Oh dear....

 This is what happens when Seb dresses himself. Bare in mind that it's October, in Canada (!), and he has chosen this delightful ensemble of surfer shorts, long sleeved top, stripy socks, wellies, and wooly gloves, oh and a back pack of course.  We took him out for dinner looking like this and I'm pretty sure that people of Tofino think his outfit was all down to me. At one point he also had on mismatched boots but that, at least, we managed to persuade him out of.  For some reason he really did like wearing gloves that day and even went to bed still wearing them.
For the  most part Isobel still needs help getting into clothes so I maintain a bit of control there, although she does like to add her own accessories, in this case a pair of shades, some too-big-for-her orange crocs and her faithful wubba-nub from when she was a wee baby.



on a side note.....Seb is four tomorrow. FOUR! Yes, FOUR! I can't believe it and keep looking at him in utter shock and wondering how on earth this has happened. Where is my little squishy baby? We don't have any babies anymore, we have "kids". For some reason I never really thought too much past the baby stage and suddenly I have these two little people living in my house, eating my food and bossing me about. The funny thing is, I think I love them even more now that I see their (not so) little character quirks and blossoming senses of humour. Over the last few days I keep having moments where I find myself sitting with a big, happy smile, just watching them play and thinking "I love them SOOOOO MUCH!" 

Maple Cranberry Spelt Muffins....yummy and good for you!!

As you might already know I've been experimenting in the world of nutritious, wholesome eating of late and was feeling like I needed to make up for my not-so-healthy-but-ridiculously-easy pumpkin muffins from the other day. Being made with instant cake mix ( i.e lots of sugar, white wheat flour and goodness knows what else) they don't really fit into the "wholesome" or "good for you" category. So to make amends I give you....a healthy muffin! 

The biggest difference is that these are made with Spelt flour. What is Spelt? You may ask...well, Spelt is an ancient grain with a deep, nutty flavour that has experienced an increase in popularity in North America. Spelt is a distant cousin to wheat, and while it can be used in many of the same ways as wheat, it does not seem to cause sensitivities in most people who are intolerant of wheat (however, it does contain gluten). Spelt is full of nutrients and because of it's water solubility, these nutrients are quickly absorbed into the body. It is an excellent source of vitamin B2, a very good source of manganese, and a good source of niacin, thiamin, and copper. The combination of nutrients provided by spelt may make it a particularly helpful food for folks who suffer from migraine headaches, atherosclerosis, or diabetes. It also tastes yummy.

The recipe (adapted from enlightened cooking)
You can find spelt flour at health food stores, but also in most supermarkets (that includes tiny towns, such as mine) in the health food section (you should find an alternative flour section). Once purchased, I recommend storing the spelt flour in the refrigerator (airtight bag or container) to best preserve its flavor and nutritional value.

Store the cooled muffins in an airtight bag at room temperature for 2 to 3 days; freeze any extras for up to 1 month.

Preheat oven to 425°F
12-cup muffin tin, greased
Makes 12 muffins

2-1/4 cups spelt flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tbsp vegetable oil (I used coconut oil for a bit of extra goodness :)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup cranberries (I used frozen in my for a bit of extra tang but the original recipe used dried)

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl
2. Whisk the eggs, oil, maple syrup and vanilla in a medium bowl until blended. Whisk in the milk.
3. Mix the milk mixture into the flour mixture until just blended. Gently stir in the cranberries.
4. Divide the batter equally among the prepared muffin cups.
5. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in the tins 3 minutes, then remove.




 I loved them and personally prefer muffins like these that aren't ridiculously sweet, but you could up the amount of maple syrup if you have sweeter tooth. Maple syrup is a whole lot better for you than plain old refined sugar!

The kiddies certainly enjoyed them especially Seb who dunked his in milk and then shouted "mummy! You have GOT to try this!" Hehehe!

Yum!

Thank you

We had our Thanksgiving dinner yesterday and considering I had done minimal planning and that Neil (our usual chef for any event requiring any form of dinner) was at Breakers for most of the day, it turned out pretty darned well. I don't suppose for a minute that I would have attempted "the turkey" if he'd have been there so, in a weird way, I'm quite glad he wasn't. I was forced to do it, I did it and now I can say that I cook a mean roast turkey :) I also cook a mean pumpkin pie, set a mean table and clear up a mean amount of dog poop pretty well. Sorry about the poop reference but a big part of my sense of accomplishment from the day was due to the fact that I managed to cook a turkey, a pumpkin pie, clean a house, feed and care for two crazy kids, pretty-up a table AND wash the big hairy dog and his crate TWO TIMES!! Poor Sully was not well in the tummy. Urgh and eeeeew.

 Anyhoo, enough of the poo. Neil returned home in time to knock together some potatoes, fancy-shmancy stuffing and yummy home made cranberry sauce. We were all strangely relaxed and there was none of the fussing or stressing that seems to often accompany getting ready for nice family dinners. When everything was cooked, we all just sat down and enjoyed our very lovely dinner.

I am thankful. For the yummy nosh, for the roof over my head on this rainy day, for the three happy faces that I love, sitting at my table. I am thankful for it all.

x

I heart pumpkins

I was so excited to see whole stash of pumpkins filling the shelves outside "Beaches" our little-grocery-store-around-the-corner. I love pumpkins! The first sight of one conjures up pictures in my head of colourful leaves, cool winds, wooly scarves, dark nights, snuggly blankets and hot chocolate. A change in season perfectly punctuated by a big orange vegetable. No other season change gets me like this one and I've always blamed it on my birthday, the whole build up of excitement starting with the arrival of autumn and all things orange and spooky. These day's I'm not that excited by my birthday but oh do I love fall!!! 

Our neighbourhood is very nicely situated just a quick stroll to the beach and a quick stroll to "Outside Break" a little complex of shops like "beaches" and a couple of artist studios hidden away amongst the trees outside of town. Last night I deliberately took my camera on our nightly stroll so that I could get a snap of all those pumpkins and give you a bit of a tour.

At the end of our street and round the bend you'll find a little hole in the trees. It's only really noticeable by the footstep-worn path heading into the thick bushes.  If you head down there and over the wobbly plank you'll find......

A bright orange bus and a couple of rustic wood tables with lime green chairs. 

This, my friends, is Tacofino. The answer to your empty tummy prayers! I'm partial to a fish taco but Neil would rather recommend the pork burrito. It's all good! On an August day they'll be line 20 people deep if you're lucky!

Once you've filled up on Tacofino, head a little further in and you'll find Wildside Grill, which I'm pretty sure we've mentioned before. A wood carving studio, a glass blower,  yoga studio, cafe and Beaches grocery. And there are my pumpkins!

We headed back to the house empty handed today. But I'm sure it won't be long before I pick up a couple of lumps of orange goodness!

Isobel fell over on the walk home (nothing new there!) and I thought it was really sweet of Seb to help her check out her "owie" when we got home.

It wasn't a bad one this time. So we stayed outside for a bit and took some photos......

This is Belly's I'm going to cry now" face.....

Told you. 

I'm always fascinated by her face when she cries. Her little eyes crinkle up like they're made of crepe paper. hehe.

Hope you like the tour. Guess what day it is on Monday?? Thanksgiving!! I feel a pumpkin pie coming on. Happy Autumn everyone!