The First Timers Cookbook by Chef Shawn Bucher c/o Media Guests

I cannot tell you just how excited I was to find Media Guests.  I am a HUGE book addict  fan and the thought of reading them then getting to tell you my thoughts on them makes me giddy (yeah "fan" might not be the word to describe lol)

So my first review ever with  Media Guests is for Chef Shawn Bucher's book called The First Timers Cookbook.  I LOVE cookbooks!  But this one is no ordinary "recipe"book, this book teaches you the basics and how to use your own mind when preparing food....food to suit YOU and YOUR family...no strict list of things you don't recognize....just basic skills to free you to use your imagine and create tasty food.

I love the witty way Shawn connects with the readers, as if you were chatting over coffee, and the pictures are gorgeous as well as helpful.  He walks you through things Menu planning & table set-up, knives & knife skills, How to cook Beef, Lamb, Pork, Chicken, Fish and Vegetables.  He also provides LOTS of safety tips, that some might not realize, and shopping tips like how to choose your meat cuts and produce.

About Book

The First Timers Cookbook is the basic
cookbook that anyone who has never
stepped into a kitchen, or lived in a kitchen,
can use. It contains simple techniques and
easy step-by-step instructions that truly
teach you the basics to cooking almost
anything. This book will show you how to
cook, not just what to cook.

About Author

Chef Shawn Bucher holds business degrees and a culinary certificate and has worked in the food service industry for over 12 years. Having been involved in most aspects of the industry “from grocery stores to restaurants, hotels, schools to corporate training and development,” he brings a unique and overall perspective to cooking and the food service industry.

Buy The Book HERE ! 
 I personally think everyone should have one even just for reference...it makes a great gift idea for students college bound, wedding showers, birthdays etc

PLAYFUL PLANET ~Storyland Yoga DVD~

I have been looking for awhile for a local yoga class for Ainsley & I to do together. It seems though that any place that teaches/trains yoga has the same class times....maybe if I had researched better I could find some tie to  the 7 o'clock class time...every class is either at 7am or 7pm and neither is a good time for us :(

However, I happened to stumble upon  a product review site offering Story Land Yoga DVDs by  Playful Planet .  I just about did a cartwheel (well maybe not in the shape I'm in ...but maybe after a few sessions with my kids and this SUPER CUTE DVD!) it's exactly what I have been looking for and it's even age appropriate for Ava to join us as well.

I applied but was originally denied (because I'm still a newbie to the blogsphere my numbers aren't as high as some companies would prefer).  However I HAD to get my hands on this DVD so I sent a rebuttal letter....and I'm glad I did because they decided to pick me :)
I was so excited when I got the email!  I could not wait for the package to arrive!  I knew my girls and I were going to LOVE this!

So we just received it the other day as the girls were walking out the door to go to Nanny's for the weekend...they were so stoked about watching it they HAD to take it with them.  By the time they got home they couldn't wait to show me all their new moves but unfortunately I can't seem to get the disc to work in any of my DVD players.

I'm going to post this for now because I think that it's an excellent product and my girls REALLY enjoyed themselves! And hopefully I can figure out what the glitch is and be able to post pictures of just how much my beauties LOVE it!
In the meantime you should head over to Playful Planet and check out the previews they have posted...or just take Ainsley & Ava's word for it and head straight to Amazon.com to purchase it for your own little cuties.

I also can't wait to see their upcoming projects!

Coming Soon to Playful Planet...

We're excited to announce that Katie Cavuto Boyle joins forces with Playful Planet's next release Storyland Cooking ... a Farm-To-Plate program that inspires kids to eat healthy!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Monday's Music Moves Me ~Love Songs~

This week's theme for Mondays Music Moves Me is ~Love Songs~

My picks for this week are my all time FAVOURITE Aerosmith tunes !

One LONG week...

As you might have noticed I have been pretty quiet this week....
The weather has been wearing me down.  Between a touch of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and the added stress of having a seasonal income I just haven't had anything positive to say.
BUT this weekend was a great one :)
Last night Wayne & I celebrated our birthdays (his Jan 14th & mine Feb 7th) with some really great friends and it was just what I needed after a very LONG week of stress.  Then today my mom brought my girls home with an armload of pizza and a DQ cake (with Tink ~my fav lil Disney girl) so I got to celebrate again before heading to work....fast forward 3hours and I got to come home and see the tail end of the Super Bowl while eating yummy taco dip {Congrats Green Bay...although I would have rather the Steelers steal the game like I thought they were going to} and waiting for Glee!

I must say that I think I have kicked the SAD in the butt for now because I been smiling with a brain full of happy spring thoughts all day.  I am looking forward to getting up tomorrow and preparing my FAVOURITE supper ever and baking my birthday cake so I can celebrate again with my family,my best friend & her beautiful daughter.

Music Moves Me

I was excited to find this blog hop dedicated to music :)  
I am a huge fan of music, I much prefer to listen to the radio than watch tv.  I have spent the last few days working in the computer with a long eclectic list of songs playing on YouTube in the background...songs that move me or make me want to move I love them all!
 
But at the moment I am really digging the Canadian guys ...The Tragically Hip...The Trews... Andrew Hunter & the Gathers...and my girls all time fav Justin Bieber lol

Ahhh Monday already?

Oh what an exhausting weekend.  I have been fighting some kind of sickness all weekend...you know that icky feeling you get just before something kicks the crap out of you... I am not sick yet...nor do I plan to be ---I DO NOT Have time for sickness!  lol
It was my weekend to work which puts me on a 13 day stretch (because I got called in on my "weekend off" ) and I had 2 cake orders to do...a huge mess of a house (thank you mother nature I just love snow days *roll of the eyes*) and some unexpected hate mail from Wayne's ex just to stir the pot....I got hardly any sleep all weekend.
But I got it all done (except for the house)and today I look forward to cuddling up with Ava on the couch and snoozing while she watches some cartoons. 

A birthday cake

A baby shower cake

I really hope to get back into a routine this week...with NO snow days.
My goal is to get the house in shape room by room  for our (Wayne & I) birthday party on Saturday....while juggling my everyday lists of  "must-do's"  and still enjoy some time blogging.

Paying homage to some East Coast Talent- Dirty Money - Andrew Hunter & The Gatherers

I stumbled across Andrew Hunter by accident one night while Wayne & I  were out on a "date".  We had gone to see a small band he had made friends with on a construction site while working out of town.  As we were waiting for them to do their set I was captivated by Andrew's voice.  I hung on his every smooth lyric and although it was a chilly night in my port city inside this pub was as cozy and as close to Hawaii as you could feel. 
Wayne & I were heading back to the car and I couldn't shake the tune from my head.  I had to go back and buy this up and coming artists CD.

From that chilly fall night in 2006 and til this chilly night in 2011  I am still every bit in love with my $8 CD as I was that night.  It is my ultimate relaxation.  Gotta love a good ol' Canadian boy.

{This song is from a newer album but I still enjoy the thought behind the lyrics.}

The Winner of the Roundabout Cupcake Sleeves! IS......

...because we had entries on both the blog post & Facebook I wrote every entry on paper and had Ainsley pull a name at Random.

The Winner of the Roundabouts Cupcake Sleeves IS....

We love the Roundabout Cupcake Sleeves! What a super cute idea! Thanks Tish! From Abby's Edibles

By Tricia on Roundabouts Cupcake Sleeves ROCK!!! on 1/21/11

Congratulations Tricia!  http://www.roundaboutsleeves.com/ would now like you to pick which of their 70+ designs you would to claim as your prize

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm Thankful for

...sleeping in
...extra  cuddles & lovin's
...good winter tires & wipers
...snow plows and a strong hardworking man (not hard on the eyes either)
...quality time beading with my lil ladies

First snowfall of the season December ... 2010



snow today Jan 27, 2011



Library Thursday

Today was yet another Snow Day :o
It didn't seem too bad when I pulled out of the driveway but by the time I drove 5 minutes to the bank and 2 more to the library there were drifts EVERYWHERE.
We were already late for program so I told the girls to scoop up a craft and find 1 book each (the usual rule that we never follow LOL) and race me to check out because the weather was getting worse by the second.
This week's theme is Puzzles.

Craft today was Design Your own Puzzle.

You could do this by using a picture you already have and cutting it into puzzle pieces and putting it back together or you could use the page provided and draw your own picture.

We honestly didn't stay long enough to read the themed books or even catch what the titles were..but we are hoping to make it back on Saturday for the mini concert they are having with Zany Lane.

But we did bring home a couple really good ones :)

Princess Story Collection (Ainsley's choice)
Pocahontas (Ava's choice- it's french LOL)
Pocket Rocks by Sheree Fitch (I love her and she's from NB) 

Wordless Wednesday ~Whoopsie!~

Perfectly cute lunch bag...gets a little wet

Very thoughtful Mom hangs it to dry out ...

very thoughtful Mom is also very FORGETFUL at times ....Whooops!

Where in the World Wednesday!

Today’s theme is famous people from your area.

I'm from Saint John, New Brunswick Canada (just above Maine, USA) and some of the most famous people from my area are :
 Walter Pidgeon (1897-1984), Hollywood actor, best remembered for his startling role in "Mrs. Miniver" - a war time classic. Walter was born and raised in Saint John, N.B.

 Donald Sutherland (1934-) Hollywood actor original from Saint John, N.B. Star of hundreds of TV and movie productions such as "Casanova", "Eye of the Needle", "Klute", "M.A.S.H.", "The Dirty Dozen" and the Academy award-winning "Ordinary People."

Dr. Wallace Turnbull (1870-1954), invented the variable pitch propeller, and built the world's first wind tunnel, which revolutionized the aviation industry. He was considered a genius of aeronautical engineering and inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame in 1977. He was a resident of Rothesay, N.B.

Nathan Cummings (1896-1985), founder of the National Tea Company (Consolidated Foods of Chicago). Business interest included, Electrolux, Sara Lee, Fuller Brush and General Dynamics.

Stompin' Tom Connors - Charles Thomas Connors
Born - February 9th, 1936 Saint John, New Brunswick
Everyone of his songs stick in your head and I'm sure you haven't never sang one of them without noticing. His song (THE HOCKEY SONG) is played at least once at ever NHL hockey game that is played here in Canada.















Everyone is invited to join us to blog hop and to share where you are from, it will be fun to meet bloggers from all over the world! Where in the World are you?
Please join your Hosts Simply Stacie who lives in Nova Scotia, Canada and Just Married with Coupons who lives in Rhode Island, US on a fun blog hop adventure around the world. Tell us as anything you would like, what country, state, city or region you are from, lets have fun!

Today’s theme is famous people from your area. Ellen Page, star of the movie Juno, is from Halifax, NS. This movie was great!
How to Join Us:

-Follow Your Hosts Simply Stacie & Just Married with Coupons
-Leave us a comment to let us know so we can follow you back & Tell Us Where in the World you are?
-Follow as many people as you like & Let them know Where in the World you are?
-If someone follows you, make sure to follow them back!
-Feel free to grab the button and post on your blog and help us spread the word.
-Have fun meeting new people from all over the world!
ADD YOUR BLOG *AND* LOCATION FOR FUN!

Ainsley's colourful Valentines

This year for Ainsley's class we wanted to do something a little different. So after seeing this post on Frugral Family Fun I knew we HAD to do heart shaped recycled crayons :)

So I went to the Dollarama in search for a heart shaped baking pan and found this silicon mold

...and because I can't ever walk into a dollar store and ONLY spend one dollar I also spotted these Princess & Spiderman Silly Bands (they are ALL about the Silly Bands right now lol)

I already had a package of glitter paper in my scrapbooking supplies (ask how many scrapbooks I've finished...I dare ya! lol)  and it is conveniently all pink and red (I knew it would be really cute to use someday)  so with this we're going to use our heart cookie cutter as a stencil to make the cards....but what we are stumped on is a catchy Valentine rhyme or message....What should we write on the cards besides the usual ol'faithful  BE MINE??

 

 

I was thinking something "colourful" (because of the crayons)  would be cute...but what ??  Any suggestions???

For her Teacher and TA,  we bought a couple of cute containers and plan to fill them with this great hot chocolate mix I found on Lovin My Little Ladies  ...we thought their cards would stay something like " Teacher you warm my heart!  Happy Valentines Day!" ...but we're open to suggestions on that one too :)

Are you doing Valentines this year?  What are your plans, craft ideas etc?

WooHOO !! 100 followers That Is Exciting!

Thank you to all of my new friends!  Passing the 100 mark is a pretty exciting milestone and I could not have done it with out ALL of YOU !  
Reading all of your wonderful blogs and linking up with the tremendous amount of Blog Hops is what has inspired me to start my own and follow through with it :)
I am enjoying every minute with my family and love sharing the moments with people who can relate...and watching you all enjoy your families too! 

I now have a Facebook page which can be more interactive.  If you would like to join me there you can find me at http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Lots-of-FUN-with-my-FaMiLy/184290314933429

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

I have started a 100+ Reading Challenge ...why not the girls too??

I have started a 100+ Reading Challenge for 2011  (my list is posted on the left)  ...but now I'm thinking Why not track the books the girls & I read together as well? ...well I do in my Thursday - Library Day posts but why not a condensed list like my own?

I think it will be interesting to see how many different books we have read and which ones we tend to go back to.

If you'd like to join us in the FAMILY FUN  100+ Reading Challenge Please Link up below and let us know where to locate your families list.  I will also try to keep a star (*)  rating next to the titles so we will remember which ones we really enjoyed and might want to go back to.

Library Day

***This is posted a little late lol.  I just found it sitting in draft still ...oops!  I think I meant to include pictures then got distracted***



Thursday mornings are Ava and I library days.  This morning we snuck in a little bit late to the Time for Tots program and Ava dove right in.  I sat and watched. I could not help but notice just how much Ava has progressed/changed in the last couple of months since attending.  We started in October, back then she sat quietly on my lap and just watched as the other children interacted.  She didn't really listen to the story as it was read and could not be bothered with actions of songs.  Now we're in mid-January and she thinks she's the star of the show.  She runs right in and starts singing her heart out.  She has figured out the pattern of activities ....finger plays, ribbons, instruments, book etc.  I can't help but feel proud seeing her do the Hokey-Pokey without assistance and watch her not only interact with the other children but try to welcome & comfort those who are shy like she once was.

The craft table today was the same as last week so we just skipped right on to reading.

Ava spied up an Olivia book (she had recognized "O lib E Ah"  from program a few weeks back) so we sat and read that together just loud enough for her shy friend to hear as well.
Then she ran off and returned with an Iron man book so we read that as well...Ainsley has learned from somewhere (most likely her peers) that some things are "girl stuff"and somethings are "boy stuff" and would probably scoff at Ava's choice but I think that people can enjoy whatever thing people wish...and Iron man wasn't so bad ;)

This week we brought home:
Olivia forms a band - Ian Falconer
Batman versus The Joker -N.T Raymond
Jennifer Jones Won't Leave Me ALONE! - Frieda Wishinsky
Amelia Bedelia and the cat - Herman Parish
The Dog Princess Fairy Tails (Harper Collins Publishers)

It's Sunday morning

Good morning (almost noon)!

I just fired a roast in the slower cooker and thought I'd check some emails and hop in some blogs this morning.
If you looking for some great reviews, giveaways and some really good reads check out Real Mom Reviews
Swingin by Sunday



Who is featuring this week The Thrifty Military  who is also hosting her own hop today called Meet & Follow Sunday



  There's a Great Canadian girl Lise, from Baby Bottom Line,  who has TONS of really cool giveaways on her site and hosts a Sunday hop

 

And the Sunday link up that has helped me find  A LOT of great educational and fun activities for my girls is No Time For Flash Cards  Link and Share.


DO YOU KNOW OF ANY OTHER REALLY GOOD SUNDAY HOPS OR LINK UPS??  OR JUST REALLY GOOD READS I SHOULD CHECK OUT ?  LET ME KNOW :)

HAVE A GREAT SUNDAY EVERYONE!

Ainsley & Ava make Shrimp Alfredo & garlic bread

Front left: pot of spagetti  Right (front) Alfredo (back) shrimp

Ainsley & Ava added shredded cheese over the
french bread spread with garlic butter

Alfredo Sauce
1 1/4cup of chicken broth whisked with 4 tsp of flour on medium heat, stir in 1/3cup of cream cheese til melted and then add 2tbsp of parmesan cheese....constantly stirring.  Season with pepper and /or  garlic powder.  Serve over pasta.
Tastes great on it's own or with:
shrimp, scallops, lobster, chicken, broccoli, mushrooms

It's a very quick and easy supper, ready in 15 mins.
My family LOVES it!

Super Yummy Salmon

Start with 2 salmon fillets..about the same size ...butter both of these with Herb & Garlic cream cheese

Fry up some (boil & drained) spinach with mushrooms

pour this fried mix over one cream cheese fillet

then put sandwich it with the other fillet (cheese side down)
then butter top side and season with a little salt & pepper
Bake at 360* for 45mins

Mmmmm it's so good

Roasted Garlic Potato Wedges

Ainsley loves taking pictures these days and helping in the kitchen so the other night she grabbed the camera and followed me step by step in making Roasted Garlic Potato Wedges.

First, she washed 6 or 8 russet potatoes for me to quarter



Then I grated 2 -3 cloves of fresh garlic over them

Then poured 1-2 tbs of veg oil over them

Then seasoned with a little salt,

and oregano

Then shook them all up



and made sure they were all covered well



Pour them into a foil lined baking dish and ake at 350* for

about an hour flippign them around 1/2 way

Ainsley's picture of her plate

Mom's plate