Every step of the way

This past weekend I experienced life with loved ones. On Friday night, my husband and I joined some good friends for a late night pizza. Saturday afternoon, my bestest friend came by for a quick coffee, because she happened to be in the neighbourhood. Saturday night was a night of festivities at my sisters’ house, where I got to spend time with my 3 sisters, my husband and their husbands. Sunday me, my husband and my 4 little children visited my cousin and his family. There my kids got to enjoy an afternoon of fun and games with the next generation of Colosimo kids, while the adults enjoyed some wine and great food.

I am a very lucky person. I say it, and I know it. What would life be like if we didn’t have people we love surround our everyday life? I have a few very good friends (you know who you are), 3 wonderful sisters (you know who you are..lol), 2 great parents (you know who you are), and a very amazing extended family. I remember growing up, my parents would always entertain. Neighbours were like family, family were like siblings. This is what life was about. Gatherings of people that got along, played, chatted, ate and drank. During these times together, we (the kids) bonded with other children our age, and memories were made.

Pictures help capture these fun times and memories that are made. They are placed in albums, stored in our computers and shared on Face book. Some make us laugh and some make us question what the hell we were thinking at the time. Gatherings are times that are cherished and treasured for a lifetime. Life is all about people, and times shared with them.

As we age, we meet new people that we connect with, and former people we re-connect with. Stories are shared, advice is exchanged and opinions are listened too. We are human beings, travelling through the journey of life. I have many friends and cousins that are experiencing the trials and tribulations of parenthood, alongside me. These are people that knew me when I was young, naive and silly. These are the people that knew me when I didn’t even know how to write my name. We grew up together, and now our own children are able to do the same thing, together.

Our parents continue to get together with people that they shared their journey of life with. Some they lost touch with, and some they kept a connection with. Yesterday my cousin and I were talking about how great it will be when we our kids grow and we will be able to travel with our spouses. We laughed and thought about our own parents, and then we stopped and realized that when this happens, as our children grow, so will we. We will no longer be young, fresh parents. We will be veterans, grandparents, and in a new stage of life.

I have many important people in my life. Over the years, I have made some real friends. Friends of quality, loyalty, and of true friendship. I am reminded of this every once in a while, when we get together, or when I am just having a bad day. My children will always be the most important people in my life, but when they are all grown up and begin their own adult life, I will want to know that they made these special bonds that I have made over the years. I will want to know that I had a part of the relationships they have secured, because I knew that it was important to connect with friends, and connect with family on a regular basis. This is something that cannot be replaced by anything. We all need each other in one way, or another. I am proud of the bonds I have made. I know that when I am old and grey and wrinkly (lol), I will be able to remember the times that I shared in my life with the people that were there with me every step of the way.
That’s my peace today!

I stole today's recipe from Sylvia because it was just tooo delicious...thanks Syl I hope I got it right..lol!

Zucchini stuffed with goat cheese

6 zucchini
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Canadian goat cheese
grated parmesan (optional)

Cut the zucchini in half and scoop of the insides. Fill with the goat cheese, sprinkle with the breadcumbs (generously) you can also sprinkle grated parmesan
Place in baking pan and cook for about 20 minutes at 385 degrees.

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Are all these yours???

Yesterday I was in line at the cash at Fortino’s without my kids and there was a man standing behind me, all at once he said to me, “Boy you must have a lot of kids!” I looked to him and the cashier (whom I know) said “Yes, she has 4.” He replied, “Wow, well either she has a lot of kids or she is pulling a scam with the government.” I looked with confusion, and then he explained to me that he noticed all the Health Cards in a row, in my wallet. I laughed, took my groceries and left.

Now a days having more than 2 children is not really the norm. Couples have 1 because they want to experience parenthood, then they have their second to give their first a sibling, and many of the times the family is complete. When couples go for a third, people assume they are doing it because they want either a boy or a girl, it cannot possibly be because they would actually want to bring another child in this nasty world. 2 children make a family a comfy 4. No need for a new car, a new house or a new kitchen table. Everything is set for 4. Boxes of dinner plates, boxes of glasses and restaurants have tables for 4 set up.

I remember growing up in the 80’s and all most of my friends had at least 5 people in the family. There were also the families of 6 and the occasional family of 7. Nobody questioned why the parents had another one, it was just common sense; you get married and have as many kids as you want. As you all know, I have 4 children. Many people say to me, “Oh you didn’t really want 4, it just happened because you had twins.” Our plan may not have been to have 4 kids, but I never once questioned why I was given my “bonus” child. (Ok maybe sometimes when I am on the brink of wanting to swallow some Drano..lol) My point is, I have 4 beautiful, healthy children, and yes it is a lot, but they are my responsibility to raise and feed, nobody else’s.

I sometimes attempt to go out with all 4, ok I attempt it many times..lol. Every Saturday me and my 4 kids go to Chapters and Starbucks so mommy can get her latte and the kiddies can run around and pretend they enjoy reading..lol. I cannot explain to you the looks that are on the faces of the people I encounter. You have to be with me to believe it. Some smile, and say “OMG ,look at all those kids.” Some say “Oh God bless you honey, you certainly have your hands full” and then there are the ones that ask me very abruptly “Are they all yours????” and I answer very proudly “Yes they are”.

I am proud of my little rugrats. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to raise all these little people into adults. It makes me humble to know that I am allowed the privilege to be a mother, especially to 4 children. We live in a world where people would give anything to become parents. They adopt, they take fertility drugs and they do in-vitro, all in the hopes that they will be blessed with even 1 child. There is not one day that goes by that I don’t realize how lucky I am. I tell my children all the time. Sometimes my over-indulged children ask me “Mommy are we rich?” and I say “Very; we have a beautiful family and no money in the world can replace that.” It got to the point where Joseph says, “Mommy don’t tell me we are rich because we have a healthy family, I want to know if we have a healthy bank account”..lol.

I was once encountered in Starbucks by a woman who saw my 2 little twins and I was floored when she said this to me “Oh you have twins..my condolences.” She went on to say, “Oh I have twins so that’s why I can say that.” Suffice to say, I gave her a piece of my mind (everyone who knows me can only imagine what I said to her..lol)

There are people who actually criticize and talk about couples when they want more than 2 children. My question to these people..”Why do you care how many kids other people have?”

It is very difficult having children. I believe the more you have, the harder it is. There are more mouths to feed, more clothes to buy and more bodies to tuck in at night. The world has not changed as much as we think. I don’t believe it was any easier for our parents to raise kids, than it is for us. The only difference maybe, is that when someone walked down the street with more than 2 kids, strangers did not flinch, get bothered or asked very boldly, “Are all these 4 yours???” They all had their own multiple children to take care of too.
That’s my peace today!

Cheese Tortellini Soup
Home made chicken broth or 1 box store bought
1 pack cheese tortellini
1 bunch chopped spinach (optional)
chopped parsley for garnish

Pour broth in a saucepan, bring to boil. Add tortellini (if you are adding spinach at same time). Boil for as long as directed on package. Garnish with parsley.

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What dreams are made of

Every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday people purchase lottery tickets in the hope of being the next multi millionaire. They place the purchased ticket in a secure place and they dream of what life will be like if they win. For 6 hours (before the results are revealed) people believe they may be the next big winner. This is something we call hope. They rely on the fact that they may win; this is why they buy the ticket in the first place.

We have hope in everything we do. It is a part of our daily function. We hope we arrive safely, we hope we enjoy our lunch; we hope the kids behave, and we hope we can get a good nights’ sleep because we hope our babies will sleep through the night.

I looked up the definition of the word HOPE and it means: “the general feeling that some desire will be fulfilled” It doesn’t mean it will be fulfilled, it just means they want, for it to be fulfilled. I think that is absolutely amazing. It is amazing that we can live life hoping that things we want will come our way. I don’t see it as being naive or desperate or being a dreamer. I see it as, a chance to believe that things may possibly go the way we want it to.

What would life be like if we didn’t hope for things? To have hope is to have expectations, optimism and something to look forward to. Every Christmas our children write a list to Santa because they believe, they wish, and they trust that he will deliver what they asked for. Imagine if we took that away? Imagine if we tell them that they should not assume or expect anything? That would crush the belief that their wish may come true.

Hospitals are full every day, all year long, with people that are hopeful. They believe that they will be saved, helped and cured. They make plans for the future because they hope they will make it to share it with loved ones. Would you ever have the courage to tell someone that is fighting for their life that they should not expect or hope for anything? Instead we tell them, “We hope for the best.” This means we don’t know for sure, but we can only wish that it all works out.

As parents we hope. We hope we make the right decisions; we hope that we didn’t give the wrong advice; we hope that our kids don’t make the same mistakes we did; we hope that they know we love them every day when they walk out the door; we hope that we raised them well; we hope that life will be full of luck, health and happiness for them; we hope they marry for the right reasons and; we hope they never stop dreaming, hoping and expecting all the things that they aspire to have, and aspire to be. Life is filled with people hoping, wishing and believing, in fact, that’s what dreams are made of.
That’s my peace today!

Spagetti all vongole

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 cans minced clams, with juice
1 pack spaghetti
2 tbsp grated Romano cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, brown garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Stir in butter or margarine and seasonings until butter or margarine is melted. Add clams with some of their liquid; heat through.
Drain pasta. Toss spaghetti with clam sauce, and top with grated Romano cheese.

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Now that I am older I learned...

Now that I am older I learned that patience is indeed a virtue

Now that I am older I learned that men do not put the toilet seat down

Now that I am older I learned that children do follow by example

Now that I am older I learned we all turn into our mothers

Now that I am older I learned you can’t always get everything you want

Now that I am older I learned the older we get, the more funerals we attend

Now that I am older I learned sometimes it is better to take a sip of your coffee in the morning before you speak to your kids and your husband

Now that I am older I learned sometimes we want to sweat the small stuff; it makes us feel better

Now that I am older I learned we all have choices in life

Now that I am older I learned you may not use the Algebra you learned in school, but there was a purpose to it..I am still trying to figure it out

Now that I am older I learned breakfast is the most important meal of the day

Now that I am older I learned you need 1 black dress, fish net stay-ups, and a pair of very comfortable fuzzy slippers

Now that I am older I learned a robe is really nice to have

Now that I am older I learned control top was a great invention

Now that I am older I learned there were always younger women and older women competing for the same man

Now that I am older I learned its ok to cry to a Hallmark commercial

Now that I am older I learned its ok to laugh at our bodies sometimes

Now that I am older I learned taupe nylons are never OK

Now that I am older I learned children bring us joy and laughter when we least expect it

Now that I am older I learned a dozen roses will make us hate them a little less

Now that I am older I learned saying sorry means a lot

Now that I am older I learned time heals, but it does not erase

Now that I am older I learned life experiences make you who you are

Now that I am older I learned a woman needs a good friend, a good book, and a good man

Now that I am older I learned keys are always in the last place you look

Now that I am older I learned chocolate does make things feel better, and so does a glass of Merlot

Now that I am older I learned my mother does know best

Now that I am older I learned children make us better people

Now that I am older I learned what you do may come back to haunt you

Now that I am older I learned success is measured by yourself and no one else

Now that I am older I learned that I learn something new everyday

Now that I am older I learned to never worry about money because you can always make more of it

Now that I am older I learned it is not always easy to accept the things we cannot change but we can accept that we cannot change them

Now that I am older I learned sisters are special

Now that I am older I learned everyone has a fear

Now that I am older I learned many people’s guilty pleasure is blasting Air Supply’s “All out of Love” on the radio

Now that I am older I learned its ok to make mistakes; it teaches us to do it right the next time

Now that I am older I learned life is beautiful, difficult and challenging and as long as you wake up with your 2 feet touching the floor it will be a good day; an opportunity to live to our fullest potential, and another day to love, learn and laugh with anyone we want to

That’s my peace today!

Pan fried Cod
4 pieces of fresh cod
1/2 cup flour seasoned salt and pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg beated
oil for frying

Flour cod, dip in egg and then press in bread crumbs. Heat pan with oil, fry each side until golden brown (8 minutes in all).

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Life after the honeymoon

Did you ever look at the face of a couple that just got married? I am sure you have. They have that same look of “Oh I am in sooo in love and my life will be perfect forever and ever.”..lol. This is the look you should have when you get married because this is why you did it in the first place. You go on your honeymoon and you can’t wait to come home and begin your perfect little life with your perfect new spouse.

If you have ever spoken to women who are about to get married they will all tell you the same thing. “Oh my husband is not going to be like yours, mine is going to help me cook, and clean, and he is going to cuddle with me all night long.” You laugh and say, “Yes, this is what we all thought, but let me give you this one piece of advice...expect nothing and you will not be disappointed.” I don’t say this to be rude or mean, I say it because I speak the truth. Of course some men do help cook and clean but they are not really happy doing it and I don’t care what their wives CLAIM. At night when they are sleeping, these men think of ways to accidentally poison their “equal” opportunity wives..lol.. this is the truth, trust me.

When a woman first gets married she wants her husband home with her all day and all night. She wants to talk and hug and hang out. She doesn’t mind if she can’t make it out for girls’ night because she is just so content being home with her perfect husband. She asks him to not hang out with the boys, and to miss his hockey game, just so they can be together. The man listens because as the saying goes, “A happy wife is a happy life”, and he slowly gives up his friends, his hockey games and his poker night with the boys.

So days go by, weeks go by, months go by, and years go by. Well that look of “I have the perfect man and I love every little inch of him” fades, and it fades, and it fades. All that remains is your husband who is not so perfect anymore right beside you on the couch asking you “What’s for dinner?” You want to add some rat poison in his meal but you realize that you really do love him; he can just be a little annoying at times. So you continue in your daily routine and just keep what you are doing to keep a calm home.

Your friends call and they want to hang out and gossip about the new mother at school. You tell them you have to see if your husband will be home and stay with the kids. Sure enough, he is there, on the same spot where you left him, eating from the same bowl of chips that he was eating from before. You ask, “Honey, are you going to be home? The girls are going for coffee and I was thinking of joining them.” They look at you with this fear..”Um, sure but I can change the channel if you don’t like what I am watching or I will go to get us a movie if you want.” Now you feel bad because you know he wants you home and he doesn’t want to be alone. So you decide to stay home and hang out with your lonely man.
We did it to them. We are the ones that wanted to stay home with them before we had kids, before we were busy, and before we knew that hanging out with our girlfriends is a complete neccessity.

We didn’t realize then, that one day life would somehow take a turn. We didn’t realize that fresh new car smell wouldn’t last forever, and that maybe we should not have pushed our husbands to give up on their friends or hobbies. We didn’t realize then, that we would become independent, strong women who will need some time away, some time alone, and some time to adjust to life after the honeymoon. We didn’t realize that both men and women sometimes need their space; their own friends; and their Friday poker nights.... away from home.
That’s my peace today!

Chicken Cutlets stuffed with Spinach and Prosciutto
6 chicken cutlets pounded thin
6 slices of Parma prosciutto
1 package of cooked spinach (salted)
olive oil for browning
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbs lemon juice
1/4 grated parmesan

Lay cutlets out flat, place a layer of prosciutto and handful of season and cooked spinach (make sure there is no water left in spinach), sprinkle with cheese. Roll cutlet and secure with toothpick. Place in heated pan with oil, brown each side. After browned add broth and lemon juice. Cook for about 10 minutes on med-high (make sure no longer pink). Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 min. Remove from pan place in plate and pour remaining juices on top of chicken.

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The 1 hour look

Mothers go out. We grocery shop, we shop for shoes, clothes and house apparels. We go to places like Stylesense, HomeSense, and Michaels. We go to these places because we have to. There is a reason we go and get what we need. Some of the times we actually go without our kids. We feel a certain freedom when we shop without them.

During the holidays we sometimes have no choice not to take our kids because we have to shop for gifts, some being “Santa” gifts. We want our kids to know that little elves made their gift, not Costco. So we go alone. While we are shopping we see other mothers without their kids doing the same thing we are doing. They are looking at their lists, and checking it off.

When you see mothers shopping at these places, we most always have a coffee in our hands, and we are enjoying every sip of it. We know we don’t have to share it, drop it or down it. We do however, all have the same look of our face. It is a look of “I better hurry up because the house may be falling apart “look””..lol. When a mother leaves the house without her kids, she knows that when she gets back, the house will NOT be in the same condition she left it.

Men go out, and when they do, they just go out. They don’t have to warn us a few days in advance, in fact they don’t have to warn us at all. They basically wake up, shower, come down and say, “I am going to Home Depot.” That’s it, that’s all. They grab their keys, and they leave. They don’t have to fight kids off their legs, or pretend they are taking the garbage out, they are leaving and the kids just wave goodbye. Mothers on the other hand, have to make preparations for our 1 hour away time. We leave instructions detail by detail. We leave our cell phones on, and then there is a race for time.

When we are doing our errands we feel a stress come over us. Even when we go out with our girlfriends, we constantly look at our watch. We call home, make sure our cell phone is on and charged and that we are available to run home, if we have too. Before we leave, we make sure the kids are in their pj’s, teeth brushed and the little ones..tucked in bed. Not only do we have to prepare before we go out, we also have to prepare for it the whole day. We make sure they don’t nap too late because it will ruin their bedtime for our husbands, and we make sure they eat well because we know that junk will be in the diet with their daddies.

I love going out. I love to hang out with my friends, and I love to go grocery shopping with my coffee in hand and nothing else. It is just the freedom that we don’t always get to experience. We may be a little stressed, on our toes, and waiting for a call at any moment and hearing, “When are you coming home?” but it all seems worth it at the time.

We have full time jobs as mothers and we knew that we signed up for it. We are not men, we never will be. We will never be able to shower and just leave the house, that is not the way it works. We will never be able to just pick up and go anywhere; it just comes with the territory. We don’t really mind though, as long as we can occasionally escape from the chaos, grab a nice cup of coffee and stroll around town, even if we have the noticeably obvious “I escaped from my home for 1 hour “look””, at least we made it out...even if it’s just for a bit
That’s my peace today!

Fresh Pesto Sauce
2 cups basil
1/2 cup romano grated cheese
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup pine nuts
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

In a food processor put basil, pine nuts and pulse. Add garlic and pulse again. Stream in the oil pulsing each time. Add cheese, salt and pepper and pulse again.

You can serve with pasta or add on chicken or pizza.

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The Mommy Files

I think women are just amazing. Yes I know, I am biased..lol, but seriously, how awesome are we? We are strong in mind and in body. We can cry at the drop of a hat, and we can move the stove to get the marble that rolled back there. We can unclog a toilet, and we can bake apple pie from scratch. We can give advice to our best friend because she asked, and we can discipline our kids for using bad language. We may be slightly complex but that is not because we are hard to read, it is because we have a lot of knowledge.

I say it quite often; a mother’s job is the hardest in the world. We make decisions on a minute by minute basis, some being very important life decisions. We are the foundation that secures the home. We are the shoulders, the ears and the hearts for both our children and our men. We are passionate about EVERYTHING. We can be passionate about the great sale that is taking place at Home Sense, just as much as we can be passionate about our decisions whether to vaccinate or not. We know what we want, and we will stop at nothing to get it.

We take days off work to attend our children’s day trips at school. We anxiously wait to hear the score our children received on their math test. We have a million thoughts going on in our heads at once. We make time to fill in our kid’s baby books, and we make time to take them to get their pictures done with Santa. We send their Christmas lists to the North Pole, to ensure that Santa really does exist. We put money in their pillow from the tooth fairy, and we scare away all the “monsters” that are hiding under the bed.

Mothers are superheros. We don’t have time to do everything we want in one day, but we guarantee it will get done. We are people of our words. We make promises to our children that we know we can keep, because we know a promise is a promise. We know what our kids want for their birthdays, we know what size their shoes are, and we know what their favourite colour is.
All information is important to us and gets filed away in our brains, in case we need it one day. We keep our Mother’s Day cards, and the not so nice vase that they made us for Christmas. We store their cutest baby clothes, and their baby bassinettes, in case they want it when they have their own kids. We know the day, month, year, minute and second when ALL our children were born. We know the month they began talking, walking and saying “ma ma.”

Mothers are extraordinary people. Our husbands do realize that we do a great job, and they know that our children need us. They appreciate the fact that we love our kids and them. They may not always tell us, but trust me, they do appreciate it. They appreciate the fact that we know what “normal” body temperature is, and what is clinically a fever. They appreciate the fact that we know how to clean our children’s cuts; braid our daughter’s hair; and lace up our son’s skates. They know that we would run around the world for our family, if that is what was needed of us. They know that we remember everything important and everything essential. They know we won’t forget to bring the snacks and toys for the road trips. They know that we are mothers, we are women and we are great. They know that we know EVERYTHING about our families. They know that if one day, our kids don’t remember a small detail about their life growing up, then they need not to worry…we will. We will just get it out of the “mommy files” in our brains and tell them detail by detail whatever they want to know.
That’s my peace today!

This recipe is perfect for this time of year...I make it almost everyday during the holidays because it is easy, healthy and a delicious snack.

Stuffed Dried Figs with Walnuts
1 pack of dried figs
1/4 cup walnut halves

Cut open the figs and open like a book, place a walnut piece and close. Repeat until all figs are stuffed. Place on a baking sheet and bake in oven at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes (make sure not to blacken or burn too much). The colour should be golden and the fig should be soft.

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