Everyone Needs A Little Mu Shu...

I just love this meal. It comes together so fast and everybody likes it.

I am talking about Mu Shu Pork.

My kids laugh when we talk MuShu' for dinner.

I think there's even a Veggie Tales song with Mu Shu in it...can't remember the name of the song though.
{oh yeah...it's called Do the Mu Shu}

Mu Shu Pork

1 large pork tenderloin {about 1 pound}, cut into 1/2 inch strips

1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlice sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin {I have used regular mushrooms}

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 14 oz. bag coleslaw mix

1 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons dry sherry

3 scallions, sliced thin for garnish

1 pkg. bean sprouts for garnish

8 8-in flour tortiallas, warmed

1. Pat pork dry and toss with chili-garlic sauce. Heat 1 tb. oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until pork is no longer pink-3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to plate and tent with foil.

2. Add remaining oil and mushrooms to skillet and cook over medium high heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger and cook until fragrant...about 30 seconds. Add coleslaw mix and cook until wilted...about 3 minutes. Stir in pork, along with and pork juices on plate, 1/2 cup hoisin sauce, sherry and cook until sauce in slightly thickened..about 1 minute.  Spoon pork mixture onto to warm tortillas. Sprinkle with sliced green onion and bean sprouts for extra crunch and flavour. Pass remaining hoisin sauce at table.

***

On Sunday night, I opened the fridge and found this:

Yes. It says 'TOUCH & DIE'.

Hunter developed a special cupcake recipe as part of a project for school and these are the samples that she is taking to school.

I think she was worried that they would not survive the night!

They do look yummy!

When she was four.....

"Not too many things catch your heart in this world, so whatever catches your heart you should do. "          

 ~Michelle Kelly, Athlete {1974- }

When she was 4 years old, one day out of the blue, she started asking me about skating.

"Mommy. I want to learn how to skate.

 I want to wear a dress and twirl."

I didn't pay a lot of attention at first because I thought it was a passing fancy for a little 4 year old girl.

I don't skate myself...other than the odd winter skate.

But this request from my curly girl didn't 'pass' or go away....it just...persisted.

I was pregnant with her brother at the time, and we were building a new house.

My energy was flagging and I didn't feel like adding another activity to our schedule.

She was already doing ballet and piano.

But in January 2001, we registered her for the Can Skate Learn to Skate program at the local arena.

And she's been skating ever since.

Her father took her to Can Skate for the first 2 years.

After she completed Can Skate in 2 years, she moved on to "Star Skate" which involved private lessons.

And then I started taking her to skating, while Dad stayed home with her toddler brother.

She loved skating.

About 5 years ago,  when we moved to another province, she tried synchronized skating for the first time.

It was then that she found a new passion.

 Synchronized Skating.

She loves this sport so much, she has been skating with a synchro team ever since.

Often, she skate with 2 teams a season.

Her first year of synchro~the "Car Wash" program~2005-2006.

~the "Cinderella" program~2005-2006.

~the "Ragtime" program~2006-2007.

~the "Ballerina" program~2006-2007.

~the "Jungle" program~2007-2008.

~the "Cars" program~2007-2008.

~the "Spanish" program~2008-2009.

 ~the "Movies" program~2008-2009.

~the "Monsters vs. Aliens" program~2009-2010.

And like any sport, sychro skating has brought many things to her life....like....

Fun and new friendships.

Shared mother and daughter times.

Fun and pretty costumes.

Travel.

Because of synchro skating... we have travelled to Calgary, Winnipeg, Regina, Toronto, and Chilliwack.

Mentoring experiences with older skaters in the club.

A singles skating coach who becomes a trusted friend.

A fantastic head coach who teaches, develops and inspires.

Who makes you more than you thought you could be.

{As spectators at Synchro Worlds in Colorado in 2010.}

And all this because of dreams of a little 4 year old girl.

Who wanted to put on skates and a dress

 and twirl.

My day today...

...trying to get these rascals to be semi-serious for about 10 seconds for our annual Christmas card photo shoot.

A Striking Contrast.....

It's Monday morning and I just got home from walking the dogs.

I came upstairs to start to gather laundry.

I couldn't help but notice this striking contrast...

Here we have Exhibit A: My daughter's room.

Bed made.

Clothes put away.

Room looks neat & tidy.

Here we have Exhibit B: My son's room.

{Sigh}

Yeah.

A room only a mother could love.

Happy Birthday Hunter...

In honour of my daughter Hunter's 14th birthday, I would like to dedicate this post to her and share 14 things about our big "Curly Girl".

1. She has always been our little fashion diva. Even at a very young age, she liked sunglasses as an accessory. Here she is with Mr. Ducky at our backyard pool in 1999.

2. When Hunter was little, she had ringlets literally dripping from her head. She used to get a lot of attention because of her curls. I called her my "Curly Girl".

{With Daddy on the Scotia Prince Ferry from Yarmouth, N.S. to Maine, U.S.A.,1999}

3. Hunter has had the same best friend for 14 years.....Miss Charlotte. Here they are at 1 yr. going out dressed in their Halloween costumes. Charlotte is a flower. Hunter is cute little piglet. {She is still mad about the pig costume. When she was 2, she was a skunk. She would be super mad if I posted that picture.}

{Flower & Piglet, 1997}

{Best Friends at the Childrens' Festival Parade, 1999}

{Hunter & Charlotte, Best Friends, 2010}

4. Our Family & Charlotte's family used to have a Nanny for the girls. They used to get themselves into quite a few messes.

{Best Friends,1998}

5. Hunter has always been a very loving big sister to her brother. She was a little mother hen to him when he was very young. When he was 2, Daddy was away for work and Mommy was in bed very sick with the flu....Hunter gave Tyler supper {toast} and tucked {dropped} him into his crib. Mommy was so thankful to have her help with her little brother!!

6. At 14, Hunter is quite an accomplished 'baker' for her age. Here she is with the birthday cake she made  for herself when she was 12. She saw the 'flip flop' cake idea in a magazine.

{Here she is with a birthday cake that she made with her Grandmother for her 13th birthday.

The recipe came from Martha Stewart's baking book.}

7. Since age 4, Hunter has had a love affair with skating. First singles skating, and now her passion is synchronized skating.Here she is in her very first Can Skate 'Show' in 2001. Her little group was 'Banana's In Pyjamas'. She looks nervous because she did not enjoy performing in public.

{Her first year of synchronized skating. 2006}

{Synchronized Skating. 2009}

Her fear of performing in public is long gone!

8. Hunter loves chocolate....just like her mother.

{Hunter with chocolate cake on her 10th birthday, 2006}

9. Hunter's dream of getting a puppy comes true on September 6, 2009. She names her little girl 'Molly.'

10. Hunter has a total Type 'A' personality. She is a self-motivated individual who likes to complete projects on her own and do the best she can. Here she is painting her bedroom closet on her own. 2010.

11. Hunter is an excellent student. We never have to ask her to do her homework or to study for tests. She has always done this on her own. Here she is with her Grade 7 Honours Medal in 2009. She also received an Special Merit Award for Grade 7 Social Studies.

12. Hunter loves babies & small children. She gets asked to babysit a lot.

{Here she is with Baby Nate. 2006}

{Here she is with Baby Xavian. 2010}

14. When Hunter turned 10, we held her birthday lunch at Amerian Girl Place in Chicago. She has loved those dolls since she was 4 years old.

14. Hunter is thinking about becoming a french immersion teacher for a career. She tutors elementary children in french afterschool...she has been doing this for 3 years.

{Here she is at Madame's desk, correcting Grade 4 French Immersion homework, 2010}

Hunter....Daddy and I are so proud of the way you are growing up!

J'taime beaucoup!! xoxoxo

The Back-to-Schooling Begins. Step 1: The Wardrobe Weed Out.

In our house, the back-to-school prep always starts in the childrens' bedrooms.

I go through the clothes.

I start with the shirts.

I retire the stained, the ripped, the too-small and the just plain ugly.

Next I move on to the bottoms.

I leave the shorts out until the end of September.

And here's how we save money.

We don't buy any back to school clothes for the boy.

And the reason is simple: he doesn't ask for any.

He is a 9 yr. old boy. He doesn't give two hoots about clothes or fashion.

So we buy stuff for him when he needs it.

He is such an easy boy.

And while I sort out his wardrobe, my daughter works on her closet.

Her birthday is in August, so her need for new fashion for school get combined with birthday gifts.

She is happy with 2-3 new pairs of jean. New flats for her feet.

A few new tops.

This year she also had a little list for shopping at MAC and Sephora

She is going into Grade 9 afterall.

The back-to-schooling list for tomorrow includes:

Clean & Organized Study Spaces.

How do you start to get ready for back to school?