the ace

Last Saturday (yes it has taken this long to post about it) John and I took a trip into Toronto.  A little date.  We went to the Steam Whistle Brewery for a tour but the tours where all sold out for the day.  They gave us a few free passes and John had a complimentary drink of beer.  It is in a building called The John Street Roundhouse that use to be the hub for engines coming and going, needing repairs and such.  It is really neat.  They do weddings there...which is kinda of cool.  I had my zoom lens on and so I was limited to picture taking close up.  It was very cool....you will have to take my word for it.  We definitely will go back to use the coupons. 

So John had a plan.  He wanted to take me to this little restaurant he had seen on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  You can watch part one of the episode here and part two here.  Apparently he had been waiting a while to take me there which is so sweet.  I love that he thinks up these little plans...it makes me smile.  As we drove there he made me watch the episodes.  It was too cute.  Once we parked and started walking down the street to the restaurant I snapped a picture of this cute fellow.  I love that he is tied to a fire hydrant.  That is some sort of oxy moron don't you think??  It was a cute neighbourhood.

The Ace.



 

 

We were a few minutes early.  They have a lunch hour, close and then re-open for dinner. On Sundays they serve a brunch.

 

 

It is a no frills kinda of place but no frills in all the right ways.

 

 

 

 

 

I always hate my photo taken.  The other week I saw a link to this wonderful Dove Real Beauty campaign video posted on Leslie's blog.  I have to remember the message it shares loud and clear.  It is a powerful one.  A love for ourselves because we are beautiful message.  A take a photo and don't critique it message.  A embrace your beauty and the wonderful photo you have of you and the one you love capturing a moment in time message!  So shame on me for thinking all the bad stuff when I  look at this photo.  Think instead of how relaxed John was.....what a wonderful time we had for those few hours we carved out of a life that is tough some days. 

 



 

 

 

Can we talk about the shabby chic mis-matched dishes.  Oh my heavens I love it and the Chinese wall paper!!! When I noticed the mis-matched plates John said, "I knew you'd like it".  I love he knows me.  

 

 

 

The place is small but in a great way.  It maybe seats twenty people and the kitchen is right out in the open where you can see the chef working away.

 

 

The food.  Oh my.  It was so good. 

 



 

 

More shabby chic.  Dessert menus hand written on The Ace Dessert stationary.

 



 

 

 

We chose a dessert by way of eeny meeny miney moe.  Peanut Butter Ice box Pie.

 



 

 

 

A few other things I loved about the Ace.  These great holders on the wall held tea light candles.  So neat. 

 

 

As well the bathroom....a corner sink.  Amazing!

 

On the way home there was talk of that Peanut Butter Ice Box Pie.  I looked up a recipe and made it.  However I warn you...it was so much work.  My bowl was too small.  I had cream cheese over flowing and I was cursing my stupidity in wanting to recreate it.  Oh man.  John said after I said I am a stupid mom (on Mother's Day as I tried to attempt this) that no in fact I was a great mom cause I was making it.

 

 

 

I guess I am not that stupid.  It was very good.  I did end up giving some to my neighbour cause I kept eating it.  So if you choose to make it, half the recipe!  It was too much all at once.

 



 

 



my mom

 

 

Over the years growing up I know that I have given my mom a run for her money.   I am sure that as a child when I painted my legs with turpentine which resulted in burns and bandages, my mom probably questioned how she ended up with this child from hell that couldn't sit still to save her life.  There was the time I ate the comet and as if that was not enough there was the kerosene I drank which involved a chest x-ray, I am sure she was mortified at my curiosity that got the better of me over and over.  My caution to the wind attitude that followed me through my childhood.

 

There was the time when I stuck a fluff up  my nose just to see what would happen.  Well I will tell you what happened, it sat up there for days and my poor mother probably wondered why her child smelt so bad even after being told to go brush my teeth over and over and finally, when she could not bare my stench any longer, another trip to the hospital to have the doctor pull out a booger covered fluff that had been festering for days in my nose.

 

Then there was the time that I can imagine my busy mom of two thinking to herself, okay it is just one load of laundry to switch, I could pop downstairs quick.  She (meaning me) is playing nicely...okay go!  Of course me as a child with a radar for mischief must have had a inner mother GPS...I had obviously an innate sense that she had left me upstairs alone.  What happened next included me escaping through the locked screen door at the front of the house out onto the front sidewalk of our very busy street....my poor mom coming back upstairs after just being gone mere minutes....finding me gone and the front screen door swinging open...a frantic rush to the open door....to find a truck driver had stopped his big rig.......(yes his big rig which might explain why for most of my childhood I wanted to be a truck driver)....after having seen me escape out my front door, heading up the walk way with me to return me safely.  My poor mom was no doubt ready to hand in her momma cape that day and buy a one way ticket to somewhere warm.  I know my mom blames herself for these times I was such a terror however I do think I was that type of child, that no matter what she tried, would have found a way to get into trouble.  The bottom line is she is lucky to have survived me.   

 

As I navigated my teenage years, I know that I was a bit moody.  I remember applying for a job at the local Y.W.C.A.  The second year I had done so.  The first year I worked for the summer and loved it.  When I re-applied the next year I guess I was in amongst a teenage phase of aloofness and that whole the world revolves around me phase.  I went for the interview and never got the position.  I was upset.  I don't know if my mom knows this but a few months after that interview I came across a letter on her dresser that was from the Y.  She had contacted them and questioned why I did not get the position.  I don't recall the contents on the letter exactly from them but I know that it must have been hard for my mom to see me behaving like an idiot that affected my getting a job I had really enjoyed the summer before.  Hard, I am sure, to see me making some stupid choices.  Through all of my life she has stood beside me unconditionally no matter what.  Ready to stand up for me with that momma lion roar we get when our children hurt.  With age and wisdom I have come to appreciate that so very much.  I am grateful daily for my mom.

 

Mom, I love you.  I hope you enjoyed your day. xo

 

 

can we talk quinoa?

I was nervous to try this apparent super food.  New foods make me nervous and this was not topped with melted butter or toasted with with some peanut butter and jam but it is on par for the course of eating better on my quest of a diet free of wheat.

 

High in protein, quinoa is food you want to be adding to your menu but it looks a little gross.  There I said it. Gross. Well looks are totally deceiving in this case.  It is delicious.  My first go at it was done up using this recipe.   

 

 

 

 

It was so good.  I enjoyed it all week for my breaks at work.  So easy and it is filling but my favorite way to eat it so far is with apple and raisins.  It is satisfying and the with the fruit you get that bit of sweet.  Honestly I am sold.  Great foods like this make wheat free eating even easier!!!

  

This is definitely a favorite and I plan on trying some other recipes.  Like this one....wow it looks great!

Hope your enjoy some nice weather.  We are...it is lovely!  Be sure to walk a little slower and savour it!!!  The key to life I recently read can wrapped up into one word savour.  Tell me what your savouring these days.

cookie bowls

So the other week I saw a neat idea on face book.  I loathe face book for the most part but every once and awhile something good sways me back to not minding it so much.  So I saw a picture of cookie bowls.  Well stop the press...holy cow....what a great idea.  

 

 

 

So we used a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and flattened it out over the bottom of some muffin tins.  They kinda came out huge!!! 

 

 

 

No one seemed to mind.  Porscha said that her life was complete now when she saw them. They are easy to please!

 

Amber dove right in. I will miss these days when something as simple as cookie bowls makes them smile.  I often write about how exhausting this whole motherhood thing can be and it is for sure but I know I will miss it all when my job is done and they move on out into the world.  I hope they always remember these fun little times.

jammies from ralph

One of my favorite things to do...sew.  Finally the other weekend I had some uninterrupted time to sew some jammie bottoms. 

 

I had picked up a sheet from Value Village.  Scored it for $5.99.....then noticed when I got to cutting out the pattern that it was not just any sheet.....it was a Ralph Lauren sheet.  I mean I love the whole eco-friendliness of using thrifted sheets to make jammie bottoms and then for it to be a designer sheet.  Well hello...perfect eco-friendliness bonus!!! 

 

  

My co-worker Alisha....kind of neat we have the same name and spelt the same way.....was celebrating her birthday and I decided to make her a pair of jammies.  She has given me a few ideas on that whole idea for an online shop that seems to have taken a back burner because life seems to make sure somehow I never have time to get a ton done.  I am hoping that I will get more time now that weather is better and schedules are freeing up a bit.  So I got to making her a pair for her birthday and had enough fabric to make her little daughter a pair.  Her daughters feet are pictured here...she is so darn cute!!!

Alisha posted a photo on face book with them in their mommy and me jammies.  I love it!!!

 

 

Her daughters were way too big. It was funny because when I finished them I kind of thought how they looked too small. You can tell I haven't sewn for little legs in quite a while.   All my girls legs are long long long. No worries, she will grow into them for sure. I also had enough of the sheet left to make a little bag for Alisha's daughter too.  I never got a photo of it but it came out so cute.  It was a bag-o-jammies!!!



 



 

 

wheat belly

So I have been wanting to blog about a book I have been reading.  Wheat belly.  A while back my felt momma was telling me about the book.  I had seen it a few times at work but never really had a chance to read it.  It was on my to read list. 

So after talking with my felt momma about it I decided to to just go buy it.  Waiting for it from work was gonna take time because so many people where looking to read it and then there is the struggle I have with a) taking so long to read a book...you know that whole why isn't it a 30 hour day as opposed to a 24 hour day.  Those extra few hours would really be of benefit to my challenge that is reading.  Then there is b) my inner struggle with borrowing books because of the bugs that might travel home on said book.  A few readers will get this struggle as well.  

Anyway so I bought it and have been able to take my time reading through it and no bugs.  I also bought the cookbook. 



Honestly all I can say is wow.  You really have to read it to understand my wow.  You can get a bit of a idea by going to read about this episode of Dr. Oz .  The general idea is that wheat that we eat daily is causing issues.  Huge issues.  My whole adult life I have struggled with stuff like cookies and cakes....any baked goods really.  Never could eat just one.  I have tried repeatedly to take a stance.  Okay no more crap.  I have always assumed that I just have no willpower.  After reading almost the whole book I am thinking that willpower hasn't really got a whole to do with it.

During these times I would eat healthy.  Fruits, veggies, yogurt, protein, skim milk.....and here is where it gets shady......high fibre cereal, whole wheat bread and pasta.....you know, all the good stuff.  If I consider what the book is saying, it is no wonder I could never really walk away from the other stuff like the whole row of  cookies.  I could very well have been sabotaging any of my efforts every time I ate a "healthy" wheat product. 

First wheat today is very much genetically modified.  You can read about it at the Dr. Oz site and in the book.  It actually is very eye opening. The result from this genetically modified super wheat product....even from "heathly"whole wheats we are encouraged to eat, is a super spike in insulin (higher then eating a Snickers chocolate bar it is said) and then a drop about two hours after eating it causing a craving.  That over and over after each meal.  Turning to cookies and not being able to eat just one or two because of the addiction that is wheat. 

Now on paper that sounds good but does it hold weight??? Well I have been working toward eliminating the wheat.  Now I say working cause it is hard sometimes when pizza is ordered so I might have been 3 or 4 days without wheat products and then eat a few slices of pizza.  So I am not truly off it completely but that definitely is the goal.  What I have experienced is that the days I am not eating the wheat I am first of all, full of energy.  That is huge right there.  Second the urge to eat said cookies...cupcakes...baked goods is pretty much gone and even on the days I have lapsed and ate a slice of pizza I still do not have cravings or urges and what I perceived before as a lack of will power.  In fact there have been times I have had to remind myself to eat. 

My thought is that even though I am not 100% free of wheat and that it has slipped in a few times sporadically, the fact that 99.9% the time I am wheat free is still creating awesome benefits.  The biggest being the lack of cravings for bagels, muffins and pasta and the pretty much elimination of over eating of these items....that seems, at least for me, to happen often if not every time I would eat them.  I think it is safe to say that wheat products do cause an addiction that spirals you into overeating and ultimately carrying around extra weight.  And even  if weight has never been an issue for you consider other factors.....fatigue, sickness often etc.  For me I do believe it is contributing to my fatigue and it definitely affects my mood.  I feel I am less moody and sort of perpetually happy which is me normally but think now it is times a million.  I really feel like million dollars since the wheat has been limited.  It is easy too.  I do not feel deprived.  I can't explain it.  If you have ever struggled with trying to watch what your eating and you try this system you will see a difference.  I can't explain it any better.  You would need to try it.  For me watching what I am eating has always been around weight but as I get older it is about more then weight.  It is about feeling good and energized.  So this isn't just for a person looking to trim their waistline.  It is about your whole health.

So I haven't a ton of patience for recipes that are going to take too much of my time.  One I have tried from the cook book is the scone recipe.  I love having something with tea in the morning and that is where I miss my whole grain flax seed toast.  Well these scones totally fit the bill.  They were easy to make and taste great.  A little crumbly....gluten helps keep all those wheat products together. I had no clue how crazy gluten is on your system.  I can handle crumby over crazy any day!!!

The scones are a little dry but a bit of jam totally takes care of that.  They honestly are so good and easy to make!!!  Perfect for me!

I think I will try to keep posting updates as I venture down my wheat free road.  Maybe make a section on my sidebar there.   I am about to sit down to the wheat free pancakes from the cookbook.  So be sure to look for an update soon! 

Feel free to comment on my posts and let me know if this is something your trying or want to try.  If your blogging about it or if you have any great sites let me know!!!

how it's folded

I have touch before on how hard it can be to have workers coming into the house to help Shelby.  I would love to be able to not have the help but I don't get much relief from Shelby's care or housework.  So I haven't got a lot of choices if I wanna keep my sanity.

We had a rough patch with finding a good place with workers that click with Shelby and our home.    For the next six weeks our schedule is perfect.  We are in heaven.  We love the workers.  I hope they keep it as close to this as possible but we never know what the next schedule will bring.

I try to utilize the workers the best I can.  Sometimes Shelby's care does not take up all the time and so there is always a basket of laundry that needs folded.  It is perfect to get it folded but it has required me deep breathing...often...while I put it away.

 

The above picture gives you an example of how some people fold laundry.  Sometimes it is fold inside out....oh the horror.  That sets my spidey O.C.D senses into hyper overdrive because this is how I would fold it.  You know in some of the clothing stores you see employees folding shirts with one of those do hickeys.....I don't even need a do hickey. 



 

You can see were this all can tip off my inner O.C.D.  How it can make my skin crawl to put it away folded in a manner that isn't up to my O.C.D ways.  I know that it is unreasonable and so 99.9% of the time I take a few deep breaths and put it all away with my eyes closed!  Sometimes I can't.  Like last time the socks where done.  First.  Knitted socks....hand knit socks....no no no....do not fold them into a one another.....the thought of stretching all those beautiful hand knit stitches is just criminal.  You lay them together and just fold in half.....no stretching.  Do yo see the stretched pair on top?  No no no!

And well socks.....big balls of socks take up too much space.  They are also not orderly.  It is clear in my mind.....don't you see it?  Or am I clearly the craziest woman in the world of folded laundry?

Bless this one workers heart that we had last schedule but if I heard her tell me one more time their was extra sock I was gonna combust.  I know I have extra socks.  The extra socks came out of my vagina with the babies I birthed......along with clutter.  It all comes out with the babies.  Vagina's are bad. 

 

 

That all said I appreciate having the laundry folded  It is a huge help without a doubt.  It isn't easy having to open your home to personal support workers.  I am sure for these workers it is tough too.  Coming into so many different homes.   

 

These are things you are forced into when special needs comes into your life.  I had to make a phone call the other day that was very tough and I guess I did not realize until I made it how tough it was going to be.  I called to begin the process of getting out of home respite in place for Shelby.  My mom said how this is something many other people do not have to even entertain but for a mom whose child has special needs it is inevitable.  Like having the workers come into the home...I would be lost without that ten hours a week that these ladies come and help.  It is about adapting....adapting to unknowns and looking at the up side of things.  Dwelling on the down side isn't an option if you don't want to end up wallowing in self pity.  The respite is a hard choice but needed for a variety of reasons.  Thankfully Shelby seems receptive.  It makes me feel like a bad mom though....like I am abandoning her.  In the end I know it will work out and everyone will adapt.....just like I have adapted to the laundry being folded different.