Extraordinary Hamburgers

Recipe for Extraordinary Hamburgers is only a click away!

Origami and a Little Surprise

I guess you can say that I kinda fancy DIY crafts. I may not get around to making crafty projects all that often but I still fancy it. Something about cutting here, folding there, taping/gluing here...and then when that's done...voila! you-yourself- turned something ordinary, into something pretty, nice to look at, and you feel a sense of pride. I have posted a how to DIY garland and the last post seems fun, easy and cute- I am sure you can make it a hanging parasol ball- that would be cute. Yesterday I stumbled upon a website dedicated to paper crafts. I decided to fancy-up my toilet paper. This one is easy, I think I will move onto the butterflies with toilet paper.

I can clean hotel rooms now... just by making these, it wouldn't really matter if the room is left super tidy.

And this morning I made an origami flower...it seemed fairly simple.. I couldn't get it at first but with a little practice and patients...

Yes, that is snow falling in the background- this morning! It is now 11:35  noon and it is still snowing!

What an interesting surprise considering it's been nice Spring weather...well just notice how green it is..when I go outside for walks-without a coat- I see beautiful tulips just about everywhere I go (i love tulips)...so why is it snowing?

I will show you a motion picture, cause I know you're just dying to see the snow in action. Here you go:

DIY Parasol Topiaries

Want to make your very own? You will find a helpful  link bellow the image.

Get Inspired: DIY Parasol Topiaries

I've rested...time for more pictures

These are from my first baby shower in Montreal.

Opening of the gifts

Tea

Grub

Games

Picture taking

And last but not least..

The Cake!
It was easy to make, yet super cute! For this and other cake ideas click here

Cucumber Sandwiches

Cucumber sandwiches it was. It was a nice shower.  I noticed they have similar games only they have their on twist on them...like for example, we each wore a clothes pin, and collected pins from those who said the word "baby"-- in any language(French,Lingala,English,Spanish,were being spoken)-- and yes, the one to collect the most clothes pins wins the game... I am used to the crossing of the legs thing but this one works too. They also did the guess the mommy to be's waist/tummy size... but no twist there.
I helped Karinne make a really cute cake, too!
I will post more pictures in the next post... I am super tired now.

♡ Sandra

Sweet Sweet Fries!

I was watching Micheal Smith's show, "Chef at Home" ( I am not sure if it airs in the US). He likes to cook- "without a recipe."
I don't normally make what I watch on these cooking shows but this time, I just had to. He was making fries...I love fries! So what is the big deal?  And of course they are good, they're fried! Well, I will explain why I was so hyped about making them - I literally made them as soon as he finished showing/explaining how to make them.
 Last night I made made burgers and since I don't usually buy regular potatoes... but always have sweet potatoes on hand,  I made sweet potato fries. I made only a few and thin so they would be done quicker...I was hungry! I only seasoned them with a bit of salt. They were fine, I love sweet potato fries...ever since I had them for the first time at the Angel's Stadium a few years back. But  Micheal Smith  made a very interesting (to me) seasoned salt mixture- it includes a spice I love!  When I heard  the ingredients, I was thinking: Why haven't I thought of doing that?! They were so goood! If you like fries- sweet potato fries and you like cinnamon- try making them this way! You wont be sorry...I really doubt it.

How does one prepare *Sweet Potato Fries with Seasoned Salt? Click here.

I want more!

* I don't have a fryer, so I just used a pan with canola oil (made sure the oil was nice and hot before adding potatoes) and I omitted the chili powder, I wasn't feeling the chili powder...maybe next time.

Sandra

Undecided

I am going to a baby shower next Saturday. This will be the first shower that I attend here in Montreal. Yay! I volunteered to bring something to munch on. The theme is "tea party"... so I was thinking I could  bring petite pastries. Or.... cucumber sandwiches?  I have never made cucumber sandwiches but I can give it a shot.  If you have any tips/ideas, send them my way asap, please. :o)

I Love My Wife Day

Hello weekend

 HAVE

  

A

   

GREAT 

     

WEEKEND

Abner's Log

At the office ... after 4 days off.
Just ate a grapefruit ... juiciest fruit on earth I'm sure
You can't eat it with class it's impossible! I tried. I also tried to take breaks, look around but
didn't matter, I still looked like I didn't eat for days. Now my office smells like citrus ... yum!

Citrus office... mmmm... would always smell like I just peeled an orange ...
I love fruits ... and red bell peppers, and they're like a luxury produce
Why are they priced so high?! I got one yesterday for 3 dollars! felt like a big shot.
Dang! I feel like eating a piece ...
Sandra hates them raw ... I can't look at them when they are cooked.

So it's been 8 months ...
We are slowly creeping into the warmer season
I took on auxiliary pionneer; first weekend was a blast ... weather was summer-like

Abner log signing off

B. A. N. A. N. A. S.

This past weekend my in-laws were in town for their Circuit Assembly. They live in Ottawa, two hours from here. We met up with them at Lidia's(Ab's sis) place. I had ripe bananas, so why not make a cake (un gateau)?(French word of the day that is also linked to it's pronunciation!) I made banana bread but lets face it-- its a cake. I admit I was kinda stressed because this is the first time I bake a dessert for them, but it turned out good...it was to me, and my father- in- law and mother- in - law said it was good-- what a relief. Plus I spoke to them alot more in French this time--  before all I ever said was "Comment ça va?"and replied, "Ça va bien." Yes, its safe to say I aimed to impress. If you make this banana bread, I suggest you also make the optional crumb topping because it adds so much more deliciousness to this gâteau.  And get a lil' nutty--add chopped nuts to it and to the crumb topping!  If you try it, please let me know how it went. Have a great day!
Sandra


Recipe via Food & Whine

Banana Bread

ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
3/4 - 1 cup brown sugar (use the 1 cup if you like things a little sweeter)
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/3 cups overripe bananas, mashed (about 4-5 large bananas)
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Optional: Crumb Topping (see recipe and instructions below)

method

Position oven rack in bottom third of oven (2nd from bottom) and preheat oven to 350° F . Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt,cinnamon and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs, vanilla and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out "almost" clean, about 55-65 minutes (Check often, as this is better a little undercooked than overcooked, for the moistest loaf).
Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Optional Crumb Topping:
While loaf is baking, combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a bowl. Cut in 1 Tbsp. butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until it becomes like a coarse cornmeal.
When loaf has baked for 40 minutes, carefully remove from oven and sprinkle crumb on top. Put back in the oven for the final 15-25 minutes cooking time, until loaf is done as tested with toothpick.


Sandra

Eight!

That's right, we've been married 8 months(and a day)! Its gone by fast, if you ask me but I am sure Ab feels the same- are we still considered to be newlyweds...? ;)  Its been quite an adventure being  not only a newlywed but living so far from my roots- in Canada! But its been a lovely experience. I feel I adapted pretty darn quickly.... I thought I should gather up some pictures to give ya just an idea of what the last (awesome!) months have looked like- from the silly airport picture taken in 8/05/09 till today!  Yes sir or ma'am, the bottom (3) pictures are of today, 4/02/10. Check it out, I am not wearing a coat, scarf,  gloves and had I known just how nice and summery the weather was today, I would have opted for shoes less warm on the feet. Have a great weekend!

p.s. Congrats to my friends who last month celebrated their wedding anniversaries B + E on the 7th, 1 year! and  R+O on 25th, 4 years!

Sandra