HAPPY NEW YEAR AROUND THE WORLD.

THIS IS A RE-POST FROM 2009. TONIGHT WE ARE HAVING SOME FRIENDS OVER FOR A PRIME RIB DINNER AND SOME CELEBRATION. CHANCES OF ME STILL BEING AWAKE AT MIDNIGHT? MAYBE WE SHOULD TAKE BETS.

What are your New Years Eve traditions? My BB guy and I used to get together with our good friends who lived behind us. The 3 of them would get all kinds of seafood such as lobsters, crabs, mussels, scallops, prawns and they would start feasting early in the evening cooking up one dish after another.  I don't eat shellfish but would get a fabulous steak to cook for me along with some other appetizers that were shellfish free.
The good thing about being at our homes was that the kids could be here too and there was only a backyard separating us so the walk home was easy.

THE DINNER THAT CHANGED CHRISTMAS

This year Christmas was different. I was not cooking dinner. My sisters and my friends were not cooking dinner….well not for us anyways…

This year my eldest son cooked Christmas dinner. He came up with a menu, just slightly off of the traditional path that our family dinners have always taken.

He prepped things ahead of time and although he took on quite a menu he had it all ready to go on time without a single  problem.

This is something completely new. He is not a regular cook. He does love good food though and he scoured recipes for things that sounded good that were also doable.

He prepared this meal with a minimum of equipment. He borrowed several items from me such as my toaster over, a slow cooker, immersion blender, platter and a tablecloth. I also would have brought a few other things had I know what else he was missing. (good gift ideas for another time)

Here is our menu:

• Butternut Squash & Apple Soup
• Gingerale Glazed Carrots
• Creamed Corn with Red Peppers and Bacon (made from scratch not canned)
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Chipotles in Adobo Sauce
• Mashed potatoes with Garlic Cream and Parmesan
• Cornbread Stuffing
• Roast Turkey stuffed with Oranges, Lemons, Onions, Rosemary, Sage and Oregano
• Tourtiere (French Canadian Meat Pie..Traditional Christmas dish)
  
  Everything was absolutely delicious. I was so impressed. I think he was a bit surprised as to how much work all of this was going to be but he pulled off this dinner for 7

I felt kinda bad leaving him with a huge mess to clean up but his garburator backed up and we couldn’t do the dishes after dinner.

This may be our new family tradition … or not…depending on how long his memory is of all the work he had to do.

SWEETNESS AND IMAGINATION: CHILDREN’S PORTRAITS

My friend, Bill Oliver, is the creative talent behind these beautiful, tender photographs. Bill adds the whimsy to regular photos showing us the innocence and imagination of children. Just look at the little faeries dancing through the pages of this book.As adults our imaginations tend to wane. We see harsh reality instead of the beauty and magic. We need to capture the joy and beauty of these precious little faces while they still see the wonders in everyday life. Whether indoors or out there are faeries among us. We just don’t noticed them as much when we get older. We need that innocent child’s eye to see them. Bill’s work has been used in books and magazines recently doing the front cover for The Celtic Connection magazine. f you would like one of your children’s or grandchildren’s photos magically enhanced to show the imagination and beauty of the world through a child’s eyes then let me know and I will put you in touch with Bill Oliver.

A LITTLE CHRISTMAS DECOR

SPECIAL TREATS

One of my sons was out shopping today and he came across something he thought would be perfect to share at a get together on Friday night. Of course he will not put them out in the box….with the label…..that would ruin the bacony surprise wouldn’t it.

I don’t think I want to know what the nutritional info is for these. I am sure these would be perfect for Lynn @ http://happierthanapiginmud.blogspot.ca/

WEEKEND FUN FOR THE BB GUY

This is what my BB Guy likes to do on the weekends…well okay he would like it everyday but he does have to go to work sometimes.

A good time was had by all….even those who crashed. I think they think that is half the fun.

A CHRISTMAS VIDEO SHORT AND SWEET

Re-post from Dec. 2010

Much as I don`t like music on my blog I do recommend the sound be on for this video as it greatly adds to the story. Too cute.

RANDOM: Costco Shopping Trip

 A re-post from 2009 but nothing has changed.

Ahhh Costco. Is there anything like a trip to Costco to make your day? First you have to prove you are worthy to shop there by showing your special card with your special portrait photo on it. I bet they give out awards at their Christmas parties to the staff member who took the worst Costco card photo. Then they all laugh at them in a Power Point Presentation.

Next you are stuck at the doorway in a mass of carts and shoppers that can't figure out that if they stop to read the coupon pages in the doorway the rest of us can't get in the store. These are the same people who block the entire book aisles with their carts while they read up on Kathy Lee Gifford or the latest Oprah pick (yes I read Oprah's picks too but I buy the book and read it at home instead of cleaning the house).

The next Costco challenge is trying to get a sample of the good stuff. Not the Cheerios which you have at home anyways but the chocolate truffles, or chocolate anything for that matter. People congregate around with all their carts at the ends of the aisles. You take your life in your hands when you try to get close to the food demonstrator for your piece. "Please sir, may I have another?"

Last but not least is the jockeying for position at the checkouts. I know they want us to buy carts full of stuff but sometimes all you need is the large bottle of Advil, mostly to deal with the headache you developed in the store. No express checkout for them. Line up with the group buying all the eats and drinks for the soccer tournament. They only have 2 trolleys full. Yes but we still go back.

Who am I kidding. I have never gone into the store and come out with just one thing. Remind me to tell you about the time that woman cut in front of me around Thanksgiving when my back was turned and then spouted off about only wanting good karma. Tuned her up good.

VINTAGE SANTA POSTCARD

Part of my huge Santa collection includes old postcards. Some have Christmas messages on the back and I have even found the people involved on old census forms in the past.

HOLIDAY MANTLE

Since I haven't started with my decorating yet this year I am reposting my mantle from a while back to join in with 

Savvy Southern Style: A Homespun Christmas Vignette and Mantles Party. 

If this party doesn't get me in the mood for decorating I don't know what will. 

************************  

(FROM 2010) 

This year I have not put out all my Santas. Not even a third of them. Sigh. No time, no room, no energy. Some did make it on to the mantle though. 

ALL THE SHOPPING HELP WE CAN GET

There are some new phone apps out  there that may help with your Christmas shopping challenges.

1. You can actually get a map of the inside of your Walmart or Target stores. That would come in hand for short people like me who can’t see over the heads of the crowds.
2. There is something called RedLaser that will shop for items that are available in your area to save you driving around or sitting on hold on the phone to see if the product you want is available.
3. How about knowing when something you have ordered has been delivered. Slice will organize your confirmation of purchase emails but will track the delivery for you. It will also advise you if the price has gone down so you can request the difference back.
4. When life gives you Lemon use it! Lemon digitizes all your receipts in your phone when you photograph the receipt. It can also be used to track your loyalty cards numbers so you don’t have to carry so many with you. They can just key in your number at the checkout instead of scanning one of your 400 cards. There are some more perks you can get with this app if you buy it but the basic version is free.
5. Snaptell will compare prices with Amazon’s price. You can also go via a link to other sites that rate the products as well.

Now all I need is an app that brings me coffee and then wraps all the Christmas gifts for me. Come on team…lets get working on that app. Christmas will be here soon.

IN THE INTEREST OF INTEREST

How do you manage your bills?

Are you a train wreck? Are you rigid? Do you pay your bills on time? Do you blame everyone but yourself for your life’s woes?

Okay I don’t really expect you to answer that on here but I have to wonder.

We often get calls at my work from people who want us to take the interest charges off their bills. They have a variety of reasons as to why they are not responsible for the charges to their accounts.

• I didn’t get the bill (we sent it to the address on file month after month and you knew you were using something you have to pay for)
• I haven’t lived there in 2 years (you didn’t give us a new address. YOu used our service and never questioned why you were no longer getting a statement?)
• I paid my bill (yes you did but it was due on June 1st and you paid it in October)
• They opted to manage their accounts online to no longer get a paper statement yet have never logged into their accounts to check their bills.
• They have put a credit card on file to pay their accounts automatically but it has expired or declined. (we have automated phone calls that go out to warn you of an expiring credit card a month ahead of time and also an automated call if your card doesn’t go through. This caller will leave a message if it gets an answering machine)
• They have more than one account with us and are paying the wrong account even though there is a clear account # on the statement. In this case we do reverse the interest charges since we did have their money. Funny thing is they get mad at us because they are paying the wrong account often a spouses account.
• Did we actually make an error? Many apologies and let us remove those interest charges right away.

We are often talking about a very small amount but rather than accepting that they are not paying their bills on time they will fight to the finish.

Why don’t we reverse it as a goodwill gesture you ask? The odd time we do but we pay interest on the money our company owes, and since it is a substantial amount for a very, very large project we do not have the luxury of not collecting interest on overdue amounts.

So the next time you have an interest charge on one of your bills you may want to look at the real reason why and just chalk it up to experience and pay it.

Whew…….I feel better now.

 

TIME TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

BEARS TO WIN YOUR HEART- AND TO RAISE SOME MONEY TOO

I have painted two pieces for a silent auction next weekend. I haven’t painted in over 3 years and started back with pieces that are a little challenging to say the least. Wasn’t my best plan.

My friends are trying to get a program in their son’s school that will assist with his learning environment. He has autism. They were told that the school would pay half so they have organized a beer & a burger fundraiser/auction for next Sunday. They have pretty much sold out 100 tickets.

So such as they are I will give them to my friend to put in the silent auction. In this case silence is my friend because I don’t want to know if they don’t sell. Lol.

WHO IS THIS MAN?

“The British Columbia Regiment is asking for help identifying a mystery man in a 100-year-old photograph.

The photograph has been hanging on the walls of the regimental hall in downtown Vancouver for decades.

It shows rows of sergeants and warrant officers as they posed for an official portrait in 1913.

But among the soldiers is one anonymous Sikh man in a suit and white turban, and there are no records explaining who the man is”

(note: this is from CBC News)

If you know who this person is please email dukeinfo@bcregiment.com

I HAVE COMPETITION FOR MY MAN

I think my BB Guy may be cheating. He has a new “friend”.

He brought her home with him after work yesterday. He really likes her.

I can see why he is enamoured with her though. She is tall, blonde and very attractive. Plus she likes beer.

How can I compete with that…I mean I do like beer and all, but those legs, those perky breasts…that tiny waist. I am afraid I am no match for her seductive charms.

She isn’t very talkative though. Her personality is flat. Very one dimensional. I think she is kind of fake.

Maybe I do have what it takes after all. Maybe I don’t have to worry. Besides I think she will be his cabin wife because there isn’t room in this house for the both of us….

My BB Guy is 6ft. 3 tall … now you get the idea of how big his new friend is.

STEP AWAY FROM THE GARLIC BREAD

It is official. I cannot be trusted with garlic bread. Not even for a minute. I cannot manage to keep an eye on the buttery, garlicy loaves under the broiler. We like them toasted so they are always done open faced under the broiler.

I set the timer even. I stay in the kitchen. I talk too much with my guests and voila…. same results every time.

GARLIC BREAD LORI STYLE

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU LORI STYLE

I remember a time when the biggest thing in restaurants was Chicken Cordon Bleu. It was the stuff of first dates and dinner celebrations.

Recently I have had a craving for some stuffed chicken breasts so I decided to make my own.

I had to work until 6:15 so I prepared the chicken this morning before work. I worried that the coating would be soggy. It wasn’t.

Here we go with my version which is by no means traditional. There is no heavy cream sauce. It is not rolled up like many others are. It is just my version, which means easy and it turned out AWESOME.

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU LORI STYLE

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE RECIPE

Adjust the amounts according to the people you are feeding. Depending on how large the breasts are you will be able to fit in more ham and cheese.

Chicken breasts, boneless
Shaved deli ham
Sliced Swiss cheese (about 3 X 4 inches)
Greek style plain yogurt
Garlic, I used about 2 teaspoons of dried garlic granules
Pepper, 1 teaspoon but we like lots of pepper 
Panko bread crumbs
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make a slice into the side of the breast making a nice big pocket. Be careful not to go all the way through but make is as big as possible. I made the pocket considerably bigger than this.  Take 2 slices of Swiss cheese and some shaved deli ham and roll them up like a cigar. Stuff this inside the pocket you made in the chicken. It will be very full but that is okay.

Mix garlic and pepper into the Greek yogurt and then roll the chicken breasts in that mixture. Look how thick and rich that Greek yogurt is. Brilliant for cooking. Roll this in Panko bread crumbs. Take some kitchen twine and tie around the breast in about 4 places to keep that stuffing inside and the breast together.
(I tried toothpicks but they don’t close the chicken up well enough. At this point I covered it up and put it in the fridge for about 9 hours until I got home from work.)

Place chicken in a baking dish with the cut side up to help keep the cheese inside. Sprinkle lightly with olive oil. If they are not able to stand up on their own make little tin foil bundles to help prop them up.(note there are 2 plain chicken breasts in the pan for the one in the house who rolls that way) Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until lightly browned and cooked through basting with the liquid from the pan which is a mix of the olive oil and the oil released from the cheese. It adds lots of flavor and helps to brown the Panko bread crumbs.My BB Guy said this was the best chicken he has had for as long as he could remember. He was so right. It was tender, moist and tasty. I wouldn’t add any salt in the cooking process because there is enough salt in the ham and the cheese. This is good enough for company and makes family feel like you are out for dinner for that special occasion.