Christmas Baking: Chocolate Haystacks

Posted in Baking, Christmas, Food by

One of my favourite things about the Christmas season? Baking!! Sure, I can bake any time of the year, but for some reason Christmas just brings out the domestic housewife in me and I want to BAKE ALL THE THINGS!

Ironically, my first batch of holiday goodies didn’t even have to go into the oven! I opted to make chocolate haystacks, using Kyle’s mom’s recipe. They’re one of his favourite and while they’re totally not good for you in any way at all, they are delicious!

Here’s the ingredients:

– 2 cups sugar
– 6 tbsp. cocoa
– 1/2 cup butter
– 1/2 cup milk
– 1 tsp. vanilla
– 1 cup shredded coconut
– 3 cups rolled oats
– 1 cup raisins (optional)

Start by combining the sugar, cocoa, butter, and milk in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. I found it was easier to melt the butter in the pan first and then add the other ingredients. Once it’s boiled, add the vanilla. (Which I forgot to do. They’re not as dark, but they still taste great!)

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In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut, oats and raisins. If you have a toddler helping you, be prepared to be sweeping up oats and coconut off the floor…

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Pour the cocoa mixture into the bowl with the oats and coconut, and mix until everything is nice and coated! Grab a tablespoon and drop cookie-sized balls of the mixture onto a cookie sheet (or two) lined with parchment paper. (Because who has time to wash cookie sheets?) Stick ’em in the fridge for about 2 hours to help them settle, then dive in!

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Nothing screams “Fattening Christmas Goodies!” like oats and coconuts smothered in a chocolatey, buttery, sugary goop. Eat in moderation! (Or not, because it’s Christmas!)

What’s your favourite Christmastime indulgence??

Christmas Photos, 2014

Posted in Christmas, Isla, Photos by

Now that our Christmas cards have been mailed out and most people have received them, I thought I’d finally share the photos I took!

I generally take the photos not long after Halloween, just to ensure that I have enough time to edit, design and order the cards. This year’s card features this cool old tricycle that my mom has. Originally my grandma had found it at a new/used store when I was a kid. I have tons of memories racing it up and down the pathway at her old house, so I thought it would be fun to use it for our photos this week. I wasn’t sure how Isla would like sitting on it, but clearly there were no issues ;)

Since there was no snow of the ground I tried to make the photos more “Christmassy” by hanging some tree ornaments up. I think it worked out OK! I also made that little chalkboard sign with an old photo frame my mom donated my way and some spray chalkboard paint.

While it was a little cold outside and we tried to hurry through the photo taking, I think they turned out pretty good this year! (M&M’s also helped – bribing, FTW!)

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Moments of Motherhood: On growing up in a small town

Posted in Armchair Mayor News, Column, Life, Moments of Motherhood by

It’s no secret that I grew up in a small town. While I often longed for the opportunity to live in the city, I’m glad that my parents raised me where they did. There’s a lot a pros and cons to small town living vs. the big city, and in this week’s Moments of Motherhood column, I share my thoughts.

Here’s a snippet:

I grew up in a small town. With a population of around 1,800, it was your typical village; there were no stoplights, all is quiet after 6 p.m., and practically everyone knew your name, or at least who your parents were. It was hard to get into trouble, but I managed to do just that on a couple of occasions. Once high school graduation came and went, I up and left for the big city of Kamloops and never looked back. 

Okay, so the never looking back part may not be true. I still enjoy visiting my hometown, especially in the summer when everything is so green and growing. I don’t resent the size of the town where I grew up but when it comes to where I want to raise my own children, there’s a big Venn diagram of pros, cons and otherwise for both the city and the country. [continue reading…]