Saturday, January 15, 2011

Sometimes I Can Be Demanding | Halifax, NS

I know!  You're surprised, right?  Just sometimes.

I woke the other morning, not quite ready to wake up and get on with the day.  As I lay in bed, Jason came in the room.  "Come lay with me," I said, as I pulled back the comforter.

Oh wait... Mom, you can stop reading.

As he crawled into the bed, I rolled away from him, waiting for the inevitable spooning hug I was about to get.  I waited.  But he wasn't hugging.  He wasn't spooning.  What the hell?  "WHY AREN'T WE SPOONING?!"

"Um, I'm taking my glasses off."

Patience, Karen, you must learn patience.




...Kare


email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Hockey Sticks Make Me Cry | Halifax, Nova Scotia

What?  Hockey sticks don't make you cry?  Oh, I beg to differ...

There's a certain 13 year old boy who plays hockey.  He decided one day recently that he should have a pink hockey stick.  Sure, his mom agreed, but why?  For breast cancer awareness.  This was around the time I was diagnosed so his mom shared my story with him.  Well, for sure he wanted it then.  He wrote my name on the stick and when the boys made fun of him for having a pink stick, it didn't matter, it was his stick and it was important.  No one else gets to touch it or hold it; it is our bond, our connection, his way of helping me fight.

Yesterday, his mom brought me pictures of the stick:


He signed the back of one photo "Thinking of you."  My heart melts and my eyes tear up.  It's more than a hockey stick that makes me cry.  It's love, and awesomeness, and standing up for what you believe in, and being 13 with a heart so huge and strong.

HP, you are amazing and I am so thankful to you for this.

...Kare


email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Almond Crusted Chicken | Halifax, NS



Almond-crusted Chicken Breasts courtesy of The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook by Jillian Michaels 

1/2 cup unsalted almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 dried rosemary (we skipped the rosemary)
1 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (4-5 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 425

In the workbowl of a food processor, place the almonds, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, rosemary, garlic, and salt.  Process until coarsely chopped; the mixture will be a thick paste.  We did this in a blender - and by we I mean he.

Arrange the chicken breast halves in a baking dish.  Divide the almond paste and spread on the breasts; pat down to cover each breast completely.  Roast in the oven until cooked through and instant-read thermometer reads 165 to 170 F, about 10 minutes.  Loosely tent with foil and let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

It helps to have a cute boy to cook it for you, but I doubt you're as lucky as I am.  Jason received the cookbook for Christmas; if this turns out to be the only recipe we try (it won't be, though), it was worth it!





:-)
...Kare


email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

Monday, January 10, 2011

Hmmmhmmm... Did you hear that? | Halifax, NS


If you know me, you know that it's a rare occasion that I get annoyed (stop laughing, Mom!).  Every once in awhile, Jason does or says something that irks me.  The kind where there is nothing for me to say in response.  It's just irksome.  So I "Hmmmhmmm" with attitude.  Go ahead, try it.  Hmmmhmmm.

He never responds to my hmmmhmmm, which annoys me!  If I hmmmhmmm you, it deserves a response, you should know you're annoying me.  So just to be sure, I've taken to following up my hmmmhmmms with "Did you hear that?"

Which is all fine and dandy, till the other night I said something that Jason may have found irksome.  Maybe.  From the other side of the room I heard, "Hmmmhmmm... Did you hear that?"

:-)



...Kare


email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca