tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86952636712113569942024-03-13T13:30:24.063-04:00Our little Northern LifeThe everyday fun of raising a child in the north. Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.comBlogger187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-34570618668544522422014-03-05T22:12:00.000-05:002014-03-05T22:12:22.975-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-81031002839766080272014-03-03T21:37:00.000-05:002014-03-03T21:38:02.549-05:00This Week's Menu<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last week was another busy week at our house but for the most part, we were able to stay on track menu wise. The PF Chang's Chicken was simply amazing as always and the rest of the week was pretty good too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week will be another simple week (I seem to say that often) but it's true. I'll be on the go as always with the kiddos, Jason has come down with a cold and we're heading home this weekend so we need to prepare for that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Saturday</b>: Steak with <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/inthekitchen/2013/01/steak-with-peppercorn-brandy-sauce.html" target="_blank">peppercorn sauce</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Sunday</b>: Supper at my mom's</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Monday</b>: <strike>Pasta with rose sauce</strike> Homemade soup for my sickly husband</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Tuesday</b>: Sausage with jasmine rice</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Wednesday</b>: <a href="http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/01/super-bean-burritos.html" target="_blank">Super Bean Burrito</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Thursday</b>: Pizza</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Friday:</b> Fast food</span></div>
Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-59885695029174758602014-02-26T21:44:00.001-05:002014-02-26T21:44:48.330-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-25612934130631539682014-02-25T08:23:00.000-05:002014-02-25T08:23:00.370-05:00Tips and Tricks: Making gravy<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Gravy</span><br /> </b><i>noun</i><br /> Sauce made from the drippings of cooked meat. Known for making all food delicious. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Making gravy is super simple, but it occurred to me that not everyone knows how. These directions are for (a small) chicken gravy and I've even broken it down into steps for added simplicity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Step 1</b>: Prepare the bird. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the bottom of my roasting pan, I put: 1/2 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 celery and 1 carrot; all cut into chunks. I then add two bay leaves, a carton of chicken broth (sodium reduced) and salt, thyme and lots of pepper on the chicken.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Step 2</b>: Cook the bird.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cook at 400F for 20-30 minutes uncovered, then cover and bake at 300F until cooked. (Times will vary depending on size of bird but I always give myself 3 hours, which is more then enough.) The </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">bird is cooked when it has reached an internal temperature of 185F. It's usually doing the splits at this point.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><br /><b>Step 3</b>: Separate the stock</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once the bird is cooked, remove from pan and tent it (place foil over top) on a plate so it can rest. Remove the big bits from the stock and let the stock sit, so it will separate. The fat will float to the top, with the stock staying in the bottom.<br /><br /><b>Optional Step, part A</b>: Make a roux: Gently spoon out the fat and put in a small saucepan. Add in a tbsp or two of <a href="http://groceriesdelivered.ca/condiments/gravy-sauce-mixes/bistro-traditional-savoury-poultry-gravy-227-gr.html" target="_blank">Bisto Savoury Gravy</a> or you can simply use flour. Cook on medium heat for a couple minutes, whisking constantly. It may become chunky, that's normal but do not brown the flour if you go that route.<br /><b>Optional Step, part B</b>: Add in the remainder of your stock and continue heating, whisking frequently. Any chunks should disappear with the whisking. Bring to a gentle boil (you may need to turn down the heat). Proceed to step 5.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Step 4</b>: Gently spoon off some of the fat and discard. Place stock in a sauce pan over medium heat, whisking frequently. Bring to a gentle boil. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Step 5</b>: Make a slurry: put a heaping tablespoon of cornstarch in a mug, add enough water to dissolve it completely (1/4 to 1/3 cup). Slowly pour small amounts of your cornstarch mixture into the stock while whisking. You'll notice it thicken as it boils.<b> It must boil to thicken</b>. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If after adding all of your slurry, you find the gravy not thick enough, make more and add it in (just remember, the gravy will thicken slightly as it cools). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Congratulations!! You've made gravy!! </span><br />
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<br />Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-50254242108553465532014-02-24T11:10:00.000-05:002014-02-24T11:13:33.395-05:00This Week's Menu<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last week I didn't do a menu post for a couple reasons: a) I forgot and b) it wasn't very exciting and changed a couple times. My lovely husband was out of town Wednesday and didn't have supper with us on Thursday so it made for simple, quick meals. Super simple actually, my mom took us out for supper on Wednesday! The other nights I made Lasagna, <a href="http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/01/super-bean-burritos.html" target="_blank">Super Bean Burritos</a> (again) and <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/inthekitchen/2012/02/stefanos-mac-and-cheese.html" target="_blank">Mac and Cheese</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week's menu will be as follows: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Saturday</b>: Salad with <a href="http://iowagirleats.com/2011/04/26/p-f-changs-lettuce-wraps-remade/" target="_blank">ground chicken</a> in a taco bowl.<br />I can't get enough of the PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps recipe. I am seriously in love. Especially when I can get a pound of ground chicken for $4! Hello, cheap dinner!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Sunday</b>: Whole chicken with mashed potatoes, stuffing, veg and gravy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Monday</b>: Leftovers. With Cauliflower</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Tuesday</b>: Pizza with (hopefully) chicken on it</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Wednesday</b>: Pork chops with rice</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Thursday</b>: Pasta with <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sauce-rosee/" target="_blank">rose sauce</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For this recipe I just skip the wine and use more broth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Friday</b>: TBA</span>Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-51522489094246037922014-02-12T13:23:00.000-05:002014-02-12T13:23:00.575-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-77701939868254127882014-02-11T14:06:00.002-05:002014-02-11T14:06:50.178-05:00Tips and Tricks: Quick Homemade Spaghetti Sauce<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We love spaghetti in this house, especially homemade but it can take forever to make. Meatballs are another hit, but again, take forever. My solution: cans of pre-seasoned tomatoes and italian sausage. Sounds crazy? Probably, but hey it tastes good. </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Step 1</b>: Set your oven to 350F. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Step 2</b>: Make the sauce:<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1 tbsp of Olive Oil (optional)<br />Small (or half a regular) Onion, Diced (optional)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2-3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped (optional)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tbsp of Italian Herbs (ie: Oregano, Basil, Marjoram, Rosemary, Thyme) (optional)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 can of Diced Tomatoes with Italian Spices (I like to use Aylmer, no salt added and often on sale!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 can of Diced Tomatoes </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5 cubes of Frozen Chicken Broth (just over 1/2 cup)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tbsp of White Sugar<br />Salt and Pepper to taste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Saute the onion and the garlic in olive oil until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add in herbs and stir around, followed by the tomatoes, broth and sugar. (At this point I start the meatballs) Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer with lid slightly ajar. I like to let it simmer for at least an hour, stirring every 10 minutes or so. <br /><br /><b>Step 3</b>: Make the meatballs:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cut the sausage into equal size chunks, about half to one inch wide. Place sausage "balls" on a baking sheet. Put into the preheated oven and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on size. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Step 4</b>: Start cooking the noodles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Directions are on the box of spaghetti. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Step 5</b>: Finish up the sauce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With an immersion blender, puree the sauce until it has reached your desired consistency. Add in the meatballs and voila! You have yummy homemade spaghetti and meatballs. </span></div>
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Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-33293961244604790222014-02-10T11:14:00.000-05:002014-02-11T11:14:24.348-05:00This Week's Menu<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last week was short and it was great! We had lettuce wraps, which are quite possibly my favourite meal. I love those things! This time we changed it up though: I just got up the lettuce and put the meat mixture on top. We also had bean burritos again, and again, they were awesome! Especially with a little bit of fresh lime squeezed on top. Yum. I ended up making a Sweet Potato/Carrot/White Potato mash to go with the chicken and it was also really good. It was nice to have something other then the standard rice or potatoes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week we strayed from our routine. We went to the grocery store Saturday planning on just picking up fruit, but ended up doing our groceries. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Saturday</b>: <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/inthekitchen/2013/01/steak-with-peppercorn-brandy-sauce.html" style="background-color: white; color: #339933; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Moose steaks with peppercorn sauce</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> and </span><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/filet-of-sole-on-barley-and-veg-with-grainy-mustard-sauce/11385/" style="background-color: white; color: #339933; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Barley with vegetables</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Sunday</b>: Weekly supper at my moms</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Monday</b>: "Homemade" Spaghetti with "meatballs"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'll be posting in this week's Tips and Tricks what exactly this means. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Tuesday</b>: Chicken thighs with sweet potato oven fries</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I flipped through a cookbook while visiting my dad and came across sweet potato wedge fries. Basically you slice them on a mandolin, toss in olive oil and bake in the oven. We'll try it and see what happens.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Wednesday</b>: Freezer dive</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Thursday</b>: <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/147000375310040147/" target="_blank">Lettuce wraps</a> and rice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I seriously love these things! And when the ground chicken was on sale cheap, I picked up 3 for the freezer, so it's technically a freezer dive. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Friday</b>: Pizza!</span><br />
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<br />Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-39809444669343083082014-02-05T22:12:00.000-05:002014-02-11T11:24:53.437-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-31821448785388184762014-02-04T11:03:00.000-05:002014-02-11T11:14:35.567-05:00This Week's Menu<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last week was good. We were busy prepping and getting ready to go home that the week just flew by. I had planned to make some sort of burrito on Wednesday, preferably meatless. After quite a bit of searching, I found this recipe for <a href="http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/01/super-bean-burritos.html" target="_blank">Super Bean Burritos</a> and boy was it good!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week's menu won't be complicated, since we didn't get home until last night and we're exhausted. It's always enjoyable going home, but late nights and early mornings take a toll.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Monday</b>: We bummed supper at my mom's</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Tuesday</b>: <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/147000375310040147/" target="_blank">Lettuce Wraps</a> with Jasmine Rice</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Wednesday</b>: <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/147000375308541450/" target="_blank">Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken</a> with Sweet Potato something</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Thursday</b>: <a href="http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/01/super-bean-burritos.html" target="_blank">Bean Burritos</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Friday</b>: Pizza!!</span><br />
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<br />Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-56168343918314891602014-01-29T22:15:00.001-05:002014-01-29T22:15:20.421-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-84227845339977949292014-01-28T22:30:00.000-05:002014-01-28T23:39:37.726-05:00Tips and Tricks Tuesday<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I use chicken broth frequently when I cook. It's a simple way to add great flavour to dishes - from rice to spaghetti sauce to soups. A simple way to cut down on the cost of buying is to make your own and freeze it. My favourite way is in ice cube trays. Most trays are 2 tbsp, making a perfect size for throwing a couple in a dish. Once they are frozen, I simply throw them into a ziploc freezer bag for more practical storage. I'll also freeze them in 1 cup bags for when I make things like soup. </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Making your own chicken broth is also super easy, here are a couple different ways:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With a turkey neck</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You'll need: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 turkey neck</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 carrot, roughly chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 celery, roughly chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 small onion, roughly chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2-3 bay leaves</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp to 1 tbsp peppercorns</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5 cups water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Place all of the ingredients in a pot and simmer on low for 2-4 hours. Strain. Broth will keep in fridge for up to a week, longer when frozen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is my favourite way to make broth. I always make it when I cook a turkey, I just combine the broth from the actual turkey then freeze. The more broth the better!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When cooking a turkey or chicken</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Place the same ingredients as above in a roaster with turkey (or chicken). Use less water, about 4 cups. For a really flavourful tasting broth (and gravy), use chicken broth instead of water. Dress the bird as you wish. <u>Cover</u> to cook - you don't want all those juices evaporating!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Alternatively, you can cook a chicken in a crockpot. I use approximately 3 cups of water since the crockpot really traps all moisture. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Making broth from chicken bones</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You can do the same as the neck method with the carcass. Simply use enough water to almost cover the carcass, you may want to double the vegetables though. Since the bones are already cooked, this method takes considerably longer - approximately 8 hours. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Whichever method you choose, taste test the broth to ensure it has the desired "strength". </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Happy simmering!</span></div>
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Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-69931412661948322802014-01-26T22:57:00.001-05:002014-01-26T23:13:10.837-05:00This Week's Menu<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last week turned out really good. The turkey was amazing, as turkey always is. The mustard sauce for the pulled pork was really good, the pork was ok. I don't *love* pork shoulder in general, so it's hard for me to rave about it.<br /><br /><br />This week's menu is all about freezer diving. We cleaned out / organized our freezers yesterday and realized we have a ton of food in them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Saturday</b>: We went out for supper at the fancy restaurant with friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Sunday</b>: Shepard's pie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Monday</b>: Porchetta with rice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We bought this back in November from the fancy grocery store in the next city over. We cooked half and froze the other. It was delish and I can't wait for Monday!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Tuesday</b>: Whole chicken with mashed potatoes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes, we vacuumed sealed a whole chicken. I'll throw it in the crockpot in the morning with an onion, some garlic, bay leaves, salt, pepper, thyme and a couple broth ice cubes. The skin won't get crispy, but it'll give me a really good broth. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Wednesday</b>: some sort of burritos</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Thursday</b>: Finger foods and spicy fries.<br />The only processed food in the freezer. We have it on hand for the desperate or lazy nights. I foresee Thursday as being a lazy night. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Friday</b>: We'll be travelling back home for Annabel's baptism Sunday, so Wendy's?</span><br />
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Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-81294104488763417002014-01-22T21:37:00.003-05:002014-01-22T21:37:58.501-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-16032602575612014022014-01-20T22:08:00.000-05:002014-01-26T22:58:19.918-05:00This Week's Menu<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We have a renewed sense of living on the cheap here at Our little Northern Life. So as a result, our weekly menus are even more simplified. We only buy meat if it's on sale (and at a good price) and frequently freezer dive. But here's the thing with freezer diving in our house - we freezer dive for real food. We've stopped buying processed food and we've noticed a big difference on our grocery bill. That's not to say that we've stopped striving for low bills though. If our bill is under $100 per week - I consider that a huge success! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With that said, this week's flyer was uninspiring. (Yes, flyer, singular - we only have one grocery store.) We bought a pork roast for pulled pork and some sausage, that's it in terms of meat. So we decided to cook the turkey we had in the freezer on Sunday, which would give us 2 additional meals, plus lunches, plus at least one freezer package. We also have some wild meat in there, so we had that with a relatively new recipe - barley and vegetables. So good, so easy. Anyway, enough with the jibber jabber, onto the menu:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Saturday</b>: <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/inthekitchen/2013/01/steak-with-peppercorn-brandy-sauce.html" target="_blank">Moose steaks with peppercorn sauce</a> and <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/filet-of-sole-on-barley-and-veg-with-grainy-mustard-sauce/11385/" target="_blank">Barley with vegetables</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I made a few alterations on these recipes since I didn't have all the ingredients on hand. For the peppercorn sauce: thyme sprig = dried thyme, green peppercorns = fresh cracked pepper, grainy dijon mustard = regular dijon mustard and I skipped the brandy altogether. For the barley, I simply made it with carrots, celery, onion and beef broth for the liquid. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Sunday</b>: Turkey with mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Monday</b>: Turkey Quesadillas</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Tuesday</b>: <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/inthekitchen/2014/01/smoky-pulled-pork-sandwiches-with-mustard-bbq-sauce.html" target="_blank">Pulled pork with mustard bbq sauce</a> and macaroni salad</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Again for this pulled pork recipe I didn't have all the ingredients, such as the bacon, thyme, jalapeno and grainy mustard. I just skipped them, except the grainy mustard where again I used dijon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Wednesday</b>: <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/bestrecipes/2011/03/fettuccine-alfredo-with-broccoli.html" target="_blank">Fettucini alfredo</a> with turkey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Thursday</b>: Sausage and basmati rice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Friday</b>: Pizza!</span></div>
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Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-42406423633379469592014-01-13T22:34:00.000-05:002014-01-21T19:47:07.443-05:00Wonderful Two<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's happened. My baby boy is two. TWO! Where has time gone? It seems like just yesterday he was this itty bitty baby, now he's a robust toddler, full of energy and laughter.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm03OMEkG7aVLR2IRKsEvTv3Leg6yBm2cz69Ur78-765GNgFEl1tMICJhuZ-T5yuwvbAWF1Mp3LQW7BBqv1VcudlkIg3dSNluxhrc25PBN5klpOB3BCmIyXDpYjvCbxSxhu6UHa4gWKqDm/s1600/IMG_0956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm03OMEkG7aVLR2IRKsEvTv3Leg6yBm2cz69Ur78-765GNgFEl1tMICJhuZ-T5yuwvbAWF1Mp3LQW7BBqv1VcudlkIg3dSNluxhrc25PBN5klpOB3BCmIyXDpYjvCbxSxhu6UHa4gWKqDm/s1600/IMG_0956.jpg" height="320" style="cursor: move;" width="213" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To celebrate his birthday, we had a small party with his grandparents, my aunt, uncle and his girlfriend. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWLkQlsNjHsOBEiJgN9mT50K9S3lT8k2Ssf8FLIzyFVb5cusrZfQqV3YtxNY7NZqPeVEDz3mr6WUDfUNK4ZgNx9F6hVf9hcjV-4HlD85Kcr-TWYserVEnFl7VVp2vni6o3twk3tM6O9WV/s1600/IMG_0943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWLkQlsNjHsOBEiJgN9mT50K9S3lT8k2Ssf8FLIzyFVb5cusrZfQqV3YtxNY7NZqPeVEDz3mr6WUDfUNK4ZgNx9F6hVf9hcjV-4HlD85Kcr-TWYserVEnFl7VVp2vni6o3twk3tM6O9WV/s1600/IMG_0943.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We picked up some helium balloons and I've got to say, best money ever spent. He was so excited when he woke up to discover them in the hallway. Then it was an all new excitement when he saw the regular ones on the ground!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We decided on a train theme since he's still in love with Thomas. I didn't go overboard though, just the cake and his shirt. Speaking of cake, I got a little ambitious this year. I followed the Betty Crocker tutorial and it turned out quite well. It tasted good too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We kept supper simple too, homemade lasagna, ceasar salad and bread. My lovely husband spent the entire day cooking, but it was so worth it since it was so good!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kaleb's birthday was a wonderful evening and I'm so glad to have such wonderful family and friends! Now onto the terrible twos....</span><br />
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<br />Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-65963421812597795382014-01-07T22:03:00.000-05:002014-01-20T23:26:00.185-05:00Year in Review<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Well, what can I say, 2013 has been quite the year for our family. Our baby blossomed into an active toddler and we welcomed a new addition. <br /><br />January saw me going back to work after been on maternity leave for a year. That was very difficult for all of us. It meant that I had to leave my baby boy at the babysitters every morning, me fighting tears, him in a full out freak out. After almost two months, he was able to be dropped off with no tears shed! It was also an adjustment for family life and dynamic. I was no longer able to get laundry, vacuuming, even supper done in the same way as before but by the end if February, we had our new schedule down. In January we also found out that I was pregnant!<br /><br />The rest of the winter was pretty uneventful, Kaleb went to swimming lessons, Jason and I worked, I kept the new baby safe and warm.<br /><br />May brought warm weather, meaning Kaleb could go out and play more, and we could start yard work and the gardens. We were lucky enough to receive a play set from the neighbours and Jason built a sand box for Kaleb. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">June and July brought us beautiful weather, which means camping! It was a little different this year since Kaleb slept in the bunks, but he loved it. We were also able to enjoy outings at the splash pad in town. <br /><br />The end of July and beginning August was very rainy this year making things sucky. We did however still go camping for a week at Jason's parent's campground, followed by our annual weekend camping trip with our friends. I also went on sick leave in the middle of august so I was able to enjoy the end of summer relaxing in the shade. <br /><br />September was exciting, we welcomed our baby girl Annabel! We were so overjoyed to have her, we now have the perfect millionaires family as they say. We also welcomed a hockey player from the local team into our home for the season. He's actually one of Jason's students and has been a great guest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The fall was all about adjusting to life with 2 under 2 for me. It is both rewarding and challenging. I truly believe we had her at the right time, Kaleb is old enough that he likes to help, but young enough that he doesn't get into too much trouble playing on his own when need be. He also loves his sister to pieces, showering her with kisses. <br /><br />December was full of fun. Annabel's tummy troubles subsided, I got her sleeping on track and she became so chill, the world's best baby. Kaleb became potty trained at the beginning of the month and has been doing so well. We also celebrated 3 different Christmases, meaning Kaleb got thoroughly spoiled, as did Annabel. <br /><br />If the way 2013 is ending is any indication on what 2014 is going to look like, we are going to have an awesome year, full of family, friends and laughter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Wishing you all the best in the coming year</span>.</div>
Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-84533774021801313942014-01-02T22:23:00.000-05:002014-01-20T22:32:37.698-05:00Annabel<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here she is! Little miss Annabel </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Born September 17, 2013 at 6:22 a.m.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">8 pounds, 2 ounces and 21.5 inches long.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Obviously it's been some time between her birth and this post. This photo was actually from when she was a month old and is quite possibly my favourite photos of her. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Her birth was very long. Very very long considering it was my second time in less then 2 years. I was in early-labour for 3 days. In real labour for 20 hours. It's all but a distant memory now though, as she lights up our life in more ways then we could have ever imagined. </span></div>
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Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-85983916507941872572013-09-07T22:50:00.002-04:002013-09-07T22:50:58.420-04:00August<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing in the rain.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So apparently I didn't write a post in August. Oops. So here's a bit of a recap....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My last day of being physically at work was the 1st and I started vacation! We spent the week camping with Jason's parents at a private campground. It was fun, but the week was definitely too short. It doesn't help that we only had a few nice days of decent weather and even then, describing it as "decent" is a bit of a stretch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Friday we packed up and headed to Esker Lakes Provincial Park for the weekend. We met up with 3 other couples and their kids and had a blast. We happened to be there at the perfect time, the blueberries were in season! And this park is full of blueberries. Like, walk out of our trailer and pick blueberries full. It was awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After that we spent the next two weeks catching up on all sorts of stuff at home. We also went to the campground where my mom is for a weekend. One of my friends got married in the city near us, so we took full advantage and went for our a kid free weekend. It was actually one of the first times that we leave Kaleb for that long. It was nice but we definitely missed him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sadly Jason had to go back to work the last week of August and it's been a bit of an adjustment for all of us. Poor Kaleb wakes up every morning asking for Papa. His excitement when papa arrives at 5 is just adorable though!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Summer time fun.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh and I'm still pregnant. Very pregnant. But we're in the home stretch now. Baby should be here within 3 weeks! Eek!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hope you had a great summer and here's to an amazing fall!</span>Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-138271472738463072013-09-04T21:36:00.001-04:002013-09-04T21:50:40.297-04:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-38338092762713130542013-07-30T21:55:00.000-04:002013-07-30T21:55:02.692-04:00Homemade Greek Yogurt<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've been toying with the idea of trying to make my own yogurt for awhile now, and with literally 100s of recipes online, it really is a matter of just picking one. Last week one of the ladies from my mommy group posted a recipe for <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2012/03/08/diy-greek-yogurt/" target="_blank">Homemade Greek Yogurt</a> that looked so easy. Knowing she had great success, I thought I'd give it a try. </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm not going to go into grand details since I followed <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2012/03/08/diy-greek-yogurt/" target="_blank">the recipe</a> pretty much exactly (except I halved it) but here is the rundown:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Heat up 4 cups of milk in a saucepan until it reaches 180F exactly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Let it cool until it is between 110-120F</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Stir in 1 tsp of plain yogurt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Let it incubate for 8-12 hours in the oven (we left ours for 12 hours)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Strain</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Mix in flavour. We added about a 1 tsp of vanilla and 1.5 tbsp of honey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There's a few things I wanted to mention:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2012/03/08/diy-greek-yogurt/" target="_blank">This recipe</a> is super super easy, but slightly time consuming. It took about an hour to heat up, then cool down the milk to the desired temperatures. However after that was done, I just put the bowl in the oven overnight. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jason took it out the next morning since I was at work and left it to strain for several hours in the fridge. We weren't sure how long we were suppose to leave it, so we just let it hang until supper time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Unless you like plain yogurt, you pretty much need to add a sweetener of some kind. This time we chose honey, next time I think we'll try maple syrup. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In conclusion, we'll definitely be doing this again!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2012/03/08/diy-greek-yogurt/" target="_blank">Click here for the recipe</a>. </span></div>
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Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-63998030974108203512013-07-28T22:23:00.003-04:002013-07-28T22:23:49.369-04:00Kitchen? check!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This weekend's nesting target was the kitchen. The very much over due kitchen. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We (mostly Jason) ended up cleaning almost all the cupboards. And I am so grateful, because now our kitchen is truly clean and organized. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He started by tackling the lazy susan containing my baking ingredients. Turns out there was mould in a the back corners! Gross. So he ended up actually taking everything out, including the lazy susan itself. He then washed and repainted the cupboards. We decided to move the pots and pans into that corner, and take the food out, in case the mould reappears. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Which means we then tackled the former pot and pan cupboard, cleaning it then putting my baking supplies away in an organized fashion (because that is how I roll). I was also able to continue my mason jar obsession. I seriously love mason jars. They are great to store stuff, especially things that you want to keep fresh like spices, herbs, nuts and the all important chocolate chips. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After that, he worked on the drawers with Kaleb. I'm sad that I missed that. They did an excellent job and now instead of being a complete upside down mess, we can easily find what we're looking for. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They also did the lazy susan with our canned goods, pasts, soups and stuff. Ever since we made a conscious effort to "clean" eating, that cupboard is quite bare. Same goes for our chips, crackers and snacks cupboard. That one Jason and I did during nap time today. Jason also cleaned the cupboard that contains all the electric gadgets and the oven drawer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So basically, our kitchen is spotless and organized, just the way this nesting mama likes it. Next stop: closets. </span>Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-46433502500351070492013-07-28T21:50:00.004-04:002014-01-26T23:09:56.857-05:00This Week's Menu<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We will be busy packing all week for our vacation, so this week's menu consists of easy food choices! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Saturday</b>: Steak, Potatoes and Ceasar Salad</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Sunday</b>: Taco night</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Monday</b>: Chicken thighs with oven fries</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Tuesday</b>: Pork Chops and Rice</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Wednesday</b>: Sausage</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Thursday</b>: Pizza</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Friday</b>: TBA - we'll be on VACATION!!!!!!! (I'm not excited at all)</span>Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-59954304444991855002013-07-24T22:02:00.001-04:002013-07-24T22:02:47.368-04:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695263671211356994.post-29895871171134465142013-07-22T22:02:00.000-04:002013-07-22T22:03:12.735-04:00Nesting? Yes please!<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The nesting instinct has hit full force and it's glorious. Why? Because with Kaleb I didn't get "it" until far along in my pregnancy and by then I was too exhausted and sick to do anything. This time around, however, watch out junk!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgta_9V9QT-M4KaeuK6ZTJ8r_5qnwxL0LYo7Ed5EFtKaVs62KpTTxyNSZbELMxsVOb6WG1ltIgGbuxX4V5AUCZtcdRgi3YBrgYwleG9DoOcv5ykhRU76quczL-DHTZlNoMtcv55GDc119sa/s1600/IMG_9015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgta_9V9QT-M4KaeuK6ZTJ8r_5qnwxL0LYo7Ed5EFtKaVs62KpTTxyNSZbELMxsVOb6WG1ltIgGbuxX4V5AUCZtcdRgi3YBrgYwleG9DoOcv5ykhRU76quczL-DHTZlNoMtcv55GDc119sa/s200/IMG_9015.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So we spent the weekend organizing the kids' room. My original plan in life was to repaint the room a steel grey colour and have an airplane theme going on, but then I got pregnant and with a 50/50 chance of having a girl we've decided to keep it gender neutral. So half of the room has airplanes going on, and the other half will be baby. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBijctr4DoLafzMJIjH3038CUsIrmh0d5BM9jh0t0vCCmnraC9I2Y5pxxNe-clX6SgkTWM9iclyIpQE25EKJtXMbEfX7PNv8RkNJCXnH9G9temFAuJuhlGy0ShMc1Vzbc3t6wPkH4T7oF/s1600/IMG_9017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBijctr4DoLafzMJIjH3038CUsIrmh0d5BM9jh0t0vCCmnraC9I2Y5pxxNe-clX6SgkTWM9iclyIpQE25EKJtXMbEfX7PNv8RkNJCXnH9G9temFAuJuhlGy0ShMc1Vzbc3t6wPkH4T7oF/s200/IMG_9017.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We started by pulling out one of the dressers, to make room for Kaleb's big boy bed (which he absolutely loves!!) and placing everything in a way that works. Small space design is not my thing, and it took a while to get everything the way I wanted. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchDqEa3xj-lIo5SWGysbp7cWPuDWIQyC0_Pr6tCj-oexl5tmVQj_ocp4sUyDuWmjw4hHaUcDT2-w-Z_yyu74NHcKWNLm9tDfjIFwFnmfhCQmEak44xjCPMvzaNZUpsiMg3uKF8NCuC3Hk/s1600/IMG_9019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchDqEa3xj-lIo5SWGysbp7cWPuDWIQyC0_Pr6tCj-oexl5tmVQj_ocp4sUyDuWmjw4hHaUcDT2-w-Z_yyu74NHcKWNLm9tDfjIFwFnmfhCQmEak44xjCPMvzaNZUpsiMg3uKF8NCuC3Hk/s200/IMG_9019.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We then had make room in the closet for all the stuff that was in the dresser, as well as all of Kaleb's clothes that are in the change table dresser. In that one we'll have all of their diapers as well as the baby's sleepers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jason installed a little hook thing for Kaleb's sweatshirts, which he also loves. When we want him to wear one, we just ask that he go get a sweater and he picks one out and tries to put it on! It's sooo adorable!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysTKu9VvWUIuSIbCI9wesIe359VGOGs94CQOKcFQKuB-W6d1B_TWHZK2sh59oBemGuFtJv8OlzkAcjR4c7LKqUQ9ksJgdeaa4q3VELjRwQNwqRPUwIKKfk3KMKQwPkUnK_8rbQ1i3XUTH/s1600/IMG_9021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysTKu9VvWUIuSIbCI9wesIe359VGOGs94CQOKcFQKuB-W6d1B_TWHZK2sh59oBemGuFtJv8OlzkAcjR4c7LKqUQ9ksJgdeaa4q3VELjRwQNwqRPUwIKKfk3KMKQwPkUnK_8rbQ1i3XUTH/s200/IMG_9021.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We also put up frames that we got for Christmas and his birthday and hung model airplanes from the ceiling. Turns out aligning four crooked metal frames is not easy, and so they are not perfect but will do. I really like the way the model planes turned out though. Jason has two more at work that we'll hang as well. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivb0Rkqyo6v7N8ZvALDCQa66N9qhyphenhyphenB269aElp_hVhkBNH72TC0lU9IoG1rwTWMicHRV4C-fmNyNdi9jjb7H9eXG30nl-F7ylHjTWO_HBlXV0Aa0ZjNco9SoknY59H8bYYj9oOL7TDWmCFA/s1600/IMG_9012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivb0Rkqyo6v7N8ZvALDCQa66N9qhyphenhyphenB269aElp_hVhkBNH72TC0lU9IoG1rwTWMicHRV4C-fmNyNdi9jjb7H9eXG30nl-F7ylHjTWO_HBlXV0Aa0ZjNco9SoknY59H8bYYj9oOL7TDWmCFA/s200/IMG_9012.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Finally, I put up the wooden letters on the door that I had painted last fall. I used that blue sticky stuff and it worked like a charm! I decided on that instead of something more permanent since our grand plan is to renovate and move into the basement this winter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In between all that we also decluttered and scrubbed the kitchen and dining room. So half our house looks simply amazing and I can't wait to finish everything else on my massive list. </span></div>
Sara@OurlittleNorthernLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004020467923825392noreply@blogger.com0