Healthy Eating & Dining don't have to be Mutually Exculsive

Last Saturday we had some friends over for dinner, I had been hemming and hawing about having a dinner party as I so often seem to but I have been reading Edie's posts about hospitality over at Life in Grace and was moved to do something. I know I can never hope to emulate her preparedness for guests or any other part of her unique approach to hospitality and I'm really not sure why I am so fascinated by her blog other than she is the antithesis of me - a home-schooling-former-doctor-religious Southern Belle. Anyways, I was inspired to invite a few people over for dinner. Originally it was to be a bigger crowd with my BFF, our friends AM (who is doing remarkably well almost six months after her stroke), her four kids & hubby and another family of three but AM had something come up but we were able to have drinks together at her place on Friday night. So we were down to a much more manageable party of nine. The only issue was that one of the invitees was on a serious cleanse - no dairy, wheat or red meat which ruled out most of my dinner repertoire but I did get out my cookbooks (which doesn't happen all that often anymore) and knew one component would have to be Quinoa, after that came roasted veggies, fresh Georgian Bay White Fish and my new go-to recipe, if you can believe it 

Kale & Brussels Sprout Salad

It is, hands down, the tastiest mix of not-so tasty vegetables around. The dressing is just basic lemon juice, garlic and oil with a sprinkle of Parmesan and, my alternative to almonds, roasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds. We had this at a friend's a few weeks ago and I was amazed that my Other Half loved it, being the Brussels Sprout hater that he is, not to mentions that it is all raw. The secret seems to be to make sure both the kale and BS's are finely chopped. It is full of good stuff and tastes even better the day after. As for the kids, I chopped up more veggies (not the above) and made them fish tacos which are always a hit in our house.

We ended up with two more for dinner as so often happens once I get on an entertaining roll and the evening was lovely with wine for those who weren't cleansing and chocolate cake with "SKI" in sprinkles on top as everyone present is counting the days til the snow flies. 

Friday Catch Up

As the days grow shorter and weather cooler it seems we are trying to cram as much in as possible before the snow flies. Yesterday I was invited to go on a trail ride with a group in an area I had never ridden. I was a bit nervous about whether I would be able to keep up and if I'd be able to walk the next day but I am happy to report that I am walking like a cowboy and Jazz & I only got lost once (my fault as I held him back to see if we could have a good gallop) I followed the wrong trail and then had to double back to where luckily the rest of the group had done the same. The weather was picture perfect and the footing amazing. One of the leaders of the ride was a former Canadian national team ski racer and he rides a horse much like he used to ski a downhill course - flat out. The other riders were mostly older and many have ridden all over the world, something to dream about. It was fun and I hope we'll get invited again.

I also learned about the sport of Ride and Tie which is a crazy trail race with the team made up of one horse and two humans. They all start off at the same time and the rider goes as far as they think their partner can run to, they then tie up the horse and take off on foot. The first runner then finds the horse, hops on and takes off, passing the runner and continues on to another point where they tie up the horse again. Apparently there is not just a certain level of fitness required but some strategy so that the team makes it to the end together. A little crazy if you ask me but then I have never run a race in my life, nor have I ever wanted to but it might be fun to go watch one.

A perfect trail through the Dufferin Forest

Getting a drink

Happy trail riders

Yet another reason to love living in a small town - Number Two Son and his best buddy made a few bucks busking one day after school. They only knew one song but must have been quite entertaining. They gave half of the cash to the school music programme for the use of the instruments and tomorrow four of them are heading "downtown" to busk again. Let's hope the weather cooperates and the shop keepers are tolerant.

Ski season is still a couple of months off but the boys couldn't resist riding on the old J Bar when we went for a hike up the hill.

I think I already posted this picture but it is so perfect I couldn't resist.

The gang after we closed the cottage.

I have a hair appointment next week

I can't take all the credit but I did choose him

I was 23 years old when I married him and now on our 23rd anniversary, I love him even more than I did way back then. 

"I feel good with my husband: I like his warmth and his bigness and his being-there and his making and his jokes and stories and what he reads and how he likes fishing and walks and pigs and foxes and little animals and is honest and not vain or fame-crazy and how he shows his gladness for what I cook him and joy for when I make him something, a poem or a cake, and how he is troubled when I am unhappy and wants to do anything so I can fight out my soul-battles and grow up with courage and a philosophical ease. I love his good smell and his body that fits with mine as if they were made in the same body-shop to do just that. What is only pieces, doled out here and there to this boy and that boy, that made me like pieces of them, is all jammed together in my husband. So I don’t want to look around any more: I don’t need to look around for anything."

—Sylvia Plath

So much to be thankful for

Up here in the Great (not quite) White North we celebrated Thanksgiving this past weekend and for many people, including my family, it is the time when cottages are closed up for the winter. It is a bittersweet time of year, the days are crystal clear and cold. The fall colours are at their peak and the smell of wood smoke fills the air, along with turkey cooking and pies baking. It is my favourite time of the year, this coming Sunday my Other Half and I will celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary and I will have officially spent half of my life with this man as we were married when I was a mere 23 years of age (not 12, as I like to say). The pool is closed, the sailboat in dry dock, my horse is wearing his winter blanket most days, I have on boots and a cozy sweater and the boys are gearing up for ski season. 

Yes, it is bittersweet to say goodbye to summer but I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. I love the changing seasons, each one bringing something to look forward to. Here are a few photos of fall in our neck of the woods.

One lone red maple leaf on a bed of pine needles floating in the lake

Ready for a canoe trip

The raison d'etre for having a teenage boy

(he doesn't mind swimming in frigid water to take out the raft)

Final early morning row on the lake

Putting the cabin to bed for a long winter's nap

(and hoping it's still standing in the spring)

Leaf jumping for joy

The work crew finally gets to climb up on the roof

Cam on a cold tin roof

The floor show

My Favourite Time of Year

Happy Horses

I know, I know ... it's been a while

Not just a while but a very long while encompassing a very long summer and an already busy fall. We had home-from-camp early drama (don't know if I'll ever get over having to bring No. 2 Son home on Visitor's Day or the camp's non-existant response to the issues) as well as the all-3-boys-are-home-at-the-same-time drama for the other 7 weeks of the summer. But everyone survived.

My Happy Place

My Other Half and I had exactly 48 hours alone all summer and we packed in as much as possible. I finally got him on a horse and he survived. We went sailing and had dinner out. Too short but we are planning another getaway to celebrate our *gasp* 23rd anniversary next month. The four days we are away next week delivering boats doesn't count.

Two of my favourite males

So now everyone is back at school and relatively happy, Numbers 2 & 3 have the teachers they want. No. 3 went through some educational assessment testing this summer and his teacher is working on an IEP for him which we are greeting with enthusiasm but also with some trepidation as I am wary of too many accommodations being made so that he can get through school. But I have also found a wonderful after school tutor who will be henceforth be known as his "reading coach." Already he is happier at school, doing homework and in general.

Of course now that it is almost officially fall the boys are counting down the days til the *brrr* snow started falling and they can get back on their skis. No. 1 spent 10 days on a glacier at Mount Hood, Oregon and is keener than ever (if that is possible) He will be heading back to Colorado in November and No. 2 to Vermont in December. We are, if nothing else, a ski-crazy family, much like I imagine football or baseball-obessed people are down south.

On the snow in August

No. 1 survived the first week of high school. The bus, the older kids, the maze of hallways and timetable and seems to be settling in. The only problem for all the boys is that there is a work action (or inaction depending on your view point) by our public school teachers which means there are no extra curriculars being offered. No school teams or clubs or extras which is particularly tough on No. 2 Son who has waited for 6 years to be able to try out for a school team in grade 7. I believe that both the government and the teachers are at fault this time but of course it is only the kids who are being affected.

What else? Let's see, I am no longer cheese mongering but rather spending more time on supporting our own business through the website and of course, tagging along on deliveries to places like Maine and Rhode Island where I can visit friends. I have started going to Pilates again and hope to get, if not back into shape, at lease be less creaky and cranky. Unfortunately I seem to be suffering from "Chuck It Elbow" a common affliction amongst owners of ball-obsessed dogs.

We spend hours at the beach throwing things

And, while there are no guaranties that I will be posting with any regularity for those of you who might drop by, I will attempt to put up something new to look at every once in a while, in the meantime I am on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest far too often of you want to find me.