A Fresh Start

September is a good month for me - and not just because it's my birthday month. September for me always invokes a sense of new beginnings, hope, and excitement - for a new school year, new season, and chance to settle into routine after summer's inevitable roller coaster. It's when mornings slowly become fresh and crisp again, the summer heat and muggy air dissipates, and I can start pulling out my scarves and layers for fall.

This September I'm planning on living out my fresh start in a number of different ways. I know realistically I probably won't be able to keep all of these things up, but I've decided to just go for it and take the risk of putting all my ideas out there, so here goes! (who knows, maybe I'll hold myself more accountable this way and end up doing more!?)

1. Follow the 30 meals in 30 days plan from Canadian Living (www.canadianliving.com/30meals30days) I'm aiming to take the guesswork out of meal choosing and planning, and challenging us to prepare and eat a few meals out of the comfort zone!

2. Start a 10week running plan with the goal of running a 5km race by the end. Okay, so I've technically already started this in the summer, but it's through work and it's awesome so far - not to mention I get some accountability to keep going in my desire to exercise more. Check it out here: www.teamworldvision.ca

3. Apply to go back to school. Gulp. Yes, I'm going to actually look it up and actually apply and then hopefully take a class in the fall, if I can. I've put it off for a good 2.6 years now, and it's about time I get back on finishing those CHRP courses. Look out college, hear I come!

4. Blog more. Being a good HR Rep, I'm even going to create a SMART goal for this one. I want to blog minimum once per week, for the 4 months of Sept-Dec. Doesn't have to be particular or focused, but just thoughts, put to 'paper', once every 7 days. Not necessarily even about me (not looking to become narcissistic here) but just about what's happening en la casa de merinos - for the record books, ya know?

5. Memorize Bible verses while brushing my teeth. Kind of a specific goal, but one I want to do none the less. I'll start easier, maybe revisiting previously memorized verses I don't totally recall now (thinking Psalm 8, Philippians 2 and "New Normal" verses to start). But I know I can grow a lot more in this discipline, and reading Proverbs has reminded me so much of the need to "Bind them on your hearts always";"Get wisdom, get understanding" and more.

Do you have any September beginnings waiting to be started?
Ready. Set.... GO.

r.

The problem with being a doer...

...is that sometimes you just really want to do something, but you can't. And not because the thing you want to do is bad per se, but rather it is not the right time for doing that something. At least that's what someone said, and that someone has the power to say wait, which is fine but you want to know why...and that explanation is not forthcoming.

Frustrating? You betcha.

Causing growth? I can only hope and pray and trust God.

"But the fruit of the spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control; against such things there is no law" Galatians 5:22-23

Yupe. I'm learning. It sucks, but it's also good...right?

r.

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2 months, 2 weeks and 2 changes

2 months and 2 weeks have led me to realize 2 changes that I would like to make on this here blog, but also reflect on 2 changes that have happened in the last 2 months and 2 weeks. Confused yet? I am!

It was about 2 months ago that we started the process to adopt the newest member of the Merino family: Boss aka jefesito aka perrito besador! It's been a big change to our lives, but something I wouldn't take back either. I've learned a lot about dogs, but also a bit more practically about being a 'parent' and how having something that relies on your care causes you to become less selfish - at least that's the feeling I've been facing (and it makes me somewhat more scared yet also slightly more prepared to have kids).

In the past 2 weeks I'm finding that I'm being challenged in how I live out my trust in God - namely that he has a superior plan for my life and I'm not going to get to know it before it unfolds. As I've come to realize this isn't just a time in my life that I'll experience, but rather a change that needs to happen long term and on an ongoing basis, I'm also thinking I need to make a change to how I view this blog. If I really want to make this a record of my life, then I've got to get a little more real about everything that happens in it. Not just the fluff and the food and the prettiness, but also the nitty-grittiness. Not to say that it'll be doom and gloom, but it does have to be real day-to-day. It's not called "pieces of a day in the life of the merinos' - it's a day, a whole day.
While I'm not sure about the practicality of changing this on my blog now, I do know that I'm going to making a different sort of effort to post about life more regularly on here (topic wise and # wise). And most of all, I'm going to be doing this posting stuff for me, to record my journey of life - all of it. Feel free to come along with me...or not. Either way, it's gonna be a wild ride!
r.

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She said: let them eat - chocolate - CAKE!

If there's any better reason to host a dinner party, do it just so you can make the most decadent chocolate cake and icing ever. And while I didn't host the dinner party this past Sunday, I sure did make that chocolate cake for it!

I sadly forgot a picture of the whole cake - mostly because I was stressing and praying the cake wouldn't end up splattered all over the inside of our car on the journey - I did get a shot of the leftovers we brought home. Definitely one of the best chocolate cakes ever tasted.

This is not going to exist past the next 24 hrs

I dare you to try and make it - you won't regret it (unless maybe you don't have dinner party guests to help you eat it and then you eat it all by yourself in one night...I make no promises that that won't happen!)

Check out the recipe here:

Dark Chocolate Cake with Hot Chocolate Buttercream Icing

 (yes...you read that right!)

Happy stuffing your face full of goodness. Or eating cake for breakfast.

:)
r.

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Fish Pie...oh my!

Last Thursday we had my parents (and tall bro) over for dinner. My parents were back from Bermuda and I picked them up from the airport at 4:30 and took them to our place for dinner. Because who doesn't want to have dinner cooked for them when they come back from a vacation?!

Horseshoe Bay beach - from www.argylerowland.com

Now having my parents over for dinner is both a lot of fun and a bit of a headache. Before you shake your head at me for saying such a thing, let me clarify. Having my parents over is a blast! Cooking an eatable dinner for my parents is not nearly as much fun. This is because my dad is allergic to onions (the whole onion family actually - that means green, red, yellow, and white onions, chives, shallots, and leeks) and - wait for it - garlic. Yes, my father cannot eat garlic. He actually can't even smell it without getting affected. So I had to make food without garlic or onions in it. And as anyone who cooks even a little bit knows that there are not a lot recipes out there that don't include (or even start without) garlic or onions.

So it was Jamie Oliver to the Rescue!

(sorry, couldn't resist, with that picture and all)

What I should say is that it was Jamie's bloody brillant Fish Pie that came to my rescue.

I procrastinated all week deciding what I was going to make and I was kind of too lazy to try and look for a new recipie - to make or even adapt so it didn't contain 'the offenders'. I also didn't want to make two separate dishes - that's only more work and let's face it, not nice for my dad.

A pretty constant staple meal a la casa de Merino however is Jamie's Fish Pie, courtsey of his Food Revolution Cookbook. And I realized while wracking my brain at 11:45pm on Wednesday night, Fish Pie doesn't call for any garlic or onions at all!

Now I did have to plan to go to the grocery store in my already busy Thursday, because we didn't have half of the ingredients, but I'm not complaining, because it turned out so good and I even got my dad to take seconds. Of FISH. and then he said they should make this at home. Like regularly. NBD.
(I'm still beaming a little today).

So in case you come across another person like my dad, or you just want a delicious meal that's pretty easy to make and doesn't require you to cry while cutting onions or slice your thumb while mincing garlic, I'm telling you - make Fish Pie!

Copyright © David Loftus

Jamie Oliver's Fish Pie

What You'll Need

• 2 lg white fish fillets (we get basa or tilapia, but Alaskan white or another equivalent firm white fish is good too) - get the freshest and most sustainably sourced fish you can; it makes a difference
• 1 450g uncooked shrimp
• 5 medium sized yellow potatoes
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 lg carrot
• 1-2 mini hot peppers (use to taste...you can leave them out too)
• half of a small block of old cheddar cheese (about 125g)
• small bunch of cilantro or parsley
• olive oil
• 2 limes
• 1 tsp butter
• splash of milk

What To Do

1. Peel your potatoes and chop into mid-size pieces. Boil in a pot of water for approximately 12 mins or until tender. Drain and mash to preferred consistency, adding a tsp of butter and splash of milk. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. While the potatoes are boiling, grate the peeled carrot, celery and cheese using a medium grater into a corningware or oven safe round dish.
3. Finely chop the cilantro and hot peppers (if using) and add to dish. Add the zest of 1 lime, the juice of half the lime and a splash of olive oil.
4. Cut fish fillets into uniform same size pieces, and de-tail the shrimp. Add to dish and mix all the ingredients with your hands until combined. Pat gently flat.
5. Spoon mashed potatoes over the top of dish, covering fish and veggie mixture completely. Bake uncovered in oven until mash potatoes are slightly browned on top, about 35-40 mins.
6. Serve immediately, with lime wedges to squeeze on top. Sometimes we add a sprinkle of grated parmesan too!

Enjoy!



Chau,
r.

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