Black and White Wednesday

It's time for some more Black and White fun, curtesy of Lisa's blog at The Long Road to China.

I had so much fun just watching these two monkeys, hamming it up for me. All I said was ok - kiss and they were off. There may be some acting blood in their veins too.

Today is Black and White Wednesday but it is also Milana's 6 month anniversary of our Gotcha day (August 10th). I'll do a post later today to mark it. Boggles my mind that it's been 6 months already.

Poor Milana doesn't know what's hitting her at times. Dahlia takes her sisterly responsibilities very seriously.

And due to popular demand ( umm...more than one = popular) here are some more glimpses
of our China trip last August.

Summer Palace - Beijing

Below are some shots from a wonderful place called the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. It is a huge park with oodles of activities. It took us about 2 hours to walk through it without stopping and we still didn't even see half of it.

But the thing that was so awesome was what happens there everyday of the year. Dancing, singing, playing instruments and so many other ritual activities that I should remember the names of but by that point in our trip, I was brain-dead. (A state of mind that I am not altogether unfamiliar with. Ahem.)

Here was this cute couple, really dramatically doing the tango. There must have been about 200 tango dancers with the music just blaring from loud speakers all over the place. I could have stayed there all day just watching them. It was the strangest sight. And they all took their dancing very seriously.

I love the elegant pose of this lady. I found her all by herself, in a secluded area, just gracefully moving to the music.

Each area had a different type of music playing, many bands and musical groups and always dancers, dancing all types of styles.

And there's my girlie....getting in on the action.

Happy Wednesday!

I ♥ Faces

" Come on.......gimme a kiss !! "

Milana - 2 yrs old ..... Dahlia - almost 7

The theme this week at iheartfaces is

iheartkisses.

Sigh..........

Recipe Monday

....and since it will be Chinese New Years in a few days, I thought I'd share some hors d'oeuvres that I made to bring to a Chinese New Years party. Everyone brings a dish and this year I made Deep-Fried Sweet Sesame Balls and Dim Sum Fish cakes with sauce.

I often cook Chinese (no, really?!) and my favorite recipes come from a little book that is falling apart, I've used it so much. It's "Dim Sum - Fast and Festive Chinese Cooking" by Ruth Law. One of the things I love about this book is so many of the recipes have variations on how to make dishes ahead of time and then re-heat. I love to entertain but I really enjoy being at my own party too so I love having everything that can be done ahead done so I can enjoy my guests.

Fish Cakes

3/4 pound fish fillets (sea bass or any white-fleshed fish)

2 tbs. scallions, minced

1 tbs dried shrimps, soaked in water til soft, finely minced

1 tsp ginger, minced

2 tbs dry sherry

2 tsp water

2 tsp Chinese sesame oil

1 egg white, lightly beaten

salt

1 tsp cornstarch

3 cups oil

1. Mince the fish and put it through a food mill to remove any filaments.
2. Combine the fish with the remaining ingredients, except3 cups oil, to form a smooth past. Mix the fish paste vigorously in o direction only for about 5 minutes until stiff.
3. Moisten the hands with oil to keep the paste from sticking. Form the paste into patties 3/4 inch thick and 3 inches across.
4. Heat 3 cups of oil in wok to 375. Deep-fry the cakes in the hot oil
5. When the cakes are cool enough to handle, slice them into1/2 inch pieces.
6. Serve cakes as a hot hors d'oeuvre with Chili Soy Dipping Sauce.

Tip: The Fish Cakes may be fried ahead and reheated in a 350 oven til heated through. (This is the part I love - cook ahead, serve later so I can enjoy the party too....yeah!)

Deep-Fried Sweet Sesame Balls

These are traditional sweet dim sum served during Chinese New Year. They are sometimes referred to as "open-mouthed laughs" as they pop into an open-mouthed smile. (Umm....mine didn't exactly because my oil wasn't deep or hot enough - because, umm like, I'm a bit of a whuss - a bit scared of deep-fryers and fire.) They can be made in advance. (yippee)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup hot water

1 tbs baking powder

1 tbsp oil

1 small egg, beaten well

1/2 tbsp finely grated lemon rind (I usually put a whole lot more)

12 ounces cake flour, sifted

1/2 cup white sesame seeds (I used blk & wh)

3 cups oil

1. Dissolve the sugar in the hot water. Cool. Add the baking powder, 1 tbsp oil, egg and lemon rind. Mix well with a whisk. Stir in the flour. Use both hands to toss the flour and liquid together. Do not knead. Press the loose dough lightly with your fists. Fold the dough gently and press it lightly again.
2. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough very gently and press it lightly several times until the dough is combined.
   Wrap in plastic wrap; let dough rest for 1 hour. The dough will be slightly crumbly.
3. Press the dough gently into 1 inch-thick squares. Cut the dough into 1-inch cubes. Roll each cube into a round ball. Wet your hands and moisten each ball by rolling it between your hands gently. Dry your hands and roll the balls in the sesame seeds again to allow the seeds to adhere firmly.
4. Dust the cleaver with flour. With the dull edge, cut a slit in each ball in the center.
5. Deep-fry balls, cut side down, in 3 cups oil over medium-low heat. When the balls begin to float, deep-fry until they double in size and turn golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Cool.

(Tip: These balls can be stored in a tight container for several days. If they loose their crispness, heat in a 350 oven or until they are crisp.)

(oops....too late...busted, I forgot to edit this picture so now you can see my mess. Dahlia's lunch box, scrunched up cup towel , etc. BUT 1 perfectly round little ball. Oh well.....)

I made both these hors d'oeuvres for our annual Chinese New Years party that we attend every year with 4 couples who travelled to China together for our first kids. Now, we are all back with our second ones and whenever we get together now - it's sheer bedlam.
But, we still manage to eat, drink and be merry. And the kids have a total blast.



These Sesame Balls were party ready to go.



Join Colleen here at The Crazy Eight site for more recipes.

Wishing everyone a Happy Monday (post Super-Bowl) and a great week!

Frosty the Snow.....Girl !!!

Look who is lovin the snow.

(ummm......please excuse the yellow orange cast on their skin. I WB it, added as much blue as I could and still could not get rid of it. But I love their expression so I left it. Feel free to fire me a tutorial on that.)

We really did have a fun day in the snow.

Hey, only 6 more weeks, right! Right!

Friday's finds

It's Friday!

(somebody please tell me where the week....heck....the year has gone? Is it really February already?)

And

that means it's time to share some finds - hosted by Colleen here from The Crazy Eight site.

And

because I am so pretend to be so sophisticated, I thought I would share a very posh little gadget with you.

My new BFF.

Here it is!

Ready?

Ta da!

Well, yes....this little baby and I have become very well acquainted this last week. In fact, one could say that this little apparatus has been where no man has gone before.

Who knew that little orifice (or is it orafie? No, orifices) could hold that much water.

Amazing!

But, besides this little titilation, this baby really works. I hang onto my colds like a mama bear hangs onto her cubs. Colds and I are "one" in every sense of the word.

But, after just a few dates days, my cold is almost gone. No post nasal drip, slowly infecting my throat till I cry out for mercy, no coughing up an entire village....well....that really does scare the children.

So, if you ever find yourself thinking - "hmmm....I could use a little more air in my nasal passages.....heck....my lungs, right about now" - try this.

It actually is almost a pleasant experience.

(awh man.....I have to get out more.)

You can probably find this at your pharmacy, but if not - call Toll-free in USA and Canada - 1-877-477-8633

And now something for the wee ones.

This little doll is so soft and cuddly with a medium hard face. I found it at prilly@prillycharmin.com
I bought this one over 3 years ago and waited a long time to give it to Milana.

And just in case anyone was wondering if I could resist posting something about fairies this week - well, no, I couldn't (I guess I'm just weak like that).

This beautiful figurine is part of a collection (somebody stop me) called "Garden Enchantment Series" featuring the art of Lena Liu. They (yes, I have more than, ahem, one) really are quite exquisite. They are from The Bradford Exchange and you can find them at
http://www.collectiblestoday.com/

Adieu, gentle readers, till we meet again.

Black and White Wednesday

Hosted by Lisa from The Long Road to China.

Nothing can touch this mama's heart more than a tender moment between these two.

Is it just me or is Dahlia thinking - ..'k, mom, are you getting this?

My little monkeys.

This was taken on Dahlia's 5th Gotcha Day last November. I thought it would be interesting to see how it converted to black and white.

And as I've done the last few weeks, I chose a few pix from our trip to China last August.

Hangzhou, Zhejiang

Our hotel lobby during one of our many Dahlia and Mommy breaks.

So, I finally uploaded my pictures through Flickr. Yeah!!! And I choose the largest format, aligned center. But I think it loaded on the post all over the place and I'm only publishing this, postdated, for the middle of the night so I'm not sure how this is going to look. So, if it's wonky....you'll know why. I'll fix it eventually. (For some reason I can't even get my script to align center.) Update: I figured it out but will leave it for now. Future posts will be correct. Thank you for your continued patience. :)

Meanwhile, make sure you spend some time at Lisa's here for some wonderful black and white photography. She has inspired so many to join in the fun!

And Happy Wednesday!

Recipe Monday

This isn't a recipe, it's just something I threw together on Saturday night. I always have a package of fresh pasta in the fridge (one day I'd love to make my own but till that day - these are pretty good). Usually I buy the kind with spinach in them but they were out at the store.

So while these babies are boiling up in a pot (for about 5 or 6 minutes) I threw some sesame oil (about 1 tbs.) in a frying pan and fried up sliced almonds, black and white sesame seeds and pine nuts, til brown.

Then I added about a cup and a half of chicken broth and my veggie puree.(That's where I sneak stuff in that the kiddies won't eat. This was pureed, cooked cauliflower and some hummus.)


Then about 1/3 cup pure peanut butter and about the same of coconut milk. (Either half and half of sour cream would work here too - even vanilla yogurt.)



The peanut butter acts as a thickner so I sometimes thin with some water, milk or broth.

Threw in my fav herb - coriander (can't get enough of that) and poured the sauce onto the cooked tortellini. Can't get easier or quicker than that.

This is Milana praying. She's got the hands down, we're working on the eyes closing.

Be sure to visit Colleens place for more recipe sharing and a laugh or two.



Bon Appetite!

Let there be music !!

We had just gotten home from brunch after church (which explains the clothes - honestly, they do wear colors once in awhile) and the girls ran into the livingroom and got their groove on.



I should have grabbed the video camera but at least I got a couple of shots before they took off again.

Happy Sunday!

Friday's finds

Much to my surprise and delight, I discovered that I'm not alone in my love of fairies. So even though I will be posting other "finds" on future Fridays, hosted by Colleen at The Crazy Eight site, I thought they deserved at least one more week in the limelight.

(Ahem, I have enough stuff to do another 12 weeks or more but I won't. Maybe I'll drop a little fairy dust in once in awhile - just to keep the magic alive.)

So today, all you fairy lovers,

I give you

the author and artist of the "Flower Fairy".

Cicely Mary Barker

Here....pull up a wee chair and have a spot of tea. This little flower fairy tea set is no more than an inch high, so, mind you don't spill.

Comfy?....'k, so here are a few of my favorite fairy flower books.

Are you as crazy about little boxed collections of books as I am?

I can get lost in almost every page or painting.

Of course, for the background details of all things "flower fairy" and
the life of Cicely Mary Barker,

below is the ultimate reference book on every fairy and flower she invented discovered.

So, thanks for joining me today.

I always enjoy your sweet comments - they never fail to put a smile on my face.

...and a fairy happy friday to everyone!

Black and White Wednesday

It's Wednesday again and time for Lisa's extravaganza celebrating

Black and White Photography.

This is just one shot of the hundreds many I got of Milana the other day. I posted some in color here but I got quite a kick out of how a few of them turned out in Blk & Wh.
Some roses from my garden last summer. Sigh.......

Then I did 3 more of Milana which I may frame as a triptych (as suggested by my friend Dita for 3 pix I took of Dahlia awhile ago).

I'm going to need more wall space though. (Oh, excuse me, I just heard a groan coming from our bedroom. Huh.......what could be the problem?)

I'm in trouble, you know. No one believes me that that sweet face is anything but sugar.

And below are three pictures from China last summer. Eveyday that we could while Milana was napping, Dahlia and I stole away for some Mommy and daughter time. Sometimes it was a little lunch, an ice-cream cone (ok....more than once for the ice-cream), some shopping or just exploring. It's funny how in one day, Dahlia went from being my baby to my buddy. We really enjoyed each other in our stolen moments together.

Here we were in our hotel in Hangzhou, Zhejiang - where they had a museum
of just magnificent artwork. This was a huge wall carving in wood that really was breath-taking in person.

It was in a golden honey colored wood - gorgeous if you like wood, which I don't ( I can appreciate it though) but converted to black and white - I really like.


And there's my baby buddy Dahlia. No, she'll always be my baby. I just have two babies now.
:)

Make sure you have a visit to The Long Road to China site for some beautiful photography.

Don't be fooled by this innocent face !

Deep within this adorable little cherub........
........beats the heart of a.....

WILD CHILD !!!

I know, I know, it's hard to believe.

How could she be anything else but

sugar and sweetness and everything.....

soft, but it's true.

She's a wild thing......

SEE.......what did I tell you!

And this mama is panting most days

just keeping up with her.

But make no mistake about it.....

catch her I will !!!

Recipes on Monday

How many different ways can you say

lentils?

Last week, when I read M3's Salsa in China blog about the really cool way to keep the kiddos happy for hours on end when housebound (check it out) and she mentioned she doesn't use lentils to cook with, I thought I'd share my thoughts on the famous (or infamous) bean.

To me, lentils are one of those miracle foods. You can do just about anything with them and they are loaded with all the good stuff. True, lentils have suffered from a poor image to many. From the fear of repeat performances (of the intestinal nature) and the misguided image it has that hours of soaking are required, the poor lentil has been misrepresented.

Well, I for one will set the record straight.

Lentils are simply great!

(above - soup #1 - regular)

(above - soup #2 - oriental)

I usually make a simple lentil soup as a base and add whatever I want. And we have some variety of lentils probably every other day. Sometimes no one even knows we're actually eating lentils as I'll ground them up and put them in other dishes or recipes. I probably use more lentils than most because Danny is quasi vegetarian. (He does eat fish, eggs and dairy - just no meat or poultry.....that he knows of..........ahem..........master pureer here. Hey, he needs the protein....'k?)

The basic recipe comes from my buddy Helen who is Greek (aka they really know what to do with a bean, herb,oil and just about anything else). And I just add a whole bunch of stuff to it. Here is the simple base.

(Note - I don't have the exact measurements so I'm just winging it here.)

Lentil Soup Base

- Brown Lentils (no soaking required) about 1/2 bag

(I sometimes add green or mung beans but the browns break down much faster)

- about 3 cups tomato juice (the acid breaks down the lentil - thus no soaking)

- 2 or 3 cups chicken stock

- chopped leeks, chalots or onions

(you can fry these up or not - it doesn't really matter)

- a few cloves of garlic

- 3 or more bay leaves

3 or more tbsp olive oil

- about a tsp oregano and basil

fresh basil, if you have

Bring everything to a boil and leave it simmer for an hour or two or more. The broth will thicken naturally and you can add more liquid if needed. I refrigerate containers of this and freeze them too and can add anything to it when I need it.

Like

- mixed chopped veggies (all kinds)

- ground beef, pork, soy or chicken

- chopped spinach

So last night I made two pots. One regular and one oriental. We went to the Chinese market yesterday so I had the right stuff.

The coriander and ginger (along with the shallots and garlic) went into pot #2.

The garlic, shallots, basil and spinache into pot #1.

(soup #1)
And here's what I added to pot #2. The oriental soup.

- 2 cups brown lentils
- 1 cup green mung beans
-2 cups tomatoes juice
-2 cups chicken broth
- small can coconut milk (add near the end)
- shallots/ garlic
- about 4 tbsp chopped coriander
- about 1 or 2 or 3 tbsp chopped ginger (to taste - I can eat it raw...mmm love it)
- citronelle (that's that long skinny thing in the second picture,
it's lemony and essential for the taste)
- Kaffir leaves (also essential_ that's lime)
-bamboo shoots (spears)
-straw mushrooms
- baby bok choy
- a bit of red chili pste (if you like a kick)
- a good dollop of sesame oil
- sesame seeds and coriander for garnish

Again, bring it all to a boil and simmer for an hour or two. Add more broth if needed.

(baby bok choy)


(soup #2 - getting yummy looking)

(soup #1 - almost done)

A peek at my spice cupboard.

(there's the spinach)

(added the coconut milk to #2)

These babies look just about ready.



Bon appetite !

Oriental soup


Basic lentil soup

And the ultimate soup testing bowl.

They just lap it up!


Be sure to pop by Colleen's site for more recipe ideas.

And have a great week!

Friday's finds

Do you believe in fairies?

Psst.......come a little closer....

...I do!

I think I've always believed in them. But it wasn't until we had children that I gave it more serious thought. Of course with Dahlia - it was all princesses. My fault there. I fell in love with Cinderella again and bought the DVD and played it for her when she was two. I know....my bad. And she.....we were hooked! (Really, in hindsight I should have waited. It opened up a whole Pandora's box that I'll never be able to close but, oh well....there are worse things, right? Really though, I have some mixed feelings about the whole 'knight in shining armour saving the damsel in distress' thing but....that's another post.)

So, when we were preparing for Milana I wanted to change it up for her and went with my next fantasy..... fairies. (Or as all true fairy lovers know - the word is faery. Yup, really. Look it up.)

And since the wait for Milana went on for years (!!*@+??) I now have quite a collection of fairy things. (Sure hopes she likes fairies.) From books to figurines, boxes and collectibles, art-work and future art-work to inspire me to paint - I could now live quite comfortably in an

all fairy world.

Not really, but sometimes I go there in my mind and have lots of company too. Ahem....I am quite sane, I just have a vivid imagination.

:)

All that to say - here is one of my many fairy books.

Really, from the moment I cracked the cover, I was lost in it. This book is actually a fashion design collection book for fairy clothing. But it's so much more. Beside the fashions being made from dried flower petals and leaves, branches, feathers and other nature objects, it takes you for a lovely walk through the yearly agenda of a fairy. Mind you....a cultured fairy.

(click on any image to enlarge)

The art work is beautiful, the text soothing and inspiring.

.....and the fashions......A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E!

Oh gee......what have I done? Do I hear the sound of horses hooves again?

Awhhh.....I'm hopeless.

Now you may be thinking - what is this post all about anyway? Well, I'll tell you. Colleen over at The Crazy Eight site had this idea for Fridays. To show things that we love, things we have found, great bargain and such. So I thought I'd start with this. And who knows where this may go.

And while you might be gliding through a fairy book or the like, I can't think of anything prettier to listen to than the sweet sounds of this lady's voice. I'm crazy about her.
Happy Friday everyone!

Ohh...and if you happen to see some fairies......

.....tell them I said

'hi'.

Black and White Wednesday

Gee, I'm enjoying this! When I get my head stuck on something,

I'm like a dog with a bone.

Lisa's idea to wile away the winter blues and start experimenting

with black and white is a hit!

I took these pictures of Dahlia just after Christmas when she had a miserable cold so there were all sorts of 'not so pretty' things crusted to her face that I didn't notice till I downloaded them. So I fixed them up a bit but I like them in black and white better.

So then I let loose with a few other pictures. This was from the week-end - I shot a bunch of family pictures for the iheartfaces entry and here are a few more in blk and wh.

The one of us below didn't make the cut for the entry as I chopped off the frames on the bottom but it was fun to convert to black and white nonetheless.

And more of my muse.

If your thinking - hey, isn't it time you took some pictures of Milana? you're not the only one. I was thinking the same thing so we had a little session yesterday. Oh my, I just may have two models in this house. I'll post some later in the week.

So then I went into some files from our trip to China in August (which I still have to post) and pulled out two to convert. This is a beautiful lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang.

And below is one of my favorite pictures and memories of our trip. Here is Daddy, pushing the double stroller through the park by the same lake.

What is it about shots of people's backs? I'm always drawn to them. (Hmm....do I like people leaving me? Not really, so what's with that?)

Do pop over to The Long Road to China site here

for some fabulous black and white photographs.

And have a happy Wednesday!

I ♥ Faces

We are Family!

The theme this week at iheartfaces is FAMILY. So even though the couple (that's us 10 years ago) in the middle frame on the table was a family, the light didn't come into our world till we found these two darlings.

Now the circle is complete.

Recipes on Monday

It's Recipe Monday at The Crazy Eight blog. Click on the icon above to link.

Same picture......different goodie.

Here's another little thing to add to your sweet tray at Christmas or whenever.

These are Walnut tartlettes.

And here is my ancient recipe (check the date....this baby is old but I've made them every Christmas since....well.....I was 10 or something. Huh....what's that? Was that a laugh or a snort?)

;)



click to enlarge

I always make extra filling and add some heavy cream to it and heat for a couple of minutes
which is basically liquid fudge (oh....I'm beginning to quiver here) and then I use it on anything. A white cake, ice cream, in a spoon.



It just makes me happy!

Baby....it's cold outside......

......but who cares? Not us!

We laugh at the cold. Ha ha ha...........
......we look 'ole man winter' in the face and say - "you can't get us down.....'cause in the end, you'll just be a puddle of water and we....we'll be basking in the sun"

......yup....any month now!

In our attempt to embrace the inevitable, we ventured up north last week-end to the mountains where most folks go to ski - we go to eat. Yummy crepes smothered in good old pure maple syrup. The really dark kind. After our gorge-out we took a wee walk (it was bloody cold) in the little town. (St.Sauveur)

Danny spent a lot of his youth near here. He use to attend this church.

We had three goals for our day. One was the crepes - done! The other was visiting the little Christmas shop that is deliriously filled with every imaginable Christmas decor. Dahlia loves this shop and we have spent hours browsing (and sometimes splurging after we sent Daddy out to get the car...."quick, let's get this....we've got one minute, is your bag big enough to stuff it in?") but, alas, it was closed. 'Be back - Jan 30th' the sign said.

So we wandered down the street to our next destination - the ice-cream shop. Dahlia must have her ice-cream, Mommy needs no encouragement and I was imagining a tiny little cone for Milana - her first. Uh-ugh..........closed for the winter. "What.....pugh....wimps!"

So we drove around and went home.

And ate ice-cream!

mwa ha ha ha


And so, before I go, I thought I would remind myself of something that is buried deep in the frozen, snow-covered ground in my garden....waiting

just waiting

for it's time to come!

It's just my way of laughing at the cold.

Black and White Wednesday

A new challenge - I love it!

My new friend and mentor, Lisa at The Long Road to China, has invited all who are so inclined to participate in Black and White photography. I've never really worked with black and white, probably because so much of my decor and closet is black and white so I need a little color.

But I love a challenge and am so enthused to learn all I can about this new world of photography - so here I go.

This photo of Dahlia may not be technically correct but I can't get enough of that face, so what better place to start. (When I can get Milana to sit still for a second, I may try and grab one of her....hmmmm....maybe in ten years - lol.)

We went up north on the week-end and it was such a grey day, most of my pictures were almost in black and white naturally. I just increased the blacks. This is St. Sauveur mountain. (Tiny by comparison but very pretty.)
This is kinda how our world feels lately. Can you say......cccooooolllllddddddd !!!

Pop over to Lisa's site and see some of the other entries. This is going to be fun!

Happy Wednesday!

I ♥ Faces

This is the face that I love!

My Dahlia - the little girl who made me a mommy, more than five years ago.

And makes me so happy!

This picture was taken 2 days ago, just before we started putting away our Christmas decor.

It's the one year anniversary over at the iheartfaces site. And this week's photo challenge is - pick your favorite face. Well, that was easy. Hop over and check out all the other entries. They have an amazing group of judges for their birthday celebration.

Recipes on Monday

See that solo chocolate ball on the little white dish?

That......is a truffle!

Or as close to heaven as I can imagine.

I've had a few people asking for the recipe and I thought I would post it as the first submission in Colleen's Monday recipe challenge, over at her Crazy Eight blog.

This chocolate truffle is part of my Christmas desserts that I have prepared every year since we began our home. It's the easiest recipe imaginable....but so delish!

Chocolate Truffles

• 
  
  8 squares (1 oz. each) semisweet chocolate
• 
  
  1/4 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
• 
  
  3 Tbs. butter


• 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten (yes, raw....see how old this recipe is?)


• 1 Tbs. brandy (ok....a lot more than that....'k?)


• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

In top of a double broiler over hot, not boiling water, melt 6 squares chocolate with sugar and butter. Remove from heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into slightly beaten egg yolks; add yolds to chocolate mixture, stirring well. Blend in brandy. ( I sometimes mix it up and add Ameretto and then toss with crushed almond powder or Mint Liquer and toss with icing sugar.)

Chill without stirring for 1 or 2 hours until firm.

Finely grate remaining 2 squares of chocolate; stir in cinnamon. Shape chocolate into 1-inch balls; roll in grated mix until well coated. store in refridgerator. Makes about 20. (And just in case you wanted to know, they're about 85 calories each - but I try not to think about that.....and succeed very well, thank you very much.)

Tip: don't waste your time making only 20. (Twenty?!?.....that's a snack....there'd be none left for company.) Triple this baby.....at least. They freeze well. (Translation: edible any old time.)

Enjoy!

Ode to feet.....

....not really...it just sounded good!

Take a guess what this is.

A mouse? (No, I wouldn't advertise that....:o )

Try again.
Still not sure?

It's Zizi's paw (or foot - thus the title).

Bedtime rituals in the bathroom with Dahlia were always something shared with the company of her beloved cat -Zizi. But since Milana's arrival, we've had to close the door so the light won't wake her up and most nights we forget to invite Zizi in before we close the door.

So......what's a cat to do?


Well.....at least now she feels somewhat included.



Then the other day I heard clomping on the hardwood floor in the loft. But my brain did not compute. Dahlia was in school, Danny doesn't clomp and Zizi is a quiet little thing, she is.



I turn the corner to investigate and look what I see. The kid is still wobbly on her feet but oh......it's started already. Get the girl some high heels.

She's raring to go!

Yes, they're backwards but.......

they ARE high heels.

Outta my way!
I've got things to do, places to go and people to see.
Hmmm....let's see what else I can get into while sissy's in school.
Happy Friday everyone!

Wordless Wednesday

2009.....quite a year!

Mommy.....did Santa come?

Zizi's job on Christmas Eve? = Watch for Santa!

Looks like someone was sleeping on the job!

Dahlia slept in our bed on Christmas eve, as our guests arrived a day early (yah!)

So her bedroom became the guest room.

This is Christmas morning.
Dahlia showing Milana how to slide on her bum. (So much faster, girl!)


Excited? Who....me?

Santa wrote Dahlia a letter, like every year.

Now, here is where I should have a million pictures of the kiddies ripping into their prezzies. No, I cannot join in that fun and hold a camera still too. So....I opted for the fun (and mayhem). With the addition of a 22 month old boy (my neices son) the joy and craziness factor augmented
big-time so I just tagged along for the ride.

Dahlia's two kitties. Zizi, of course and her newest - Miette - from the Three Muskateers. Interestingly, it was the only thing Dahlia kept asking for. Other than the 2009 Barbie doll which she said looked like me (yeah...I wish), that's all she wanted. She got a bit more but we did not go crazy this year.


No, really!

Time to get a bit of fresh air. Mom is waiting but maybe I'll tinkle the ivories first........

Are you coming?

Hmmm....Mom say's - good thing I'm cute!

And just to keep it real.......I present our very messy (but funfilled) family room.

....with their little cousin

...and cutie-petutie on her zebra.

...and my model....performing beautifully except for....

.....wardrobe?.......

....anybody?

See this sweet dress? It was Dahlia's back in 2004 for her first Christmas with us. I don't know how many times I looked at this dress, hanging in her closet, wondering if her little sister would ever get to wear it.

Dahlia - Christmas 2004
(same dress but with a little matching bolero.)

Dahlia - Christmas 2004

Dahlia - Christmas 2004

(ummm.....change of wardrobe.....we had a little accident....)

....but we're havin' fun!

A few favorite sweets I make every year. Wouldn't be Christmas without them.

....but nothing could be sweeter!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL !

From yesteryear's......

till today........

...from our family to yours.......
2009
a Very Merry Christmas to All !