my dancing girl

i am feeling so proud of my girl.

she had her first (ever) competition yesterday in toronto

and she and her team did so well!

check out the curls and make-up...

i know, it definitely takes a little getting used to.

(only for stage of course!)

she was so excited and ready to go.

i don't even think she had butterflies...

she just wanted to get on that stage!

this is the only image i'll share from the performance

(to respect other dancer's privacy).

i love this one - E is on the right:

they received a sapphire award for their dance!  

they were also give a diamond (top level) award 

for the hairspray team dance they did 

(62 dancers on stage, age 6-19).

it was amazing!

i'm so happy that emery has found something that she loves,

and a great place to do it. 

the leaders where she dances are so positive to be around,

and tasteful and age appropriate with costumes and choreography.

it's beautiful and refreshing to be a part of.

family fun in toronto

 at the end of march break we spent a night in toronto.

with kids you need to have a plan right?

at least i do!

so the plan was go to the hotel, take the subway to the museum,

visit the ROM, spend a night in the hotel and go

to the scooby doo live musical mystery show in the morning.

what you can't plan in advance is the highlight of your time together.

for me, it was none of the things mentioned above...

first time riding the subway for the girls

can you spot the four of us in this photo?

she used her allowance for a new pair of 'mood' earrings 

making up her own version of the story as she reads to daddy

feeding the pigeons

petting the pigeons - she seems to have a way with animals... 

she kept popping up in front of the camera on this trip

the highlight for me,

 was the hour we spent in the park by a beautiful old church near the hotel

chasing and feeding the pigeons.

~

i've learned that as a parent, it's helpful to have a plan in place, 

but you also need to be flexible with your plan 

and allow for some 'free' time - 

as you never know what kind of memories are waiting for you...

hairspray

my little girl is dancing competitively this year.

on wednesday she will have her first competition.

she is in two group dances for this one,

one is with all the dancers from their studio

dancing to hairspray, you can't stop the beat...

here she is in costume:

(i found the tutorial for the skirt here)

i've been learning all about sponge curlers
and hairspray to create those ringlets!

wednesday will be fun...

lentil vegetable soup

presenting the second recipe ever shared on my blog:

i'm not much of a foodie, but i love this soup 

and actually made it twice during march break.

i even shared the soup with family and friends...

so now i share it with you!

this was tweaked from a recipe learned at a 

president's choice "what's for dinner?" class:

ingredients

1 tbsp - olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 carrot, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 can whole tomatoes (796 ml)

900 ml of chicken/vegetable broth

1 cup of dry lentils, rinsed

1 sweet potato, cubed

1 tsp coriander

sprinkle of rosemary

1/4 tsp of black pepper

method

in large saucepan, heat oil over medium.

cook onion, pepper, carrot and garlic for 5 minutes.

stir in tomatoes and juices, broth, lentils, sweet potato, 

coriander, rosemary and pepper.

bring to boil, stirring occasionally.

reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes 

or until vegetables are tender.

remove from heat.

using an immersion blender, puree soup until partially smooth.

serve with a dollop of sour cream,

and crackers or fresh bread.

~

let me know what you think if you give this recipe a try...

enjoy it on these last days of winter.

it made a delicious lunch on this cold windy day...

shady grove maple syrup farm - guelph, on

we spent the afternoon at the maple syrup farm on saturday.

 it's a great spot... 

wagon rides, snack shop, petting zoo and tours of the buildings and equipment.

jude and i learned a lot,

while the girls enjoyed the sights and activities 

(they weren't as interested in the process).

we came home with some delicious syrup among other treats...

what do you like to have maple syrup on?