Ninja turned 50 last week.
When I met Ninja all those years ago, 50 seemed like science fiction or fantasy talk lol. So far into the future, it’s wasn’t even fathomable. My goodness how things change lol.
Ninja and I began dating a few months before his 26th birthday. I have known this man for half of his life! Over the years I have seen him grow, learn, play, work, become the boyfriend. I never thought he could be and the husband I always knew he could be. He has become a loving father to our two Kids and his endless patience astounds me every day. Who knew a 50-year-old man could relate so well to 2 teenage girls going through… Life in the 21st-century? Which is a whole post onto itself lol.
Over the years I have watched him, encouraged him, and yelled at him, lol as he dipped his toe into different jobs, lifestyles, and fashion choices lol. When we met, we were both in university. He was in the faculty of science and his geekiness for all things in a Petri dish made me fall for him instantly, among many other things lol. When he realized life in a lab didn’t seem as exciting as he had imagined, he focused his attention on getting accepted into NAV Canada‘s air traffic controlling school. You know, cause that’s not hard or anything! Lol. It was a gruelling process, and I mean, just getting accepted! Once he was, our lives changed. We moved in together as I worked full-time in property management and finished up my university degree. Ninja studied and then he studied some more. And when he wasn’t studying… He was studying lol. After a year, he began working on the floor and trafficking airplanes through the sky! At that same time, we got the happy news that after only one month of “trying”, I was pregnant!
Throughout that first 8 years of us dating, breaking up lol, getting back together, university, and making individual life choices, Ninja kept growing. He learned how to serve and bartend and became a manager while working his butt off in school/NAV Canada. He taught himself how to play guitar, dabbled in being a DJ and he was the Little Known Kid! He memorized baseball facts, watched YouTube videos on how to fix things around our house, and became my best friend.
When I was in my second trimester with HBear, Ninja was working on the floor, directing air traffic when a plane, a Cessna, with a father and son had engine trouble, and went down, in his airspace. After review, Ninja was not held accountable however, he never regained his confidence. After that, he knew 100% that the job he had been working towards for so long, was not the right fit for him. I remember walking to Tim Hortons at 6:30 in the morning July 1, 2008, he had just left NAV Canada for good and we were discussing our future plans. He looked so scared but within a few days, he had a plan! We saw a business opportunity in BC, Penticton, BC, so we booked plane tickets to get our affairs in order and September 1, 2009 we began a new life, the 3 of us, here in British Columbia.
Since then, Ninja has really found his groove. When we came out here, we were looking at a retail business to buy, but after two weeks of visiting with my parents, Ninja was adamant that he wanted to buy into my Dad’s window cleaning business and help make it something that could provide for all of us! Him and my Dad have exploded our business in the last decade! We went from just my Dad and Ninja to having 7-9 employees! It is hard work, manual labour in the hot sun is never easy, but I’ve never seen him happier! Working for himself, providing jobs for his community, organizing, doing payroll, using his brain for half of the job and shutting it off for the other half lol. He gets to work outside in the sunshine in the most beautiful place on earth. I am so grateful that he has found a path that has been so successful…
On this first half of his life journey!
Isn’t that crazy? When I was a kid I thought 50 was halfway to death lol and now I know that you haven’t even hit the middle of the book and everybody knows that that’s when all the good stuff happens lol in the last hundred pages!
Over the years, if it is possible, Ninja has only gotten hotter. Lol I’m not going to lie, yes, the fact that he challenges me, that he’s my intellectual equal, lol, and that he is funny as hell are also super attractive qualities, but what first drew me to Ninja was his tall, dark and handsome looks! The man has cheekbones that are chiselled like a classic statue by some famous artist, lol. I honestly didn’t think he could get more attractive, but then we had children! Lol then I found out there is absolutely nothing more attractive than a man holding the baby you made together. Oh my goodness my ovaries are literally throbbing right now lol! Hot 🔥. Watching him laugh with the Kids is my favourite thing in the entire world. He understands that they are totally different Kids and treats them as individuals and with such respect that I literally fall in love with him all over again every day. How lucky am I?
I watched him care for my Mom in her last days, sit with her for countless hours, helping her write her eulogy and then he read it to us at her celebration of life. He was a groomsman in my best friend’s husband’s wedding party. He loves our nieces and nephews as much as he loves his own family. The joy I see in him when he is playing or talking with the Kids, is palpable and brings the fun level up to 100%! He has embraced my family, my Dad, my Sis, my Bro, and myBIL so wholly and completely that I forget that he isn’t related to them lol. He is a business partner with my Dad, they are co-owners, and friends. He is super close with his own parents, and they along with his Sis and Bro have mixed with my family so well, we spend the majority of holidays and occasions all together. Again, how lucky am I?
Ninja works his butt off. Yet he still, under a the watchful eye of the Life Director, me lol, manages to get our Kids to all their activities, and enjoy his favourite past times. He has been taking guitar lessons to really hone in his technique and learn how to read music as he taught himself using tab. He was the director of a talk show on our local radio station, Peach City Radio, and has 2 podcasts! Our Liner Notes is on hiatus, but discusses his love for all things, music! His other podcast is with me, How Was Your Week, Honey? A couples podcast where we discuss the daily going ons of our lives. Sounds boring AF lol, honestly it’s just our way of making sure we have date night once a week!
And then, of course, there was that whole vow that he made, “in sickness and in health“. But lucky for me, our anniversary is coming up so I will wait until then to gush about Ninja‘s unwavering loyalty and support to me throughout my MS diagnosis and coming to terms with it over the last few years.
Happy Birthday, Ninja! I remember that very first birthday we spent together when you looked at me while you were opening your gift and said, “if this is a record I will marry you right now.” lol it was, we did, and I am so grateful.
I don’t want to bring the cheese because I know how much you dislike it lol but it pairs so well with this tried but true statement, Ninja you are like a fine wine, you just get better with time. I am so grateful that you chose me to take on this life together. You blow my mind every day with your thoughtfulness, logic lol, and with the amount of love you give me and our children every day. Thank you. I can’t wait to see what you do next!
I love cherry season! Cherry season represents the beginning of summer to me. When I was a kid, my Nana and Poppy picked us up from Winnipeg the last week of June, and we took our time road tripping across Saskatchewan, Alberta, and BC. We visited family and my Grandparent’s friends while stopping at historic points of interest and fruit stands along the way. We always got to Penticton just as cherry season was beginning! Our neighbours across the street, Kay and Frank lived in the “Neapolitan house” or at least that’s what my Nana called it because the top half was white, the middle part was pink and the bottom was brown lol. They had two giant cherry trees and a willow tree in the yard and I would pick and pick and pick and eat all those cherries underneath the willow tree with a good book and my best friend, my little Sis. Those were good summers.
My Nana made cherry pie, cherry clafoutis, cherry cookies and we ate cherries until our stomachs hurt and our poor little bums were raw lol if you know you know, lol. This year one of the ladies that work at the library told me that her trees were overflowing in her yard! I’ve heard from a lot of people that the stone fruits are thriving this year and there are bumper crops! After the last few years of horrible, growing conditions, this is good for our farmers and local businesses! Ninja and SBean went over to the library lady’s house and picked us a ton of cherries for eating, cooking, baking, and more eating! Lol
These Cherry Pie Cocktails were dreamy. They were so freaking pretty and tasted so good! I love cherries and have never had a cherry cocktail like this before, I had no idea what I was missing out on! I loved this drink.
HBear and her BF took a picnic to the beach the first week of summer break and HBear wanted to contribute! She baked these delicious Cherry Vanilla Muffins to add to the picnic basket! They tasted very delicate, unfortunately, HBear may have over mixed them a little lol they were a wee bit dense, but their flavour made up for that! Next time she will remember to mix until JUST blended to keep them light and airy.
HBear also made a pitcher of Cherry Ginger Iced Tea for her picnic! Thank goodness there was some left over because this iced tea was delicious! I’m usually not a fan of flavoured drinks and tend to stick to water, happily, but I do like peach iced tea. Probably because I’ve never tried cherry iced tea until now, this is a game changer! New favourite drink for summer unlocked!
I am a big fan of using fruit in savoury dishes. I love sauces! In fact, about a decade ago oh gosh, maybe a bit more lol when I was seriously considering culinary school, I wanted to specialize in sauces. I don’t know if there’s such thing but I wanted to be a Saucier lol. This Honey Mustard Grilled Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce is just the kind of dish that I love! Savoury grilled pork chops with a sweet, glossy and smooth cherry sauce… Yes, freaking please! We devoured this dish!
Like I said, I don’t like flavoured drinks. I’m not a pop gal, I don’t really like juice, and flavoured water is an absolute no for me, Dawg. Ninja and the Kids, however, enjoy a Gatorade or a squirt of Mio in their water, especially in the summer when the temperatures are scorching like they are right now! So many of those products have aspartame in them though and aspartame and MS don’t mix. We try to stay away from it as much as possible. So, I made this alternative, Cherry Lime Gatorade! Using a few simple ingredients my family had a more natural alternative electrolyte flavouring for their water. I feel good knowing they aren’t adding crap to their water and they feel good drinking yummy cherry lime, flavoured water.
When in Rome by Sarah Adams About Siblings. To be perfectly honest, they don’t mention cherries in this book. Not even once! Lol BUT, it had cherry pies in the cover so it got me in the cherry mood regardless. I startled my dog laughing out loud at this book. I’ve definitely seen this movie before, pop star is trying to hide from fame, her car breaks down in a small town and she finds herself, a romance and her spark again. Yes, but make it hilarious with good chemistry between characters and you have this winning book. I find that with romance novels, the supporting characters really make the difference and Noah’s sisters and his best friend are fun and engaging. This is the perfect book for anyone who likes romance but isn’t into spice. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with Noah’s sisters in the next 3 books in this series.
Cherry Pie Cocktail
2
servings5
minutesIngredients
1 1/2 oz cherry juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1 1/2 oz vodka
1 1/2 oz RumChata
crushed graham cracker & a cherry for garnish
Directions
Start by dipping the rim of your glass in simple syrup. Then, dip the rim into crushed graham crackers to coat it evenly, set the glass aside.
In a cocktail shaker, mix together cherry juice, vodka, simple syrup, and RumChata. Add ice and shake the mixture well.
Strain the mixture into your prepared glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with a cherry.
Cherry Vanilla Muffins
12
muffins10
minutes22
minutesIngredients
1 3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 oz butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup cherries, finely chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly grease muffin tins.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry followed by the butter and cherries, using a spatula to stir the ingredients together until just combined. The less you mix, the more delicate the muffins will be.
Evenly scoop the muffin batter into the prepared pans, filling 3/4 of the way up.
Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until cooked through. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then remove carefully from the pan.
Cherry Ginger Iced Tea
4
servings10
minutes10
minutes4
hoursIngredients
4 cups water
2 tea bags
1 cup cherries, pitted and halved (or 1/2 cup cherry juice)
1-2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and sliced
2-3 tablespoons honey
ice cubes
Directions
Steep the tea bags for 5-7 minutes in boiled water, then remove the tea bags and allow the tea to cool slightly.
In a separate small saucepan, combine the sliced ginger and fresh cherries (or cherry juice) with 1 cup of water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5-10 minutes, allowing the flavours to meld.
Strain the ginger and cherries (if using fresh cherries) from the mixture, and combine the infused liquid with the brewed tea in a large pitcher. Stir well to blend the flavours.
If you prefer a sweeter tea, add honey to taste while the mixture is still warm, stirring until fully dissolved. Allow the tea to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it until it is fully chilled.
Honey Mustard Grilled Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce
4
servings40
minutes30
minutesIngredients
3-4 pork chops
2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
- Cherry Sauce
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 shallots, chopped
1 1/2 cups cherries, pitted
1/2 cup red wine
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons honey mustard
1 small sprig fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together whole grain mustard, honey mustard, and olive oil. Season pork chops with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Brush pork chops with about half of the mustard mixture on all sides. Let stand at room temperature, loosely covered, for 30 minutes before grilling.
Preheat grill to 350 degrees F and oil grates. Grill pork chops over direct flame to sear, about 3-4 minutes per side. Move chops to indirect heat and cook with the lid closed until pork is cooked through and center reads 145-150 degrees F, about 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chops, basting with the remaining mustard mixture during the last 5 minutes. Remove from grill, tent with foil, and let stand 10 minutes.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan until foaming subsides. Add shallot and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in cherries, red wine, honey, honey mustard, and rosemary sprig. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sauce is reduced and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 30 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and discard rosemary sprig. Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep sauce warm, spooning over grilled chops when ready to serve.
Cherry Lime Gatorade
4
servings5
minutes5
minutesIngredients
1/2 cup cherry juice
2 tablespoons honey
juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
Place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over low, stirring occasionally until honey and salt is dissolved. Pour into a glass container and store in the refrigerator.
To serve: Stir 1-2 teaspoons concentrate into 8 ounces water (if you prefer a stronger flavor add an additional teaspoon or two) or mix all of the concentrate with two quarts of water.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #434 Big 5-Oh! We get together after Chris’ 50th birthday to discuss: Ken returns, Canada Day, Cousin’s Day, D.R.A.O., the 70’s, Birthday week, SOW, cancelling US tours, and 1975.
Thank you to The French Ethereal for featuring my post on my Mom’s 12th Anniversary at her Share Your Style Link Party. Losing a parent is the worst and so many of us are in “the club” and understand the grief that never goes away. Thank you for sharing my post and your story with me.
What a week! HBear made Ninja a 50th birthday poster using pictures from the last… 50 years lol. We had beach days, shopping days with Auntie C and movies! We celebrated Ninja’s 50th birthday with signage, special lunch with cake of course, presents, and dinner at The Hood! We took Oliver for walks and to the dog park, went on the Wibit, and to Yellow Dog Brewery for drinks. I read on the balcony, SBean changed over her bedroom decorations to summer decor, and we had a family celebration for Ninja’s birthday at his parent’s house! We finished this awesome week celebrating Ninja with a relaxing float down the channel. This is what summer is all about!
13 thoughts on “Ninja is 50! PLUS Cherry Treats”
oh wow – who knew that the Ninja turning 50 could be so tasty! Thanks for sharing this week at #WednesdayLinkUpParty!
Thank you for having me! See you again next week 🙂
I hope Ninja had a wonderful birthday!
Thank you! It was a great weekend spent with family!
Happy Birthday Ninja!!! Ooo these cherry recipes sound fantastic! So welcoming and refreshing. Comfort foods.
Thanks bunches for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month sweet friend.
{{Hugs}}
Thank you! I am very grateful to live where I can pick delicious cherries right off the tree! See you again soon!
Ps: Thanks bunches for sharing with Bookish Bliss Musings & More Quarterly Link Up.
Happy birthday – guessing by the pie on the book jacket it’s not Rome in Italy? #MonthlyBookworms
Good guess! Definitely NOT Rome, Italy! It was a cute book.
Happy 50th to Ninja! These cherry treats look like the perfect way to celebrate! Thank you for sharing and for joining Fiesta Friday Party!
Thank you! See you next week 🙂
It looks like he had a wonderful birthday celebration! 🙂 I will be featuring your post tomorrow at The Crazy Little Lovebirds Link Party. Thank you, Kristin, for being a part of the party; it’s always a pleasure to visit and see your posts.
Thanks so much! It was a great party and we are headed on a little getaway next month to keep the celebration going! See you next week 🙂