income?  Really???? Ok, hit the snooze button and go back to sleep.  That description of having it all is just a dream.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Monday again!

Happy Monday to you all!  It's Canada Day for us Canadians. So have a great day and enjoy this gorgeous sunny day.  For the rest it's back to work, regardless of what your work is.  Monday never seems to be anyone's favorite day.  A few tips that can help you combat the Monday morning blues: