The Perks to Being an Angler's Wife...

Many of you already know, but for those of you who don't, my husband, Nuno, is a devoted angler.  When he's not at work or spending time with family, it is safe to say that he's probably out fishing or doing something or other that pertains to the sport.   We live just a few minutes drive from Lake Simcoe.  Nuno takes his boat out to the lake and enjoys fishing in the spring, summer and fall months.  Come winter, the lake begins to freeze over, the boat is stored away, and he excitedly anticipates the start of ice fishing season.   

Nuno belongs to the Barrie Bassmasters club of Ontario and is sponsored by several organizations.  He has different roles and responsibilities for each one.  It's not always easy being the wife of an angler, you know.  I have to share him with the fish on many occasions, but I know that nothing makes him happier than a day out fishing.  So, of course, I support him!  And nothing makes me happier than when he brings home perch!  

Yellow perch are my favourite lake fish.  They are relatively small, in comparison to the larger bass, pike, and trout Nuno catches, and they are absolutely perfect for pan frying!  Last week, Nuno caught so many, we decided to host a fish fry at home!  

I did say there were perks to being an angler's wife, right?  Well, it means we can get free meals!  You definitely won't starve to death with a fisherman living at home!  And, I never have to "fix" the fish Nuno catches.  He always cleans and fillets them himself.  

  Here are all the perch, perfectly filleted by Nuno; free of any skin or bones.

The only thing I have to do, is prepare the fillets for frying...

Here they are; dredged in flour, egg, and cornmeal 

Hot and crispy pan fried perch fillets, layer upon layer

While Nuno fried the fish, I set the table; cooked some rice and put together a garden salad.  

The only thing missing were the guests...

There is nothing like gathering around a table to enjoy a good meal and each other's company...

Here they are...my father-in-law and mother-in-law are sitting in the back, along with cousin Peter, who also came to join us.  My girls, Anita and Annabel, are sitting on the left and Nuno is sitting on the right.  And me?   I'm behind the camera.  You can see my still-empty plate beside Nuno on the table.

If you look closely, on the table, is my mother-in-law's still-warm, homemade bread.  She made it especially for the fish fry.  The meal was delicious!  I am so thankful for my darling husband and my wonderful family.  The blessings at this table are abundant!  

My 50th Post And Much To Celebrate!

It seems like just the other day when I started blogging and now, here I am, writing my 50th post!  To celebrate, I am going to do a giveaway very soon.  The only reason I'm not doing it today, is because I haven't found the perfect item(s) for the giveaway.  Believe me, I've been looking, but nothing has caught my eye.  I'm sure I'll come across something fitting soon.  I will keep you posted!

Let me catch you up on what's been happening around the homestead this past week.   To say it's been busy around here is an understatement.

On Tuesday, December 13th, we attended the Barrie Bassmasters Potluck and Award Ceremony.  Every year, the club invites the bass members and their families to the potluck to share in an evening of great food and good friends. 

This year, I baked Hello Dolly bars to take to the potluck, since I brought savoury items the last two years.  If you are not familiar with them, they're made with a graham cracker crust and topped with chocolate chips, flaked coconut and chopped nuts; held together with sweetened condensed milk!

Nuno (in the middle), along with fellow bassmaster, Brad Hudson (on the left), were honored to receive the President's Award - Member of the Year - for going above and beyond their duties as members, putting in a lot of time and dedication to the club and always willing to help out in any way they could.  I am so proud of my husband and congratulations goes out to both of them!

On Wednesday, the 14th of December, it was Nuno's birthday.  I wanted to bake his birthday cake and  decided on a glazed lemon layer cake with homemade raspberry filling.  Nothing says love like a home-made cake, no store-bought cake can ever convey the same sentiment.

Freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest for the cake

Cake layers cooling on racks

The birthday cake (minus the candles). In my heart it reads, Happy birthday Nuno, I love you!

The love of family gathered around the table 

This is a cream cheese ball flavoured with a roasted garlic dip.  I rolled it in chopped walnuts and cranberries and served with crackers.  

I also made some other munchies...brie en croute, filled with raspberry jam and toasted almonds and a quail egg and chorizo appetizer, as well as assorted nuts, figs and dates.  My mother-in-law baked some Portuguese tarts as well, so we were spoiled with yummy goodies.

The next evening was the girls' school Christmas Concert.  Anita and Annabel's classes weren't involved this year (as there were too many classes to all be included). Anita sang in the choir, however, and my niece Emily was part of the concert too! 

 

Anita is the first student on the left, in the middle row. 

 

 

 

This past Saturday, we had my cousin, his wife and their two children over for lunch.  It was their first visit to our home, and I was so happy to have them!  For our lunch, I made an italian wedding soup and chicken stuffed pasta shells.  It was lovely reconnecting and catching up with them. 

 

 

 

Mini meatballs I made for the soup

 

 

 

Italian wedding soup with mini meatballs and orzo pasta

 

 

 

Setting the table

 

 

 

The following day we were invited to my aunt and uncle's place for their annual Christmas lunch.  The food was delicious and we had a fun time, as usual. A special treat this year, was a visit from my cousin, who I hadn't seen in a few years.  Seeing him was like opening an early Christmas present!  It reminded me that the best part of Christmas and the holidays is the act of giving, and the blessings of a loving family and dear friends. 

 

 

There are only 5 more sleeps until Christmas.  I'm sure it's a busier time than usual in your kitchens as well!  Will you be baking something special for the holidays?  What about Christmas morning?  Are there any special breakfasts you cook?  I think I'll be making pancakes on Christmas morning, since it's everyone's favourite around here.  How about you?  I would love to hear about it!

 

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays... 

with love, from the kitchen! xo

The Barrie Santa Claus Parade 2011

On Saturday, November 19th, the City of Barrie celebrated its 16th annual Santa Claus Parade.  I've been to watch the parade in previous years, but this year, I was priveleged to be a part of it! 

When I was a child, I used to watch the Toronto Santa Claus Parade on TV and I remember wishing I could sit on one of those floats, wearing a costume, face painted, waving hello, shouting, "Merry Christmas!".  This year, my wish came true, only instead of taking part in the Toronto parade, I took part in the Barrie Santa Claus parade, in the small city where I 've been living for the past four years. 

My husband, Nuno, is a member of the Barrie Bass Masters fishing club.  He is responsible for media and promotion  This year, he had the great idea of entering the club in the Santa Claus Parade.  It was a great way to connect with the citizens of Barrie, to create awareness, and possibly attract some new members, as well.

I was hoping the previous day's snow fall could have stuck around for the festivities, but due to the sunshine and milder temperatures, all traces of snow melted before the parade began.  Saturday morning was sunny, mild, and beautiful.  Nuno, the girls and I went to a couple of Christmas bazaars at two of our local churches after our breakfast.

I found this adorable Mrs. Claus holding a tray of chocolate chip cookies.

Can you guess what she's made of?  It's a brick, painted and decorated

to look like Mrs. Claus.  She's now standing just outside our door on the porch.

I've never seen anything like it.  I couldn't resist!

When we got home, we decorated Nuno's bass boat (our float) with Christmas lights, garland, bows and ornaments.  It was a team effort and everyone helped.  Lucky for us, the weather couldn't have been more perfect for doing that sort of thing.

 

I roasted some chestnuts in the oven.  Here they are - peeled, still warm and ready to eat!

 On the boat, on our way to the parade route

Here are two junior bass masters - Paul Spenceley and Cole Vardy.

In the middle is Dave Norgrove, dressed as mascot for the parade.

Here we all are, behind the other floats, waiting for the parade to begin. 

View of Kempenfelt Bay from where we waited. 

Before I go on, I must tell you, showers were forecast to begin around 5 pm that evening - the exact time the parade was to begin.  Sure enough, true to the weather station's word, it started to rain, as you can probably tell from the above photo.  We were lucky, though, the rain showers were light and would come and go quickly.  I was too thrilled...I barely noticed!

Here is Santa's float, right behind us!  Ours was the second last float in line. 

 

And off we went...

 

Look at all the people!

Nuno and Annabel

This is the truck that pulled our float.  Brad Hudson, a bass member, and his wife

 drove us along the route.

These fancy horses were walking between us and the Santa float.  Aren't they beautiful?

Once Santa arrived at his final stop, we were treated to a beautiful fireworks

 display over Kempenfelt Bay.

All of us on the float, including junior bass masters:

Paul, Mark, and Cole

I truly enjoyed being a part of this special day.  I will never forget the sheer joy I felt when I saw the crowds, all along the parade route, adults and children, waiting to see the floats and of course, Santa Claus. 

 Certain scenes just "stuck out" at me, like these three little girls sitting on a blanket under a huge umbrella and parents and grandparents holding tiny babies, already sharing with them, the magic of the season.  I wish I had been able to capture those moments on camera for you.  But, with all my waving and greetings, it was nearly impossible. 

 

I would pick out certain people in the crowds and say "Merry Christmas!".  Some were children, some were adults, and you could see how happy they were to return the greeting.  It was as if they were waiting for me to say it all along. 

 Christmas is a magical holiday.  We can't find magic in a present, at the mall, on the street corner, or anywhere else, for that matter.  The real magic can only be found in our hearts!   The spirit of Christmas lives inside our hearts, and in the hearts of those who believe!

I have a short video from the Santa Claus Parade to share with you, but unfortunately I'm having trouble getting it to upload.  If I can figure it out, I will post it later.

"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree."  Roy L. Smith