Why is Every Late Night at Work a Thursday?

Tonight was Parent's Night, so I was at work late.  It dawned on me as I rushed home in time to catch the Vampire Diaries that late nights at work seem to fall regularly on Thursdays.

I have two more late nights this month, both Thursdays.  I think it's a conspiracy against my desire to feed my addiction to Thursday night TV. 

The only night of the week that I actually have shows that I try not to miss.

Thank goodness for time shifting!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to try and digest the mid-season finale.   Until tomorrow...

Countdown To Christmas Is On!

Some people get annoyed when they hear Christmas ads at the beginning of November, but not me!  I'm not a crazy, Christmas in July kinda gal, but I find that if I wait too long to start preparing for Christmas, the season practically passes me by.  This year, I work right up until December 23rd, so I know I'll be busy right up to the last minute.  Since Etienne is now old enough to begin to understand it, I want to make sure that we enjoy every minute. 

Last year.  Still figuring out gluten free living

It's only November and already our calendar is filling up: Two Santa Claus parades this month, a kids Christmas party and my department party.  Not to mention my mom's birthday.  And Christmas shopping.  And decorations.  Oh, and how about the REAL reason for the holiday.  Right.  Gotta get on that.

I have some big plans for this holiday season.  Most of it revolves around spending time with family and friends.  That also means providing YOU with some ideas for not just surviving the holidays gluten free, but for enjoying them with delicious, gluten free food that everyone will love.  Last year, it was the baking that tripped me up the most.  Our house had only been gluten free for a short period of time, so my options were limited.  This year I'm looking forward to trying new recipes and sharing them on the blog.

  

Last year's gluten free baking: Sugar Cookies.  

 

 

 

 

First up, shortbread cookies.  My mom makes them every year, so I need to find a gluten free version that passes the taste test.  I'll keep you posted! 

The holidays are fleeting.  Enjoy every moment!

A Little Pick Me Up On A Rainy Tuesday in November

Today has been a dreary, rainy day, and I need a little pick me up.  Enjoy!

Thank Goodness For Goat's Milk Yogurt

We eat a lot of yogurt in this house- especially plain yogurt or honey yogurt.  All that fruit on the bottom stuff is OK sometimes, but I'd rather add my own fresh fruit to a bowl of yogurt than eat the over-sweet, mushy stuff that's so often found at the bottom of a fruit yogurt cup. 

My son has always loved yogurt too, and even as a baby would eat it plain, no sweetener required.  Once he was taken off dairy, we experimented with soy yogurt, but after a while he began rejecting it.  For a long time, he went without. 

Then, I discovered  Liberté Goat Yogourt.  The company is based in Quebec, Canada, and make a wide range of products.  Click on the link above to learn more. 

So far, I've only found it in plain, but that's ok by me.  The goat's milk we buy is from the same company, so I knew the quality would be good. It's 2.7% Milk Fat, which is actually good for a child my son's age. 

The consistency is nice and thick, almost like a Greek-style yogurt, so it would make a perfect substitute in recipes for sour cream.  Unlike some yogurts that are runny, this product has a nice texture.  I like to use it in smoothies to thicken them up.

The flavour is comparable to a regular yogurt, with just a bit more tang.  My son loves it and will eat it plain.  I like to add some dried cranberries, some chopped nuts and a drizzle of honey.  MMMM!

This is a product that I would recommend to anyone.  It makes a nice change from regular yogurt, and has a great flavour and consistency.  Most important, it's another product my son no longer has to miss out on! 

Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

My husband did a fantastic job of cooking the meals, but I've been remiss in not taking photos.  Too much to do!  Here's what we're eating at our house this week:

Monday: Baked Tilapia with Steamed Veggies

Tuesday: Broccoli and Cheddar Soup with Caesar Salad

Wednesday: Lemon Rosemary Chicken Breast with Quinoa Tabbouleh and Mediterranean Dips

Thursday: Meatloaf and Spanish Rice

Friday: Eating out! 

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

I've been trying to get the revisions to my thesis done since mid-September, but re-adjusting to a full-time job that involves lots of at home work as well has left me with little time to write.  Add to that family responsibilities, spending time with my husband and son, and just life in general, and, well, the thesis has moved down to the bottom of the to-do list.  Actually, it just keeps getting shifted from one to do list to another, never to actually be tackled, but always present so that I don't feel like I've forgotten about it. 

So I took matters into my own hands this weekend, and booked myself into a hotel for tonight, so that I can work undisturbed, guilt free, and without that nagging feeling that I really should be doing something else around the house instead.  I probably won't finish the changes tonight (it's not even really a 24 our stay, check-in was at 3pm and check-out is at noon), but I hope to get a nice chunk done.  I'll figure out a strategy for the rest later!

On top of all this, my husband and I finally got our act together and called a cleaning service.  YAY!  Today my house was cleaned from top to bottom and I didn't have to help.  Sigh.  It was so worth the money.  Normally that's how we spend our Saturdays, but not any more.  We're going to set up a regular cleaning schedule, and just do the in-between maintenance.  Maybe this way I'll have a bit more time to write and more time to spend with my family that doesn't involve scrubbing.  I'd really like to get this thesis done and defended soon. 

I feel much lighter and almost stress free (except for the damn thesis).  Speaking of which....I need to get on that.


Menu plan is going up as usual tomorrow.  I left my husband in charge of the cooking, and I'll take the photos and post them when I get home in the early afternoon. 


Have a wonderful Saturday night! 

Goodbye to a Special Lady

My husband grew up with a live-in nanny in his native country.  Actually, his nanny was his father's nanny when he was a boy too.  She joined the family as a teenager and lived with them for the rest of her life.  This is something I didn't experience growing up in Canada.  She stayed with my husband's family long after she was able to work, effectively becoming a member of their family.  I visited with her on several occasions when I stayed with my in-laws in El Salvador and listened to her many stories. 

She passed away this week, and I know it will be a great loss for my husband and his entire family.  I'm so happy that she got the chance to meet our son.  My father in law told my husband that they found a photo of her holding our son framed in her bedroom after she passed.  My son took to her immediately, looking for her every morning and practicing his Spanish with her.  I'm happy he spent time with someone so important to my husband before she died.  May she rest in peace. 

2009.  She had taken a bad fall and was still recovering

2011: My son would look for her every morning

2011. 

One Big Happy Family

Last night we celebrated my Uncle's birthday, and got the first extended family photo in a long time.  There are some people missing, but a nice chunk of us were there.  Look at how cute we are!

2011 Monthly Goals Review

I'm a little late on my goals review post, but with Halloween I was a bit busy.  October saw Thanksgiving as well, so overall, it was a month filled with family gatherings.  Etienne saw a lot of his cousin this month! 

I feel more settled at work now that I've been back for two months.  Things are coming back to me now, so I don't have to ask my colleagues so many questions about how to do basic things.  I've got some plans to work on my thesis this coming weekend (fingers crossed), so I hope to get that rolling again soon. 

We've been slowly working on getting things done in the house that have waited a long time.  Our family room is now livable, so we're moving on to the playroom in the basement.  We'd like to have a nice area down there for both adults and kids to spend time, so the next few months will be spent getting that area figured out. 

On the blog front, I've been able to keep up my daily posting, but that's about it.  There are some changes to the blog that I'd like to make, updates and networking that needs to be done, but for now, just keeping up the daily posting will have to be enough.  I really look forward to my daily posting time.  Hopefully soon I'll be able to dedicate more time to making the improvements I'd like to make. 

I feel as though this month was just finding my rhythm again at work, at home, and in general.  The whirlwind first month was over, and now the regular schedule has settled in and I've been adjusting. 

How have your goals for the year held up over the months?

Happy Halloween: Part 2

I hope everyone had a great Halloween last night.  The weather was better this year than last, so we had kids out on the street until almost 9 pm.  My son made it almost all the way down the street, and then he spent the rest of the evening on the front porch, handing out candy.  We were left with a pretty good haul of stuff, but after sorting through it for gluten free options, the pile became much smaller, though more than enough for my 2 year old.  Here are a few images of our Halloween night!

Tigger!

Despite her expression, my niece was not in pain!

 

 

 

My spider pumpkin

Thomas!

 

 

No, that's not a self-portrait

The happy family!

Our next door neighbours, who had a special gluten free treat bag for our son!

My personal fave!

Now, on to Christmas preparations!!!!