Heute kam noch eine Karte aus Polen von der Tante. Ich glaube damit müssten wir eigentlich alle Verwandten und alle Länder durch haben

by Emily

When I moved to Houston, my well-informed friends introduced me to the wonderful world of upscale comfort food.  Who knew that mashed potatoes would taste infinitely better with a touch of truffle oil?  Or the grits I grew up thinking were so bland, would morph into a new decadent three-cheese version?  Or that a boring chicken breast could taste so scrumptious crusted in pecans and pistachios?  Clearly, I had a lot of learning to do.  There is something to be said for recreating your favorite foods in a manageable way, which is why I was so glad to find Rachel Ray’s Pecan Crusted Chicken recipe.  If you haven’t had the luxury of trying Benjy’s crunchy chicken (which is 100% responsible for this recipe search), this is a great substitute to get you by until that fateful day. 

Pecan Crusted Chicken
adapted from Rachel Ray’s Recipe

1 cup pecans, toasted (substitute or combine with pistachios for a slightly different flavor)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dried basil
4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup honey mustard (you may prefer to use olive oil if using pistachios)

Preheat the oven to 400°.
Grind the pecans (and/or pistachios, if using) into fine crumbs in a good processor (a blender works, too!).  Transfer to a wide, shallow bowl and stir in the bread crumbs and basil. Add salt and pepper.  Place honey mustard in another shallow bowl.  Rub each chicken breast with honey mustard, then dredge through pecan mixture.  Place on a nonstick baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes.  The chicken is ready when the juices run clear.

Delicious-Emilys Holiday Season (119 MB download)
Deck the halls with love and joy in Delicious: Emily’s Holiday Season, a wonderful time management sequel to warm up your holidays! It’s winter in Snuggford and Emily is preparing for her family’s holiday party at a cozy little lodge. Soon, romance fills the air as two suitors vie for Emily’s attention. Can Emily carefully balance her duties and build a relationship? Whom will she choose? Join Emily in this romantic new adventure through a winter wonderland! Meet her family and catch up with friends. Help and serve guests delicious holiday treats. Take part in jolly activities. Find out who the lucky guy will be! Brighten up your holidays with heartwarming fun!

Today I got up, went downstairs, grabbed my clean dress-clothes out of the dryer, and proceeded to get ready for a funeral. It was a funeral for a lady whom I met twice, Florence Strom. She was 97(!) when she passed on. Apparently (as I learned during the service) she was an amazing woman. Hearing about her life gave some meaning to me before reading some selections at her service.

I was asked to read Psalms 23 (at the funeral home), and the Baha’i obligatory prayer for the deceased (at the graveyard). If you don’t know (as I didn’t), psalms 23 is the “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” one. All I could think of last night was:

Which was hilarious, but also made me feel like I was being extremely inappropriate. On the bright side, I’ve decided to include a clause in my will that states that my siblings have to perform a rendition of gansta’s paradise after reading this psalm….and that Nadia has to be the main rapper (as she knows the lyrics by heart, and kills it live).

Also, I discovered that even though the Baha’i obligatory prayer for the departed is the only congregational prayer, there is still no repetition by the crowd! I was under the impression that congregational meant one person reads something, and the congregation responds, but apparently not. So I read this prayer, out in the bitter cold, and it’s LONG, but it was nice. I actually felt like it was really fitting for the occasion. (Funerals kinda force you to consider mortality, especially in relation to yourself. What do you think happens after you die? And if you believe in an afterlife, what do you think it’s like?)

Then we had a traditional Norwegian smorgasboard (mostly fish and potatoes), I socialized with some peoples (and received suggestions that I explore a career in radio), and then went and played chess.

The afternoon was focused on the visit of Ted’s nephew, Darren, who came with his wife and two kids from Kelowna. I got home, changed from ultra-dressy to jeans and a T, and cleaned-up and organized till them peoples arrived. They have a daughter named Emily as well, so there are 2(!) Emily Glabushes running around the Okanagan.

Here’s what the second one looks like:

Who's that? It's Emily Glabush le deux. Also note the de-carpeted floors underneath her feet. So nice.

The night was joyous, and once again, family is jes wicked.

What the hell is wrong with Iran? I mean seriously, what the bloody heck is up with the State of Iran?

2009 in a nutshell:
The suspicious election fraud surrounding Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
…Which led to the biggest protests since the Iranian Revolution, exactly 30 years ago
The arrest, torture and killings of protesters (many who were University students)
The expansion of the Army of Guardians to now have supercontrol over economic, political, and social affairs, including a special branch to produce their own print, photo and television elements.
Free Speech, anyone?
Free Press, anyone?
Is there anyone left?
Is there anything left?

And now Iran is putting 6,000 military stations into ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS to help promote their twisted, sick, murderous ideals. (As the New York Times states, “It is implanting 6,000 Basij militia centers in elementary schools across Iran to promote the ideals of the Islamic Revolution, and it has created a new police unit to sweep the Internet for dissident voices.”)

Well, ain’t that just the way things are.

(For pictures of the protests around the election in June, go here)

-etw

By Emily

So I went a little crazy when I decided to make all of that pumpkin puree a few weeks ago.  I had A LOT.  Judging by the number of plastic containers taking over my freezer, I could have been mistaken for a bizarre I-am-ba-nanas-for-pumpkin hoarder prior to this weekend.  What to do?  The welcoming scent of black bean and pumpkin soup, thanks to my roommate, and this simple, but delicious pumpkin bread below inevitably took over my maison.  While some may think this is pumpkin overload, don’t underestimate my loyalty to the seasonal orange ingredient.  Don’t worry, I still plan on saving room for pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.

Classic Pumpkin Bread
Adapted from The Austin Junior Forum’s Lone Star Legacy cookbook

3 cups sugar
1 cup oil (olive oil is my preference)
4 eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin (I used fresh pumpkin puree)
3/4 cup water
3 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/4 cup pecan pieces, optional

Preheat the oven to 350˚.  Prepare 2 loaf pans with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil, eggs, and pumpkin.  In another large mixing bowl, sift dry ingredients together.   Add dry ingredients to sugar mixture a third at a time, alternating with water, a third at a time.  Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.  Sprinkle with pecan pieces, if using, and bake for +/- 1 hour.

These are some of my favorite photo’s i have taken over the past few months. i do hope you enjoy them as much as i do.

Trip.

Trees.

Walking. By Melikamp.

Night. By Melikamp.

Chalky Hands. By Self-Timer.

Pancakes.

Delicious-Emilys Holiday Season (119 MB download)
Deck the halls with love and joy in Delicious: Emily’s Holiday Season, a wonderful time management sequel to warm up your holidays! It’s winter in Snuggford and Emily is preparing for her family’s holiday party at a cozy little lodge. Soon, romance fills the air as two suitors vie for Emily’s attention. Can Emily carefully balance her duties and build a relationship? Whom will she choose? Join Emily in this romantic new adventure through a winter wonderland! Meet her family and catch up with friends. Help and serve guests delicious holiday treats. Take part in jolly activities. Find out who the lucky guy will be! Brighten up your holidays with heartwarming fun!

Ou comment approcher le vide d’un peu plus près…

Last Friday we got the chance to babysit Henry, Abbey’s son, for the morning.  He is such a sweet little guy and very smiley…much like our Molly.  Here’s a picture of 2 month old Henry:

Molly was fascinated by little Henry.  She couldn’t keep her eyes off him, and whenever I’d let her get close enough she’d try to grab his hair.  I think she was just a little confused seeing a baby like her with so much hair!  I think this picture is hilarious…it just shows how bald Molly really is!

And one more pic of the little cuties.  As you can see, Molly was pumped up that she got to have a friend over to play.  We wish we got to see little Henry more often!

Delicious – Emily’s Holiday Season is the latest time management game from Game House Studios. Much like the often-forgotten Miss Management, this game plays like a TV sitcom, complete with incidental music and cheesy sense of humor! The variety of gameplay is a welcome addition to the genre, and unlike most games that make the same attempt, it doesn’t come across as forced innovation.

The peaceful town of Snuggford is covered in a blanket of snow, and Emily has decided to stay here for a while with her family. The hotel is a bit on the dusty side, and as Emily fixes a vase her friend Francois knocked over with a sneeze, she finds herself with a new job. Customers come in, order food, and Emily must fetch it, deliver it, and take their cash. Sometimes the postman will arrive with a package which must be signed for, and the occasional hotel patron will appear to turn in or pick up his or her room key. Everything is handled with a simple click and go interface, and you can queue several tasks for Emily’s busy hands to accomplish.

Between the main tasks you’ll also have a few extra chores to do, such as dusting off the cobwebs, picking up a random item or two, or catching spiders. These aren’t necessary to complete the level, but if you’re going for an expert score, you’d better start dusting. After each level you’ll get a chance to spend some cash buying upgrades that make Emily’s job easier, customers happier, and the hotel more profitable.

Not content to keep things in one location, Emily’s Holiday Season takes place across several areas, including Winter Fair and a farm. The change of scenery does a surprising amount of good for the experience, and the soft, cozy visuals never cease to summon that holiday feeling we love so very much.

Analysis: You might be inclined to write off Delicious – Emily’s Holiday Season game as just another time management game. If you do, you’re missing out on a wonderful gaming experience. Casual to the core, this game is about mood, setting, storytelling, and variety. It doesn’t smack you across the face with a forced collection of different gameplay elements. Instead, you feel like each departure from the norm is a soft, fuzzy gift that you open and gratefully accept. It’s a difficult experience to convey, but if a time management game can make me speechless, you know there’s something special there.

Here’s another genre oddity: storytelling. Not only does Delicious – Emily’s Holiday Season buck tradition with its gameplay, but before and after each level you’ll be treated to a short scene that furthers the plot. Beyond that, you actually find yourself interested in what’s going on, as the characters are likeable, funny, and do some genuinely witty things over the course of the game.

Emily’s Holiday Season isn’t stressful, it isn’t particularly challenging, and the game doesn’t go out of its way to impress you with NEW!!! and FANTASTICAL!!! gimmicks at every turn. Instead, you just have a few bowls of cranberries to deliver, a couple of spiders to catch, and a handful of other miscellaneous tasks to complete. The gameplay and setting are so rich you can’t help but be drawn in, and the variety in both storytelling and locations keep you in for the long haul. Delicious – Emily’s Holiday Season is one of the few time management games you owe it to yourself to play.

Review by JohnB
Casual Gameplay

“It would be crazy if your dreams could come out of your head.”

Einmal nach a Modresnach by Emily Ryan-Davis

Sophie Anderson’s ladies-only holiday vacation in Germany yields unexpected gifts when her grandmother’s German nurse, David, shares his belief in the goddess Freya. Can a future dreamt once upon a modranicht come true?

And other winter holiday tales by various authors.

Wasn heute mit Zwergi los? Es ist nach 12 Uhr und sie pennt immer noch. Na ja, nach der Nacht. Ich sach nur, mein Make-up Verbrauch ist immens gestiegen. Nur alles kann man gar nicht überkleistern. Habe jetzt mit Spachtelmasse angefangen

Nein kein Wein, sondern zuckersüße Sachen für Emily erhielt ich Gestern von den Schwiegereltern des liebsten Bruders aus Griechenland. Wir haben uns natürlich sofort in die Sachen verliebt und können es kaum abwarten, bis die Sachen passen.

Gestern bekam ich ein Paket aus Hamburg. Mein Patenonkel schickte etwas für Emily und als ich es auspackte, lachte ich mich tot. Das was ich da in meinen Händen hielt, war einfach nur Zucker!

Ma voltunk megnézni a New Moon-t. Ott volt Cla, Bogi, Viki, Niki, Tina, Ricsi, Ádi, Zozo, Norbi és én. Hát igen, a jó filmekre mindig összegyűlik a jó társaság… Kittit sajnos nem engedték el…

Fél 10-kor taliztunk a mozi előtt. A film kb negyed 11-kor kezdődött. Már nagyon izgatottak voltunk, mivel mindegyikünk nagy Twilight fan

A film nagyon tetszett. A legjobb rész az volt, amikor Bella épp hogy utolérte Edwardot, mielőtt meghalt volna… A legszomorúbb meg az volt, amikor Edward elhagyta Bellát… Megmondom őszintén, azt a rész megkönnyeztem, de ezzel nem voltam egyedül. Mindig átérzem a film szereplőinek érzelmeit… Az egész nagyon sejtelmes volt… Amúgy is szeretem a vámpíros filmeket, de az Alkonyat és az Újhold felülmúlja mindegyiket.

A moziba szinte ujjongás tört ki, mikor Jacob levette a pólóját… Szerintem egyáltalán nem néz ki jól… Már túl izmos… Akárki akármit mond, akkor is Edward a jobb

(L) Imádom (L)

Ajánlom nektek is, nézzétek meg! És a film rabjaivá váltok!

Nah puszaaa

“Mom, if you want to put some of my lip gloss on your zit you can. It might make it more beautiful.”

Last Sunday I spent a few hours at a flat in Limehouse, East London on the film set for The Famous Class’s music video for their latest single Emily.

You can check out all my images from the shoot here!

My pet peeve lately with the older kids 6 – 10yrs (not just mine) is their desire to become “famous”. I try to challenge and inspire them. Famous for what??? What do you want to do??? The best way to be famous is to do something great really well. The fame isn’t important – it’s how you get there and the kind of person you are!!!

I believe they listen intently to me and truly absorb all of what they hear which could be broken down to “blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda”.

So here’s to them all – in the search of fame, it is our sweet 2yo Emily who has achieved our highest level so far. With her mixed Australian-Canadian accent, she has been around the world and back again, getting over 100 hits on youtube as she demands for a “fork n spoon” or was that her f*****n spoon?!

Such a proud time in my journey as a Mum!!!

Feel free to forward her beautiful video message to all who need a laugh particularly to any mother that is having a bad day, has had a bad day, has ever been embarrassed by their children for an inappropriate statement or inappropriate timing.

Bless our children for teaching us their depths of our hearts and our own inner child as we laugh at the things we shouldn’t.

Wow, it’s a month until Christmas already! Today I did school and made Christmas decorations with Mom, Abbey, and Maggie which was strange because I was cutting out paper snowflakes with a tank top and shorts on and a fan blowing at me on full blast!

As far as being here, time has really flown by and I think I am becoming more positive about this trip. I am not always shutting myself out from the outside world. Instead I am spending more time upstairs and I have noticed my attitude change a lot in the past two weeks. I can’t believe that next month, we will be half way through! It is crazy to think we’ve been here five months now.

I’m doing a scuba diving course with Dad, Mom, Jack and Shakheai and I am very excited to go in the water and have the experience to do something as exciting as that.

Recently, I got the new Switchfoot CD, Hello Hurricane, and I am loving it! Each song is exactly what I am going through this year and to hear those words from one of my favorite bands is so comforting. It makes me feel so human, like I’m not the only one in the world who is experiencing something as hard as this. A few lines that stood out to me where ‘Everything I have is stripped away, But before It started building I counted up these costs, there is nothing left for you to take away.’

I am so excited for Christmas even though it will be so different from Christmas in Ladner and I can’t wait for my Oma and Opa to visit in January.