Trivial Pursuit To End Trivial Moments

I'm not sure if the stars are out of whack or what, but recently it has definitely felt like it's Jon and I against the world, and the score isn't pretty.  It's so easy to get swept up in all the difficulties that seem to be in your path sometimes.  But then, there's moments like this that make us realize that all the stuff that we convince ourselves has any long lasting effects on our life really does not.  

Last night at 3:00am after trying to figure out some plans for things we've got in the works right now, Jon and I were still up and still felt like we were in an endless uphill battle against the world.  Then Jon turned to me and pulled out the Trivial Pursuit from the coffee table.  Ahhh, beautiful Trivial Pursuit.

I have always been a board game lover, but there is something about Trivial Pursuit that really does make all the problems of the world seem... trivial.  I love this game so much.  I mean really... who can focus on any of life's "problems" when you're trying to remember "What state on the Mississippi River boasts the only diamond field in North America?"  (If you're thinking Arkansas, you're right!)  And what's the point of worrying when you have to think of "Is a Pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable?"  (Clearly, it's a fruit.)

The thing that I really love about Trivial Pursuit, is that the one we have is the one I played growing up.  The "Young Edition" version that my parents bought circa 1980.  A lot of the questions are out of date and the game itself looks very... loved.  Playing it now, over 30 years since its creation, it's kinda retro.  Like a historical Trivial Pursuit.  :)

When we play this though, I love that not only is it one of the best distractions from all the day to day stuff that is so easy to get caught up in, but also the time that we spend together playing and just being care free.  I love that the memories I have of playing this game with my mom, dad and sister are now being enhanced as Jon and I create new memories every time we pull those pie pieces out.  No matter what life throws at us, we will always have each other, and we will always have Trivial Pursuit.   

Thanksgiving With The Monahans

This weekend we headed down to Jon's parent's place in Lockeport.  The few weeks leading up to the weekend have been a little stressful for Jon and I.  Lots of things going on with his work, and hopefully things leading to good news in the future, but still stressful at the moment.  At any rate, we both really needed a break to be home with family.  I've said a few times I'm so grateful to truly have family in my in-laws.  It really is a home away from home, and I'm always happy when we're able to head down there.  This time was no different.

Dad prepared a beautiful turkey dinner with all the fixings and I brought down a pumpkin pie.  Dad has recently been making home made wine (He's actually got me into the wine making this summer too!)  So after supper, we all got in to the wine and shared the most precious thing of all... family time.  :)  I love moments like this to remind us what's really important in life, and to give us renewed strength to keep pursuing the things that we desire from life.

It being thanksgiving, I also have to say that I am so thankful for all our friends and family who have supported us in tough times and celebrated with us in great times.  Without our friends and family we would be no where.  I'm also thankful to be blessed with a husband who is truly my rock.  He's such a good man, with such a sweet soul and I couldn't be happier to share my life with anyone else.  Together I know we'll be able to conquer anything we set our minds too.

These are some pictures of Lockeport.  Possibly a glimpse into why I feel so much peace there.

 

Christmas Comes Early In Canada

While growing up in New Jersey, it was SO painful waiting all the way through November before you could get to thanksgiving before it was finally time to get ready for Christmas!!!

Oh... but not in Canada!  That's right my American friends, Thanksgiving comes early in Canada, which means that so does the hype up to Christmas!!  This weekend is Thanksgiving Weekend in Canada and it could not come a moment sooner for The Monahans!  It's been a relatively stressful few weeks for both of us and Jon and I are desperately looking forward to some time in Lockeport with the family.  It's been a little while since we've had a proper visit down and with everything that has been going on it'll be nice to take a moment to relax and focus on what's really important - family time!!  :)   

I have to say what I'm most thankful for this thanksgiving is having amazing family around me.  Especially my in-laws.  My parents live in New Jersey and very rarely are able to make their way up here to Nova Scotia so it makes such a huge difference to have in-laws that truly are family.  I feel so bad for friends when they grimace at the thought of spending time with their in-laws.  I'm so grateful to have an additional family in them, and a home away from home.  Can't wait to share some wine over board games... Me and mom in law are huge board game fans so hopefully I'll be able to talk hubby into some board games while we're home for the weekend.  I'll also be taking the first pumpkin pie of the season down with us!  YUM!

Although it's definitely easier some times than other....there's something beautiful in stopping and thinking about the things we're thankful for in our life.  

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving... whether you're celebrating this weekend or in November!   :) 

Rituals

Ahhh, Rituals.  Humans are creatures of them.  Children and animals thrive on them.  In this house, Sunday is my favorite day of rituals, and this Sunday was no different.  One of my favorite things that we received as a wedding present was my Big Griddle.  Truth be told when I got it I had never used a griddle, and wasn't really sure what it was used for.  Then when Jon told me people mostly use them to cook breakfast foods like eggs, bacon and pancakes I still didn't understand what a griddle had on the plain old frying pan??  Ohh but I quickly learned.  The frying pan doesn't have a clue what it's doing when it comes to breakfast.

The main reason I love my Big Griddle though is that it's shaped so much of what our weekends are together.  I love that every Saturday and Sunday the first thing Jon says to me when we wake up is "What are we having for breakfast today.", like a little kid on Christmas morning.  I love it, and the cozy late mornings we share together.  Today I decided to throw some of the fresh organic blueberries that we got in our Home Grown Organics Box into the pancakes and it was a GOOD decision.  Yummy blueberry pancakes for breakfast.

 After breakfast Jon normally reads different articles and things online and I catch up on my favorite blogs, or will sometimes post something of my own.  Our afternoons are usually pretty lazy consisting of reading, knitting, or practicing the guitar.  Then we head to church. 

Our church that we normally go to is St. Mary's Basilica in Halifax.  I love this Church.  It's the church where I was baptized and confirmed, and the church that our children will likely be baptized and confirmed in.  There's just something so warm and comforting about stopping your day for a short time to reflect on something greater than ourself.  It's so comforting and brings so much peace to our life.  Recently the church has also been trying to attract young adults and those who don't really want to go to church by way of replacing the choir with a young group of students from SMU who have amazing voices, and play a variety of instruments from guitar to keyboard.  It definitely brings something extra to the mass that I love. 

One of my many favorite things about our Church is the beautiful stained glass windows all throughout the church.  The one I focus on most when I'm there is the one below picturing the scene from the bible of the virgin Mary's Ascension into heaven.  There's something about looking at this window that bring so much peace over me, and just makes me happy no matter how I'm feeling before I go.  It's directly in the front center ceiling of the church and holds a lot of meaning for me.  I love this one.   

 

All in all, I love our lazy Sunday rituals.  It's nice to have this time together to unwind and take a few lazy moments before buckling in again for another week of work, school, errands chores... etc. 

Hope you all had some time this weekend to take a moment to unwind from it all and have a fantastic week ahead!

I Can't Live Without...

For my second installment of "I Can't Live Without..."  I bring you, the Pampered Chef Stoneware Bar Pan.

Oh.  My.  God.

My Pampered Chef bar pan!!  Words cannot even begin to describe how much this has changed my cooking life. (An interesting concept for a blogger - but I'll give it a try...)  Like my last post regarding "I Can't Live Without..." this one was a gift as well, from my mother in law for mine and Jon's second wedding anniversary.  It was definitely something that's been on my list for a while and I'm so grateful for mom in law getting this for us.  I've been using it basically every day for everything from brownies to a pork roast, and our favorite thing so far... the California chicken pizza.  Delish!!!  (Recipe below.)

The key to the bar pan is that you really have to "season" these bar pans, similar to a cast iron skillet that needs to be seasoned first to make them non-stick, and really pull out their full potential which does make some people shy away from them.  Ohhh, but it's soo worth it when you do season it.  Another trick to get around seasoning it is to simply bake something very high in fat the first two or three times on it - like bacon, or what I did first - bacon wrapped scallops!  YUM!!

To season:  Spray entire stoneware OVERLY generously with cooking spray such as Pam, or grease with oil, so there is a nice thick coat all over the pan - tops and bottom.  Bake alone in the oven for 3 - 4 hours at 400° Fahrenheit.  Then let the pan cool completely in the oven.

The cooling is the most important part - because as the pan cools the pores of the stone will close up and lock the hydration and moisture from the oils in the stone which will eventually make it a GORGEOUS non-stick pan.  (First indication you're relishing your role of housewife a little too much - you refer to non-stick pans as gorgeous in all caps.)  I did this three times with mine and then made the bacon wrapped scallops before using for drier things like pizza and lean roasts.

Recipe For California Chicken Pizza 
Ingredients:

• 1   tsp evoo
•  1   package of Pilsbury refrigerated pizza crust 
•  2   cups shredded  cooked chicken  - We used bbq chicken. 
•  2   cups shredded cheddar  and Monterey Jack or marble cheese 
•  2  plum tomatoes 
•  ¼  medium red onion 
•  1  medium avocado 
•  1   lemon - completely squeezed for juice OR about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice from the bottle
•  6   slices bacon, thinly sliced, cooked and drained 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly brush Bar Pan with oil.  (You can skip this step if your pan is VERY heavily seasoned, mine was not yet, so I oiled.) Unroll dough onto bottom of pan, gently stretching and pressing dough to cover bottom. Top crust with chicken and sprinkle with cheese.  
2. Bake 16-18 minutes or until crust is golden brown; remove from oven. 
3. Meanwhile dice tomatoes. Slice onion.
4. Dice avocado and place into a large bowl.  Add tomatoes, lemon juice and onion.  Mix well. 
5. Distribute tomato mixture evenly over pizza. Sprinkle with bacon, if desired. Cut pizza into squares with Pizza Cutter.

Vegetarian Note:  Growing up in a vegetarian household I always try to think of alternatives to meat and this could easily be a vegetarian pizza by subbing out the chicken for some more veggies like green and red bell peppers and some zucchini, and skip the bacon - or use imitation bacon.

Enjoy!!

I Can't Live Without...

Recently I've been wanting to start a weekly "series" on the blog and was thinking of what I would most enjoy blogging about... and then it dawned on me today, as I was vacuuming the house.  I bring you, "Things I Thought I Could Live Without, But Really Can't..."

First item on the list is my Dyson Slim Vacuum.

Anyone who knew me when Jon and I were engaged knows that I was equally as excited about putting the Dyson Vacuum on my Bridal Registry, as I was to be marrying my best friend.  Mainly because I thought I would love the vacuum but thought that I'd never be able to justify the coin.  Ohh, but I was wrong.... Worth every penny!!  Luckily, a group of my mom's very generous friends went in together to get the Dyson Vacuum for my Bridal Shower.

The model we have is the Dyson Slim, which I love and really suits our lifestyle.  It's SO  light weight I can carry up and down stairs with one hand, but still fully functional.  We currently have, and will likely always prefer hardwood floors, because of Jon's allergies and the fact that we have a kitty, and once we have kids and a house, we're thinking we'll be adding a dog in the mix too.  That's A LOT of dust and dirt.  So, definitely no carpeting in our future.  Dyson does make a "pet" model which is supposedly amazing at getting fur out of carpets... but as I mentioned, there is definitely no carpet in our future.

All in all, it's such a functional vacuum... and stays completely true to the claim that it definitely does not loose suction.  All the attachments are super easily accessible, without having to bend down to floor level.  You can tell this vacuum was designed by a man.  It has a very "techy" feel to it.  Lots of little gadgets all over it, and I love every single one of them!!  The big plus for me is that I love not having to worry about vacuum bags!  It's nice to be able to see the clear canister to know when it needs to be emptied.  Jon's allergies have improved so much since we've got the vacuum...  It's night and day. 

Verdict:  LOVE LOVE LOVE, and you will too!!   

"Hurricane" Earl

Those who know Jon well know that he's always had a thrill of adventure.  Most notably he loves checking out natural disasters... while they are occurring.  Immediately after the 2004 Christmas Tsunami that hit Southeast Asia, he headed down to Sri Lanka and ended up helping with the relief effort, and checking out the destruction that had occurred.  So, it was no surprise to me when he woke me up this Saturday morning to check out the destruction we were expecting from Hurricane Earl.  We woke up at 9 am and it looked just like a regular cloudy day.  When we left the house at 10am, there was still really not much going on...   We drove around the city and went to Halifax harbour.  There were a few broken branches and business signs knocked down, and the seas were rough for sure, but it still didn't really feel like a hurricane.  So then we headed up to Lawrence Town Beach, where they were predicting 30ft waves.  Although RCMP officers were blocking off the beaches and really dangerous areas we did still get a glimpse of some pretty crazy waves.  Definitely not 30ft waves, but I can see why the RCMP was blocking off the area.  We got out for a short bit, but I almost blew away so we decided to get back in the car.  :) All in all, although there was some damage and quite a bit of the city was left without power, it just felt like a heavy rain storm for us more than anything... Didn't even loose power.  Glad we didn't get what was predicted!!

Fall Favorites & Monster Pants

So after a year of Jon asking me to make him monster pants I am finally doing it!!  If you don't know what I'm talking about see here.  These pics are of the pair I made last year.  The original is infant sized for a 6 - 8 month old and Jon just loved them when I finished them and really wanted a pair for himself.  I thought he was crazy but after a year of still asking for them I suppose he does really want them!  I've saved the first pair for when our little one eventually comes along, and I do have to admit that I love the idea of Jon and our little one having matching pants.  Cute!  Hehe...  That and the fact that now that the weather is cooling off a bit and I can totally feel fall coming I'm dying to get back in to my knitting but don't really have a project in mind.  I'll post pics as the new pair comes along.  For now, I'm just trying to decide if he'll be too warm if I do the pants in a bamboo/wool blend.  I love that type of yarn, but it is rather warm and Jon likes to be on the cool side.  I'm thinking 100% cotton might be a better choice...  I'll keep you updated on how things go with this project!  I think I'll be needing bigger circular needles...  Hehe...

The Cotton Anniversary

I have to start off again apologizing for my slight absense... My computer has really had a case of the sickies recently and spent another two weeks at FutureShop.  Hopefully we're all resolved now though...  :)

So a few weekends ago Jon and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary, which is apparently "The Cotton Anniversary".  Luckily, we did not exchange any cotton.  Hehe...  Instead we headed up to Cape Breton for the weekend, and two nights of camping!  It was so much fun!!  I have to say we've been really lucky with how much camping we've gotten in this summer.

We started out towards Glace Bay, N.S. for the Cole Miner's Museum and were lead down into the caves by an ex cole miner who told us some stories of what it was like growing up in Canada during those times, and then growing up to follow a long family tradition of cole mining.  It was very inspiring.  After the 6 hour drive up there, and spending about two hours at the Cole Miner's we were very anxious to get to our Campsite and relax!

After a nice swim in the pool, two bbq steaks and some relaxin by the fire we rested and hit the road again the next morning!  We went on to the Cabot Trail which I completely fell in love with.  I have no idea how I've been living in Nova Scotia for 9 years now and have never been to that end of the province!!  The scenery was unreal, the pictures really do not do it justice at all!!

The second night we camped just at the end of the Cabot Trail in the Highlands National Park.  The second night wasn't as relaxing as we were exhausted and it was seriously freezing!!  We then headed back home and stopped at the Glenora Distillery for a tour of the only single malt scotch distillery in canada.  And at the "Red Shoe Pub" which is run by the Rankin Sisters.  All in all, a wonderful anniversary trip.  The more I see of this province, the more I fall in love with it.  Funny thing, I feel the same way about my husband.

Quick Hello From New Jersey!

Normally long gaps between my postings mean that not much is really going on but this time it's been quite the opposite.  Things have picked up fast in the last little bit, in a good way!!  Jon and I (Okay, me more so than Jon... but still)  have been getting alot of chances to just really focus on us and take some time back for ourselves.  After a trip down to Lockeport for my sister in law's grad from high school, Canada Day celebrations and now spending a week with my family in Jersey it certainly has been go go go!!  I'll blog again once I'm home about my Jersey trip, but for now I'll say that words cannot even begin to describe how theraputic coming home is.  I truly love mine and Jon's life that we've built together in Halifax, but there is something about the home you grew up in that cannot be replaced or replicated.  It is what it is, and exists only in that one place, and needs to be cherished.

These pics are mostly of my niece and her mommy and daddy!  (And we have a nephew on the way as you can see!!)

Happy Birthday Canada... And The Navy Too!!

Canada Day is Jon's FAVORITE holiday, hands down.  He loves it more than Christmas and his birthday... combined.  I haven't quite figured out why but he absolutely loves it!!  So I was thrilled that he got in from sea early and we were able to enjoy the festivities for it!

This Canada day was very special because it was also the 100th Anniversary of the Canadian Navy, and I have always had a fascination with the Navy.  The morning of Canada Day Jon and I headed down to the Halifax waterfront to check out all the amazing Navy boats from all over the world in town to celebrate with us!  We actually also got a tour of a Danish ship.  It was the largest in the Danish Navy, and actually had two docks for helicopters on board, and had one helicopter there.  Pretty cool stuff!!  :o)  Unfortunately I had forgotten my camera so these are pics that I looked up of the ship online, from the Danish Navy website.

After checking out the waterfront, and grabbing some burgers on the boardwalk for lunch we headed home for a nap.  (It was at this point that we realized we are officially old....hehe.)  And then we were off to the Joel Plaskett concert at Alderny Landing on the Dartmouth Waterfront.  It was good music, fireworks and a great time enjoying a beautiful and very special Canada Day with my hunny.  Luckily, this time I remembered my camera!