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This Blog Has Moved

Hi All,

I've decided to move my blog to http://www.livingareallife.com/blog/.

Part of the reason for the move is that it is much easier to comment on the new blog because of the way it's been set up.  So click the link, bookmark it and then get commenting on my posts.

Please be patient with me though, I've imported the old blog entries and they need some prettying up so I'm slowly working my way through them.

I've also decided to create a website for myself to showcase some of the creations I make and to post my recipes so that others can share in my creative fun.

Thanks for reading and I hope that you follow me to my new site.

Carol

War in the Garden

Easter Saturday was such a beautiful day we dragged the dining table onto the deck (need to buy an outdoor table) and sat in the sun most of the day.  Our Kiwi friend Bryce came out on the subway and joined us for the afternoon.  We drank wine and beer, ate tiny chocolate Easter eggs and listened to some good old Kiwi music.  

Jesse was bored with all these not so energetic goings on so bought out his water guns and challenged Jenna to a fight.  Not sure who came off worse, I think they were both as wet as each other.  

After being told "do not squirt me" by Andy, Jesse took his life in his hands and did it anyway which resulted in a somewhat one-sided war.  I took a series of photos in which you can Jesse getting hammered. 

Bryce

Jenna

On the warpath

Hot Cross Bun Update

The hot cross buns were extremely successful and very yummy (see previous post for recipe).  

Just wanted to let you know that I made two batches, one with the breadmaker and one by hand using the dough hook on my hand beater.  The pictured ones are made in the breadmaker - very successful. 

The hand made ones were very tasty but the dough was very soft and they rose very high so spilled over the edges of the pan and the crosses disappeared down the sides.  If you are making them by hand either put them in a tin with higher sides or build up the sides with some aluminum foil or parchment (baking) paper.

Tomorrow I will be making the non-gluten-free kind for the boys, even though they were chomping away quite happily on the gluten free ones.

If you decide to make them, let me know how they go.

The Mystery of Easter

You will be aware from previous blogs how "big" the holidays are here - Halloween was huge, in the shops weeks before and so much stuff it was incredible.  As soon as Halloween was over, the very next day, Christmas was in the shops.  Straight after Christmas we started with Valentines Day.  So you would assume from all of this that the retail world would take full advantage of Easter too but NO!

There is very little Easter regalia and no chocolate Easter eggs, you know the large hollow kind with the treats in the middle.  The only places I've even found anything Easter is at Walmart and Druggers Shop Mart (whoops Shoppers Drug Mart), where they had only a small selection.  I found chocolate bunnies, dogs, cars, chickens and even Dora the Explorer but no large chocolate eggs.

What's with this??  The only explanation I can offer is that it is a religious holiday and so therefore not commercialized as much as the others although last time I checked Christmas too is a religious holiday.

The other thing that I find hard to understand is that the schools get Good Friday and Easter Monday off but Andy only gets Good Friday.  The shops are closed today (Friday) and on Sunday.

I'm busy making Hot Cross Buns (gluten free of course).  I'm wondering how they will turn out because for some unfathomable reason my gluten free bread is nowhere near as good in Canada as it was in New Zealand.  With that in mind I'm posting the recipe below if anyone has a hankering for making them.

In other news, the weather here has been amazing.  We are expecting 25 degrees today and I'm being optimistic wearing my shorts - it's 11 now at 9.30am so here's hoping.

Andy started his new job at Mosaic this week and is loving it.  He's feeling challenged and excited about the work.  Good to see him so happy.  They seem to work long hours though so will have to keep an eye on that.

Yesterday Jenna and I went into Toronto on the subway to St Lawrence Market where she used to work (yes she's unemployed again but that's a whole other story).

Was a beautiful day so we decided to walk to the ribbon shop which Jenna said was about 10 minutes walk away.

I learned a very valuable lesson - never trust Jenna when she says something's 10 minutes walk.  40 minutes later, in the burning hot sun (me wearing my thermals, carrying my cashmere coat and a woollen jersey) we finally found the ribbon shop.  Of course, after I'd done my shopping we had to find our way back to the subway.  Needless to say that by the time we got home my feet were so sore I could hardly move.

In the evening we picked Andy up from work, got fish and chips and sat on the grass by the lake at our local park to eat them.  Was a beautiful evening.

Well, here's the recipe, I hope you like them.  I make them in the breadmaker but you could make them by hand if you wish.

GLUTEN FREE HOT CROSS BUNS

Ingredients:

1 egg

350ml warm water (may need a little more)

2 tablespoons oil

3 cups gluten free flour mix*

1½ tablespoons guar gum

½ cup buckwheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon active yeast

Add 15 minutes into mixing:

75g chopped peel

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon mixed spice

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup sultanas

½ cup currants

Crosses:

¼ cup gluten free flour mix*

Enough water to mix to a paste

2 tablespoons melted butter or dairy free spread (Olivani)

Glaze:

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons hot water

*2 parts rice flour, 1 part potato starch, 1 part tapioca flour

Place the ingredients into the breadmaker in the order listed.  Turn onto the dough cycle.  After 15 minutes of mixing add the fruit and spices and ensure they mix in well (I have to get in with a spatula and mix them in with my machine).  You may need to add a little more water to the mixture, it should be sticky and not lumpy.

When the dough is ready, turn out onto a well floured board.  With floured hands roll into a long sausage and cut into 12 pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball and place in a greased swiss roll tin. 

Put the flour for the crosses into a zip lock bag and add enough water to make a paste.  Squish it about a bit to ensure there are no lumps.  Snip off the corner of the bag and use it to pipe the crosses on.  Brush the tops of the buns with melted butter.

Leave to rise for 30 minutes (they should fill the tin).

Bake at 200ºC for 20 – 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and brush the glaze over the tops immediately.  Cover with a tea towel for 10 minutes.  Turn out onto a cooling rack.

Freeze well – especially if placed in freezer while still a little warm.

Jesse's Experiment

It's March break (also called spring break) and Jesse has been off school for two weeks.

I must admit that we haven't done much. Jesse was sick last week, a left over from the previous weeks where he managed to have a week off school with a bad cold and then a tummy bug.  On Monday last week he had a bad asthma attack, something he hasn't had for ages, so all in all a quiet time was really what was called for.

The weather over the break has been great (except for a few days over the weekend) so we have been trying to get out and about a bit, exploring our neighbourhood and enjoying the afternoon sun on the back deck.

Jesse resurrected his bike from the shed, with freshly pumped tyres, we were off.  We walked to the mall but there just happens to be a park on the way so we had to stop there for a play.  Unfortunately, whilst proving to me how far he could jump from the high swing, he landed hard and banged his chin on his knee, biting through his tongue.  It bled all the way home but did not prove to be fatal.

Yesterday, after a walk down to the local high school and a few laps of the track, we decided that some science was in order.  Jesse dragged out his copy of 501 Science Experiments and we chose the chemistry section.  First up on the agenda was some invisible ink - you know the lemon juice kind you've all tried as a kid.

Next up was an interesting one which I had never done before.  We poured 2cm of milk into a bowl, then added a drop of several different food colourings, one colour on each side of the bowl.  We added a small squirt of dishwashing liquid into the middle and waited.  What happened next was quite amazing.  The dishwashing liquid moved in circles and as it did it picked up the food colouring.  Here's a photo of the result.

We left it for quite a while to do it's thing but then couldn't resist so moved it around a bit.

It was fun and it took up at least 30 minutes.  If anyone has any other exciting experiments we can try, let me know.

Galaxy Golf and Brick City

While returning from the border on Saturday, we decided to stop at Niagara to have some celebratory fun.  It was raining and miserable so we decided that indoor activities were on the cards.  Jesse's choice was to play Galaxy Golf - an indoor mini golf course which is lit by blue lights.  It's actually really hard to play golf in this light because you can't see the small bumps and crevices so your ball does not go where you expect it to.

We also went to Brick City - a mini city made completely from Lego including the portraits.  It's amazing.  It was made by one guy (obviously didn't have much else to do) and it took him five years.  There is the CN Tower, Niagara Falls, ACDC playing a concert including sound.  Really worth a look if you're ever in the neighbourhood.

I've uploaded the photos for you at http://gallery.me.com/carolkarl#gallery, username is friends, password is karls1234.

New Job

On Saturday we went to the border to get a new work permit for Andy.  He has been offered a job as Multimedia Project Manager at Mosaic Interactive, a large company servicing some rather big clients.

He accepted and handed in his notice on Monday.  He starts his new job on the 29th.

He's very excited about this new job.  The money's much more and it's less than 10 minutes from where we live.

He's looking forward to working with a team again, especially because there is another Kiwi on staff.

Gluten Free Spicy Potato Fritters

Jenna has been telling me that she's missing hashbrowns so I decided to make something similar.  This recipe was also created simply because there was not much in the cupboards.  It's tasty, easy to make and cheap.  Jenna always puts sweet chilli sauce on her hashbrowns so I decided to put it in.

1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup gluten free flour
1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
500g potatoes peeled
1 teaspoon chicken stock powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water
2-3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper

Boil the potatoes, peeled but whole, for 3-4 minutes.  Drain and fill pot with cold water so that they cool.  Once cool enough, grate the potatoes.

Whisk the milk and egg.  Mix the flour, baking powder and guar gum.  Whisk into the egg mixture.

Fold in the rest of the ingredients.

Fry in oil over a moderate heat until cooked all the way through.

If you don't need to worry about them being gluten free use plain flour and leave out the guar gum.


I hope you enjoy making these.

Day Lake at the Lake

Yesterday was such a lovely day, it was 14 degrees here (spring has sprung I think) and Jenna's day off so her, Jesse and I went down and spent the day by the lake.  
We found a lovely sheltered spot on the edge of the lake where we could sit back and enjoy the sun.  
We took a picnic lunch and just spent the day poking around in the rocks and feeding the geese, one of which I got extremely friendly with - it was eating out of my hand although that scared me a bit, thought it might bite me.

It was one of those really special days you want to remember forever.  
The lake was perfectly flat like glass too.  We all got a good dose of vitamin D, much needed I think.  
When I couldn't wait to use the little girls room anymore we headed off to Starbucks.  We then took our drives off down to the lake again.

They actually love each other!
I have uploaded more photos at http://gallery.me.com/carolkarl#gallery, username is friends, password is karls1234.
Enjoy!

The Nation Stopped

At 3.15pm today our time, the Nation stopped to watch the Ice Hockey - Canada vs USA.

Everyone yesterday was making plans where to watch the game.  We watched it on TV at home.

Of course the Canadians were winning right to the last 24 seconds when the USA team equalized at 2 all.  They went into overtime and after lots of yelling and screaming, coming from our couch, the Canadians scored the goal to win the Gold Medal.

It was the most exciting game I've ever seen.

We may not be true Canadians but we certainly were supporting them.  We are proud of the Canadian team.

Well done!

Auto Show

On family day (15 February) we went to the Auto Show.  Andy got free tickets from work so we thought that we'd check it out.  It was a huge show although others told us that it was not as big as in previous years.  It spanned across two buildings and we caught a shuttle bus from one to the other.

Thought I'd post the photos of Jesse trying every imaginable car and motorbike.  There were huge queues to even sit in the cars so he didn't get to try all the ones he wanted but he did enjoy himself.  I particularly liked the Lexus RX350 but my conscience would not let me drive a huge petrol powered SUV like that, even if it has everything anyone could ever want.  The next car will be a hybrid I think.

Anyway, enjoy the photos.

Jesse is pointing to the Mustang logo because his friends' Dad (Jack and Fraser) in NZ has a Mustang and he thought they would  be jealous that he got to see this one.  Baz, I've included a photo of the price details to make you even more jealous.

Loved the interior of this futuristic car, it had daisies printed on the white leather seats and was very open with a huge sunroof.

Near Miss on the Highway

Wow, what a day Sunday was.  We went out on one of our Sunday drives with the intention of visiting Unionville, a tiny little village within the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) about a half hours drive from Toronto.  

Anyway, we had to drive on about 4 different highways to get there and we were just coming onto the 404 from the on-ramp.  We came up over the rise only to find that the cars in front of us were stopped.

Thanks to Andy's quick thinking and superb driving skills we managed to miss the car in front by swerving  hard to the left and going around him.  Luckily there was the end of a merging lane beside us so there was somewhere for us to go.  The car that was travelling behind us hit the car that was in front of us so if we had not swerved out of the way, we would have been toast - back and front.  Thank goodness.  I think that the universe was smiling on us.  

Andy was convinced that we had been hit because we could still hear the crashing of cars behind us.  He got out to inspect but we came away unscathed.  We decided to quickly get off the highway for a much needed pit stop and a Starbucks.  We sat there for some time and then decided that a lottery ticket was in order.  Wish us luck for Friday!

After a rest Andy decided that he was happy to go on so we got back in the car and headed for Unionville.  Gosh I'm glad we did.  It's an amazing little place, very quaint with lots of fashion and jewelry shops.  One store had the most beautiful coats I've ever seen - a pink one with a fur collar was my favourite (of course).

They also have the most incredible confectionary store which of course was hell for Jenna and I but Andy and Jesse were in heaven.  Us girls decided to leave and explore the rest of the main street while the boys enjoyed their treats. 

 

Here is a link to the Unionville website so you can take a wee peek

There were some beautiful houses in Unionville too and there seemed to be lots for sale and lots of open homes.

The trip home was uneventful, except for the huge amount of traffic on these here Canadian highways.

By the time I took this photo the traffic wasn't quite so busy.  

This weekend the weather report is for snow and Jenna and I have a bridal shower to attend so there will be no Sunday drive.  

There is so much more of Toronto to explore.  Look forward to another installment sometime soon.

Jenna Has a Job

On Saturday, we went to St Lawrence Market which is a huge 2-storey inside market in downtown Toronto.  Jenna has been offered a job at the NZ shop in the market.  The shop is run by a nice NZ lady who has owned it for about 6 years.  Jenna had her training last week and will eventually work 5 days a week Tuesday to Saturday.  The market is huge and is filled with all sorts of food stalls, butchers, fishmongers, veges, etc.  

We managed to buy some NZ honey from another stall.  The Manuka honey was $25 a small jar but the Pohutakawa was only $10 so we brought that home with us.  It was funny, when we tasted it, Jenna, Andy and I all said it reminded us of Mums.  Jenna then went on to talk about how Grandad used to cut off the corner and give it to the bird.  

It was a really lovely afternoon.  Jesse managed to steal some balloons (they were just sitting on the street so he just brought them along with us) and they caused quite a stir at the market with a small child trying to buy them off Andy.  He said that he felt really mean when he couldn't sell him one.

There are so many cool little places in Toronto that have yet to be explored.  Roll on the spring and summer when we can walk the streets.

The Beach on a Winter's Day

We have been trying to get out and about a bit and enjoy this very mild winter we have been experiencing. Not much snow here and the sun has been shining a lot of the time.  Not so warm though, most days it's still under zero but on occasion it gets quite balmy - I think our high last week was 5 degrees.

Anyway, so we have been taking the proverbial Sunday drive.  

Last weekend we went for a long drive along the shore of the Lake Ontario through the city.  It was really nice to see the houses and the scenery.  It is very villagey down that way even though it's in the heart of Toronto.  We went for a quick walk along the beach but even though it was a stunning sunny day it was really cold so Jenna and I returned to the car while Andy and Jesse explored a picnic table that was stuck in the ice.  It was really funny to see snow over the sand.  Not something we'd experienced before. 

We're looking pretty cold because it was absolutely freezing.  Note the stylish snow boots that Jenna and I are sporting.  We both liked the same ones so I got grey and she got black.  Jesse had left his snow boots at school but he is wearing his nice new trendy coat.

After some time in the car Jesse and Andy decided they needed to get out again so found a park with a slide.  I'm sure the people who lived around here thought they were crazy.  Everyone else was tucked up in their nice warm houses with their central heating.

Anyway, it is always nice to get out and about and see new sights.

Guns n Roses

On Thursday was the long awaited Guns n Roses concert.  It was an interesting evening, most of which was spent people watching.  I'm still decided whether or not the 3 1/2 hour wait for Axel Rose was worth it.  Let me explain.

We arrived about 7pm and parked across from the Air Canada Centre, we waited in the car till 7.30 as it was minus 12 outside and the line wasn't moving.  Eventually we ventured out into the cold to wait in the line.  It took about 20 minutes to get inside so we were freezing by the time we got in.  We quickly warmed up and by the time the show started at 8pm I had taken off my big coat.

The first act was really good.  A local Toronto band but we never caught their name so have no idea who they were.  They played about 5 songs and really warmed up the crowd.

After that there was a break for about half an hour while they set up for Sebastian Bach (formerly of Skid Row fame) who was quite good too (although I liked the first act better).  I was amazed at his head banging capability.  He has long hair and he just spent the whole time flinging it about.  I would get a headache.  We were amused because he had a microphone with a long cable and the roadies spent much time running around stage after him winding it up.  It became apparent why pretty quickly when he stood on the front of the stage swinging the microphone by it's cord.  That was truly impressive.  The first time he did it though he broke the microphone and they couldn't find him another one.  He was not impressed and started swearing at them until they finally got him a new one.  Sebastian finished his act at 9.30.

So now comes the people watching part of the night.  We waited and waited and waited for Guns n Roses.  They finally hit the stage at 11.30pm.  Yes that's right - 2 hours after Sebastian Bach finished.  By this time the crowd was pretty upset and were booing loudly.

Axel apologised but didn't really give a reason and from reading what others have said online they were as unimpressed as we were.

Now to the concert.  It was quite good although for me there were not enough of the good old songs that I knew.  He lost the audience several times because I think a fair number of them were there, like me, to hear the old stuff and the audience got bored.  There were 4 long guitar solos, 2 long piano solos and Axel kept disappearing off the stage.

Reading all this you'd think that I didn't really enjoy myself.  Not true.  I did have a good time, not a great time.  Time and hard living has not been so good to Axel, he's certainly not the fine thing he was when he was young.

We danced lots and cheered and sang enough that my voice was almost gone when I got home at 3am.  Poor Andy had to go to work on Friday so I felt sorry for him.  I also felt really sorry for the people who had to leave before actually seeing the main event.  Apparently Axel has a reputation for being late.  My friend Sandra said he didn't start on Sunday night until 10.30 so I expected that, but 11.30 was just too late.

The actual show (pyrotechnics, etc) was impressive and the booms that came with the explosions hit me in the heart.  I wondered if the drummer had to dodge the sparks because it looked like it was very close to him.

On that note, I will leave this blog with the other pictures we took.

I Like Big Butts and I Cannot Lie

Ok, it's been a while since I've blogged but to be honest there hasn't been much going on.

Jesse is now in week 2 of the new school term.  Their winter term sport is ice skating so he had his first lesson last week.  It turned out to be a rather costly experience for us as he needed skates ($70), helmet ($30) and splash pants ($10) which to Kiwis are waterproof leggings.  I got this message home that Jesse needed splash pants and had no idea what they were.  He enjoyed it very much and came home with only one sticking plaster for his trouble.  He has skating lessons every Friday for 8 weeks.

Andy started work and is enjoying being back in the game.  It brought on a rather large bout of homesickness for him as he got back into the routine of work and realised that the holiday was now over.

Jenna is still job hunting.  She angling to get herself a job at Fashion Crimes where she has been doing an internship, it's looking good.  Will keep you posted on that one.

OK, so you're asking yourself why on earth I named this blog "I Like Big Butts and I Cannot Lie".  Today I saw something in Walmart which just made Jenna and I cringe, laugh, squirm and wonder in amazement.  You've heard of the Wonder Bra right - well these were "Wonder Butts".  Yep, you guessed it womens underwear to enhance ones buttocks. I had to take a photo to share with you.

So, for just $9.34 (plus tax) you too can have that most amazing butt that you've always wanted.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all!  I trust that the New Year was ushered in in the most appropriate fashion.  For me, it was a quiet one.  Andy and I decided that we must be old when we thought it would be better to stay at home and watch the celebrations on TV rather than facing the rain and the cold to actually go down to Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto where it was all happening.  The TV event turned out to be rather good, showcasing a lot of Canadian talent which was interesting for us.

The year has started well with Jesse and I staying home for a "chill out" day.  He is playing Lego Star Wars on the PS3 that was under the tree this year and I am sitting stitching, watching the snow fall.  Andy has gone shopping for new clothes for work and Jenna has not yet returned home from last evenings festivities although we have heard from her and she is feeling a little under the weather today - wonder why!

I have made only one New Year's resolution this year - BE HAPPY!  Really once that's sorted, everything else falls into place.

One thing I wanted to share, I heard Andy utter this line to Jesse yesterday as they were cleaning up after taking out the Christmas tree.  The line was - "don't vacuum your hair"!  What parent hasn't heard that!

On that note, I wish you all the best for the New Year, may it bring happiness and prosperity to all.