hot tamale!

June 21, 2012 by mama lola

we here in southern ontario, canada are experiencing a bit of heat wave. the temperatures are over +30c, but then throw in that typical oppressing, summer humidity and it feels like about +40c!
too hot for me.

the humidity makes me grumpy. heat i can tolerate, but not with humidity, unless of course i am at the beach! the kids suffer too. today, we headed out early and went to the splash pad one town over. our city doesn’t open splash pads and wading pools until after school is out, which is end of june. and even then the wading pools don’t open until 11am, which for us is late to heading out, i mean that’s almost lunch and then nap time!

[ SOURCE ]

today, it felt like it was too hot to cook.
so instead of baking the scrumptious piece of salmon i bought, i made a simple lentil and veg soup. chucked everything in and let it simmer on a low heat for a while. we also had some yummy homemade bread with salmon cream cheese and dill, a fresh green salad with all sorts of goodies like chick peas, raspberries, cucumber, tomato, and then we also shared the tiny bit of my famous cucumber and dill salad.

so good. i actually served the soup warm, instead of hot, which made it more enjoyable to eat. that caused a light bulb to turn on above my head and i have decided to find some cold soup recipes! summer yum!
we threw back some water and (alcoholic) apple ciders as well.

the kids had homemade yoghurt pops for dessert. i made yoghurt/banana/blueberry smoothies and poured them into these silly rocket ship moulds and voila, a yoghurt pop! the boys love them, especially on these uber hot and muggy days.

well, the weather experts are predicting cooler temps, so fingers crossed they are right. this mama needs a break from this!

family picnic.

June 18, 2012 by mama lola

on saturday we had an annual family event with dear hubby’s side of the fam. the family picnic was thank-fully held in our community this year, so we were able to over pack and get home quickly at the end of the day.

these events are fun, but exhausting as well. with so many people and so many names and families to remember, i kind of go blank after a while. i’ve been attending these gatherings for about ten years and have been to most of them, and still i can’t get the who is who; my brain just can’t connect the dots that make up the family tree.

we got home late. the kids were exhausted from the long day. bear was asking to go home at the end!

the last time the family picnic was hosted here five summers ago, i was pregnant with bear and grandma was with us. what a bittersweet memory.

*****
it’s going to be a hot week for us! expected highs in the +30c!!!
YIKES!!!

friday, i’m in love.

June 10, 2012 by mama lola

friday afternoon bear had a quick visit to JK classroom. he was scared as we were leaving the house and was the first kid to start crying in the classroom, but according to the teacher, mademoiselle C, he was also the first to stop. by the time we showed to take him home he was busy colouring the turtle they were given as a craft.

whew.
maybe he will be ok.
i sobbed in the car. this september is going to be heartbreaking for me. the thought of missing him, brings tightness to my chest and sadness into my eyes.

anyhow, to balance out the stress of the afternoon we filled friday evening with loads of fun and wonderful family memories. because, our summer is so short and i want to make sure we take advantage of these warm dusk hours before it’s too late.

first we enjoyed a beautiful, colourful dinner outside in our backyard. we gobbled up roasted new potatoes and brussel sprouts, a tofu n’ bean scramble, and a lush garden salad with homemade croutons.

[ brussle sprouts halved, new potatoes halved, several chunks of butter
and a generous sprinkling of sea salt, baked in hot 400F over for 30-45mins.
take out of oven and mix every so often to ensure the buttery goodness is absorbed. ]

[ 1 yellow onion, 2 carrots chopped, 1/2 broccoli chopped, 2 cloves garlic, half can of black beans, half can of chick peas, 1 package of medium tofu, 1/2 tsp tumeric, 1/4 cup tamari sauce, few shakes of black pepper, fresh chives and basil leaves from the garden. all done in cast iron pan stove top, quick easy, fast. ]

[ all it is is romaine lettuce, apples, tomatoes, sun flower seeds and lotsa fresh parsley from the garden. the croutons are plain bread cut in squares and mixed with olive oil and baked in the oven for about 10-15mins
at 400F. mix ’em up every so often for a more even bake and colouring effect. ]

after dinner we drove down to the river and for some ice cream! as we sat and ate the creamy goodness, we were surrounded by tons of geese and goslings, which of course the kids were thrilled with!

then we hit the park!

run daddy, run!!!

today wasn’t half bad either, but tomorrow will be glorious! we are hitting our favourite beach for the day. oh, the sun, waves, sand and fun!

moose for dinner!

June 5, 2012 by mama lola

we had some super silly pasta for dinner, thanks to IKEA. they were moose shaped! the kids loved it and bear said “i love to eat moose”, which we found especially funny as we’re vegetarian!

i’m really enjoying my cast iron pan again and since our naturopath told us bear was iron deficient i’ve been using that beast a lot. especially when i’m cooking things like tomatoes, as they (along with other acidic foods) absorb the iron from the pan, which is healthy and good, not just for bear, but all of us!

for the sauce i used:
1 can canned whole tomatoes, which i cut into smaller pieces.
1/2 can chick peas
1/2 zucchini
1/2 orange bell pepper
2 tblsp sour cream
2 cloves garlic
1 yellow onion
dried oregano
fresh basil leaves
olive oil
i sauteed everything starting with the onions. once everything was in and smelling wonderful, i decided i wanted to thicken the sauce, so i threw in a dollop of sour cream. just what it needed!

we also had some yummy spur of the moment salad. i have been craving cucumber dill salad, but we didn’t have any dill, so i got a little creative with what i could find.

i chopped up some cukes and cherry tomatoes, stirred in thick sour cream, white vinegar, sea salt and some of our home grown parsley. it quenched my craving and the kids loved it too!

yum!
cheers!

june showers.

June 3, 2012 by mama lola

we have a big family wedding this summer, bubba & patty are getting married! the boys are ring bearers, dear hubby will usher at the church and i will co-MC at the reception. we’re all super excited! this weekend was patty’s shower. it was such a lovely afternoon with her friends and family. patty’s mum and sister worked hard and fed us with beautiful food, and in turn had us participating in silly games!

sunday, sunday was a lazy family day for us, for a change. bear and i had some superb morning cuddles first up in bed and then downstairs on the couch. he’s going through a snuggly phase again, which i love. of course.

then we played outside on the front porch. it has been raining and raining and raining here. not that i’m complaining, just making an observation! the picture of the dark clouds is from saturday evening. looked menacing, but it only rained a little.

dear hubby made his famous rice-n-beans-guacamole-holy-moly burritos for dinner. they were so delicious, topped with peach/mango salsa and sour cream. i accidentally over-ate a little! sigh.

now, kids off to bed with their clean hair and sleepy eyes.

dear hubby and i cannot find lion’s soother anywhere and we’re taking it as a sign. so, this is it… cutting that habit off tonight! fingers crossed the little dude doesn’t get too mad. bear was a disaster for a couple of nights, but then got over it pretty quickly.

good night.

here’s hoping for a restful sleep, yeah right!!!

blow job: it’s not what you think

May 25, 2012 by mama lola

c’mon now, get those dirty minds out of the gutter and off fulltube and check THIS OUT — you can see some FANTASTIC photographs at this link. then go HERE to see more of this guys work. incredible! don’t-cha think?

*******

bear had his open house at his ballet school this afternoon, so we went with dear hubby’s parents to watch the class. it was so cute and lovely! i took a gazillion pictures so i need some more time to sort and edit before posting.

we came home and had a lovely family dinner. i made gnocchi– one of my faves again!

this picture makes me laugh; my sweet dear hubby is the only one looking and smiling at the camera. bear is growling, my in-laws are giving instructions on where to look or blinking and lion, well, them eyes… what is he looking at???

good night!
see you all tomorrow!

the owls at the park.

May 12, 2012 by mama lola

there is a lovely family of seven living high up in a tree at our local park. the five fuzzy babies belong to a mama and papa eastern screech owl, who have built a home high up in the maple tree.

this is not my picture, augh i wish! it`s from this blog. isn’t this family adorable?

after bear’s ballet we went to the park for a dinner picnic to see if we could get a glimpse of our new neighbours, and we sure dud. it was amazing! the owls were really high up and camouflaged by the new leaves on tree, so the kids couldn’t see them. but, i stood there with some avid bird watchers and there cameras with massive lenses, gawking away.

dinner consisted of the usual after ballet food, pinaattilettuja, some pasta salad with a yummy pesto and veggies, and fresh cut cucumber and strawberries. yum!

it was fun to eat and play at the park like that. a little bit of spontaneity and fun on a weekday evening before bedtime.

tomorrow is the start of our mother’s day celebrations!
fun! fun!

a family date night.

April 21, 2012 by mama lola

instead of just going out with just dear hubby for friday night date night, i was picked up after my hair appointment and taken out by all three of my guys! we went to a wonderful local joint that has lots of vegan friendly menu options, which are perfect for bear with his egg intolerance and me, as i am still on my cleanse.

the food was taking a while so it was time for phone games!

we sat by the window so that the boys could stare at the train station across the road.

there was a promise to go over after dinner.

oh, what fun! it was windy and the temperature was dropping but the kids loved waiting for and then seeing the train.

a cheap date. but, certainly one of the best i’ve had in a while.

****
this weekend is a bit of a birthday extravaganza for us. tomorrow we’re heading to the big city to celebrate the fifth birthday of wild, wild wes! it’s going to be a bowling party and the kids are going to love it. hopefully i can get some good pictures of the kids in action!

then, sunday is my dear hubby’s birthday. we have family coming over for some treats and fun in the afternoon. bear is so excited for dad’s birthday and already gave away his surprise card! haha! birthday’s are just too exciting for the guy and he can’t control his enthusiasm!

have a wonderful weekend everyone!
joy!

dinner time BULL.

April 18, 2012 by mama lola

today is a sick day. lion had a fever, bad cough and lotsa boogers! we stayed in.

every night at dinner it’s the same thing. i make dinner, we sit down at the table to eat and then the bull$hit begins. dear hubby and i sound like skipping cd’s, repeating ourselves a million times with statements like “sit down and eat your dinner”, “stop putting your fork in your glass”, “stop touching your brother” just to name a few.

it makes dinner difficult and unpleasant, in fact. the nonsense is always the same and no matter how we threaten, the kids continue to not listen. because, i am the one who usually prepares the dinners (and i try to be very mindful about our meals), i take so personally when the boys act out. i go from zero to rage in a second and desperately try to keep my mouth shut so that i don’t yell something terrible.
usually i fail.
it seems as though the kids only really listen when i yell and stomp my feet, which is so upsetting to me. we have obviously lost any power we ever had and the kids are in control.

but, things are changing and i have stomped by feet in anger for the last time. dear hubby and i are laying down the law in a heavy way, which is awful and hard, but hopefully the tides will change. hopefully we can all just eat dinner together. bear is really testing us and yesterday refused to eat anything. so, when 7pm rolled around and he complained about being hungry it was difficult to deny him, but a lesson had to be learned.

tonight, dear hubby was held up in the big city due to traffic issues, so i was alone with the two kids for dinner. i was expecting the worst after last nights fiasco, but the kids ate everything that was served to them and lion even asked for more soup. we had an unusual pajama dinner, as lion was quite sick today with a bad cough and a fever, but by dinner most of the symptoms seem to have subdued.

look at this smile!

whew! so glad we ended the day on a positive note. dear hubby came home to two little dudes who were so happy to see him.

spring cleaning: my insides!

April 10, 2012 by mama lola

i start a liver cleanse in a matter of hours. it’s going to be a tough 14 days, let me tell ya! i gave up my most special vice, coffee, last week in preparation for this cleanse. i have no shame in admitting that i love a good cuppa coffee first thing in the morning and will hold on to it as my vice for the rest of my life. i have some last minute cleanse shopping to do for myself tonight. luckily, the lovely expert who has developed this particular cleanse has also included a meal plan and a grocery shopping list, so getting ingredients will be easy. I’ve also thought about looking at a foot bath detox, I have heard that they can be beneficial for body cleansing so it might be a good idea to try! I’ll check it out with my doctor first to see what they say.

i am already a grump, though. no coffee makes me super cranky, which i didn’t know! i wonder what will happen after i cut our dairy, breads, fruits… oh, boy! look out family!

but, i think i really need to get my body balanced inside. i had strep throat five times this winter and the amount of antibiotics i consumed is ridiculous and kind of gross. plus, with all the surgeries and T3’s i was popping while pregnant with lion, i think is still just stuck in my organs jamming things up. i good liver cleanse is exactly what my body needs and deserves.
*******
had a frolick through the woods with good friends today. kids loved it, so did us mama’s!

*******
for tonight’s dinner i tried something new, rice paper wraps with veggies.

i took one tomato, one perfect avocado, asparagus, green onions and some left over green pepper, chopped them up stirred them around in my cast iron pan until warm.

then, i placed the veggies on the softened rice paper with a piece of seaweed and sprinkled some sesame seeds for good measure.

they were easy to make, but a bit time consuming and the texture wasn’t the kids’ favourite, but dear hubby and i loved them. i will definitely be making these again, since i can’t use wonton wraps anymore due to bear’s egg intolerance. we also had some quinoa-chick pea salad and sweet potato fries! yum!

ok, time to shower and binge on some fantastic treat once dear hubby gets back from the store!
i am so scared of this cleanse and worry that i will not have the discipline to follow it, although at the same time i feel like it’s exactly what i need.
wish me luck!