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calgary flood

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It’s been so hard to believe what has been happening the last few days in my hometown of Calgary and other places in Alberta. The rivers raged and overflowed and I don’t think anyone could have guessed the destruction the flooding would cause.

We were the lucky ones, not directly being affected but thousands were not. Downtown was evacuated and many people were displaced.  Homes were lost, arenas were damaged, cars floated away, but through it all, the spirit of Calgary was not dampened.

  

It has been amazing to see all the people come together during this crisis. From our awesome mayor and the hardworking public servants to the generosity of so many, the response from the community has been amazing – THANK YOU!

happy birthday to my sister!

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It’s my sister’s birthday today! Wishing she was here so that we could celebrate her big day. Instead, my sister is living her dream, working in the developing world, trying to make a difference. 

Wishing my beautiful sister the happiest of birthdays!  Can’t wait to celebrate with you soon. Love you!


strawberry edamame salad

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Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful dads out there! Hope everyone had a great time celebrating the men in their lives. We had a family potluck and my job was salad and dessert.

Since we were initially going to have a picnic, I decided that cupcakes were the way to go. They’re portable and everyone could have their own. Although we skipped out on the picnic, I stuck with the original plan and made some mini coconut cupcakes.

I know some people think that being in charge of salad can be kind of boring. I think if it is, the salad is just not worth eating. It’s always fun to play with textures and tastes and make a salad that everyone goes back for.

I started with the greens, both spinach and baby romaine.  I also wanted to add a few of Q’s favourite things, so that he would be enticed to eat his veggies. One thing he can’t seem to get enough of, at the moment, is edamame. These were cooked for less than five minutes and cooled.  Added to the mix were crisp rings of sweet peppers, sweet slices of strawberries, tangy goat cheese and crispy fried onions.

I thought a balsamic dressing would be great to go with the strawberries and goat cheese. The tangy balsamic was cut with a bit of sweet honey and the salad went perfect with our Father’s Day meal of ribs, chicken, rice, corn and potatoes.

Balsamic Dressing

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp honey
salt
pepper

Combine and drizzle as needed.

end of the school year

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The school year has just flown by and it’s already Q’s last week of preschool.  Hard to believe he will be starting kindergarten in the Fall!

Last year, his first year of preschool, I had found this fabulous idea from Pinterest – have every teacher from preschool to grade twelve sign the encouraging Dr Seuss book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go”. The book is inspirational and to have each teacher throughout the years write a special note to your child is just precious.  How terrific of a graduation gift is this!

I can’t remember where I found this note, but it’s one I printed out and clipped to the front of the book, letting teachers know the what and the why.

So far, the comments have been amazing and I know it will be a book that will be treasured.

This is what I did for teacher gifts, both last year and again this year. Anything personalized is always a hit.

 

To keep in touch with all his friends from school, I got inspired with this great idea from Becoming Martha with her Stay in Touch cards. I wanted to make cookies with a little note for all Q’s friends. After a crazy busy weekend though, the last thing I wanted to do was be in the kitchen.  Instead, I bought everyone smarties and attached a little note. Simple and quick but with a terrific treat.

What are some things you do for the end of the school year?

world partnership walk

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This Sunday, head on down to Prince’s Island for the annual World Partnership Walk. This walk has been around for almost thirty years and it’s a tradition in many households, like mine. This walk has grown over the years and it’s so great to now have my son participate. He’s collecting funds this year and if you’d like to make a donation, we would be most grateful.

Funds raised at this walk go directly to fund international development projects. What makes this different than other fundraisers? 100% of funds raised by the World Partnership Walk go directly to the projects – not one cent is spent on administration!

Click here to check out the many activities happening at the event. After the walk, there are some awesome food vendors which include some of Calgary’s awesome food trucks. Check out the menu below.

Hope to see you there!

fibre 1 almond & cluster delight cereal…and a box for you!

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Having an energetic four year old means I need to ensure he has the proper breakfast to keep him going during the day. As much as I try and tempt him with eggs, his first choice is always cereal. I always try to look for cereal that is nutritious but will get him excited. With 40% of your daily-recommended intake of fibre in one bowl, I was happy to find that the new Fibre 1 Almond & Cluster Delight Cereal kept both him and his mamma happy.

The sweet cereal was tasty and filling and the flakes had quite the crunch. My favourite were the almond-filled clusters and the slivered almonds – I am a bit of a nut freak. It was perfect with milk but also great to take on the go for a quick snack for Q…and me!

Want to try a box for yourself? Head on over to the Life Made Delicious Facebook page where, until June 25th, you can order a coupon for a free box. If you prefer, you can choose a coupon for one box of Honey Nut Cheerios Hearty Oat Crunch. The coupon will be redeemable for one day only, July 16th.  While you’re on their Facebook page, be sure to check out the other great products that they have launched such as Nature Valley, Fibre 1 bars, Golden Grahams OR Cinnamon Toast Crunch treats. The coupon for these tasty treat can be redeemed on July 23rd.

Disclosure – I am participating in the Fibre
1 Almond & Cluster Delight Cereal blogger campaign by Mom Central
Canada on behalf of General Mills. I received compensation as a thank
you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on
this blog are my own.

playing with spices: cumin

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This month, we are playing with cumin. Cumin can be used in its seed form or ground into a powder. It’s a versatile spice in that it is used in a range of cuisines, from Indian and Middle Eastern to Mexican and Spanish.

The seed is derived from a plant in the parsley family. The seed itself is often mistaken for caraway seeds or fennel.  It is a warm spice with a distinctive flavour.

Cumin is used a lot in our house. It is key to many curries and of course for chili.  Hubby’s favourite use of cumin is in a salted lassi. Although I prefer the sweet kind, he loves the cumin spiced creamy drink.

Salted Lassi

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch salt
ice

Place the yogurt and water in a glass.  Crush the cumin seeds in your hand and add to the glass along with salt. Add ice and serve.