Working on a new "feature"

I've been thinking lately about adding a "feature" to the blog. Not only would it force me to get on the ball and blog (somewhat) regularly, but I would get to impart some knowledge on my readers.

Over the last year or so Andre and I (well, really me, Andre just sighs, rolls his eyes and comes along for the ride) have been trying to be a little more environmentally conscious. I've been gradually trying to switch out some of the more harmful products that we've been using around the house for ones that aren't so damaging to Andre and I, or the environment. Trying to lessen our footprint if you will. We're by no means in danger of become all crunchy granola on you, but well, you get the picture.

So how many of you out there would be interested in some product reviews or tips? Anyone?

It arrived!

After over a month of waiting my very first etsy purchase arrived at the house. I was getting ready for work, and heard the screen door open, I went downstairs, opened the inside door and a package was waiting for me! I only had a few minutes until I had to leave, but I tore it open and was sooooo happy. The plaque is beautiful. Even nicer than I thought.


And here it is:

After it was on the wall I called my mother over to see it and she loved it. I think the next wedding she's invited to this will be a gift. Everyone that has been to the house too has loved it. I've even handed out one of the business cards that was shipped with the plaque out as well. I'd say this purchase was a success!

(oh, yeah, Andre liked it too ;o)

On a lighter note...

I have been anxiously awaiting the delivery of my very first Etsy purchase. I had started looking at something to hang on the one wall of our entry way shortly after we moved in. I thought about art, or vinyl decor, and then came across some "family name" plaques. I was on the search for the perfect one, and late one night I found it. I loved it, it was perfect (or well, perfect for me).

The link for the item can be found here . I immediately bellowed for Andre to get his butt up to the office so I could get his final approval (but who are we kidding, I would've ordered it anyway!!). So since August 11, I have been running up to the office every night to check if there has been any contact from the seller to see when the item had been shipped. To make matters worse the seller has been super busy lately, so I've had a longer than expected wait.

The good news is that I received word from the seller herself on Sept 2, assuring me that the plaque had been shipped and I would receive it sometime between Sept 11-17th. I'm hoping it gets here soon, I'm dying to see what it looks like with our colours!

Drama, drama, drama

Have you ever noticed that just when it seems like your life is running smoothly, and you sit and down and exhale that breath that you didn't even know you were holding that everyone around you seems to be in a crisis? Well if that has never happened to you, then please share your secret, I am dying to know what it is.

I was just thinking to myself last week that things are really coming along for Andre and I. The house is finally starting to feel like a home, the summer went fairly smoothly, everyone we know was doing really well, and then the crapola hit the fan. Drama with my parents and sister, drama with my co-workers at the office, drama with my grandmother and my uncle, drama with my best friend and her family. It's just been insanity lately.

I've found myself struggling with the decision to just let the voicemail pick up the message when someone calls because I just don't know whether I have the emotional strength to listen, or to just take a deep breath and just answer the call. I've been told by more than a few people lately that I'm just such a good sounding board, a safe person to talk to. Sometimes I think this is more of a curse than a blessing. It's hard being that shoulder sometimes, especially when with some of those people the favour is rarely, if ever returned.

Drunken Roast Chicken

As fall approaches I am slowly dragging out some of my favourite cold weather recipes. There is nothing better than coming home from work on a blustery cold day to a warm house smelling of deliciousness. This recipe was taken from "300 Slow Cooker Favorites" by Donna-Marie Pye (with some changes by moi).

No Frills happened to have a sale on President's Choice whole chickens this week so I have been stocking up. Tonight was suppose to be wish dish night (AKA Jenna is on strike, fend for yourself!) but I would be home earlier than my usual 8:20 from work, and Andre felt like chicken so I threw this in the slow cooker for dinner really quickly this afternoon.

It seems like a really fancy meal, but the beauty is that you can have it cooking in less than 15 minutes in the morning, and if you're just feeding two people (like us!) you will have dinner, and plenty for lunch the next day. If you're so inclined, you can also make some homemade chicken soup from the carcass!

Here we go!:

Drunken Roast Chicken (Slow Cooker)

1 roasting chicken (3 1/2-4 pounds)
6 cloves of garlic1 onion quartered
1 lemon (rolled on the counter while applying gentle pressure to loosen up the juices, then pricked with a fork)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 cup sodium reduced (or homemade) chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine (can substitute more chicken stock)

Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. With your fingers, gently loosen skin from chicken breast to form a pocket. Insert garlic halves under the skin. Place a few cloves of garlic and the lemon into the cavity of the chicken.

With kitchen twine, tie chicken legs together and secure wings to body, leaving an extra length of twine at each end. You will use the ends to lift the chicken from the slow cooker.

Spread the onion on the bottom of the slow cooker and place the chicken breast side up on top. Sprinkle with thyme and paprika. Pour in stock and wine.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, high for 4 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted in thigh reads 170 F (77 C)

When finished cooking remove chicken and place under preheated broiler for 5-7 minutes to brown if you prefer crispy skin.


Skim fat from juices in slow cooker, transfer to pot, warm juices and add flour and water mixture to thicken for gravy.

Serve with mashed potatoes and veggies.

A small step in the right direction

You may recall me mentioning here about being broken. Well I'm sad to say that things haven't really improved much since that blog entry. In fact things have kind of gotten worse.

(*note* some may find this to be a bit too much information, so some may chose to stop reading now*)

Since going off the pill I have ovulated and gotten my period once in 11 months. That's a pain, but not really the worst part. I started bleeding during and after sex about 2 months in. That's the biggest problem. I put off going to the doctor (thinking everything would just get better on it's own) until my best friend made me call my doctor. That appointment led to swabs, blood work, and two ultrasounds (what an experience that was!). Thankfully everything came back normal. All of that was about two months ago. My doctors office very nicely called me (after I called them first for the results) and told me "Oh, we didn't call you with the results because everything seems to have come back normal." End of conversation.

I was fuming that day. So upset that they just dropped everything. No asking if the problems still persisted, nothing. I called the doctors office about 2 1/2 weeks ago to ask them for a referral to a gynecologist. The conversation went something like this:

me: Hello, my name is Jenna M. I am calling for a referral to a gynecologist.

receptionist: Oh, well you need to come in for that.

me: I was in for an appointment two months ago for blah, blah, blah. I was sent for swabs, blood work and two ultrasounds. Everything came back normal, but the issues haven't improved.

receptionist: okay, well I'm going to have to leave a request for Dr. W and then a nurse will have to call you back.

Finally after more than two weeks of waiting I finally have an appointment with some mystery gyno at the end of October. At least now I'm on the road to figuring out what the hell is going on. I told Andre that he might have to trade me in for a younger model that actually works. The joke of that being that I'm 10 years younger than him already. Just goes to show, age means nothing!