I've made a few meals for Sadie with veggies from my farmer @eaglecreekfarms. So I thought I would share these recipes too. I must say, it also feels really good to share this deliciousness with my baby. I mean, part of the reason why I've gotten so into local food and organic farming is because I want to live more sustainably for my kids, not to mention I want to minimize my kid's exposure to harmful chemicals. After all, they have their whole lives ahead of them to bioaccumulate toxins...
My first baby food recipe was a mixture of carrots (3), parsnips (2) and swiss chard (3 leaves, ribs removed).
The next one was a mixture of carrots (3), potato (1 mid sized), and broccoli (1 floret and the stalk, peeled).
For both recipes I peeled, chopped, and boiled on the stove with a little water until the carrots were fork-tender. Then I cooled the mixture, cooking liquid included, and whizzed in a food processor until they were well pureed. I had to add a little water to get it to the right consistency. Too little water and the puree won't be smooth. Sadie's not quite ready for the chunky foods yet.
With all my baby food recipes, I freeze whatever she won't eat in the next day or 2 in ice cube trays. Once frozen, I put the cubes into a freezer bag and thaw as needed.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Getting Outta Town.
So we bought a tent trailer... I was somewhat skeptical, since I fancy myself a "purist camper" but the reality of having kids means that I've gotta take what I can get. So, we bought a tent trailer. I'm okay with it. In fact, I'm beginning to embrace it.
We are leaving for Banff for 2 (or 3, depending) nights. We plan on staying at Two Jack Lake campground. I'm excited because I've never been there before. As a kid, we ALWAYS stayed at Tunnel Mountain. But then, we ALWAYS did a lot of things when we went to Banff... the hot springs, some interpretive show at the amphitheatre, and a chilli that cooked over the open fire all day, tended by my Father, while he drank beer. Good times.
We are hoping to stay at one of the Lakeside campsites at Two Jack. It is, however, bear season, so we'll see what happens.
My husband is also evidently beginning to embrace "glamping" - that's glamourous camping. He spent $70 at Dollarama on crap for the tent trailer. I KNOW, right!?!
Nevertheless, it should be a great time, and hopefully it means the start of a bunch of camping trips, or at least 2 or 3 before the snow flies again.e
We are leaving for Banff for 2 (or 3, depending) nights. We plan on staying at Two Jack Lake campground. I'm excited because I've never been there before. As a kid, we ALWAYS stayed at Tunnel Mountain. But then, we ALWAYS did a lot of things when we went to Banff... the hot springs, some interpretive show at the amphitheatre, and a chilli that cooked over the open fire all day, tended by my Father, while he drank beer. Good times.
We are hoping to stay at one of the Lakeside campsites at Two Jack. It is, however, bear season, so we'll see what happens.
My husband is also evidently beginning to embrace "glamping" - that's glamourous camping. He spent $70 at Dollarama on crap for the tent trailer. I KNOW, right!?!
Nevertheless, it should be a great time, and hopefully it means the start of a bunch of camping trips, or at least 2 or 3 before the snow flies again.e
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Farmer John - Mixed Green Salad With Saskatoon Berry Vinaigrette
First of all, let me say that I'm not the greatest speller, so I had to look up how to spell "vinaigrette". Thanks google for not making me look stupid!
We are renovating our 1970's basement with the same contractor who did our kitchen and upstairs bathroom, so we had a planning session/dinner party with them on Sunday. I still had mixed greens from Thursday's delivery so I threw together a salad with goat cheese from Sylvan Star Cheese (avaliable at Kingsland Farmer's Market) and a Saskatoon Berry Vinaigrette. I also added some snap peas from my own garden. I can hardly believe I managed to have some on the vine, since Owen asks daily if there are any peas that are ready. Don't dress the salad until you're ready to eat. I once heard that there's no Viagra for salad.
Saskatoon Berry Vinaigrette
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup (175 mL) Saskatoon berries
2 Tbsp (30 mL) honey
1 cup (250 mL) canola oil
salt & black pepper to taste
Simmer berries, vinegar and honey in a saucepan for 4 minutes. Mash berries to desired consistency... I really mashed them up. Cool and mix up with the remaining ingredients. Store unused portion in the fridge.
We are renovating our 1970's basement with the same contractor who did our kitchen and upstairs bathroom, so we had a planning session/dinner party with them on Sunday. I still had mixed greens from Thursday's delivery so I threw together a salad with goat cheese from Sylvan Star Cheese (avaliable at Kingsland Farmer's Market) and a Saskatoon Berry Vinaigrette. I also added some snap peas from my own garden. I can hardly believe I managed to have some on the vine, since Owen asks daily if there are any peas that are ready. Don't dress the salad until you're ready to eat. I once heard that there's no Viagra for salad.
Saskatoon Berry Vinaigrette
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup (175 mL) Saskatoon berries
2 Tbsp (30 mL) honey
1 cup (250 mL) canola oil
salt & black pepper to taste
Simmer berries, vinegar and honey in a saucepan for 4 minutes. Mash berries to desired consistency... I really mashed them up. Cool and mix up with the remaining ingredients. Store unused portion in the fridge.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Farmer John - Pulled Pork/Cilantro Quesadillas
I made a pulled pork dinner in the slow cooker setting of my oven, since my slow cooker sucks so bad I think I may have trashed it. I have a pretty nice oven that has a slow cooker setting... hence why I think I may have thrown out my slow cooker that burned everything I cooked in it - thanks Airmiles.
Anyway...
The Pulled Pork recipe comes from a book called "150 best Slow Cooker Recipes" by Judith Finlayson. I have not tried every recipe in this book but the ones i have have been AWESOME!!! How could you go wrong?
1tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cracked black peppercorns
1 cup tomato-based chilli sauce (I used Co-op brand, but the book recommends Heinz-57 sauce)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp Worcesterhire sauce
1 3lb boneless pork shoudler
First, cut up the onions and fry in a skillet with the oil until soft, then add garlic, chili powder and pepper for 1 minute. Add chilli sauce, broen sugar, vinegar and worestershire sauce. Stir and bring to the boil.
Put the pork (mine was actually frozen) into a 4 quart dutch oven and pour sauce over. Cook on the slow cooker setting for 10-12 hours (low) or 6 hours (high), until pork is falling apart.
Remove pork and shred with two forks. Return to sauce and keep warm.
---
We had this on buns with coleslaw the first night I cooked it. The next day I had some friends coming over for lunch so I made some quesadilas with the pulled pork, Monterey Jack cheese and cilantro from @eaglecreekfarms . They were delicious.
Anyway...
The Pulled Pork recipe comes from a book called "150 best Slow Cooker Recipes" by Judith Finlayson. I have not tried every recipe in this book but the ones i have have been AWESOME!!! How could you go wrong?
1tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cracked black peppercorns
1 cup tomato-based chilli sauce (I used Co-op brand, but the book recommends Heinz-57 sauce)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp Worcesterhire sauce
1 3lb boneless pork shoudler
First, cut up the onions and fry in a skillet with the oil until soft, then add garlic, chili powder and pepper for 1 minute. Add chilli sauce, broen sugar, vinegar and worestershire sauce. Stir and bring to the boil.
Put the pork (mine was actually frozen) into a 4 quart dutch oven and pour sauce over. Cook on the slow cooker setting for 10-12 hours (low) or 6 hours (high), until pork is falling apart.
Remove pork and shred with two forks. Return to sauce and keep warm.
---
We had this on buns with coleslaw the first night I cooked it. The next day I had some friends coming over for lunch so I made some quesadilas with the pulled pork, Monterey Jack cheese and cilantro from @eaglecreekfarms . They were delicious.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Farmer John - Pork Chops with Mango Arugula salad
3 pork chops
1 mango
1 red onion
white cheddar cheese curds
small bunch of sage leaves
kosher salt
pepper
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
Turn the grill on to heat up. Chop the sage leaves. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and rub with the olive oil and sage. Leave them sit until you're ready to use them. Slice the mango into long-ish pieces and the onion into 8 wedges, leaving the bottom (root) end intact so they don't fall apart. You can also use a toothpick to secure the layers together. Toss together in a bowl with about 1tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper. Get the pork chops on the grill with the onions and grill until cooked. Grill the mango about 2 min per side.
Toss the warm onions and mango with the arugula and about 1tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the cheese curds over top.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Farmer John - pea shoot pesto
Tonight's menu involves the pea shoots in this week's delivery. A quick search of the net and I found a recipe for a pea shoot walnut pesto. Here it is (from www.peashoots.com). I didn't exactly have the amounts in the original recipe so what I'm posting is what I did.
1 bunch pea shoots
1/2 clove of garlic
90g (ish) walnuts
20g (ish) grated Parmesan
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
I first whizzed the pea shoots and garlic in a food processor. Use the pulse button, be patient and scrape down the sides often. I might pre-chop the shoots next time. Adding a splash of water also helped. Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a fry pan - watch carefully and don't let them burn. Add them to the food processor and pulse a little - you want to leave them sort of chunky. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and add the Parmesan. Mix and then add olive oil until its kinda pasty. Season with salt & pepper.
I also made some gnocchi from scratch today. I must have been feeling ambitious. This recipe comes from Lidia Bastianich's book "Lidia's family table". I looked and it doesn't appear to be on her website.
1 1/2 lbs baking potatoes
3/4 tbsp salt
1 large egg
1 1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
Boil the potatoes whole until fork tender. Don't let the skins burst. Take them out of the water and let them cool until you can handle them. While you're waiting, get the gnocchi making station ready with a cutting board, a bowl with some flour in it, a fork, a baking sheet, and a tea towel. Peel the skins off the potatoes and send them through a potato ricer onto the cutting board. Sprinkle salt on them and let dry for about 20 min. Beat the egg and pour onto the potatoes. Also spread 1 cup of the flour on top and work with your hands into a dough. Add more flour, but don't work too much or Lidia says the dough will get tough. I probably ended up using 1 1/2 cups of the flour total. Cut the dough into 3 equal portions and roll each into a long tube about 18" long. Then cut about 2/3" bits. Here's where the gnocchi making station comes in. Take each bit and roll it along the tines of the fork and into the bowl - there should be ridges on one side and your thumbprint on the other. When you have about 15 or so in the bowl, toss in the flour and place on the baking sheet so that they are not touching, then cover with the towel. Repeat with the rest. Freeze what you don't use on the baking sheet. They'll last 6 weeks.
Lidia says you should end up with about 72 pieces. I did not. I guess I don't estimate length very well... In future, I will roll out my dough to about 2' and do 1/2" pieces.
To cook the gnocchi, boil some water. Drop the floured bits into the water 5 at a time and let the water return to a boil. The more water you use, the less time you'll wait. When the gnocchi floats, it's done. I also had a fry pan with a little olive oil in it heating and used a slotted spoon to transfer cooked gnocchi to the pan to brown and crisp up a bit. I was at a restaurant in Nelson, BC where they had done that and I thought it was a nice touch.
Lastly, when all the gnocchi were cooked I took the pan off the heat, added the sauce and served it up.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Support your local farmer
There are a few things I've realized I love lately... One is gardening. Another is cooking.
Since moving into our house, I've planted a garden in our back yard each year. There was a sizeable plot in the back yard which I planted a lot of my first summer here. I realized quickly that I couldn't keep up with that much garden so have scaled it back to an area about 10 ft x 13 ft. Even that might be a bit ambitious. Each year I get a little bit better at growing veggies for my family and each year I learn something new about gardening. I grow tomatoes from seed starting in early March, and this year also grew some cucumbers and broccoli. Lesson learned: sprouting broccoli does not grow big florets. This is also year two of cucumbers and I'm not sure I'll bother again. I bought 5 seeds from a local seed saver and 4 of them failed, I think due to some slimy bacterial infection in the xylem of the plant. (God bless the internet for the reason, if not a solution.) On the plus side, I'm growing 6 varieties of tomatoes this year and for the first time ever I've already got some green tomatoes growing on the vine. In my last two years, I didn't even have flowers until mid August!!! One of the varieties is even from seeds I saved myself! We'll see how productive the plants are...
Anyway, the real reason for this post is to tell you about a new venture I'm trying this year. My friend and I have signed up for a CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) crop share with John at Eagle Creek Farms, near Bowden, AB. The way it works is that we pay in advance for the crops that John plants on his land, and we get 14 weeks of food delivered to my local community association parking lot. It's a cool idea and becoming more common with people who want to support local farm economy. Read about it on his website: http://www.eaglecreekfarms.ca/csa.htm
Somehow, knowing exactly where my food is coming from this year has inspired me to blog about what I make with the produce I'll be getting and growing. There are some things I've never really cooked with before so it will mean lots of experimenting, which I love. So I'll be blogging about meals I make under "Farmer John" headings. I'll be telling John about this at next week's delivery so that he can (if he wants) let other people in the CSA know. I'll also tweet photos of dishes.
Happy eating!
Since moving into our house, I've planted a garden in our back yard each year. There was a sizeable plot in the back yard which I planted a lot of my first summer here. I realized quickly that I couldn't keep up with that much garden so have scaled it back to an area about 10 ft x 13 ft. Even that might be a bit ambitious. Each year I get a little bit better at growing veggies for my family and each year I learn something new about gardening. I grow tomatoes from seed starting in early March, and this year also grew some cucumbers and broccoli. Lesson learned: sprouting broccoli does not grow big florets. This is also year two of cucumbers and I'm not sure I'll bother again. I bought 5 seeds from a local seed saver and 4 of them failed, I think due to some slimy bacterial infection in the xylem of the plant. (God bless the internet for the reason, if not a solution.) On the plus side, I'm growing 6 varieties of tomatoes this year and for the first time ever I've already got some green tomatoes growing on the vine. In my last two years, I didn't even have flowers until mid August!!! One of the varieties is even from seeds I saved myself! We'll see how productive the plants are...
Anyway, the real reason for this post is to tell you about a new venture I'm trying this year. My friend and I have signed up for a CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) crop share with John at Eagle Creek Farms, near Bowden, AB. The way it works is that we pay in advance for the crops that John plants on his land, and we get 14 weeks of food delivered to my local community association parking lot. It's a cool idea and becoming more common with people who want to support local farm economy. Read about it on his website: http://www.eaglecreekfarms.ca/csa.htm
Somehow, knowing exactly where my food is coming from this year has inspired me to blog about what I make with the produce I'll be getting and growing. There are some things I've never really cooked with before so it will mean lots of experimenting, which I love. So I'll be blogging about meals I make under "Farmer John" headings. I'll be telling John about this at next week's delivery so that he can (if he wants) let other people in the CSA know. I'll also tweet photos of dishes.
Happy eating!
Check in and catch up...
I'm on mat leave with the latest addition to the Matheson clan, Sadie, so I'm gonna try my hand at blogging again. Here they are! Sadie has just been learning to sit on her own. 
Monday, October 11, 2010
I can stand.
Yesterday Owen stood on his own for about two seconds. It happened by accident when he was examining some drink coasters at the coffee table. He had one, then two, in this hands and then couldn't hold on.
Today we were at Grandma's for Thanksgiving and he stood for about 30 seconds shaking a rattle.
Look out.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Today we were at Grandma's for Thanksgiving and he stood for about 30 seconds shaking a rattle.
Look out.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
It's been a while
No, this is not a Nickleback song, but it has been a long time since I posted. I thought that our exile in Bridgeland would afford lots of opportunities to post, but it turns out that life got in the way. I will therefore attempt to recap.
Owen's birthday kept going and going. He had cake two separate times and loved each and every bite. I thought there'd be more mess. However, I guess when he's really motivated, most of the food makes it in the mouth.
He got lots of presents from lots of great friends and family. He's already enjoying many of them and will continue to enjoy many for years to come.
Trying to balance work and family has been difficult. I have brought way more work home, and actually done some of it. I am glad to be back at work though. Not to say that I didn't enjoy my year off with Owen, but I do love my work. I remember a colleague telling me that having kids would change the kind of teacher I was. They were right. I feel like I can empathize with my students more. Not that I didn't care before. It just feels different.
We finally made it to the end of our renting lives and after it all it wasn't too bad. What a dump that place was though. It was cleaner when we left it than it was when we arrived.
It was a bit shocking to see how much stuff we have. We are no where near unpacked. It's hard with Owen. We've bought lots of baby gates. He is a maniac. Despite having a million toys, all he wants to play with are the stairs, the cupboards, and whatever else will be dangerous. Maya's food is now officially on the counter. I will say that he is pretty good at getting up stairs. Also, he's not too bad a getting down, but he needs to be reminded to turn around. Otherwise he tries to do the skeleton down the stairs.
Nevertheless, we are home and loving it. Now time to start renovations.
Owen's birthday kept going and going. He had cake two separate times and loved each and every bite. I thought there'd be more mess. However, I guess when he's really motivated, most of the food makes it in the mouth.
He got lots of presents from lots of great friends and family. He's already enjoying many of them and will continue to enjoy many for years to come.
Trying to balance work and family has been difficult. I have brought way more work home, and actually done some of it. I am glad to be back at work though. Not to say that I didn't enjoy my year off with Owen, but I do love my work. I remember a colleague telling me that having kids would change the kind of teacher I was. They were right. I feel like I can empathize with my students more. Not that I didn't care before. It just feels different.
We finally made it to the end of our renting lives and after it all it wasn't too bad. What a dump that place was though. It was cleaner when we left it than it was when we arrived.
It was a bit shocking to see how much stuff we have. We are no where near unpacked. It's hard with Owen. We've bought lots of baby gates. He is a maniac. Despite having a million toys, all he wants to play with are the stairs, the cupboards, and whatever else will be dangerous. Maya's food is now officially on the counter. I will say that he is pretty good at getting up stairs. Also, he's not too bad a getting down, but he needs to be reminded to turn around. Otherwise he tries to do the skeleton down the stairs.
Nevertheless, we are home and loving it. Now time to start renovations.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Happy Birthday
One year ago, on August 20, Owen was born. A year later, we are living in a crappy apartment, counting down the days until we move into our new (to us) home. Even still, we had a little party to celebrate Owen's first birthday. There is a party planned, but with all the craziness we have planned it next weekend.
Kris went all out, buying a banner, candles and a party hat for the birthday boy. Of course there was cake. Owen loved it. See for yourself
Kris went all out, buying a banner, candles and a party hat for the birthday boy. Of course there was cake. Owen loved it. See for yourself
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
44 sleeps
My feet are killing me! I haven't worn heels (other than the occasional dinner date or Symphony event) for more than a couple of hours since about 12 weeks pregnant. I'm still not sure if my feet have changed size... they say that can happen when you get pregnant. What I do know is that they are swollen now. And, I have blisters too. I have only brought 3 pairs of dress shoes to the apartment, all of them heels of some sort. I may have to go on a shopping expedition.
My birthday is tomorrow. What a crazy year! Last year on my birthday, my water broke in the front of an Indian Take-out resturaunt. Now, a year later, we have become renters... I have never rented before in my life. Well, except for the summer I spent in Medicine Hat studying rattlesnakes. But that doesn't really count because everything was arranged by my job. I pseudo-lived on my own. It is wierd.
Kris printed out a bunch of pages with numbers from 46 to 1. We are crossing off the days. Still not sure what we're gonna do about the soft matress. I looked again on kijiji. No deals better than buying new from Ikea.
Owen has started really 4-point crawling. Kavin, one of the dayhome kids noticed it today. According to him, Owen made about 2 or 3 left-right's. Tonight, he went maybe 6 or 7. Look out tomorrow!
Tomorrow is the first real day of classes. 5 full classes with 30-ish kids a piece. I hope I'm ready.
My birthday is tomorrow. What a crazy year! Last year on my birthday, my water broke in the front of an Indian Take-out resturaunt. Now, a year later, we have become renters... I have never rented before in my life. Well, except for the summer I spent in Medicine Hat studying rattlesnakes. But that doesn't really count because everything was arranged by my job. I pseudo-lived on my own. It is wierd.
Kris printed out a bunch of pages with numbers from 46 to 1. We are crossing off the days. Still not sure what we're gonna do about the soft matress. I looked again on kijiji. No deals better than buying new from Ikea.
Owen has started really 4-point crawling. Kavin, one of the dayhome kids noticed it today. According to him, Owen made about 2 or 3 left-right's. Tonight, he went maybe 6 or 7. Look out tomorrow!
Tomorrow is the first real day of classes. 5 full classes with 30-ish kids a piece. I hope I'm ready.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
45 sleeps
I always thought that the function of a box-spring was to make the bed "normal height". I now know that to be incorrect. We have moved our mattress to the apartment and put it on the floor and it is now way softer than it used to be. So much so that Kris went to the chiropractor today and I have woken up the last two mornings with my left arm so numb that it actually doesn't move properly for a few minutes. I haven't slept well for this reason, among others. I woke up this morning exhausted.
Going back to work hasn't been a piece of cake either. A lot is the same; except that I now have to remember how things went 2 years ago, rather than one. It's starting to come back to me but slowly.
In all of it I'm just so glad I don't have to worry about Owen. Today when I picked him up she gave me a loaf of grain bread that she whipped up today. It was delicious.
Going back to work hasn't been a piece of cake either. A lot is the same; except that I now have to remember how things went 2 years ago, rather than one. It's starting to come back to me but slowly.
In all of it I'm just so glad I don't have to worry about Owen. Today when I picked him up she gave me a loaf of grain bread that she whipped up today. It was delicious.
Monday, August 16, 2010
46 days and counting...
We spent the better part of this weekend moving the bare essentials of our daily existence into the crappiest apartment in Bridgeland. It is awful. It wasn't very clean, although they said it would be, and it isn't furnished, although the original ad said it could be. But its cheap. Before moving I thought it would be like college living meets being stranded in Europe, but its kinda worse. Poor Owen doesn't know what to do. He is having a really hard time adjusting to sleeping in his playpen. Both last night and tonight he's taken about a half an hour to decide to lay down. Last night Kris just laid down beside him and waited for him to fall asleep. Tonight, I laid there and watched him stand at the edge of the playpen, rubbing his eyes in exhaustion. He fell down and picked himself up about 10 times before he was too tired and uncoordinated to get up again. At that point I left and he fell asleep.
We are here for 46 more sleeps. I can't wait. This place blows.
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We are here for 46 more sleeps. I can't wait. This place blows.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Packing, Packing, Packing
I have had Owen in care every day since we got back from Saskatoon last weekend. I've been so busy with packing that I haven't even had a chance to be sad that we're not together. Today though, it hit me. Tomorrow is officially our last day together. We have Salsa Babies at 11 am so I decided to keep him for the day. We are going to have lots of fun. No packing, just enjoying each other's company.
Yesterday at dinner, Owen stood up in the playpen all by himself. He's going to do a lot of firsts in this next year and I'm sad I might not be the first one to see them. I think I can appreciate more how Kris felt when he went back to work.
Thanks to Jean Chretien for giving us a year to look after our babies.
Yesterday at dinner, Owen stood up in the playpen all by himself. He's going to do a lot of firsts in this next year and I'm sad I might not be the first one to see them. I think I can appreciate more how Kris felt when he went back to work.
Thanks to Jean Chretien for giving us a year to look after our babies.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Step two, buy a house
Well, we've finally done it. In true meticulous shopper fashion, as Kris and I both are, we found a house almost identical to the first house we viewed when this all began. We both love the split level bungalows. They tend to be bigger and the stairs break up the spaces, making them
more interesting than the classic post-war bungalow. The first property we viewed was a split with extensive renovations. It was beautiful, but didn't have any room to grow, no storage, only 3 levels (bedrooms, living-dining-kitchen, and half-basement family room/man cave, and a very small yard. Eventually, we found the same house, without the renos, but with a 4th level, unfinished, where we can put a guest bedroom and a play area for kids. Not to mention storage and a space to make a wine cellar. Bigger lot, 2 car garage, and a back yard that is essentially a blank slate. There was some negotiating on the price and we ended up with a pretty good deal. Though the sale is pending home inspection, I feel confident in saying that our new address will be 9 Haverhill Drive SW. Is it silly that I'm very excited to live on a name street (for the first time in my life)? I'm also, even though its gonna be a lot of BS, really excited to decide on tiles and backslashes and paint colors and such.
Bad news is that we don't move in until Oct 1. So we are renting a crap apartment in Bridgeland for 45 days. I am trying to think about it like it's a Europe/vacation from reality kind of thing. The difference being that I have to go to work every day. Oh well, it's a means to an end. And there is an end in sight.
Europe really changed my outlook on life. There was a lot of "suck it up, buttercup" during our extended stay across the pond. Now that we're back home I feel like I can handle way more adversity than before. I keep thinking, "it's not like we're sleeping in a train station in Venice. And with a baby no less."
We are moving into the home where we will raise our children. How awesome is that?
more interesting than the classic post-war bungalow. The first property we viewed was a split with extensive renovations. It was beautiful, but didn't have any room to grow, no storage, only 3 levels (bedrooms, living-dining-kitchen, and half-basement family room/man cave, and a very small yard. Eventually, we found the same house, without the renos, but with a 4th level, unfinished, where we can put a guest bedroom and a play area for kids. Not to mention storage and a space to make a wine cellar. Bigger lot, 2 car garage, and a back yard that is essentially a blank slate. There was some negotiating on the price and we ended up with a pretty good deal. Though the sale is pending home inspection, I feel confident in saying that our new address will be 9 Haverhill Drive SW. Is it silly that I'm very excited to live on a name street (for the first time in my life)? I'm also, even though its gonna be a lot of BS, really excited to decide on tiles and backslashes and paint colors and such.
Bad news is that we don't move in until Oct 1. So we are renting a crap apartment in Bridgeland for 45 days. I am trying to think about it like it's a Europe/vacation from reality kind of thing. The difference being that I have to go to work every day. Oh well, it's a means to an end. And there is an end in sight.
Europe really changed my outlook on life. There was a lot of "suck it up, buttercup" during our extended stay across the pond. Now that we're back home I feel like I can handle way more adversity than before. I keep thinking, "it's not like we're sleeping in a train station in Venice. And with a baby no less."
We are moving into the home where we will raise our children. How awesome is that?
Friday, July 30, 2010
Make me an offer
Today is the day the offer goes firm on the sale of our condo in Parkdale. Last night we saw a property in Willow Park that we really like. We went back today to take another look and put a offer on it. The place is vacant (sort of) and is listed for possession of 10 days. It kinda all works out, if it all works out...
...which it didn't. Turns out that the guy wasn't that interested in selling. He could make more money renting. Bastard.
I'm trying my best not to get my hopes up or get excited/nervous.
We've been on the road pretty much all day so naps have been a lost cause. Despite it all though, Owen has been in great form. He was slightly whiney when we were signing papers, but that's about it. He's slept a bit in the car.
What a trooper.
...which it didn't. Turns out that the guy wasn't that interested in selling. He could make more money renting. Bastard.
I'm trying my best not to get my hopes up or get excited/nervous.
We've been on the road pretty much all day so naps have been a lost cause. Despite it all though, Owen has been in great form. He was slightly whiney when we were signing papers, but that's about it. He's slept a bit in the car.
What a trooper.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Step one, sell the condo
I'll start this post by saying two things:
As an aside, last August 19th, I was standing in the Indian takeout resturant picking up my birthday dinner when my water broke. Ran down my leg and onto the floor. Owen was born the next day.
Tuesday we looked at 9 properties in Kingsland, Haysboro and Chinook Park. Two were nice, but neither had everything we really want. We have decided not to settle, just because we're on a tight timeline. We can rent an apartment close to downtown for $1000 a month and store our stuff with a mover for $50. A small price to pay to get the home we will raise our kids in.
Tomorrow we are going to see a bunch more homes in Willow Park, Maple Ridge, and Lakeview... there are a couple in there we are really excited about. They look really nice in the pictures.
- We listed our condo about a month ago... we are bursting at the seams. Owen needs space to roam around and his toys aren't getting any smaller. We've had a handful of showings, but I didn't expect much last weekend... in the midst of packing for the trip I got a call that there would be a showing. Hence why we didn't leave town until about 3pm.
- There is no cell service in Yoho... anywhere. Off the grid.
As an aside, last August 19th, I was standing in the Indian takeout resturant picking up my birthday dinner when my water broke. Ran down my leg and onto the floor. Owen was born the next day.
Tuesday we looked at 9 properties in Kingsland, Haysboro and Chinook Park. Two were nice, but neither had everything we really want. We have decided not to settle, just because we're on a tight timeline. We can rent an apartment close to downtown for $1000 a month and store our stuff with a mover for $50. A small price to pay to get the home we will raise our kids in.
Tomorrow we are going to see a bunch more homes in Willow Park, Maple Ridge, and Lakeview... there are a couple in there we are really excited about. They look really nice in the pictures.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Weekend Camping and Hike in Yoho
We organized a weekend camping trip to Yoho National Park last weekend. We left town at about 3 pm with hopes to get a spot at the main campground, Kicking Horse. When we got there, of course it was full. The back up plan, to go to walk in sites at Takkakaw Falls was also a bust. We ended up finding a site 20 km further down the road at Chancelor Peak at about 8:30. At least there was a fire pit, which many sites in Yoho don't have. Owen really had a tough time getting to sleep, mostly because he fell asleep in the car on the journey to our campsite. He cried for over an hour.
He woke up at 2:30 am and was inconsolable. I rubbed his back and whispered for him to go back to sleep but nothing seemed to work. Had I brought a soother, I would have used it but I left them at home for that very reason. It felt like the whole campground could hear him. Not to mention that there was a young black bear in the area, which we were now advertising ourselves to. After probably a good 45 minutes, I brought him into the sleeping bag with me. Still pretty upset, I gave him a breast, which he happily took and then fell back asleep. He slept between Kris and I for the rest of the night. The next morning, when I saw Kris wrapped up in his sleeping bag like it was a cocoon, and saw that the ceiling vent was wide open, I realized why he was so upset. Cold. Probably freezing, actually.
roaring whitewaters,
We sat inside for a while and relaxed. The lemonade (Country Time Crystals... way too sweet) was awesome.
The guys who served us told us there was a different way down, which Kris was particularly happy to do. He's always happier to do a loop than an up-and-back style because you get to see different things. It was only one more kilometer (so now we're up to 17 km round trip...) and took us through an old avalanche area. Very cool, but mentally challenging.
It would not do well to break an ankle in there, which was when we realized we didn't have an emergency blanket, or a first aid kit. Foolish.
After the rocky traverse, there was a T-intersection of trails, and we took a left, just like the kids up top told us to... never mind that there was a sign that the trail wasn't maintained. Secretly, I shook my fist at the boys. Didn't they see we had a baby? The trail was supposed to get us back to laughing falls, a pretty big falls we saw on the way up. We heard the water and thought it wouldn't be that far. The sound got quieter, and then louder as we walked. After about 30 minutes, and through a few areas of treefall, where Kris and I both scraped our legs, we came to a bit of a clearing and saw... twin falls! We had been going the wrong way!
Thankfully we had the sense to turn back and got back on the right trail and made our way down. Owen was very upset though. He'd been stuck in that carrier all day and, though he is a pretty patient baby, this was just too much. Plus, I'm pretty sure he felt our stress mounting as we got more and more lost and the sun got deeper and deeper in the sky.
It was an adventure... about 21 km in all after the twists and turns. Not a choice I'd make with a baby, but it all worked out.
He woke up at 2:30 am and was inconsolable. I rubbed his back and whispered for him to go back to sleep but nothing seemed to work. Had I brought a soother, I would have used it but I left them at home for that very reason. It felt like the whole campground could hear him. Not to mention that there was a young black bear in the area, which we were now advertising ourselves to. After probably a good 45 minutes, I brought him into the sleeping bag with me. Still pretty upset, I gave him a breast, which he happily took and then fell back asleep. He slept between Kris and I for the rest of the night. The next morning, when I saw Kris wrapped up in his sleeping bag like it was a cocoon, and saw that the ceiling vent was wide open, I realized why he was so upset. Cold. Probably freezing, actually.
The hike we planned was to Twin Falls, where there is a CPR chalet built in the early 1900's. Reading online, the hike was about 6 km one way. Considerably longer than our last one, but still totally do-able. When we got to the trailhead, signage told us that the falls were 6.2 km, but the chalet was 7.9 km. Oops, oh well, we were there, and somewhat committed. Still, 16 km round trip shouldn't be too bad, right? The hike was spectacular. Lots of amazing sights - stunning waterfalls,
roaring whitewaters,
and glacier topped mountains.
There were a few steep parts, but lots of flatter sections too so it wasn't too strenuous. Plus, we knew there was some juice or tea or something waiting for us at the top.
We sat inside for a while and relaxed. The lemonade (Country Time Crystals... way too sweet) was awesome.
The guys who served us told us there was a different way down, which Kris was particularly happy to do. He's always happier to do a loop than an up-and-back style because you get to see different things. It was only one more kilometer (so now we're up to 17 km round trip...) and took us through an old avalanche area. Very cool, but mentally challenging.
After the rocky traverse, there was a T-intersection of trails, and we took a left, just like the kids up top told us to... never mind that there was a sign that the trail wasn't maintained. Secretly, I shook my fist at the boys. Didn't they see we had a baby? The trail was supposed to get us back to laughing falls, a pretty big falls we saw on the way up. We heard the water and thought it wouldn't be that far. The sound got quieter, and then louder as we walked. After about 30 minutes, and through a few areas of treefall, where Kris and I both scraped our legs, we came to a bit of a clearing and saw... twin falls! We had been going the wrong way!
Thankfully we had the sense to turn back and got back on the right trail and made our way down. Owen was very upset though. He'd been stuck in that carrier all day and, though he is a pretty patient baby, this was just too much. Plus, I'm pretty sure he felt our stress mounting as we got more and more lost and the sun got deeper and deeper in the sky.
It was an adventure... about 21 km in all after the twists and turns. Not a choice I'd make with a baby, but it all worked out.
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