The yard-sale & thrift store finds have been very good lately in the toy department! Here are a few of our new favourites:

Fisher-Price My First Dollhouse ~ $2
(Aletheia's Birthday Present)


Fisher-Price Talking Ship ~ Free
(Ours came minus the people)


Fisher-Price MedievalCastle ~ $4.99

What are your latest finds?

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For those of you who are barbecuing this weekend, you might like to try this marinade. It's a family favourite and was shared by our camping/hunting friend, Juanita.

Juanita's Steak Marinade

4 cups Soy Sauce

-or-

2 cups Soy Sauce

2 cups Red Wine

2 cups Sugar (I usually use Brown)

2 heads, Garlic

1-1/4lbs Ginger, peeled

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Let sit 1/2 hour. Strain through cheesecloth or strainer to take out ginger fibers. Keeps for several months stored in the refrigerator.

To marinade: I usually add whatever steaks I have to a Ziploc bag and pour over enough marinade to coat thoroughly. Let sit for several hours if possible and then grill to perfection. Pour away used portion of marinade.

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Our neighborhood has been holding regular barbecues the past couple of months and John & I would soon like to be able to host. This spring I've actually been able to spend time in our backyard working to make it a cozy retreat for friends & family! I can hardly believe this will be our fourth spring living in Medford....

2006 - We were renovating & painting our home in order to move in.
2007 - I was pregnant with Vance (i.e. sicker than a dog for several months)
2008 - Enjoying my newborn and active toddler....yard can wait.  ;)

This year, both of the kiddos are mobile enough to be outside without me needing to carry one around. I'm able to work in the yard while they play all sorts of fabulous games together nearby. One of their favourites is to pull the wagon into our "lawn" (bed of clover) and pretend that they're asea. Aletheia loves to jump overboard repeatedly and "swim". I even caught her buck naked the other day swimming in the grass. She claimed she was a mermaid!

The beginning - 2007

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I've been meaning to share this recipe for some time now. Once again I found it on AllRecipes and for someone who's not so fond of mushrooms, I LOVED this soup.



Russian Mushroom & Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 leeks, chopped
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• fresh dill weed, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Mix inleeks and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Pour in broth. Season with dill,salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Mix in potatoes, cover, and cook 20minutes, or until potatoes are tender but firm. Remove and discard thebay leaf.
2. Melt the remaining butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute themushrooms 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Stir into the soup.
3. In a small bowl, mix the half-and-half and flour until smooth. Stirinto the soup to thicken. Garnish each bowl of soup with fresh dill toserve.

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At our house we are always trying out new ingredients. A few of the recent additions to our pantry include:

I have been using regular Balsamic vinegar for years now in salad dressing and dipping oil, but have found that it can be too strong for little tastebuds. At one of our Sunday fellowship meals my friend, Heather, brought a delicious green salad. When I asked her about the dressing, she said she had used Golden Balsamic which has a sweeter, more delicate taste with just enough of a vinegar bite. It is very smooth and Aletheia loves it. We especially like it on spinach or sauteed zuchinni.

For a quick salad I combine the following:

spinach
olive oil
golden balsamic vinegar
dash of course ground salt
generous dash of course ground pepper

Toss well.

Then, depending on what I have in my cheese drawer, I often grate a bit of cheese on top of each serving. Lately we have had Gouda, Parmigiano, Gruyere and Mizithra.

Very simple salad but delicious. It pairs well with steak.

Quinoa

Quinoa is grain-like, very high in protein and has a delicious nutty flavor. Since I'm trying to avoid wheat as much as possible (gluten intolerance), I've been trying out various grains and wheat-free pasta. The Joy of Cooking has a wonderful Quinoa recipe and it's ready in about 20 minutes....here it is.

Basic Cooked Quinoa

Rinse in a fine-mesh sieve and drain: (I didn't have a sieve so I omitted this part)

1 cup of quinoa

Heat in a large, deep skillet over medium heat:

1 Tbsp olive oil

Add and cook, stirring constantly to avoid burning the garlic:

1 clove garlic, finely minced

Add the quinoa and cook, stirring constantly, until the grains are separate and golden. Stir in:

2 cups water (I used chicken broth)
1/2 Tsp salt (didn't use this because of the broth)

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

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Tonight I prepared this recipe and served it with steamed asparagus & roasted chicken. Mmm!

So, what's new on your table?

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Don't you love surprises? I do (good ones) and am looking forward to Abra's surprise....in order to receive one, I need to give some away myself, so read below and be quick about it.  :)

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If you want to join in the fun and get a little something in return … be one of the first THREE people to leave a comment on this post and you’ll receive a gift from me during this year. There’s a small catch…You knew there would be didn’t you? Post this on your blog or Facebook wall (sorry, no MySpace-ing) referencing this post then come back and leave a comment on this post, telling me you’re in. Fun, huh? And by in, you do know that means you have to pay it forward and give something to three people on your blog or Facebook page. I don’t even care if you make something … just giving something is good with me!

Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift from me. When and what will be a surprise.

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As you probably could tell by now, I love thrift shopping. :) So once again, I share with you my latest finds!

From the first yard sale of the season....

Baby Lambskin
($19/Reg.$70)
(no that is not our child)


Do you have any thrifty finds that you've blogged about recently? Send me the link as I love to read other shoppers' stories.  :)

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This is the last day of the J.Jill sale, both online & in stores. All of their clearance & sale items are an additional 50% off. I found some lovely clothes for spring at Ross prices.  :)

Linen Flared Skirt

Available in several colors - No, I didn't get white. I don't think it'd survive my children. :)

Corded Cotton Cropped Pants

These are very comfortable and just the right waist height (at least for me) that it makes me feel slim without being at my armpits. ;-)

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