A Simple Smile

bloggled

2012-02-06T20:40:00.003-07:00

my mind is too-busy-being-boggled-to-be-blogging.

school is doing a number on my mind.

but in a good way ♥

Summer Reads

2011-08-22T09:56:00.001-06:00

As a brand-new couple, one of the first excursions Dean and I took together was a trip to a bookstore near the University we were both attending at the time (and will be attending again in just two weeks!). We made our way to the children's section, and sat together in an over-sized canoe while flipping through various selections of interest.

We continue to make regular trips to the bookstore, browsing around together and perching in over-sized canoes, giant tea cups, or cozy grown-up chairs with books and caffeinated beverages in hand.

Dean has been reading The Lord of The Rings series this summer, in preps for an English class on J.R.R. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis he will be taking this fall. Here are some of my favourite books that I have read in the past little while:

Bossypants, Tina Fey
Just like this reviewer, my love for Tina Fey sparked when she penned Mean Girls, "the best movie to declare a classic when you’re looking to deeply offend film snobs".
Admittedly, I bought the book not only because I love Tina Fey (I do!), but because when I hashtag'd #Bossypants on Twitter, all of the quotes from the book made me laugh out loud. I brought it with me on vacation, and giggled to myself constantly as Dean asked me what was so funny.
FYI: Its not funny when you try to repeat "the best parts" out loud to someone and you aren't Tina Fey. But it is hilarious when you read it in your head. Bossypants was the perfect light summer read to bask in the sun with.

The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen
After listening to me gush about this novel Freedom to friends and family, and writing about it here, my sweet husband bought me Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections for my birthday in February. Franzen's fictional works are alarmingly spot-on commentaries of our culture's influence on family dynamics and how one's upbringing (positively and negatively) affects every facet of their life, including their relationships. I became so emotionally engrossed in Freedom that, upon completion, I decided to give myself some time before diving into another Franzen novel.
I'm only 257/609 pages in. And I'm not sure if I can legitimately recommend a book that I have yet to complete. But this is my blog, so I'm going to. If you're looking for a good read, and you're willing to commit to a large(er) novel, I highly suggest reading both Freedom and The Corrections. (But maybe take some time between the two of them. Like me.)

Little Princes, Conor Grennan
This book came highly recommended to me, and I am passing on the praise. Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal is one of the best non-fiction books I have read. After traveling to work in a Nepalese orphanage, Conor Grennan discovers that the children are not orphans: they are trafficked. In 2006, Nepal was a country torn apart by a civil war and corruption. The parents of each child were deceived into paying large sums for these captors to "rescue" their children, promising that they would be taken to a safe haven and returned once peace was restored. Instead, the children were brought to the nation's capital city, sold into slavery, and abandoned. Eventually, some of these "street children" made their way to orphanages like Little Princes.
Conor vowed to do everything he could to bring these lost children back to their families. Despite the danger, Conor trekked up mountainous trails and dirt paths with photographs of the children, miraculously reuniting dozens of families. The process proved to be dangerous and difficult, but worthwhile. Princes is full of life and hope as the reader experiences, through Conor's words, the joy of each child's reunion with their parents after years of separation. Conor's organization, Next Generation Nepal, continues to save Nepal's Lost Children every day.

The Dog Days

2011-08-17T12:38:00.006-06:00

Our summer began with a blood-splattered Nissan Rogue and both intestines of a young doe dangling out from the engine of my mother's vehicle.

We were stranded 50 kilometers outside of Edson, AB, and 40 kilometers away from Hinton, AB. On my mom's birthday. After finally finding a tow truck and a rental vehicle, we decided to stay the night in Jasper, and arrived in Wells, B.C. the next day for a visit with my brother. We spent a number of lovely days admiring the brightly painted houses, art galleries, vibrant local theatre, as well as unique shops and restaurants. Quality time together as a family was had, and numerous bears were sighted whilst experiencing life in B.C.'s Interior Region.

Barkerville, B.C., where my brother is living/working/acting for the summer.
That's him in the middle of me & Dean in the far left picture.

Though the drive was long and single-laned, we made it back to Sherwood Park safely, where we stayed for a few days before traveling to Sylvan Lake for a visit with Dean's Grandma and Grandpa Haugan.

Half-way through July, we arrived back in Calgary. Dean and I spent our mornings directing a Panda-themed VBS day camp, and our afternoons packing up the condo and transporting our belongings. The following week, we helped out at another morning Panda-themed VBS day camp that Dean's sister was directing, and my afternoons were spent cleaning our empty condo while Dean worked on an (awesome) sermon that he preached at the end of July.

Settling in, a Panda ~~themed life~~ Cupcake decorated by Rachael,
and our Back-To-School Bags

After Dean preached his sermon, we headed out to Gull Lake to stay in Dean's parent's RV. We spent a week lounging in the sun, reading, grilling delicious meals, and visiting with family and friends around the fire. We were having a great time until a wayward fire-log came crashing down on Dean's head. He's been concussed for a week-and-a-half now; this is his tenth concussion.

We returned to Calgary after that.

Since then we've completely moved out of the condo, our tenants have moved in, and the kitchen reno's at the new place started this week when my concussed husband and a family friend installed the beautiful flooring. We've been unpacking and settling in, and I am still having ~~anxiety dreams~~ night-mares that I left all my things behind (ten minutes away).

Before & After floor pics, Dean icing his head with frozen hashbrowns after "the incident"

We've both enrolled-in and registered-for our classes. School starts the second week of September, and I'm really looking forward to going back and getting started. Dean will continue working at the church, while going to school full-time, four days a week, and I will be going to school full-time, five days a week, and also working. In one week, I've had two job interviews and was offered both positions. I've decided to take the job as a Showhome Hostess in a community close by, where I will be working (most) weekday evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays. I'm very excited about it and so thankful for the opportunity!

Come September, life is going to be busy. Once again, just like last August, I find the "Jenna-ness" in me aching for everything that is to come to fall into place- so that we can establish a routine that, of course, will most likely be not-so-routine. I welcome these changes, and wonder when the time will come when September will become a time of simply returning back to the norm, the swing of things, the grind, reality. Because for so long, September has meant uncharted territory. And I love it; the month of new beginnings.

Onto Our Next Adventure

2011-07-14T12:44:00.019-06:00

On June 29th, I resigned from my position as an Educational Assistant in a Junior Kindergarten classroom for children with disabilities.

I assure you that the act of resigning wasn't as dramatic as I just made it sound, seeing as it was the last day of school anyways, and my employers were very aware and encouraging of my decision to go back to school in September.

I'm enrolled in the Bachelor of Education After-Degree program at Ambrose University College here in Calgary, and Dean's going to be in school full-time, too!

We both have two years of school left. And being in school is expensive. Too expensive to afford life AND our beautiful condo on two part-time salaries. Since we own the condo with my mom (as in, my mom owns it as an investment property and we live here), we decided to put the condo up for rent, and my awesome in-laws offered to suite out their basement for us.

Some pictures of our lovely condo.
Sad to leave, but excited for what's to come.

So at the end of July, we are moving out of our condo and into the basement suite, Full House style (kind of?), and we've found some pretty great tenants to move into our home.

We're leaving our condo semi-furnished ~~with all the heavy stuff~~ as the basement we are moving into is already furnished, which makes the task of moving some-what less daunting.

Not that I'd be doing the heavy lifting anyway.

I digress.

When I graduated from my B.A. in April 2010, I knew that I wanted to go back to school eventually, but I didn't forsee the "right time" to go back coming so soon. My time as an Educational Assistant was awesome, but towards the end of April, Dean and I started to feel that maybe there was a way for both of us to go back to school in the Fall.

But there were so many details that had to come together first.

And so far, everything has fallen into place.

Of course, I've spent way too much time worrying about each and every detail.

Now all that we are waiting on is for me to be approved for a student loan, Dean to register for his courses, and, after next week's VBS day camp that Dean and I have volunteered to direct, I will start looking for gainful evenings and weekends part-time employment.

For now, I've got my part-time pastor, full-time student husband to count on as my sugah dadday...

$$$

The details that we continue to wait on are important ones.

God is so faithful, and our trust is in Him.

It's all coming together, and we couldn't be happier.

Velveteen Love

2011-06-10T23:39:00.000-06:00

Skin Horse to the Rabbit,

from Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces.

He was wise, for he had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive to boast and swagger, and by-and-by break their mainsprings and pass away, and he knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else. For nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.

What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It is a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

I'd take The Velveteen Rabbit over a RomCom any day.
That Skin Horse sure knows his stuff. ♥

butterflies & exercise

2011-06-09T21:12:00.003-06:00

Today was a beautifully sunny day in which the afternoon class showed up in ROY G BIV hues and (some of) our Monarch butterflies successfully emerged from their coccoons.

Photo by: Kyla Conway

We didn't let the non-ROY G BIV'd kids in the picture... Srsly.

Dean made delicious Spaghetti for dinner, which he talks about here, and I made this Caesar Salad Dressing. I didn't know that Caesar Salad originated in Mexico?! (Thank you, Reluctant Gourmet...)

Dean and I have been doing P90X for 10 days now. It has been incredibly challenging, yet rewarding. The results are beginning to show and be felt, and I'm really enjoying the wide variety of exercise that the program has to offer:

Chest & Back, Plyometrics, Shoulders & Arms, Yoga X, Legs & Back, Kenpo X, X Stretch, Ab Ripper X, Core Synergistics, Chest & Shoulders & Triceps, Back & Biceps, Cardio X

I've talked about calorie and fitness tracking before, but now that I have iFlo, I find the most mobile-friendly tracker is My Fitness Pal. Its easy to access and quite accurate. Give it a try and maybe we can be My Fitness Pal-Pals... you can add friends to your profile, but I don't know anyone on there yet... so, join me!

Ooples & Banoonoos

2011-06-05T00:46:00.004-06:00

Here's another confession: I am a compulsive buyer of produce.
There may be worse problems to have; yet when it comes to selecting produce, I tend to buy a lot more than two people can keep up with. Especially apples and bananas.

I enjoy adding bananas to my Kashi cereal for breakfast, but Dean doesn't particularly enjoy them and I can't seem to keep up with their ripening process. As for apples, I like to buy Granny Smiths to bake with, and Spartans to munch on.

The Spartans usually disappear quickly. But the Grannies end up buried at the bottom of our heaping fruit bowl, waiting along with the bananas to be made into deliciously hearty loaves or muffins.

I love loaves and muffins. So delicious and simple and easy to store.

But most of the time, they are also laden with butterfat and nutritionally void calories. I try to bake at least somewhat nutritiously by using whole grains, like whole wheat flour, rolled oats, bran, and self-ground flaxseed. Tossing in a little fresh fruit never hurts, either.

So today I finally used my apples. Although there were a few kitchen fiascos (don't try to grind flax seeds in an uncovered bowl), this recipe that I discovered, tweaked, and added to turned into a relatively nutritious muffin experiment.

Also, they smell so delicious as they bake that I wish I could bottle the aroma and turn it into a foamy hand soap to share with you.
Or maybe to share the recipe itself is enough (?).

Whole Grain Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour

2/3 cups rolled oats

1/3 cup self-ground flaxseed

(I used my coffee grinder. You could also use pre-ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal)

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup skim milk (I used Lactaid skim)

8 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

2 large eggs

1/3 cup honey

4 medium apples, diced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin however you wish (butter, margarine, oil, spray, or line with paper/silicone liners). Be sure to grease tin and/ or liners somehow, as there is no butter-fat in this recipe to keep them from sticking to liners.*

Combine the dry ingredients- flour, oats, flax seed, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon- in a large bowl and whisk together (I used my KitchenAid Artisan Mixer)

In a smaller bowl, combine the milk, applesauce, eggs, and honey; stir to combine.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix well.

Stir in the diced apple pieces. Portion batter equally into muffin pan.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffins comes out clean

Yield: 12 muffins

I didn't think about the effects that a lack-of-fat would have on stickage, and now all of my muffins are attached to their paper liners. So unfortunate! The muffins are so beautiful, but the stickage is not. Use some sort of spray/ grease when attempting this recipe!

To sweeten these muffins, I used brown sugar, applesauce, and honey rather than artificial sweeteners. I wanted to use more natural ingredients, but I'm sure that artificial sweeteners could be substituted successfully.

As for the bananas, I plan on using this recipe of Martha's; my favourite Banana Bread, with Walnuts and Flaxseed tomorrow afternoon.

I'm looking forward to having muffins and loaves on hand in the week to come for on-the-go breakfasts.

Planning ahead rules...

on one year

2011-05-26T21:29:00.003-06:00

On May 22nd, Dean and I celebrated our one-year anniversary.
Our first ever year full of marriage and marriagetypestuffs.
It's wonderful, but it's also effort; concerted, mindful effort. And failure.
Marriage can't be done on auto-pilot.
It's about waking up each morning and consciously choosing to love wholly and selflessly; to compromise.

Learning. Accepting. Deciding that it's not all about me.

~~Says the one who chronicles her life in blog form, while swallowing proverbial "hard pill".~~

I has gots to do what I has gots to do for me doesn't cut it.
Not in marriage.
Not in any relationship, for that matter.
There is no fulfillment in doing what we has gots to do for ourselves alone.
Those who live for themselves end up by themselves.

Love is doing/being what you has gots to do/be for someone else, simply because.

This year, Dean and I have both had to sacrifice. To compromise for the sake of the other. For the sake of the big picture. Our big picture.

And it's exciting.

I am blessed. The man I chose to marry is not a man who lives for himself.
He's got "we" down.
And for that, I am very thankful.

Thank you for this first year. We made it. Even without a functional dresser/drawer (our poor closet).

Our delicious wedding cake:
two pieces to be frozen and enjoyed on our first anniversary ♥

a lil' bit of heartache

2011-05-24T22:09:00.001-06:00

I do believe that it has been a while. My apologies for purposefully prolonging this:
About a month ago, Dean and I came to a difficult decision.
After waking up one morning just after four o'clock to the dreaded sound of gnawing, I crawled out of bed to discover our almost-nine-month-old-and-all-done-teething puppy, Max, chewing on the corner of our couch.
Once I disciplined him for what he had done, I flopped down beside him, exhausted, and gave him a belly rub as he licked my nose and wrapped his paw around my shoulder, in the same way he always did.

I realized then that for the past month-or-so, Max had been telling us something.

Through the chewing of our couches, table legs, chairs, numerous pairs of shoes and socks, cords, my gold earrings, Dean's wallet, two base-boards, and even our carpet, Max wasn't showing us that he was a bad dog. He was showing us that he needed more.

Two and a half hours of daily exercise was no longer enough.

Max needed space. A yard to run and play in.

He needed to go to a loving family with an abundance of room.

So he did.

And, Dean and I learned that sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same thing. We know that bringing Maxwell into our life wasn't a mistake; that we gave him our very best. When our best was no longer enough for him, we knew we had to find him something even better.

During the time that he lived in our home, Maxwell Silverhammer transformed from a timid puppy that cowered in the corner into a bounding being full of love and excitement.

And, as silly as it may sound to anyone who isn't a "pet person", Maxwell changed us, too.

We're more than just Dean and Jenna now.

We learned how to be responsible for something other than ourselves: a living thing that depended on us to survive, actually.

He taught us how to be a family.

Our way of thanking him for that was to give him what he needed, no matter how sad it was for us.

Sometimes I am saddened when I walk in the door and he isn't there waiting for me.

But I know that while I am missing him, he is running around in a big, green field, with a huge puppy-smile across his face.

Thank you for baring with me during this short lull in the chronicles of me.

I've taken some time to recharge after an exhausting (yet wonderful yet trying) puppy owning period, and now I gots lots more chrons coming your way!

Walk On

2011-04-19T21:20:00.004-06:00

Last week, my husband baked a chocolate cake.
He spent the next two evenings out and about, while I stayed at home. Alone. With the cake.
Now, I'm a fairly self-controlled individual, but I just could not leave that cake alone.
Eventually, after Dean had his fill, it had to be tossed.

And I resolved to take Max on extra-long walks.

Before we got our puppy at the end of November, I regularly attended the gym I am a member at. I enjoy individual work-outs, but definitely prefer group fitness classes.
Yoga, Pilates, Zumba, Step, Spin, Dance, Cardio Conditioning; I love it all.

Since Maxwell came home with us, my gym attendance has dropped significantly. I love the gym, and I miss it dearly. But with a dog, the time that was normally spent in the gym is now spent on lengthy walks. I've mentioned before that I usually walk our dog three times a day.

Ideally, Max gets one 20 minute walk in the morning, another 45-60 minute walk after work, and another 20 minute walk either before bed or during my lunch break, depending on the day.

These past five months, walks with the dog have become my time. To process and pray and fill my lungs with fresh air. Days that begin with a walk are just better. And, while I've been somewhat hard on myself for the steady decline in gym attendance since November, I feel less guilty after reading this article, in which physiologists and other experts debate the best forms of exercise. The article explains that walking increases one's maximal aerobic power and thigh muscle strength, while decreasing anxiety and depression, and aiding in weight control.

*Flashes toothy grin while flexing semi-toned muscles*

I may not have shed pounds instantly. And I fully intend on incorporating my other favourite forms of exercise back into my routine on a regular basis. But the effects that I have felt from walking for one-hour-and-a-half-ish a day, combined with a healthy diet, has left me feeling pretty great.

'Specially when the sun is shining and the sidewalks snow and ice free.

What is your favourite exercise, and how do you incorporate it into your daily routine?

A Simple Smile

2011-04-11T23:41:00.000-06:00

I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.- Oscar Wilde

I have always been a journal(~~ist?~~)ler.
When I first began to write, my diaries consisted of simple sentences and crayola illustrations. But still, they told a story.

I communicate best on paper.
With paint, pastels, charcoal, pencils, and words.
Its my way.
Of thinking, coping, and communicating.

This blog is my way.
And although it may not be real paper... or the most personally revealing piece of reading material,
Its.just.here.
Pieces of my life, broadcasted into the blogospere for anyone to read (and hopefully, enjoy).

Anyone

The other day, I googled my blog.
I was not on my computer and the links weren't there
and don'ttellmeyou'venevergoogledyo-selves.

I stumbled upon a website in which I am currently ranked sixteenth on their "Top 44 Newly-Wed Blogs" list. It may not be number one, but I'm still just a baby blogger, and its closer to one than it is to forty-four, right?
I was also recently invited by a friendly blogging stranger to join/ accepted by many friendly blogging strangers into the community over at 20 Something Bloggers. I'm still figuring out how to be an active/contributing member to both of these blogging websites.

After I get over this illness-induced lag in writing, I'm sure it will come to me.

Also,
Blogspot.com provides their bloggers with stats.
By simply putting my mind, my thoughts, my voice, out there, my blog is regularly viewed in over fifteen countries.

Canada, United States, Philippines, India, Malaysia, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Pakistan, Germany, Australia, Austria, France, Italy, Kenya, Denmark, and more.

(the world-wide-web)

We all just want to feel connected.
And as we experience unrest and uncertainty in so many pockets of our lives, I abide by the philosophy that we should search for joy in the small things, as well as the beauty and purpose in the not-so-good things.

To smile at and laugh with and enjoy one another, in the midst of it all.

That's how I choose to use my voice.
And so, I share my stories with a simple smile.

If you wish, you can click the follow button to follow along,

or write me notes at the bottom of the posts that you like.

I love it when both of these things occur.

Unplugged

2011-03-30T18:12:00.007-06:00

The weeks leading up to this one were weeks that certainly warranted a break. Spring Break.

On the West Coast, in Beautiful B.C.

I would love to tell you (in greater detail) about

my mom's visit to Calgary last week, and how she visited my workplace one day during Dinosaur week with a Jurassic-themed snack and met the wee ones I work with.

she also organized our kitchen and bathroom cupboards

and was attacked by our very own Jurassic-like creature...

... who we dropped off at the dog sitter's on Saturday, and seemed quite happy to leave our side in order to bask in the company of new-found canine friends.

I would also share about the delicious breakfast Dean and I had at A Ladybug Bakery and Cafe

and our twelve-hour trek from Calgary, Alberta to Abbotsford, British Columbia, which resulted in a car-sick-me jumping out of the truck at our final destination, racing to the bathroom just in time to relieve my nausea, and spending the first night of vacation feverish and in bed.

as well as the beautiful trip to White Rock the next morning. And the wonderful book I am reading. And the relaxing. That made it all worth it to get here.

But for now, I'm unplugged.

So pictures will have to do. And some unrelated videos of my hilarious husband.

Enjoi ♥

... the videos were filmed for Legacy Youth Conference at Ambrose University College here in Calgary, where Dean and I first met (and I graduated from). If you want to check out more videos from LYC, you can visit the YouTube Channel, here

Lipstick, Sweet Potatoes, Coconut & Curry

2011-03-15T22:38:00.005-06:00

When I was in grade nine, I entered the workforce as a banquet server.
I was fourteen, and while most of the people I worked with were young, I was definitely the youngest. Everyone else was already in high school.

One of the girls I worked with was in grade ten, and took it upon herself to prepare me for what was yet to come. She was far too cynical for a fifteen year old.
She had classified a group of girls in her school as Pink Lipstick Girls. All that I really gathered from her descriptions were that they wore pink lipstick and mini skirts, and all their dads drove Volvos. Since I was and always have been more of a lip-glosser than a lip-sticker, and my dad drove a '67 Mustang, I guess I met her approval as an acceptable enough colleague.

As of late, I've been noticing some really pretty perfect-for-spring pink lips out and about, as well as in magazines and e-articles.
So I caved.
While I love my subtle pink Posh lip-polish by Arbonne, I've decided to add Avon's melony Wink into the spring mix. Call me a Pink Lipstick Girl, if you must.
But a splash of color and the springtime sun go hand in hand.

Soak.it.up.

Tonight, I decided to take a turn in the kitchen, as Dean usually cooks dinner. After perusing some online recipes, I decided to make Baked Coconut & Curry Chicken Fingers, along with Scalloped Sweet Potatoes. After a frustrating set-back, in which I assumed chicken breast could be substituted with chicken thighs (it can't. greasy soggy mess. i wanted crispy), I decided to follow the recipe a little bit more closely, and it turned out to be an excellent healthy meal choice. At 9:30 pm (Ooops).

Thankfully I married a very patient man.

Baked Coconut & Curry Chicken Fingers:
low-fat but still breaded

1 1/2 c. crushed Kashi 7 Whole Grain Flakes

1/2 c. dried, unsweetened coconut

Dash of salt and ground black pepper

1 tsp. curry powder

1 tbsp. olive or canola oil

1/2 c. whole wheat flour (or brown rice flour)

1-2 egg(s), beaten

1 to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch strips

Preparation

Preheat Oven to 375°F. Mix together cereal, coconut, salt and pepper, curry powder and oil.

Arrange three shallow containers, one with the brown rice flour, one with the beaten eggs, and one with the crumb mixture.

Individually dip chicken tenders into flour, then eggs (letting excess run off), then breading mixture.

Place the chicken fingers on a cake rack to dry for about 15 minutes while you finish the rest. Arrange breaded chicken pieces on the cookie sheet.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until crisp and brown all over.

Serve while hot, cool and freeze the leftovers (they don't stick together in the bag).

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

1 1/2 pounds yams

6 tbsp. butter or margarine*

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp. parsley

1 tbsp. sage

1 tbsp. thyme

1 tbsp. rosemary

Dash of salt and ground black pepper

1/2 cup of finely grated cheddar cheese

Sprinkle of parmesan cheese

* Most recipes called for more butter/ margarine, but I like to go easy on the stuff.

Preparation

Fill large bowl with cold water. Peel yams, then cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds and place in bowl with water.

Combine butter and garlic in medium saucepan; bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Mix all herbs in small bowl. Mix sea salt and black pepper in another small bowl.

Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Drain potatoes, then pat dry with kitchen towels. Transfer half of potatoes to prepared baking dish. Use hands to distribute and spread evenly.

Sprinkle with half of salt-pepper mixture, then half of herb mixture. Sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat with remaining potatoes, salt-pepper mixture, herb mixture, and cheese.

Pour butter mixture on top,

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover. Bake until top is golden and most of liquid is absorbed. Let stand 10 minutes; serve.

These are recipes that I kind of threw together on my own. I looked around for different ideas and combined and omitted. Try them and let me know what you think!

No Envy, No Fear

2011-03-13T23:01:00.003-06:00

This week, my life was scored by Joshua Radin's No Envy, No Fear.

As I watched him play this song to kick off his concert here in Calgary last week, I felt a shift.

Have no envy and no fear.

It is so simple.

In this video Joshua explains that at the time he wrote this song, his heart was full of both envy and fear. After listening to some wise words, he decided to concentrate on ridding his life of these two emotions that cause such psychological, social, and spiritual paralysis.

Me too.

On Tuesday, March 8th, we celebrated International Women's Day. A day to recognize the value of being female. We love. We share. We feel. Oh-so-strongly.

Our hearts are meant to be soft. But when envy and fear invade, they harden.

Yet, it is with a soft-heart that I come before Jesus and find my strength.

We don't need to be hard to be strong.

Being green with envy is a monstrous thing. There is little I can think of that is more malicious than an envious woman and the harm she can cause with her tongue. her mouth. her words.

When I was in Junior High, I was one of those girls who hung quotes all over her room.

Some were painted or drawn or decoupage/collaged. Others were simply torn from magazines and taped on one of my lime green walls, right above my "hair and make-up station".

During an interview, Cameron Diaz once talked about how she intentionally chooses not to befriend critical, envious, hardened, green women. Because being a woman is about taking care of each other.

I must have a copy of the interview stowed away somewhere, because I remember it hanging on that wall for some time. It prompted me to decide for myself not to dive into friendships with critical, envious, hardened, green girls, either; although it is a figurative expression, the green always surfaces. Usually quite quickly.

Its about taking care of each other.

Delighting over, persevering with, and celebrating one another.

In their/our/my loves, joys, failures, hopes, appearances, sorrows, decisions, insecurities, successes, heartbreaks, and accomplishments.

I know when I feel supported unconditionally I realize that I have nothing to fear.

We worry about finances, future plans, never finding love (and when we do find love, that we will do something to destroy it), and being fat when we are old (etc. etc. etc...).

So maybe its cyclical.

No envy, no fear.

Just love.

My Mom- the most beautiful woman I know

Raccoon Eyes and Awards

2011-03-06T17:36:00.004-07:00

Recently, I have been battling with my mascara. And the cold. And how, when I go outside, my eyelashes freeze, forming icy mascara clumps.

The mascara-covered-eyelashes. They freeze, and then they melt.
Streams of black running allthewaydown my face.
And of course, friendly neighbors stop to chat as this is occurring.
The other day, after a gracious and elegant woman walked her well-groomed-pure-bred over to say hello, Max and I headed home, where I was able to better evaluate our situation.

Raccoon-eyed me and my mangy mutt had some shaping up to do.

So yesterday, our six-month-old puppy got his first haircut, and I got myself the waterproof version of my favourite drugstore mascara, L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion.

After reading Real Simple Magazine's Thirty Healthiest Foods article this week, I headed to Superstore while I was waiting for Max's appointment to finish in hopes of replenishing our fridge/cupboards/pantry/freezer. Since winter in Alberta means that *fresh* produce is limited, I was not able to find everything on the list, but I am happy with what I did find. My fruit bowl is now full once again, and the crispers in our fridge are stuffed with delightfully colorful veggies.

Also, this past week I was given the Stylish Blogger Award by the lovely Laura Luyt over at little feet in my house. I am so honored and excited to be awarded/included/a part of this! Thanks again, Laura!

As a recipient of the Stylish Blogger Award, I must:

* Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award
* Share seven things about yourself

* Give the award to fifteen other bloggers

I have chosen fifteen blogs in which it is evident that the blogger is both mindful and passionate about keeping a beautiful blog, which to me is well-maintained, clutter-free, creative, and unique. And regularly spell-checked. Because to me, proper spelling is absolutely beautiful.
I will not include the links today, but I have sent messages/emails/comments to the fifteen stylish blogs and will include them on the new "blog roll" page I am working on asap!

And now, for seven things about me:

* When I get scared or surprised, my knees tend to give way, and I find myself slowly sinking to the ground. Fight or flight response? I do neither.

* Before deciding to get my BA in Behavioural Sciences, I took some interior decorating courses. I quickly decided that I would rather just decorate as a hobby. Now I work in a special education preschool, and aspire to become an elementary-school teacher one day.

* After moving eight times since Fall 2007, I am so content nesting in our home. Right now, I am itching to organize. Closets, cupboards, junk-drawers. As I said, its a work in progress. Is it wrong to look forward to Spring cleaning with such anticipation?

* I baked banana-walnut-flaxseed muffins this evening, adapted from this recipe of Martha's. So 'licious

* I am certified to instruct Pilates, although I have not done so since April.

* Water I can't see the bottom of = Aaaahhh! It is colliding with large fish that I fear.

* Tonight, Dean and I are going to see some of my favourite musicians, Joshua Radin, Laura Jansen, and Cary Brothers, in concert. I have been tweeting at them since yesterday in hopes of them befriending/mentioning me during the concert...

"Hey, @jennahaugan. Thanks for being so nice to us on Twitta!"'

I've included some photos in this post of some things that I ♥'d about this weekend, taken with one of my favourite iPhone apps, Hipstamatic:

tiffany blue, baking, my teapot, walks with maxwell, martha stewart recipes, sensuous perfume by estée lauder, my Coach bathroom, fish creek park, spicy salmon sushi rolls, the floral print on one of my favourite sun dresses, lavender tea eau de toilette, sunshine.

Not pictured:

time spent with my husband and friends, an awesome sunday morning at church spent helping in the nursery, good earth coffee, laughter, chinook mall, pomegranate lemonade air fresheners from b&bw, dean's incredible sermon, sweet potato fries, cinnamon latte, crisp air, sundaes, music.

The Haul VLOG

2011-02-25T20:06:00.002-07:00

Florence.

The name of my new iPhone 4. Flo for short.

She is oh-so-lovely, and changing my world. Camera/Video, Apps, and Twitter.

Yup, I tweet now- follow me @jennahaugan.

I hauled Flo in as a birthday gift from my husband. A belated one that I got to choose myself. We do that sometimes.

Below is the rest of my Birthday/February/Spring 2011 Haul in VLOG form. I had been watching lotsa hauls on YouTube prior to my shopping excursion. Inevitably, I was inspired to attempt a haul VLOG of my own.

Here is the end result, ft. Maxwell Silverhammer.

Enjoi ♥

* Special thanks to my loved ones that provided the birthday $ and Christmas gift cards! Your contributions to my wardrobe are very much appreciated and will be put to excellent use ;)

* $275 worth of stuff for $20. It deserves to be repeated.

Shout to the North

2011-02-17T18:59:00.002-07:00

My hometown is a suburb of Edmonton called Sherwood Park.
Since moving to Calgary three and a half years ago, I have come to love the city. We've nestled ourselves comfortably in the deep Southwest, and despite the atrocious traffic congestion issues that my fellow south westerners can attest to, I've really enjoyed exploring the SW quadrant, as well as the other 3/4s of this city. Our condo is home.

Some days, however, the hustly-bustly-trafficky mess really gets to me.
1.3 million people to cut me off in traffic. Or fill up the waiting room of the walk in clinic. Or actually race to get ahead of me in line at the grocery store.
Among the 1.3 million, I have found some incredible people, including my husband. I wouldn't be here if I didn't think the mess was worth it. It is.

Its just that sometimes, I miss the small-town feel of Edmonton.
Believe me, Calgarians and Vancouverites, I know it isn't perfect. But at least its neighbourly.
Edmonton is a place where people like Spandex Man, Push Up Guy, and Dancing Dan are embraced.

Pushing-Up with Push Up Man at my Stagette

They are known, valued, and celebrated. We all are. You can feel it.

And I am proud of the fact that I grew up in a place where individuals matter.

Where they are celebrated.

Something in the Water

2011-02-16T23:16:00.007-07:00

I rolled out of bed this morning ready to go about my daily routine.
I'm a fan of routine.
I don't like unexpected kinks in the plan.

Like when the coffee maker decides to break on one of the foggy-brainededest mornings I've had in a while.

After waking Dean up to whine about it, I resolved to go with the flow. Its something I am working on. So I headed to Starbucks. Since I believe in an idle-free Alberta, I usually park my car and walk in. But by the time my bleary-eyed self arrived, all I could manage was the drive through. I mustered up my order, a Skinny Caramel Macchiato with an extra shot of espresso.
(Because two shots weren't going to cut it.)
When I got to work I greeted some equally bleary-eyed co-workers. We conversed about our exhaustion, and then, someone suggested a Movie Day.
glorygloryglory!
But unfortunately, there was a definite lack of DVD supply.

And then I thought of my sleepy husband. And his collection of DVDs.
The husband that had already been wakened just a few hours prior so that I could express my caffeine-starved laments. I called his slumbering self and requested that he bring us "anything cartoon-y".
And so, today at work I got to watch Jungle Book in the AM, and Lion King in the PM.
Thanks to Dean for saving Wednesday!

Also.
I love Brooke Fraser. I was so pumped to hear this song on the radio this evening as I was driving into our parkade that I sat and listened to it the whole way through before heading inside. Along with Disney classics, this song is most definitely a day brightener.

Chocolatier-d

2011-02-15T20:45:00.004-07:00

On Valentine's Day, I came home from work to find my husband elbow deep in our dishwasher, cleaning out the filter. If you had seen the state it was in, I am sure you would consider this gesture a romantic one, as well.

After taking our dog for a walk together, I presented Dean with his Valentine's gift: home-made chocolates. For my hazelnut, chocolate, and coconut loving ~~self~~ husband, I chocolatier-d chocolate-hazelnut, chocolate-almond-coconut, and chocolate-peanut butter delights.

Dean cooked up some incredible Chicken Parmesan, with a side of whole-grain spaghetti, and a garden salad. Then, we enjoyed some white wine that was so good I was tempted to spike my orange juice with the remainder this morning to liven up my granola breakfast. However, I jumped right off that train of thought when I considered how I would feel about sending my nonexistent preschooler off into the hands of a lush. Maybe that's more of a "Saturday morning" kind of thing...

* Those aren't my chocolates posted above. Our $100 camera did little justice to my skills.

The Year of Fruits and Vegetables

2011-02-12T01:01:00.006-07:00

Last night, on the eve of my twenty-third birthday, I crawled into bed just a few minutes before 8:00 pm. This morning I woke up with Dean, took Max for a walk, and returned to discover that there were just enough beans left to brew myself a glorious birthday coffee.

Then, I headed to work with Ironman and Lightning McQueen in tow.

~~Don't ask.~~

Twenty-two was a big year. The condo, final semester, graduating with my degree, wedding-planning, the wedding, marriage, one short summer to recuperate, honeymoon, ~~typhoid~~, post-grad job hunt, new job, new church, puppy-raising, etc.

Twenty-three may be a little more laid back.
So far, my plan is to start actually folding my laundry and putting it away, as well as doing my best to eat 5-10 servings of fruit and vegetables every day. I don't usually have a problem with eating fruits and vegetables. Its the laundry I have a hard time keeping up with.
Infamously large piles of clean clothing.

This will be a good year.

All I Need

2011-02-07T21:43:00.007-07:00

Happy 23rd Birthday to my amazing husbanoob

I married a very good man.

His big blue eyes sparkle when he smiles, and we laugh together often.

So patient with his far-from-perfect wife.

Slow to anger. Quick to listen. Slow to speak.

A devoted heart full of love.

I'm a lucky lady.

I am hopeful that our future babes will look like him.
So stinkin' cute

All I Need, by Mat Kearney.

We love Mat.

Excuse the video... it was the best I could find.

Bubble Toes

2011-02-01T22:38:00.003-07:00

The Prairie Prognosticator and I have an agreement. We're shooting for an early spring. My poor body cannot withstand this season much longer.

“There is no way this winter is ever going to end, as long as this groundhog keeps seeing his shadow. I don't see any other way out. He's got to be stopped. And I have to stop him.” Phil Conners, Groundhog Day

Dry.

Lips. Eyes. Skin. Hair. Scalp. Feet.

I've been applying lip chap, cream, eye drops, lotion, conditioner, moisturizer, and deep conditioning treatments so extensively that I was neglecting my two little weight bearers.

Itchy, dry feet were the unpleasant effects of this oversight.

So I headed to the drugstore in search of a favourite springtime hue, Mint Sprint, and concocted a lavender-infused foot soak (see below).

So, here it is.

Whether or not Balzac Billy and his fellow prairie prognosticators decide that spring will come early, at least I have pedi'd pods and mani'd phals.

Peppermint Foot Soak with Lavender

Ingredients:
1/2 cup epsom salts
5 drops peppermint extract
2 tbsp honey
3 drops tea tree oil
3 drops lavender

Instructions:
Add oils, honey, and salt to water and soak (hands and/or feet) for 10- 15 minutes. Rinse, dry, and moisturize.

To moisturize, I use The Body Shop's Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue Cream.

Freedom

2011-01-31T23:11:00.004-07:00

I have a hard time with Oprah Winfrey.

Too often, when I have sat down to watch a brave, admirable, strong guest appear in front of millions of viewers to vulnerably share their own deep, personal, and unique pain, Oprah's response is,

"I know exactly how you feel. That was just like me, when I..."

Has that ever happened to you?

When someone tries to relate in a way that is all about them?

And all you can do is biteyourtonguehard and tryyourbest not to screamoutloud because they HAVENOIDEA.

That's how I feel when I watch Oprah.

Don't get me wrong. The truest forms of empathy and understanding are oh-so-beautiful. And I'm not being snarky by implying that there is anything wrong with you if you like Oprah. She does lots of good things in the world (and she hosts amazing giveaway shows).

But, this disliking of The Oprah Show is something that Jonathan Franzen and I have in common.

Well... maybe not.

He just didn't want her book club to feature his book. In 2001. In 2011, however, he let her feature Freedom.

Water under the bridge, I guess.

~~But I still don't like the show.~~

I digress.

What I wanted to write about is Jonathan Franzen's incredible novel, Freedom, which I have chipped away at since Christmas, and finally finished last night.

Freedom is a story about the Berglunds; a family who don't know how to live. They are tempted and burdened and inspired and overwhelmed by their freedom. "They’re at once constrained by their desires and obligations and aimlessly shuffling about in a world where they can do anything", according to Benjamin Errett in his book review for the National Post.

In observing how each of these characters choose to use and misuse their freedom, I felt challenged to consider how I make use of my freedom.

I am free to live and love. Free to choose. Free to be inspired by, and to inspire...

Like this guy. I want my freedom to ripple contagiously.

Bound

2011-01-24T23:02:00.003-07:00

We did not stumble into this love as though it were blissful happenstance.

For this love of ours is not mindless; I did not aimlessly fall into it.

We freely chose to have, to give, and to be.

Marriage is not meant to confine, but to liberate one's love.

Courageous, romantic, and bold,

it is the union of two very brave hearts;

two souls contented by forgiveness,

who selflessly choose to have, to give, and to be love.

Everyday.

Disregarding situation and circumstance; unrelenting.

Purposeful and pure. Imperfect, but real.

It wasn't an accident.

Our love was chosen.

Jenna Haugan, 2011

Blue Monday

2011-01-17T22:50:00.003-07:00

The "scientific" formula for today:

The third Monday of January is called Blue Monday; the most depressing day of the year. According to a press release by a mental health campaign in Britain (which I happened to find on Wikipedia), the formula is as follows:

W= Weather

D= Debt

T= Time since Christmas

Q= Time since failing New Year's resolutions

M= Low motivational levels

N_a= The feeling of a need to take action

The pinnacle of the winter blues.

Good thing I had an excellent- enough morning, or else I may have allowed this drive-to-work-news-break re: Blue Monday seriously effect my mood. Instead, a lovely walk with my puppy, some nutritious, vitamin-C infused breakfast (Mmmango!), and some sweet morning vibes really set the tone for the day.

Eating right, getting adequate amounts of sleep, exercising, and doing things I love to do. ~~Like sittin' on mah couch eating pie.~~ That is how I'm making it through.

How do you stick it to the winter blues?

alliwantispie

2011-01-16T10:51:00.010-07:00

When Dean and I got married, we resolved that in our first year of marriage, we would learn to create delicious food. This is why I have been posting recipes on my blog- in hopes of chronicling my efforts to enhance my baking skills.

The disasters, smoke alarms, and burned pie-lids I choose to keep to myself.

Most often, Dean cooks delicious meals, and I bake delicious desserts and experiment with appetizers and salads and learn how to make myself ichiban noodles when my husband isn't home for dinner.

I try my best to make everything as healthy as possible. But sometimes, you just need some comfort food. Like this time. When every day this week was below -30 degrees Celsius.

AllIwantispie.

SRSLY.

Here are some pie recipes I have tried lately... I enjoyed them all!

For Christmas, Dean gave me "The Baking Bible", which has an excellent and easy recipe for pie dough. A helpful tip that I saw on the Food Network once was to roll your dough out on a piece of saran wrap. This makes it easier to lift the dough by just lifting the wrap and flipping it over, rather than having to worry about it tearing the dough.

Pie Dough

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

6 tbsp butter or margarine

6 tbsp lard or vegetable shortening

6 tbsp cold water

Beaten egg or milk, for glazing

Directions

1. Sift flour and pinch of salt together. Add in butter/margarine, and vegetable shortening/lard. Use a pastry blender to cut margarine and vegetable shortening into small pieces. Add about 6 tbsp cold water, gather mixture into a dough and wrap dough and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes

2. Roll out almost two-thirds of pie dough and use to line a deep 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 475 degrees F for 7-10 minutes, until golden brown.

3. Add filling, and, if this is a double-crust pie, roll out remaining pie dough to form lid. Dampen the edges of the pie rim with water and position the lid, pressing the edges firmly together. Trim and crimp edges, and use the trimmings to cut out designs to decorate the top of the pie. Dampen and attach. Glaze top of pie with beaten egg or milk, make one or two slits in the top, and place the pie on a baking sheet.

4. Reduce oven temperature from 475 degrees F to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until the pastry is a light golden brown.

My pie-lid flower

Fillings

Apple Pie
Ingredients

1 lb 10 oz- 2 lb 4 oz apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

2/3 cup of brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp all spice

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp water

Directions

1. Mix apples with lemon juice, water, sugar, and spices and pack into baked pastry shell.

2. Follow the rest of the pie shell instructions above.

Raspberry-Peach Pie Filling

Ingredients

1 pint raspberries

1 can sliced peaches (couldn't find fresh peaches anywhere!)

1 apple, peeled, cored, and sliced

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup refined sugar

3 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Mix raspberries, peaches (drained), and apple with sugars, cinnamon, and lemon juice and pack into baked pastry shell.

2. Follow the rest of the pie shell instructions above.

* This is a pie that I concocted myself... I felt like a fruit pie but couldn't find a recipe or a combo that seemed appealing in my books or on the internet. So I took my husband's suggestion to think of fruits that taste good together and just throw 'em in. I've always loved the raspberry/peach combo. And I added the apple in for crunch.

Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients

3 cups half-and-half

2 eggs

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup flaked coconut, toasted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoon coconut extract

1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked *see above*

2 cups whipped cream (I flavoured mine with additional coconut and vanilla extract)

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour, and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in 3/4 cup of the coconut flakes, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Pour into already baked pie shell and chill until firm (about 2 hours).

2. Top with whipped cream and remaining 1/4 cup of coconut (toasted)

3. To toast coconut, spread it on an ungreased pan and bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally if needed.

4. This pie is just a single crust pie; it does not have a lid. I used the pie shell recipe from my Baking Bible.

Free Association

2011-01-11T23:47:00.010-07:00

There are 7+ light bulbs that need to be changed in our house. I've been putting it off because each bulb is different. Who wants to buy 7+ sets of different light bulbs?

Last week, I began a ten-day cleanse. Fruit, veggies, lean meats, eggs, nuts, nut-butter, and seeds. No flour, no sugar. After the holidays, my body really needed it.

Seven days into my cleanse, when the usually unappetizing combo of Rice Krispies and corn syrup began to make my mouth water, I caved. One of the moms of a student in our classroom brought in cupcakes for everyone, to celebrate his birthday. Along with an entire cake just for me the three staff members in the classroom.

You better believe I helped devour that cake.

Breakfast is my favourite meal. This week I've been eating fresh mango, orange, banana, and apple fruit salad with a sprinkle of bran and a wee bit of fat free whipped cream.

I've been watching a lot of Grey's Anatomy lately. Currently at the beginning of Season Three.

Yesterday, I was told by a new chiropractor that one of my legs is exceptionally longer than the other one. Not. True.

In the past few weeks, I have been in one car accident, and have taken two very hard falls on my tailbone. My back is sore and my pelvis is most definitely tilted from these events.

Hence the chiropractor, and his long-legged assertion.

I do Pilates to help me with "the tilt".

I'm pumped that it is 2011. 11 is my favourite number. Today is January 11, and I like that, too. A month from now, on February 11, I turn 23.

While misspelled words like "krazie" make me nauseous, neglectingmyspacebarisok.

Today, my husband left me a note on the fridge that began with "The ministry has fallen... they are coming", included some cute body paragraph material, and concluded with, "Max is a champ. Love you!".

Do you understand the reference to the Ministry of Magic?

I drank diet Dr. Pepper after dinner. Too late for caffeine.

Peeved

2011-01-09T20:56:00.001-07:00

I really, really dislike when words that begin with the letter "c" are spelled with the letter "k".
For that matter, I don't think it is right to conclude a word with "ie" if it usually ends with a "y".
I was going to provide examples, but I can't, because seeing words misspelt this way actually makes me want to hurl.

Please,
please,
please,

Do your best to avoid the red-auto-correct-underlines.

Righteously angered and justifiably irritated,
This is all I've got for 2011 thus far.

Rendered Speechless

2010-12-31T09:51:00.010-07:00

... by an ear enthusiast.

A middle-aged man bundled head to toe in silver and lime green jogged by as I was walking the dog yesterday. As this man passed us, he stopped dead in his tracks, whipped off his touque, mittens, and sunglasses in one fell swoop, and excitedly exclaimed,

"WOW! Those are extraordinary ears! Did you order those in special?!"

Uh.
Ya.
Um.
I mean.
No.
We didn't.
But...
Yes.
He does.
Have cute ears, that is.
Thanks!
Enjoy your run?
Byyye.

I was flustered by the "special orders" part and preoccupied with attempting to control my usually-more-transparent-than-even-I-realize expressions and body language enough to protect him from my thoughts of his strangeness.

So of course, I sputtered. And, in turn, I'm the one who came off as odd.

Awesome.

Usually, I love to chat with friendly strangers. I try my best to be a friendly stranger to others, as well. But really.
How do you respond to that?

I'm Not Ready to Let Go of Christmas Just Yet

2010-12-28T17:42:00.005-07:00

I know that I may have said this before. But, however redundant I may be, Dean and I received a lot of bake-ware, cooking gear, utensils, and accessories for our wedding. Its pretty amazing, actually. Our little cupboards are filled to the brim with delightfully useful necessities. So this year for Christmas, we decided to show our loved ones how much we appreciate and put to use allathestuffswegot. Unfortunately, we weren't able to bake for everyone we know and love and appreciate so much. But I will share some of the recipes that I experimented with this Christmas.

Ginger Spice Softies

Recipe here

This was my first time baking with molasses, and I didn't find it as terrible as some people have made it out to be. Molasses and me. It just... worked itself out.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Recipe here

These choco-pb cups were sooo easy to make. And they were extra delicious because the pb-filling includes melted white chocolate. Mmm. I used mini-cupcake/muffin pans, but had a ridiculously difficult time finding any sort of festive muffin liners. So disappointing.

Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies

Recipe here

These cookies were pretty good, but they required a lot of work, and the end results were not as beautiful as Martha made them seem.

and, our very favourite discovery,

Maple-Pecan Shortbread

Recipe here

Maple, pecans, and shortbread. Such a delicious combo. I'm not sure how everyone else felt about them, but we love these!

Flour was all over the place for a little while over here. But then we got to enjoy the results and it was definitely worth it!

Just As Kansas is to Dorothy...

2010-12-27T23:11:00.004-07:00

While it definitely got off to a rough start, this Christmas break has begun to become what Dean and I both needed so very badly in the first place: a break. Sometimes, in order to have a holiday, you just have to hole up in your little home.

I've had such a wonderful time spending the holidays with our amazing families; so much love and laughter.

But, there really is no place like home.

Today I discovered the joys of www.picnik.com.

You should check it out. If you have hours to spare.

I was preoccupied for many hours.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Santa, Baby

2010-12-22T19:08:00.006-07:00

Because I am such a wonderful wife, I volunteered Dean to come be Santa at the preschool I work at. Last Friday, he showed up in the Santa Claus costume that I hand-stitched for him.

My sweet husbanoob spreading Christmas cheer

Do you ever look at your life in the present and wonder how you may have reacted to a glimpse of it in the past? (Because I do).

If only I could have seen that I would one day be playing the part of the Mrs. Claus, sitting at my kitchen table sewing my mister's glorious fleece suit while baking Christmas cookies...

I digress.

As Dean sat in front of the children in each class handing out gifts, he got asked some inventive questions. I feel like I should prepare you, or the ones that you happen to volunteer, for the questions that you, too, could be asked if you ever choose to be Santa:

Where's your wife? ~~Right here~~ At the North Pole baking me cookies

How do you get your reindeer to fly? Christmas Cheer

What do you want for Christmas, Santa? For you to have presents

Can we leave you muffins on Christmas Eve? Yes
Do you like Raisins? I like anything with chocolate chips

What do your reindeer eat? Cheese and pepperoni sticks

Followed, of course, by

How do reindeer poop, then? Just like normal animals... with ease.

These are my Christmas-movie-enthusiast-husband's answers. He should be Santa every day.

Merry Christmas from the Clauses

Goodbye, Nimby

2010-12-20T19:26:00.004-07:00

As I tightly gripped the passenger door handle, I wondered to myself,
"How bad is this going to be?".
I held my breath and listened to Dean calmly saying,
"Its going to be okay. We're going to be okay".
With his arm across my chest to protect me from slamming forward, we braced ourselves for the inevitable impact as Dean's beloved 2000 Saturn SL2 spun out of control after hitting a patch of ice as we headed Northbound towards Edmonton on Highway 2 yesterday afternoon.
We collided head-on with the guard rail, and were sent spinning further down towards exit 517.
As we came to a halt in the middle of the highway, we were able to move to the side of the road as surrounding vehicles continued to whizzzzz past us.
Because neither of us had been in a serious accident before, we were completely unsure of what to do.
As the moments passed, we praised God for keeping Dean, Max, and I safe, made some phone calls, assessed the damage, and waited for my mom to come and rescue us.

December has been extremely busy, exhausting, and at times, unpleasant.
Although Dean and I may not have been completely awful to one another, we definitely haven't been our best selves, either. I was allowing each moment to be dictated by my anxiety; my fear-filled worries caused by skewed perspective and priorities. A lack of faith in my God who's love for us runs so deep.
We are so blessed to have walked away relatively unharmed, with just mild concussions and whiplash to be dealing with as we continue to enjoy the Christmas season.

Mr. Popular

2010-12-11T13:17:00.003-07:00

Every Saturday morning since we have had Max, I have taken him somewhere special for a nice, big walk. Usually, Max gets three walks a day: one at 6:00 am, another when I get home from work, and then a quick stroll outside before bed.

On Saturdays, 6:00 am walks do not happen.

Instead, I allow myself the luxury of waking up when my body wants to (which isn't that long after 6:00 am, to be honest), and we hop in the car and drive away from traffic lights, noisy vehicles, busses, and littered sidewalks. This morning, I found a beautiful path at Shannon Terrace in Fish Creek Park. We walked past an abandoned farm house and crossed the creek on beautiful old bridges as we watched snow slowly fall down from the tall evergreens.

Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Park

As per usual, Max made many new friends. Although Calgarians may not be the friendliest people, now that I have a beautiful puppy to walk alongside me, everyone stops to chat.

I really do mean everyone. Its pretty unbelievable.

They tell me how beautiful he is.

I tell them how much we love him.

Inevitably, the single guys who stop to chat ask "who's we?" and quickly loose interest in showering my dog and I with attention when I reveal that I am married.

Oh brother.

It was the perfect way to spend my Saturday morning, as I bid adieu to a scattered, stressful, painfullyslowyetwaytoofull kind of week.

Babs

2010-12-08T22:18:00.002-07:00

I was playing Barbies with cutelittlegirl in "Santa's Workshop" during center time.

Little girl looks up at me.

Looks down at her Barbie.

Looks back up, grins, and says:

"Jenna, you look just like Barbie!"

... Maybe not. But heres to you, cutelittlegirl.

Duckie & Friends

2010-12-05T20:22:00.008-07:00

Dean just found every-single-episode-of-each-season-of The Wonder Years. Yowza.

So that is how we are spending our Sunday evening. Watching The Wonder Years and chowing down on cinnamon buns and pomegranate. Om Nom Nommm. Life's been busy. Time for a cozy night at home.

P.S. Season 1, Episode 4 totally features a young hippy John Corbett. My oh my.

And now, for one of my favourite scenes from any movie, ever. How did she not choose Duckie? I love Duckie! (But not so much Jon Cryer IRL).

Maxwell Silverhammer

2010-11-25T23:04:00.003-07:00

No time to blog.

I have a puppy now!

Meet Maxwell Silverhammer, the rescue dog. Max came into our life quite unexpectedly this past Sunday. After heading in to Petland *just to look* at the puppies/dogs in the adopt-a-pet section, Dean and I left for home shortly thereafter with twelve-week old Maxwell in tow.

Petland supports the Pets For Life Foundation, which is who we got Max from. When Max was just two days old, his mother was hit by a car, and a wonderful lady who works with Pets For Life fostered Max and his sibs until they were ready to be put up for adoption.

And I am so glad she did. Max is so full of love.

He learns so quickly. It is an amazing thing to watch him catch on to new things every day. He came to us crate trained, and loves his "den". He is also catching on to "potty training" very well. His temperament is incredible. He is just a puppy, and he is definitely not perfect. He has had (just a few) accidents and tries to eat my shoes. But we are working through it. And he is learning. He is such a welcome addition to our lives, and we love him oh so much.

In closing, I present to you Max's namesake song, Maxwell's Silverhammer, in keeping with my family's tradition of naming our pets after The Beatle's songs/ drummer.

Rant.

2010-11-17T16:41:00.006-07:00

I'm not going to complain about the weather. Because I really do think that the first heavy snowfall of the year is a beautiful thing. However, this year, my winter has already been ruined by those who drive on the same roads as me.

Every day my drive to work takes less than ten minutes.
EVERY DAY. IN RUSH HOUR.
However.
Yesterday it took me over an hour.
And today, it took me nearly two hours.
TWO HOURS.
I. LIVE. SIX. POINT. ONE. KILOMETERS. AWAY.

I am so very envious of the bears. Why can't I hibernate, too?

Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to crawl into ma bed and listen to this song on repeat all night long. Because today, these mouthless girls with rosy, heart shaped cheeks are my kindreds.

(Winter Song, by Ingrid Michaelson and Sarah Bareilles)

My First VLOG!

2010-11-12T16:48:00.003-07:00

Last night we bought a Christmas Tree, in preparation for our first married Christmas!
We bought a few ornaments, but not enough to make the tree look completely full. Sooo, since I have been cooped up inside for the past few days, focusing on recuperating/ slaying this eviiillll virus, I decided to spend my afternoon doing something productive. Like making a VLOG about how to make your own Christmas Tree ornaments!

I'm super impressed with myself for "mastering" iMovie in just a few short hours. I can't wait to set up our Christmas Tree. But alas, I am off to a retreat for the weekend- itsgonnahavetowait.

I Blame the Evil Sea-Witch

2010-11-10T20:08:00.006-07:00

All week, I have been dealing with a fading voice. Just a simple throat irritation. However, when I woke up this morning, I felt as if I was Ariel, and an evil sea-witch had removed all sound from my vocal chords. Except my voice is not being stored in a cute sea-shell necklace. And, while I can't quite form decipherable sentences, my throat continues to make sounds that may be more atrocious than one would care to admit...

Not only am I comparing myself to the *beautiful* Little Mermaid in terms of our shared esophageal distress... but my symptoms also include young-Bambi-like legs, as they have been so wobbly that stairs were not exactly an option for me today.

FURTHERMORE, much like the seventh dwarf, Sneezy, I am also experiencing intense sinus congestion. My face is so heavy, yet my legs are so light.

I cannot think of a Disney character who experienced feverish temperatures and chills. But, needless to say, Wednesday has not been good to me.

So, here's to NeoCitran, Tylenol Cold, a husband who takes excellent care of me, chicken noodle soup, the fact that I have the next two days off of work to recuperate, warm blankets, and the hope I have that tomorrow will be a better day.

High Society

2010-11-09T18:04:00.006-07:00

This past weekend, I headed up to Edmonton to watch my brother in a Grant Mac Theatre Arts Program performance of High Society, which is the musical adaptation of the movie The Philadelphia Story. The original movie starred Katherine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant. The musical version starred Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Grace Kelly.

Here is a clip of Bing Crosby & Frank Sinatra singing "Well, Did You Evah":

My brother was cast as "Uncle Willie" in this presentation of High Society- and if there is one thing that I am sure of, it is that he was the most hilarious, show-stealing, memorable version of "Uncle Willie" there has ever been. The audience loved him!

I am not even just saying that because he's my bro. There weren't even any good YouTube videos to compare his performance too. He straight up knocked it outta the park.

Dustin as "Uncle Willie"

I am so proud of you, little brother. We all are!

Spin

2010-11-04T19:54:00.006-06:00

Tonight I went to a Spin Class tonight for the very first time.

And contemplated sneaking off of my strategically selected back-row-corner-closest-to-the-exit bike after about ten minutes.

But I could not figure how to escape, because unfortunately, the instructor buckled my feet in. Yep. That's right. He buckled me in tight.

It will definitely take a few classes to get used to. I really wasn't prepared ~~to be taken hostage~~ for the buckling. But my oh my did I ever feel tha burrrn.

Spinning is HARD.

Not Me. But this is Spinning.

I was defs shooting my instructor the stink-eye from my strategically selected back-row-corner-closest-to-the-exit bike. But, after about half an hour, I finally kind of "hit my stride". In the most beginner-level way possible. I plan on going back.

I've been tracking my fitness and nutrition goals on two awesome websites, and have found them to be very helpful! I wanted to share them, because I definitely recommend them to anyone who likes making lists or charts or just keeping track of progress like I DO!

Check 'em out:

Live Strong

The MyPlate program helps me keep track of my nutritional goals, and I can can also add in my workouts and it will tell me (very approximately) how many calories I burned, etc. I find that it really helps to write these things down... and if I know I will have to write it down later... I think twice about eating junk.

Daily Mile

This website is used mostly by runners, but you can track any type of exercise with it. I like Daily Mile because it is kind of a social networking site... and even though I have a big fat goose-egg amount of friends (that's zero) on the site, I also get to see what people in my area are doing to stay active. I have used this site very sporadically since I first signed up (maybe because I have no daily mile friends?), but plan on updating it more frequently from now on.

Both sites send encouraging emails with awesome exercise tips and tricks, and sometimes even yummy recipes. So good!

Tiramisu Brownie Trifle

2010-11-01T22:29:00.005-06:00

Tiramisu Brownie Trifle, by Pampered Chef

For our wedding, we received this beautiful Trifle Bowl from Pampered Chef. My mother-in-law threw me a Pampered Chef shower before the wedding, and yesterday I was given the opportunity to use much of my PCP (Pampered-Chef-Paraphernalia). We attended a dinner in which Dean and I were asked to bring dessert, so I excitedly skimmed the Pampered Chef website, and came across this delightful dessert- The Tiramisu Brownie Trifle.

Ingredients:

1 package (18-21 oz) fudge brownie mix (plus ingredients to make brownies)

1 carton of whipping cream, whipped

2 bars (1.45 oz each) dark chocolate candy, divided

1/2-1 cup coffee liqueur (see Cook's Tip), divided

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp instant coffee granules

2 package (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 package (3.3 oz) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper; set aside. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Pour batter into pan; bake 20-22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove brownie from pan to cooling rack.

2. Meanwhile, set aside about 3/4 cup of the whipped topping. Chop 1 1/2 of the chocolate bars using a food chopper; set aside. For filling, combine 1/2 cup coffee liqueur, water, and instant coffee in a small bowl; stir until dissolved using whisk. In another mixing bowl (I used my electric mixer), whisk cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add coffee mixture to cream cheese; whisk until smooth. Add pudding mix to cream cheese mixture; whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Fold in remaining whipped topping and chopped chocolate; set aside.

3. Cut brownie into 1-in. cubes. If desired, brush brownie cubes with an additional 1/2 cup coffee liqueur.

4. To assemble trifle, place one-third of the brownie cubes into your trifle bowl. Layer one-third of the filling evenly over brownies. Repeat layers two more times. Pipe whipped topping over filling. Grate remaining chocolate bar over whipped topping.

* I used the "Cook's Tips", and made a substitution for coffee liqueur. I combined 3/4 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tbsp instant coffee granules and 1 tsp rum extract in a micro-cooker, and microwaved on HIGH 2-3 minutes, until sugar was dissolved. Then I chilled the mixture before using.