Forts, Fighting and WTF?

I am going to start off by saying - I don't feel well. I have been fighting something for the last few days, which seems to be coming and going. Today I woke up with a stuffy head, some aches and a cough. Feel sorry for me? Good, because someone has to.

My darling husband is out of the house all day so I have been left without care and am responsible for the well-being of a tiny human with a big personality. God love her.

All I want to do is drink tea and read my book. That is it. Leave me to die from a virus that is trying to overtake my nearly 39-year old body. I will not put up a fight. But alas, I must try to entertain this child who constantly wants something from me. Can I do this? Will my ailing body give me the strength? Yes, as I have recently been empowered by a post I read from Scary Mommy. I was ready to set boundaries and take moments of selfishness for myself, especially in this time of need, as I withered away from illness.

I told AJ that I was going to decide what she could do for herself and what I would still do for her. Need a glass of water? By all means, help yourself. Want to cut an apple in half to see if the core is in fact the shape of a star? Let me help you with that. Life was about to get easier.

"Mom. I want to build a fort. No, a palace! Then I promise to let you rest."

With light at the end of this sickly tunnel I got up and began constructing the most magnificent palace for my princess. Nine chairs, one table, eight blankets, three sheets and 20 minutes later - I had done it. It was perfect. She was happy and I was ready to bask in the silence.

I sunk into the couch, opened my book and ...

"Mom, can you help me bring all my toys down here?"
"Um, not sure you want ALL your toys, but go ahead and bring a few down."
"Can you come help me?"

I have to mention that by this time I was SWEATING! You know when you're sick and your body gets hot and you sweat from simply getting on your knees to pray that you are soon saved from this plague? That was me.

"You know what sweetie? Mommy doesn't feel too good, so I would really appreciate it if you did this on your own." (remember the boundaries I wanted to set?)
"No, I need you to help me. I'm just a kid!"
"Yes and I am and old mother who doesn't feel great. So sorry, not going to happen."

My child and I are very much alike and at this point we had both made up our minds, and had no plans to change them. The result? We fought about it. I tried to explain that if she had simply done it herself, she would be done by now. She tried to explain that I would get no more hugs EVER if I didn't help her. Both arguments pretty valid, yet not strong enough to make someone break.

The fighting continued. Tears were shed, pleading was done and even a few giggles were heard (I won't tell you which came from me). My tea got cold and her fort began to sag in the middle. We were at an impasse.

Light bulb! I had an idea. I suggested she grab her toy bag, which is normally stuffed with Barbies, and use it to transport her desired toys downstairs.

A few minutes later she arrived dragging her bag of toys like a little child Santa Claus. Finally this ordeal was over and I could get back to my book.

But before that could happen, AJ decided she was hungry and needed a rest, which was fair seeing as she worked so hard to build the fort. *Insert eye-roll here* I took a deep breath and warmed her up some pasta. She turned on a movie and happily ate while I, once again, sunk into the couch to unwind.

Then it happened. The worst thing that could of happened at that moment ACTUALLY HAPPENED!

AJ decided she didn't want the fort anymore. As the sheets and blankets crumbled down around me, so did my hopes and dreams of ever being sane again.

At least I know what I want for my birthday next week - a white jacket and rubber for my bedroom walls.

Pizza Pinwheels are Wheelie Messy

You know those recipe videos that make cooking and baking look so darn easy? I hate them. Yet I love them. The music makes you feel happy and can often borderline on a porn movie soundtrack. But in the end - you can't help but think - I can do that!

I make a really delicious BBQ Chicken & Bacon Pizza. It's one of my fail-safe dinners. So when I saw a video for BBQ Chicken Pinwheels, I just knew I had to give them a try! How can it go wrong?

Here is what they are supposed to look like:

And here's mine: 

Big picture - they tasted a lot better than they looked. Thank goodness, because by the time they were ready, the vultures were circling and waiting to devour them. And once again, after D passed on a second helping, we went to the pantry for a snack. Maybe now he will get the hint that I DON"T COOK!

Noodle Bowl Nuisance

This is one of my cooking success stories. 

I think. 

D said it was good, but he also wandered into the pantry for a snack after turning down a second helping. In his defence he's not a huge fan of coconut and I overused the coconut milk. I tend to do that.  

Surprised I grabbed the coconut milk after my ordeal with the Coconut Macaroons from hell? Me too. Pretty sure I had sworn off (and sworn at) the stuff. I guess I'm just full of surprises! 

This is the original sauce I bought.  

Holy MOTHER it was HOT! My mouth was on FIRE! It's a good thing I tasted it. 

To save my family, I made something more tame. 

• Honey hoisin sauce
• More honey!
• Soya sauce
• Coconut milk 

Delicious! Like for real, it was good! 

I also cooked the chicken in a bit of the coconut milk. I felt like I was on Chopped mixing all this stuff together!

And think I won. 

**Update - my tummy hurts **

Macaroons From Hell

Why Pinterest, why? Why do you get my hopes up??

Look, I know it's not their fault, but I do feel like calling the blogger who posted this specific recipe and ... sigh. As if I would actually do anything.

When AJ came home from school with a notice about a Bake Sale fundraiser I instantly began searching Pinterest for nut-free recipes. I want to be THAT Mom. I want to show up to her school with a tray of homemade baked goods, wind blowing through my hair, no bag under my eyes and have everyone GASP at my creation. This is why I chose to make - Creamsicle Macaroons.

Eight ingredients? No problem!

BIG PROBLEM!

First of all, where the hell do you buy full-fat coconut milk? There are a hand full of brands, but NONE of them say full-fat. I shook the cans and went with the one that made less of a squishy noise. I should also add that by this point, I had done a trial run on the macaroons and used regular straight up coconut milk. The result was more of a coconut soup than a sweet baked treat. But did that clue me into the fact that something was wrong? Nope. I ladled them onto a foil covered baking sheet and crossed my fingers. This was the out come. And I don't think Hercules could even pry them off.

I assumed the issue was the coconut milk, so began my hunt for the full-fat version. I am not yet convinced it actually exists.

As mentioned above I found coconut milk that seemed more solid than the rest, so I went with that. I also (finally!) invested in parchment paper, after several wax paper and foil incidents, it was about time.

Batch #2 looked perfect. I solved the soupy issue by ditching the liquid from the coconut milk and made use of the solid parts. The batter was firm, but I feel like the macaroons gave up on life while on their oven vacation. They over tanned themselves and simply let go. Fell to pieces.

 

I had enough ingredients to attempt batch #3 and was determined to make these damn macaroons! So I started again making one small change. I formed the macaroons into little balls - snowballs, if you will. In my mind they would stick together and become sweet drops of heaven. 

Wrong. So very very VERY wrong! 

All you had to do was breathe on them and they fell apart. What is it with coconut and giving up on life? Like hold yourselves together!

In the end I showed up empty handed. I was disappointed but it made me realize something - I don't need to be THAT mom. I need to be THIS mom. The mom who tried and tried and tried again. I think AJ will learn more from that than if I had been the perfect baker with perfect macaroons.

Who likes them anyway? Me. I do! But right now, if I never see another one, it will be too soon.

Honey Garlic Chicken Fail

Have you seen those Nailed It funnies going around? D and I have a good laugh over them.

There is a new one that just came out today .......

 Sadly ...... it's mine. And it's real.

All Mommy Wanted Was a Shower

This isn't going to get gross or nake-i-dy but here's what happened while I was in the shower this evening.

Me: Ahhhhh this is nice ......
AJ - MOM! I want cheese whiz toast please!!!!
Me: Ask daddy or wait until I am out.
AJ: NOOOOOOO!!!! I want you!
Daddy: I will get it for you hunny.
AJ: NOO! MOMMY! WAAHH!
Daddy: I will do it or you have to wait for Mommy to be out of the shower.
Me: As if I am ever getting out.
AJ: NO way! Waaahhh!!!!
Daddy: Really??? I can just make it.
AJ: Ok.
Me: Thank you Lord.

AJ: I want 5 pieces!
Daddy: You are not going to eat 5 pieces of toast.
AJ: I want 5!!!!! Wahhhh!!!! MOMMY! Daddy says I can't have 5!!
Me: You can have 1 piece cut into 5 pieces like you always do.
AJ: NO I want 5 pieces!! FIVE! Waahhh!
Daddy: That's what I told her! Cut into 5 pieces.
AJ: I want 5! stomp stomp stomp
Me: How about 2? Then both can be cut into 5 pieces and you will have 10! (Still showering)
AJ: WAAAHH! I want 5!!!
Me: You can have it like you always have it. That is it.
AJ: Fine.

Me: Tra - la - la - la
AJ: WAH no I want 5!!!
Me: (praying) Make it stop. Please make it stop. 
Daddy: I cut it into 5 though!
AJ: (jumps onto our bed for a tantrum) Daddy look what I found!
Daddy: Mommy isn't very smart! You hid her Valentines treats on the bed and she found it and opened the Kinder Surprise box.
AJ: I want it all!!!!
Daddy: You can have one.
AJ: NO! WAAAHH! MOMMY!
Me: Really??? Just one shower! That is all I wanted!

In all fairness, AJ asked me to make her toast BEFORE I had a shower and I purposely forgot and tried to get in before she noticed. Oops.

Sorry, no photos for this one.

While Waiting to be Rescued ...

AJ and I got locked out of the house today. Not really locked, but more like stuck. My key would not turn! Just simply would not budge! I tried the backdoor as well and for some reason I couldn't get the deadbolt to move either. Crap.

Here I was with a 3.5 year old, a truck full of groceries and it was -20! Plus, I had to pee. Not cool. I called D and he made his way to rescue us.

As AJ and I waited, she had the privilege of sitting in the front seat of the car. It was like a spaceship to her - she was WOWED! I didn't realize that she has never actually been in the front before. She was checking everything out and asking what everything was for. Then she made a few discoveries.

Please don't judge me.

"Wow Mom, you have my half eaten apple from last week in the cup holder."

"You have lots of paper and other pieces of garbage."

"Busted!"

As Moms we are lucky that our child don't judge us at such an early age. I appreciate that she seemed okay with her Mommy having a rotten apple in her car. I told her it was important to always have food in the car for emergencies. You know, in case a horse or bear tries to get in. You can throw the apple at it.

If At First You Don't Succeed - Make it Bigger

I came across a recipe for Crunchy Quinoa Sweet Potato Burgers the other day and could not get the look of the sweet potato patty out of my mind. Just looked so crunchy and good for you! The perfect food. So I attempted to make it.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup quinoa
• 2/3 cup filtered water
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup canned white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 to 2 tablespoons tahini (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic, minced)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup panko
• 3 sprouted grain hamburger buns 

• For crunchy guacamole:
• 2 avocados, peeled and pitted
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons salsa or pico de gallo
• 2 tablespoons raw pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

Directions:

1. In small pot, combine quinoa and water over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Let quinoa cook for 10 to 15 minutes until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest for at least 5 minutes.
2. While quinoa cooks, cook sweet potato in a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes until soft and mashable. When potatoes are finished cooking, combine with white beans in a mixing bowl and smash with a potato masher until well mashed but still retaining a little texture from beans. Add tahini (if using), salt, and spices. Mix well, then add quinoa and fold in with a spatula.
3. Heat a medium-sized pan on the stove to medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Form quinoa-sweet potato mixture into three patties, coat with panko, and cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side until a nice crispy golden brown outer shell is reached.
4. While burgers cook, make guacamole by mashing all ingredients together.
5. To assemble, place burger patty on bottom half of bun and top with guacamole and bun top. 

Recipe provided by Jessica Smith of MadetoCreate

I of course made more of a basic patty with just sweet potato, quinoa, mixed beans and a few random spices from my bare spice cabinet.  I also did not make the guacamole that was to be paired with it due to a lack of ingredients and preparedness.

 My first attempt was a total fail. I made the patties too thin and they broke apart when flipped and then became one large mass. 

Crunchy, but not pretty.

So I got smart and made them bigger! Like actual burgers. Who would have thought??

Example of my first try.

Finished product. Success!

I made some pickled cabbage earlier in the day ..... I know, weird right? I mean who randomly makes pickled cabbage?

Lovely Friday night dinner for myself. 

 There you have it. I experimented with recipes and ended up with a decently healthy meal. And here's a secret ..... I totally pretended I was on Chopped Canada. How in the heck to they create those meals in just 30 minutes?! I guess none of them have a 3.5 year old child asking for their attention every 3.5 minutes.

And be thankful I am not around to kiss you tonight. Holy garlic! But so so good.

Vaguebooking

We all know at least one person on social media who has a habit of 'vaguebooking' or we have maybe even done it ourselves.

If you aren't sure what vaguebooking is - please refer to the image below:

You are probably saying "Oh yeah! So and so does that all the time!" You need to tell them to stop or you need to pay more attention.  

Something happened today over my facebook news feed that caused quite a stir, but not without a few "Have you been drinking lol" or "Your facebook was hacked" remarks by other people. Guess what? It was a serious cry for help, which if had gone just 10 minutes more not being believed, would have ended tragically. Luckily enough people were smart and took action. 

In honour of Bell Let's Talk Day which takes place tomorrow, I want to urge all of you to come out and say exactly what it is you have to say. If you are depressed, lonely and need attention - come right out and say it. Don't beat around the bush because that one time where you really do need help, no one will listen, or if they do, it may be too late. 

On the flip side, it's time to pay more attention and ask the hard questions. Don't be afraid to ask someone if they are okay. Don't be afraid to tell them that you notice their pain and are there for support. Sometimes that is all they really need.

Yeah vaquebooking is annoying. We all know that. But we need to work together and help those who do it, feel like they don't have to. Let's start Truthbooking. Bravebooking. Honestbooking. Even Supportbooking. Let's just start talking.

5 Ways to Say "I Love You" in a Book Made By You!

Want to make a real impression this Valentine's Day? Consider making a super quick, easy, and beautiful photo book with Blurb, my favourite online photo book company. After all, nothing says "love" like a thoughtfully made book of all your time together. 

I can attest to that after I received my wedding photo book created by our awesome photographer, Melissa R Styba. Not only is it something tangible that we can re-visit over and over, but it is easily shared with others. 

Here are 5 books you can make with Blurb:

1. Love Instagram? Use it to make a book of photos you've taken with your love. With Blurb, you can make a book with your Instagram photos in just about five minutes.
2. Turn "like" into "love." Using Blurb’s Facebook book-making tool, you can turn all yours, and your loved one's photos into a neat little book. It even pulls in the comments, so you can remember how cute everyone said you looked that one time…
3. Make it pretty (easy): Blurb has some really gorgeous templates in their Designer Collection that lets you pull in photos from your computer, Flickr, Instagram, or Facebook, for a slick, beautiful little Small Square book. You'll look like you spent hours—but really, you can be done in less.
4. Plan on love: Create a 2014 planner featuring their favourite photos and fill in the important dates from your past (they'll have no excuse to forget your anniversary now). There's a nice little blog post that explains it all.
5. Love notes: Does your love have a creative side? Make them a notebook filled with their favourite photos. Every time they go to jot down an idea they'll think of you.

There are even more ways! And you're only limited by your imagination. Of course, these are custom gifts that have to be printed and shipped, so you'll want to pay attention to the order deadlines below:

United States:
February 3 (Standard shipping)
February 6 (Priority shipping)
February 7 (Express shipping)

Canada:
January 31 (Standard shipping)
February 4 (Priority shipping)

I know if D took the time and put the thought into creating such a personal page by page experience for me - I would cherish it. Hint hint hunny!

Spread the love! Share this post and I will send you a code for 15% off a printed book for your Valentine! 

Top Secret Dinner

*Disclaimer: This recipe calls for onions (yuck) which I NEVER and also vowed to never use - ever. But I did this ONE TIME as it was a special occasion. Do not expect it to happen again.

D has a little side job as a guinea pig. He gets paid to test new food products, which if you think about it, is kinda cool. We won't become millionaires, but it's fun for him. Tonight was a take home test! The whole family got to eat!

The product is top secret so I can't tell you exactly what it is, but I can tell you it was YUMMY! And it had a Mexican twist.

Someone wasn't interested 

Not too bad for a gal like me, hey? The product got rave reviews - even from AJ. We hope to see it on store shelves in the near future. 

Now I have to go scrub the onion smell off my hands. The things I do for the people I love. 

My Little Firefighter

As AJ and I were driving home from her daycare the other day, we saw a fire truck. She thought it was so cool! Then she began talking about how she was going to be like Fireman Sam when she was not a kid anymore. I told that was a great idea.

Funny enough, I was making dinner tonight and the oven was smoking. Not because I was burning food - there was something on the bottom of the oven from the last time it almost smoked us out of the house. Pretty sure it is grease from the meat loaf I made last week.

Yes, I realize I need to clean it.

Anyways, I opened the oven and smoked poured out, which triggered our overly sensitive smoke detector. I grabbed a towel so I could wave it around under the detector to make it stop. Who was already there? My little firefighter. AJ was there flailing her blankie like a crazy kid to help her mommy.

Either her choice to be a firefighter is truly her calling - or I burn dinner too much.

Mini Muffin Tins VS Regular Muffin Tins - Does it Matter?

Did you know that there is a difference between mini muffin tins and regular muffin tins? Yes the size is an obvious answer, but did you know that using one instead of the other can totally ruin your dinner?  If you didn't, then you need to read this.

There has been a recipe for Mini Quinoa Pizza Bites floating around Facebook for a while now and they look so good! I decided to give them a try.

Big mistake. 

I took a glance at the recipe and came to the conclusion that I had everything I needed. My spice collection is not as fancy or complete as most, but I felt it would suffice. As the quinoa cooked, I grabbed a bowl and threw in a dash of dried oregano here, salt there, pepper and paprika all over. I also threw in some Wine & Garlic seasoning I "got" from The Melting Pot which is AMAZing. I add it to everything.

Next came the grated mozzarella cheese, two eggs and ..... no onions. Onions are gross and you will never read about me adding them to ANYTHING. I skipped the pepperoni as well, as I wanted to share my culinary masterpiece with a vegetarian friend at work. What can I say, I am an unselfish cook.

Once the quinoa was cooked, I mixed everything together and felt really confident that I had a good thing going. As I was filling my muffin tin with the mixture, it occurred to me that the recipe yielded 40 pizza bites. How could I make 40 when I have just used all of the quinoa in one muffin tin?

OH! I need a MINI muffin! Duh. How different can it be?

Very. It is very different. I promise you.

I put the pizza bites into the oven anyways and set the timer for a wee bit longer seeing as they were a wee bit bigger. After about 10 minutes I started to smell them. They smell like pizza! I win!

Not so much. I took them out and #1 - they stuck as I forgot to spray the tin and #2 - they were mushy and I wasn't 100% the egg was fully cooked. I dug in and sort of flipped them over to try and cook them all the way through. Put them back in the oven and waited.

Another 15 or so minutes went by and I checked on them. Should I flip them over again? Does it matter that half of each bite is now crusted and baked permanently into each muffin hole? Do we have a jackhammer?

No one, including me, got to enjoy the quinoa pizza bites. Well, unless you count the garbage can.

At least I got to smell them.

You Know You Are Meant to Go Home When ...

I am simply adoring my new job at the Cerebral Palsy Association in Alberta as - Communication and Social Media Coordinator. They respect and encourage a balanced work/life and that is very appreciated.

Especially today.

I currently work part-time. Well, sort of in between full and part. I do a minimum of 20 hours a week, but if there is lots of work, I do the hours it takes to get it done. Very flexible. This week I have done my allotted hours plus will have a few extra due to a staff retreat tomorrow. I technically did not have to head into work today, but figured I would make sure I was prepared for the weekend. I made the choice to battle the Deer Foot and go into the office.

I take AJ to school each day and recently she has given me a hard time when I drop her off. It breaks my heart to see her cry. Because of this, D has agreed to try to take her more often when he isn't in a rush to get to work himself. Today was one of those days.

We were leaving at the same time, said our goodbyes and went in separate directions. When I was about 15 minutes into my 20 - 30 minute commute, D calls and asks where AJ's blankie is. If you know AJ - she needs her blankie. I said "Well it must be at home." D responds with "Are you sure?" I look beside me and there is it. I brought her blankie into my car out of pure habit. Crap.

She was apparently freaking out so I said I would see what I could do. I began to think of my options. 1) I could turn around, take her the blankie and be at work by 10AM. 2) I could go into work for a few hours then take her blankie after lunch in time for nap time. or 3) I could take her the blankie and go home - seeing as I had done my weekly hours. Plus, I had my work lap top and could do a few things from the kitchen table.

What to do, what to do.

Well I was apparently so conflicted that I blew right passed my exit and was well on my way to Fort McLeod! Ugh. If that isn't another sign to turn around and go home - I am not sure what is.

So, here I sit with a Tim Horton's coffee at my kitchen table working away. Message read loud and clear.

Damn You, Netflix!

Sigh. How can one be a blogger, yet not keep up their own blog? When your brain lacks the strength of a spry 20-something year old - you all of a sudden can only do one job at a time.

Moms are known to multitask 24 hours a day. Yes, even when sleeping, we somehow manage to listen for the pitter - patter of little feet making their way to take over the bed. I can write an article, make AJ a snack, and find Dora on the TV all at once. Really, I can. But can I physically sit down to write in my personal blog? No.

Why? My brain just doesn't seem to ......

What was I talking about???

See what I mean?

Anyways - you get the idea. I once again have to make a point to commit to writing in this blog on a more regular basis. I have become a blogger who writes for everyone - but herself. Not fair.

Let's begin with an update on what's really happening around here and what keeps me so busy:

• I am doing a lot of writing for the WhatToExpect.com blog - Word Of Mom
• I have been taken on as a content writer by a few local web, social media and SEO specialists.
• I just mailed off wedding invitations this morning! That was actually a lot of work to put together.
• I have a toddler. 'Nough said. 
• D figured out how to get American Netflix on the Xbox. Very distracting. 

It's been a struggle to find a good balance with my work and family life. It is really a team effort. But I think it is beginning to fall into place, and I will have this blog back up and running in no time!

I Wonder How It Tasted

I love a pot of homemade soup. I have no real clue how to make it, but I still give it the old college try now and then. I usually end up with a soup worthy of a hospital cafeteria as opposed to Tim Horton's, but it's edible none the less. 

After today, I will be sticking to Campbell's. 

I had some beef cubes leftover from a fabulous fondue party that D "arranged" for my birthday a couple weeks ago. I use "arranged" loosely because he may have invited my partner- in -wine and her hubby over, but I did all the work. That's a post for another day.

Anyways, the plan was to make a stew, or soup type dish with these leftover beef cubes. D found an Un-domestic Goddess proof recipe for a beef vegetable soup which I made yesterday. Smelled yummy, looked yummy, and probably tasted yummy. But I wouldn't know.

I made it late in the day with the idea of having it for lunch the rest of the week. D is not really a soup guy, so it was all for me and AJ. By the time it appeared to be ready, I unplugged the crock pot with full intentions of transferring the contents to a smaller pot to then put into the fridge - after I put AJ to bed. I wanted it to cool down a little bit first. We unfortunately had one of those bad "I don't wanna go to bed" nights that ended up in me carrying AJ back up to bed about 6 times. When she finally decided to stay in bed - I was ready for mine.

So yeah, I woke up this morning to find my soup still in the crock pot sitting on the counter - cold.

I plain old forgot about it.

Here is proof that it existed:

Forgive Me Chef Ramsay For I Have Sinned

It's no secret that I am not a great cook. I certainly do not deny that. But tonight, I pretty much set in stone that I suck at cooking!

It has been said that even the worst of cooks can at least make things like toast, cereal, grilled cheese sandwiches and Kraft Dinner. Those are staples in life and who doesn't ...... wait a minute ..... did I say grilled cheese sandwiches???

It was either me or the frying pan, but wow. I had a complete grilled cheese fail tonight.

I am so ashamed.

And for the record, I did use butter and cooking spray!

My Drunk Kitchen

I want to introduce you to Hannah Hart. She is someone I can totally relate to as I feel she is a version of myself.


Watch this: My Drunk Kitchen

That is ME! Come on, you can't deny that's me!

Yummy Alert!: Spiced Fried Chickpeas

D bought me a subscription to Food Network magazine as I still struggle with cooking, but also love watching that channel.  I have the idea of beginning a recipe collection and hope to share some of my discoveries as I go along.  My first installment is: Spiced Fried Chickpeas.

AJ and I LOVE chickpeas as they are, but who can argue when a well known food magazine gives you the go ahead to deep fry them??? Not me!

The process is really simple:

1. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas; pat dry 
2. Heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees 
3. Fry chickpeas in batches for until a light golden brown and crispy; about 4 minutes 
4. Drain on paper towel then toss in spices 

The recipe I have calls for salt, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika, but being the un-domestic Goddess that I am, I only have salt. Although, they really don't need them, I did sprinkle on some sea salt as they were drying. YUM! 

$75 Blurb.ca GIVEAWAY!!

Being a huge advocate for reading and writing makes this giveaway feel really special. If you have always wanted to feel like a published writer or photographer, this contest is for YOU!

Blurb.ca is as really neat platform for creating amazing books. Put together a photo book of your child's first year or your wedding day, compile family recipes and make a cookbook to pass down, write the story of your life, or turn your blog into a real book! The possibilities are endless.

Want to give it a try? I am giving you the opportunity to win $75 towards publishing your first book!

All you have to do is this:

Look to the right, and enter the contest through the Rafflecopter app. It will tell you what to do.

Thanks for coming by and joining me in the fun! I really look forward to hearing all your ideas.