grilled veggies

Pin It I am so excited that it is finally warm enough to start using the BBQ again. I love nothing more than a t-bone steak on the BBQ. I also love these grilled veggies. We picked up a grilling basket a few years ago and we use it all the time. LOVE IT. I just kind of made up this recipe, so it's not really a recipe, but here it is:

Ingredients:

several baby red potatoes, chopped small
button mushrooms, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
1 bunch of asparagus, cut using top halves only
salad dressing of your choice - I love greek with feta
feta cheese

You could really use any combination of veggies, but some grill better than others. I've had excellent results with the veggies used above. I've used tomatoes and red onions before and they didn't grill so well.

Chop and slice all veggies and throw into a bowl. If using potatoes you will want to cut them small because they take longer to cook and you don't want your other veggies to burn. Toss your veggies with salad dressing. Throw mixture into grilling basket. BBQ until veggies are cooked. Remove from BBQ and place in a serving bowl. Toss with salad dressing again. Sprinkle feta cheese on top. Yum! We served ours with delicious t-bone steaks - my favourite!





James would like you to appreciate the grill marks on his steak. Good job James! Pin It

spring/easter edible craft: popcorn ball trees

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This was a fun easter treat to make. Kirsten loves popcorn and marshmallows so it was a no-brainer that she would love them together. Here's what you'll need to assemble them:

coloured tins (dollarama)
floral foam (to wedge into the coloured tin)
lollypop sticks
easter grass

And here's the recipe:

10 cups popped popcorn
1 bag mini marshmallows
1 stick butter
1/2 pkg of jello (optional, only if you want your popcorn balls to be coloured or flavoured)

Place your popped popcorn in the largest bowl you have. In a pot on the stovetop melt the stick of butter. Add in the bag of marshmallows and melt completely while stirring constantly. You can optionally add in 1/2 pkg of jello for coloured or flavoured popcorn balls (I kind of like them just plain the best, but colours sure are pretty). When the mixture is completely melted, pour it over your popped popcorn. Mix it together really well. With well-greased hands (spray with pam), form balls out of the mixture. Insert lollypop stick. Allow to dry on wax paper. Enjoy! Pin It

easter craft: handprint bunnies

Pin It Here's yet another handprint craft. I warned you there would be more to come. I'm such a sucker for these types of crafts. These are so simple and adorable. Just paint your child's palm and their 2nd and 4th fingers. Stamp their hand on paper and decorate the bunny when dry. Kirsten made the pink/red and orange/yellow one, and Cam made the blue/green one. Here they are if you can handle the cuteness.







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taco burgers

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This is the recipe I made the guacamole for. I have to say I did like the guacamole on this burger. This was a very nice alternative to just plain ole cheeseburgers - even the kids liked it. You should definitely try these. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 pkg of taco seasoning mix
1 egg, lightly beaten
cheddar cheese, sliced
red onion, sliced
tomato, sliced
fresh guacamole
hamburger buns

In a medium bowl, combine taco seasoning, ground beef, and lightly beaten egg until completely combined. Divide the meat into four equal patties.

BBQ the burgers, topping with sliced cheese during the last 2 minutes of grilling.

Assemble each burger on a bun with sliced onion and tomato and top with a giant spoonful of guacamole. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Vintage Victuals Pin It

guacamole

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Here's another recipe. I'm not a huge fan of guacamole, but I thought I would give it another try. I found out that I'm still not really a fan. I did make this for a specific recipe I had in mind though which I will post at another time. Although I probably won't be snacking on guacamole with chips again anytime soon, it is a nice topping for many mexican meals. It's not the taste I didn't like as much as the texture. Or maybe I shouldn't have made this just a few days after recovering from the stomach flu when I still didn't have my appetite back. Oh well. There are lots of variations for making guacamole, here's the recipe I used:

3 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
1 roma tomato, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
hot sauce to taste (optional)
salt to taste
pepper to taste


Cut avocado into large chunks and mash coarsely in a bowl with a fork.

Add remaining ingredients and stir gently. The guacamole does not have to be absolutely smooth. Leaving a few small chunks is fine and some people prefer it that way. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, or a topping for mexican food. Enjoy! Pin It

pico de gallo

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I love this stuff. Pico de gallo is authentic Mexican salsa. It is an uncooked, chunky tomatoe salsa that is to die for. Once you eat this, you won't want to return to the jarred stuff. I like eating this with the lime flavoured tostitos (yum), but you can also use this as a topping for a variety of things.

Ingredients

3 roma tomatoes, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional) - I don't use this.
juice from 1/2 lime
chopped fresh cilantro to taste - make sure you use fresh, not dried
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Mix the above ingredients together. Refrigerate for several hours before serving - this helps blend the flavours. Enjoy! Pin It

the Dubien family by Kirsten

Pin It Kirsten drew pictures of our family today all by herself. I think she did an amazing job and I will cherish these first real drawings of hers forever. She is very proud of them. Keep in mind that Kirsten drew these all by herself with no help from mommy. Here's our family:

First here's a self-portrait of Kirsten. The scribbles on her cheeks are her dimples (too cute!!).



Next is Camden. She drew Camden a big mouth because she says he's loud - lol.



Next is Mommy. She drew me in my favourite colour - pink - which is a little hard to see because it's not as dark as some of the other colours.



Last is Daddy. Notice how daddy has dimples just like Kirsten. It also looks like daddy has a lot of crazy hair!

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look what I got

Pin It James bought me a beautiful orchid. Ok, let's rephrase that. James gave me his bankcard and told me to go in the store and pick out an orchid for myself. Yes, I am that picky and he has learned well. Thanks honey!! Isn't she pretty?



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happy belated St. Patrick's Day!

Pin It Sorry we've been MIA for a few days. The stomach flu has been taking it's toll on my family. Both of my babies and I have been very sick. James is the last man standing, but I think it's pretty inevitable that he'll catch it too because he's done such a good job taking care of us. Thanks honey! This is the worst flu I can remember having, I seriously thought I would die at times. I'll spare you all the graphic details though. Anyway, I meant to post this yesterday, but I couldn't peel myself from the bathroom floor to do so. So, here you go a day late - but better late than never, right?









Shamrock jello jigglers

Ingredients:

2 boxes of 3oz Lime Jello
2 cups of hot water
3/4 cup of cream

Directions

1. Boil 2 cups of water.
2. Add the 2 packets of Jello, mix till it has dissolved
3. Pour into a 13" by 9" glass pan, let stand for 10 minutes.
4. Pour in cream, mix.
5. Refrigerate till jello sets up.
6. Cut out with cookie cutters.

* The cream will separate on it's own creating the two layers. Pin It

blueberry pomegranate smoothie

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We love smoothies. This one has to be one of my very favourites. They are so easy to whip up and are delicious. Kirsten and Camden even love them. Try this one out, you'll love it.

Ingredients for 1 large smoothie:

1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup blueberry yogurt
1/2 cup POM pomegranate juice

Place above ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy! Pin It

art gallery animals

Pin It It's craft time again. This has to be one of my favourite crafts so far. Kirsten had a blast painting and then I cut animals out of her paintings and framed them. She is so proud of them and they look amazing. Check these cuties out.











Idea from sarahjanestudios


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caramel apple dip

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This stuff is soooo good. The kids (well, Kirsten) wasn't really a fan, which I guess is good that she just likes her fruit plain. Oh well, more for mama. I didn't complain. You'll want to try this simple recipe out. It makes for a great snack in just a few minutes.

Ingredients

16 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup water
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions

1.In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, or in the microwave, melt caramels with water, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and sugar. Fold in caramel mixture. Serve immediately.

Recipe from allrecipes.com Pin It

picture time

Pin It Here's a few pics of the kids from this weekend. Kirsten wasn't being totally cooperative, but we did get a few good ones. Cam was just loving looking out the window. Both the kids are enjoying the warm weather we've been having and have been spending a lot of time outdoors. Kirsten just loves to splash in puddles and get dirty.



















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handprint/footprint/thumbprint crazy

Pin It I've mentioned before that Kirsten loves crafts. I've also mentioned before that I love crafts that involve handprints/footprints/thumbprints, etc. (see thumbprint heart magnets and handstamp hearts for Valentine's day). Here's just a sampling of some of the wonderful keepsake crafts that we've made this past year. Most of them we've turned into animals. Aren't they just the cutest thing ever? I'm sure this will not be the last time you'll be seeing crafts like this on this blog. I can't get enough of them. Although probably self-explanatory, here's what they are:

First collage:

1. chick
2. fish
3. butterfly
4. lobster
5. elephant
6. octopus
7. peacock
8. swan
9. crab

Second collage:

1. rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
2. thanksgiving turkey
3. angel
4. ghost
5. very hungry caterpillar for Cam's first birthday
6. spider
7. sun
8. santa
9. goldfish





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spring is in the air

Pin It Spring is coming, I can just feel it. The weather has been amazing this week and so much snow has melted. I really hope this is a sign of Spring. The lung association was selling tulips at work this week and I couldn't resist a lovely bouquet of pink ones. I love pink tulips, and they're a great reminder that Spring is coming! I really need a macro lens to take the close-ups I want of flowers, but in the meantime, my regular lens will have to do. They look pretty good, but I know they can be so much better. With a macro lens you can get incredibly detailed shots. Just another thing on my wishlist!









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