A Princess Party

One of Jackie's friend's birthday is only a few weeks after hers.

She turned 4 as well and her Mom hired Cinderella to come to the party.

There were only 4 little girls at the party, they were told to wear their princess outfit, they were all thrilled when Cinderella showed up.

She read them a story, did a few magic tricks, played some games and even had a dance lesson.

Jackie learning the waltz.

The waltz then lead into something a modern princess should know - R&B & Hip Hop - this is Cinderella teaching them the 'sprinkler'.

(Yes, us Mom's were laughing pretty hard at this point.)

Family Dinner Party

Since we don't have a huge house, we find it a little hard to have birthday parties for the kids and all our family too, so we decided to split the two.

Kids party one day, family dinner the next.  It works quite well.

For Jackie's party I served pulled pork on buns with a couple of salads, super easy, all made ahead of time so I could enjoy a glass of wine too.

Of course there was cake too!

Uncle Blake - Blankie thief

Jackie got this super cute princess dress from Uncle Paul and Auntie Catalina (they picked it up at Target when they were in Vegas).

And how can you not love that face?

He just has to be part of the

 action!

Cake & Presents

You might remember I made a princess cake for Jackie's first birthday, since I had the stuff and I am not sure if she will be into princesses next year, I decided to re-do it.

She asked for a pink cake (since last years was purple).  I took a day off work to get ready for the party and make the cakes.

The kids getting ready for the party with more chairs.

I took Jackie to Michaels a few weeks prior looking for a craft we could do at the party.  What I found were Easter coloured sand pails and a whole bunch of stickers.

The kids had a blast decorating their buckets which we later filled with their "grab bag" stuff.

Cake time!

Not only did I make the princess cake, I also made 2 cakes we could do the candles with and serve.  Next year I want to take 2 days off work.

Anderson got a few presents too.  I love that some guests thought of this and how hard it is for the other child to get nothing. 

Jackie got a singing princess card - she loved it!

Birthday Girl

Our little girl is now 4!

I am like every other mother out there that can't believe she is 4 years old already.

Jacqueline is an amazing little lady.

She has her mother's memory (Adam is in so much trouble when she realizes this).

She still has her amazing big, dark, dark brown eyes (we are so in trouble when she is 16).

She is not overly tall for her age, but she is definitely not short (I hope she is as tall as me if not taller).

She has amazing hair (her mother's colour, but with curls and body - I am so jealous).

She has not one but two dimples courtesy of her father (who only has one).

She still has her birthmark (something we always tell her makes her special - hopefully it does not bother her too much when she is older - it is on her elbow, funny - neither Adam or I have a birthmark).

She can colour and draw (draw - almost better than me, colour - no problem staying in the lines and know peoples faces should no longer be purple or green).

She can't write her name yet (but she can copy you if you write it for her).

She loves her brother so much (the next two years are going to be tough as they no longer will be together all day every day).

Funny Faces

Valentine's Cookies

If you read my previous post, I mentioned making heart shaped cookies every year with my Mom and siblings for Valentine's Day. 

I decided to do the same with Jackie and Anderson this year, and who knew it would turn into the greatest evening activity EVER.

We baked all the cookies a few days prior, then I made the icing.

Every evening, I pulled out a few cookies, the icing and their bowls of decorative sprinkles and they went to town.

When done, the sprinkles and icing got put away, ready to be pulled out the next day.

Auntie Amy

Super bowl Sunday, Adam headed over to a friends house, and I invited my sister over to hang out with the kids and I.

We decided to make cookies, Valentines cookies.  I have some very fond memories of my Mom making heart shaped cookies with pink icing with us every year for Valentine's Day.

I did not manage to take a picture of the actual cookies, but for some reason I took this picture.

We also made a favourite meal, roast chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy and corn.

Here the kids were eager to help Amy while she was cutting up the potatoes.

Notice the measuring cup full of fishy crackers.

Amy told me as she was leaving, she is now good, has had her monthly does of birth control.  Not saying my kids were bad, but that they are A LOT of work, but who would not love to hang our with Auntie Amy when she does this with you.

Dinner time - they both had to sit RIGHT beside her.  Super cute.



We had a great day hanging out, the kids had a blast, Amy and I got a chance to chat way more than we normally do, and she went home to her hubby and cat, lounged on the couch and slept through the night.

Finding Time

I know I have been a horrible blogger recently, I had a really good run for a while there, but life has gotten crazy.

Mostly it is my work, I have been beyond busy at work, and I am sure you know it is mentally and physically draining.  The last thing I want to do is blog after the kids have finally gone to bed.  I want to sit on the couch, watch TV or read my book.

I haven't even been reading as much as I normally do, I am going to sleep earlier and watching a little bit more brain-less TV.

But I am going to try and get through some of my updates this week.
We will see how I do - this week I am prepping for a 4 year olds birthday party.

A certain little girl is big time into princesses and I have decided to re-do her first birthday cake (the doll cake).  I am not sure if she will be as into princesses next year, so I better take the opportunity.
Something I learned from Anderson's birthday - if you want a fancy cake for the party, I better take a day off work to do it - so I am off Friday when I will decorate the cake and hopefully be able to keep it as a surprise for her.

A Good Night Kiss

We had Sarah and emily over for dinner last weekend.

Anderson and Emily are 6 months apart.

We were able to capture them saying good-bye to each other.

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 TBSP Butter
1 TBSP olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2.5 L chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sherry
1 cup half and half cream
sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Pour a thin layer of water in a baking dish or cookie sheet with sides. Place the squash halves cut side down on the dish. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a fork can easily pierce the flesh. Cool slightly, then remove the peel. Set aside.

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots, saute for a fe minutes then add the garlic, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Pour the chicken broth into the pot. Add the potatoes, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 20 mintues, or until the vegetables are soft. Add the squash, stir to incorporate. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or transfer to a blender or food processor in batches and puree until smooth. Return to pot.
Season the soup with cayenne pepper, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, salt and pepper, then stir in the sherry and half-and-half cream. Heat through, but do not boil.

Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy!

Rosemary Cheese Bread

Rosemary Cheese Bread

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 3 ounces)
1 cup grated provolone (about 1/4 pound)
2 red bell peppers, roasted (procedure follows) and chopped fine

In a large bowl proof the yeast in 1 1/3 cups warm water for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of the flour, the salt, the rosemary, garlic, the pepper, the oil, the cheeses, and the bell peppers and stir the mixture until it is combined well.

Knead the dough on a floured surface, incorporating as much of the remaining 1 cup flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic,  (using a stand mixer, knead for the same time, I found I needed at least a 1/2 cup more flour), transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl, turning it to coat it with the oil, and let it rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it is double in bulk.

Punch down the dough, halve it, and shape each piece into a loaf, about 14 inches long. Transfer the loaves to a lightly oiled baking sheet and let them rise, covered with a kitchen towel, for 45 minutes, or until they are almost double in bulk.

Bake the loaves in the middle of a preheated 400°F. oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until they are golden, transfer them to a rack, and let them cool.  Turn oven down to 350 F if they are getting too brown.

To roast peppers:

Using a long-handled fork char the peppers over an open flame, turning them, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the skins are blackened. (Or broil the peppers on the rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler about 2 inches from the heat, turning them every 5 minutes, for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the skins are blistered and charred.) Transfer the peppers to a bowl and let them steam, covered, until they are cool enough to handle. Keeping the peppers whole, peel them starting at the blossom end, cut off the tops, and discard the seeds and ribs.

Yield: 2 loaves

An Artist

Not only is she an artist, she is a princess artist too.

You will notice the big honkin' ring she is wearing too - what you can't see is the princess skirt and heals.

She must be my child.

Quick and Easy Spiced Coucsous

I have been making this recipe for years, it is super easy and we love it beside jsut about anything.

Quick and Easy Spiced Couscous

2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups couscous
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 - 1/4 tsp salt (depending on how salty your chicken stock is)
1 TBSP butter
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
1 roma tomato, finely diced
12 TBSP fresh chopped basil (or parsley)

In a saucepan, bring chicken stock to a boil, stir in couscous, pepper, allspice, cinnamon and salt.
Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Fluff with a fork, stir in butter, almonds, tomato and basil.

Enjoy!

I did not have any fresh or dried basil, so I used fresh parsley, it worked great, just not quite the same flavour.

Source: Anne Lindsay's Light Kitchen

Tomato, Lime and Cilantro Salsa

Adam discovered this recipe in one of my cook books a little while ago, since then it has become a staple in our house.
We serve it with chicken and on top of rice, it is a great way to take a borring meal and make it just a little bit more special.

Tomato, Lime and Cilanto Salsa

4 roma tomatoes, finely diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 lime
1 1/2 tsp white sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Mix together tomatoes, green onions and cilantro.  Zest and juice the lime and add both to the tomato mixture.  Add in sugar and salt.  Stir well, and set aside for 10-15 minutes.

Serve on top of cooked chicken and along side rice.

Product Review: French Onion Soup

Adam LOVES French Onion Soup!
So for Christmas this year, he got some Epicure French Onion Soup Mix packages in his stocking (last year he got the bowls for Christmas).
You see sometimes I just do not have the time to make it, and he is not so inclined either, so for a quick fix, I thought this would do the trick.

Product review #1

Product: Epicure's French Onion Soup Mix.
Source: Friend's Epicure party
Servings: 4
Cost: $3.95

I thought it would be great, I love everything Epicure does.

Here is where I should have paid attention:

Off their website:
French onion soup in restaurants can contain as much as 1450 mg of sodium per serving. Save almost 690 mg sodium per serving with Epicure’s version, PLUS there’s no hydrogenated fats in the mix!

Adam will eat ANYTHING!  But this - he actually dumped it down the sink!  Before it even made it to the bowl.  As we were cooking it - and tasting, we quickly realized this was horrible.  And when I say horrible, I mean HORRIBLE.
It tasted like there was no salt what-so-ever! 

My rating: 0 out of 5.
So that failed.

Product review #2

(note: the above picture is not the box I bought, the box from Costco looks a little bit different and has 6 servings instead of 2)

Product: Plats du Chef French Onion Soup
Source: Costco
Servings: 6
Cost: $12.95

I picked this up based on a recommendation from a co-worker.  These are cook from frozen.  They have instructions for cooking in the microwave or the conventional oven.  My co-worker told me the microwave method turned out sub-par results.

So we tried these on the weekend, in the oven it takes 40 minutes at 400 F.  A little on the long side, but still no where near as long as making French Onion Soup from scratch.

These were quite good.  A little too salty for me, but when is FOS not salty?
This is a great option for anyone craving a nice hot bowl of French Onion Soup, but not willing or able to put the effort in to making it from scratch yourself.

My rating: 3 1/2 out of 5.

NOTE:  I paid for both items and was not asked to review by either company.

A New Blog!

I have decided after quite a bit of thought, to start another blog.


I will be keeping this blog, but I wanted to do more than what this blog is designed for.
The Hill Family Saga blog is my personal blog, this is where I publish pictures of the kids, talk about daily things in our family.
The blog I want to start is going to be more Mom / parenting focused.

My new blog is called Minivan Stiletto!

Follow the link to check it out - it is new - just started, only one post up as of right now, but there will be more.

Feel free to share the link with anyone you want, and I welcome comments!

Don't worry, I will still be posting here, but you will notice I will do a bit of cross posting with both sites.