On Friday, February 6 Ninja made a giant tray of nachos and we heaped them on our plates, pulled up the TV trays, and settled in to watch the recorded opening ceremonies of the 2026 Olympic Games in Milano/Cortina. I was a little emotional watching the CBC Canadian Olympic moments intro, showcasing athletes from so many different Olympics throughout the years. I pointed out all of our Olympic heroes and so many memories, core memories, of seeing our athletes wear the Maple Leaf flooded me with tears. The Kids laughed but I remember watching all these events as a kid with my Mom, Dad and Sister. My Mom was a figure skater and she explained all the jumps and different spins. I liked it when they were overseas and we would have to wake up in the middle of the night to watch certain events! I remember my Mom telling me all about West and East Germany and how Katarina Vitt had a lot of different pressures on her. I remember us being brought to tears by the beautiful and brave performances.
Our TVs have played nothing but the Olympics since that Friday, and up until this past Sunday, when the closing ceremonies took place. I have so many memories of this Olympics! Vancouver was in 2010 and the infrastructure and commitment to the Olympic spirit put out a crop of athletes that have been pretty dominant across the board over the past 16 years. We have had a very good speed skating teams, short track teams, curling, hockey, snowboarding, moguls, bobsled, and in so many more events we have come to expect a medal or very close to one. Those athletes are now in their final Olympics and we have a HUGE amount of new athletes coming up! This seemed like a transitional year, where I got to say goodbye to some of my favourites like Mark McMorris, Mikael Kingsbury, Laurie Blouin, Valarie Maltais, and Marie-Philip Poulin and hello to new favourites like Megan Oldham, Kristin O’Neil, Brendan Mackay and Courtney Sarault.
The key things I will take away from the 2026 Olympic Winter games will be how strong our men’s curling team was both mentally and in the strength they had as a team to get through all the noise.
I will remember Captain Clutch and Captain America showing each other the respect that they each deserve in a gruelling overtime gold medal game.
Who could forget the Norwegian who confessed to cheating on his girlfriend, or the other Norwegian who stomped off the course and into the woods? I mean, he was ALL of us at this point in time LOL.
I will remember my gasp when Mark McMorris went down in practice, but made it back for Slopestyle. Wasn’t the results he nor I wanted, but seeing him get back on the board after those falls, amazing!
What about Cassie Sharpe? I will remember her also going down HARD in the qualifiers, she still managing to qualify in third place, but was sadly unable to compete in the finals. I felt so bad for her but loved watching her behind the scenes as she explored Milan with her daughter and family.
Eileen Gu? Yeah she kicked ass ON the mountain AND in the media room.
What about the bravery of Ukrainian Skelton pilot Vladyslav Heraskevych? Yeah, I will remember him and his heartbreaking helmet.
I will remember the figure skating. The controversy of the team event, Piper and Paul’s beautiful starry night ice dance that was even more special after Piper‘s recent cancer battle. I will remember Maddy asking her professor for an extension, Amber Glenn being a stunning outspoken rockstar on the ice and off. I will remember our men’s free skate program because Stephen Gogolev, he is going to be something special in the next few years! I will also remember Alysa Liu and the JOY of her gold medal skate as well as poor Ilia Malinin and the way he brought attention to mental health during the winter games. And of course, I will remember our pairs team, Deanna and Maxime who barely made it to the games due to injuries, but skated their best. Her story was so inspirational, coming back after so much time away from the sport and skating in the Olympic finals at age 42 was inspiring. I was so happy for them.
There were so many inspiring moments throughout the games. What I learned from these games is that a gold medal doesn’t make you a winner. It’s how you act after the crash, after the tough loss, and how you behave when you face adversity. We saw that time and time again over the past 2 weeks. Thank you Team Canada Athletes for the nonstop fun and entertainment over the past 2 weeks. I am in awe of your drive, your determination, and your talent. Each and everyone have you have brought me happiness and have brought pride to our country.
I know some people get the Sunday scaries, but I am not one of them. I love Sundays, I always have. B.K. (Before Kids) Sunday was my day of rest. I would sleep in after a late Saturday night lol and then wake up and watch the final round of whatever golf tournament was on or perhaps a football game and then in the evening, definitely Caesars lol. A.K. (After Kids), Yep still love Sundays! I use it as the day to prepare us for the upcoming week and when I go to bed at night, I feel settled and ready for what ever Monday will bring. The best way to be happy and content at the end of the week, a good dinner with the family! We try to eat at the table together every night, but on Sunday, we try to make a dinner at the table that is nourishing, comforting, and delicious to set us up for the week ahead. These are three of our favourite Sunday night dinners.
Ninja is the master of meat lol. Even before he took over cooking duties, our Sunday Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding dinners were always his responsibility. He’s just so good at this dinner! The roast beef is always savoury and juicy and the Yorkshire puddings? Well, he has the recipe memorized and could make them in his sleep lol. The key to both of these delicious recipes is patience! Allowing the meat to be room temperature to begin, letting your Yorkshires batter rest and become room temperature is key, and resting your beef is so important. Don’t forget the Mashed Potatoes to finish this ultimate comfort dinner.
We actually made this Oven-Baked Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cream Sauce for HBear and SBean’s birthday brunch and have made it twice since then lol. We love a good pork tenderloin and this creamy sauce is super decadent and absolutely delicious. We had this with Airfried Potatoes and our favourite Garlic Green Beans.
Ninja loves to roast a chicken on a Sunday afternoon so we can have a delicious dinner with yummy leftover chicken sandwiches for lunches throughout the week. This was a simple Roast Chicken dinner with this delicious and east Garlic Cauliflower Mushroom Skillet. This dinner is perfect right now because it’s warm and comforting, but also the flavours make you think, spring is right around the corner!
Sunday Roast Beef
6-8
servings5
minutes60-90
minutes10
minutesIngredients
1 3lbs roast
2 tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlics, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme
1 cup of water
1 can of your favourite beer (Ninja likes to use an amber or a dark beer)
Directions
Set oven to 400F.
Pat roast dry and coat in olive oil.
Combine all ingredients (except the water and beer) together and rub them onto the surface of the entire roast.
Pour 1 cup of beer and the water into the bottom of roasting pan that has a rack on the bottom.
Place roast on a rack in your roasting pan and roast until meat is 160F for medium.
Rest for 10 minutes, then slice.
Yorkshire Pudding
12
servings30-60
minutes30
minutesIngredients
1 cup flour
4 eggs, room temperature
200 ml milk, room temperature
6 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
Directions
Heat over to 450F.
Put flour in a bowl and make a well. Crack eggs into the well and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the milk and continue whisking until batter is completely lump free. Let sit for 30-60 minutes.
Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of oil into each Yorkshire pudding tins/muffin tins and place in oven for 7-10 mins to heat through.
Evenly pour the batter into the tins and bake for 15 minutes. Then, turn oven down to 375 and continue baking for 15 more minutes.
Oven-Baked Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cream Sauce
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes5
minutesIngredients
1 ½ lbs pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
- Dijon Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Garnish: parsley, chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Rub pork with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and thyme.
Place on a baking sheet and roast 20–25 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 145°F.
Remove from oven, tent loosely with foil, and rest 5 minutes before slicing.
In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Sauté garlic until fragrant.
Stir in Dijon mustard, heavy cream, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.
Simmer 5–7 minutes until slightly thickened (you can whisk in a tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken if you like a thicker sauce).
Slice pork, drizzle with sauce, and garnish with parsley.
Garlic Green Beans
4
servings5
minutes10
minutesIngredients
1½ lbs green beans
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Directions
Add the green beans and water to a large skillet. Cover with a lid and cook over a medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook the beans until the water has evaporated.
Add butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss together for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the butter has melted and the garlic is fragrant.
Roast Chicken
4-6
servings10
minutes75
minutes10-20
minutesIngredients
1–2 celery stalks, cut into 2–3 inch pieces
1/2 cup butter, softened, divided
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 (2-4lb) whole roasting chicken, fully thawed and innards removed
salt and pepper
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
1/4 orange, cut into small chunks
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 garlic head, cut off top
1/2 lemon, cut into chunks
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lay the celery on the bottom of a large dutch oven, so it creates a “rack”.
Place 1/4 cup of softened butter in a small bowl and mix it with the minced garlic. Set aside.
Place chicken in the dutch oven on top of the celery. Pat it dry with a paper towel. Rub the whole chicken with the garlic butter mixture, getting under the skin as best you can. Season the outside and inside of the chicken with salt and pepper.
Stuff the cavity with onion, orange chunks, fresh rosemary, thyme, and lemon chunks. Place the head of garlic inside the dutch oven next to the chicken.
Place the pot into the preheated oven on the middle rack, uncovered for 75 minutes – 90 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F at the thickest part of the thigh (use an instant read thermometer). While it cooks, melt the remaining butter. Use a basting brush to baste the chicken every 30 minutes with this melted butter, as well as the drippings that will gather in the bottom of the pan.
Remove from the oven once fully cooked, baste one more time, and then let rest for 10-20 minutes in the dutch oven.
Garlic Cauliflower Mushroom Skillet
4-6
servings5
minutes40
minutesIngredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Garnish: Parmesan cheese, grated and parsley, chopped
Directions
In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and butter.
Add cauliflower and cook for 5-6 minutes until slightly golden.
Add mushrooms and continue cooking for 4-5 more minutes.
Stir in garlic, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
Drizzle with lemon juice, sprinkle with Parmesan and garnish with parsley.
This week marked 20 years since we lost my Granny. She was a small but fierce woman, whom I miss very much. We took it easy this week and hunkered down from the cold weather. We watched Olympics, bought grad shoes, HBear had a date day/night with her Besty and SBean went to the One World Festival with a few Besties from school.
9 thoughts on “The Olympics & Sunday Dinners”
I love watching the events where despite the fact they are competing they encourage each other as they try new jumps increase the challenge of the sport. It is amazing to watch the teams that never have a hope for a metal but are thrilled when they are in 20th which means they will have a chance to make the final run. We are still watching the streams of the events despite the games being over because there are so many events to see.
I 100% agree! I love the athletes encouraging each other and pushing each other to be their best! The Olympics bring me so much hope and happiness, we have streamed our favourite events again too! Thank goodness for CBCGem!! Thanks for stopping by and sharing.
WOW, just wow, hungry again after seeing all these love stuff, despite just done with our evening meal.
Thank you for sharing at 399. Now come and join our exciting 400th Celebration, and invite your friends and followers for a chance to be featured as one of our highlighted supporters!
400! Congratulations! That is amazing, we will definitely see you there!
wow. You have done some serious good eating this past month. Everything looks wonderful but that Yorkshire pudding looks special and I’m a sucker for garlic green beans. We enjoyed watching the 2026 Olympic Games in Milano too especially the ice skating.
Love me some Yorkshire pudding! And garlic green beans are one of my kids, favourite veggies! I’m sad that the Olympics are over but now I get to catch up on some reading lol. Thank you so much for stopping by!
Oh my goodness! Everything looks so delicious! I’ve never had Yorkshire pudding before. I may have to try it!
Yorkshire pudding is a British thing that thankfully Canadians inherited! It is by far my favourite side dish of all time! Let me know how you enjoy it!
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