Exciting Vacation News!!!

The hubby and I booked a trip on Friday night!! On Good Friday (April 2nd) we will be boarding a plane and heading to:



NEW YORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This will be our first time in the Big Apple, and I cannot wait!!

Last night we went out to celebrate our friend Brian's B-Day. We had dinner at an authentic Thai restaurant called Siam. The hubby and I shared the shrimp parcels (I had 2):



Then we shared some Jungle Curry soup with another couple:





It was SPICY!!

My main course was a yellow chicken curry served with rice:



Throughout the entire evening I enjoyed 3 glasses of wine:



We had a wonderful night with a bunch of great friends!

This morning we went for brunch with my family. I had a southwestern skillet, and java of course:





We were tired this afternoon because we got home super late last night ... we spent the afternoon lounging on the couch and watching "I Love You Man." So funny!!

Dinner was at the in-law's house. We were having the hubby's favourite meal - sausages and perogies. The spread included perogies, sausage, potatoes, and cabbage rolls:









This was my serving:



Dessert was a small bowl of warm apple crisp with 1/2 cup of vanilla ice-cream on top:



Have you ever been to New York?

A Friday Night Sleepover

Last night our cute little nephew slept over :-) But before I get to that, here are my eats from yesterday:

Breakfast was 2 slices of toast with 2 sunny eggs and orange juice.





We had a potluck lunch at work, and I ate a variety of yummy dishes - a few bites of everything including curried chicken, an egg roll, sausage, hash brown casserole, salad and a cookie. I also had a couple bites of 2 other desserts. It was all very good.

For dinner last night we had a pot roast and some veggies that had been cooking in the slow-cooker all day:



After dinner we picked up our nephew Giovanni for a sleepover. We watched Monsters Inc. and ate some plain popcorn. Here is Gio helping to get the popcorn maker out:





I also juiced all of this:



And ended up with a lovely green concoction. I have really enjoyed each of the juices I have made so far - I love how they taste, especially because I always add a grapefruit, and I LOVE grapefruit juice.


(It looks like a Green Monster, but it's not!!!)

For breakfast this morning I made banana oat cakes (1/2 cup oats, 1/2 almond breeze, 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 mashed banana):



I had one topped with syrup:



And a pear:



Giovanni was being silly this morning :-)



For lunch we went to The Italian Star - a little Italian Deli. We had panini sandwiches:



I am really looking forward to this evening ... we are going out to celebrate our friend Brian's 29th B-Day! Stay tuned for the recap tomorrow!!

Have a great Saturday night!!
What are you doing tonight?

All About the Toppings

hen it comes to toppings, I like to load 'em on.

Take for instance my oatmeal this morning:



Banana oats (made with 1 cup almond breeze, 1/2 mashed banana, 1/2 cup quick oats):
- 1 T chia sees
- 1 T coconut
- 1 T maple flakes
- 1 T apple butter
- 1 t walnuts

For lunch I topped the leftover tortellini (what I didn't use in the soup yesterday) with some tomato sauce:



I also had an orange and some cheese:





After work I went for a pint, and also shared some calamari with friends.

Dinner tonight was a pita pizza - loaded up of course!! I topped 1 whole wheat pita with:

- Green Pepper
- Onion
- Tomato
- Pineapple
- Green Olives
- Cheese



I then baked it for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.







Perfect pita pizza every time.

And it is official - I am addicted to juicing. I can't stop.

This evening I juiced:
- 2 cups honeydew
- 1 large pear
- 1 1/2 green peppers
- 1 grapefruit



Refreshing!



There is something about drinking all those nutrients down - I swear I can feel them seeping into my blood. I like to think about it while I drink it.

Hehe.

TGTIF (Thank Goodness Tomorrow is Friday)

Any big plans for the weekend?

A Quick and Easy Soup, and "Seeing Red" Juice

leep is my best friend.

Hence, Breakfast on the run this morning:

It was so cold today. On days like today I just want to hibernate.

Another day with very few kids at school. The bus and taxi services were canceled again today, and they will be tomorrow too!

You should see the snow on the residential streets - it is ridiculous! When I walk through the path in my backyard the snow is piled up on either side of me to almost my height.

I honestly have never seen anything like it in my life. These are some pics from around the city (source: Leader Post Website):









Crazy hey!!!!

Those photos should explain why 1/2 my class was not at school this week!!

Okay, back to the food Jolene.

Lunch:







I wanted something warm and comforting for dinner, so I made an easy soup.

Garlicky Tortellini, Spinach and Tomato Soup
(Source: Flavours Magazine)

1) Saute 6-8 chopped cloves of garlic in 2 T butter for 2 minutes (trust me, use all the garlic)



2) Add 4 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil (or veggie)



3) Add 170 g of fresh cheese tortellini and cook about 4 minutes (I used half this pack)





4) Add a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes (including the liquid)



5) Simmer about 2 minutes, then add an entire 10 oz (300g) bag of baby spinach (no need to chop - just toss it all in). Stir until wilted.



6) Serve it up with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (I used Romano b/c that's what I had) and toss some basil in too.

Bon Appetit!









I enjoyed a few little pieces of baguette with mine.



You really must try this soup - it is SO EASY, yet healthy and delicious.

For a snack this evening I made a juice! I am really loving my juicer - I am SO glad I bought it.

I call this juice "Seeing Red."

It included:

- 1 Apple
- 1 Ruby Red Grapefruit
- 1 Red Pepper
- 1 Roma Tomato



Yummmmmmmm!

Imagine your perfect juice ... what would you put in it?

I am still experimenting to find my favourite combo!