tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43758028906909749852024-03-06T00:32:58.285-05:00capturing momentsEvery moment starts with mom. Enjoying family, life, and work in Toronto. @joycelawAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.comBlogger227125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-83876189559950517352014-12-17T18:06:00.001-05:002014-12-17T22:41:17.740-05:00Happy Retirement Chris!Today, we celebrated a retirement. Chris worked for P&G for 27.5 years and a huge group of P&G'ers gathered to wish him happy retirement including our President, Marketing Director and HR Director. Even our retired president and his wife came for the event. Many people shared their stories via email and video of how Chris touched their lives at P&G and there were many head nods in the room. <div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It must have been really hard to keep this event a surprise for Chris. </span>Chris wasn't a senior executive nor was he the leader of any team at P&G. But<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> Chris knows everything that happens in the office because, for 27.5 years, he has been our janitor. </span><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I'm so proud to work at a company who value people for who they are regardless of their position within the corporate hierarchy. Chris </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">is loved by so many because of his positive attitude and dedication to his work. He always greets everyone with "how are you today"? He knows everyone's name and sometimes even their kids' names. He has been a constant in the office and the number of people who showed up to his celebration today is a testament of the memories that he leaves behind.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Chris, you will be missed.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><br></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-86344808961948703092013-10-05T17:21:00.001-04:002013-10-05T17:21:37.259-04:00TeenagersI recently inherited 2 teenagers. My sister sent her two daughters (15 and 18) here to study. Lets just say I never realized how much teenagers eat. We are going through 8 liters of milk each week and we are putting our Costco membership to good use. <div><br></div><div>I think the hardest part is meal planning. I don't want them to always eat the same thing so I have to think in advance what I want to cook and plan out my weekly grocery list. I also want to cook a combination of Chinese and Western food so when I go grocery shopping, I have to go to both a Chinese grocery and a mainstream grocery store. </div><div><br></div><div>I have a google doc for meal and activity planning. I love it because I can update it from an app on my phone and it automatically gets saved online and my husband always has access to the most updated version too. What would we do without technology? </div><div><br></div><div>Let me know if you have any easy meal ideas!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-59331743818190286382013-07-27T08:54:00.000-04:002013-07-27T08:54:01.448-04:00Summer activitiesIt's been a busy summer. <br />
<br />
We took a family vacation to a time share resort in Ontario back in late May. It was the first time we took a week-long vacation with my MIL, FIL, and SIL. Turned out pretty good. The 7 of us got along well and everyone had a great time. It was my friend's time-share which is the best kind of time-share to have access to. We only had to pay $250 for a week-long stay in a 2-bedroom suite with full kitchen. SCORE!<br />
<br />
Then I went to an overnight business trip to NYC. Haven't been to NYC for 5 years. Too bad I didn't get to spend much time there. Had an amazing dinner at ACME and stayed at St James Hotel which was really nice.<br />
<br />
Right after my NYC trip, the 4 of us flew to Vancouver for a personal/business trip. My best friend from HK had planned to be in Vancouver at that time and it was serendipitous that I also got to go to Vancouver for a work trip while she was there. We haven't seen each other since I was in HK in 2011 and she now has a 1 year old son who is my god son. So I got to meet my god son for the first time. It was surreal going back to Vancouver after so long. I lived in Vancouver for 5 years going to UBC but haven't been back to Vancouver for about 8 years, way before I was a mom. Going to Vancouver with kids made me feel like a tourist in the city because now I'm looking at the city from the perspective of a parent. We went to the Vancouver Aquarium, kids biked and played in Stanley Park, and went to various playscapes around the city to hang out with friends. What doesn't change though, is the feeling that you get from seeing the majestic mountains each time you turn north no matter where you are.<br />
<br />
Back in Toronto, my son started Learn to Play Softball and piano lessons, went to 2 weeks of summer camp, my husband is enjoying Wonderland's water park when the weather is warm enough, and we even took the kids to 2 nights of camping at Glen Rouge which is a safe 15 min drive from home. It is a good experience for the kids.<br />
<br />
We have an upcoming trip to Birch Run, Michigan for cross border shopping. Anyone have any tips?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-30142789426224107762013-05-09T23:13:00.003-04:002013-05-09T23:13:47.955-04:00MOM YOU ROCKI took an hour off work and went to my son's Senior Kindergarten Open House today. I had a fantastic time. I got to see my son in his classroom interacting with his friends and his teachers. He was so happy and proud to introduce me to everyone. <br />
<br />
This started last week when he brought home a notice inviting parents to come to an Open House today. When I saw the notice, I told him that I would come. But I had forgotten to put it into my work calendar so yesterday, I ended up having to move a bunch of meetings so that I could go to the Open House. I'm so glad I did.<br />
<br />
Before we even got to school, he was so excited. I worked from home in the morning and he came into my room at about 12:30pm, "Mom, you have to bring me to school. What time is it?" He goes to afternoon SK which starts at 1pm which left me only 30 minutes to have lunch, get myself ready, and walk to school. I hadn't prepared any real lunch so I offered him cheese and apple slices while I had a leftover blueberry muffin, 2 fried eggs, and some cheese slices. <br />
<br />
I inhaled my lunch and scrambled to get myself ready. I asked him if he wanted me to pack him a granola bar for snack and he told me he already packed a fruit snack in his backpack. I have the best kid in the world. After another scramble to get my phone, keys, laptop and purse, we headed to school.<br />
<br />
At school, my son went straight to get a book and we proceeded to read together. When a kid came by, I would pause to let him introduce me. "This is my mom. This is Ava." or "This is my mom. This is Lucas."<br />
<br />
When the teacher was ready to take attendance, she asked the kids to name a shape when their names were called. I was expecting "square" or "triangle" but the first answer was "rectangular prism". LOL<br />
<br />
When it was time for activity, my son wanted to draw me a card. He told me not to look at the card because it's a surprise so he told me to play with a puzzle while he drew the card. He started drawing and asked me, "Mom, how do you spell 'you'?" Then he asked, "Mom, what's the first letter of 'rock'?" I got a card that said "MOM, YOU ROCK". :) That was so sweet. Definitely one of the best moments of motherhood so far. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-77155231976588553032013-04-06T04:08:00.001-04:002013-04-06T04:11:08.347-04:00The easiest curry ever... in the slow cookerI made this in 5 min in the morning and let it cook in the slow cooker while I was at work. When I came home, I had delicious curry ready!<br />
<br />
What you need:<br />
6 potatos peeled cut into golf ball size pieces<br />
2 onions diced<br />
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast cut into bite size pieces (can be frozen or fresh)<br />
2 tbsp Patak's mild curry sauce<br />
1/2 can coconut milk<br />
White rice or naan<br />
<br />
What you do:<br />
1. Put everything (except for rice) in the slow cooker in the order listed on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Add 1-2 hours of cooking time if using frozen chicken.<br />
2. Stir it once in the middle of the cooking process to ensure flavours are mixed.<br />
3. Serve over cooked rice or naan.<br />
<br />
<br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7V4lSu5Wg2E2jjPX3Fn3pUICxxkyz_hVqUHzfcelEOnKWkC4-QuxYpsfakdY65reUoFAngKRE2NrDKjTE_Y166NXMCAgw1ittMVk1ce-tpX7g5QFnlD1FUT1ySPntZVsaLkuGfwruA8/s640/blogger-image--1532711428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7V4lSu5Wg2E2jjPX3Fn3pUICxxkyz_hVqUHzfcelEOnKWkC4-QuxYpsfakdY65reUoFAngKRE2NrDKjTE_Y166NXMCAgw1ittMVk1ce-tpX7g5QFnlD1FUT1ySPntZVsaLkuGfwruA8/s640/blogger-image--1532711428.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw09miIVdNn8vBoMsusTpArrXeIlNKkr8I7i9DfHGvwKw3Q-DNTEw3vGf0CUITVdOC42r9xx9VuH2eRYBd8fRWTWYhyphenhyphenztRp1Ja8n4zpmTY7C6sjFnkcYNatGkNyuNXQIKGk3YYueaqWIQ/s640/blogger-image-1318312014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw09miIVdNn8vBoMsusTpArrXeIlNKkr8I7i9DfHGvwKw3Q-DNTEw3vGf0CUITVdOC42r9xx9VuH2eRYBd8fRWTWYhyphenhyphenztRp1Ja8n4zpmTY7C6sjFnkcYNatGkNyuNXQIKGk3YYueaqWIQ/s640/blogger-image-1318312014.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-43529976739451074992013-03-16T14:03:00.001-04:002013-03-16T14:03:32.181-04:00Do you hide from your kids?Just read about another mom's confession about waiting until the kids go to bed before popping popcorn so she doesn't have to share. Made me laugh because the other night, after dinner, the kids were in the living room playing, I secretly went to the kitchen and ate a dessert in a dark dining room. I didn't want to turn on the lights because I didn't want to have to share with my kids. Is that bad?<br />
<br />
Turns out it worked because as I was eating in the dark, my daughter came looking for me but she didn't bother to check in the kitchen/dining room. She went straight upstairs assuming I was in my bedroom. As she called "Mommy? Mommy?", all I could think of was finishing my dessert as fast as I can so that I wouldn't have to share with her. <br />
<br />
My husband eventually came into the dark kitchen and found me finishing the last bite of my dessert. I explained that I didn't want to share with the kids. He thinks I have a problem. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-47402366599685970152013-03-14T06:01:00.001-04:002013-03-14T06:01:35.150-04:00What did you do for Valentine's Day?This post is a month late but I wanted to say that I had one of the best Valentine's day celebrations this year. We took our kids out for dinner with our friends and their kids. Admittedly, it wasn't a romantic dinner but we had good food and were with great friends and had an amazing time. Romance is over-rated.<br />
<br />
My best Valentine's day remains to be during the Vancouver Olympics where we stayed on the couch all day watching the Games and ordered a pizza for lunch and dinner. Nothing can top that!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-39141753920079585872013-03-14T05:42:00.001-04:002013-03-14T05:43:40.402-04:00I'm alive and well...in case you were wonderingI realized I haven't posted in 2 months which is equivalent to a few decades in Internet time. Here is what has happened:<br />
- we went to our 2nd annual all-inclusive vacation. This time to Azul Sensatori in Mexico. It was paradise but I'll do another post just on the trip another time<br />
- I've managed to maintain my 20lb Dukan weight loss despite going on a all-inclusive trip to Mexico. I'm now on phase 4 of the diet which is just one day a week of pure protein and I eat whatever I want the rest of the week, within reason<br />
- I was promoted at work (yay!)<br />
- my son started to eat carrots and cucumber <br />
<br />
That pretty much sums up what's happened in my life for 2 months. You didn't miss much. :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-47577210395679809962013-01-22T19:34:00.001-05:002013-01-22T19:34:16.927-05:00The secret to dun dan (steamed egg dessert)I just made the most perfect Dun Dan. Here's the recipe:<br />
<br />
1 tbsp ginger juice<br />
2 tbsp sugar<br />
2 tbsp hot water<br />
1 egg<br />
Enough milk to make 1 cup<br />
<br />
Boil water in a steamer pot on high heat. <br />
<br />
Grate ginger and squeeze out the juice. Add sugar and hot water and stir until sugar dissolves. Add egg and beat. Add milk until you get 1 cup of liquid. Strain into a bowl. Put the bowl into the steamer and close the lid.<br />
<br />
Now here's the secret: TURN OFF THE HEAT<br />
<br />
Let the Dun Dan steam in the steamer with no heat for 15 minutes. Open the lid and enjoy your perfect Dun Dan!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmywQB6-yoOLpXSkAakct_tA9ST_mqzwoyKqKRIq8EvnspyRgOHOOTmn3vFktO0bjz8TK1HJpWQvfNQwTXq390P1Co_flNwfYmR26HShxrgdlArHdOz9f9zGsOYmT6jiZf0fdHssKiPI/s640/blogger-image-1040169259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmywQB6-yoOLpXSkAakct_tA9ST_mqzwoyKqKRIq8EvnspyRgOHOOTmn3vFktO0bjz8TK1HJpWQvfNQwTXq390P1Co_flNwfYmR26HShxrgdlArHdOz9f9zGsOYmT6jiZf0fdHssKiPI/s640/blogger-image-1040169259.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-53103881466332112742013-01-13T00:01:00.001-05:002013-01-13T00:01:28.540-05:00So trueI remember the day I found out I was pregnant, my first ultrasound, the first time I heard his heartbeat in the womb, and of course, the day my son was born. With my daughter, I remember the process of trying to get pregnant, finding out she is a girl, and the day she was born.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoj2nPEXz1oKyXL2Qjkr8lCSb2AuWfO-XxliOD166kECTqS7WO8fIhiO2ZBljkaMHPtfS6hFDGH2JCiROtt0-Zh6wH1p0iATW6PnRbXX6vvlJypdx16r5cDEiosEhJYRXxRuo1M_zoF4/s1600/ainsleynewborn.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoj2nPEXz1oKyXL2Qjkr8lCSb2AuWfO-XxliOD166kECTqS7WO8fIhiO2ZBljkaMHPtfS6hFDGH2JCiROtt0-Zh6wH1p0iATW6PnRbXX6vvlJypdx16r5cDEiosEhJYRXxRuo1M_zoF4/s640/ainsleynewborn.jpg.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son at birth</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-12929439830591063242012-12-22T00:54:00.001-05:002012-12-22T00:54:36.009-05:00Wreaths make me happieI have a board on Pinterest for wreaths called "Wreaths make me Happie". I love wreaths. One thing I want to do is to have a wreath on my front door all year round. Of course, the wreath would have to be season appropriate. I would have one for Winter, Valentine's day, Spring, Easter, Summer, Canada Day, our birthdays, Fall, and Christmas. Currently, I only have one for Winter but I'm always on the lookout for other wreaths. I just haven't found another one that I like enough to purchase yet. <br />
<br />
The other day my son came home with a craft. When he got home, he went straight up to my room and taped it to my door. He made me a wreath! I will happily keep this one up year round on my bedroom door. It brings a smile to my face everyday. It truly makes me happie. <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOm-DbSyNLVH96Rf_PiFNWEMNFPMkC7BY96cM80OXxtN3ZVkG3PszrkrUhdZAvvZB4N4ov9Q4d_X40J3rYIlQcL_PLFf04Il6I_6eh3PiR9TnSCFIn9wrLq1OSLv9JFKoKBXd7GpvyR3A/s640/blogger-image--1862218865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOm-DbSyNLVH96Rf_PiFNWEMNFPMkC7BY96cM80OXxtN3ZVkG3PszrkrUhdZAvvZB4N4ov9Q4d_X40J3rYIlQcL_PLFf04Il6I_6eh3PiR9TnSCFIn9wrLq1OSLv9JFKoKBXd7GpvyR3A/s640/blogger-image--1862218865.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-55115150896591730372012-12-19T04:29:00.000-05:002012-12-22T23:19:46.837-05:00AZUL Sensatori....here we come!Last year, we went to the Grand Sunset Princess in the Riviera Maya, Mexico and it was our family's first all-inclusive vacation. We went with 2 other families with the same aged kids (6 adults and 6 kids, aged 1 and 4) and we had a blast. The resort was beautiful and we hung out by one of the kiddie pools most of the time. The desserts were consistently not great but there was lots of other good food including many a la carte restaurants for dinner, a beach BBQ at lunch, a sports bar, and a few buffet restaurants. The kids loved the kids club and my son still talks about it 10 months later. <br />
<br />
We just booked another all-inclusive vacation from itravel2000.com. We are going with Sunwing again this year but to another resort called AZUL Sensatori. All the reviews on tripadvisor are very good. It's a 5-star resort 20 min from the Cancun airport. I am looking forward to getting away and enjoying the food which is touted as "gourmet".<br />
<br />
We are going this year with one other family so there will be 4 adults and 4 kids (ages 5 and 2). I'm really hoping to get connecting rooms so that the kids can play together while we are in our rooms. There's an adult only restaurant so my plan is to take turns going there while the other couple takes care of the kids (good time to try the 24-hour room service). The kids club looks amazing. It has its own splash pad, water slide, kiddie pool, FisherPrice room, in-door rock climbing wall, gym equipment, video games room, etc... I've been reading all the tripadvisor reviews and watching all the Youtube videos that I could find about this place. I even started a list of things to pack. Can't wait!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-74642588228739281692012-12-01T22:52:00.001-05:002012-12-01T23:04:33.630-05:00@arthurchristmas was great!We just watched Arthur Christmas on Rogers On Demand (ROD) with my 5yo and 2yo in the comfort of our home with our own freshly popped popcorn and snacks. My husband, my 5yo and I really enjoyed the movie and my 2yo really enjoyed the popcorn! <br />
<br />
ROD - where have you been all my life?! No wonder Blockbuster went bankrupt! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-50622002770593249812012-11-25T10:57:00.000-05:002012-11-25T10:57:30.391-05:00Dukan diet - end of week 20I've now been on Phase 3 - Stabilization for 5 weeks (35 days). I am supposed to be in this phase for 100 days (5 days for every pound I have lost). According to the diet, I can be on PV days everyday except for 1 day a week where I go back to PP. I'm allowed to eat 2 slices of whole wheat bread and one fruit everyday. I can eat 1 serving of starch per week and 1 celebration meal per week.<br />
<br />
I haven't been fully following the prescribed diet but I've still maintained my 20 pounds of weight loss. I have been doing PV days almost everyday and instead of being restricted to eating 2 WW bread and 1 fruit everyday, I've been randomly eating carbs/starches throughout the week, sometimes I eat more than the equivalent of 2 slices of WW bread and 1 fruit and sometimes I eat less. I think it all averages out in the end and as long as I'm not gaining back the weight that I've lost, I will continue this way for another 65 days.<br />
<br />
I've convinced so many people to be on this diet now and it's amazing to see other people have the same or even better results as mine!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-60163913950189660082012-11-11T08:08:00.000-05:002012-11-15T10:04:59.043-05:00Are you doing an advent calendar?You know it's time to start preparing for Christmas when all the Christmas stuff comes out in the stores. Last year, I bought an advent calendar on sale after the holidays (SCORE!). This year, I'm going to try to fill it with activities for the family to do each day leading up to the holidays. I read from a few other blogs that the best way to do this is to pre-write the activity but don't put them in until a day or a couple of days in advance so you have control over what you do each day depending on your schedule. I think this is a good idea but i have to remember to sneak in the activity everyday which may be a problem for me. So I think a hybrid idea is to slot in something that is totally manageable everyday and when we have time to do something more time consuming (like bake cookies), then I'll sneak it in that day.<br />
<br />
Here are some of my 'everyday' activities:<br />
<ol>
<li>Read the Christmas story from Luke</li>
<li>Sing a Christmas carol together</li>
<li>Give everybody a hug and a kiss</li>
<li>Listen to Christmas music during dinner</li>
<li>Call someone and sing them a carol</li>
<li>Dress up for dinner</li>
<li>Thank God for Jesus</li>
<li>Hide something special in each other's beds</li>
<li>Make paper snowflakes</li>
<li>Do something kind for a family member</li>
<li>Take turns telling the Christmas story</li>
<li>Draw a Christmas picture for a family member</li>
<li>Tell each other what is your favourite thing about Christmas</li>
<li>Pray for a friend</li>
<li>Read the Christmas story from Matthew</li>
<li>Pop some popcorn</li>
<li>Make an ice cream cookie sandwich</li>
</ol>
<div>
Some of the more time consuming activities:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Set up the tree</li>
<li>Bake cookies for family and friends</li>
<li>Write Christmas cards</li>
<li>Write a family Christmas letter</li>
<li>Play a family board/card game</li>
<li>Watch a Christmas movie</li>
<li>Take a drive to see Christmas lights</li>
<li>Take some family Christmas pictures</li>
<li>Make a card for your teacher</li>
<li>Decorate a gingerbread house</li>
<li>Go to the Santa Claus Parade</li>
<li>Make ice cream</li>
<li>Borrow a Christmas book from the library</li>
<li>Make a list of things we are thankful for and post it up</li>
</ol>
<div>
Hope this works out!<br />
<br />
Any other ideas for me?</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-52449814530960808862012-11-10T08:02:00.001-05:002012-11-10T08:02:59.849-05:00This is the best gift you can give to your kidsI was recently at a work event where one of the speakers talked about prioritizing your life to achieve harmony. She said that we have so many different roles as a wife and mother and we often prioritize this way: mother, wife, woman. As a mom, we often take care of others first before ourselves. <br />
<br />
However, she challenged us to reprioritize our lives so that we are a woman first, wife second, and mom last. I have always believed this. One of my favourite pieces of advice that I've received and given to a lot of new moms is this: The best gift you can give to your children is a good marriage. And one of my all time favourite quotes is what they tell you on the plane: Put on your own oxygen mask before you assist others.<br />
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Do you agree? How do you prioritize?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-61180622779669069302012-11-04T16:12:00.001-05:002012-11-04T16:12:49.063-05:00Dukan Diet - end of week 17I'm in Phase 3 now eating PV everyday and PP once a week. Instead of eating 2 slices of whole wheat bread and 1 fruit everyday, I've been eating 1-2 gingerbread cookies and sneaking in other carbs everyday so i think it all evens out. :). I'm still at my true weight +/- 2lbs which is okay in my books. <br />
<br />
I baked a banana bread with a sugar substitute and it tastes pretty awful so I don't think I'll do that again. It's Christmas soon so I'll need a lot of self-control and will power to stay away from all those baked goods...my weakness.<br />
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I also had my first celebration meal yesterday where I had a bowl of my favorite Vietnamese beef brisket and tomato rice noodles and spring rolls as the appetizer. I had a couple of my homemade ginger bread cookies for dessert. Delish!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-5283953969791644892012-10-21T21:22:00.000-04:002012-10-21T21:22:06.352-04:00Eye of Round Oven Roast - Use Dry Heat Since I've been on the Dukan Diet, I've been eating a lot of meat. I have mainly been eating beef tenderloin, t-bone and striploin steak cuz they are so good and relatively lean enough for Dukan requirements. But I also noticed that my grocery bills have increased since these tend to be the more expensive cuts of beef. This month, I was determined to learn how to cook less expensive cuts of lean meat. I bought an eye of round roast (one of the leanest cuts from a cow) and brought it home not knowing exactly what I would do with it but figured I would ask the Internet and find a slow cooker recipe.<br />
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Fortunately, I attended a blogger conference last week and someone from Canada Beef (beefinfo.ca) was there. I learned that there are oven roasts and there are pot roasts. Oven roasts are best cooked in the oven with dry heat and shouldn't be cooked in the crock pot with 'wet heat' (I don't think they actually said 'wet heat' but you know what I mean). She gave me this very simple recipe for an eye of round roast.<br />
<br />
What you need:<br />
Eye of Round roast<br />
Salt<br />
Pepper<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 450F<br />
2. Wash and dry the roast with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Stick a meat thermometer into the roast <br />
3. Put the roast on a rack in a pan and into the oven<br />
4. After 20 minutes, turn the oven down to 275F.<br />
5. Bake until meat thermometer is at 140F.<br />
6. Let roast rest for 10 minutes before cutting into it.<br />
<br />
My roast was small so this whole process only took just over 1 hour and it turned out amazing! Where has this been all my life?! My kids and I ate half of it before dinner even started!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAcblGHwWsMwnPIA-yhUoQkiH6yvrDvOqSEN10GBFYgtUYVsPQUEmCTOBmJu692zIBidr5b_7hLvkB7w8TG3qGo8wGjkGpopOjGtw28lFG5U0WcGTsygSP5mjkKw9GSSO5AaTNuGBQnA/s640/blogger-image-1347652092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAcblGHwWsMwnPIA-yhUoQkiH6yvrDvOqSEN10GBFYgtUYVsPQUEmCTOBmJu692zIBidr5b_7hLvkB7w8TG3qGo8wGjkGpopOjGtw28lFG5U0WcGTsygSP5mjkKw9GSSO5AaTNuGBQnA/s640/blogger-image-1347652092.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eye of round patted dry</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjiPn8q54Gpmfyv-PtAJqRXtsHD0DlGmUrwDv-o-BtSmDlYtrHmkjsKrft16_gXdmFDMH46aFidVATcthC-ViXiwa5Kb_SSXcs0jHIoiW6BsO5v5HswuSEOKP-id0HEWvpPYjcN-XnvI/s640/blogger-image--1716157036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjiPn8q54Gpmfyv-PtAJqRXtsHD0DlGmUrwDv-o-BtSmDlYtrHmkjsKrft16_gXdmFDMH46aFidVATcthC-ViXiwa5Kb_SSXcs0jHIoiW6BsO5v5HswuSEOKP-id0HEWvpPYjcN-XnvI/s640/blogger-image--1716157036.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Added salt, pepper and inserted thermometer set at 63C/140F</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHUK8iKaz0et9kRFe9h7pUr10ISOvKelpI_mJVlxBvs3SwNC5AIATFcziSdLVgUFzb6e3IgRsARxkXdRKS6b4B4_K7g3U8MvnssaeLEt9NCOCJaqj2ijRmjAPMInN78nx17ZTA9hISQU/s640/blogger-image-1872408646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHUK8iKaz0et9kRFe9h7pUr10ISOvKelpI_mJVlxBvs3SwNC5AIATFcziSdLVgUFzb6e3IgRsARxkXdRKS6b4B4_K7g3U8MvnssaeLEt9NCOCJaqj2ijRmjAPMInN78nx17ZTA9hISQU/s640/blogger-image-1872408646.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Done after 1 hour! Let rest for 10 minutes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9h0-JhK0t2t3kjGULi8RKIGk_k_Z099FoXbDPjfXz2qoIcUKratxixNs1RsTq3iGlkRCaqdbkLTxwFSZ9V-RfNgz5I9_OlBhW5_78tB9qgcO-GUawA9hJtFBqd7Nl2hshnDG0DwTv9o/s640/blogger-image--959045347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9h0-JhK0t2t3kjGULi8RKIGk_k_Z099FoXbDPjfXz2qoIcUKratxixNs1RsTq3iGlkRCaqdbkLTxwFSZ9V-RfNgz5I9_OlBhW5_78tB9qgcO-GUawA9hJtFBqd7Nl2hshnDG0DwTv9o/s640/blogger-image--959045347.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Done to medium rare - perfection!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-78201810119631486432012-10-20T21:07:00.001-04:002012-10-20T21:07:21.457-04:00Dukan Diet - end of week 15I lost 20lbs in 15 weeks. I survived the first 2 phases of the #Dukandiet and I feel great! It feels so surreal every time I look at the scale and I'm back at my wedding weight from NINE years ago. I can't believe it!<br />
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I officially started Phase 3 of the diet today by adding 1 serving of fruit and 2 slices of whole wheat bread (or 1 ww bagel in today's case) to my daily diet. I don't think I'm going to add the 1 serving of starch/week yet and I'll wait for very special occasions to do the celebration meal rather than doing it once per week. I am going to keep a close eye on my weight to make sure it doesn't go back up just because I am reintroducing carbs. If it does start to creep back up, I will most likely cut it out again and go back into Phase 2 for a bit. We'll see!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-90660695191774535032012-10-18T00:11:00.002-04:002012-10-18T00:12:24.461-04:00Dukan diet - Middle of week 15I'm happy to announce that I have reached my True Weight as of Oct 16 and have maintained at this weight for 2 days now. In total, I have lost 20lbs since I started the Dukan journey in July. I'm beyond excited and amazed at this result. I've been telling everyone who will listen about this diet. I've managed to convince 4 people to start the diet so far. It truly has transformed my life. I feel so empowered over my body now. I went from a size 10 to a size 6. I feel like I have the tools and know how to control and manage my weight - something that I've never felt before. <br />
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Starting this weekend, I will move to Phase 3 of the diet which means I can move to PV days everyday except for 1 day a week where I have to go back to a PP day. Each PV day, I can also have 2 slices of whole wheat bread and 1 serving of fruit. Once a week, I can have 1 serving of starch and once a week, I can have a 'celebration meal' where I can eat anything I want but only 1 serving of an appetizer, main course, and dessert. No seconds. I have to be in Phase 3 for 5 days for every pound I lost so that would be 100 days or just over 3 months so by the end of January, I should be able to move to the final Phase 4 of the diet.<br />
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Thank you Dr. Pierre Dukan!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-84188858324581755092012-10-08T00:38:00.001-04:002012-10-08T00:42:38.218-04:00Homemade Ice Cream Cake<br />
My husband loves ice cream cakes and since ice cream cakes are so expensive, I googled "ice cream cake recipe" and discovered that we have been spending way too much money on buying ice cream cakes from Baskin Robbins. I made a trial cake last week for my FIL's birthday. The crust turned out too thick, I added chocolate turtle bits to the ice cream which made it too sweet, I only had a 9" spring form pan which made for slices that were too big, and I didn't put a layer of icing on it so it didn't look professional. I modified my recipe (even bought a smaller spring form pan) and made this cake yesterday for my daughter's birthday and it turned out much better than last weekend's version so here's the recipe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqLkqvpLVATaisB9-473ITR5a7a8EyIQhGmtl3Om58sA2NilU3gKF2pRMbp3m1GAbDOBkFcqn_AaRdlJzcjcLx1PYuqDzcrLEBRgxKKugd7MHEAicIaQoWSL6uy3tuJs_daR_ZevbWJU/s1600/DSC_6462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqLkqvpLVATaisB9-473ITR5a7a8EyIQhGmtl3Om58sA2NilU3gKF2pRMbp3m1GAbDOBkFcqn_AaRdlJzcjcLx1PYuqDzcrLEBRgxKKugd7MHEAicIaQoWSL6uy3tuJs_daR_ZevbWJU/s320/DSC_6462.JPG" width="184" /></a></div>
1 cup oreo crumbs<br />
1/4 cup butter, melted<br />
2L ice cream<br />
1 cup heavy cream<br />
2 tbsp icing sugar<br />
1 tsp pure vanilla extract<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Mix oreo crumbs with butter. Press into bottom/sides of an 8" spring form pan. </li>
<li>Bake at 350F for 6-8 minutes. Allow to cool completely and put into the freezer.</li>
<li>Defrost the ice cream at room temperature for 30 minutes. Next time I'm going to try to make my own ice cream to make it a real "homemade" ice cream cake. But for now, Kawartha's Moose Track ice cream (so yummy!) from Costco works just fine.</li>
<li>Scoop ice cream into the chilled pan with the crust. Ensure ice cream is packed into the pan so there are no air pockets. Put into freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight. </li>
<li>Beat heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks. </li>
<li>Take the cake out of the spring form pan. Frost the cake on the top and sides and return to freezer for another 2 hours or overnight. I don't think I beat this enough so the whipped cream became kind of soft when I started to frost the cake but after I froze it again, it was fine. i'll have to work on making a stiffer whipped cream next time.</li>
<li>Write a message on the cake and decorate with some buttercream icing if you wish.</li>
<li>Defrost for 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.</li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-42748753686735521432012-10-08T00:25:00.000-04:002012-10-08T00:47:32.299-04:00Happy 2nd birthday Ainsley!Mui mui, you turned 2 yesterday. <br />
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Two years ago on Oct 7...<br />
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9am - mommy worked from home. It was supposed to be mommy's 2nd last day of work before starting mat leave.</div>
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11am - mommy went to my 38 week doctor's appointment and the doctor took my blood pressure 3 times before telling mommy that it was a bit high. He checked and found out that mommy was already 3cm dilated. Then he asked if mommy could go to the hospital to have you today. Even though you weren't supposed to come for another 2 weeks according to mommy's due date, mommy said yes and the doctor called NYGH and they told mommy to come in at 3pm. </div>
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12pm - mommy and daddy enjoyed a nice long lunch at a restaurant, our last meal as parents of one child. We were about to have a baby. It was a bit surreal.</div>
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1pm - mommy and daddy picked up goh goh from daycare and dropped him off with goo tse.</div>
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3pm - mommy and daddy arrived at the hospital</div>
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6pm - mommy got induced</div>
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8:30pm - mommy was still only 4cm dilated<br />
some time after 8:30pm - mommy's contractions started in full force</div>
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9:30pm - mommy was 10cm dilated (!!)</div>
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10:18pm - you were born<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXAB0oGdbXfLPVJ8pR4n04x8NRCgPyAcoui7ysMHOshxxO9VEW7pRQsE-InIzCUR-q7SzBFa3fEuVxQP3PjrayfTuMHiAI-qsvNOucEbrp5Hu-c7SZtl8j4pkzhXPbO_z-wtDbLGdIdoQ/s1600/DSC_6495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXAB0oGdbXfLPVJ8pR4n04x8NRCgPyAcoui7ysMHOshxxO9VEW7pRQsE-InIzCUR-q7SzBFa3fEuVxQP3PjrayfTuMHiAI-qsvNOucEbrp5Hu-c7SZtl8j4pkzhXPbO_z-wtDbLGdIdoQ/s320/DSC_6495.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Your birthday is always going to be around Thanksgiving which means you are always going to have turkey for your birthday. It also means that we are always going to be reminded of being thankful around your birthday which is so appropriate because mommy is truly thankful to God for bringing you into this family. <br />
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The past 2 years have gone by so quickly but you have grown so much. From a little lump weighing 6lb 7oz, you are now a little person who has your own personality and likes/dislikes. We call you mui mui all the time so I wonder when you are going to figure out that your real name is Ainsley. You can barely pronounce Ainsley yet - just like most of your relatives. :)<br />
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You bring so much joy to the family already with your ever expanding vocabulary and repertoire of songs. You recently learned how to make a rocket sound and you have learned how to say grace before meals. Mommy and daddy finds it so funny when we ask you a question and you say "umm...[pause as if you had to think about it]...no". You sing all the time, especially in the morning after you wake up in your crib.<br />
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You like to eat and you always want to try mommy's food. You have the cutest way of asking for food: "shum?". You get it from when we ask you "do you want some?". Mommy is often surprised at how much food you can eat and you like vegetables more than meat, especially steamed broccoli, which is opposite from goh goh. <br />
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You admire your goh goh so much and you try to copy whatever he does all the time. You always tilt your head when we take pictures - something that you learned from goh goh. Today, he was trying to show you how to throw a ball. He is going to teach you so many things as you grow up. I love how you and goh goh play with each other and have each other to play with all the time. <br />
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Mommy looks forward to falling in love with you more and more as you grow older, if that is even possible.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-38286205776660195862012-10-06T07:25:00.001-04:002012-10-06T07:27:42.291-04:00Dukan Diet - end of week 13Wow - it's been 3 whole months since I started the Dukan Diet. I've lost 17lbs so far and I'm still trying to lose another 3lbs. My weight loss has certainly plateaued but I've also not totally been sticking to the plan. I am still on alternating PP and PV days but I've also had other treats that I just couldn't resist, including an oh-so-yummy ice cream cake that I made for my FIL's bday last week! <br />
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I guess the secret is not to make anything that I can't eat. With that in mind for Thanksgiving, our extended family is coming over to our place for dinner and to celebrate my daughter's 2 year old birthday. Everything I'm serving is Dukan-friendly. My MIL is making turkey (check) and I'm making all the sides: sauteed mushrooms, steamed broccoli, roasted carrots/zucchini/tomatoes (check, check, and check!).<br />
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I will be making another ice cream cake (no check) for my daughter but I bought a smaller springform pan so that we won't have leftovers to tempt me.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-16694286140702932982012-09-22T03:39:00.001-04:002012-09-22T11:56:11.718-04:00Dukan Diet - end of week 11As of this morning, I am happy to announce that I've lost a total of 17lbs so far so only 3 more lbs to my True Weight goal. This is amazing considering I've been eating A LOT. <br />
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I watched an episode about binge eaters on the Dr. Oz show and felt like sometimes I binge eat too. Not to that extent but I can certainly pack a lot of food in. I guess I'm still losing weight because I have been generally good about only eating from the list of 100 allowable foods.<br />
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I went to get a physical check up this week and everything is good. My weight, waist line, BMI, blood pressure are all within normal or average range. In fact, my blood pressure is the lowest it has ever been. Not that I've ever had a blood pressure problem before (except for at the end of my 2nd pregnancy) but it's great to know that this diet hasn't made my blood pressure go up. :)<br />
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375802890690974985.post-35105313882578383602012-09-15T08:21:00.001-04:002012-09-15T15:35:50.498-04:00My top 8 favorite Dukan Diet foodsI've lost 15lbs on the Dukan Diet so far! Here is a collection of my own Dukan Diet recipes and tips. These recipes are mainly for the PP days because it's easy to add veggies to any of these recipes to make it a PV meal.<br />
<br />
1. Every morning I look forward to having my breakfast of 2 tbsp oat bran and 3/4 cup lactose free skim milk. I microwave it for 2 minutes and let it cool and thicken for 5 minutes. It becomes a bowl of satisfying, creamy, deliciousness!<br />
<br />
2. Silken tofu is an easy and portable protein that I bring to work for lunch. I just drain it out of the package, put it on a plate, microwave for 3 minutes, cut it into 12 chunks, and pour 1 tbsp of soy sauce over it and voila, eat it with a hard boiled egg and you have a perfect PP lunch!<br />
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3. I am a steak lover and recently discovered how to prepare a whole beef tenderloin into steaks. I've been doing this and individually freezing the steaks so I can have beef tenderloin (aka filet mignon) steaks whenever I want. I defrost individual steaks in the fridge for 2 days and pat it dry before I generously grind on fresh ground pepper and kosher salt. Then I put it on a hot pan for 1-3 mins a side, including the edges (so 6 sides in all). Let it rest for a couple of minutes and then enjoy!<br />
<br />
4. My husband made a chicken souvlaki the other day using lemon juice, lemon zest, and oregano as seasoning. Skewer and probably baked at 350F for 30 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. There's something about eating meat on a stick. It was delicious with a salad, even without the tzaziki sauce and pita bread!<br />
<br />
5. Smoked salmon is also a very easy protein. Just defrost in water for 10 minutes and serve it with some firm tofu slices with a squeeze of lemon juice. <br />
<br />
6. The tilapia filets from Costco are really great too. I cook it like a steak. Take it out of the fridge for 30 min to let it come to room temperature. Make sure your fish is dried off with a paper towel. Right before you cook it, just grind some salt and pepper on each side, spray a non stick pan with some oil (not too much), and pan fry each side for 4 minutes on med-hi heat. The fish should brown nicely on the outside and still be moist on the inside.<br />
<br />
7. Grilled chicken with stir fry veggies with shirataki noodles are very yummy too. Just pan fry the chicken to get some browning, add the veggies until they are almost cooked through but not too mushy, add the rinsed shirataki noodles, add a splash of soy sauce and cook through. <br />
<br />
8. Hard boiled eggs make great PP snacks. I usually bring one to work and then have one in the evening. I make 6 hard boiled eggs at a time and keep them in the fridge so I have 3 days worth of hard boiled eggs ready to go.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869324012223057044noreply@blogger.com0