Azoresgal~Life on an Island

Although I no longer live in Canada, I still love to celebrate Canadian thanksgiving with my family. The 20 years I have lived on the island, I don´t think we have never not celebrated it. It is certainly now a part of our traditions and our children's memories. I think even if I tried not to, our kids would not let it slide.There are dishes I have to make for them, mac&cheese, pumpkin pie and glazed carrots are a must. Yesterday for our tiny thanksgiving lunch I added this side dish, and it was a hit! It's a  sweet potato casserole seasoned with a little cinnamon and nutmeg, topped with marshmallows. Let's be real here, this could almost pass for dessert...think- pie without a crust , but it’s a veggie dish. It's simple to make, it's delicious and I promise you will love it! 2½ pounds sweet potatoes (4 medium), peeled and cubed 4 tablespoons margarine 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon pinch of nutmeg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon kos...

“I would like to be known as an intelligent woman, a courageous woman, a loving woman, a woman who teaches by being.” ― Maya Angelou Last night before I went to sleep, I thought of my Tia Luzia, she just popped into my mind, I think of her often. It wasn´t till this morning when I woke up, that I realized,today marks one year since her passing. She was one of my favorite women in my life.  She was my maternal grandmothers  sister in law, wife of my great-uncle (tio) João. She was tough as nails, honest, funny, strong, hard working, a great cook, beautiful, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, my friend. I remember being a young girl, going to visit her and my tio João, our visits were mostly on Sundays, there was always a big sunday lunch happening. She was a wonderful cook, baked beans, soup, fish, rice pudding, you name it, she made it with love. At the end of the meal, all her kids took home tupperware with leftovers with their favorites. I loved that about her. They s...

My darling Emma, we love and miss you oh so very much! Happy Birthday sweet angel!

Well here it is another Christmas day ! I hope you are enjoying a beautiful day with your families where ever it is you may be ! We are all still in our pyjamas, watching movies, enjoying new gifts, and just relaxing. I do not know about you , but I am really exhausted, I feel like I was hit by a truck. I gave it my all this week, really just trying to do and make or bake all of my kids favorite things. It's what I love most about Christmas, getting everything ready for them, in the hopes that many, many years from now, they may stop and remember, "that´s how mom used to make it". Find myself a bit overwhelmed, I admit that baking gingerbread cookies this year, was something I had crossed off the to do list. Somehow I thought it was something the kids would not miss, boy was I wrong, yesterday mid afternoon, Simon asked, "when are we baking the gingerbread cookies?" I told him "we already have so many other things on the dessert table, we can leave them ou...

                                                                                           “A mother is a person who seeing there are only 4 pieces of pie for 5 people… announces she never did care for pie” -Tenneva Jordan.

The kids started their Easter break today, it's hard to believe that two semesters of school are already finished. Now I don´t know if this first day went exactly as they had hoped, but it had to be done, I made them clean their rooms! You know, a real spring clean, the kind where you purge out a couple of garbage bags worth of stuff. It actually went really well, everyone was on the same page, so the team work really paid off. I am really proud of them, they all did a great job, so to thank them, we baked cookies this afternoon. These peanut butter oatmeal cookies are super delicious. They are soft, chewy and perfect! I added in some M&M's only because I had them, chocolate chips would be great, some nuts and perhaps some cranberries too. The kids had a fun time making them, they have had an even better time eating them...I kid you not, the cookie jar is almost empty! ½ cup softened butter 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla ex...

"When a child gives you a gift, even if it is a rock they just picked up, exude gratitude. It might be the only thing they have to give, and they have chosen to give it to you."  -- Dean Jackson

These cookies are just the right texture, nice and soft on the inside and the blend of spices and molasses makes them extra delicious. The taste of ginger is very subtle, and not over powering, as ginger sometimes can be. They bake up really quickly, about 10 minutes in the oven. The dough does have to be chilled, the longer the better, it will keep it from being sticky when you roll it out. I had a great time making these, with my kids, they were very hand´s on, rolling out and cutting the cookies, the dough held up really well ! It was fun to watch them decorate them, all in their own style. There were lots of laughs, you can only imagine some of the nonsense they came up with ! I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas Day ! 1/2 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/3 cup molasses 1 egg 2 tablespoons water 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ...

Wishing you and your family health, happiness, peace and prosperity this holiday season and in the coming New Year. May the magic of Christmas fill your heart all year long.

I have been feeling under the weather this week,  a battle with the flu. On Monday right after I baked and packaged cookies for Simon´s school, I went straight to bed. I have been a bit of a sleeping beauty this week, my husband is amazed at how much I have slept. I am not surprised, my body tends to shut down, when it has had enough, it just requires me to sleep. While I do have the flu, I have been worrying about some things lately, and just wore myself out I suppose. As most of you know, I live far away from my family, factor in that Christmas is upon us, I become an emotional mess. This year is different, my mom, has been having some health issues, to many frequent  ambulance rides to the ER, because of her heart. My baby sister just gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby girl, but there were some complications, and my sister is weak, but on the mend. I worry about my father, and what it´s been like for him to see my mom, in and out of the hospital. I just feel helpless, I...

Dining with one's friends and beloved family is certainly one of life's primal and most innocent delights, one that is both soul-satisfying and eternal.~~ Julia Child

 My heart is heavy today, meetings all day at our children's schools, summer vacation is over. With three kids, you meet three times as many teachers. Our children have been blessed with some wonderful ones in past years. At one of the meetings today, one teacher, went on to explain, how important it is that parents and the child collaborate with the teacher, and follow all rules, as described in the classroom agenda. I couldn´t help but think (and bite my tongue), what about rules for the teacher ? What is the teacher's roll ? As a parent, it is very sad to see a child not thrive,  or do their best, because of a teacher. I have seen it happen, and it is very frustrating when it does. Just like any profession, I believe you must love what you do, if your heart isn´t in it, the results are different. Teachers are so very important, and I know everywhere, they are underpaid and under appreciated. I have family members and friends who are teachers, and I see the spark in their ey...

They say all you need is Love...I believe it´s true. You also need someone who will hold your hand. In 17 years, no matter what the battle, what ever the hill, no matter how high the mountain, you have always held my hand, tightly, letting me know it will all be alright   Thank you Mr. G for never letting go of me, of us   Happy Anniversary !

Happy birthday, Mr.G ! Although it’s your birthday, my mind is filled with all of the gifts that you’ve given me. The gift of Friendship, we were friends before we even dated, you are my best friend. The gift of Laughter, you can still make me laugh at the drop of a hat. The gift of Music, your beautiful voice and guitar strumming fill our life with a beautiful melody. The gift of family, our chi ldren, they could not have a better father. The gift of Time, always driving somewhere, picking up someone, your free time is often for errands. The gift of Strength, you are my pillar, how many times have you held my hand, picked me off the floor, and put me together again. The gift of Stability, all your hard work , makes it possible for me to stay home, and take care of our family. The gift of Acceptance, having me just as I am. The gift of Love, you picked me, and have defended me tooth and nail, all these years, you take care of me and show me love in so many ways. You see, since you ente...

Tis the season.....for magic and melancholy.

Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many. - Unknown.

All of my wonderful family has flown in from Canada to celebrate my 40th birthday with me ! I cannot find words  to describe how wonderful this SURPRISE was. Yes you read that correctly, a very well planned surprise ! I was already excited about the BIG-4-0, but now I am over the moon and ready to party it up !!