Water

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Looking back these pics, back to the time when there was water around instead of lots and lots of snow, I realized how much she has grown and changed over the last year. You don't see it on a day by day basis. It kind of sneaks up and smacks you when you are not expecting it. My baby girl isn't a baby anymore. When did that happen?

Yummy meal

I made this amazing vegan pasta dish that tastes out of this world. It is not low fat, but it is really delicous and definitely a treat to savour.

I got it from 'Kitchen Ramblins from a Fairly Odd Tofu Mom. You should check her out guys her blog is great and her recipes are fabulous.

Here is the recipe:

Cashew Garlic Alfredo Sauce:

1/2 cup raw cashews
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 cup boiling water
1 clove garlic (or more to taste)
2 Tb. nutritional yeast (optional)

Pulverize raw cashews in the food processor until very fine. Add 1 cup boiling water. (*The BEST way to do this, is to scoop out 1 cup of lightly salted pasta-cooking water and use it - the starch from the pasta-cooking water thickens the sauce PERFECTLY!) Add water to cashews and process until smooth... this will take several minutes.
Add nutritional yeast (optional- I made it without), garlic clove and squeeze of lemon juice. Process again until smooth, another couple minutes. Makes a decadently creamy sauce. Serve over cooked pasta.

This stuff is wonderfully simple and tastes SO very good. I am going to experiment with adding extras like sauteed mushrooms, chives, chopped olives or sundried tomatoes etc. Now I made a few alterations, I didn't puree mine enough and I added a little vegan cheese. I also added extra cashews to make it a thicker sauce and served it over macaroni rice noodles. But it was simply deccadent and delicious and I know that it would be without me messing with the recipe in any way!

Prince Charming

Prince Charming is now a liscenced welder. I am so proud of him but I am worried too. He is finished his work-term. He doesn't have a job yet. I don't know where our next cheque is going to come from. I hate this uncertainty.

Friday Feast

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Appetizer

What are you proud of?

I am proud of my beautiful Daughter. I am proud that Prince Charming just finished school and his work term. I am proud of my scrapbook pages and the way I keep my house.

Soup

What is the best thing you’ve ever won as a prize?

When I was younger, my team came in second in curling and we won a microphone that when you sang into it, it transmitted your voice to the radio. I won awards in speech contests as well, but they were simply plaques. I once won a bunch of Club Z points.

Salad

Name something you do that is a waste of time.

Oh I waste my time in lots of ways, but I look at it as ways I nourish my mind and soul. I read, I blog, I scrapbook, I visit my on-line friends.

Main Course

In what year of your life did you change the most?

Every year brings its own changes. I have a couple that come to mind.

The year that I met Prince Charming and we had to fight to be together made me stronger.

I became so much more selfless the year that Little Princess was born.

But this last year, I became a much happier person. In the last year, I became much more sure of who I am and much more satisfied in where I am in my life. I can appreciate my Prince Charming, my Little Princess, and my neighbours and freinds as the treasures that they are.

Dessert

Where is a place you consider to be very tranquil?

In the bathtub soaking with with a good book and a glass of wine, a cup of tea or a cup of coffee is the first place I think of.

The second place I think of is laying on a big rock by the ocean with my eyes closed listening to the water and the seagulls.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Random Things about Twisted Cinderella

After explaining to Little Princess that Marriage was when you loved someone and you wanted to make them a part of your family, she cuddled me, kissed me on the cheek and whispered, "You can marry me anytime". Little Princess was playing in the kitchen and she called out sadly,"Mommy, why am I all alone?" I answered her, "Oh honey, you are not alone, mommy is here." and she answered forlornly, "Yeah but why are there no other kids?" My heart broke a little. I want that for her so bad. I answered, "Baby, you can play with lots of kids on Monday at preschool." I found this great website: http://www.virtualpediatrichospital.org/. Created by two medical doctors, this site is an excellent reference for parents. It provides accurate, timely, and trustworthy information about your child's health. Of course, this site is intended for educational purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice or care. However, if you're ever in a pinch or wondering if your child's symptoms warrant a doctor visit or not, check out the "Common Questions, Quick Answers" sections. An easy-to-navigate list of symptoms, conditions, injuries, and even safety precautions (such as bicycle safety) will help you find the information you're looking for before (or after) you make a trip to the family doctor. I got the recipe for this really yummy Mushroom Bisque this recipe from Bean Vegan MUSHROOM BISQUE 1 medium onion, finely chopped 3/4 lb. mushrooms, finely chopped 1 Tbsp paprika 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 2-1/2 cups (20 fl. oz.) water salt and pepper to taste 1/2 lb (1 cup) soft tofu 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 'Saute' the onion and mushrooms in a little water with the paprika and cayenne, bring to a boil and lower to simmer. Cover and cook until the vegetables soften - about 10 minutes. (Don't let this boil dry.) Add the water, salt (if using) and pepper. Stir. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer for another 3 minutes. Now your soup is almost ready. Put the tofu and lemon juice in a blender amd zap it into creamy mix, which you will now stir into the mushroom mixture. Heat very gently, not permitting it to come to the boil. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Serve immediately. Wonderful! [NOTE: You could of course use vegetable stock in place of the water, but I decided not to do that for fear of overpowering the flavour of the mushrooms. I used just plain button mushrooms, but I plan to experiment with a mix for next time.] I made this Trail mix for a snack. I put in 1 cup of banana chips, 1 cup of raisins 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds, and 1/2 cup of soy nuts. I got the recipe for this Carrot and Red Pepper soup from Bean Vegan as wel l and it was YUMMY! CARROT AND ROASTED PEPPER SOUP 1/2 yellow cooking onion, chopped 3/4 pound peeled baby carrots, chopped 2 cups water 3 or 4 roasted red peppers from a jar 2 cups low-fat soymilk 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice dash cayenne freshly ground black pepper to taste salt to taste Cook the onions and carrots in a saucepan with the water until carrots are done (15-20 minutes, depending on how large the pieces of carrot are). In batches, put the contents of this saucepan into a blender with the roasted peppers and a little of the soymilk so that it blends easily. Return the blended carrots, onions and pepper puree to the pan along with the rest of the soymilk if not all used in blending. If soup looks too thick (depends on how much cooking liquid you had left in that pan), add a little water to get it to the desired consistency, but soup should be thick and creamy still. Add the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, cayenne, pepper and salt, stir well, reheat and serve. I did this scrapbook page. Journalling reads: Forgive me if I hug you a little too tight, stare a little too long or take a few too many pictures. I love you so much and I am so scared that I am going to let too much time pass by without letting you know. As the time goes by and no new little bundle arrives, I look at you and see how fast you are growing up and I am scared too that you will be the only little one I get to pour my love into and I want to love you a little harder, hold you a little tighter, make it count just a little more. You are so special and so sweet and you want a Sibling so badly. And I want to give you one with all that I have, so when you ask, I just hold you a little too tight, and I stare a little too long and take a few too many pictures. I capture every moment because they pass by too quickly and I want save enough of them to last me a lifetime. I LOVE YOU, BABY I wish that Dancing with the stars came on at a different time. I really enjoy it but it conflicts with other shows and I keep having to try to find other time slots to watch it in and I even missed the last few minutes the other day and I have no idea who went home I can't wait until the weather gets nicer. It was starting to feel like spring here and we got a yucky snow storm!! I am through with snow! Little Princess has been playing in her room almost constantly since I changed it around. She is just loving it. I don't look forward to the day that she won't want me to do that. I was cuddling her today and I said to her, "You know what? I am a lucky mommy." She said, "why?" I said "because I get to be YOUR mommy. And in the whole world no other mommy gets to be a mommy to a girl just like you." She hugged me and said, "I am a lucky girl because I get to have both a mommy and daddy who love me." Links to other Thursday Thirteens! Leave a comment and I will add you here

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Friends and Helmets

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Tackle It Tuesday

This is my first Tackle It Tuesday. I decided to tackle the Little Princess's bedroom because as I mentioned yesterday, it is a disaster zone with a strange smell. Here are some before pics.

Now for some reason 75% of the time, when I get cleaning a big thorough cleaning job, I end up moving furniture around. I get in there and suddenly think, that would be much better there and wouldn't moving this give her so much more room and presto, suddenly the room is clean and reorganized. I have done this all my life. Here are the results of my hard work and toil. Incidentally, I didn't figure out what the smell was, but when I was done cleaning, the room smelled wonderful so I will just be grateful for that.

She was so cute when she got home. She loved the way I changed it around. She climbed right up onto her bed with a snack and stayed there playing until bedtime.

Here is her reaction (click here if it doesn't load):

Monday mumblings

Monday Stuff

Well it is monday and I have a list of things to do a month and half long. I need to:

1. get a good start on the 65 million loads of laundry I need to do without a dryer.
2. Escavate Little Princess's room to figure out what that strange odor is in there.
3. Scrub some of the Little Princess Related grime off of the floors
4. Try to find all the random bits of tape Little Princess has "fixed" things with and remove them, including four on the television screen.
5. Sort through Little Princess's cloths to remove all the items she has become too tall for and all the items that make her look like a homeless child.

But you know what I am doing instead? Sitting here talking to you. It seems like so much more fun to me.

Vegetarian

I went to this site Accidentally Vegan and found all kinds of cool things that are vegan.

Cool fun non-diet snacks I discovered were vegan:
Cracker Jacks
Edy's No-Sugar Bars
Edy's Whole Fruit Bars
Fritos (Barbecue)
Fritos (Original)
Fruit By the Foot
Jolly Ranchers (lollipops and hard candy)
Jujubees
Keebler Animal Crackers
Keebler Fudge Shoppe Fudge Pops
Keebler Sugar Vanilla Wafers
Kellogg's Fruit Snacks
Kettle White Popcorn
Kool-Aid Gels
Nabisco Ginger Snaps
Nabisco Oatmeal Cookies
Nabisco Original Graham Crackers
Nabisco Teddy Grahams (Chocolate and Cinnamon)
Nabisco Uh-oh Oreos, Spring Oreos, Chocolate Creme Oreos
Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars (Apple Crisp)
Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars (Maple Brown Sugar)
Pillsbury Cornbread Twists
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
Pillsbury Pizza Dough
Pillsbury Turnover (Apple)
Pillsbury Turnover (Cherry)
Ritz Regular Crackers
Ritz Whole Wheat Crackers
Starburst (jelly beans and hard candy)
Sun Chips Original flavor
Triscuit Crackers (Original, Reduced Fat, Garlic Herb, and Roasted Garlic)
Twizzlers

Cool fun non-diet baking goods that I discovered were vegan:

Duncan Hines California Walnut Brownie Mix
Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Frosting (Chocolate)
Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Frosting (Classic Vanilla)
Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Frosting (French Vanilla)
Jell-O Instant Pudding (Pistachio)
Jello-O Instant Pudding (Banana Creme)
Jello-O Instant Pudding (Chocolate)
Jello-O Instant Pudding (Lemon)
Jello-O Instant Pudding (Vanilla)
Keebler Ready Crust Pie Crusts (Graham Cracker)
Keebler Ready Crust Pie Crusts (Shortbread)
Reduced Fat Bisquick
Smart Balance Light Margarine

Staples that I discovered were vegan:
Campbell’s canned mushroom gravy
Del Monte White Corn Cream Style
Green Giant Cream Style Sweet Corn
Healthy Choice Garden Vegetable Soup
Knorr Red Bell Pepper Pesto Sauce Mix
Kraft Shake 'N Bake (Original Chicken Coating Mix, Original Pork Coating Mix, and Hot/Spicy Coating Mix)
Lipton Recipe Soup and Dip Mix (Vegetable, Onion Mushroom, and Onion)
McCormick Fajitas Seasoning Mix
McCormick Original, Hot, and Mild Chili Seasoning Mix
McCormick Pasta Salad Vinaigrette Dressing Blend
McCormick Sloppy Joe Seasoning
McCormick Spaghetti Sauce Mix
Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce
Old El Paso Fat-Free Refried Beans
Old El Paso No-Fuss Fajita Dinner Kit
Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix
Old El Paso Taco Shells
Progresso Soups (Lentil, Hearty Tomato, and Tomato Basil)
Uncle Ben's Rice Pilaf, Oriental Fried Rice, Mexican Fiesta, Long Grain Rice, Wild Rice, and Lemon & Herb

Scrapbooking
Here is a page I did a while ago that I thought was really pretty.

I can

This is a great idea I got from My Many Colored Days.


"We focus so much on what we cannot do, I thought it would be a good idea if we all thought of things we can do. So, ahem. All who would like to participate in this exercise (lurkers please join us:)), add your link below and leave me a comment. Your post should follow this outline: "

I can make my little girl feel loved and secure.

I can be strong when I need to be.

I can find almost anything you need to know on the internet.

I can keep my family fed with wholesome foods.

I can invent new recipes which never taste the same way twice.

I can make my home a comfortable place for my freinds to come.

I can make my home a relaxing and comfortable place to be.

I can listen to my daughter and know when she is out of bed even when she is tiptoeing.

I can read her favorite books without actually looking at the words.

I can stay up all night to cuddle my princess when she is sick so she sleeps.

I can catch a child on its way to the floor.
I can be a good listener to the important secrets of the young.
I am SUPERMOMMY and for now, I can do anything.

I can capture those precious moments on camera so that I can look back and remember.

I can pour my heart into a scrapbook page so my daughter will always know that she was loved.

I can make my husband laugh.
I can comfort my princess.

I can teach my daughter that she can do anything she wants to.

I can teach her to pursue her dreams.
I can give hope.

I can love.

Be as serious or funny as you wish!

Empty

Theme: Empty Become a Photo Hunter View Blogroll

Little Princess was so excited when we bought this toy tub. She was more excited about the fact that it was empty and she could fit down in it than the fact that it would now contain all of her stuffed toys. LOL The minute she saw it, she jumped in it with her chocolate all over her face. She is so funny.

Vegetarianism

Last night I made a supper that the whole family could eat. It was wonderful to have only one meal and everyone eat some. I can't always accomplish this but when I can it is great. My only difference was that my burgers were meatless.

I found this great site with lots of helpful tools and resources is at: http://www.vegparadise.com/. Be sure to check out the Ask Aunt Nettie section. I just love this site and I really look forward to surfing around to see what I can find on there

I was looking around and also discoverd some great tofu hints at: http://video.about.com/vegetarian/Tofu.htm.

There was also a bunch of tofu ideas at: http://chinesefood.about.com/library/bltofu_recipes.htm

My Nephew

I was thinking about my little nephew the other day. He is lactose intollerant and allergic to eggs and nuts. I am going to do him a list of vegan snacks that grandma great can buy at the store. If they are vegan then all grandma has to do is check for nuts. That would be something to make it a little easier, right?

Awesome Family Blogs

So Jennifer over at Parenting Toddlers tagged me for this really great blogroll idea, and I figured it would be fun to play along! I love finding new and interesting blogs and I love to share the cool stuff I find with you guys! So go on over and check out the great sites below, and tell them Twisted Cinderella's -- Ever After ... My Way sent ya! I just love these sites!

Ooops I added six instead of five. I was never very good at that rule. If you ask me to give you my favorite movie, I name two. If you ask me to tell you my favorite 2 songs, I name four. I just have a terrible time limiting myself. So you benefit by getting one extra site off of my list. LOL have fun visiting everyone!

*edit* I removed one of my six (An Island Life) because she was already on the list.

Here are the rules:

1. Write a short paragraph at the beginning of your post and link back to the blog that put you on the list in the paragraph. This isn’t a suggestion. You need to break up the duplicate content string. Someone took the time to add you so the least you can do is give them an extra linkback.

2. Copy the list of originals below COMPLETELY and add it to your blog. If you would like a different keyword for your blog then change it when you do your post and it should pass to most blogs with that keyword.

3. Take the adds from the blog that added you and place them in the “Originals” list.

4. Add up to 5 new parenting or (Mommy/Daddy) blogs to the list in the “My Adds” section.

My add ons:

are we there yet mom
HeartSongs
Kitchen Ramblings from a fairly odd Tofu mom
My Splatter Painted Life
The Adventures of Fantastagirl

The originals:
A Work of Art: Raising Our Exceptional Son
Ever After … My Way
Adventures In The 100 Acre Wood
An Island Life
Adoption and Fire
Lala Girl
The Bookworm BroadcastParenting Sites 411
Cass Knits
Geni Desu Yo
No Average Mom
Notes From The Trenches
Busy Mom.net
Groovy Mom
Coffee Time
My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings
Toil
My Single Mom Life
Tips From The Money Goddess
Army Mom: New Jersey
Melissa’s Place
Three Sons and a Princess
Moot Thoughts and Musings
A family runs through it
Uglyhead
Parenting Toddlers

Friday Feast

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Appetizer
Who is your favorite news anchor/reporter? Why?

I don't have one. I don't watch the news much.

Soup
Name 3 foods that are currently in your freezer.

Frozen Fruit, Tofu, broccoli

Salad
If you were to have the opportunity to name a new town or city, what would you call it?

Harrisville after my husband's family.

Main Course
What will most likely be the next book you read?

I am currently reading the whole set of "The Chronicles of Narnia" so when I am done it will probably be time for a random trashy romance novel.

Dessert
What's the first thing you notice about the opposite gender?

It is a tie between their butt and their eyes, I guess it depends on which way they are facing when I see them. LOL

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Random Things about Twisted Cinderella

I went to a new grocery store yesterday and I was really excited to see that they had a lot of the vegan and vegetarian products I have been looking for. I was like a kid in a candy store examining all the stuff I wanted and trying to pick which ones I was going to get this time. I am changing to that grocery store from now on. I can't believe that Sanjaya didn't go home on American Idol! I guess this was his best week, but he really is the worst singer up there. Do you think he is getting the pity vote? I made a scrapbook page for my best friends nephew and his grandfather. I think it is cute. Little Princess has been saying some cute things lately like: "Mommy . . . I love you more than the light from the moon." which completely melted my heart. She also believes that Old Macdonald has a dog named Bingo, a farm with animals and a restaurant that serves hamburgers. She really made me smile when she told me that she thinks that the kids she met when she went bowling live at Bowling's house. And that is a marvelous idea and wants to go visit them soon. I love when she looks at me and says, "I am a good girl, am I mommy?" instead of "I am a good girl, aren't I mommy?" I am really happy that all the new food I have found at the grocery store will make being a vegan so much easier! They even had tofu and veggie burgers on sale for $1.50 a pack! I bought lots! I found cheeseless pizzas, and Amy's products, and all sorts of things I can't wait try. The taxi driver who drove me home told me about a specialty store downtown that I can try too. I am having a hard time getting Little Princess to go to bed at a decent hour. Well actually she goes to bed, it is the going to sleep part that is taking some work. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! Leave a comment and I will add you here

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Goofy Girl

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scroll down for my birthday post

Tuesday Birthday Talk

Today is my BIRTHDAY! I am 35 years old today. I have absolutely nothing at all planned, but that is okay. Well that is not true, I do plan to get groceries. LOL. Happy Birthday to me to me!

Breakfast

I have discovered a yummy breakfast. I made ordinary oatmeal but I add cocoa and splenda. After it is cooked I put a dollop of applesauce on top and it is a yummy, nutritious breakfast that tastes like a treat!

Cheese-less cheese Sauce

I made a pasta last night that was really good. I wanted to make a cheesesauce for my pasta with my soy cheese. So this is what I came up with: I blended 1 veg bouillon cube, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup soy milk and 1 cup soy cheese. Then I heated over low heat, mixing with a whish until it was all blended. Now I added mine to some PC Meatless Meat strips and onions but next time I would forgo those and just add my cheeseless cheese sauce to my multigrain pasta. I used multigrain spaghetti noodles but again next time, I would use some type of macaroni noodles. But all in all a wonderful invented recipe that tasted great! I am definitely going to experiment with this one some more!


On a side note, Little Princess seems to be doing quite well today and I am going to be sending her back in to preschool tomorrow.

Have a great day guys!

Monday mumblings

Boy does today feel like Monday! Yesterday started out well. Little Princess and I made pancakes. Nice blueberry Vegan Pancakes. I had mine with applesauce as I was out of sugar-free syrup.

blueberry pancakes
This recipe is suitable for a: vegetarian or vegan diet

Ingredients:-----------------------------------------------------
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup rice milk (soy milk or almond milk should be fine) (I added extra to thin this out a bit)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup blueberries

Instructions:-----------------------------------------------------
Combine dry ingredients well in a bowl. In another container, combine the applesauce and ricemilk. Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and combine till all the flour is very moist but still a little lumpy. Add blueberries and lightly fold in.

Heat up a pan and get it good and hot. Take a 1/4 cup measure and scoop up some batter and pour into the pan. You should hear it sizzle. Wait until the pancake becomes bubbly and the bubbles look like they might want to stay, then turn the pancake over. Cook the other side for 30-45 seconds. Put the completed pancake onto the plate and repeat the great batter pouring process until you run out of batter.

Little Princess seemed happy enough most of the day, dancing around in her tutu telling me she was "balleting".

However, last night the good stuff came to a screeching halt. As a result, I am sooo tired today. Little Princess is sick again. She has an ear infection and she was miserable last night. Poor little thing was crying in her sleep every time she moved. She woke up ever 1 1/2 hours and wanted me to come in and cuddle her. I got one hours sleep. On the up side she seems to be feeling better at the moment but she is still running a fever. I think she has yet another ear infection. UGH! Will that poor girl's ears ever get better.

On another note. Check out this Katchy Kids Dancewear Contest! Little Princess loves all things pretty, girly and princess-like and I knew when I saw Katchy Kids Dancewear that she would go crazy for one of their beautiful skirts. And while Joy has been designing and making dancewear for years, her website is brand new. So what better way to get her off to a great start than to tell you all about this contest!

Sunday Stuff

I am so excited. I have been a member of a group since Little Princess was a baby. I go to this website daily and we share our lives, our experiences, our troubles and our wisdom with each other. I can always count on these girls to give me the straight goods on whatever I ask them and I love that. Well yesterday, I met one! I finally got to get together with one of my friends. We chatted like old friends who had known each other forever. Our kids played together, running around and being sweet and funny. It was wonderful. I have wanted this for a long time.
The thing is, that the girl that I met is one that really helped me when I needed it. When I was really really down, she is the one I talked to, she is the one whose emails helped to get me through. I am so glad that if I was going to meet one, she got to be the first.

All of us together!

Giving Little Princess some Candy all the way from Whales! YUMMY Candy too!

Serious shot

Cutest smile ever!

Talking to her new friend.

Cutie Patootie!

Little Princess

Playing with Playdoh

All the Kids playing together

All the kids together

Our two Little Five Year olds.

Little Princess waiting for them to walk up to our door.