Candy Cane Cheesecake

We had our annual Christmas potluck at work yesterday, and I decided to bring a Christmas-y dessert. I found this recipe online, and it turned out beautifully. The mint flavour was very subtle, and the crushed candy canes on top were very pretty. Plus, it tasted delicious.



picture from www.kraft.ca

Ingredients

• 1 cup graham crumbs
• 3/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp. sugar, divided
• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 5 squares white chocolate, divided
• 3 pkg.cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
• 3 eggs
• 1 tub Cool Whip, thawed
• 1/2 cup crushed candy canes

  Directions

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Mix crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 min.
• Melt 4 chocolate squares as directed on package. Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add melted chocolate and extract; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended; pour over crust.
• Bake 45 to 50 min. or until centre is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours. Grate remaining chocolate square. Top cheesecake with Cool Whip, crushed candy and grated chocolate just before serving.

NOTE: I used a food processor to crush the candy canes. You don't really want any big chunks, because that texture doesn't match the smoothness of the cheesecake.

Dog Sledding

I was cleaning out my inbox today and came across some pictures from my dog-sledding adventure my parents and I took last December when they were up visiting us.

I should probably mention that it absolutely killed Dad that his dog team rode BEHIND ours all the way to the halfway point. I could hear him killing himself behind me, hollering at those dogs and calling out all sorts of commands he made up that he thought sounded encouraging. I am sure the dogs had no sweet clue what he wanted them to do.

When it was time to turn around and head back to town, Dad innocently suggested we might want to switch dog teams "just to see" if the issue was dog- or captain-related.

Me and my captain Scott



Mom, you've never looked better



Scott and I in the lead, and Mom & Dad bringing up the rear

Only Mom would wear a pink scarf and lipstick while dog-sledding

The Toughest Kids I Know

Growing up, snow days were probably the best days of the year. Sometimes you would wake-up only to turn on the radio and hear that school was cancelled. Other days, your Mom would sneak in and whisper "school's cancelled". As a kid, sweeter words were never spoken.

These days, snow days are harder to come by on the east coast. Some genius came up with the idea to open schools, but to leave it up to parents to determine how to get their kids there. I mean, the roads are bad enough that a bus carrying 40 kids can't make it, but let's clog up the slushy streets with 40 frantic parents trying to get their cranky-ass kid to school and still make it to work on time. That there's a brilliant idea.

Now, what amazes me about the north is that school here never closes. Never. We sort of avoid the whole messiness that the east coast gets with slush, freezing rain, high winds and all that loveliness. Yellowknife goes from summer to winter overnight. So six straight months of winter make people pretty hearty.

The people that amaze me most are the kids. A few weeks ago Brent and I were driving to work. Our route takes us right past an elementary school. It was 8:30am, pitch black outside, -42 degrees, and there were kids swinging on the playground. This particular school happens to be right across the street from where I work, and every day at lunch time the kids go outside to play. Everyday, all winter long. And winter her means the temperature is below  zero for six straight months. Imagine telling a teacher in Nova Scotia that they had outdoor lunch duty on a day when the temperature was -40.

Ugly, yet functional

The difference is that people here have the gear to survive the outdoors in winter. The right clothing, hats, mitts, boots and all that. But with the proper clothing comes two hefty price tags: your sense of style, and the literal price tag. Outdoor gear is freaking expensive ($600 for the right jacket) and ugly as hell. It is not uncommon to see Yellowknifers go to a fancy restaurant, and strip off their snow pants right at their table.

Check out this website for more pics of people venturing out in the freezing cold (-49): http://lifeintheknife.com/yellowknife-and-the-dettah-ice-road-in-february/

Cinnamon Rolls

I can't believe it has taken me this long to put up this recipe. These are the yummiest cinnamon rolls I have ever eaten. One day at work, my coworkers and I spent almost an entire lunch break discussing cinnamon rolls. You may think this sounds crazy, but here is a list of topics that came out of our discussion:

1. Should they be topped with cream cheese icing, or a glaze? (Duh! Cream cheese icing all the way)
2. Doughy buns or biscuit-y buns (I prefer my buns masculine, plump, and perky)
3. How much cinnamon is too much?
4. Can we, mere mortals of the baking world, ever re-create Cinnabon's near-perfect offering? Probably not.
5. Do raisins have any business being in a cinnamon bun? My personal preference is for raisins to stick to what they do best...oatmeal cookies.

I do find these buns a little tricky to make, and I think the key is ensuring the warmed milk is not too hot or else it will start to cook the dough during the rising process.

Cinnamon Rolls (adapted from Michael Smith's Recipe)

Ingredients

Dough:

• 1 cup milk (do not use skim)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 ounce package instant yeast
• 4 eggs

Filling:

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Icing:

• 1 package cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Dough:

1. Gently warm the milk, butter, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a small pot. Don’t bring to a simmer; warm just enough to melt the butter.
2. Measure half of the flour ( 2 1/2 cups) into the bowl of your stand mixer along with the yeast.
3. Add the warm milk and melted butter mixture to the flour and beat with your paddle attachment until smooth.
4. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating until smooth before proceeding. Switch to a dough hook and add the remaining flour.
5. Remove and knead until a soft dough forms that is no longer sticky to the touch, about 5 minutes.
6. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rest in a warm place until dough doubles in size. This could take as long as 2 hours.

Filling:

1. Stir all ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
2. Once the dough has risen, knock it down and let it rest for a few minutes.
3. Flour your work surface, the dough, your hands and a rolling pin. Roll out the dough into a long rectangle shape, about 18 x 12 inches, with the long side facing you.
4. Evenly spread the cinnamon filling all over the top of the dough, leaving 1 or 2 inches uncovered along the top edge. Leaving a border helps the dough stick together when you form the roll.
5. Roll into a long, tight, cigar-shaped log from the covered long edge to the uncovered long edge. Brush the outside of the log with oil or melted butter.
6. Slice the dough log into 12 or 16 sections. Turn each on its side and position evenly in a lightly oiled 15- x 10-inch baking pan.
7. Rest, uncovered, until the dough doubles in size once again and the rolls swell into each other, filling the pan.
8. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
9. When the dough has risen a second time, bake for 30 minutes.

Icing:

1. When the cinnamon rolls have cooled enough to handle, beat together the icing ingredients and spread all over the rolls. Serve immediately!

Maggie's 2nd Birthday

We had Maggie's birthday party at the local gymnastics club yesterday. Here are some pics of the super-fun day.

Why getting married means extra work at the holidays

It is true that as relationships change, certain aspects of that relationship change over time. It is not always an easy evolution to follow, but one day you wake up and think to yourself, "When did it become okay for my husband to buy me tampons?"

Another role that changes hands is that of the official "gift-buyer" in the family. When a couple begins dating, the lines are clearly established. He buys for his family, and you buy for yours. Fast-forward a few years and suddenly you are buying for every member of both families except for one...yourself. How does this happen? And why do we let it happen?

It dawned on me this past week as I was mailing out Christmas parcels, and making sure Brent's grandmother and sister-in-law and sister's daughter had gifts, that at one point this was his job. What I am struggling with is whether or not he shied away from the responsibility, or whether I just assumed his side of the family when I began shopping for my own.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love Brent's family, and everyone in it. I love buying them gifts that I think they will enjoy and all that. But men shouldn't be allowed to get stressed out when they have one person to buy for. One. Uno. Une. That's it. This year I bought presents for 27 people, and those are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head. There may be more that I have forgotten because my mind if frazzled from BUYING PRESENTS FOR 27 PEOPLE!

My theory is that this happens when finances become combined. Prior to that, there is no way that all of the gifts are coming out of your pot of money. So maybe that is the secret. Keep everything separate, and the gifts purchasing remains separate as well.

Cheese and Artichoke Dip

I am going to make this dip when Brent gets back from Iqaluit. Maybe he and I will sit down with a drink, eat some of this delicious dip, and play a game of crib. On second thought, maybe we should hold off on the crib...wouldn't want the night to get too rowdy.

 Hot Artichoke and Cheese Dip

• 1 can artichoke hearts (16 oz)
• 1 package 'light' cream cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Finely chop the artichoke hearts. (I am going to use my food processor)
3. Stir together artichoke hearts, cream cheese, Monterey jack cheese, salt, pepper and paprika.  Put in an ovenproof dish.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until just starting to brown.
5. Serve with carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, crackers or bread.  

Slow-Cooker Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Lordy, lordy... did this soup ever turn out to be the most delicious butternut squash soup I have ever slurped. Yummy! Oh, and did I mention it took only 5 minutes to make and then it cooked all day in my slow-cooker? Well it did. When I walked through the door tonight and got a whiff of this soup, I instantly started drooling.

I paired it with ham and swiss sandwiches and we all gobbled it up. What a nice treat on a cold winter's day.

Enjoy!

Ingredients (adapted from www.canadianparents.com)

• 1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 small apple, diced (I used McIntosh)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
• Salt & Pepper

 

Directions

1. Sauté onions and apples until tender.
2. Add curry powder and stir. Transfer mixture to slow cooker.
3. Top apples and onions with butternut squash pieces
4. Pour chicken broth to cover. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir.
5. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Puree with immersion blender, add milk and stir.

Best Pyjamas in the World

If you are looking for the perfect pair of pyjamas, you can end your search for I have found them. They were a challenge to find, but here they are....sleepwear from Gap Body. I recently purchased my second pair of pyjamas from Gap, and I am just as happy with this pair as I was with the other. My mom got me a flannel set last year, and I just bought myself a lighter set for this winter.

For me, pyjamas are extremely hard to buy. They have to meet the following criteria:

1. not too hot
2. not too skimpy
3. not too bulky
4. not too tight
5. not too long in the legs or the sleeves
6. not hideous

And these pyjamas meet all of the above criteria and more. They fit nicely, but are not too tight or too loose. They don't lose their shape when washed or stretched, and they have this nice little lace around the v-neck. I absolutely love them, and am maybe a little too eager to slip into them when I get home from work.

I have tried to find a picture of them online, but was unsuccessful. Here is the link if you are in the market for the perfect jammies:

http://www.gapcanada.ca/browse/category.do?cid=29504

What Happens When you Leave your Kids Alone for 3 Minutes

This video almost made me cry for this poor woman. What I love about it is that even though she is almost vomiting over the amount of time it will take her to clean all of this, she knows one day she will laugh about it and is smart enough to document it.

Boys Empty 5lb. Bag of Flour

KISSES Candy Cane Blossoms

With Christmas coming up, I thought I would post one of my new favorite Christmas recipes. These cookies are cute, easy to make with kids, and are super-moist and delicious. If you are not a mint fan, fear not. I'm not a mint-lover, but I love these little morsels.

Ingredients

• 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Candy Cane Mint Candies
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• Red or green sugar crystals, granulated sugar or powdered sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Remove wrappers from candies.
2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in red sugar, granulated sugar, powdered sugar or a combination of any of the sugars. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookie is set. Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press a candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Top Ten Reasons Why Living in a Trailer is Fabulous

1. It takes less than 10 minutes to clean it front to back
2. There are no stairs for babies to fall down, and you save money on baby gates
3. No lugging laundry up or down stairs
4. It doubles as a camper in the summer
5. You can watch TV, make supper, eat at the dining room table and do laundry in the same room
6. You have 'lack of space' as a legitimate excuse when your 4 year-old asks to get a puppy
7. Contrary to how they are unfairly portrayed on TV, Ricky, Julian and Bubbles are great neighbors
8. You don't have to worry about leaks or mold in the basement...you don't have one
9. The cramped quarters are free birth-control
10. No one wants to break in and steal your stuff because you have none

Create a Personalized Santa Video for the Child in Your Life

This will be our third year creating a personalized video for Sophie, from Santa. We will have to do one up for Maggie this year too, now that she is old enough. If you have never done this before it is the coolest little thing. Sophie's jaw dropped wide open the first year we did it. You type in your child's name, age, Christmas wish, and other info, and Santa will email you a copy of their own video. You can also upload your kid's picture which is shown in the video.

The website is not ready to go yet this year (it is usually not up-and-running until the last week of November), but you can sign up now for an email confirmation of when it's ready.


So check it out at http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/home

Baby + Dog = Freakin' Cute Videos

I love babies. I love dogs. Put them together, and you've got some real fine videos to make you smile when you're having a bad day.

Beware: These videos will increase your desire to have a baby and get a dog. Do not watch in the presence of women suffering from "baby fever" or children trying to decide what to ask Santa to get them for Christmas.

http://www.peoplepets.com/people/pets/gallery/0,,20545298_21081020,00.html

My Poppy - Chapter 3

A few years back Superstore was having a big sale on chickens. Poppy, being the great helper that he is, decided to do his good deed for the month and spend the day driving back and forth from his house to the Superstore, collecting as many chickens as he could in the run of the day .

The only snag in his plan was that there was a limit of two chickens per customer. This may have been an obstacle for the weak, but not for Brighton MacDougald. He made the decision right then that not only would he get those cheap chickens, but that he would also get some enjoyment out of knowing he could beat the system.

So Poppy spent a good part of his day driving to the Superstore, putting two chickens in his cart, going to the cash register to pay, and taking them home to his place. Before heading back though, he needed to alter his disguise. Maybe a new hat, or some sunglasses, or a different jacket. Real CIA-spy stuff. Anything to prevent this warrior from his chicken-mission, and just enough of a change (in his mind) to throw them off of his diabolical-poultry scam.

At the end of a very long and tiring day, I think Poppy had well over twenty chickens. Proud of himself, he called up all of his children and told them to come on over and pick up their birds.

And when my aunts and uncles arrived at his place to pick up their share of the chicken-smuggling operation, they realized that Poppy obviously didn't have room for that many chickens in his fridge, and they were all warm from sitting on his kitchen counter all day.

Cab Drivers

I am terrified of cab drivers. In Yellowknife, we seem to have a higher than average amount of cab drivers. Yellowknife is the center of health and social services for the whole NWT, so a lot of people come here for just a few days. As a result, the taxi business is booming in Yellowknife.

Normally I don't pay give them much thought. But around here, where it gets dark so early these days, they almost seem to be lurking in the night shadows. Last night as I was leaving the college, I was crossing the street to the parking lot, and because my mom taught me to look both ways before I cross the street, I did. Nothing coming. But two steps into my journey a little, white taxi comes out of nowhere and nearly runs me over. GEEZ.

And today at lunch time two of my students told me that they saw this elderly woman get struck down in a crosswalk by a taxi. She drives this big adult-sized tricycle with a basket on the front for her parcels. So sad, but how on earth could you miss the woman?

And then there is the story a friend told me once about taking a taxi home from a night out on the town, and he pulled over and tried getting frisky with her. How creepy is that? Maybe there are some normal, upstanding, non-greasy cab drivers out there. I just haven't met one yet.

Angela's Guide to Anne of Green Gables Chocolates

PEI is a magical place. There is nothing that it does not have (other than bears). My summers are spent at the beach, with the family, and nearby is always a treat from Anne of Green Gables Chocolates. If you think all Anne has going for her is a cute boyfriend and red pigtails, think again my friends. The girl's got chocolate. So imagine my surprise when I found out today that they SHIP ACROSS CANADA!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!

Now my sister-in-law Jolynn and I have a few things in common: we both married RCMP officers, we both enjoy reality TV, but most importantly, we make Cows Ice Cream and Anne of Green Gables Chocolates a priority on summer vacation. So when all the kids are around, and we are packing up the picnic lunch, you can be sure at least one of us will remember the chocolates.

Actually, I should make something very clear here. It is not just the chocolates that are delicious. In fact, my favorite items are not even chocolate-dominant, although chocolate does make an appearance in each selection. Going into the shop is like PEI's version of Disneyworld for your mouth....and every ride is sensational.

So here are the top pics, in my humble opinion:

1. Chocolate Caramels- They are not too chewy and not too soft with the perfect chocolate-caramel ratio.



http://www.annechocolates.com/

2. Chocolate-Covered Potato Chips- Those four words together almost make me cry.



http://www.annechocolates.com/

3. Brown Sugar Fudge..........mmmmmmmmm



http://www.annechocolates.com/

4. Sweeties- Oh. I forgot to mention that you can also get brown sugar fudge....dipped in milk chocolate!



http://www.annechocolates.com/

5. Bridge Mixture- It's like regular bridge mixture, but on delicious milk-chocolate covered steroids.

So to close, I again ask the age old rhetorical question, "Is there anything that PEI doesn't have (other than a strip club)?"

Double-Life

When we lived in Fort Good Hope, I often felt like life was on hold while we were there. It never quite felt like 'home'. I always knew it was a temporary place to live, and a crazy place to live at that. I often felt like we were just waiting until we could go home for our next one-month visit. And even though we did meet some amazing people, living in Fort Good Hope always seemed surreal.

But now that we live in Yellowknife, I find it even more confusing. Some days I feel like Yellowknife is my home, and other days I really wish I was living back in PEI, next-door to my sister, across the street from Jeff & Krista, and a short drive from all of our other friends and family.

Last night Brent and I were looking through his pictures from Depot. One of his troop mates lost his home in the Slave Lake fire, and all of his pictures from Depot were destroyed. He was hoping that we might be able to send him a few of ours to show his daughter one day. So I was leafing through our photo albums, and I found pictures from when Sophie was first born, when we were still living in PEI. I have all of these pictures of her taken with every single member of my family. On Sophie's first Halloween, we got pictures of her with practically all of my cousins, parents, grandparents and some very handsome RCMP officers as well. Sometimes it makes me very sad to think of all the special occasions that the girls do not get to share with our families. And what makes it harder is knowing that we are not able to be a part of all of their lives too. I hate not being there when Max is smiling and laughing with Krista, Mom and Ellen, I hate not seeing Matthew's new house, or hearing Poppy's hearing aid ringing out of control, or missing the Bedford crew's annual Halloween party, or eating lunch on Grandma and Grandad's patio. Hands down the hardest part of moving away has been realizing that we won't get these years back.

Now before my Mom hops on a plane to fly here and get me admitted, let me just say that I may miss home some times, but that doesn't mean that life in Yellowknife is anything other than amazing. We have great friends, I have the most amazing job and coworkers, and the girls could not be happier. I love our life here, and I am always looking on the positive side of any situation. Do we miss home? Absolutely, but living in the north has meant becoming a really strong family unit. Do we live in a trailer? Sure do, but it is our home, with a yellow bedroom for Sophie, a sandbox for Maggie, and the green chair that Sony used to perch in while he stalked the mailman each day. We have a crib board that my Uncle Lorne made me, pictures of our East Coast family all over the walls, and Matt Andersen blasting on the stereo during our weekly dance parties.

Moving away from home has been the hardest thing that Brent and I have ever done, but we have made it a point not just to survive the next few years, but to have the best possible time that we can. Special occasions can be hard, but they make us more appreciative of our trips home every summer.

And when we do eventually move back home, and whether that means to put down roots in PEI or Nova Scotia, our double lives will end. Right now I am part-northerner and part-maritimer, but I know someday that my northern identity will become part of my past. And I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to her yet. She's had a pretty good ride so far.

Brent MacDonald's Hockey Debut

My husband is a great dad for a number of reasons. The one thing that he has done lately that has really impressed me is to set an example for the girls that you are never too old to try something new.

Brent is 32 years old and has never played a single game of ice hockey. Brent has not skated since he was a child, but he decided last year that if Sophie was going to take skating lessons, he was too. How awesome is that? His goal was to get good enough to join the Yellowknife pick-up hockey league this fall, and Thanksgiving weekend that goal was achieved. Brent played his very first hockey game ever, and the girls and I went to cheer him on.


Tonight is his fourth game, and he already has one goal under his belt.

Marie's Yummy Hot Nacho Dip

Hands down, the best part of living in Fort Good Hope was meeting Jimmy, Jessa, Karen ,Travis, Marie, Stefane and Jason. We got together almost every Saturday night for snacks, laughs and the occasional round of Catch Phrase. Marie's delicious nacho dip was always a hit.

Marie's Yummy Hot Nacho Dip

1. Mix together one package of cream cheese and 2 TBSP of mayo. Spread into either two pie tins or a rectangular baking dish.
2. In a frying pan, brown a small package of hamburger. Once cooked, add a package of taco seasoning and about 3/4 of a small jar of salsa. Pour on top of the cream cheese mixture.
3. Sprinkle with any type of cheese you like. Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda are all types that I have tried and liked.
4. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until the edges begin to bubble.
5. Let cool for 5-10 minutes as it is piping hot right out of the oven .
6. Serve with your favorite brand of nacho chips.  

The Fire Hydrant Story

Giddy up.

When I was fifteen years-old, I began dating a seventeen year-old guy from Halifax. My parents were not overly enthused about this relationship. It may have had something to do with the fact that his family chose to make a living on the opposite side of the law as my Dad. But I was young and in love, and my parents were letting me figure this one out all on my own.

So when I was approaching my sixteenth birthday this boyfriend of mine offered up his Mom's car for me to practice for my driver's test. In my ignorant teenage bliss I never for one second thought of that idea as anything less than spectacular. So off we went, driving his Mom's teeny-tiny car through the streets of Basinview. We went all down behind the rink, up by Kim Borgal's house, and were just driving past Basinview Drive Elementary when we realized that we would have to turn around as to avoid a busy street AND my house. It was at this point that I realized I really did have a need for driving lessons. I should have paid better attention in Drivers Ed..

As I began to make a sharp u-turn, the front right wheel caught a build-up of ice on the curb and the car ramped up onto the grass. Now if the yard had been covered in just grass, this story would be over and I would have wasted your time telling you about a boring and lame event from my youth. But it was the placement of the bright, red fire hydrant in Tyson Ardnt's front yard that proved hazardous.

SMASH!

So put yourself in my shoes at this point. What was I to do? I figured I had two clear-cut options: stay put until someone found us there and called my parents to come and pick me up (not tempting), or flee the scene like a well-groomed criminal...I went with option #2.

Well at this point I was completely hysterical. I knew that if my parents ever found out, they would never let me drive their car, even with a license :) With Paul MacDougald as a father, surely I would be grounded for eternity. I would probably still be grounded now while typing this story.

I decided that I would have to bury this one deep and pray for a miracle. My boyfriend dropped me off at the rink so that I would avoid getting driven to my house in a car whose bumper did not have a gaping hole in it 20 minutes earlier when we left. That might be tough to explain.

I was a mess. I was bawling, which I am sure was quite a sight for some of the neighbors. Unfortunately for me, my route home from the rink took me right past "the scene of the accident". As I approached, I could make out two figures standing over the now-horizontal fire hydrant. As I got closer, the two figures seemed even more familiar to me. How on earth was it possible that my best friend Trisha and my other friend Chris Prentice were in the middle of loading MY fire hydrant into Chris' parents' car???? Were my eyes deceiving me?

Nope. It was them. I ran over in a hurry and demanded to know what the hell they were doing. Turns out Trisha had always wanted a fire hydrant in her bedroom. "Put it down!" I screamed. "I JUST HIT THAT!!!". So if my counting is right, I was about to leave my own accident scene for the second time in less than 20 minutes.

The total bill to get my boyfriend's Mom's car fixed was $960. That's a whole lot of babysitting gigs. Luckily for me, my parents firmly believed in child-labour and I had three jobs: babysitter, paper carrier and Dairy Queen employee. Unluckily for me, it would have taken me about eight years to pay it off.  On top of the measly wages I was making at all three of these prestigious teenage careers, did I mention that my Dad was also my banker?

So for close to a year I skimped, lied, and borrowed my way towards becoming debt-free. The boyfriend and I had long since broken up and I was eager to eliminate all financial ties. Trisha lent me the last $300, at which point I was in debt to her. And the secret remained buried for the next seven years. I still have a hard time believing that my parents never found out....

...until one night at the cottage in the summer of 2003. When this story was finally revealed to my parents that night of our family gathering at the cottage, it was hearing my Poppy's reaction that I loved the most: he wanted to track the boyfriend down, beat the snot out of him for sticking me with the whole bill (which according to him was not what a gentleman should have done), and get my money back. God Bless Poppy.

And to answer the question that you are all wondering, no. Unlike this guy's experience, water does not shoot out of a fire hydrant when you knock it halfway across Tyson Ardnt's front lawn.

Video That May Make you Pee in your Pants

I had no idea what Photo Booth is. I do not own an IPAD or a MAC computer. Boy, what I have been missing out on. My kids would absolutely love to make the videos that these people are making in the video. I wish I was able to be with my cousin Kathryn when she watches this.

Youtube Photo Booth Video

The Cutest Couple Ever

My cousin Darcy sent this to me a few weeks ago, and I showed everyone at work. I am pretty sure the video has made the email rounds by now, but in case you haven't had the pleasure of viewing this fantastic video, enjoy.

You Tube - Seniors Webcam

I just found a follow-up video where these two cutie-pies are interviewed about their newfound stardom.

Seniors Webcam Follow-up Interview

Hot Curry Rice and Beef Bowls

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pound piece flank steak

• 2 tablespoons high temperature oil, such as peanut, canola or safflower
• Salt
• your favorite cooked rice (sticky rice works well, but any rice will do)
• 8-10 shitake mushrooms
• 1 red bell pepper 
• 1 red hot chile pepper (Anthony Keidis is my personal favorite) 
• 4 cloves or garlic, grated or chopped
• 4 to 5 green onions, thinly sliced on an angle
• 3 tablespoons Patak's curry paste, mild to medium heat
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce (or you could use hoisin, oyster or soy sauce, depending on the flavour that you are going for) 
• 1 cup chicken stock
• OPTIONAL 1 lime, zested and juiced
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Put the flank steak in the freezer for a few minutes to aid in thinly slicing safely.
2. Cook your rice to your personal preference. Note that it takes about 10-15 minutes to cook the steak, so you may have to start your rice earlier.
3. While your rice cooks, stem and thinly slice the mushrooms, and seed and thinly slice the sweet and hot peppers.
4. Remove the meat from the freezer and thinly slice into 1/4-inch wide by 2-inch pieces.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook in a single layer for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Turn the meat over and add shitakes, the peppers, the garlic and the green onions. Stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes, then add the curry paste, fish sauce and stock and bring to a boil.
7. Serve with rice, and garnish with lime juice and zest if you like.Season with some black pepper, to taste.

Cooking Notes:

1. 
   
   Rachael ray does a version of this and adds some edamame and the end of the steak's cook time. Her version also calls for this to be served with noodles (she uses whole wheat spaghetti). I have tried this, and it is good, but I like the rice because it soaks up all of the yummy curry sauce. The picture below is of the version with noodles instead of rice.

Teacher's Rock

A lady that I work with sent this link around last week. If you are a teacher, or know someone who is (which is every person on the planet), take a look. The guy is fantastic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsOVK4syxU&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

My Poppy - Chapter 2

A few years back, Poppy was experiencing repeated technological failures with his Bell Express Vu unit. Being the nice guy that he is, he would call his children for help in a self-determined rotating pattern. One week it would be Dad's turn, then Auntie Anne's, Aunt Mary followed next, and Uncle Peter would round things out for Poppy's Charlottetown-based offsrping. Week after week, the darned thing would "break" (the term "break" in this story refers to batteries being put in the remote backwards, accidentally turning off the satellite receiver, or the TV power being off).

So on one particular occasion, the stubborn buggar decided to take matters into his own hands. He sat down to watch Compass one night, but ALAS! No Boomer! The friggin' thing wouldn't work. So he went out to the garage, and found the original receiver box that the Bell installer, whom we will call Keir Peters (a made-up name, but a good Island name nonetheless), had left at his house eight years previous when the installation took place. Inside the box was the work order form that had been signed by the above-mentioned installer. So resourceful ole Brighton decided to get out the PEI phone book, and track down a NEW person to give him technical support.

Now one thing that is important to know about Poppy, and about all Islanders really, is that Poppy never forgets a name. All of the people that he has met are placed in his memory bank based on last names and where people are from. Therefore, Poppy remembered that Keir Peters was from Rustico. He then opened the phonebook and flipped to the listings for Rustico. AHA! Right there, in the "R's", was his man. And wouldn't you know it, he proceeded to call Keir Peters' house. A lovely woman answered, and informed him that Keir was not in. He was actually at work, his new place of employment since leaving Bell, the local Home Hardware.

Now, any other man would surely give up at this point. But not my Poppy. I mean who in their right mind would call a man at his new job and ask him about a Bell Express Vu installation that he had done eight years previously? My Poppy would, that's who. He next found the listing for the Rustico Home Hardware and called the store. Another friendly lady picked up and informed Poppy that yes indeed, Keir Peters was working. Would Poppy mind holding a moment? Not at all, my dear. Take your time.

So Keir gets on the phone, and I imagine the conversation that unfolded went a little something like this:

Keir: "Good evening, Home Hardware. This is Keir speaking."

Poppy: "Good evening sir. My name is Brighton MacDougald, and eight years ago you installed this here satellite thingy. Well the darned thing's broken, and I can't for the life of me figure out what's wrong with it."

Keir: (a little stunned) "Umm...sure sir. Have you tried....."

...and this went on for 20 minutes.

But wouldn't you know it. In true Island hospitality-style, Keir Peters stayed on the phone with my Poppy, troubleshooted some different things, and finally got to the root of all of Poppy's issues.....the batteries in his remote were dead.

HELLO? Is Anybody Still Out There?

Hey guys. It's been a while, but I am finally back posting to the blog. As I said to Brent this morning, MacDougalds aren't quitters...well, that may not be entirely true. I did quite karate after only 3 classes, hockey because I had to play with boys, baton-twirling because I kept injuring myself, ballet because I couldn't make me knees touch the ground while sitting with my feet together, and....well we could be here all day.

But when it comes to the important stuff, the things I really like to do like vent my frustrations in cyberspace, I am not a quitter.

I'm back baby.

To Stay Home or go to Work? That is the Question

Sick kids all winter long, that is the part of winter that I like the least. I will take snowsuits and scraping windshields any day over runny noses, fevers and walk-in clinics. It doesn't matter if you are a stay-at-home mom, a working mom, or some combination in-between: if you have kids, they are going to get sick.

Robert Munsch said it best with the title of one of his books, "We Share Everything!". And isn't that what we tell kids all the time, to share? But not when it comes to germs. You can disinfect every surface of your house and wash tiny hands 11 times a day, but our efforts are futile. The next thing you know, you see a little glimmer near a nostril, and what comes next is no surprise.

But the real kick in the pants is that we now have a plethora of choices to make. Should I make a doctor's appointment or go to a walk-in clinic (yuck)? Should I stay home from work, or send them to the sitters? Should I take my kids to another child's birthday party, or stay home (boo!)? Antibiotics to treat the cause, or do we simply let it runs its course? How are we to know? Are there any right or wrong answers in this situation?

On top of the fevers, Tylenol, sleepless nights and crankiness, now we are forced to make some tough decisions. And other than being drunk, there is no worse time to make decisions than when you are are sleep-deprived and stressed out. And this vicious cycle continues from mid-October until spring, at least that seems to be the pattern in my house. Maybe we should be more like bears and hermits and cut ourselves off from the world for a few months. We could take a leave from work, get a six month supply of Kraft Dinner and Tang, and home school the kids in the kitchen. Maybe I will pilot this idea and let you know if it works.

Fall in Yellowknife

This time of year in Yellowknife is simply beautiful. We still have plenty of daylight, which is spent enjoying the beautiful colors of the leaves. Yellowknifers feel a sense of urgency this time of year, trying to cram in as much outdoor time as we possibly can before winter settles in for a 6 month rest.

This team ended up winning the whole event. They were MUCH faster than our Aurora College team, even with Brent's giant quadriceps.

Farmer Sophie on the RCMP Tractor at the Herc Pull for Special Olympics

Sophie was giving us riddles to solve so we could cross her bridge.

On our hike to Cameron Falls with Jason and Sherrif

Maggie was helping me re-organize the linen closet.

Brent's Trip to Fort Smith

Brent had to travel to Fort Smith for work this week, which is about an eight hour drive from Yellowknife. Along the way, he made some new friends. According to all of the radio announcements in Yellowknife, it's Bison season! What is even crazier, is that people can actually shoot them right there on the side of the highway. CRAZY!

A Cleaning Conundrum

According to www.dictionary.com, the definition of the word "conundrum" is:

"anything that puzzles"

There is no other word out there that better applies to my past weekend than the word conundrum. I spent a full day and a half cleaning, polishing, scrubbing, disinfecting, folding, sorting, organizing, and labelling. In my ignorant Friday-night mental fog, I thought to myself "Angela, just think of how clean the house will look Sunday night when you all go to bed!". So how is it possible that last night, as I turned off the lights and looked around the kitchen and living room, that it honestly looked no different than it had on Friday? I mean, come on!

Is there anyone else out there that feels the same way as I do, or is this solely a phenomenon that hovers over me as I move from house-to-house? What I need are some man-chores, like putting the patio furniture in the shed. There are obvious results there:

4:26pm: Patio furniture on the deck.
4:28pm: No patio furniture on the deck.

Rather than:

4:26pm: Dirty toilet in guest bathroom.
4:28pm: Toilet in guest bathroom. Is it dirty? Hmmmm...it's hard to tell from here....I mean, it looks clean....I can't really be sure.

The type of cleaning that we do, the polishing, the ironing (Okay, that one I don't really do), the laundry, the floor washing, the oven cleaning, the dusting, the counter-wiping, it just does not get noticed by anyone other than us. And after you spend the two-hour-afternoon-nap-time window doing all of this, it takes less than three minutes for an experienced and evil toddler to undo most of it. Toys get removed from bins, juice leaves a sticky stain on your carpet, and toast crumbs leave an incriminating trail wherever they go. And don't even get me started on how quickly a man can re-soil a clean toilet.

I will take two things away from this past weekend:

1. I completely understand why people hire cleaners.
2. If you have children, or a furry pet (Sony!), you might as well just give up, and never invite anyone over to your house. You should be good until your kids hit junior high, at which point they will undoubtedly visit a friend whose house does not look like it should be nominated for the TV show "Hoarders".