PHAB Lifestyle A blog dedicated to a healthy balance

So today I got a taste of what life will be like once I am home full-time looking after J.  It was a good day actually.  I got up at 6am and took a shower and then had breakfast.  I am still fighting a cold so a nice hot shower felt so good this morning.

My lovely bowl of overnight oats!  Love this stuff it is just so darn yummy!  Plus it is so easy!

• 1/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Muesli
• 2T rolled oats
• 1T chia seeds
• 4 oz of plain yogurt
• 1tsp of cinnamon
• 2/3 cup Vanilla Almond Milk

Combine all this in a bowl and stick it in the fridge overnight.  In the morning add a few toppings and you have a quick and wonderfully tasty breakfast!

Then I got J up and he had some breakfast of cereal and banana…one of his favourites.  Then we ran out the door to do a few quick arrons before J’s therapist came over.

We had a pretty busy morning.  Once I put J down for his nap after lunch I got busy doing a few things.

Like fold towels.

and bake cookies!

My stock of Super Charge Me Cookies had been done days ago and I was do to replenish it!

I just love these cookies and the best part is I don’t feel totally guilty eating them!  With the good wholesome ingredients they have it is a bonus.

Hot out of the oven!

Of course my afternoon snack was on of these yummy cookies!

Nom…nom….nom…

Dinner tonight is going to be good old comfort food since it is quite chilly out today.

I am making a super easy beef stew from an issue of Cooking Light.  It is in the oven right now and it sure is starting to smell awesome in my kitchen!

Well better get going sounds like J is waking up.

Our culinary experience last night a Rush restaurant was incredibly good!  The restaurant itself is very romantic and cozy for such a large space.   The tasting menu at this restaurant has a choice of what you would like but instead of making a choice of the two that they had for each course they just served one to the hubs and one to me so we could taste it all!  It was a great way to do it.

plus the service was impeccable!

When we sat down to our table I was giving a cute little purse hook to hang my purse on.

They think of everything!

We started with some water.

I had sparkling and the hubs still.

We were also served the most delicious mini breads.

A cute little brioche and a chewy fig and rosemary bread.  Yum! 

First up they served us an amuse boche of a small tuna cake.  It was very good.

After this the tasting menu moved along at a pretty good pace but not too fast.  They had it timed quite good and there was not a long wait between courses.

First Course:

This was served with a really nice white wine that I cannot remember the name of and did not snap a picture of…oops!

This was a cantaloupe reduction with prosciutto ham in the middle.  It was an interesting way of having it.  It was very refreshing and tasted wonderful.

Second Course:

Two wines for this one.  They did a small pour of each.  One was a red and the other a white.  They were both delicious!

I was giving the pouched octopus this was to go with the white wine.

The octopus was cooked to perfection and was not at all tuff.  It was served with olives and squid ink croutons.  It was so good.

Hubs got the white bean ravioli to go with the red.  This had the most delicious ham sauce on it.  It was rich tasting and the red wine went with it wonderfully to cut the richness of the dish.

We each at half and then switched. 

Third Course:

A lovely red wine to go with suckling pig with apple and brussel sprouts.  This also had the crispy skin with it too…I did taste that as well.

and a very tender beef medallion with a very tasty gravy.  Sorry I cannot describe this better as the tasting menu changes all the time and the descriptions online are not the same as what we had last night.

Needless to say this was also very good.  I did however prefer the beef over the pork. 

Fourth Course:

Another lovely white wine to go with this.

Sesame crusted sable fish with Swiss chard and a carrot broth.  This dish was sooooo GOOD!  The fish was tender and flaky with a perfect crust of sesame.  Loved it!

Fifth Course:

We took a picture while waiting.

This was a cheese course and was served with a port.

It was so good.  It was spicy and had a lovely caramel flavour.  It was great with the cheese.

We dug in right away and almost forgot to take a picture.  But also by this time a lot of wine was consumed and we were starting to get a bit goofy!  This was a mini fondue type dish with the most awesome crackers to put it on.  It was pretty cheezy and rich!

Finishing up the wine from my last course!  Chug…chug!

Palate Cleanser:

They placed a pair of scissors in front of us…interesting…….

To cut open this.  A freezy of pureed passion fruit.  It was so darn yummy!  The server said that the chef was being a bit cheeky serving it this way.  But it was fun!

We thoroughly enjoyed it!

It was a great way to get prepared for dessert!

Sixth Course:

Finally dessert and it was a good one!

Served with a dessert wine that the server described as a fancy fruit juice as the alcohol content was very low.  It was very good and so was the dessert!

A chocoholics paradise!  Chocolate sorbet, Hazelnut chocolate cake and a flourless chocolate cake.  It was all so very good.  The Hazelnut chocolate cake was my favourite it tasted more like a brownie and I loved it!  By this time I was getting pretty full and had to leave bit of the sorbet and a few bites of the flourless cake left.  I just could not fit anymore in my tummy.

Cheers!  To a wonderful dinner!

We had a great time and my Dad was kind enough to pick us up and drive us home.  Thanks Dad!

I however, did wake up this morning feeling a little worse for wear that is for sure.  I don’t usually drink that much wine so I was a bit dehydrated and hurting.  Plus I now have a cold thanks to J.

We have been having a really hard time kicking the colds out of our house!  I sure am hoping it ends soon!

Well I am stuffed up and coughing…I think a hot bath is in order for me!

Night!

Things will be changing for me in the next few months and I will have to make adjustments.  As of April 1st I will be becoming a stay at home Mom for good.  We made the big decision of me quitting my career and taking care of J full-time.  He needs a lot of care and who better than Mommy to do it!

I admit I am excited but also it will take me some time to get used to the idea that my job is going to be different than the office job I have been doing for about 20 years!  So there you have it that is one of the changes as of late and it is a big one.

Also I bought a new lens for my camera

A Canon 50mm f/1.8 II and let me tell you I LOVE it!  It takes great pictures for the blog.

This morning I tried something new for breakfast.  Overnight oats.  I have seen them around a lot of blogs and thought I needed to give it a try.

I used Bob’s Red Mill Muesli as the base and added:

• 1/3 cup muesli
• 2T rolled oats
• 1T chia seeds
• 4 oz of plain yogurt
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 2/3 cup Vanilla Almond milk

For toppings I put 2 dried apricots diced, 1T of walnuts and 1T of granola with a dollop of pumpkin butter on top.  This was so darn good!  I ate it all up and practically licked the bowl clean!  I can’t wait to have it again.  This one is a keeper!  I got the idea from The Edible Perspective…thanks girl!

Breakfast this morning was also enjoyed with a cup of fresh French press coffee. Delightful!

This afternoon lunch was a veggie feast!

I took a spaghetti squash and roasted it up.  Scooped the half the flesh into a bowl and proceeded to top it with roasted brussel sprouts, broccoli and red pepper and for dressing I made the best “cheeze” ever!  Thank you Mae for sharing your amazing recipe!

I also added some very ripe avocado as well! YUM! This was so very tasty!  I have more for tomorrow too.

This evening the hubs and I are going on a date night!  We are heading out for a fancy smancy dinner at a restaurant called Rush.  We purchased an Exclusive tasting menu for two including wine from a silent auction and we are using it tonight.  I love having meals like this they are always so good.  At least in my experience anyway. 

So come by tomorrow to see if I was right!

Ta..Ta…for now!

Why hello there!  Thought that maybe I was gone forever??  Nahhhhh…just a little hiatus as life has been pretty busy!

Our morning started out a little crazy!  J woke us up at 5:15 this morning gasping for air and a barking cough…YUP he has croup!  Of course since he has never had this before it naturally scared Mommy and Daddy to death so we took him to the hospital where it was confirmed as croup.  He got a dose of medicine and should be fine in about 48 hours.  It sure started my day off from work with a bang!

J is doing fine now but still sounds horse and a bit barky.  He is staying home from his play school today.

When we got home from the hospital I made J some breakfast of Cherrios and banana his favourite which he ate right up.

I drank my coffee from Tim’s which we picked up on the way home…I needed it after being up pretty darn early unexpectedly!

After J was done eating I made myself a little breakfast of banana oats. Yummm….

In the mix was:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 banana
• cinnamon
• splash of vanilla
• 1/8 cup egg whites (whisked in at the end)
• Toppings – strawberries, raw coconut, glob of Almond Butter and sprinkle of hempseed It was delish!

I also made sure to take my vitamins this morning…we have been a sickly bunch this winter!

What a crazy morning….but this afternoon I am heading to the spa with my friends for an afternoon of relaxation with a massage and pedicures!  Daddy will be looking after the little man so mommy can relax!

Well time for me to have some play time with my little pea!

Time sure files!  J is already 3 years old today!  It sure has been fun and he has grown into his own neat little person.  Life with J is never dull that is for sure.

He started out so small.

He barely fit into his car seat to take him home from the hospital.

Sleeping was his number one favourite thing to do in the beginning.

Being his happy little self with chubby cheeks.

Making faces with Daddy.

 

Mugging for the camera.

Showing off his cool leather jacket.

Sporting his new glasses…looking like a professor.

Enjoying the view out the window.

Testing out his new sled that Grandma and Grandpa got him for Christmas this year.  He had a great time.

 

I can’t believe out little man is already 3 years old.  Happy Birthday Sweety Pea!  Mommy and Daddy love you lots!

Sweet Potato hummus actually.  I found a recipe in Body + Soul magazine’s last issue and since I had a sweet potato that needed to be eaten up I gave the recipe a whirl!

I love this magazine for it’s healthy approach to living.  I buy it quite often.

 

I was interested in trying this recipe with the sweet potato plus I would have something to dip my pita chips into.

Simple ingredients.

All in the food processor.

I gave it a whirl for about a couple a minutes and had to use some water to thin it out a little as it was pretty thick.

But it turned out light and fluffy and pretty creamy.  Plus it makes quite a bit.  I will have hummus for the week now.

The taste was really good.  I am usually not a huge fan of cumin but it tasted really good in this hummus.

I had some of the pita chips and hummus as a pre-dinner treat.

While I was snacking I made J some supper.  We were not very hungry yet so I made something quick for my little man.

I went with breakie for supper.  I made him a little spinach and cheese omelette, toast with a smear of pumpkin butter and a kiwi.  He enjoyed it all…cleaned it up.

Our supper tonight was quick and easy as well.

My favourite Amy’s Pizza but I “beefed” it up a little.  Love this pizza it is so darn good!

I added some shredded roasted chicken and spinach and just a little sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

I had three small pieces along with some steamed broccoli.  It was scrumptious doused in Franks Red Hot.

Dessert was consumed a short time later…a small cup of caramel pecan fro-yo.  So yummy!

Now after a warm bath I think I will prepare myself a cup of hot water and lemon and cozy into bed with a book.

Night!

This afternoon I took a little walk in the cold but sunny outdoors.  It was relaxing and very refreshing!  We are at about minus 14 today.  I bundle up in my big parka, mitts, scarf and winter boots and was good to go.

It was lovely with the sun shining and the cool crisp air.

I walked on some of the park paths through my neighbourhood.

Took a few pictures while I was walking…it was fun.  We still have a lot of snow.  Plus looks like more is coming during the week.  I would really like a Chinook to melt some of it!

  

I had my Garmin on while walking to get the stats.

I walked 2.33 miles in about 43 minutes.  I was ready to come in as I was getting a little cold.

I warmed up with some decaf green tea and citrus.

 

I love the saying on the Yogi tea tags.  They can be so inspiring.

Now I need to tackle a mountain of laundry! Grufff!

Plus J is waking up from his nap…better go get him!

Adios

Well hello….I am still around just enjoying the holidays with my family!  I will get back to some kind of schedule when my life gets back to normal next week.  Also, HAPPY 2010!

This evening soup for supper was on the menu.  We have all been fighting a cold over the holidays and warm soup sounded good.

I made one of favourites from Clean Eating Magazine.

I love this magazine and pretty much never miss buying an issue.  They have great healthy clean recipes.

The Minestrone Soup is fabulous and has become a favourite of ours.  It is so simple to make as well.  I freeze the leftovers and it is great for a quick lunch.

I started by sautéing the vegetables (fennel, red onion & carrots) and spices.

After a bit they get soft then you add the rest of the ingredients.

White kidney beans.

Tomatoes.  I used a can of small diced tomatoes for it tonight since the fresh tomatoes at the grocery store where looking less and stellar.

6 Cups of water.

Quinoa, to up the protein.  Then you let it simmer until the Quinoa has cooked.

Along with the soup we shared a Everything Bagel toasted.  YUM!

This soup is so very good and I love how easy it is to throw together.  Plus it is very healthy!

My bagel spread with a little bit of avocado…delish.

Such a yummy supper.

Now I am going to pop some corn and settle in with the hubs to watch a movie!

Night!

Yes…yes…I am still here!   This time of year is just plain busy and I have to prioritize and well the blog just has to take a back seat.  I am only one person and can only do so much soooo this is the reason for my absence.

I have been a busy gal and this is what I have been up to.

Enjoying Pizza Fridays

Baking like crazy! Although this is not everything I have baked over the last few weeks.  There is more…

These little guys are in the fridge harding up to be dipped in chocolate and sprinkles!  That will be done tomorrow night.  They are so simple to make and taste fantastic!

Receiving early Christmas presents from the hubs!

an iPhone….I am truly spoiled!

I absolutely LOVE it!  It is so much fun and it rocks!  He also got me some gift cards to the spa.  What a guy!

We have also been enduring A LOT of snow!  But as you can see it is going to get much nicer by Thursday…all I can say is THANK GOODNESS!

I also got a package today…a little present to myself.

A wonderful box of Glo Bars!  The Healthy Holiday Lovers Variety Pack.  One of these will be part of my lunch tomorrow…now which one will I choose.  Mmmmm…

I have also wrapped a bunch of gifts and sent out packages.

I love my tree it is so pretty!

So that is pretty much what I have been doing the last little while.

Tonight for supper I made a slow cooker Eggplant pasta sauce.  I got the recipe from Fitness Magazine.

It smelled so good when we got home.

I put my sauce on top of some lovely spaghetti squash.  The hubs had his with pasta.

I topped it with parm and had a slice of garlic toast with it.  Mmmmm…so good!

Now it is time for some Dream Catcher tea and a hot bath before bed

de-stress and relax!

Yes, it has been a long while since I posted.  But right now life is taking the front seat over blogging.  Christmas is fast approaching and I have been one busy gal!

Like tomorrow..we are having a little Christmas lunch at work and it is potluck.  I am bringing a Gluten Free Cheese and Onion Quiche as my contribution.  We have a lady in our office that cannot eat Wheat so in order for her to participate I am making something she can eat  

I got to work making it after supper tonight.  I started with the dough.

This dough only had a few ingredients and it and was super easy to make but a little hard to get into the tart pan without destroying it!  But I managed and it worked out ok.  I had to bake it in the oven blind for about 10 mins before putting in the filling.  It is pretty delicate.

The filling consisted of sautéed onions, eggs, aged cheddar and cream. Plus salt and pepper.

The onions smelled so good cooking.

Filling up the pan.

The finished product!  WOW does it smell good!  I can’t wait to try it out tomorrow.

After it cooled a bit I put it on a plate big enough to hold it so I can transport it to work tomorrow.

The only plate that I had that was big enough was my Christmas Cookies plate.  Oh well it will work in a pinch!

The recipe I used for this can be found here.  I followed the recipe as it reads and it worked out pretty well.  I did add a little more rice flour to the dough because it was a little to wet.

Well it is late and I need to get some sleep.

Night all!