Spoiled Silly

Holy moly it’s been a big year for gifts and loot!  Not only did my birthday prezzies continue to trickle in right up until yesterday but Christmas was also incredibly good to me!

As you all know, FH and I wait until our return to Halifax to celebrate our Christmas together.  We both arrived home yesterday…completely exhausted.  After a much needed nap (or two!) we exchanged gifts.

He got me an incredibly unexpected surprise!  A FABULOUS Kitchen Aid blender!!!!  *feel free to drool in jealousy here!*

He generally doesn’t like to A) buy appliances or B) ask my Mom for help…but this year he went against his usual methods and broke both his rules.  :)

  

Isn’t she pretty?  You know there will be much smoothie love going on in the New Year.  Is it OK to hug a kitchen appliance?

Just so you know that I too did good with my shopping…I will tell you that FH set up his gift today and has been happily “testing it out” ever since.  Beatles Rock Band for his Playstation 3 may possibly be the best last minute thought for a gift I’ve ever had.

I knew he would like it, but I’m pleased to report that he LOVES it.

You just know what we’re doing for our New Year’s gathering this evening.  :)

In addition to our gifts, I also came home to find gifties from the fabulous Miss Amy!  Not only did she choose me in our Blogger Secret Santa exchange, but she also sent along a belated birthday package!  What a girl!

Lululemon running gloves.  She knew I was coveting these.  Don’t you just love twitter?!  haha.

 

Also a gorgeous snowflake decoration, Xmas socks, and much beloved Burts Bees lipbalm for when I tackle the outdoor running.

And just to leave you with a little New Year suspense…the postman delivered my special Boxing Day package today too!!!

Any guesses?  (anyone following Twitter probably knows…haha)

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! 

MAY 2010 FIND YOU HAPPY AND HEALTHY!!!

Spiral Cafe

As a warm, cozy end to my stay in Victoria the other Jamie and I decided to walk up to the local cafe for a caffeinated beverage.

The Spiral Cafe is a funky, eclectic little place in Vic West.  Mismatched furniture, hippy art, and local music a few evenings a week.

I opted for a Cafe Mocha with whip cream (why opt out of the indulgences now?!)…

 

Love the cute mug and saucer.

nom nom nom.

Bad Food Blogger

I have several random photos of food.  None of which really make any sense because the days are incomplete.  Most of which are toast and peanut butter because I started out most days with the best intentions.  None of which include the variety of chocolate, chips and treats that were consumed.  None of which show the giant plate of fish and chips I ate tonight. 

However, I do have many pictures of my Mom’s new kitten.

So rather than delve into the poor choices made this past weekend, I shall introduce you to Franklyn…

I was hatching plans to hide him in my suitcase and bring him home.  How adorable is he?!  And so well behaved and cuddly.

How’s that for a cop out post?  ;)

Nana’s Cabbage & Apple Salad

When we started prepping Christmas dinner I had visions of doing a photo-recipe tutorial for the blog…but alas my Mom was way ahead of me in the cooking process so my brilliant idea never even got off the ground!

I did however remember to snap a few shots when I was making my Nana’s special Christmas salad because it’s not a common dish and something maybe you all haven’t ever seen.

Honestly, it’s so simple I hesitate to even call this a recipe!  But it’s something my Grandma always brought to the family dinner and a tradition (although slightly bastardized) that my Mom and I have carried on.

Recipe:  Nana’s Cabbage & Apple Salad

Ingredients:

• bag of coleslaw mix
• 4 green onions
• 2 crisp apples (we used Honeycrisp this year)
• 1 cup Miracle Whip (we used light) (mayo works too, but add extra lemon in that case)
• squeeze of lemon
• salt & pepper
• cranberry sauce for garnish

 

Directions:

• Dice the green onions. 
• Peel, core and dice the apples. 
• Mix everything together, ensuring all cabbage is coated in dressing. 
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours…but all day is better. 
• Decorate top with cranberry sauce and serve.

Of course, my Grandma never would have used a bag of coleslaw.  She painstakingly chopped a cabbage each and every year…and then when she got ill, my Grandpa did it.  But my Great Aunt gave us permission to use the bagged slaw so we only feel slightly guilty about our slacker approach.  :)  Besides, the bagged version has variety and color!

Turkey Lurkey

Our traditional family Christmas dinner:

• turkey
• Mom’s world famous stuffing
• mashed potatoes
• mashed carrots & turnips
• brussel sprouts
• gravy
• cranberry sauce (yes, from a can!)
• Nana’s cabbage & apple salad

Mom’s stuffing is just white bread, diced onion, sage, and sausage meat.  Simply perfect. 

Nom nom nom! :)

Happy Boxing Day!

I may have just ordered myself a Boxing Day prezzie online!  :)  Stay tuned. 

Our family doesn’t actually do much of anything on Christmas Day.  A few years ago we realized that the stress caused by trying to rearrange and figure out how to see everyone wasn’t worth it just to have turkey on a specific day…so instead we have our family gathering/gift opening on Christmas Eve (we’ve done this since I was about 12) and our turkey dinner on Boxing Day.  This makes a relaxing Christmas Day for my Mom and I, and leaves it so my uncle isn’t feeling conflicted between his own family and his inlaws.  Win for everyone!

So Xmas Eve I made up a table full of our traditional family eats.  I call them “retro snacks”.  :)

 

It was a small, slightly dramatic gathering this year.  I only took one freaking photo outside of the food.  How bad is that?!!  Ugh, and Mom and I both looked so nice too!  haha, oh well.

My Grandpa got a new blanket so my aunt wrapped him up and I thought it looked like a Snuggie! 

As far as eats go, I’ll admit I pretty much just snacked my face off the whole night.  But I did load up on veggies first!!  haha, of course then we finished off the chips and dip after the family left.  :)  Balance?  I suppose.  ya right!

Oh…and the Xmas loot!!  Aside from this Starbucks gift pack from my uncle and his family…

Everything else is from my Mom…

 

She knows me well!  :)

And to think I still have my Christmas fun with FH when I get home and my Secret Santa gift too!!

And now I’m off to help Mom prepare the veggies and side dishes for dinner tonight.  The glorious smell of roasting turkey and Mom’s famous stuffing is calling me!  :)