I am...

lying on the couch downstairs as I listen to the laughter of Steve and the kids playing upstairs.

I wish I had the energy to join in.

My feet and ankles are tingling. My back is burning. My body is tired yet restless.

MS is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.

Monkey Bread

I've been going through my countless photos trying to organize what pictures to put in this year's Blurb book. I came across a picture of the Monkey Bread I made just after Christmas last year. It is so ooey gooey good and really easy to make! The recipe doesn't call for it but I sprinkle on some chopped candied cherries and chopped pecans before putting it in the oven.

1 package Pillsbury Country Biscuits
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons brown sugar (or 1/6 cup)

Take the package of biscuits (10 per roll) and cut each biscuit into 6 pieces. In a dish, mix together cinnamon and sugar. Roll biscuit pieces into the mixture to coat. Drop sugar-coated pieces into a well buttered loaf pan (don't squish roll pieces when placing them in the pan).

Put 1/6 cup (or 2 tbsp and 2 tsp) of the left-over sugar/cinnamon mix and the packed brown sugar and 1/3 cup of butter into a small saucepan. Bring this mixture just to a boil; remove from heat immediately. Carefully drizzle over the roll pieces.

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Cool slightly in an upright position, then tip pan over onto a plate to remove monkey pull-apart bread.

Enjoy!

Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider

I was watching The Bonnie Hunt Show yesterday morning and was completely blown away by the unique talent of Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider. I seriously fell for it. For a minute I thought there were five of them!

Enjoy your weekend!

On The Bonnie Hunt Show


Michael Jackson Tribute

Desk Makeover

In the upstairs hallway sits a wonderful desk and mirror that once belong to my grandmother along with many other pieces that are scattered throughout our house. I adored her furniture growing up. The dark wood, the timeless lines -- that little something you can only find in an old piece. I was very happy to inherit these beautiful pieces. The desk is a bit worn in spots and the mirror is aged which makes me love them even more. Every time I walk past the desk and mirror or our bedroom furniture or the dining room table, or the letter desk in the front room or any of the other pieces here and there, fond memories come back of when we used to visit her in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

The desk has been sitting naked, looking sad and dreary, since we moved in to this house four years ago. That is, until my eye caught this lamp in HomeSense (my favourite store that I've only mentioned, oh, a few times...here, here and here).



I'm a big fan of finding affordable ways to make things look great so I found a few things I already had around the house to add to the arrangement.

The lamp cost $60 and the package of wicker balls cost $8.

What was once a dark, dreary desk...

Before



is now shining with life...

After

Blurb Book

With Christmas not that far off, my mind has been on creating my next Blurb book. They have been great gifts for the grandparents and a wonderful keepsake.

Last year's book contained over 500 pictures and 120 pages.

Here are some of the pages from last year's book....

Beaded Bracelet

Most days you'll find me in cotton tops and simple bottoms. I dress fairly casual on a regular basis. T shirts, jeans and capris are all kid friendly and comfy. Running up and down the stairs after the kids in a tight skirt and stilettos doesn't sound like fun to me.

That doesn't mean you can't add some sparkle!

A few years ago my mom got into beading. Great for me! I have never owned so much jewelry -- like this piece. It's a pink and white clear beaded bracelet my mom made for me last year and I just adore it!

Top: Jacob
Capris: Jacob Connexion
Shoes: Sketchers

Gimme That $500

Young House Love is having a $500 giveaway for Lowe's!

I've been shopping around for some window coverings. I wonder if Lowe's could add a little something to these windows? The window seat is looking quite sad too.

The room could definitely use a little decorating TLC!

Sherkston Shores Pictures

My friend, Alana, posted some pictures she took during our trip to Sherkston Shores. You can check them out on her HERE !

Rosh Hashana

Shana Tova!

Living With Multiple Sclerosis: day

The second installment (and maybe the last, they're just a bit draining to write) of what my life is like daily living with Multiple Sclerosis. You can read the first installment here ...

It’s just after 9am. Steve is at work. The kids are at daycare.

I’m standing in the shower as the warm water rushes over my head. I probably shouldn’t have the water as hot as it is but it feels so good on my tired, aching body -- the body that woke up only two hours ago.

I close my eyes as I take in the warmth -- a quiet, relaxing moment. I open my eyes again and wonder how long I’ve had them closed. It feels like forever though I’m sure it’s only been a few seconds.

As I lift my arms up to wash my hair, they feel swollen and heavy. I’m sure the temperature of the water has something to do with it but any cooler and my body would tighten up making every joint feel brittle and stiff.

I tilt my head back to rinse out the shampoo. My neck and back begin to tingle. A shock travels quickly down my spine.

I think it’s about time I get out of the shower.

My body tenses at the change in temperature as I step out onto the tile and wrap the towel around my body. Not good. While the swollen feeling in my arms starts to subside, a feeling of heaviness overwhelms them as they try to adjust to the temperature of the room.

My hair is still dripping wet. I wrap a towel around my head and then stop to take a look in the mirror.

Who is this person staring back at me? The dark circles, eyes looking bloodshot and drained. Where did I go? What has happened to me?

I shake the thought out of my mind.

Time for make-up, make-up to hide my tired face. Maybe if I try to hide the tiredness then I’ll forget about it. It’s worth a shot. I put on my moisturizer and then cover-up as I try to hide the circles so dark that nothing seems to mask them anymore. As I raise my arm to put on my eye shadow, it feels like it’s taking way too long for the brush to reach my eyelid, way longer than it should. Every reach feels like a draining task but I keep the movement going.

What was I looking for again? I lost my train of thought. I was too focused on my arms.

It will come to me.

Oh right, mascara.

I glace at my watch. It’s been about 20 minutes since I stepped foot in the shower and I still have to finish getting dressed and dry my hair. I must keep my routine going. No time to stop or my body will remember it’s tired. I still have the whole day to go.

Having a shower and getting ready has made me tired. I just want to lie down on the bed but I know that won’t help. The minute I stop, my whole day will be shot. I’ll just want to lounge around and do nothing.

As I start to head for downstairs, I walk by the mirror that’s hanging on my bedroom wall. I take a quick glance as I keep walking, my legs feeling heavier with every step, my knees feeling like they’ve swollen to the size of melons. The tingling is still very much present in the bottoms of my feet, up my legs, in my cheeks and down my neck. My arms feel long and heavy like I’m wearing weights around my wrists.

It’s another day.

Here we go again.

Just got to keep on s'myelin!

The Secret's In The Soup

I remember summers going up to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to visit my relatives. My dad would often take my brother and I to his parents house for lunch while my mom ran some errands with her mom.

My dad's mom was a great cook. Perogies, fish fries, blueberry pies, yum! She also made wonderful Minestrone soup. When I was about 11 years old and started getting interested in cooking, I asked my grandmother if she could show me her soup recipe. She went to the cupboard, brought out a pot, spoon, measuring cup, noodles and a can of Habitant Minestrone soup. What? A can of soup? You mean all this time I thought this soup was some wonderful concoction she created with homemade broth and vegetables from her own garden (which she had been known to do).

So, what was the secret that made this soup different than all the other canned soups out there? She added extra noodles, barley and a touch of cornstarch to make the soup a bit thicker! What a smart Grandma.

Sadly, my Grandma pasted away last September but I always think of her when I'm cooking. She is one of the people who inspired me to Paulatize my food creations like Lipton Chicken Noodle soup for example. My kids kept saying that they wished their soup had more noodles. No problem! I bought a package of noodles the same shape as the ones in the Lipton Soup package. Now when I make the soup I add 1/3 cup of the noodles to the pot at the same time I add the package of soup. More noodles for everyone!

Broccoli With Garlic Butter And Cashews

Today is my mom's 65th birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom! We celebrated yesterday with a yummy meal of red wine, lamb, Miami ribs, rice, grilled zucchini and one of our favourite side dishes, Broccoli With Garlic Butter And Cashews.

Broccoli With Garlic Butter And Cashews

1 1/2 lbs fresh broccoli, cut into pieces
1/3 cup butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped salted cashews

Place the broccoli into a large pot with about one inch of water in the bottom. Bring to a boil, and cook for six minutes, or until tender but still crisp. Drain, and arrange broccoli on a serving dish.



While the broccoli is cooking, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat.


Mix in the brown sugar,


soy sauce,


vinegar,


pepper and garlic.


Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Mix in the cashews, and pour the sauce over the broccoli. Serve immediately.



Bon Appetit!

Sherkston Shores

We're back from a week at Sherkston Shores with our friends Alana, Pete and their two girls. We had a wonderful time and wished we could have stayed longer.

Our days consisted of lounging on the beach, hanging out by the pool, mini golf, lots of play time, great conversation, watching satellites chase each other in the night sky, barbecues and some cool drinks to wash down our extra toasted marshmallows.

We even managed to get in some sight seeing to see one of the Seven Wonders Of The World -- Niagara Falls.

And who would have thought the bunk bed would be one of the best things that our trailer had to offer. Not only did the bed keep the kids entertained as if they had found their very own clubhouse but Lucas slept through the night without waking up once. You heard me, the boy SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT and slept until 8am! I think it was one of Steve's highlights of the week.

On the last night we were informed by the guys that it was Football Night (oh, great joy). Alana and I managed to make it through the game, just barely (can't say the same for the kids). We watched the time clock tick away, stop a bazillion times, and even add a few seconds. What is the time clock for anyway? Is a minute ever really a minute in sports? A sports minute always seems to end up being at least five minutes if not more....yawn!

A few pictures from our fun-filled week...

Our home for the week

Mini golf, anyone?

The beach at Sherkston Shores

Niagara Falls, ON

The Canadian Falls

The Crew

Toasted Marshmallows by Chef Luke

I am...

wondering who coined the term trailer trash 'cause this trailer definitely isn't trash.

Be back tomorrow...enjoying some sun, sand and sauvignon blanc!

I am...

enjoying a glass of Strut Well-Heeled White Riesling -- a bottle of wine my good friend gave me -- while eating nibs and watching Two And A Half Men with Steve.

Hope all of you are enjoying your Friday night!

Ghirardelli Brownies

I've been hearing people rave about Ghirardelli brownies for some time now so the last time I was in Costco I bought a box (only $7.99 and you get six packages).

The first time I made the brownies, I only used one package. They were OK but with everyone saying how good these brownies are I guess I expected more. This time I used two packages and they were heavenly!

The trick to making a good Ghirardelli brownie -- use two packages!

Enjoying An Apple

After hearing over and over AND OVER again about how awesome Macs are and trying out a few of my friends Macs, I finally caved. I'm now the proud owner of a MacBook.

I'M A MAC GIRL!

I feel like I've entered a new chapter in my life, a much needed change, a step in a new direction. I've joined, dun dun dun, the Apple World.

Come on Mac owners, show me your best Mac happy dance!

Now to figure out how to use my lovely white jewel.