More Small Things
This past weekend was alternately busy/slow/productive/fun. I went out with my high school BFF Friday night to catch Jim Cuddy on the Canal for Winterlude -- a conveniently-timed concert, the day after my birthday, by my all-time favorite Rock God EVAR! We then headed to a pub on Elgin and spent the better part of 5 hours chatting, laughing, reminiscing, and talking about future plans before heading home. I got in around 2:30am, a little drunk, kind of tired, but strangely refreshed and very happy. She and I don't do things like this often enough, IMO. The next day I hung out with my youngest while my oldest was shuttled around to his various martial arts classes. #2 and I headed out grocery shopping after supper -- which is always a lot of fun with him. As soon as we entered the store, he was asking if he could go see the lobsters and was off like a shot -- standing there watching them while I completed most of the shopping. He insisted on introducing me to them before we left, as he had named them while I was doing my errands.
Sunday involved a trip to Ikea with the family -- busy, aggravating, but fun to see all the new stuff they've available. Picked up a blue shelf for #2 and a red one for #1 to install in their room sometime this week. I drooled over some of the new furniture and double-checked that they still carry my bookshelf -- I need one more to fill the dining room wall.
After getting back, I headed down to the New 168 Market, to buy some oxtail and a few other things I hadn't been able to source at the Produce Depot the night before. I took a little bit of the birthday money my grandmother had given me and bought myself an adorable covered "earth pot" -- green glaze with white bunnies jumping around on it. I've grown past looking purely for function in my cookware and have moved into selecting cookware based a) on function and b) whether using it can bring a little extra joy into my day. Bouncing bunnies on a field of green definately equal more joy, so it was very easy to bring this home with me.
Valentine's Day evening was spent munching some very yummy chocolates courtesy of DH, from a local chocolatier. Yum!
Sunday night I indulged my retro-tv fetish and watched a large portion of Barbara Taylor Bradford's "Woman of Substance" mini-series. I have the next two mini-series to watch as well. I also started a batch of Vietnamese oxtail broth for future Pho Bo.
Monday was going to be skating with the kids, but they opted to play in the backyard and I got into a cooking mode -- finished the oxtail broth, made a huge batch of tabbouleh from scratch with cilantro instead of parsley and lots of mint, and a double batch of Lebanese beef soup with orzo, mint and dill. I'm still in a bit of a cooking mood, so I'm about to head out to pick up the couple things I need to make summer rolls.
WFD tonight: Vietnamese summer rolls, spicy peanut dipping sauce, Dau Hu Kho Gung, rice, and greens with sliced onions. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!