Whoopies and Yoga

How was your weekend?  Mine was good.  I had a nice balance of productivity and relaxation.  I managed to tackle my embarrassing pile of laundry.  The second load is in the drier as we speak.  I also cleaned up the disaster that is the garage.  We missed garbage day 2 weeks in a row so it was getting a little out of control.  Now, before you give me grief about missing garbage day let me explain that London is on a rotating garbage schedule so that means that garbage pick-up is on a different day each week and some weeks there is no pick-up whatsoever.  The whole system is confusing and causes grief for a lot of people.

I also attended a hot yoga class this morning with my friend Alison.  I started going to hot yoga a while ago but fell off the wagon.  I have to admit that I didn't think it was possible to sweat that much.  When I finish hot yoga I always feel rejuvenated but very gross. 

I am going to try to hit up the hot yoga once a week now.  I have always had issues with my flexibility and I have no doubt that regular yoga practice will help with that issue.  I also have a bet going with a friend that I will be able to touch my toes by April.  So far mid-shin is my best effort.  Time to lengthen those gams of mine. 

I also managed to find some time to whip together these beauties.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies.  I have to admit, being Canadian, I had never even heard of Whoopie pies until I started this blog.  Crazy, I know, I know.  I can't take credit for this recipe as it was all Martha Stewart but I will take credit for eating half of them already.  Yummy!  I will be making some changes and trying to come up with my own Whoopie creation to share with you in the future. 

This week's baking experiment will be in the form of cupcakes.  It is my brother's birthday and I promised to make him a home made cake or cupcakes for the occasion.  I want to make something special for him so if you have any suggestions for flavour combinations or decorating idea let me know.  I want them to be extra special. 

PBG Good News: Little Dresses for Africa

It's time for another Good News post.  With so much pain in the world we need to look at the people that are making a difference. 


(Source)

Little Dresses for Africa is a non-profit organization that provides relief to the children of Africa.  People from all over work together to make and distribute dresses made from pillowcases for little orphan girls in Africa. 

Because of the widespread AIDS epidemic in Africa young girls are often required to become the primary caregiver for their sibling and elders.  It is rare that there are enough resources to provide food, shelter and new clothing for these young women.  Their hope is to bring some happiness and love to young women to need it the most.

You can see by the smiles on their beautiful faces how much they appreciate this small token of charity.  It is possible that some of these young girls have never had a brand new dress all for themselves.  Many of the dresses are actually made from a pattern using a pillow case. 

I think this charity is so brilliant.  I am sure most of us right now have one if not more pillowcases that could be turned into a beautiful summer dress for a girl in need.  I love the simplicity of this charity and I am planning to work with my mom to sew a half dozen dresses ourselves to send to the charity. 

http://www.littledressesforafrica.org/blog/

Do you have a good new story or charity that you think deserves some attention?  Let me know and I will highlight it in a future PBG Good News post.

Homemade Pizza

As sisters often do (or at least I often do) I invited myself over to my prothers house for dinner on Saturday.  If I haven't already mentioned it my brother is a fantastic cook.  He has a talent for flavour that I take full advantage of.  Thankfully, he doesn't mind so I get lots of yummy home cooked meals.  He even tries hard to accomodate my vegetarian tendancies despite the fact that he is a full fledged carnivore.  Oh, and if I didn't mention it before, my brother is the biggest goof I know. 

This last visit I was rewarded with home made pizza.  I am talking home made crust, home made sauce and losts of yummy toppings.  Pizza is one of my favourite foods and you have not lived until you have had home made pizza.  The crust is soft and chewy, the toppings are always exactly what you want.  I hate too much sauce and not enough cheese.  So, I always get mine light on the sauce and heavy on the cheese.  Just the way I like it.

The sauce...as I mentioned, home made.

My vegetarian pizza with cheese, tomatoes and basil.

The carnivore with bacon, pepperoni mushrooms and red peppers.  (I may have had a slice of this and it was yummy)

In the oven.  I can't wait. 

Ready....set...

Eat!!!



PBG Reno: Kitchen Back Splash Update

I decided this weekend to tackle a project that I have been putting off for far too long.  I bought all the materials well before Christmas but was reluctant to start the project since it would be my first home renovation project that I would be doing all on my own. 

The Project:  Kitchen Back Splash

When I first moved into this house one of the major eye sores was the kitchen back splash.  For some reason, the previous owner had a basic tile back splash which would have been fine if she hadn't PAINTED  OVER THE TILE with a weird textured stone paint.  Who does that?!?  It was terrible. 

Last year I finally updated the counter top and sink (with some help from my super handy step dad) but I was struggling with the hideous back splash.  I don't have a big budget and so many of the options I love are a little too expensive. 

Eventually, I came across a product that both fit the budget and looked beautiful - faux pressed tin panels in a beautiful copper colour.  Brilliant.  I was able to install the panels over the existing awful painted tile.  It was actually fairly simple and I am proud to say I did the entire project myself.  Sure, it's not perfect but it looks so much better than it did before.

Before

After



I am so proud of myself for attacking the project all by myself.  I think the end result is beautiful and makes the kitchen so much warmer and inviting.  I am looking forward to dinner parties and kitchen gatherings in the future. 

PBG Good News: Ben's Bells

Jeanette is a mother, like any other mother.  And like any other mother who has had to suffer the loss of a child, she experienced a depth of pain like no other.  At first, she felt as though she could not go on and had it not been for the love of her still living son she may not have survived.  But, she had to survive for the sake of her family. 

So, slowly, together they began finding ways to cope with their pain - they started making wind chimes out of clay in their own back yard.    The therapeutic effect of working the clay in their hands had a calming effect they could not have predicted.  And through all of their pain it was the small kindnesses of others that really kept them going.  They decided to make hundreds of the Bells and distribute them randomly around Tucson to pay that kindness forward.  Since Ben’s death, it had been the kindness of others, strangers and friends, that had helped us begin to heal. We wanted to find a way to pass on that kindness and to help others in the process. 

A few weeks ago their random acts of kindness would offer more healing and support then anyone could have imagined.   As I am sure you have all heard about the terrible shooting that took place in Tucson.  At a time when the community needed it most, Jeanette and her Ben's Bells wind chimes became a symbol of hope for a community devastated by pain and destruction.  Jeanette and her supporting chorus of angels distributed hundreds of Ben's Bells.  Even when they were not allowed on the crime scene FBI agents hung the bells of hope on the trees inside the yellow tape. 

If you would like to see the original story that was broadcast on MSNBC click here and follow the links to see the story on Ben's Bells.

If you want more information about the organization go to:  http://www.bensbells.org/

Things that Make PBG Happy

The weather here has been dull, cold and dreary lately.  So, I decided to bring some sunshine in the house in the form of bright yellow tulips.  Aren't they lovely? 

These brightly coloured lemons and limes also brighten my day.  I like to keep them out on my window sill so I remember to use them when I am making my lunch for work or my dinner at night.  I made some sweet lemon curd a few weeks ago with some extra lemons I had that were going to go bad.  Yum!

Yuuummmm.  Meringues.  I don't think I need to say anything else.

Look at that face?  She is nothing but trouble most of the time but she can turn on the charm when she wants something. 

I just started reading this book and so far it is pretty good.  I joined a friend's book club and we meet to discuss this book on February 15th.  Reading with the pressure of a deadline is a little stressful.  But, I am looking forward to meeting to discuss my thoughts about this book with the ladies. 

I have also had the pleasure and luck to make a new friend recently.  While I just met this person a few weeks ago I feel like I have known them much longer.  These are just a few things that are making me happy right now.

PBG Recipe: Cheesy Beer Quick Bread

I love the idea of making my own bread.  I don't like the idea of having to mix it, rise it, knead it, rise it again, then bake it.  I like the instant gratification of quick breads.  No need for yeast reactions and waiting for warm gooey dough to double in size.  I came across a version of this recipe and tweaked it a little to my taste.  It is a dense and moist bread.  It would be perfect with a bowl of warm, spicy chili on a cold evening. 

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced

A sprinkle of rosemary and chives (you decide how much you want)

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

12 ounce bottle or can of beer (you decide what kind and be sure to save yourself a sip at the bottom of the bottle)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Prepare a loaf pan with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, garlic and herbs. Add cheese and whisk to combine.
• Slowly add beer to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Dough should be thick.
• Knead dough a couple of times until it comes together.
• Place dough in prepared loaf pan and pour oil over top evenly.
• Bake 55-60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.