My Mom had a huge family. On my Poppy’s side there were 11 Kids and on my Nana’s side, there were 4. That’s a lot of cousins! Visiting Penticton each summer, I got to see my Mom’s cousin’s kids at all the family functions. There was the older group of kiddos which me and my siblings were part of and the younger group that came just after my sister was born. It’s funny that as the years pass our ages mean nothing! Most of the youngest cousins have had their own babies recently! No matter the distance or the time that passed between us, we just got each other. I mean the crazy gene is undeniable 😜😂.
This past year my Mom lost another cousin. She was a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a cousin. She was a fighter. I hate cancer.
This week we were shocked to find out that my Mom’s cousin’s longtime partner suddenly passed away in his sleep. They had recently separated but when I spoke with him 2 weeks ago I pointedly asked him how she was doing and he said, “good. She’s still the most important person in my life.” 💜
Tom played a role in so many of my special memories over the years. It was at his and Marg’s Annual Christmas party back in 2009 where HBear took her very first steps!
It was them and their orchard that hosted my Mom’s celebration of life back in 2013,
and over the years he would just stop by to drop off apples, or cider, or his famous alcohol soaked fruit whenever he was in the area! He was a quiet man that cared deeply. Even after my Mom wasn’t here, he always reached out. He would pop by or keep in touch through social media. He was here just 2 weeks ago going for drinks with my Bro. When he was here we laughed about my busy life and how much he enjoyed all my posts and stories that kept him updated on our family adventures.
I will miss waking up to his 32 “likes” each morning 😆. We are lucky that you were in our lives Tom. My heart goes out to his family. He was a good man and he will be missed ❤️.
This is a very sad but a needed reminder that life is short. Life is so precious.
The other day I looked in the fridge and realized I had a bunch of cherry (or grape I never can tell the difference lol) tomatoes that were about to spoil. At this time of the year we have a TON of tomatoes, zucchini, and corn. I also had 3 romaine hearts, a half pack of bacon, 8 random chicken fingers and a new bulb of garlic from the Farmer’s Market that I’ve been dying to try so I instantly thought, Salad! I like making my own dressings and have a few go-tos like my Mom’s Mandarin and Almond Salad Dressing (that is more of a winter salad) and my homemade Caesar Dressing but have recently been wanting to change things up! SBean is a HUGE salad fan and takes salad for lunch a few times a week so I wanted to find something she liked too! She hates tomatoes so we cut up a few strawberries for her and she LOVED it! This dressing made the entire dish! I added 2 types of cheese and all my random leftover items and we got a NEW favourite dinner salad!
Adapted from Cooking Classy
1/2 cup slivered almonds
8 slices bacon
8 chicken fingers
2 large romaine hearts, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup havarti cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
1/2 cup croutons
3/4 cup light olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
salt and pepper, to taste
Add olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dijon and honey to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and shake to blend. Chill in fridge.
Spread almonds into an even layer on a small pan. Sauté on low until just lightly golden brown, stirring often. Be careful they don’t burn! Set aside to cool.
Cook bacon and chicken fingers (I used my air fryer). Once cool, chop both into small pieces.
Rinse lettuce under cold water and run though a salad spinner in batches to dry well.
Add lettuce, almonds, bacon, chicken, tomatoes, havarti cheese, and parmesan cheese. Shake dressing again then pour over salad, toss salad then add croutons and toss again.
(White) Chocolate Chip Muffins
Adapted from Little Sweet Bake
2½ cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter, melted and cooled
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1½ cups white cream chips
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a 12 cup muffin tray with paper liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and White cream chips. Set aside.
Slowly add to the dry ingredients. Gently fold together until JUST combined.
