Thursday, December 23, 2010

You deserve a break today

I took Bram to the airport yesterday morning for his 8:30 flight - so we were there by 7:15 or so. That's all well and good except when we arrived we found out that his flight actually left at 6:30, so we should have been there at 5:30. As it's just a very few days before Christmas, the ticket agents weren't holding out hope that they could find him a seat at all on any other flights, but God was with us and he got the last seat on the next flight to Calgary. In Calgary he was able to make his earlier connection to YK. He phoned me last night to let me know he had arrived there safely. It cost me an extra $75 to change his ticket; Merry Christmas, Bram.

I slept in until 6:30 this morning, and didn't actually get up until 7:00. I cannot deny it, I'm a morning person. I have a few Christmas presents to make today, and need to do laundry, but am pretty much ready. Off to S'toon tomorrow; Rose works tonight until 8 pm.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Routines

Ruth and I have attempted to start a new Saturday morning routine. We started a couple of months ago, and we haven't been totally consistent about it, but we both really like it when it does happen.

What is the routine, you ask? We make up our week's menus, then bright and early Saturday morning, when the grocery store is pretty much empty, we go and get the week's groceries. Then we head back one home or the other, and make up as much of the menus as we can in advance. We generally make up several marinated salads or salads that will keep for several days, and maybe part of a main course or two.

For example, this week we're making up a broccoli salad (really very nice, with broccoli, sunflower seeds and grapes); a marinated vegetable salad, coleslaw forever, and home made chicken strips (chicken breasts cut into strips, dipped in egg white and turned in a mixture of cornflake crumbs and bran flake crumbs, then baked - none of the fat, all of the flavour).

As both of us work full time, we love the opportunity to get some of the needed chores done together - sharing the effort makes it a pleasure instead of a chore. In addition, we get to visit with each other and share what's going on in our lives and in our families' lives - as well as news about the extended family. We also love having our week's menus planned, so when we get home from work we know what's for supper - and that part of it is already prepared in advance. We love that we save money doing this, because we only purchase what's needed on the menus, and it also forces us to keep our fridges cleaned out. Even better, lunches are much healthier and cost less as well. Ruth usually uses some of the premade salads as part of her lunches. All in all it's a win/win situation.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Well that was disappointing

Bram and I drove to Moose Jaw yesterday. Mom Thiessen has been discharged from the hospital to a nursing home there and we were going to visit. I had phoned the night before and visited with Darlene and found out which nursing home, which room, etc. So when we arrived at the nursing home, I was prepared. However, there was a big sign up in the lobby of the nursing home saying that due to an outbreak of enteritis, one entire wing of the nursing home was closed to visitors. Of course, it was the wing that Mom is on. So we weren't able to even see mom. We did leave a card for her, but it was a disappointment.

Instead we drove out to the farm and visited with Doug and Darlene a bit. Bram got to have a quick snowmobile ride while Darlene and I visited. Then we drove back to Regina.

We'll have to try again another time.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Granola

I decided it would be nice to have granola in the house so I went by the bulk store (always an experience in temptation) and picked up ingredients. I can't just buy granola because all granola is made with oats, and I carry an epipen just in case I come in contact with oats.

In any case, I bought spelts flakes, kamut flakes, rye flakes - to replace the oatmeal. I also purchased thompson raisins (becuase I prefer them to sultanas and when I was at the grocery store last week they only had sultanas), craisins, dried blueberries and dried apples, for the dried fruit. I had to cut the apples into little chunks, so I didn't much of use that. Then I got pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds (both unsalted) and I already had sesame seeds at home, for the seeds. I also put in shaved hazelnuts.

All I had to do then was to decide on a recipe. I was going to look online, until I remembered that I had picked up a Harrowsmith cookbook at a garage sale - and I was sure it would have granola recipes in it. I was right, it had several, so I just picked through them to find something that looked appropriate. The only ingredients I didn't have or didn't substitute for that would have been nice to have was wheat germ and flax. However, Bram tends to be really sensitive to wheat germ, so maybe it's nice I didn't have it. The recipe I used is called "Al Taylor's Granola", which is kind of interesting. I'm waiting for it to cool now so I can see how it is.

I haven't caught a mouse for two days now - and haven't caught one for three of the last four days. Maybe this means I'm close to the end of them. I sure hope so.