Dear Quarantine Diary – Week 37

Tags

back to school, chocolate, cooking, covid-19 diary, covid-19 humour, dear diary, family, first day of school, food, humour, school, shopping, Toblerone

Dear Diary –
What I said: I passed a dead possum on the side of the road today.
What Youngest Son said: Did it hurt?
If you don’t get it, think bathroom jokes….

This is what I live with…

Dear Diary – The first day of school passed more like a whimper than a bang, which I suppose is a good thing. This was the year that Youngest Son was going to be responsible to get himself up and to school, on time, by himself. It’s looong overdue.

But I’m a sucker.

And it’s a looong walk.

Especially in the rain.

So, while I’ve bit my tongue and paced internally instead of hollering to get a move on, I’ve still provided transportation in the mornings.

Even today when he was running late and my blood pressure was high.

Baby steps!

Less than impressed, Youngest Son’s schedule slots lunchtime at 10:10, which means by the time he walks home, he’s ready to eat the whole box of cheerios and it’s cousin, corn pops. Which also means that he’s not really eating dinner. One night he ate his veggies but not his meat. The next night he ate his meat but not his veggies. I suppose I should be happy because at least he’s getting a balanced diet.

I shudder to think what’s coming next. With co-op in periods 4 & 5, he’ll have 10 minutes to get to his work placement, wherever that may be. I’m hoping it’s online and he can steal into a corner in the library. Then I’ll only have to make one trip to the school per day…or eventually stick to the plan and not drive him at all.

Baby steps!

Dear Diary – I’m not sure why, but someone left a message on the wipe board on the fridge where I keep my grocery list. I’m not sure if it was intended for me…. “You’re not useless. You can still be used as a bad example”.

Another example of what I live with…

Dear Diary – With Youngest Son poised to leave for Uni next year, I think it’s important that Hubby and I start keep working on our relationship, so I suggested we start dating. We never really “dated” because we were poor students, and the first year of our relationship was long distance. We got to know each other slowly with in-person visits every 6 weeks or so, and snail mail. We labeled our return addresses with a nickname and the name of where we lived…I was Neurotic and he was Twit.

I probably started that.

Since Hubby is on vacation this week and even he can stand only so much t.v., he wanted to do something together. And since I have a Honey-Do list longer than both my arms, I suggested something we could do outside of our home: couch shopping!

Apparently couch shopping was more appealing than yet another episode of Forged in Fire or Engineering Dimensions. Or the rest of the Honey-Do list. Or perhaps, he’s sick of the ongoing conversation realized this is important to me.

We bought our current burlap sack couch when we bought our home 21 years ago. Neither of us liked it particularly, but we thought it would wear well…and mostly we could afford it. It was delivered the day we mvoed in. But I’m beyond ready for a change and I desperately want something comfortable where I can sit with my legs up! My ankle is perpetually swollen and the edge of the coffee table digs into the backs of my legs. We might even splurge on another chair or two so that when both kids are home, we’re not lined up, 4 on a couch, elbowing each other as we have a t.v. dinner. Especially when one of them is left-handed!

Shockingly, Hubby and I shared a lot of common likes and dislikes amongst the massive options. Neither of us wanted leather, corduroy, or royal blue velvet. We found a couple of options to sleep on and we can do it without declaring bankruptcy. It’s close though.

We celebrated with lunch at Cora’s and yes, I gave him credit for this to be a date. I even let him play his game on his phone (but only because I knew he’d probably need my help)! 🙂

Dear Diary – It’s been a few years since I made fresh pasta. I don’t know why I didn’t during covid, but that may have been because I was hoarding flour to bake brownies bread and later on, I stopped caring. Whatever the reason, Hubby asked and I like making him happy. I made the pasta; he made the sauce. It was a match made in Heaven. The sauce and the pasta. Us? There have been days…

Dear Diary – I’m not kidding. I won a 4.5kg Toblerone bar at the church’s Sunday Funday event!

As I filled out the form and stuffed my ticket in my pocket, I told Hubby I wasn’t worried because I never win anything. Later, someone asked me if I’d share it with Hubby if I won. I hestitated. I said “yes” of course, but scoffed internally because I wouldn’t win it. And I was ok with that.

On Day 1, I asked for suggestions on just what to do with a 4.5 kg chocolate bar. Only Hubby was truly helpful; He sent me a link to 10 recipes. The one that caught my eye was sour dough brioche babka with toblerone and caramelized white chocolate. My Dad just shared some of his sour dough starter. 

I smell a disaster in the making!

On Day 2, we started to confer on the best way of breaking into it.

Throwing Ax #1 or Throwing Ax #2

Holding 2 throwing axes, and knowing how good my aim actually is (I’ve won 2 of the 2 tournaments I’ve played in…and having only tried axe throwing twice, I think my aim is pretty good!), Hubby suggested the meat cleaver.

Like I couldn’t throw that if I wanted…

So on Day 3 –

Aim and GO!

Don’t worry, there is a cutting board under that. It required some muscle but I wasn’t going to let anything keep me from sweet success!

We devoured 1/12th in less than 24 hours. In fact, Youngest Son became the “parent” and took the container away from me…having failed the first when he just moved it out of reach.

Nice try, buddy. I’m very adaptable and I can use my feet to shift the box closer.

I’m not sure what the next step will be, but I’ll keep you posted!

To victory: it looks unfamiliar but it tastes like chicken.

Jeff Winger, Community

Dear Quarantine Diary – Week 14

Tags

chocolate, covid-19 diary, covid-19 humour, dear diary, faith, family, food, humour, music, worship

Dear Diary – Who says you have to have alcohol to have fun? Just add chocolate!

One evening this week, Youngest Son asked me if I wanted to share his chocolate bomb. He was given a beautiful, handcrafted, semi-circular, dark chocolate bomb, drizzled in white chocolate, at Christmas. How this large, gorgeous chocolate piece remained under my radar for so long is truly a mystery!

Hubby recorded the transformation, and the hilarity that ensued after it was made…but I can’t post videos on WordPress. I can post it on Facebook but only my friends can see it, and I’m not changing the permissions because the world does not need to see what I did!

First I plunked the chocolate bomb in a clear mug and warmed the milk in the microwave. I used my lactose-free milk to minimize the…ah, negative effects on my body. My family thanks me. Pouring from a deep bowl into a mug was messy, and 1/3 of the milk dribbled on the counter. Hubby just rolled his eyes.

We watched in silent anticipation for something to happen. It didn’t. So I started gently submerging the bomb in the milk. Suddenly, hot chocolate powder started to spray across the top. After a couple more dunks, powder and marshmallows bubbled to the surface.

It was delicious. We split it 3 ways.

No weeping for shed milk.

James Howard

My 2L carton of lactose-free milk costs more than a 4L bag, so before Hubby could mop up the counter, I leaned it and started slurping. Except the sound wasn’t what you would expect. It was more like the high-pitched whine of a small engine, or as Oldest Son described it, “screws in a squeaky dryer”. Yes, Hubby recorded that too.

I didn’t realize he was recording until the second video where he stuck his phone by my face. I was laughing so hard, I had to turn my face away a couple of times before I could suck. I’d love to post the videos, not because I’d enjoy the humiliation, but to share the fun. The three of us watched it over and over and laughed so hard, we had tears running down our faces and I thought I was going to bust a gut. I’m not sure if they were laughing at the video or laughing at me, but we were laughing together. And that’s priceless.

Dear Diary – I’m not sure why, but it’s kind of reassuring that I’m still bendy enough to pee in the car. I went with Hubby to his second MRI (at the hospital where I just had my own fun experience), but with covid restrictions, I had to wait in the car. For an hour and a half.

Hubby kindly parked in the corner of the parking garage so I could have a view of the amusement park across the road. Too bad the roller coaster wasn’t running. It also meant I had natural light on 2 sides of the car so I could read or play on my phone. There was even free wifi. But there was no loo (and with my sore foot, I wouldn’t have made it to the hospital anyway)!

I had been so careful, even skipping my morning pot of tea. In theory, nothing went in so nothing should need to go out. Right? I was doing well at ignoring my bodily urges when Hubby texted that they were running late. Suddenly the prospect of waiting longer was too much and my body overruled my mind.

Trying to look casual, as in “nothing to see here” and covered in a blanket (because it’s still winter in Canada), I precariously perched over my empty Tim Horton’s coffee cup. Mission accomplished.

Hubby swung by Tim Horton’s on the way home. Empty coffee cup replaced. 😉

When I have to go, I have to go!

Dear Diary – We lost our phone connection Sunday evening and began the arduous task of getting it repaired. On the plus side, since Hubby had to remove the lattice on the back porch anyway, it was a good time for him to climb under and retrieve the butter knife I dropped last October. I was having an outside tea party with a friend. Three and a half hours after the phone was restored, the phone company texted to say the technician was on his way.

Dear Diary – The new sewing machine is working like a dream. I’m just scared to adjust any of the settings.

Almost finished

Dear Diary – Our covid numbers continue to climb, even without regular testing to document it accurately. Today a local doctor was recommending masks be mandated in public places and schools, and that bi-weekly rapid tests be conducted in schools. It’s news we’re not sharing with Youngest Son.

By today, we have to inform the school if he will spend Grade 12 in virtual school or in-person. If we don’t say, they will assume in-person. Youngest Son would prefer virtual school, but only the required courses will be offered online. It means he has to change 5 of the courses he has chosen, and he hasn’t found 5 courses he’d like to take instead. After being so careful for 2 years, we understand his concern. Hubby has also been summoned back to the office before the end of the month. With the mask mandates lifted and close quarters, he’s nervous too.

At the beginning of covid, we were suddenly thrust into living in close quarters. With Hubby taking over the dining room (which is also part of our living room), the main floor felt “off limits” during working hours. I had to tip-toe around the kitchen, and find things to do upstairs. Converting Youngest Son’s bedroom into my office/craft room was a great project. It also forced me to purge craft supplies, although I think there still a half ton of paper and stamps that could safely go.

I understand the importance of getting back to “normal” but this alternate lifestyle has become “normal”. At the beginning, it was like a new marriage as we rubbed against each other like two pieces of sandpaper, but once the hard work of adjusting was over, it wasn’t so bad. I will actually miss it.

After more than 2 years, I’ve grown accustomed to our routines. I like it when Hubby randomly “pops in” to say “hi”. I like having someone else around to answer questions, fill the bird feeder, and deal with spiders. Every time he yelled “Honey I’m home” from 12 feet away, I smiled. We ate on time. We had time for walks and quick kisses (& minecraft). I’m not sure my office will be used as much because being upstairs alone will feel, well, lonely. It will be another adjustment. When Youngest Son heads to university, it will be another adjustment. And when Hubby retires (if he ever can), it will be yet another adjustment. I guess it’s true – the only thing that stays the same is that nothing stays the same.

Dear Diary – You should always listen to your wife. After all the MRIs and other tests conducted on Hubby since his bizarre sleepwalking accident early in March, it was the CT scan done on his head the night of his accident that actually gives the clue as to why he continues to suffer with a nasty burning sensation in his forearms. That night, I called an ambulance. That night, the EMS asked Hubby if he wanted to go the hospital. He wasn’t sure. I said yes.

Sure, it’s very likely that tests would have led to this discovery, but it might have taken longer. I’m taking credit for this. Always. listen. to. your. wife. 😉

Dear Diary – Am I allowed to do some self-promotion?

I am, by no means, a gifted singer. I am not, nor have I been, nor shall I ever be the “cool kid”. But I was given the opportunity to work with some amazing musicians and technical folks at my church, and our music video has been posted publicly… so no one can really complain if I share it here. The song I led starts around 6 minutes, but I think you should check out the whole thing!

I felt awkward at the time. I feel awkward now. But it was never about looking “hot” or sounding “groovy”. It was about worship. I’ve heard there are plans in the works to record more, and I’m excited!

Dear Diary – I learned a new word, and with covid restrictions lifting and people leaving their houses again, it’s an action I’ll have to employ again. Actually, once Hubby goes back to work, I need to do a serious Spring cleaning!

Scurryfunge: A hasty tidying of the house when a last minute guest is coming to visit, as in:
“I scurryfunge every time my mother-in-law announces she’s popping round”.

What’s in My Cup: Chocolate Chai

Tags

#whatsinmycup, chocolate, food, food photography, food. chocolate, tea, what's in my cup

Dear Monday, I want to break up. It’s not you – it’s me. I ‘m seeing Tuesday and dreaming about Friday. xoxo

It’s been a day and it’s not over yet! I did something to my back last night, and while it’s better today, it’s not great! I had hoped to stay quiet but with impending bad weather, I decided to grit my teeth and make my weekly pilgrimage to the grocery store. I took my friend…which means a 1 hour job takes much…much longer. But I also appreciated the help.

I got home to find out my David’s Tea order is a mess, even after spending 40 minutes on hold on Saturday to fix said mess. Multiple emails say it wasn’t completed but my cart is empty. The wrong amount was still charged to my credit card, and after 3 hours of waiting online and on the phone, I’m losing hope it will be resolved!

Time to put the kettle on!

Not all good teas come from fancy stores. Admittedly, you get what you pay for and those fancy stores sell quality teas. But I raised to be a thrifty girl. Treats are treats because I don’t have them all the time! So I’m pleased with my President’s Choice Chocolatey Chai tea!

Chocolate Fixes everything…

This was an impulse buy on a drizzly day, just like today. Not only can I taste the chocolate, the undertone of spices enhance it. It contains roasted chicory root, carob pod, spices, cocoa shells, natural flavour, ginger root, licorice root, and cocoa. I find many of the chai blends have such a strong pepper taste, or such a potent ginger heat, that they are unpleasant (or I have to really be in the mood for pepper and heat). I’ve also found that many chocolate teas don’t taste like chocolate, or it’s so watered down, it’s limp! This was similar to S’more Chocolate Chai from David’s Tea, but this was creamier (and it doesn’t contain any cream). It’s also herbal, whereas David’s is definately caffeinated! Not bad for box of 20 satchets under $5.

Wanna know a secret! I’ve actually started opening a tea bag into a bowl, and I add a skimpy 1/4 tsp. to an infuser and drop it in my teapot in the mornings, with a regular black tea bag. The whole pot is infused with a note of chocolate and spice, and that, my friends, is balm for the soul.

Even on a crappy Monday! Cheers!

Dear Quarantine Diary #16

Tags

chocolate, covid-19 humour, dear diary, driving, summer

Dear Diary – I went shopping with Mom at Wal-Mart. It mostly went well, but at least twice, a very nice employee noticed my dazed eyes and confused stance, as I stood on my toes, peeking around boxes and swiveling from side-to-side. “Can I help you find something?” they politely asked. Embarrassed, I replied, “Sorry, no. I’m actually looking for my mother”. Perhaps I didn’t lose her in the first place. Perhaps she lost me. Seeing an opportunity to ditch the kid, she ran away when I stopped to peruse the shelf or dash down a different lane to grab an item. Whatever the reason, I’m thankful she didn’t leave me there. It would have been a hot walk home.

Dear Diary – We packed up after “online” church to head back to the city. We had to make one quick stop to deliver a large mask order. We were to meet in the Denny’s parking lot. Leave it to me to end up in the wrong spot. After 10 minutes of driving around, and multiple telephone calls, I finally made the connection. Even though we’d be on the road less than an hour, I needed to pee. I texted Hubby to let him know where we were and he texted that I might want to go back to my parents. A large thunderstorm had just come through the city and knocked out the hydro.  I don’t need a good excuse to “hang” at my folks for another day.

Thunder started to rumble in the distance less than 2 hours later. The sky grew very black. It tried hard to rain…and then it cleared, the sun came out. Disappointingly anticlimactic!

The trip home on Monday was strange. I had been on the road less than 10 minutes when my father called. A friend from the city had called to try to warn me that the highway near the city was closed…due to a shooting investigation! Yikes! I decided that I would head north before the shutdown area, which would add about 20-30 minutes to our drive.

Well, it would have only added 20-30 minutes to our drive had I not completely missed our exit! In my defence, the exit was not marked. Hubby and I exchanged several phone calls and text messages (Little Guy mans the phone since I’m driving), and I spent a significant portion of the trip completely unsure of where I was. We went quite a bit father north than I had realized, before we headed west. At one point, I no longer knew what direction I was facing. With only the sun to guide me, and Hubby’s thinning patience, we finally got our bearings and arrived home. My “detour” added closer to 1.5 hours!

Boy, did I need to pee!

Next time, I will bring the hated GPS, Gloria.

Dear Diary – Hubby picked up treats to celebrate my homecoming: Covid-19 Kit-Kat Chunky bars…now 20% chunkier. Just like me!

What’s In My Cup: Peanut Butter Cup

Tags

#whatsinmycup, beach, chocolate, food, holiday, peanut butter, summer, tea, what's in my cup

Man cannot live by bread alone; he must have peanut butter. – James A. Garfield

Peanut butter cup tea is inspired by the sweet, rich (and might I add), deeply satisfying delight. Whether as a sweet after a meal, an afternoon snack, or just because, this tasty tea infusion hits the spot. It is a blend of apple, cocoa bits, almonds, chocolate chips, and safflower.

What? No peanuts? That’s right.

As you can see, the colour is a pale yellow, which surprised me a bit. I was expecting a darker colour. The flavour, however, had the toasted nut flavour I was expecting. I would have liked the chocolate to be more prominent (being a natural choc-o-holic), and like chocolate pb cups from the store, I thought it was missing some salt.

Still, with only 5 calories per cup, it’s a guilt-free treat so I can wear my bikini without anyone calling Greenpeace to roll me back in the water…when it’s warm enough to wear a bikini, that is!

Now, if someone would just make an O Henry tea!

Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language. – Henry James

Happy Monday!

Baking with English Breakfast Tea

Tags

birthday, chocolate, cupcake, food, humour, tea

Last Monday I celebrated my birthday, and what better way than to bake a cake, with tea!!

There are tons of recipes on the internet that use tea, loose leaf or steeped, as an ingredient. But since chocolate is a family favourite, I picked a recipe from lifeisbetterwithtea.com. This cake called for 1 cup of strong steeped English Breakfast tea, which if you tuned in last week, you will recall that Assam tea is predominant in the blend of tea leaves, so it’s bold. I used 2 tea bags in my 1 cup of boiling water, and it was decadently dark!

This cake was simple to make and absolutely delish! I can’t say that using tea instead of water, milk, or cream had any influence on its texture or flavour, but it was certainly moist and very chocolatey…which is everything you want in a chocolate cake.  It didn’t last long!

My decorations were severely lacking, and candles, non-existent…but there would have been too many of them even if I had remembered to purchase some. Besides, what good is it to buy candles when the cost of the candles is more than the cake?

Baking with tea may be little more than a novelty, but who cares! If it means combining two great loves, I’m all for it!

Let’s face it, a good creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people.
– Audrey Hepburn

Here’s the link to the recipe! |Tried any great recipes lately – please dish below.

Bon appetit!

What’s In My Cup: White Chocolate Mousse

Tags

#whatsinmycup, chocolate, food, tea, teacup, what's in my cup

Light. Creamy. Sweet. All words you want to use to describe the taste and texture of a perfect chocolate mousse.

I made one once for my mother’s birthday. She said it was the most delicious white chocolate soup she had ever eaten. Aw, Mom! 😉

So what if I told you, you could get all that – a light, sweet, pillow-y dessert – without the disappointment or the calories?

Steeped Tea, a Canadian “home party based” company released White Chocolate Mousse in 2015. It is a Rooibos tea that includes white chocolate, cacao bean, hazelnut pieces, and calendula petals.

The only ingredient I didn’t recognize was calendula petals so I did a little digging. Calendula flowers are in same family as marigolds, sunflowers, chrysanthemums and daisies, and are often mistaken for marigolds. They are an edible flower (fresh or dried) and easy to grow. They’ve been used for centuries to heal wounds, burns and rashes, to support the immune system, and to relieve constipation. It is not recommended for pregnant or nursing women.

Did you know….milk and dark chocolate are made from the non-fat part of a cocoa bean, but white chocolate  is made from cocoa butter, a pale yellow edible vegetable fat with cocoa smell and taste.

This creamy, nutty tea is sweet, with hints of vanilla and anise, but… just like a dessert should be… it wasn’t too sweet, just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth.  You might even say – it was as light as a feather!

Soft feathers cannot make a cruel bird kind. – Munia Khan

Happy Monday!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Tags

chocolate, food, peanut butter, photography

I may not be having as many “wow” moments in my mid-life crisis lately, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still having fun. A few weeks ago, I made homemade pumpkin & ricotta ravioli in a walnut & sage brown butter sauce. And this weekend, Chocolate PB pie for Big Guy’s birthday. It was yum!

Ever since peanut butter hooked up with chocolate, peanut butter still talks to jelly but the relationship is strained. – Reese’s

Happy Wednesday!

 

What’s In My Cup: Chocolate Rocket

Tags

#whatsinmycup, chocolate, family, tea, what's in my cup

It’s been a lovely weekend! My parents and Big Guy tucked into our tiny home to celebrate Big Guy’s birthday! The party included Axe Throwing, Chinese food and my homemade chocolate peanut butter pie!

The last of the party goers just hopped in their car to head home earlier than planned since our local radio announcer’s are throwing around words like “15-20cm” and “snow-maggedon”. The last time they did that, it was more like “snow-ma-nuthin'” but why take the chance?

But at least Mom and I squeezed in a shop Saturday afternoon, and one of my purchases included Chocolate Rocket tea from David’s Tea. My boss made himself a cup earlier in the week and the aroma of rich chocolate and tart raspberry was too tempting.

Chocolate Rocket tea is a Yerba mate, and includes cocoa nibs, almonds, roasted chicory root and raspberries. It is kosher and low in caffeine. The colour of the tea itself is quite dark and the roasted chicory is the dominant aroma, until it is steeped. This velvety tea is reminiscent of hot chocolate and I was extremely pleased that it didn’t taste watered down. In fact, it offered a rich and complex flavour of slightly bitter dark chocolate, tart raspberry, and tones of roasted nuts. Chocolate and raspberry are one of my favourite flavour combinations, and this decadent tea blend is like Mom and I, perfect pairing!

The party may be over but not the memories. Once I get groceries and pick Little Guy up from school, I plan to tuck in for the evening, and savour another cup. Hot chocolate and snowstorms pair well. I can also savour my sweet victory!

(Now I’m a 2-time champion)!

Cheers!

Creamy Confections

Tags

chocolate, fashion, humour, shopping

After being poked, prodded, squished, squeezed, “felt up”, greased up, and finally drugged and stuffed into an MRI machine, I can report that I get to keep my “girls” (though they’ll have to go through a similar rigmarole again next year). They deserved some TLC, so I went for my annual bra fitting.

It seems decadent, I know, to shop in a specialty store, but I honestly cannot buy any more bras “off the rack”. They don’t make my size. My rib cage is tiny and the rest of me, is not! Which explains all the years of tears and chocolate and self-loathing,  then more chocolate, every time I went bra shopping! It’s was a vicious cycle!

I developed early – Grade 5 to be exact (head of the class as usual) – and I was tormented because of it. The girls hated me because I had curves, and the boys just thought it was fun to snap my straps. I wasted spent years standing hunched up to make myself stand out less. And like any young woman, I wanted something lacy and pretty like the other girls – not Grandma’s “over the shoulder boulder holders”! In the 1980’s such things did not exist (or the 90s when I got my Education in Lingerie)…

They exist now, and with prudent shopping, one is not required to sell your kidney on the black market to afford it. I wandered around the tiny store like a kid in a candy shop. There were lacy petite-four confections everywhere in rich jewel tones and sweet pastels. I hardly knew where to begin!

Photo courtesy of http://www.1-800-bakery.com/Desserts/Petits_Fours

The sales lady solved that problem when she asked the frightful question – what size are you?

Bra Size Fitting Chart

A = Almost Boobs
B = Barely Boobs
C = Can’t Complain
D = Dang
DD = Double Dang
E = Enormous
F = Fake
G = Get a Reduction
H = Help! I’ve fallen and can’t get up!

***

What I wanted was creamy Chantilly lace and dainty ribbon roses, but being ever practical (and having purchased racy red last year that required too much thought first thing in the morning when I was getting dressed), I had to stick to boring basics. As for options in my size, there were only 5…ranging in price from $60-to $200! Frankly, for $200, I expect there to be a lot to it! I wrangled my way into most of them before deciding on 2 that were on sale. Both have pretty lace, and one is even pink, my favourite colour! And they are very supportive! … Happy Weekend!