mommaleelee

I adore this guy! I wanted to wish him a special birthday because he deserves it.

He has been working his butt off for months and mostly does it with a smile and little complaints. This man is a hard worker and provides for his family always.

He is wicked funny 😄 in the most delightful ways. He comes up with stuff sometimes that seriously crack me up. I laugh all the time when I am around him. The kids will come downstairs to check on me because they can hear me roaring all the way upstairs by something Gord has said or done.

He is sneaky even though he will deny this. He is so sneaky!! Gord is always scheming or planning something. He loves surprises and enjoys making those he cares about happy.

If you haven’t already noticed, he loves making videos. This is very sweet. He will work on them for days until his big reveal. Playing a song over and over again so it is just right. He wants it to be perfect.

He is suprisingly fast...if you seen him in action you would be blown away. If he thinks someone is in danger, he is there in seconds. One time he ran outside in the freezing cold with only his shorts on. He stomped around on the icy snow with bare feet. Why you ask? He heard some commotion outside and saw a baby deer trapped in our yard. Charlie our lab was now chasing the deer and it kept falling everytime it almost jumped the fence. Gord didn’t want to see either of them hurt so he was right in the mix. He saved the day as always and no one was harmed including him.

He remembers everytime he has hurt someone that he cares about. He has a heart of gold and never wants to see anyone sad. He is a giant teddy bear that truly just wants to love and be loved. Unless he played hockey against you then watch out. He has zero patience or care for people who have wronged him or those he loves. I would never want to be on the wrong side of G because he can be ruthless.

Gord loves arts and crafts. Painting, drawing, pottery and even sewing. He is interested in it all and pours his heart into every project he tackles. The other day he did a cross-stitch to help Griffin with an online assignment. Daddy G is our go to guy when we need to sew a button on or patch up a hole in a pair of pants.

He loves movies more than anyone I know. He could watch one everyday. He also loves zombies almost as much and plans on how we will survive the zombie apocalypse one day. It terrifies me but I know with Gord around we will be just fine.

He is clumsy and falls all the time. Bang! We all look to see where Gord is because we just know that he has gone down. He is like Bam Bam! It’s insane how many times he has fallen at home and at work but for the most part comes out unharmed.

He is sappy and loves a heartfelt card or lovey dovey movie. I love that about him. He has showed the boys that it is okay to be emotional and vulnerable.

He is smart and incredibly talented. He can learn just about anything and can build and or fix most things. This always impresses me. Many have given him a hard time over cryptocurrency but I truly believe in him and he has made some amazing investments over the last few years. He is a forever dreamer and schemer and I love that about him.

He has overcome many adversities in his life. Stuttering was a massive hardship for him growing up and over the years he continues to challenge and push himself. When Gord starting blogging and then making videos on Cinnamon, he surprised us all. What a huge step! He has come so far and I couldn’t be more proud of him.

This is just a tiny bit about Gord and if you know him and love him, than you are a lucky person because he is truly a man among men. I look forward to travelling around the world with him one day and watching our babies and their babies grow.

Love you G

My late grandmother made amazing dishes that meant so much to her. She poured love and pride into every meal that she ever prepared. I rarely cook without thinking of her. Chicken and dumplings, were one of my favorite dishes that she made for me. I wanted to share this recipe with others because I know this would make her happy.

Prep Work

Start off by cutting up your potatoes into small peices. Then place them in a pot with cold water.

Cut up 2 large white onions thinly sliced.

Take a large cucumber and peel off the green then cut slices very fine. Dry off with paper towel to remove some of the excess moisture.

Take 2 green onions and slice into fine peices.

Take a whole frying chicken and cut it up or if you are like me and don’t like doing this part just buy one already cut.

Tip- You really want the bone and skin left on the chicken.

First Step Sauté the Onions

Melt ½ cup of butter and add onions to a thick pot, a dutch oven is best. Sauté the onions with the butter until they are nice and soft.

Take half of them out and place in a separate bowl for later when you are making the potatoes.

Second Step Start Cooking the Chicken

Add the chicken into the pot with the sautéed onions.

At this point you want to sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and put the burner on to medium/high heat because the goal is to brown the chicken in the beginning.

Stir the chicken making sure all of the meat is covered in some of the butter and onions.

Once you feel the chicken has browned, then turn down your burner as you want it to cook slowly. The ideal temperature is a little higher than a steady simmer.

Add a little water or you can use chicken stock maybe ½ cup or so. The goal is to ensure that there is some moisture to help the chicken roast in the pot.

Make sure to cover the lid with a good seal.

Cooking the chicken takes approximately one hour. You need to keep an eye on the level of liquid in the pot throughout this cooking process.

Tip- You always want to have some liquid so have chicken stock and or water ready to go.

I usually need to add ½ cup of liquid here and there. This really just depends but I would recommend checking the chicken every 20 minutes or so and assessing whether it needs more liquid.

Third Step Start Making the Dumplings

This is my Grandmother’s bread dough recipe straight from my mom.

Just follow the instructions and it is pretty simple and straightforward. This process usually takes about an hour so it works well to start when you are also cooking the chicken.

My boys love homemade buns so I usually make about 6 of them and then use the rest of the dough for the dumplings.

Fourth Step Make the Cucumber Salad

½ cup of sour cream

1 Tbsp of mayo

1 Tbsp of vinegar

Add the diced green onions

Stir everything together and then season the dressing with salt, pepper and dill. Just add the cucumbers and mix together and your salad is ready to go.

Fifth Step Baking the Buns

Cook the buns in the oven so that they are nice and warm just in time for supper. There really is nothing tastier than warm buns and gravy!

Sixth Step Cooking the Potatoes and Dumplings

Take the potatoes and the remaining onions and butter and add into another dutch oven pot.

Then add ¼ cup of water and sprinkle salt and pepper all over the potatoes.

Place the dumplings on top of the potatoes.

Do the same thing with the chicken which at this point should be browned and cooked well.

This is now the time where you place the lids on the pots so you can steam the dumplings.

Set a timer for 20 minutes.

NO Peaking

This is the hardest part for me but you cannot open the lid and peak.

If you do not have the proper size lid for one of the pots. No worries, just seal the pot with tinfoil and put your closest fitting lid on top making sure it is sealed properly.

Make sure the burner is turned on and the temperature should be just a little over a steady simmer.

Now you just wait.

Final Steps

Take off the lids and place your cooked dumplings in a bowl to serve.

What if the dumplings are not cooked enough when you lift off the lid after the 20 minute mark?

No biggie, just shut the lid again and wait a little longer to cook perhaps it needs 5-10 minutes more.

Take your potatoes out and place them in a serving bowl.

Take your chicken peices out and place in another serving bowl.

I place all of the warm items in the oven on low. This keeps everything hot while I prepare the gravy.

Making the Gravy

Take a glass drinking cup and add warm water with a Tbsp of flour and whip together so there are no lumps.

Turn the heat up on the broiler to medium/high temperature and whisk the chicken drippings while adding in the flour and water mixture in.

You may need to add some more liquid. If so, add some chicken stock.

Now season the gravy by sprinkling on salt and pepper to taste.

Always continue to whisk throughout this process.

Tip- Do not worry if you have tiny pieces of chicken in the gravy. You can always strain them out at the very end before pouring the gravy into the gravy boat. The dogs love these little peices so I just put them aside and serve it to them for their supper.

Serve and Enjoy

The cabbage rolls were courtesy of my mom so this I have no idea how to make; however, I do plan to learn one day.

Thanks for reading ❤️

Christmas is all about traditions and for my family much of it is rooted in the food that we eat. Christmas morning is so much fun! I love watching the kids race around the house, opening up presents and seeing their big smiles and hearing those joyful giggles. After the fun of it all, we have a nice breakfast. I am exhausted by this time in the day so I make a great casserole ahead and just pop it in the oven. It is so easy and tastes like Christmas in a dish.

This is one recipe that has it all.

Meat, eggs, bread and cheese and it tastes amazing!

My mom always called it morning wife saver and this tradition started with her. I have heard other families make something similar to this casserole but with different variations. This is the one that we make.

Christmas Morning Casserole

Recipe:

10 slices bread no crust

12 slices ham thinly sliced

Thick slices old cheddar cheese

6 large eggs

1/2 tsp black pepper ground

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 cup chives chopped

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot sauce

3 cups whole milk

1/2 cup butter melted

1 cup corn flakes cereal crushed

You just whip up the eggs and add all the seasonings in a large bowl.

I usually double the recipe so it makes 2 or one extra large casserole.

Take bread and cut off the crusts

Slice thick slices of cheese

Layer the casserole in this order:

Bread

Ham

Cheese

Bread

The egg topping goes on the top of your casserole

In a large bowl add melted butter and crushed up cornflakes until mixed. This topping goes on the top layer of the dish.

Bake at 350 for an hour or until cooked and brown. I prefer to cook it longer so it is really cooked well and the top is nice and crispy.

Thanks for reading ❤️

I appreciate all that Coil has done for me and how much I have learned over this short time but I am not ready to see the boost program come to an end.

I guess it’s not an end, or is it?

Change is really hard for me.

I have many questions and am feeling blue.

I was just getting into this blogging journey to see it all change has been defeating.

I get that change is good and necessary but I am not ready for it.

I knew it wasn’t going to last forever but I did not see it ending so soon.

I think it is incredible to be rewarded for your hard work and effort.

The boost gave me something to work towards and kept me focused even when I sometimes lacked motivation and creativity.

I worry that without this incentive, I will be less productive and focused.

I am still processing this all but I wanted to share how I was feeling.

If you are feeling down or defeated.

I feel you.

You are not alone.

I am hopeful of what is yet to come and that is exciting but I don’t know enough to really feel confident.

Whatever the outcome, I am truly grateful for this incredible experience and am thankful for Coil and the boost program regardless of the future.

I just hope I can find a place within it all.

Thanks for reading ❤️

This year is going to be a Christmas like no other. I think it comes as no major suprise for many of us that this Christmas is going to look a lot different. As COVID-19 numbers steadily rise, gatherings are prohibited in many communities. This is crappy and not ideal but it doesn’t mean that your holiday is ruined. Here are some great ideas to challenge yourself to still have fun and create special memories.

Try a new recipe

Take a guilt-free nap

Call someone you love

Listen to music

Drink some hot chocolate

Talk a walk outdoors

Sleep in

Have a bubble bath

Light a candle

Have breakfast in bed

Take a break from social media

Wear pajamas all day

Give someone a compliment

Read a book or even a chapter

Listen to a podcast

Tour Christmas lights

Donate to a local charity

Pay it forward

Send snail mail to a friend

Play a board game

Send family a video message

I know that life is tough these days and I want to acknowledge this fact. It’s the truth and many of us are barely getting by; however, we can do this because we are wired to do hard things, never forget that.

Thanks for reading ❤️

Thanks for reading ❤️