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I look forward to the weekend all week and then it comes and then it goes so quickly! I know it's only Saturday but by the time I get all the cleaning done and run my errands, there's really not much time left!
Is it just me or should the weekend be extended to Monday? Who likes going to work on Monday anyways...


I'm taking a break from cleaning the house right now and thought I would let you know that I have joined Pinterest! I love that site because you can find such neat things on there. Anything from hairstyles, design ideas, photography, recipes...you name it, it's on there! I love searching for new ideas and browse while I'm watching TV.
I'm still trying to figure it all out and I haven't figured out how to get that neat little "Follow me on Pinterest" button on my blog so people can click on it. I'll keep working at it though!


For now here's the link to my boards!

http://pinterest.com/kathleenpotvin/

Niagara Icewine Festival

This past weekend, my husband, my sister, my in-laws and I drove down to Niagara-on-the-Lake to check out the Icewine Festival. We have gone to the festival 3 times now (we have been living in Ontario for 4 years) and it never gets old! Basically you can purchase a $30 passport which allows you 6 tickets. You can use them all for yourself, or split them with someone else. Each winery offers food and an Icewine sample. It's well worth the money!

These are the wineries we visited:

We started the afternoon out at Colaneri Estate Winery, a newly built winery owner by the Colaneri family, based on Italian wines. The building is absolutely stunning and really makes you feel like you are somewhere in Tuscany! I had no idea it existed and was very pleasantly surprised! Here we had 3 different pairings: antipasto, Italian wedding soup and mocha chocolate ice cream each paired with a different recioto.

Next we headed over to Hillebrand Winery, one of my favorite wineries, home of the Trius Red wine. They served us an Icewine chili topped with sour cream and dark chocolate chips, paired with the Trius Vidal Icewine. Who knew that would be such an awesome combination! This winery pulls out all the stops; with an outdoor sitting area with fire pits, Muskoka chairs and wool blankets.

   

Our third stop was Jackson Triggs- a more modern looking winery. They served a braised chuck taco with a 2007 Cabernet Franc Icewine. Yum!

Peller Estates was the fourth stop. This is by far our favorite winery. Home of Cityline chef Jason Parsons. If you ever have a chance to eat at the restaurant, do it, you will love it!
This is the experience I look forward to every year. Their homemade Icewine marshmallows roasted on an open fire outside. These marshmallows are massive and so ooey gooey good!

Last but not least, Reif Estate Winery was serving a signature Reif Estate Vidal Icewine with spit roasted porketta on a bun with Icewine apple sauce.

Overall it was a lovely day spent with family!

For the love of Falafels...

Whether you are vegetarian or not, Falafels are amazing (at least I think so)!!

For those of you who have never had a Falafel before, it's a Middle Eastern dish, which consists of a deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas. It's normally served in a pita or wrapped in a flat bread. They are normally garnished with lettuce, garlic sauce, onions and pickled beats.

I like to make these on meatless nights because they still fill you up and taste so yummy too.

A little bit about chickpeas:

Chickpeas are a helpful source of zinc, folate and protein.They are also very high in dietary fibre and hence a healthy source of carbohydrates for persons with insulin sensitivity or diabetes. Chickpeas are low in fat and most of this is polyunsaturated.
Source

Here's my healthy Falafel recipe! I don't deep fry them completely in oil (trying to keep it healthy), so sometimes it's hard to get the consistency right. The mixture can't be too mushy or else it will fall apart. The flour will act as a good binding agent.
I would say this recipe serves 2-4 people (depending on how hungry the people are and how large you make the Falafels). I make patties last time and served it in one of those thin whole wheat buns (kinda like a burger).

Ingredients

1 can (540 mL) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground tumeric

1/2 tsp cayenne (or more if you like it spicy)

1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 tbsp flour

Pitas or flat buns

Tzatziki

Romaine lettue leaves

Sliced tomato, red onion and cucumber

1. Drain and rinse the liquid out of the chickpeas. Make sure they are very dry.

2. Combine in a food processor: chickpeas, parsley leaves, 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, coriander, cumin, tumeric and cayenne. Pulse until mixture forms a crumbly paste that holds together. Taste and add a little salt, pepper and more cayenne if necessary. Pulse again to combine.

3. Add the flour to the mixture and mix in with your hands or a potato masher.

4. Form mixture into 4 even-sized patties, about ½ inch (1 cm) thick, or small balls. In a large nonstick skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add burgers and balls and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown on the undersides. Carefully turn the patties over.

5. Toast the buns or warm the pita. Add tzatziki, lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber. Add the falafels and serve!


Try it out and let me know what you think!

Gotta love DIY!

I'm all for the whole DIY thing, but I must admit that sometimes I have trouble picturing the finished product. I watch enough Sarah's House to know that old things can look new again with a nice coat of paint, but again sometimes I have trouble picturing it when I'm doing it myself! I have been getting better at imagining the finished product in my mind. I normally have a type of piece in mind and hubby gets frustrated with me when I saw "no I don't like that one" 10 times before I find a piece of old furniture that I like.

Every holiday weekend from May till October Bob and Al, of Buzzard Antiques, collect "Stuff in the Ruff" (as they put it) for their barn sale.
We have found a few pieces in the last few years that we have given new life to, which I referred to in my first post!

During one of their barn sales on the Thanksgiving weekend, we found a really nice dresser that we decided to transform and use as a bedside table for our guest room.

It took lots of convincing to get me to buy it, because of the disgusting mouse poop inside it and the ugly finish it had!
It already looks better with a sanding. I could finally see the potential!


This is how it ended up

We gave it a few coats of Antique white paint, finished with a coat of dark stain on the top and some new hardware! For the time being, the door is staying off since it needs to be put back together (|I kinda like it like that though).

**To visit Buzzard Antiques click here

Southern Destination...but where?

I need to replenish my slowly dwindling away supply of vitamin D in my body! Simple solution...spend some time in the sun. Two problems...the sun is only out while I'm sitting at my desk at work and unfortunately my desk is too far away from the window...AND when I am outside, I'm all bundled up from head to toe.

Even though winter has really just started (let's face it, winter has been pretty good to us so far) I'm already ready for summer! When I was a kid growing up in Montreal, we would get TONS of snow (they still get a fair amount) and I loved playing in it, building snow forts, and having snowball fights...but now I just don't have that same kind of love for it!
Maybe I need to find an outdoor winter activity that will get me to enjoy winter again. Hubby and I actually decided we would try skiing this winter. We said that last year, and we never followed through, but I think this year we are more committed to trying it!

Anyways totally off topic. My whole point here was to say that I am ready for summer again, or at least spring, where the air is fresh and the days are longer. I think that's what really kills it...you leave for work, it's dark, you come home from work, it's dark. Ugh I need more sunlight than that!

Ok off topic again...what I am trying to say is that I need to break the winter up with a nice little trip to a warm and sunny place. I'm thinking end of February would be nice! But where?
We don't want to spend a whole lot of money since our bigger trip will be 2 weeks in France in September, but a little getaway is always nice!


All-inclusive? I did one of those in 2005 with my girlfriends and it was a great time, but I have trouble just sitting around and lying in the sun. Will a resort have enough activities to keep me busy? I do like the all in one price, but I would probably want to do at least 1 excursions outside of the resort.

Maybe a cruise? Hubby and I went on a cruise for our first trip together and we enjoyed it a lot more than we both expected. It has activities for everyone, pools, food, and best of all you get to see a couple different islands all on the same trip. I would definitely consider another one...

Ok well maybe we could rent a condo in Key West and just hang around there, take it easy and do a couple day trips? The drive to Key West is supposed to be pretty amazing and having stopped there on the cruise the last time, I know that it's a really safe and pretty island.

What do you guys think?
What and where was your favorite trip down South?
Any suggestions on some nice resorts?

Would love to hear your comments!

Paper Creations

I know my post is a little late in the day, but better late than never right?

Hubby is gone out west for a few days, and he left his cold behind! Yes of course as much as he tried to keep it away from me, I still managed to get it... Let me tell you that going to work Monday morning when you're feeling mediocre is not all that fun. I am looking forward to spending the night on the couch cuddling with my puppy (she's 3 but I still call her my puppy) and yes...perhaps I should be ashamed to say this but watch The Bachelor. I told myself I wasn't going to watch it this time but I ALWAYS get sucked in!


ANYWHO I wanted to share this link with you, because the creator of Paper Creations is my wonderful sister Stephanie! She's a graphic designer and she's super talented. She does custom invitations, birth announcements, thank you cards and really anything you request! She'll work with you and your budget to come up with a design that fits your event. I guarantee you won't be disapointed!!

* Gift tag designed for my wedding

Check out Paper Creations and feel free to contact Stephanie through her contact page on her website if you need any custom invitations!

Curried Parsnip and Cauliflower Soup

This recipe is inspired by a recipe I found in the Food & Drink Holiday 2010 magazine from the LCBO. I changed a few things around to make it my own!

It's perfect for a cold fall or winter day, packed with lots of flavor and nutrients!

Here's how you can make it:

4 parsnips, peeled and cut into cubes to make 4 cups
1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
1tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter
1 1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp red curry paste
1 apple (I used a Spy), peeled and chopped, to make 1 cup
5 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Croutons to garnish your dish at the end




1. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) (or 425°F if you are using a smaller oven).

2. Toss parsnips and cauliflower with vegetable oil, place on baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Stir them a few times so they brown evenly but not fully cooked.

3. Heat butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and ginger and sauté for 3 minutes. Add red curry paste and blend together. Add apples, parsnips and cauliflower and cook another 3 minutes or until everything is combined.

4. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.

5. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor, return to your pot, add coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust the texture if needed, by adding chicken broth or water. Season with salt and pepper.

Garnish with croutons

This makes a really nice start to a meal, especially on a cold day!


Happy Sunday everyone!

Date Night

Hubby and I went out on a date last night! I know it looks like I'm excited, like I don't get out much or something...we actually do go out but normally with other couples. This time it was just the two of us.

First we went to Milestones because I love their Bellini's (although it was cold outside and I felt like having a caesar instead) and then we walked over to the movie theatre to see "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". I actually had not seen the preview when hubby suggested it to me before leaving the house, so I wandered over to my computer to check it out. Ok so I was pretty intrigued and seemed like my type of movie.

A very gripping story line, with a few disturbing parts to the movie, but definitely worth watching, not to mention Daniel Craig is excellent in this role (in my opinion). I found it a tad slow to get started, but when the action picked up it definitely had me hooked. I don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen it but basically here's the quick synopsis:

"Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for forty years by Lisbeth Salander, a young computer hacker."
-quoted from IMBD

Has anyone seen the movie?? Tell me what you thought of it. Have you read the book, did you like the book better?

Have a good one!

In a Nut Shell

Hello everyone!

I have been reading lots of blogs lately and have been thinking about starting my own! So here it is…still new at this and figuring it all out.

 When I finally decided to get it all started I realized I had to come up with a title for my blog. I wrote down a few options that I liked and started typing them in one by one…and one by one I crossed them off the list because they were already taken. I finally found one that was available that I actually liked. So there you have it my new blog titled “In the Life of K & B”. Ever since hubby and I started dating, we called ourselves Team KB. Sure it’s a little cheesy, but really that’s what we are…a team. I even got it engraved in my engagement band, so I’m always reminded of it!  awwww how cute eh haha

I don’t want to make this too long, but I feel like I should give you guys a few tidbits on myself. I moved to Ontario in 2008 after hubby got a job here as a pilot flying out of the Hamilton Airport.

®     We have an American Eskimo named Nikka who is as sweet as can be…but can get herself into trouble from time to time. But life would not be the same without her white fluff balls floating around the house!

®     Our first house was purchased in 2009; an end unit townhouse with views of the escarpment, but of course we are now looking to upgrade to a detached house!

®     I am a newlywed, if you can still call it that! I got married September 4^th, 2010…so it has been over a year now and it has been amazing. 

®     I am a daughter; my parents have been married for 30 years…that seems to be unheard of these days. People get divorced after 1 year of marriage nowadays.

®     I am a sister; I have a younger sister and brother.

®     I have a sister-in-law and a wonderful set of in laws who also have been married for about 35 years!

®     I love wine; hubby and I like to do all those wine festivals and open a nice bottle of wine on the weekend with friends.

®     I like to cook and then eat the food I cook; hubby and I really enjoy preparing dinner together, trying new recipes and cooking for friends and family.

®     I like DIY stuff;

1.       So far we have refinished our bedroom furniture made of solid wood. They were a “not so nice” oak color so we spent a few weeks sanding them down and staining them dark walnut.

2.       We refinished a night table for our guest room and a little desk for our entrance. We bought these at a barn sale in Beamsville.

3.       We had also found a set of 6 antique chairs at the barn sale which we got for about $120. We painted them white and recovered the fabric seat. We put a new piece of foam on each since the seat was originally stuffed with straw or something weird like that.

4.       My in-laws gave us an old solid wood dining table, which we updated with a nice coat of dark stain to match the rest of our décor.

®     I am learning to sew; I finished my first project over the weekend- I added a border to my boring white drapes in the guest room.

®     I love to travel; since we have been together (5 years now) we have been on 4 trips.

1.       A Caribbean Cruise and Miami, where hubby proposed to me.

2.       Fiji and Los Angeles for our honeymoon

3.       New York City the month after our wedding

4.       Ireland for our one year anniversary this past September

5.       Planning a trip in September to France

I guess I can keep going but really that’s a good mishmash of who I am! You’ll get to know more about me as time goes on! Hope you will stick around long enough to find out.

This is my sweet little girl Nikka...she 's pretty and she knows it!