Friday Five List: Snow Day!

So, as we get hammered with one of the biggest snowstorms we've had in a long time, my muscles are sore from shoveling the driveway twice already. Thankfully I have some really nice neighbours who came over and did it a third time with their snow blowers. Days like this make me want to hibernate, so here are five ideas for staying warm and enjoying the snow.

1- Hot Chocolate & Marshmallows: Good quality Mexican hot chocolate that is made from pure cocoa is generally gluten free.  Some are dairy free as well.  If you can't have dairy, make it with water (which is how it's traditionally made anyway) or use rice milk and add some mini marshmallows.  Heaven.

2- A hearty soup or stew is almost mandatory on days like this.  I'm making Boeuf Bourgignon, but if you want something lighter but still hearty, try my White Chicken Chowder.  Or a hearty Meat Lasagna.  Six ingredients, Really, it will be ready in less than an hour. 

3- Cuddle up under the covers.  One thing I love to do with the kids when it gets cold is cuddle in bed.  Everybody brings something to do (book, toy, etc.), we make a huge nest with the blankets and then hang out in our pajamas, watching the snow fall.  It's awesome.

4- Movie Marathon: Sometimes just curling up on the couch catching up on movies or TV just feels right.  Make a bunch of popcorn, find a comfy spot, and catch a flick or two.

5- Check on a neighbour:  I'm lucky to live in a neighbourhood where people help each other out, but it's easy to forget that sometimes people need help in this weather.  Help clear someone else's drive, or knock on the door of a neighbour who lives alone to see if they have all the supplies they need. 

Friday Five List: Christmas Week Edition

This past week has been a whirlwind of activity. 

My family joined my husband, the kids and myself in El Salvador to spend Christmas with his family.  It was a busy, crazy week that left little time for sightseeing, but getting everyone together over the holidays is something that may not happen again for a long time to come.  In addition to my husband's siblings, all the cousins flew in this year as well.  For a family spread out over many countries, including Canada, the United States, Colombia, Mexico and Bolivia, getting everyone together in one place is no small feat.  My husband hasn't spent Christmas with all of his family since 1996, so this was a big deal. 

There will be a few posts over the next little while, but for tonight, five memorable moments will suffice.

1- Abuelo's 90th Birthday Party:  The night we arrived was the birthday party for my husband's grandfather (Abuelo, in Spanish).  Family and friends gathered at his Aunt's house for the party, and it was the first opportunity for our youngest son, 4 months, to meet his great-grandfather.  To say that it was a special moment would be an understatement. 

My husband, our youngest son, and his great-grandfather

2- The Wedding:  My brother-in-law, Jaime, got married the next day.  Weddings tend to be in the evening in El Salvador, and we went straight from the church to the reception being held at the hotel where we were staying.  My husband and I carried the rings, and our oldest son walked down the aisle with us.  It was an honour to be a part of his special day, especially since "Tio Jaime" is my son's favourite person in the world. 

The happy couple and our son



3- Christmas:  My husband's grandmother invited everyone over to her house for Christmas Eve celebrations.  More than 30 people descended upon her house for an evening of fireworks, food and the opening of gifts.  Setting off fireworks is a tradition there, and they go off all through the night, with everyone lighting their own.  It was nice to have my parents and my in-laws spend Christmas together.  Great-grandma put together a lovely speech before dinner, commemorating 4 generations celebrating together under one roof.

My husband's grandmother, reading  her Christmas speech

4- Family Vacation: The last time we took a family vacation with my parents and my sister, aside from the cottage, was in 2006, when my husband and I got married.  It was also great to be able to show my family where my husband is from and to let them get to know his country of birth a little bit.  He's been in Canada for a long time, and sometimes it's easy to forget that he wasn't born here.  This gave my family a chance to get to know his extended family and his culture a bit better.

On top of San Salvador volcano.  Yes, it's active.  And apparently overdue for an eruption.



5- Fun in the Sun and Introducing the Next Generation: Getting away when the weather is cold is always nice, and it was fun watching the kids play at the beach.  We spent Christmas day at a relative's beach house.  We realised when we got back to Canada that the baby saw the ocean before he saw snow.  I didn't see the ocean until I was 18 years old, but who's keeping track?
Along with frolicking on the beach, we got to introduce our baby, Xavier, and our nephew, Santiago, to each other.  They're only 6 weeks apart.  You can tell the Canadian one, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt without socks on, and the Salvadoran one, in long sleeves, a blanket and a hat, on a "cold" evening!

I never get tired of this view

Cousins!  One looks ready for the beach, the other looks prepped for winter!



Friday Five List: Kicking Off the Holiday Season

On this Black Friday, I won't be out hitting the malls for the best deals.  Aside from a new microwave (which we need after an unfortunate accident in which the rotator plate shattered into a million pieces on my kitchen floor), and groceries, I won't be spending any money today.  Instead, I'm spending the day at home with my two boys, getting ready for tomorrow's family Christmas party. 

Yes, I said Christmas. 

My dad's side of the family is big, and almost all the "children" are married adults, some of us with our own children, so getting everyone together on Christmas day is no longer a simple feat.  Everyone has multiple obligations and extended family to see on Christmas day.  So we moved it up.  Between December birthdays, Christmas parties and parades, December gets busy, so this year my Aunt picked the end of November.  This actually works out well for everyone, and is a great way to officially kick off the holiday season. 

Last year's party

We eat a lot of food (which will all be gluten free this year, due to both my Uncle and my son eating gluten free), exchange Secret Santa gifts, and catch up on each other's lives.  This year there are two new babies, my son and my niece, who are only five weeks apart, so it will be great to welcome them into the tradition.

Here is my list of Five ways I'm kicking off the holiday season:

1- Putting up the Christmas tree:  We generally put up our tree the day of the Toronto Santa Claus parade, but this year we had other things come up, so we're going to put it up this Sunday instead, before the Vaughan Santa Claus parade and the Grey Cup game.  I love watching my little one help with the decorations, and this year we have a new personalized ornament to add for our newest member, Xavier.

A somewhat blurry shot of last year's tree

2- Christmas Cards:  When I was teaching, I always tried to get my cards out by December 1st, because after that things got crazy at school.  Although I'm on maternity leave, old habits die hard, so I'll be trying to get them written and mailed next weekend. 

3- Christmas Baking:  I've already done some of my baking because of our party tomorrow, and I'm spending today decorating Christmas cookies with my son.  I'm going to be doing a week of holiday treat posts in early December, with recipes and how-to photos for some of our go to holiday treats, all gluten free, of course!

My son decorating his sugar cookies

4- Christmas Music and Shows:  I like the old school Christmas specials so much that my husband bought me a DVD set of some of the classics, like the original Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph.  I always looked forward to watching them as a kid, and now I can introduce my kids to them as well.  I also love holiday music.  There's a finite window in which you can listen to Christmas music without being looked at like you're a nut job, and I enjoy every minute of that window while it lasts.

5- Decorating and Gift Wrapping:  I don't have a crazy amount of decorations, but I do have a few that I like to put up around the house and outdoors.  I especially enjoy putting up the decorations that my son has made at daycare or that we've done together.  I also enjoy the gift wrapping process, although I'm not particularly good at it.  We don't go crazy with gifts, but I like giving the people I care about something that I think they will enjoy for Christmas, and the process of wrapping them and writing out a card makes me happy. 

What will you be doing to get into the holiday spirit this year?  Leave a comment or send me an email at celiacbaby@hotmail.com to share your traditions!

Friday Five List

Well, 38 weeks and counting.  Not that I'm keeping track or anything.  As I wait (mostly) patiently for baby to arrive, I've been trying to get our yard cleaned up a bit.  It's been somewhat neglected this summer, so my goal is simply to prepare it for the fall so that there's minimum maintenance to do to prep it for winter with a newborn around. 

1- Trees:  The area along the back of our fence was disgusting.  The grass had all been worn down by my son and the whole area was just full of dirt and weeds.  This past weekend my dad and my husband planted a few cedars and mulched the rest of the area.  We'll see what we might want to add next year, but for now, the area looks finished and should look good throughout the winter with the evergreens in place. 

2- Play Area: We previously had no dedicated play area for our son in the back, and his toys were taking over the yard.  With baby number 2 on the way, we decided it was time to do something about that.  Given our limited budget with my impending maternity leave, we had to get creative.  Instead of creating a stone patio, we bought resin patio stones and created a 9x9 play pad in the back left corner of the yard, where there's shade in the afternoon.  I'm actually really happy with the results.  The area was put down in less than a day, and is safe to leave down all winter.  The dark grey colour is attractive, and our next door neighbours thought they were real stone.  I also like that because they're resin, they won't fade or crack, and if my son falls down, the landing is pretty soft.  We piled all his stuff over there, including his pool and water table and a toybox.  Now our yard is easy to keep clean and our son has an area all his own.

Well, it cleans up  nicely...

3- Vegetable Garden:  This is still a work in progress since the vegetables grow at their own pace!  However, I've been trying to keep on top of things as the ripen.  Here's what I've done so far:  Green Beans: blanched and frozen, Tomatoes: Oven dried and frozen, Herbs: Cut and dried, Garlic: Picked and Cured.  The plan is to can some of the hot peppers and some tomato salsa, make some pesto with the basil, and to continue freezing the green beans. 


Some tomatoes from the garden

4- Perennial Area:  So, one side of the perennial flower garden looks good, while the other side, not so much.  A few things didn't do well this year, a couple of things I didn't like got yanked, and now we're left with a big hole.  And I'm too pregnant to really care.  What's the plan then?  Well, we're going to shovel out the red mulch and replace it with black like we did along the back fence, and then probably plant an evergreen bush, like a boxwood where the hole is.  Done and done. 

The good side

The not so good side

5- Grass: Le sigh.  The heat waves of May, June and July coupled with the lack of rain (although it's coming down pretty good right now) have led to a disastrous lawn situation in the backyard.  The groundcover left over from the previous owner continues to creep up, and all the running my son does has left the backyard grass struggling.  For the first time, not only is it going brown in areas, but there have been a ton of weeds that have sprung up.  This will be the last area to tackle, and probably not until after the baby's born.  When the weather starts to cool down, we'll tackle the groundcover and weeds, plant grass seed, water and stay off the lawn.  If all else fails, we'll worry about it next year!

Our focus for the fall...

Friday Five List: Beat the Heat!

This heat wave has been killer for me.  Normally, I LOVE the heat- the hotter the better.  Living in Canada, where we complain all winter about the cold, I welcome the heat each summer with open arms. 

This year is a bit different.  I'm 33 weeks pregnant, and feeling as big as a whale.  With temperatures breaking records and no rain in sight, I've been spending more time than I like in my air-conditioned house.  And still I sweat.  I woke up in the middle of the night yesterday thinking that somehow I had spilled something on myself.  I was actually dripping in sweat. EWWWW.  And my husband had the covers pulled up to his chin, because the house is actually like an icebox. 

Sigh. 

Since I can't stay indoors ALL the time, I've had to be creative in my quest to beat the heat.  Starting next week my three year old is done daycare for the summer and will be home with me.  There's no way I can keep him indoors all the time, so here are my strategies for keeping cool in the stifling heat and humidity!


1- FLUIDS!  I always have a huge glass of ice water by my side to keep me hydrated, keep the swelling and bloating at bay, and to keep me cool.  I don't drink juice very often because I don't really need the extra calories (pregnancy is adding enough weight on its own, thank you  very much).  Sometimes, though, water just doesn't cut it, so I like to keep a pitcher of caffeine-free iced tea on hand. 

Here's my recipe:

          1- Bring 6 cups of water (or enough to fill whichever pitcher you plan to use) to a boil in a pot on the stove.
          2- Add 3-4 tea bags of choice.  I like caffeine free green tea or regular tea. Throw in some fresh, clean herbs that have been washed and torn.  My favourites are lemon balm or mint, but basil can be great too.  Remove from heat and let brew until desired level of strength.
          3- Strain tea into pitcher.  Add 1/4 cup of honey (or more to taste) and the juice of 1/2 lemon. 
          4- Refrigerate until cold, and serve over ice and a few more sprigs of whichever herb is in the tea. 

2- POPSICLES: If convenience is your thing, buying frozen treats are cheap and abundant.  Chapman's has gluten free popsicles.  If you're looking for something with a little less sugar, buy some popsicle moulds and make your own.  I routinely freeze sugar-free juice, or some fruit puree, or even yogurt mixed with fruit.  Cheap, healthy, and delicious.  My kid doesn't know the difference.

3- Shade:  I'm always under the gazebo, an umbrella, a tree, or a sun hat.  My son loves the sun, but he's not allowed out in it without a sun hat on.  Not to mention sunscreen.  I read an article the other day about sunscreen being banned from some schools in the US, which was interesting to me because my son's daycare requires a tube of sunscreen for every kid.   We put his sandbox and kiddie pool in the shade close to the house, and I avoid taking him out during the hottest hours of the day.

Always in his hat!

4- Speaking of kiddie pools...  While I would love to have a huge outdoor pool at my disposal, I don't.  Keeping my feet immersed in the water of my son's kiddie pool makes me feel like the temperature has dropped almost immediately.  Ditto for the sprinkler.  Who says that only kids can run through and get wet?  Get in, get wet, and then retreat to the shade.  Perfect.

5- Cooling snacks and meals:  There's nothing better than the fresh produce that's available during the summer, and I like to eat eat simple meals that require little or no cooking and can be eaten chilled.  Veggie sticks and fruit salads make great snacks, and chilled soups like gazpacho or cucumber can really help to hydrate and refresh.  Salads are also a great choice:  watermelon and feta, tomato, basil and mozzarella, tuna and chickpea... the list goes on.  One of the simplest meals we ate as kids was tomato with olive oil, salt and torn basil on bread.  There's no reason why this can't be recreated on a GF baguette!  This summer I plan to simplify my cooking routine and rely more on simple dishes that use fresh, local ingredients.

Friday Five List

1- SUMMER!!!!  this could really take up all five spots on my list, but I'll restrict it to just one.  Today was the last day of school, so work is done!  It's going to be a busy summer, with a baby on the way and my 3 year old home from daycare, but I'm looking forward to getting some rest and relaxation.

2- Canada Day:  This weekend is a long holiday weekend, and there are so many options to choose from I'm not sure what we'll end up doing.  Euro soccer finals for sure, as well as fireworks, chilling in the backyard, and some cooking too.  My son loves helping me cook, so maybe we'll put together something red and white to celebrate.

3- Writing:  I haven't had much time lately for any kind of writing, so I'm looking forward to getting back at it.  I want to get back to blogging every day (at least until the baby is born!), and I also want to start writing for pleasure again. 

4- Friends and Family: The school year is always so crazy that I find I often have very little time to spend with friends ad extended family the way I'd like to.  It's not going to get any easier with a new baby in the house, so I'm hoping to connect with as many people as possible over the next few weeks.  I'm also excited about having a few weeks at home with my son before the baby comes, because I know things will get busy again soon.

5- Baby!  This one is obvious.  As I get closer to my due date, staying healthy and active without letting the heat get to me are going to be a huge focus of mine.  Finalizing the preparations for the baby's arrival are also going to take centre stage over the next few weeks. 

Friday Five List

Here are a few of the things on my mind this fine Friday! 

1- Sports, sports, and more sports!  Have I ever mentioned that sometimes I think I should have been a sports writer?  Seriously, I could watch sports ALL DAY EVERY DAY.  In fact, I often flip back and forth between sporting events because I can't commit to just one.  This weekend I'll be trying to catch some of the Euro cup soccer matches, the French Open finals, and the Stanley Cup finals.  In between our hospital visit, my son's soccer, menu planning, etc.

2- Menu Planning, with a theme:  In honour of the Euro cup action I'll be watching over the next couple of weeks, I've decided to prepare some dishes typical of some of the countries represented.  Swedish meatballs, anyone?  Look for the menu plan to go up Sunday, or click HERE to see menus from previous weeks.

3- Baby, Baby, Baby:  Last weekend I was at a baby shower for my cousin, and also at the hospital for my shot (a blood type thing, but that's another story).  Tomorrow we're scheduled for our hospital tour of the maternity ward.  This isn't our first child (obviously), but last time I gave birth at a different hospital, so I'm looking forward to checking out delivery rooms.  I'm getting closer, and bigger.  I guess it's time to start picking names....

Me and my bump, about 3 weeks ago.  I'm MUCH larger now...

4- Summertime!  The school year's almost over, the weather is hot, and I can smell summer in the air.  Aside from getting all the baby stuff done, I'm looking forward to gardening, spending some time at the cottage, reading, writing, and generally just relaxing before my life gets turned upside down again!  Long days, homemade lemonade, walks in the evening....what could be better? 

Hopefully everything in my garden will grow as big and healthy as this guy does!

5- Graduation:  I finally get my Masters diploma next Friday!  I'm a little worried about the long ceremony (it's hard for me to sit still for long periods these days), but I'm excited to finally, officially, get that diploma in my hand. 

What's on your mind this weekend?

Friday Five List

The weekend is upon us once again and the weather is still hot, hot, hot!  Today also marks the beginning of the third trimester of my pregnancy.  3 months to go! 

Here's what's on my mind this Friday:

1- Just finished the last of my gluten free Luna bars today.  Look for my review early next week.

2- Getting ready to make gluten free Rice Krispies Squares with my son tomorrow to celebrate the beginning of trimester 3.  I'll post the results tomorrow night.

3- My son starts his soccer class on Sunday.  I can't wait to see him running around on the field. 

4- Going to start a baby name list.  This is how you know I'm not in my first pregnancy.  The first time around I was picking names the second the test came back positive.  This time I feel like there's still plenty of time before I need to settle on names!

5- I'm hoping to get to the library in the next few days.  A friend of mine has recommended a couple of good cookbooks that I want to check out.  New recipes!  Speaking of recipes, the Weekly Menu Plan will go up as usual on Sunday. 

Whatever yor plans are for the weekend, I hope it's a great one! 

Friday Five: Ideas for the Long Weekend

It's Victoria Day weekend here in Canada, and that means a three day weekend for most.  The weather forecast is a dream, with warm teperatures and sunshine forecast for the entire long weekend.  So, whether you're heading to the cottage, going camping, or just hanging out at home, here are my five ideas for making your long weekend great!

1- If a campfire is an option, gluten free S'mores are a must!  With a little imagination, perfectly edible S'mores can be made without an open fire too.  Graham wafers (I use Kinnikinnick), marshmallows and good chocolate combine in a heavenly treat that perfectly welcomes the beginning of summer.



2- Get outside!  Go for a walk, play in the park, work in the garden or just sit outside with a cool drink.  I'm going to get some gardening done, and my son and I have a date for a picnic in the backyard. 



Some of the herbs and peppers I'll be planting

Some of my early spring daffodils

My garlic, and some of the empty space where my hot peppers and herbs will go

3- Check out some fireworks.  This is one of my favourite activities.  We live near an amusement park, which means that we get a great view from our driveway.  The neighbours all bring out some lawnchairs, the kids run around, and we enjoy a million dollar view.  When I was a kid, we used to go to a local school yard where the fire department put on a display.  I'm sure that they were less elaborate than the ones I see now, but it didn't matter.  The excitement of staying up late and watching the show were enough to make any kid happy.

4- If the great outdoors isn't your thing, catch some sports action on T.V.  NHL playoffs are on, Champions League Soccer finals, tennis, etc.  Better yet, watch some sports on your laptop while sitting outside with a cold drink.

5- Relax and enjoy something that makes you happy but that you never seem to have enough time for.  Read a book.  Take a long bath.  Catch up with an old friend.  Spend some family time playing games.  Whatever makes you happy! 

Take a dip...

or just hang out with those you love...

My weekend hopefully will look a little something like this:

Tonight, to bed early with an advance copy of a book I got at the conference I attended a few weeks ago. 

Saturday, my son and I have some plans in the backyard- some gardening and a picnic in the morning, soccer finals in the afternoon, followed by some outside activity. 

Sunday, the menu plan cooking first thing in the morning, and then my mom is coming over to hang out for the day, capped off  by fireworks when the sun goes down.  I've left Monday open.  Maybe we'll spend the day relaxing, or decide to take a drive somewhere new. 

Friday Five List

So, this week has been crazy-my mother-in-law was here, my mom went in for surgery, my son turned three, and I had a late work meeting that kept me there until after 8pm.  Something had to give, and for the second time in two weeks, it was blogging.  Which makes me pull out my hair, because keeping up this blog is one of the things I look forward to the most each day.  But such is life I suppose, and like I have on other occasions, I will make up the lapse with two posts on one day.  That might be tonight or it might be tomorrow, but it will come!

Back to the matter at hand though, here's today's 5 list.

1- Snowmaggedon turned into rain/slush/snow that melted away by the time I picked up my son from daycare.
2- I should stop making to-do lists.  They're never ending.
3- Waiting for a phone call makes time virtually stop.
4- I'm currently addicted to a quinoa salad I buy from my local grocery store.  I'm going to try to recreate it for my menu plan this week.
5- Maple syrup is flowing early this year.  If any of the parks are open, we're going to bring our son this weekend.  What kid doesn't like maple syrup???

Friday Five List

This is a long weekend in Ontario due to Family Day, and it's also the weekend of my son's 3rd birthday.  Today was a crazy day at work, and so my plans to post my cookbook review tonight went out the window.  I was so wiped out that I fell asleep with my son while putting him to bed, and slept for a good hour before waking up!  Here are some of my thoughts for today:

1- It's my son's birthday, so of course he's sick and I'm not sure that he'll feel well enough to celebrate his birthday the way I'd hoped.

2- My mother in law had never seen snow before, so although I hate the cold and snow, I'm happy we've had some flurries over the past couple of days.

3- For some reason, without fail, the Friday before a long weekend is always crazy at work.  Anything that can go wrong, does.

4- My mother in law makes great black beans.  YUM!

5- Can't wait to see my son's face when he opens his gifts tomorrow!!!

Five Things on a Friday

This week has been an eventful one, and the weekend is full of activity too. Here are a few things that happened this busy week or are scheduled for the weekend:

1- Exams marked, marks calculated, semester finished
2- Thesis Defense Done!
3- Planning a trip to the zoo tomorrow
4- Dinner with a friend
5- SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!!! 

It's no secret that I love football, so the Superbowl is always an event at my house, but this year my team (THE GIANTS) is playing, so it's extra special!!! 

Can't wait for the big day!  Don't worry though, the menu plan will still go up as usual.

Friday Five List

Today was one of those days when you ask yourself "why did I bother to get out of bed at all?"  There's nothing worse than feeling sick at work, when all you want to do is curl up under the covers and sleep the day away.  Fortunately, there are always a few things to brighten up even the gloomiest day.  Here are the things that made this day bearable!

1- The friend who surprised me with lunch for no reason other than she knew I was having a bad day
2- The student who stopped by at the end of the day to tell me that they hoped I feel better over the weekend
3- Sharing a few laughs with a colleague I don't get to see very often at work
4- Treats in the workroom office!
5- Knowing that as soon as I put my son to bed, I'm going to bed too!

Friday Five List

1- Thesis Defense Date Is Set!!! February 1st.  Wish Me Luck!
2- Bob's Red Mill Vanilla Cake Mix makes goooood cupcakes! (Review Post tomorrow)
3- It's time to take the tree down, but I really can't be bothered.
4- I also need a new computer.  Any suggestions?
5- One more weekend before it's back to work.  Hopefully I feel better next week than I've felt all week this week.

Five Things on a Friday

1- This is the last post of the first year of this blog!  I'm so happy to have kept at this for a whole year, and that you have shared it with me!  Looking forward to continuing the journey...

2- I'm also looking forward to spending this weekend with my family. I barely saw my son last weekend at all with all the writing, so this weekend the two of us are going to spend some quality time.

3- No better way to spend time with a preschooler than to bake some cookies.  Homemade, gluten free sugar cookies coming up!

4- Planning on finally finishing the Christmas decorating this weekend.  I'm tired of the pile of garland at the bottom of the stairs.

5- Christmas shopping this weekend.  Before the crazy mall crowds begin.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Friday Five List

1- Today is my brother-in-law Carlos' birthday.  He's 23 years old, which I'm sure seems very old to him.  Feliz Cumpleaños Carlos!






2- Toronto broke weather records today.  15.7C!  Hot, sunny and a beautiful day to be outside. 
3- The weather made up for the 45 minutes spent on a broken down bus waiting to go to the ROM this morning.
4- I'm really hoping to spend a date day checking out the special Mayan exhibit before it's over.
5- The countdown is on, 4 more weeks 'till Christmas!

Friday Five List: Getting Ready For Halloween

Halloween is just a few days away, so now is the time to get all those last minute candy, costume and decorating item crossed off the list.  Here's what's on my to-do list to prepare for the big day:

1- Carve our pumpkins.  We picked up several pumpkins for 99 cents each at the local grocery store that have been adding to our fall decor.  Now it's time to get them ready for their big night. 

2- Buy gluten free candy.  I worry so much about my son coming home without any treats he can eat, so I figure there have to be other parents with the same worry.  So, along with keeping everything peanut free, I'm going to try and have a variety of gluten free and dairy free treats as well.

3- Finish putting up the inexpensive decorations I picked up the other day.  The spiderwebs are on the wall, it's time for the caution tape to up. 

4- Pick up some treats for my students.  Our school is part of a healthy schools program, so rather than buying candy, I think I'll get some Halloween-themed non-edible treats.

5- Prepare a family-sized meal for my sister, niece and parents, and bake some Halloween themed treats for the kids to decorate. 

Friday Five List

Here are the five things on my mind this Friday:

1- Even though all the leaves have fallen off my tomato plants, they are still producing ripe, red tomatoes. 

2- Ditto for the zucchinis still managing to thrive despite the dead leaves on the vine.

3- I'm hoping that the rain holds off on Sunday for our visit to the pumpkin patch.

4- Speaking of pumpkins, I still have to write that review of the gluten free pie crust mix I used on Thanksgiving.

5- I really need to finish my Halloween decorating this weekend.  Not to mention the yard work.


Happy Friday!

Friday Five: Thanksgiving Recap

 Here's what I was thankful for on this Thanksgiving






1- Help in the kitchen

2- Family 

3- Friends

 4- Summer temperatures in October 

5- Silliness and Fun 

Friday Five List: Thesis Writing

This week flew by kind of quickly, and the weekend is packed before it even begins.  Tomorrow is a long day of thesis writing.  Here are the five things I'm going to need to get me through the day:

1- Coffee, and lots of it.

2- Sweats, comfy socks and a comfortable chair.

3- Classical music.  I like listening to music when I write, but music with lyrics distract me.  Classical is the way to go.

4- A large table.  The neat piles I start out with have a way of spreading over the course of the day.

5- An empty house.  My husband and my son are going to spend some quality time together so I can get some work done. 

Wish me luck!