Strawberry Jam on a Rainy Saturday Afternoon~

This past Saturday was one of the rainiest days I've seen in a long time. So what do you do on a rainy day? You make homemade strawberry jam. Well at least that's what I did. I just followed the no cook freezer jam recipe on the Pectin box.

I took some pictures of jam making adventures.

First off you have to wash the jam jars. Soapy warm water works great, if you make cooked jam you are suppose to sterilize the jars first. But no cook jam you just have to wash the jars

My beautiful strawberries.

You obviously have to wash and take off the stem, then you have to mash the strawberries until you get 2 cups.

Then you add 4 cups of white sugar, mix it well and let stand for 10 minutes.

While the strawberry and sugar mixture set, you can cook the Pectin.

3/4 cup of water in a sauce pan, add the crystles (pectin) Bring to a boil for one minute, stirring constantly.

Mix into your strawberries and stir for 3 minutes.

Jar your jam, let stand sealed for 24 hours. Then enjoy~

 

St Jacobs farmers market

Good morning lovelies, yesterday morning my friend Colleen and I went down to the St Jacobs Farmer Market. It was amazing, they have done a wonderful job rebuilding the market place and vendors after the fire that had devastated the grounds a few years ago.

We got there pretty early in the morning so it wasn't too busy, didn't take too long however and the place was crawling with people.

The picture below is inside the main barn, just filled with food vendors on the bottom floor. Homemade treats, meat, cheese, breads and pastries. On the top floor where Colleen and I are here they have sellers who make homemade sweaters, socks, scarfs, soaps..etc etc. So much too look at, it was a great time.

Out doors pretty much mirrors the same as the indoor establishments. You can see much of the Mennonite community brings in their homemade jam's, maple syrup, fruits and vegetables, pies and not to mention all the beautiful quilts.

The picture taken below was a quick snapshot before many got there.

OH I also bought some Macaroons, one in every color. I think the pink one was my favorite.

 

Well friends, I am off we have a busy day today. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, I may post something if I get the chance. Enjoy the weather, spend time with family, relax and love life.

Cheers~

Reece's Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispy's~

Well you will thank me for sharing this recipe with you! Its so easy..yet so delicious.

I did find this on Pinterest, honestly all I do is check out simple recipes and try them on my family. I made this one last week.

All you do is make Rice Krispy squares, I added more marshmellows to the recipe. I really like marshmellows..lol who wouldn't love more fluff?! Anyways, its 6 cups of marshmellows, 1/4 cup of margarine, and 6 cups of rice Krispy's.

Easy peasy, I also added 1/4 cup of peanut butter to the mix once the rice Krispy's are stirred into the melted marshmellows.

All the ingrediants you need up top...Reece's Peanut Butter cups, marshmellows, Krispy's, margarine and 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract.

So melt the butter and marshmellows over medium heat, add the vanilla.

Mix in the Krispy's, and add the peanut butter. Spread half the krispy mixture into a greased 9"x11" dish. Then top with Reece's Peanut Butter Cups.

Spread the remaining krispy mixture over the Peanut Butter cups.

I forgot to mention the chocolate chips..melt some chips in the microwave then spread over Krispy's.

Voila...you've got some pretty awesome sweet snacks~

You can see below the Reece's peanut butter cups are smack dab in the middle, deliciousness right there my friends!

Well my lovelies, kinda tired tonight. I had to make some pasta shells today for hubby and friends. He is having a guys weekend at the cottage this weekend and I really do like to send him with some food. Bunch of guys drinking all weekend, playing games,..they're gonna get hungry. So today I did that, and I also bought a lot of Strawberries, I am hoping to make some jam this weekend. Its been busy...not to mention hubby got home and wanted to go out tonight, so we did that! lol, I am off now, good night friends and god bless~

 

 

Happy Father's Day to three of my favorite men~

Although Fathers Day was a few days ago, I still want to blog about it. What a great day we had, we invited both our dad's this year. Paul's dad and his wife Suzanne came over for dinner, along with my parents. I ordered pizza for dinner, that way there was no cooking and I could enjoy the whole visit and give my attention to the conversations being had around the table.

 

Because I am spoiled ;) Suzanne and my father in law brought me this lovely arrangement of flowers. I have them on my dining room table, they are just so pretty. The flowers also came with a beautiful vase...I needed another one too, so that worked out great for me!

Thank you Suzanne and dad for the flowers, it was a wonderful surprise~

Here are my three favorite dad's in the world. I love each of them with all my heart, each of them for different reasons. My Dad is obviously the man who raised me, kept me safe, taught me boundaries and provided me with a wonderful childhood. As he and I both got older, he actually became very much a support system, he is very wise and seems to be the strength in our family.

My dad did not have it easy as a youngster, and at a very young age he became a father (to me.). He was only 18 years old and had to hold down a job to support his wife and young daughter. There wasn't much guidance in parenting from his parents, although I have to say he did get some pretty important qualities from both his parents. His mother had a wonderful sense of humor, and thankfully my dad inherited that from her. Thankfully he brought that into our childhoods, and both my brother and I developed some pretty funny coping skills. Humor is the key to surviving any pain, and I am so blessed to have acquired the ability to laugh. My grandmother was also a lover, she loved her family and made sure each one of us knew that. She had the best way of showing her children and her grandkids just how special each one of us was. My dad is the same, he has always in his own way showed us the love we needed to feel safe and secure in our home.

My dad also inherited a "no bullshit" attitude which I believe he got from his father. Growing up in our home we had rules, and god help us If we broke them. My dad never allowed drama in our home, he kept it out and never allowed us to run the house. I use to get so  upset with the rules, but now that I am an adult I understand the importance of that. We always felt safe, we knew if dad was around no one would ever get away with any bullshit. Thank you dad, I do feel the reason my family is a happy, well rounded, hard working group Is because Paul and I have been very careful with what and who we allow to influence our family life.

 

 My father in law is the most kind hearted man I have ever known. He is a caregiver, he loves his family fiercely and everything he does he does with passion. He taught my husband to be a hardworker and a loyal family man. My father in law is one of the most interesting people to sit down and talk too, his stories I could sit and listen too forever.

 I have always admired the dedication he has to his whole family (and its a big family). He has raised 6 wonderful adults, with his wife and provided a stable, loving family home. I always have adored how much he loves his wife(s). He was an incredible caring and compassionate man to his first wife and mother to his children. My father in law supported her daily, encouraging her and guiding her gently with a steady hand while she recovered from a brain aneurism.

After she passed, he met Suzanne. She brought something new into his life, and he once again found the love and companionship he so deserved. Still today he is the pillar of stability that she needs, his unconditional love is admirable. Every man could learn from him~  

My hubby is too me the best man ever, and I was blessed to have met him and had two beautiful children. He is the perfect mix of both my dad and my father in law. They say you marry your father, or that you marry a man similar to you dad. It has taken me some time to see that, but for sure my husband shadows my dad in many ways. But the things he has taken from his father is why I love him. Paul has been my protector, my rock, my soft spot and my world. He has dedicated his own life to make mine better, he is selfless, and works harder than any other man I know. Although I have witnessed much tragedy in my life, I have to say the best thing that ever happen to me was meeting my man. I wouldn't be where I am today without him.

So to each of these special men who I am blessed to have in my life, I want to say thank you for being you. Thank you for being the amazing men, husbands and fathers you could be. I love you~ 

Oh and this dessert was absolutely delightful. It is the old Knotty Pine Buttered Almond cake. which I bought from Pioneer BBQ in Kitchener. SO GOOD!!

Paul and his dad with Suzanne in the background, we had gotten Paul's dad a gift card to Home Hardware, He seemed pretty happy with that!

So, my dad and Paul play Corn hole non-stop for 3 years, they absolutely love this game. My dad is always talking about who the Cornhole king is, sometimes its my dad and sometimes its Paul. I had the idea to have some shirts made for them. Above Paul is holding up his shirt which says "Boss of the Toss" and below my dad has his shirt which says "King of Corn Hole"...I think they liked them. I know they will wear them the next time they are at the cottage and have the chance to play. They need to get Leonard down there to play and show them both how its done :)

Overall my friends this fathers day was a great success. I was so pleased to have all three men around my table. I hope to do it again next year~

Well my lovelies, unitl tomorrow good night and god bless xo

What a wonderful weekend~

This weekend was filled with family, my favorite kind of weekends. On Saturday Kailey and I had a bridal shower for my nephew Josh's fiancé. Ana and Josh have been together for 5 years and they are perfect for one another. They are the nicest couple, so kind to their families and friends and that showed at the shower. Everyone who was in attendance had nothing but wonderful things to say about Josh and Ana. Such a lovely couple :)

Ana's mom threw the party at her home. I believe it was Ana's sister and cousin who hosted it. They did such a beautiful job. The atmosphere was perfect, they have a gorgeous backyard which allowed all the guests to sit comfortably amongst one another and visit. The food was amazing, Ana's family is Romanian so some of the goodies were Romanian. Deliciousness~

Me, Sue, Kailey, Ana & Josh

Bride and Groom to be~

This is my niece Jessica, Josh's sister. She presented a speech welcoming Ana into the Goulet family. Jess spoke so eloquently, she did a great job. Actually brought tears to my eyes.

 

This is Ana and her sister, they had a game in which Josh was asked a bunch of questions. The questions were focused around himself, so naturally Ana was asked the same questions, and if she didn't get them correct she would have to eat a piece of gum. That was cute, cause Josh answered the questions with some humor. Leaving Ana putting lots of gum in her mouth. Great game, we had lots of laughs.

This is my niece Michelle and her gorgeous lil'man Sydney. He is just the cutest, and so well behaved. It was nice to see them both.

They had a mini bar set up, and Josh tended to it. He had taken care of all the ladies drinks and did a great job. Everyone had their glasses full with delicious refreshing beverages.

Here's a snap shot of some of the family, far left is Kailey, then my sister in law Charlotte, her granddaughter (my great niece) Leah, whom actually flown in from Scotland that morning. Poor girl must have been so tired. Good thing she's young :) she can handle it. Jessica is beside Leah, then Michelle and baby Syd.

Just one of the many appetizers we had the  privilege of tasting.

Does this not just look like something from a magazine! So beautifully presented, it was wonderful.

 

 

Well my lovelies, that is it. Congratulations to Josh and Ana, looking so forward to the wedding and witnessing the two of you start your life together as a married couple. Love to you both~

Until tomorrow good night and god bless~

Does this mom look happy?

 

So recently I have had some problems with someone in my life not being honest with me.  Not going into specifics, what I mean is they just refuse to be truthful sharing in their life's reality.  I am not talking about my immediate family, so don't go jumping to conclusions. I have no issues with my family...

I am struggling. I do not know which route to take and I am lost. I have been dealing with this issue for some time, and there is only a small handful aware of it. I was recently speaking to someone about this situation and they had made a comment to me saying "maybe they think everyone's life is perfect so they want you to think their life is too."

At first I was in agreement, I had said "ya, maybe"....and I had left it at that.

But then I started to think about this, and it really began to bother me. After some considerate thought I began to think if this is really the case, and this person truly thinks my life is perfect and all I do is post my perfect life on social media...then f**K them! (Sorry for the bluntness, it just demonstrates how much it really does bother me)

 

So then I met with another acquaintance and had shared with them what had been going on within my mutual dialogues. This friend had made a very good point and kinda spoke out with the exact words I was wanting so bad to express.

She had said, "if someone really thinks your life is perfect, then they don't know you at all." "and that is very unfair of them to think."

She went on to say "anyone who knows you should understand that you choose to be happy, you choose every day to wake up and be positive. That's who you are." "If there is anyone who has the right to be down, sad and depressed...its you."

Honestly at first I wasn't sure where she was going with that, and I had disagreed with her. But then she explained what she was meaning...

"You live with a young adult who has a Spinal Cord Injury, a son who has numerous health problems and at anytime your life could be turned upside down."

She admires that I don't mope around whining all the time about how shitty my life is.

She is right, and I respect that. I never even though of it that way, its not even in my brainwork.

I do not believe I have a shitty life, I LOVE my life I am truly blessed and I am proud of that. I work so hard to stay happy, choose happy and I will continue to put that on social media and if you don't like it then don't look.

I have two amazing kids, the best husband and a family who I love beyond words. I have the best life, because I choose that~

 

You see that outlook didn't come easy. I decided to share this picture above, I am not too thrilled with it as I look hideous...lol..I was actually just pregnant with Kailey. The reason I am sharing this picture, is to prove a point. To those of you who may think my life is perfect, and maybe you get off on my life when its shit..you'll like this!

This is Paul and I with Braden at the African Lion Safari water park. Naturally you look and think "oh this is a nice picture, look at Paul with Braden." Such a nice thing for them to do, get out of the house and enjoy the water park,"

Well I am here to tell you...I hated every moment of it! and by looking at my body language I am sure you can see it~

Let me explain, there was two choices I had. Stay in my little world, closed off safe from the whole world looking at us, looking at Braden. Staring, pointing and asking questions...OR we could get out, enjoy this wonderful life and make the best out of our situation.

For Braden's sake, we chose to get out...we gave him the best possible childhood. But that came with a cost...

You can clearly see I am not too happy with the little girl slowly approaching our area in the bottom left of the picture. We had seen her coming, she was watching and clearly trying to figure out why Braden wasn't running around the water park just like she and her younger sister had been. She slowly made her way over, nonchalantly drawing near us. I know she said something to us, I can't remember what it was. But I do remember how I felt.

Sad~

I was so sad, these moments were the ones I hated being in. It took so long for me to get myself together and find a way to make these times pleasurable. I had to find the strength in myself to overcome the pain and suffering I was putting myself through. Something I don't think I have ever admitted is that even family functions where difficult. To see all my nieces and nephews running around playing and interacting while Braden would sit with Paul and I was a challenge. I did not like to go to those get together's I always came away so depressed.

In this moment that was caught by the camera, you can see by my body language that I am defensive. She is only a child, and I know I would never be rude to a child but in my heart I didn't want her there. Having her present in our environment only reminded me of what we didn't have. We did not have a healthy, active toddler running around relishing in the water.

We had a very medical fragile toddler, with very little movement who was unable to run, walk or jump around in that water...and do you know who felt responsible for that? ME!

So ontop of all the pain of not having a healthy baby, I lived with the guilt of it. So being here in this exact moment, the only reason we were there was for Braden, I did not want to be there. I wanted to be home, safe away from the sad realization that my son was never going to run, jump, bounce and play with other kids the way that he should.

It took many years to over come this. It didn't happen over night. I struggled for years, in ways many of you will never know. Even seeing my friends kids playing in our pool, jumping off the diving board, swimming underwater at times could have killed me. But I didn't let it, I rose above it. I had too...for Braden, and eventually for Kailey.

I can't even begin to tell you how many times Paul carried Braden through a field, around a baseball diamond or through the halls of our own home while playing Hide and Seek. All of it, just so he could play with his friends. 

Paul would through him over his shoulder and run, which ever way the boys were going...Braden wasn't going to miss out.

 I know he did that for me, I know all those hours of staying close to Braden outside, camping and holding on to Braden during social events was not only for Braden but also for me.

He sacrificed so much of his own time to be sure our son had a wonderful childhood, I know when he would have Braden in his arms running with the neighbourhood kids and he saw my smile...he new in that moment all my sadness was gone.

So when I say I have the best husband in the world...I god damn well mean it! I do not know any other man in my life...NO ONE who has sacrificed their own life as much as my man has. He did it all in the name of love, not only for Braden but for me as well.

The older I get, and more I learn about life the more I realize how lucky I truly am. I am blessed, and our marriage has not always been easy..but its a lot better than most and I wouldn't change it for anything.

So to wrap this post up in  a pretty little bow, I will end it with this..

 

Today, as I sit here trying to express myself in a way that I can be understood. If what you take away from my blog and my social media is that my life is perfect and so should yours be...then fantastic!

Change your life, I did~

 

 

I had my shit days friends, I shed my tears and I have been to the very bottom of despair. I could still be there today except what kind of life would that be?

 

 

How was your weekend?

We had a lovely weekend and so very needed. Paul unfortunately had to get a rental car last Thursday, hopefully he gets his vehicle back on Monday. Anyways here we are all geared up and ready for the cottage. Both dogs have safety car seats now. I use to hold them on my lap for the drives, but Ella is a puker. She vomits every single car ride. Poor girl, its so sad. Ollie is a great traveller but I had a hard time keeping him up front with me and Ella in the back by herself. So now the 2 of them are safe and comfortable in their own little seats.

It doesn't matter if Ella vomits anymore, its contained in her seat.

We decided to go to the cottage for Saturday night, invited Sue and Jeff to come down for the night as well. We always enjoy our time with them, Paul and I cooked dinner. We had a feast, it was our turn as we were at their place last. It was so nice to relax and just appreciate the friendship and atmosphere. So quiet, peaceful and we had lots too catch up on. Sunday morning they treated us to breakfast which was super nice. Thank you guys for that~

 

Before they got to the cottage, I told Paul I wanted to take a pic of him with his new cooly from Guelph University. I was planning on sending to Kailey to show her he is a proud daddy. But then he said "Ya instagram this and tell everyone how much we paid for that coolie" .....I was confused, and wondered what the hell he meant?...He said "you know how much this cost right? "NO", I said he responded with "...about 30 grand"....It struck me funny, sorry you probably had to be there. He's right actually, lol....i'm sure it cost more than 30,00..but thought it was kinda hilarious. So there he is with this coolie, drinking a cold one..lol..

 

I have the best hubby ever..he loves these dogs as much as I do. Thank god he plays and plays with them until they literally crash from exhaustion. Look at Oliver, he is so darn tired from a day of play. Burnt out completely~

My friends Sue has gotten herself into oil...she is taking some courses to learn what these oils can do. It's very interesting...so neat to see all the natural remedies that you can make for your body and even your home. I am excited to see where this goes for her. She has so much knowledge in many areas of life, I had told her to take all her life knowledge and apply it to becoming a life coach. I do believe in oils, and all the goodness they can bring to your life. She left me with some samples, I am interested to see how they help me out. Stay tuned...

 

Paul and I cooked a really good dinner on Saturday, we had steak, baked potatoes, corn, cesar salad, grilled veggies, sangria and then enjoyed a delicious dessert. OMG we were stuffed, it was nice to sit and relax, catch up and share in some laughs. We always like spending time with them~

Well my lovelies, this is a bit late..sorry...I am trying hard to keep on track~

Until tomorrow good night and god bless :)

100 Things I Want to Teach My Daughter..#93

#93 A good mascara is not a waste of money

Thankfully I believe you know this. In my little world, the one that I share with you, many people want to follow the general rule that it is a good lipstick a woman needs to invest in. Me, my darling believe it is a good mascara that is of upmost importance.
The eyes are the windows to your soul, when you are speaking to someone and you want their attention to be only your's..it is your eyes you want to dress up. Your mouth will do the talking, but your eyes will express the emotions.

Lipstick smears, it leaves traces behind on collars, wine glasses, coffee mugs and body parts...a really good lip gloss will make you feel beautiful, classy and sassy...which is all a woman needs. (Not saying a beautiful lipstick won't spark a few looks)
But when your eyes are dressed for success, you'll always feel on top of the world. Mascara is the little black dress for your eyes~ Penelope Cruz
Be sure it is a really good waterproof one, there are many reasons we shed tears. Hopefully you'll have many more happy tears then sad ones. If I have anything to do with it...that will be the case

This past Tuesday evening my friend Colleen hosted a Pampered Chef party. What a fun night we had, such a good group of ladies. The food was wonderful, below you can see the food table filled with all kinds of goodies. The Pampered Chef consultant Robin is showing up how to make the Triple Chocolate Pizza dessert. I have included the directions below, its definitely one you have to try. I will be making this one for sure!

1 package (18 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

2 squares (1 ounce each) white chocolate for baking

2 tablespoons milk

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup thawed, frozen whipped topping

12-16   strawberries, cut in half

1-2 Bananas, sliced

3 Kiwi's sliced thinly

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Place white chocolate and milk in Small Batter Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute; stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Microwave an additional 10-20 seconds if necessary. Cool slightly. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar; mix well. Gradually stir in white chocolate mixture; mix until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

 

Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cookie

Arrange fruit evenly over the cream cheese and cool whip mixture

Melt you chocolate chips and drizzle over completed pizza, below is the finished product. This pizza treat is the very first dessert I had ever tried with Pampered Chef probably 18 years ago.

It is a good one, and one of my favourites.

Above Robin is making a cheese dip, I cannot for the life of me remember which one this was. It was a hot dip. Once again absolutely delicious. Feel free to search the Pampered Chef website for more recipes. If you search hot dips on the site I am sure you will come across some delicious recipes.

 

It was a lovely evening, Colleen always throws a good party. It was nice to get out, much needed. She has a great group of friends like to laugh, share in stories and just enjoy each others company.

Well my lovelies, I am hoping to be back on track with my blogging. Sorry for the lack of posts...I suppose once in awhile I'll just take small breaks. Then I won't find myself getting frustrated with "having" to post, like I had mentioned I really want to give my all when I do post. I'm still working on that. Well until tomorrow...have a great day~