Pintrest Recipes

More than likely I won't be able to Blog nearly as much as one would like with all these exciting changes. So I was thinking how can I keep people up to date with what I'm making these days? Like the answer to a lot of questions...Pintrest was the answer! Obviously I will still be cooking meals at home, family still needs to eat, and I promise I will take pictures and post as much as I can but my quick alternative was to give you my review on some of the recipes you may have pinned on pintrest.

I've said it before "Pintrest is the new google", when I want a recipe I go to Pintrest and search that way...some of them LOOK really good, but might not taste good. So I've created a Board called "recipe reviews", on this Board you will find recipes I have tried and written below are my comments. Yes written by me and not someone from 134 pins ago, scouts honor.

So here's the link! When I update it, Ill be sure to post the updates. If you have tried a recipe from Pintrest, or Pinned a recipe and its a MUST TRY! Be sure to let me know, I'm always on the hunt for great recipes. :) Happy Pinning and Happy Cooking!

Recipe Review Board    ...sounds all fancy, but its really just Pintrest ;)

SAHM No Longer

So lately I've been suuppeer slack with the blogging! Pretty much since the beginning of 2012, I'm awful! It has been a very busy and exciting year for us so far, with lots of things to keep me extra busy. House, Puppy, and now I'm going back to work!! Finally! For the past 5 years I've been a SAHM, raising my little Princess, and now that she'll be starting school in September that's all changing.

The past couple days have been very stressful (for Charlee and myself) but any big change tends to have that effect on me, and unfortunately I  have passed my "stressing out" gene on. Sunday was my freak out day, worrying about Charlee going to a new room at her preschool and being there all day, meeting new friends and fitting in. Its the same preschool she's gone to since September and we were lucky enough to get her in the room with the same teacher she's had since September too. (and yet I still stress, oy vei!) Then myself meeting and getting to know new co-workers and lets face it....fitting in. Of course Monday was fine, just had one minor upset in the morning with dropping her off at Pre-School, for both of us. Thank-Goodness for her amazing PreSchool teacher Miss Carolyn, although I left teary eyed, I knew I didn't need to stress about her because she was in great hands.

My Monday was great too! We were visiting the suppliers for the restaurant, very interesting, and it was great to get to know people a little better and in a social atmosphere rather than at work. Ok I guess I should back track a bit...So if you didn't know already I'm a Cook by trade, went to NSCC took cooking, worked for 2 years then had Charlee. Within the past 2 years I was starting to get bored....very very bored...So I thought that maybe I would go back to school and do something else. I looked numerous times at online courses, courses offered at NSCC here in the city, and nothing seemed better than the certificate I already have. So I gave up on the school, I guess I was meant to cook.

One day while driving Binks to PreSchool I saw a sign that the old Bakery directly across the road was being renovated into a restaurant and they were hiring. So naturally I went home, Looked them up on Facebook, which you should do right now...Edible Matters.....make sure you "like" them to get all the wicked awesome updates! Edible Matters in a nutshell Cafe/Catering and Pantry; Everything made from scratch, as much local as possible, amazing people! Amazing concept, great location! So I applied, and after 2 nerve racking interviews I got a job! A real life grown-up job. I was am so excited. So last week we had orientation met all the big bosses and did a tour of the restaurant (which is still undergoing some finishing touches), then Yesterday we went to see some of the local suppliers for the restaurant. FIELD TRIP!! Was a great time getting to know people and learning where the product we'll be working with is coming from, also got a killer burn. This Cook is Cooked.

So all in all its been a busy, and exciting little bit around here. I'm very sad to give up the SAHM title, but happy to take back my "Cook" title. Excited to start a new Chapter in my life :)

Homemade Mac & Cheese

Recently we received a call from our TV Provider saying we were eligible for 2 free add on packages. Thank Goodness I answered the phone and not Hubby!! Naturally I opted for the package with the Food and DIY network, any woman would. In case you don't know already, watching the Food Network at 8pm is never a good idea. Anyway  last night we were watching Diners Drive Ins and Dives....always a bad idea for your arteries. This one restaurant served up Ribs with homemade Mac and Cheese....what did I make for Supper you ask? Ribs with Homemade Mac and Cheese :)

Regular ole Mac and Cheese is something I have never made before so I didn't have a go to recipe, so I went on the hunt. Finding a new recipe for me is a chore, I have to read all the ingredients to at least 3 recipes then I choose which one I like, and have all the ingredients for. Next Step, decide what Im going to change (because heaven forbid I follow a recipe)....you can see where this is going right....lengthy process. Anyway I had to do that today for the Mac and Cheese and I must say...success. I will definitely make this recipe again, and when I decide that I have to share.

When your using a recipe off the net, do you write the recipe down or just bring the computer to the kitchen? I'm old school, I need to write it down. If I like it I add it to my recipe binder.

Homemade Mac & Cheese

1 Box of Pasta of your Choice (I used shells...yes for Macaroni and Cheese I used Shells)
1 tbsp Butter
6 oz evaporated Milk (I used regular milk)
6 oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I added a bit of Parm as well)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dry mustard (I used 1/2 tsp, not a fan of the dry mustard in things but a little does help the flavor)
1/4 tsp chili pepper (I used a pinch of chili flakes)
S&P

Cook pasta according to the box directions, less one minute. Drain and put back into the pot.

Over Med-Low Heat, add butter and stir until melted

Mix egg, milk and spices into pasta. Stir until thickens a bit (3-5 minutes)

Remove the pan from heat, add cheese in 4 batches making sure the first is completely melted before adding the next,

Serve Immediately and Enjoy!

We served ours up along side Slow Cooker Ribs tonight, but it could be a great Main as well.

Baby Shower: About to *Pop*

One of the projects I've been working on these days is a Baby Shower for friends of mine and Tyler's. Annabelle is due August 6th (the day after Charlee's Birthday!!) and on June 2nd we will Celebrate her and her baby bump!

Baby Showers are always so fun and cheerful, I love planning them! I have only hosted one other one, a boy shower, and this time I get to do a girly shower. Check out the Polka Dot Shower Ash and I did for our Bestie J this time last year, here! While researching for the shower, there was one theme that kept popping out at me.

I have just started crafting and working on things but (of course!) I do have a pintrest board with some About to Pop Baby Shower ideas I'd like to share with you.

Baby Shower: About to Pop Pintrest Board

So I have been shopping and if you've ever seen or attended any of my parties you know we like to do it on a budget here. Buy a few key things and make everything else, and of course recycle from previous parties. Here's my shopping so far!

Newest Member Of the Cyr Family

My oh My I have been slack, but its seems like I've been quite Busy. I know its been said 10,000 times, but Lord!! A house is a lot of work! I used to be a clean fanatic, everything had to have its place and had to be spotless, if that ever happens in this house....its because we hired a maid.

To add to the destruction and mess we've added a new member to the family. Small things always make the most noise and the biggest mess. Meet Sophie!

Sophie is a, now 10 week old, West Highland Terror (oops) Terrior. She is adorable and a handful, but we Love her very much. Especially Charlee. Sophie is not yet trained, so THIS is what has been taking up my time, not an easy feat. let me tell you. But we're slowly making progress, its a test of patience and learning experience for all involved.

If you and you're family are thinking about getting a new puppy or kitten you should definitely check out Purina's website. You have to sign up, but they send you an information package about your new family member, coupons for free food, and some cute heart bling for the baby. We did this for both our pets when we got them and the information is really helpful, especially if you've never trained a dog before.

Purina: My Puppy
Purina: My Kitten

Free Gardening Tools!

MARCH 26th!!! I cant believe its been a month since I have posted! Slacker! Well I do have a bit of an excuse, you see there was a tiny mishap with a giant glass of wine annnnddd...weeellll my laptop. Wine+Laptop=drunk laptop! I would press A it would type T, lush. Anyway so my Dad has my laptop replacing the keyboard so I can get back to blogging, pinning and all those very important things in life.

Because Im not browsing facebook and pintrest 3 hours a day, turns out I have a lot of spare time! Who would have thought. So I've been working on the yard.  Cleaning up existing flower beds, revamping flower beds, making new ones, digging gardens, starting vegetables. Turns out I really really enjoy gardening...both varieties.

The other day I did have a chance (using Hubby's work computer...shh!) to glance at pintrest. I ventured for the first time into the "Garden" section of Pintrest I was looking for gardening tips and ideas. Found some great ones, recycled gardening "tools". So without even going to the store I was able to start my cucumber seeds so come the May, after the full moon, they'll be ready to go in my newly dug garden.

What you'll need

Take a sheet of newspaper, cut it in 2 down the center crease lenthwise, so you have 1 page of newspaper. Then you fold the page in thirds.  Position your can of soup like in the picture, the roll it. Put a piece of tape to hold it together, then fold in the bottom and tape.

Don't wrap the news paper too tightly you want to be able to slide it off withouth ripping it. Showing a little local hockey pride there, Go Moose!

Then simply fill your cups with dirt and plant your seeds. Keep them in the house in the sunlight until after the Full Moon in May I'm told. Then its planting season. I am using these to start our cucumber seeds in the house. You can't use these for root vegetables such as carrots and beets because they won't be able to grow down, those are best planted straight in the garden. But plants such as beans, cucumbers, tomato can be started now in the house.

Don't forget to water them after you plant the seeds. How you wonder? Using your recylced watering can of course!

Using a plastic milk jug, one with a screw on top, punch holes in the cap and fill with water. VOILA! Free watering can, good to keep in the house smaller than lugging the big one in from outside. Pots and a watering can for FREE! And of course all these ideas came from none other than Pintrest!

Homemade Pasta Alfredo Sauce

Now that we're finally getting settled and into a routine here at the Cyr house, I am back to trying new recipes and cooking up some different meals. This one recipe is one my Mother In Law pinned on Pintrest and while she is here visiting for a night I decided I'd give it a try. Being Lactose Intolerant I can only taste test the sauce to be sure it isn't poison, but man oh man, this is a recipe you muuust try!

Oh! And this isnt a low fat or 100 calories meal, so prepare at your own risk...maybe just before gym day or just after a really good workout.