I feel like the luckiest girl in the world right now!
As I sit and reflect on the last week, I am flooded with little snippets of emotions. It is almost too hard to put into words. From anxiety of having people in my closely guarded little bubble home to relief. Hugging my Sis was like the biggest relief I have felt in a long long time. It had been so long, too long.
It’s funny. I was all over the place in my weird thoughts leading up to stage 3 reopening and officially having people into our home. Turns out it wasn’t weird at all, you’re weird for thinking it’s weird. 😉 Turns out even though they were a province away, they were our bubble. My Sis was the only consistent person I “saw” once a week (outside my family of 4) for the past year. I even “saw” my nieces and BIL and SBean “saw” SweetPea often too. Maybe it was that or maybe it’s just so easy to be around family that it was actually the opposite of what I was all freaking out about! What I actually felt was overwhelming love hearing all the Girls run through the house playing hide & seek! It was what I had always pictured my kids and my Sis’s kids sounding like but even better ❤️.
I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with SPea because her and SBean were INSEPARABLE 😆. Her and SBean laughed and played hard. They played the piano, played games, gave each other space and told each other stories…. and their worries. I am beyond happy that they will go through life together. Also, her bone structure and the faces she makes reminds me SO much of our Granny. When she worries about her little Sis, I can actually picture our Granny saying it! I can’t wait to watch her grow up 💕.
I did get to spend more time with my younger niece, CabbagePatch! I loved watching her and HBear play together! HBear let CPatch pick out her clothes 1 night because CPatch is the FIRST of ALL the kids to ask to help out 🤣. She is feisty, FUNNY and has such a happy attitude! She has such a sense of humour and was a trooper! Never complained about bedtime and slept so well! I mean the last time we saw her she was just 3 and now she’s a very confident, articulate and smart 4 year old! She was right at home though and she kept up with the big girls in all ways lol.
My BIL and Sis seemed so relaxed and happy. It was amazing to watch my BIL be so animated about his new career and so happy to have reached his goal! Usually we see each other a few times a year but now we will actually get to be friends that get to do stuff together. I can’t wait to go axe throwing with them! Or the Exit room! Or out for dinner! Or a concert. The possibilities are endless! He just got scared reading that 😂😉.
When it was time for them to leave I thought I would feel panic. The last time we hugged goodbye a pandemic hit. Not only did that keep us a part for health and safety reasons but it was a freaking pandemic!!!! Kinda scary knowing that could have been the last time we saw each other because of a freaking pan… yeah ok you get it. What I’m saying is that during this emotional up and down year, we were so far apart and I was worried and scared. I was surprised though because apparently just knowing that we will all soon be doubled vaxxed and that they will be back soon, for good, made our goodbye so much easier.
It was a great couple days. On their last day here we went up to visit Mom and the rest of the family that look down on our little city. She would be so happy. I don’t know what I think about the afterlife or if there even is one but in times like this I like to think that she is watching over us and her glow of happiness is the love and comfort that I felt all week. It was either that or the heat dome 🤷🏻♀️😂💛.
Huli Huli Chicken Meatballs
Adapted from The Cafe Sucre Farine
For the sauce:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups pineapple juice plus 2 teaspoons (divided)
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup sweet chili sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
For the meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken
½ medium sweet onion
1 red bell pepper
¼cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup panko crumbs
1 egg
1 tablespoon sesame oil more for drizzling
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
sesame seeds for garnish, if desired
Heat sesame oil over medium-low heat in a saucepan. Add the garlic, ginger and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant then add the remaining sauce ingredients, except for the cornstarch and water.
Bring to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes or until reduced to about one half of the original volume. Combine the cornstarch and water in a cup. Add to the sauce mixture while stirring. Cook the sauce for another 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 450˚F with a rack positioned near the top of the oven. Line a sheet pan. Spray lightly with baking spray or rub with a bit of oil.
Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix until combined. Scoop up the mixture into 1 or 1½-inch portions. With slightly wet hands, roll each portion into a ball and arrange them at least 2-inches apart of the prepared baking sheet.
Brush the meatballs with additional sesame oil and bake for 8 minutes.
Remove from the oven and, using a fork, dip each meatball into the sauce then return to the baking pan. Bake for another 5-6 minutes until meatballs are nicely glazed.
Remove meatballs from the oven. Serve them in bowls drizzled with sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Our entire FABULOUS week was visiting with my Sis and her Family! They got here just after lunch & SBean and SweetPea took off together & we barely saw them for the rest of the week 😆.
We ate so well considering there were 10 to 12 of us for every dinner and I am SO out of practice when it comes to cooking for others 😂. We had Italian Sausage Rigatoni, pizza from Gusto Ferrari, my BIL made pulled pork sandwiches, SPea asked for poutine for her birthday dinner with bacon 😂 so I added cheeseburgers on the side 😜, and we finished off the visit with smokies and salads!
We celebrated Canada Day very differently this year. We didn’t put up decorations, half of us wore Canada gear and the other half wore Orange Shirts. I love my country but this year felt less like a celebration of all the good things we have to offer and more of a reflection of the things we have tried so hard over the years to cover up. No more. We are committed to learning and listening and making Canada even better for all of her people. The Girls had a water balloon/water gun fight outside and my Sis brought us adults freezies from Alberta.
On Friday I had to work and my Sis had an interview and they wanted to explore Kelowna a bit better! They took all the Girls out for lunch, to the mall and explored what will be their new home! That evening Ninja took Dad and our BIL out for a flight of craft brew at Slackwater.
SBean an SPea loved having sleepovers together! They even slept downstairs and when they woke up it was SPea’s 8th birthday! We went to my In-Law’s house for a swim as the heat wave hasn’t broken yet. After our swim we all went back to our place for gifts, birthday dinner and birthday cake made especially for SPea by Ninja. As the temperatures finally started to cool down at night we were able to sit outside and enjoy a drink together!
On Sunday we drove to Oliver to explore the new District Wine Village, have a hotdog from The Wienery, popsicles from Nummers Gourmet, and beer from Trading Post Brewing. Then we went cherry picking! Sadly, the skies have been rapidly filling with smoke as BC gets pummelled with an early start to wildfire season. We went back home and played a family boardgame in the backyard, roasted some marshmallows, and had some laughs!
On Monday HBear started her 2 week Royal Winnipeg Ballet summer program! I had to work so my Sis took the kids for a walk to the park and then we all met up at the beach! It was very windy but it was an awesome day and the kids had a blast! We ended our visit with a trip to Lickity Splitz, a visit up to see Mom, dinner with Dad outside and cuddles 🥰.
