There is a chill in the air that signifies the change of season. I remember when I was little and I would wake up to run outside to play and I would stop dead in my tracks. The smell of fall would waft on the breeze. It let me know that it was time to get back to routine. Back to school.
The last 2 weeks of summer were always super exciting for me! The thought of seeing all my friends again made me so excited I could barely sleep! I would wonder if the cute boy would be my class that year and what my teacher would be like. I would start trying on new outfits and my Mom would take me shopping for a first day of school outfit! My favourite part though was always labelling my school supplies! The smell of a new notebook and freshly sharpened pencils are 2 of my favourite smells even to this day!
As a Mom I have to say labeling school supplies is not one of my favourite activities anymore 😂. I didn’t realize how expensive school supplies were! Actually, I believe the problem stems from all the parents that tried to save a buck on school supplies. All those parents that bought dollar store brand glue and crappy pencils and pencil crayons totally screwed the rest of us over! Now, the responsible parents have to buy 10 glue sticks, 8 good quality erasers, 2 packs of markers and countless other supplies to put in the communal pot. I see parents bitching on Facebook about supplies and people telling them not to bother and to only get what their child needs and it really irks me! I have to pay more because of people like you! It takes a village and if we all did what we needed to do this wouldn’t be the case. This weekend we labelled our mountain of supplies! I always label even when they ask us not to in hopes that whatever is not used is returned at the end of the year. So far that has been exactly what has happened! OK that’s my rant and now I’m done 😂.
We always prepare for the new school year with brand new Chore Charts. At the beginning of year each of the Girls choose what chores they are going to add to their list. I really love using the charts because then they have a clear idea of what is expected from them 😊.
Good luck my beautiful Girls! I love you both so much and you make me so proud every single day 💛.
This week Ninja and I enjoyed a quiet night by the fire doing what we love to do… podcasting! Check out Episode 82: Underwear Can Make You Unbalanced HERE
I am so jealous that Ninja’s parents are going on an amazing New York cruise! They helped me out so much during this last week of summer holidays, watching the Girls while I worked every day. To thank them and to give them a home cooked meal before they’re off jet setting LOL HBear and I worked all day and made them an amazing fall feast! We made a Pecan Crusted Pork Tenderloin with a Bourbon Mustard Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Fresh Green Beans out of the garden, homemade Garlic Herb Bread, Cranberry Almond Coleslaw, and we baked a Cinnamon Bundt Cake for dessert! It was amazing! There were no leftovers and everybody licked their plates clean! HBear rocked it and pretty much made the whole dinner by herself with just a little help from me 😊.
Pecan Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon Mustard Sauce
Adapted from From A Chef’s Kitchen
1 package of pork tenderloins, trimmed of silverskin
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup pecan pieces, ground
1 tablespoon thyme,
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup bourbon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
Rub the mustard evenly over the pork.
Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees.
Meanwhile, prepare sauce. Combine chicken broth, bourbon and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Whisk in sugar, Worcestershire, soy sauce and mustard and stir until smooth.
Whisk in butter. Add salt to taste. Serve with pork.
So remember last week when I said that I got a pedicure and waxed? I didn’t really elaborate on that story… 😳😂. I had a photoshoot last week! I was lucky enough to win a boudoir photoshoot with one of my favourite Okanagan photographers! It is not something I would normally do but having won the contest I felt like I had to step out of my comfort zone and take advantage of the opportunity!
The day of the shoot my face had finally gone down and I went in for my annual haircut.
Sunday was a beautiful day so we took advantage of it and went to Kelowna and hiked Knox Mountain! This is the third mountain that the Girls have climbed! Pretty impressive for a 5 and 9-year-old! We had a picnic at the top of the mountain and took all different trails back to the start. It was the perfect way to end the summer!
