using the meat grinder attachment & making jam

As many of you know, raw meat is not my favourite thing to work with. We have a lot of stew meat in our freezer left from our last bulk beef purchase. Everything else is gone. I don't use stew meat all the often, especially now as summer approaches. So, since I have a meat grinder attachment for my kitchen aid, I decided we should try it. Michael was a great sport and joined me so I wouldn't have to do the disgusting parts (ie: touch the meat).

Ew, look at that hand digging into that raw meat!

We ended up grinding a little more than I wanted to cook, so we put it into containers and into the freezer (with the chopped onions on top). Next time I want ground beef I just dump it into the pan! Awesome!

I also set about using some of the frozen BC fruit in my freezer (thanks again Dad for doing that!). I made raspberry jelly (only the second time I've ever made jelly). It turned out quite nicely, and is so worth it (I hate raspberry seeds stuck in my teeth when I eat my toast, don't you?).

Coloring Easter Eggs

Once again, I borrowed a friend's child and invited Katrina to come over and colour Easter eggs with me. I just couldn't bring myself to do it alone and Jenn (my previous Easter egg colouring buddy) was just too far away to make it happen.

While I got things set up, she played with the wooden train set (yes that is pretty much the only toy we have in our house, except for teddy bears).

The set up.

Katrina helping me by putting the raw eggs into the pot to cook them.

The colouring begins!

We had one little accident and knocked over one cup. Katrina wasn't too keen on wearing her soggy shirt, so I ran around trying to figure out what to do. The only thing I could come up with was one of my T-shirts with several hair elastics holding it in place.

Here she is admiring the finished product. She was quite disappointed when I told her there were no more eggs to colour and as you can see we did almost three dozen. I have to say, if you can find them in your area, pee wee eggs are the best for colouring. Here, I can get them at Price Chopper for a buck a dozen and because they are so small the bowl looks that much more colourful.

See what I mean?

We also baked cookies, but of course there's no pictures of that. When I asked Katrina what she wanted, chocolate chip or raisin, she chose raisin in an instant. I was surprised, but Michael was thrilled because he got oatmeal raisin cookies, which I don't make very often.

Cate spends the day at our house!

I know moms always think I'm crazy when I want to spend time with their kids baking and such, but it is something that I enjoy. I think aunties have a whole different level of patience because it gets tested way way less. Not to mention I really think kids behave differently with aunties. I never have any trouble doing it with them.

So we baked cookies. I asked Cate what kind she wanted to make and she said chocolate. We put several kinds of chips into them.

We played with the wooden train set.

Had a snack. Cate was very impressed that I had cheese whiz.

To finish off the day we painted her finger nails.

What a great day!

creamed honey & other random things

So, I got a good deal on some honey, but it was all nasty and crystallized. I happen to love creamed honey the best, so I did a little internet research to find out how it's made. All those things you think about cream being added or egg whites, or it just being whipped like crazy? False.

Creamed honey is actually crystallized honey, but it's done in a controlled way, to create really tiny and smooth crystals that feel good on your tongue.

There's lot of great websites out there with really great instructions, but basically you warm your yucky crystallized honey until all the crystals are melted. Then you stir in some creamed honey that is crystallized the way you like it and store it in a cool place for a couple of weeks (about 54 degrees fahrenheit). When you check on it you will find it has all turned into the lovely creamed honey you stirred in.

Cool, no?

I've recently acquired some new 'manly' stamps, so I set out to try them.   

I ended up only making one 'man card' and playing more with the other free flowers & cute sayings set, but here's my handiwork.

Family Birthday

We also made the trip to Austin to celebrate Michael's birthday, as well as his brother's (who has his birthday the day after Michael).

We went to 'the hill' a local toboggan run.

FYI: my toque is not white, it's covered in snow that sprayed us on the way down.

Cake & presents!

Birthday!

Michael turned 30 this year.

We had some friends over for ice cream cake and games. It was low key but lots of laughs.

the way home from Calgary

My way home from Calgary was anything but uneventful. I got to the airport, tried to check in at the kiosk and it didn't work. Stood in line to do it with a person after the helpful Westjet staff also tried at the kiosk and couldn't get it to work. While waiting, Malann pulled up my reservation on her phone. That is when we discovered that according to my reservation I was exactly one month early for my flight!

I cannot believe I did such a crazy thing, but I did. So, I asked for options and flying out that day was not one of them (it happened to be the new February stat holiday). Instead I rebooked for the following day. Then I called Michael to let him know I wouldn't be coming home.

He is a dispatcher, and it just so happened that one of his drivers was in Calgary, and not just any driver, his Dad. So, he asked if I wanted to ride with Dad. I said sure, why not? So, I cancelled my flight, got a travel credit and got dropped off at a truck stop instead of the airport.

The wonderful thing about this was extra knitting time, and space to wind a ball of yarn:

This is the sample knitting I did on the road. Trying to decide what would look good with this yarn.

Dad's load delivered in Portage. My dispatcher husband couldn't just leave me stranded there or come pick me up, he managed to arrange a ride from there right to my door with our neighbour & friend, Ben.

Ben wanted to check the mail in his hometown on the way home. This is the post office there. He thinks it's gotta be one of the smallest. I thought it looked pretty cute.

26 hours later than planned, I arrived home, tired, but with a travel credit for next time!

Calgary!

Michael has been wanting to send me to Calgary to visit our friends for a while, but we were waiting for a good seat sale, and it finally came!

The girls.

We went to Canmore for the day. Ate lunch at this great little cafe.

The family in the mountains.

I also got to visit an old friend and his wife.

And another friend/roomie from Capernwray.

I had a great time. Until I tried to leave...

ice skating

For our sacred date, Michael took me ice skating at St Vital Pond.

It was such a gorgeous day I'm wearing my vest. Not a jacket, a vest!

A classic arm shot. Though michael has such long arms they're usually not as dorky looking as my attempts.

Hockey and Chilli Night

*again, this is Esther. Michael has joined up with the leadership team of our church's men's ministry. This is one of the first events he was part of planning.