First day off and I'm totally about relaxing. Finished a book, went for a walk with Kevin to the top of the street, had lunch at the Portuguese Bakery and did a little shopping. Gaelan called today and told me she found two dresses she liked for her wedding. I'm going with her on Tuesday to check them out and make a decision. For a wedding that is going to be pretty untraditional, the dresses sound very traditional. I'm pretty excited about the process. Gaelan made me promise I wouldn't cry when she models the dresses. A pretty big order!
On Wednesday Kevin and I are going to Chatham to visit with Chris and Dan. Our plans include going to the wineries to check out the wines for the wedding. I haven't started my diet yet. Before I know it Sept. 10 will be here and I won't have lost any weight. Oh by the way our visit includes an evening at the pub for St. Patrick's Day. Got any strategies to get started. Once I get going I'm fine.
Last week I went to the movies with Liz and we saw The Black Swan. Very disturbing movie. Certainly not one you want to take young children to.
Read any good books lately? At my book club this week we discussed Room. Interesting book. Everyone liked it, some more than others. We also liked the last book, Cutting for Stone. The book I just finished is for the next meeting and I liked that one too. Sarah's Key has been on the best seller's list for weeks and I can see why. I get a feeling though that not everyone liked the book as much as I did. Difference of opinion makes for interesting discussions. Best sellers are not always big hits with our group. One of our all time favourites that everyone rated really high was The Help. A must read!
Anyway I thought it would be nice to share movies and books that we've enjoyed or not on this site.
Does anyone have a good recipe for tiramasu? I'd like to make it for a dinner I'm going to.
The Winkler Girls
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Kevin's in Ireland
On Saturday we received sad news that Kevin's cousin, John Reel, passed away. Thankfully Kevin was able to visit with him in September. He was in hospital at the time and it was touch and go but he seemed to make a miraculous recovery and actually came home for a visit while Kevin was there. After a couple more weeks in the hospital he came home and we thought he was over the worst of it. He looked great in the pictures that we saw but I guess the winter was hard on him and he went back into the hospital with pneumonia last week. Kevin was able to get a ticket to fly over for the funeral and left Toronto yesterday. He arrived safely today but I haven't heard anymore from him since this morning.
I've taken for granted how much Kevin does in the morning before I go to work. This morning I had to make my own coffee and take the dog for a walk. I came home earlier than I normally do because Brendan had to work late and the dog needed to be taken out again. I'm trying to watch my weight so this seems like the perfect opportunity to start my diet. I have only myself to blame if I don't stick to it.
Gaelan and Brendan have booked the fairgrounds in Caledonia for their wedding. Looks like the "trailer park" wedding is on. I'm still not sure about all the logistics of this wedding but I think it should be fun. If you have any ideas, Gaelan is looking for submissions for her website. My friend Diane is asking for dates for hosting a wedding shower. So much to think about and so much to do. I'm starting to understand why people have long engagements.
I've taken for granted how much Kevin does in the morning before I go to work. This morning I had to make my own coffee and take the dog for a walk. I came home earlier than I normally do because Brendan had to work late and the dog needed to be taken out again. I'm trying to watch my weight so this seems like the perfect opportunity to start my diet. I have only myself to blame if I don't stick to it.
Gaelan and Brendan have booked the fairgrounds in Caledonia for their wedding. Looks like the "trailer park" wedding is on. I'm still not sure about all the logistics of this wedding but I think it should be fun. If you have any ideas, Gaelan is looking for submissions for her website. My friend Diane is asking for dates for hosting a wedding shower. So much to think about and so much to do. I'm starting to understand why people have long engagements.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Happy Family Day!
Hope everyone is enjoying their day off. Cathy do you have family day in Calgary? It's relatively new here. For years the government has tried to declare some kind of holiday in February because we've never had a day off this time of year.
I've had a great week. Valentine's Day was very romantic. Kevin pulled out all the stops. It was hard going to work the next day. I took my girls to their volleyball tournament and they lost every game but they played very well. On Wednesday Geoff took us out for dinner. We went to a great place close to the Royal York hotel called Osteria. It is an Italian restaurant, serving food in the Puglia style. It was great seeing Geoff again and I actually was able to give him a birthday gift early. I hope he enjoys the book. Brendan joined us for dessert and a drink. I was glad he was able to spend some time with his uncle Geoff. The next day Geoff actually dropped by Brendan's new office space. Nice surprise for Brendan, he only regrets he couldn't spend more time with him as he had an appointment soon after he arrived.
On Thursday, we had parent interviews in the evening and I organized the staff dinner. When I got back from dinner with Geoff on Wednesday I quickly put together a ravioli lasagna which I warmed up for the staff on Thursday and I picked up freshly made schnitzel from Brandt Meats right after school. All my interviews went well and the staff loved dinner. I can't believe the rave reviews I got from the staff over the lasagna. I'll share the recipe with you. It would be great for a church supper or pot luck. It's also a good vegetarian option unless you use meat ravioli.
On Friday I only had 2 interviews in the morning and then I had time to organize a few things in my classroom. In the afternoon, Kevin and I went to the movies and saw "Unknown" with Liam Neesan. Very interesting. Afterwards we went to a new restaurant on the Queensway, called Fork and Spoon, which is a mix of Thai and Japanese. We had the option of a tasing menu for 24.95 or a la carte. We opted for the tasting menu where we could try as much as we wanted. I normally don't like buffets but the portions were small and we could try things we might not if we had to pay full price or if the portions were big. Also we could order as we went along so we could gauge how hungry we were. We would definitely go back.
On Saturday I took the car in for an oil change and then we did a bit of grocery shopping. Kevin needed to rest so I took him home and Brendan and I drove to Queen West. I dropped him off close to Andrea's place (they were going to the opera) and I went to the art store and bought paper and paint for school.
On Sunday we didn't do much but Brendan forgot his skates that he needed for a special presentation he was doing that night so I drove downtown to his new office space at the Design Exchange. He gave him a quick tour and we went out for coffee. The girls were all busy so I drove to Sherway and did a little bit of shopping (mostly window shopping, but I did spend one of my gift certificates at the teacher store). I went to Chapters and checked out the art books and found a couple that I wanted. Later that evening at home and I ordered the two books on line and used up two more gift certificates.
Today I'm doing laundry and cleaning up around the house (when I'm not writing this blog). Nina called me this morning and we talked for about an hour. She's pretty open minded (we talked about Andrea and Josie) and she was most critical of her own children and grandchildren. She clearly has a soft spot for her younger boys (now in their late 40's and 50). Rolf and Rick are both retired (she doesn't get that) and have major health problems. Rolf is on his 5th hip replacement and Rick had a heart attack a couple of years ago. Bottom line though, you can tell she loves all her children and wants the best for all of them.
Here is the recipe for the ravioli lasagna. It couldn't be easier.
Premade ravioli (not canned) - cheese and spinach, or cheese, or meat
• cook the ravioli according to the packaged directions - 2 to 3 minutes ( I used the fresh ravioli from Costco)
Your favourite pasta sauce ( I used the fresh Rose from Costco)
Shredded Mozzarella or your favourite combination of shredded cheeses
Pour enough sauce to cover the bottom of a baking pan. Place a layer of ravioli over the sauce. Cover with sauce again and then a layer of cheese. Start again with a layer of ravioli, sauce and cheese and repeat layers until all the ravioli is used up. End with the cheese. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350. If you refrigerate before baking you will need closer to an hour to bake. Enjoy!!!!!! Serve with a salad.
I've had a great week. Valentine's Day was very romantic. Kevin pulled out all the stops. It was hard going to work the next day. I took my girls to their volleyball tournament and they lost every game but they played very well. On Wednesday Geoff took us out for dinner. We went to a great place close to the Royal York hotel called Osteria. It is an Italian restaurant, serving food in the Puglia style. It was great seeing Geoff again and I actually was able to give him a birthday gift early. I hope he enjoys the book. Brendan joined us for dessert and a drink. I was glad he was able to spend some time with his uncle Geoff. The next day Geoff actually dropped by Brendan's new office space. Nice surprise for Brendan, he only regrets he couldn't spend more time with him as he had an appointment soon after he arrived.
On Thursday, we had parent interviews in the evening and I organized the staff dinner. When I got back from dinner with Geoff on Wednesday I quickly put together a ravioli lasagna which I warmed up for the staff on Thursday and I picked up freshly made schnitzel from Brandt Meats right after school. All my interviews went well and the staff loved dinner. I can't believe the rave reviews I got from the staff over the lasagna. I'll share the recipe with you. It would be great for a church supper or pot luck. It's also a good vegetarian option unless you use meat ravioli.
On Friday I only had 2 interviews in the morning and then I had time to organize a few things in my classroom. In the afternoon, Kevin and I went to the movies and saw "Unknown" with Liam Neesan. Very interesting. Afterwards we went to a new restaurant on the Queensway, called Fork and Spoon, which is a mix of Thai and Japanese. We had the option of a tasing menu for 24.95 or a la carte. We opted for the tasting menu where we could try as much as we wanted. I normally don't like buffets but the portions were small and we could try things we might not if we had to pay full price or if the portions were big. Also we could order as we went along so we could gauge how hungry we were. We would definitely go back.
On Saturday I took the car in for an oil change and then we did a bit of grocery shopping. Kevin needed to rest so I took him home and Brendan and I drove to Queen West. I dropped him off close to Andrea's place (they were going to the opera) and I went to the art store and bought paper and paint for school.
On Sunday we didn't do much but Brendan forgot his skates that he needed for a special presentation he was doing that night so I drove downtown to his new office space at the Design Exchange. He gave him a quick tour and we went out for coffee. The girls were all busy so I drove to Sherway and did a little bit of shopping (mostly window shopping, but I did spend one of my gift certificates at the teacher store). I went to Chapters and checked out the art books and found a couple that I wanted. Later that evening at home and I ordered the two books on line and used up two more gift certificates.
Today I'm doing laundry and cleaning up around the house (when I'm not writing this blog). Nina called me this morning and we talked for about an hour. She's pretty open minded (we talked about Andrea and Josie) and she was most critical of her own children and grandchildren. She clearly has a soft spot for her younger boys (now in their late 40's and 50). Rolf and Rick are both retired (she doesn't get that) and have major health problems. Rolf is on his 5th hip replacement and Rick had a heart attack a couple of years ago. Bottom line though, you can tell she loves all her children and wants the best for all of them.
Here is the recipe for the ravioli lasagna. It couldn't be easier.
Premade ravioli (not canned) - cheese and spinach, or cheese, or meat
• cook the ravioli according to the packaged directions - 2 to 3 minutes ( I used the fresh ravioli from Costco)
Your favourite pasta sauce ( I used the fresh Rose from Costco)
Shredded Mozzarella or your favourite combination of shredded cheeses
Pour enough sauce to cover the bottom of a baking pan. Place a layer of ravioli over the sauce. Cover with sauce again and then a layer of cheese. Start again with a layer of ravioli, sauce and cheese and repeat layers until all the ravioli is used up. End with the cheese. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350. If you refrigerate before baking you will need closer to an hour to bake. Enjoy!!!!!! Serve with a salad.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Talked to Dad last night. Either the connection was really bad for him or he is losing his hearing. I tried three times to tell him about the new house but he just kept talking over me (or maybe he was just being dad). We have been packing things away all weekend trying to clear out the house enough to show it for sale. So much stuff and so much resistence to throwing things out!!!!! I am also selling things on Kijiji, so far the treadmill and wine corker are gone, strange combination but what the hey. We are just waiting for the sellers to get an occupancy permit for the new house and then the deal will go through on Geoffs birthday. Happy Birthday Dear. Looking for new furniture which will fit the style of the house. Have lots of room for company hint hint. Happy valentines day to the both of you. Love Cathy
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Yeah!!!!!!!!!!! They're Finished
What a relief. Friday night Kevin and I went out for dinner to our newest favourite "cheap and cheerful" restaurant. It's not the cheapest place we've ever gone to but it's definitely one of the friendliest. It's called Antonio's (on the Queensway), almost across from Mama Martino's. On Saturday, I finally found time to clean part of the house and I will probably do more today. I went to Brandt Meats and bought beef for Rouladin.
We decided to make the rouladin for dinner but we were short on time so we found the pressure cooker and cooked them in an hour instead of four hours. They were really tender but almost overcooked. Have either of you made these before? Any suggestions?
Yesterday we also dog sat, Lucy, so that Gaelan an Brendan could check out venues for the wedding in the fall. They have their hearts set on a fair ground out in the country and wait for this..... trailers for the guests to sleep in. They are also checking out hotels in the area for the less adventurous. Looks like two possibilities are Caledonia and Alliston. I'll keep you posted. I'm sure the plans will change many times over the course of the next few months.
If you haven't checked out Gaelan's new website for her business, here it is:
She posts new information everyday. She's trying to get as many people as possible to check it out so tell your friends. Anyone looking for a less traditional wedding should find this interesting.
Cathy post some of your pictures from your vacation. I'd love to see them. Chris any plans for your wedding, like when, maybe?
Hugs, love and kisses
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Report Card Blues
It's been awhile since I've written anything. After finishing my Library course and getting ready for Christmas I haven't made time for our blog. Right now I'm trying to finish writing my report cards. There have been so many technical problems this term and I have literally not been able to get to my report cards because the system has been down so often. Of course I always leave everything as long as I can and it's never been a problem before. I'll have to keep this short because I really am behind the 8 ball and need to finish my reports tonight. Talk soon.
Taking it easy.
I had 2 cysts taken off my back yesterday. Thought it was going to be a breeze, but something about them being embedded in some muscle resulted in me being very sore afterward. I canceled all evening plans and made Dan do all the evening chores. What a wimp!! Me not Dan. I feel somewhat better today.
Probably the worst part of the procedure was the fact that the surgeon was training an intern and he was doing a running commentary of everything he was doing. I had a local so I couldn't feel anything, but his detailed dialogue of everything he was doing and what he had to be careful of was rather unnerving. Ignorance is bliss! He had the intern do the second cyst. The intern had a voice very much like Brendan, so with my eyes closed and head covered with green towels, it was as if Brendan was doing the procedure. And oddly enough I somehow found that comforting. Anyway, as I said I felt no pain, but by the time they were done my nerves were frayed and I was shaking like a leaf. I gave myself a half hour with a cup of tea to calm down before I drove home.
So today I am taking it easy. A good time to do some of those sit down things I keep putting off because there are other things need doing.
I want to share with you guys a soup recipe I made the other day, which is awesome.
Mulligatawny Soup
Ingredients:
4 tbsp oil
2 large chicken joints (about 12 oz each)
1 onion
1 carrot
1 small turnip (I didn't have this so I substituted a small winter squash)
1 tbsp curry powder, to taste
4 cloves
6 peppercorns, lightly crushed
1/3 cup lentils
3 3/4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup sultanas (I used raisins)
salt and ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then brown the chicken over a brisk heat. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Chop the onion, carrot and turnip with a sharp knife.
2. Add the chopped vegetables to the saucepan and then cook until lightly coloured. Sir in the curry powder, clovers and peppercorns and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the lentils to the pan and pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, then add the sultanas and chicken and any juices from the plate. Cover the pan and simmer the soup gently for about 1 1/4 hours.
4.Take the chicken from the pan and discard the skin and bones. Chop the flesh, return to the soup and reheat. Check the seasoning before serving the soup.
Serves 4.
Calories per serving 378 (if made with squash 402.5)
Carbs 24.75
fat 20.25
protein 25.25
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Chris
Probably the worst part of the procedure was the fact that the surgeon was training an intern and he was doing a running commentary of everything he was doing. I had a local so I couldn't feel anything, but his detailed dialogue of everything he was doing and what he had to be careful of was rather unnerving. Ignorance is bliss! He had the intern do the second cyst. The intern had a voice very much like Brendan, so with my eyes closed and head covered with green towels, it was as if Brendan was doing the procedure. And oddly enough I somehow found that comforting. Anyway, as I said I felt no pain, but by the time they were done my nerves were frayed and I was shaking like a leaf. I gave myself a half hour with a cup of tea to calm down before I drove home.
So today I am taking it easy. A good time to do some of those sit down things I keep putting off because there are other things need doing.
I want to share with you guys a soup recipe I made the other day, which is awesome.
Mulligatawny Soup
Ingredients:
4 tbsp oil
2 large chicken joints (about 12 oz each)
1 onion
1 carrot
1 small turnip (I didn't have this so I substituted a small winter squash)
1 tbsp curry powder, to taste
4 cloves
6 peppercorns, lightly crushed
1/3 cup lentils
3 3/4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup sultanas (I used raisins)
salt and ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then brown the chicken over a brisk heat. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Chop the onion, carrot and turnip with a sharp knife.
2. Add the chopped vegetables to the saucepan and then cook until lightly coloured. Sir in the curry powder, clovers and peppercorns and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the lentils to the pan and pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, then add the sultanas and chicken and any juices from the plate. Cover the pan and simmer the soup gently for about 1 1/4 hours.
4.Take the chicken from the pan and discard the skin and bones. Chop the flesh, return to the soup and reheat. Check the seasoning before serving the soup.
Serves 4.
Calories per serving 378 (if made with squash 402.5)
Carbs 24.75
fat 20.25
protein 25.25
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Chris
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