Dinner and Dessert

For the main of my dinner party wars, I made basil and spinach stuffed salmon, wild rice pilaf with cranberries and slivered almonds, lemon, garlic, asparagus, and patty pan squash.  For dessert I served an amazing clone of the Starbucks cranberry bliss bar!!   So yummy!!!   For those of you who haven't enjoyed this wonderful delight yet...it is a ginger white chocolate and cranberry cake, topped with cream cheese icing and Craisins the recipe I used is on You Tube!

 We had a great time!  Good Friends, Good Food and Lots of Wine!

BFF Dinner

So tonight it is one of my BFF's dinner....her b-day is actually tomorrow...but tonight is the night!   I wanted to do a big extravagant dinner party with all of our girls...however, she said she just wanted the two of us!, I respected her wishes.....but I'm wishing I ignored her and pulled it out!!!!   I guess it will have to wait for another year ;-)

Anyways Jessie!   This is your dinner...."the perfect filet", wrapped in fresh sliced bacon!....Yes I sliced it...so I can call it fresh!!!!   Soaked in J.Lohr cabernet sauvignon!   served with oven roasted garlic mashed potatoes, beets and greens!!!

I hope you enjoy!!!

The snaggle is back!!!

Taeya you may have some competition.....Bentley has a snaggle!!!!    I'm working on wiggling it....or else he will have to get it pulled while he is under on Dec 7th!!!!   Maybe he will wait for you to pull it out and it will be your own odd to your snaggle.....I will leave it alone until you come home ;-)))

upper right hand of the photo!!!

My Dinner Party Wars!

Last Saturday was My dinner party wars and it was so much fun!!   I pulled off the Christmas decor...in the 'Nick of time' ;-)   I had hot apple cider mulling on the stove....If you want your house to smell like a sweet christmas night, plus have an amazing alcohol - free drink....Take an orange, fill it with cloves...place  it in a pot of apple juice with cinnamon sticks and simmer all night long!   It gives of such an amazing scent...and although none of my guests had anything alcohol free ;-))  It did fill the house with this amazing home scent!

The night started out with frozen cranberries and chilled Freixenet champagne, served with organic field tomatoes, layered with fresh mozzarella, basil pesto and balsamic reduction.  I also served cranberry and Pepper Boursin with cranberry raincoastcrisps.

 After we finished our initial chats... we went onto butternut squash and cinnamon pureed soup....I served it with croutons, plain yogurt and parm cheese shavings  on the table so everyone could choose their own toppings!

Mains and Dessert to follow tomorrow....plus our end of the night....after many bottles of wine....photos     ;-)))

Becca - Kelowna Child Photographer

While all the grandkids were home for our recent loss we also had the blessing of Becca!!  The most beautiful baby I have ever laid eyes on....and so calm.   Becca is an absolute angel....and my goal was to get her outside for a shoot, I really wanted to see her in the elements around...however due to time constraints I had to sneak shots inside!   I love this one of my Nan and Becca, Nan needed a baby in the house last weekend!

 I remember Nan cuddling me like this! Whispering that I was beautiful, important and a dream come true!   I could hear Nan, encouraging and instilling the same confidence in my 'niece' (2nd cousin)...and it was the perfect end to our weekend!!!

Becca you are such an amazing blessing!!   

 I love this one!!!   In Nan's knits -   I used to have a whole treasure chest of the knits I loved for 'my babies'.....well Nan I guess I can start sharing !!!

Ready for Christmas

Well the house is almost finished being decorated...I got it done just in time for the dinner party!!!

Angel Wings!!

A picture is worth a 1000 words!!!!

A Quitter?

So I feel a little bit like a quitter....I start my freezer challenge...which got delayed by our 10 day stay in AZ, then my trip to the Island!!!    So my brother came over last night, and checked....I'm making progress!  I will get back on track...BTW (by the way)  I pulled out chicken breasts and pineapple to make a dish, pork loins,  ground turkey and the left over rouladen (not sure if that was on the original list).  Although I haven't given up on this quest it has hit a few road blocks!  

....Then I plan to get the house decorated!!   However WII took over and I had 10 assignments to get caught up on... to which I completed 6 this evening!   Plus I talked to my Nan - 3 times XOXOXO, and Jes came for an hour visit!!

I'm only human....the house is coming along and I will have to have all the decorations completed by 10am tomorrow so I can go grocery shopping and then get prepped for my dinner party ;-))



AAAHHH....Please stop Snowing!!!!!


Although you are beautiful, you are time consuming and stressful ;-))

My Day!!

My Day....The girls and I awoke at 7am.....we headed out to take Bentley for his morning duties....and to shovel the 8 cm's from our driveway!!!!   The girls had breakfast while I finished and then we headed to school....over the treturous roads!   When I arrived home at 10am...I shovelled another 7 cm!!!    I then cautiously headed out, after loading up the truck snow tires and rims...to get them put on the truck...when I arrived at "tire shop-will not mention"  Their mechanic had cut off his thumb and was obviously unable to change my tires....so I headed back up the hill with my glazed doughnuts!!!  To again shovel another 6 cms!!!!   Do you know how frustrating it is to shovel 6 cms from every sq inich of your driveway....to only feel like you should start all over again!!!   I DOO!!!!

Here are a few pics of the 10am shovel!!!

So Perhaps....

So perhaps I put a little to much on my plate....Uncle Dave and Aunty Tanys came around 7:30, then we had dinner....full tummy's full of spaghetti didn't feel like decorating....so instead we decided to WII Dance Party 2 ?????  (I'm not sure how that is easier on the belly....but way more fun!!!!!   Uncle Dave and T-dawg rocked it out!!!!

Pre Decor Photos!!!

So here we are at 6:15pm....we have taken our photos and started to haul out all of our bins of Christmas Decor!!   I have started a huge pot of spaghetti on the stove, even though the girls are on their second snack since 2:45 ;-))  Homework, laundry and cleaning is done! Driveway is shovelled...along with our neighbours, dog has been walked, trained, has his trampoline time on the pool cover ;-0!!   We are waiting for Uncle Dave and Aunty T before having dinner....so I will post again tonight with our progress.....keep your fingers crossed!!!

Dinner Party Wars

So my judged dinner party is quickly approaching, This Saturday night!   I was planning on a Fall theme with butternut pumpkin soup served in hollowed out mini pumpkins , which I posted my mock up a while ago (click on the link to see post - if you missed it)   However, with the pumpkins gone and covered my 6cms of snow!!!!   I have switched to a Christmas, Winter Wonderland theme.  The only problem is I don't have any decorations up....and Ted is away in sunny AZ!!!   The girls and I are hoping to get started after school today and we have enlisted the help of Uncle Dave and Aunty Tanya to help pull this off!!!!! I will take before's and afters today....because I love seeing what has been accomplished!

Below is my inspiration for my NEW dinner party theme!!!

I have to run!  Taeya just called....her thermos exploded!!!   So she needs a new lunch brought up!!

I'll post before's after I pick up the girls!!!

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