Core Memories, Easy Bacon & Corn Alfredo PLUS Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

But the really important ones are here. I don’t want to get too technical, but these are called Core Memories. Each one came from a super important moment in Riley’s life, like when she first scored a goal. That was so amazing! And each core memory powers a different aspect of Riley’s personality. Like Hockey Island.

Joy, Inside Out

I keep seeing the term, “core memories”.

What does that mean exactly?

I’ve seen Inside Out so I know that Pixar coined the term back in 2015. I also took computer science so I understand magnetic core memories. So by putting both together I guess it means, to retrieve our “core memories” we have to tap into our internal hard drives a.k.a. our memories?

I saw someone post that they were making core memories with their 3-year-old 🤨. Do you remember your childhood? I try to remember my childhood with my Mom. All the time. The only things I remember are the stories that she talked about all the time and stories that I relate to pictures. Pretty much up until my 20’s to be honest 😆. I remember a few Christmases like the year I got Cricket… Because my Mom told that story to me often. I also remember the year I got that beautiful pretty pink silk shirt… Oh wait, I don’t remember that but I saw the picture so it makes me think that I remember that! My memories come in waves of smells, and flashes of jumbled images. During my Brother‘s recent visit he mentioned that they had tossed around the idea of driving out here so they could stop at all the wondrous and historical sites from Winnipeg to Penticton. I reassured hime that there was lots of time. PrettyP is 5 and she will never remember those places. I did ALL those stops when I was 12 and I barely remember them!

As parents we try to make every experience SO memorable. I believe when my Mom and Dad were young parents they called them… Kodak moments. We have gone from capture the perfect picture to capture the perfect memory. We, as parents, now hold ourselves to the standard that we must create impactful memories that are so significant that they will define your child in the coming years and alter their life in a fundamental way.

No pressure!

Seriously? What are we doing here? The other day HBear told her friends that she had to call them back in 5 minutes because she had to change the laundry over. Both of her friends, who are 14 years old, we’re shocked! HBear explained it’s because I have MS… 🤨🤪😳. Ummmm No it’s because you’re almost 14 years old and should be able to put the laundry from the washing machine into the dryer all by your big self. Let’s make THAT a core memory! Learning how to do goddamn laundry! Learning how to do things on your own. Our generation pinpointed all the things that we thought were wrong with our childhood and are trying to rectify the situation but we have gone completely to the other end of the spectrum! It’s crazy!

On that note, the chore charts have been working out so well! I haven’t had to yell or remind the Kids what they need to do once as much because they want screen time and they want their allowance! So many of you have asked me for the spreadsheet! I am trying to figure out how to link it here in the blog 🤔. Hopefully I will get it up and ready for you to download by the next post!

Until then, I hope you enjoy making some core memories this week 😜.

Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #293: Root Canal of Death HERE! This week, it’s the first week of back to school. Topics: books, the dentist, school supplies, high school, the bus, Bennifer, Lisa Laflamme, the Queen, SOW, and Woodstock 99.

Do you have a go to easy peasy dinner that you can make with your eyes closed? I have a few but this one is the Kid’s favourite! Sometimes I don’t have the time, the ingredients or frankly the motivation to make a pasta sauce from scratch! Thankfully I always have a jar of Alfredo sauce in my pantry! You can add any veggies that you want (I bought a dozen cobs of corn to roast and freeze for meals just like this), you can toss in whatever meat you have (I happened to have 6 pieces of bacon leftover from a different recipe I made that week) and you can use any type of pasta you have on hand but I love Molisana!!!! I added the affiliated link to this amazing pasta in the recipe below!

Easy Bacon & Corn Alfredo

1 bag Molisana Fusilli Pasta
6 strips bacon, chopped
1 jar Classico Alfredo sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 ears of corn, roasted and cut off cob
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Cook pasta in boiling water as per package directions.

Cook bacon in a large skillet till golden brown and crispy. Remove from the skillet and drain most of the bacon fat keeping 1 tablespoon in the pan.

In the pan with the bacon fat, sauté garlic and onions until fragrant. Add corn and peppers and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the peppers just begin to soften.

Add bacon, the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and sauce to the pan and mix well. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Toss the pasta in the sauce and top with some chopped up parsley.

These are my favourite muffins that I have EVER made. They look beautiful, they are SO moist and although they are double chocolate they aren’t too sweet! The Kids ate them all in 2 days and I had to bake a second batch to freeze for lunches/breakfasts!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Adapted from Bake Eat Repeat

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini, drained
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.

In another bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and well combined.

Stir in the grated zucchini.

Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill the prepared muffin tin until the cups are 3/4 full and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin, then remove the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

The Kids really enjoyed their first week of school! SBean started gymnastics and HBear took advantage of not having after school activities to make more money… mowing the lawn! I took Oliver up to visit Mom and tell her all about all the Grandkid’s first days of school. Oliver loves car rides, walks to pick up SBean from school and cuddles. This weekend we went to the driving range and to watch the Dragon Boat Festival at Skaha Lake. On Sunday Ninja and HBear went to Vancouver to see HBear’s FIRST concert!!! We got her tickets to The Gorillaz show for her Grade 8 grad gift! They had a BLAST having dinner at Frankie’s Italian Kitchen, shopping of Robson and at the show. While they were aways SBean and I had a date day! The smoke had rolled in so we changed our plans and stay inside. We had lunch at Earls, picked up movie theatre popcorn, watched Girls Just Want To Have Fun, made waffles for dinner and watched The Amazing Race! I ended the week in Ninja’s t-shirt. I always wear his shorts when he is away. It keeps him close and smells like him 💛.