As I look back at 2024, I can honestly say, I’m not sad to see it go. LOL I mean it wasn’t the WORST year but it wasn’t one that I would necessarily say was great. I missed out on a lot of living this year. I spent a lot of time sleeping, there was SO much vomit and I didn’t get a lot done. HOWEVER, there were some REALLY good moments. Without further ado, in no particular order, This is My Top 10… Top 5’s of 2024!
Lessons I’ve learned in 2024:
1. Be nicer to myself. I’m trying my best. I spent a lot of time alone this year. I didn’t necessarily feel lonely, but I definitely felt, isolated. This year my body took a beating. I caught an awful stomach bug in July and it took me over a month to recover. I got Covid in December and the Crap Gap left me unfocused and fatigued for the majority of the rest of the year. During that time, I noticed something, a lot of negative self talk. I started counting how many times a day I thought or said out loud, “I am the worst“, spoiler alert, it was a lot! I am constantly on my Kids cases to stop with the negative self talk and yet here I am doing the exact same thing! We all need to be nicer to ourselves. This is a messed up funky timeline that sucks actually lol we are ALL just trying our best.
2. Ask for help! I thought because I read self-help books, and because I’m logical, and able to critically think that therapy/counseling wouldn’t help me. I was wrong. They just ask the right questions! They just help you to see what the problem is. I just didn’t know how to start. I am thankful that I asked for help. I am sad that my counselling place is going up from $50/hour to $150/hour this year. They started as a financial option for those (like me on disability) who can’t afford therapy, and after a few short months, they too decided to cash in. Sad. I hope I can find an alternative this new year.
3. Let go of the guilt. This is a work in progress. I have a lot of guilt. I feel guilty when I miss anything in my children’s lives. I feel guilty that their lives have been impacted by my illness. I feel guilty that Ninja doesn’t have the 50-50 partner he wanted in life and deserves. I feel guilty that he works all day and then comes home to cook meals and take pictures of every step for my blog because I’m too tired to move. I feel guilty that I treated my Mom like she didn’t have an illness, when she did. I feel guilty about every aspect of my relationship with my Mom and how I can never make it up to her because she’s no longer here. I feel guilty that I cancel last minute on my clients, that I am no longer involved in the Kid’s school PACs, that my eyes don’t like driving in the dark so therefore Ninja has to go pick the kids up from all their evening activities. The list goes on and on and on and on. I need to let it go. The guilt is not serving me and I need to let it go. Easier said than done lol but I’m working on it.
4. I can do it. I was SO scared to travel to Toronto with SBean this past November. Ever since I have been diagnosed with MS, I question myself. I have lost my confidence. I have trouble making decisions and committing to an answer. However, I totally did it! I managed to travel across the country, on my own, with a nervous SBean and we had a great time (minus the vomitting) and we made it back home without any of the calamities I had imagined. I proved to myself that I can still trust myself to get what I need done.
5. Libraries are special places. They offer SO much! For free! Honestly tell me what in life can you actually get for free anymore? Nothing! Except everything, at the library! Books, games, Wi-Fi, small appliances in some cases, movies, and more, all for free! At our library, you can even use their 3-D printer and make stuff for yourself! But for me, it’s all about books. This year, I spent a lot of time alone and I am so thankful for books. I’m also grateful for the library reading challenge because it challenges me to explore different topics, genres, and stories that I wouldn’t necessarily pick out for myself. I’ve learned about different cultures, different areas of the world, about people who have issues that I don’t have and I because I don’t get out of the house to experience what other people’s lives are like, I’m getting to see them through books, well, I’m just grateful. Libraries are the best!
New (to me) Authors:
1. Abby Jimenez
2. Jennifer Lynn Barnes
3. Elle Cosimano
4. Rebecca Yarros
5. Leigh Bardugo
Books I Read:
1. 11/22/63 by Stephen King
2. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
3. The Women by Kristin Hannah
4. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
5. Five Little Indians by Michelle Good
Songs I Listened To:
1. Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter
2. Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift
3. Lose Control by Teddy Swims
4. Northern Attitude by Noah Kahn
5. Beautiful Things by Benson Boone
What I Watched:
1. The Traitors
2. Oilers Stanley Cup Playoff Finals
3. Only Murders In The Building
4. The Skeleton Crew
5. The Summer Olympics
Savoury Recipes:
1. 3 cheese lasagna
2. Bean Tacos with Corn Salad
3. Meatball Subs
4. Philly Cheesesteak Burger with Garlic Parmesan Aioli
5. Potsticker Soup
Sweet Recipes:
1. Baked Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts
2. Jeannie’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
3. Black Forest Cake
4. Cranberry Orange Muffins wth Streusel Topping
5. Pumpkin Lush
Cocktails:
1. Sage and Ginger Paloma
2. Fall Aperol Spritz
3. Blueberry Smash
2. Cucumber Melon Sparkler
1. French Martini
Experiences:
1. Taylor Swift Concert
2. NOFX Concert
3. Explored Nelson
4. Farm & Forage Lunch at Sokol Blosser
5. Rode the Grand Sommelier Express
Proudest Moments:
1. Watching SBean take centre stage! Cheering her on at her gymnastics competitions, seeing her sing a small solo at her musical theatre Highlight Show, her piano recitals and playing the saxophone at her band concerts and JazzCool Summer Camp.
2. Watching HBear kill it as Iago in Aladdin Jr, excel in art, and her many performances this year playing the clarinet, the drums, the trumpet, songwriting, singing, teaching and writing a 4 piece drum score for the younger drumming class.
3. I made my reading challenge goal and read 110 books this year.
4. Planning Ninja’s 50th birthday date adventure. This was a BIG thing for me! I made the plans, the reservations, was able to go, AND prepared 4 different spreadsheets and a fun “game” for Ninja.
5. Taking SBean to Toronto ALL BY MYSELF.
Who doesn’t love a good sheetpan dinner? I mean, what’s not to love? Everything goes on 1 pan, goes in the oven, and you get a full meal plus only ONE dish to clean afterwards!!! Sounds good to me! Whenever I’m in a rush, these 1 pan dinners are the best.
This Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken with Basmati Rice was delicious! It also had great textures, beautiful colours and was crazy easy to prep and cook. The whole family loved this easy dinner.
Pierogies are a staple in this house. I like to sauté them, heck I even like to boil them but baking them? Apparently, yes, I even like my pierogies baked! This Pierogi Sausage and Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner didn’t taste like regular pierogies and sausage and was an excellent alternative to our same old dinner. We all loved this dinner and gobbled up the leftovers.
Meatloaf. I have a difficult time with meatloaf. We ate it a ton as a kid and it was gross. My Dad LOVES meatloaf though and for his birthday I prepared this Sheet Pan Meatloaf with Roasted Potatoes and surprisingly, it wasn’t bad. In fact, it was… good. Dad loved it, I had a mind change because of it and my Kids learned that they too, dislike meatloaf as kids LOL.
Ingredients
⅓ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, grated
1 red bell pepper, chopped into large chunks
1 orange bell pepper, chopped into large chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped into large chunks
1 red onion, chopped into large chunks
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup, cashews
Garnish: green onions & toasted sesame seeds
Basmati rice, cooked for serving
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger.
Place the bell peppers and onion in a bowl and cover them with half of the sauce. Toss well. Pour veggies onto greased baking sheet. Meanwhile, place the chicken in a bowl and cover it with the remaining sauce.
Place the chicken pieces in the marinade on the baking sheet. Add the cashews as well. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Toss everything together on the sheet before servings. Serve over rice and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds.
Pierogi Sausage & Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner
4
servings10
minutes30
minutesIngredients
12 oz Kielbasa, sliced into ¼ inch coins and then each coin sliced in half
16-20 frozen pierogies
1 red onion, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons oil, plus more if needed
salt & pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon hot sauce (or to your liking)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F and grease 1 large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place pierogies, peppers, onions and garlic on sheet pan.
Whisk together the oil, spices and hot sauce in a small bowl and then pour mixture over the pierogies and vegetables. Toss gently to combine, then spread into an even layer on one side of the pan.
Arrange kielbasa slices on the other side of the sheet pan (you can also just toss everything together if you prefer). Drizzle everything with a touch more oil.
Transfer pan to preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes flipping everything halfway through. Remove from oven when done and serve immediately hot out the oven with sour cream and garnished with a sprinkle of sliced green onions if desired.
Sheet Pan Meatloaf
4
servings10
minutes50
minutes5
minutesIngredients
2 lbs ground beef
½ cup panko
⅓ cup beef broth
2 eggs, whisked
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
- Glaze
⅔ cup ketchup
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
- Potatoes
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
Garnish: parsley, chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Lightly spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the beef, panko, broth, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder until just combined. Add in some fresh parsley if desired. Don't overmix or the meat won't be as tender. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on the pan.
In a small bowl, mix together the glaze ketchup and brown sugar. Pour over the top of the meatloaf. Add pepper on top, if desired.
Bake 10 minutes. Use a paper towel to absorb any juices on pan after.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the oil, potatoes, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes onto the sheet pan, surrounding the meatloaf.
Bake another 40 minutes (tossing potatoes half way), or until potatoes are tender and the meatloaf is 160°F in the center. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Season potatoes with salt if needed. Add chopped fresh parsley on top if desired.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #411 No More Resolutions. This week, we get together post-New Year’s to discuss: Oliver, 2024, NY Eve, World Jr’s, PGA stuff, the doorbell, Sephora, SOW, back to school, & local artists.
“What day is it?” Was the constant refrain over the past 7 days lol. This week, SBEan used up her Sephora gift cards, had her Besty over for NYE while HBear spent the evening at her BF’s house with his family. Ninja and I went out for an early dinner to Kin & Folk and YUM! We spent the night watching hockey and rang in the New Year at midnight! We are watching The Skeleton Crew as a family (so good), Oliver is happy that things are back to normal and I started Yoga With Adriene’s, Prana challenge for the new year. We took Christmas down, celebrated my MIL’s 77th birthday and SBean tried out her new baking cookbook to make Grandma the prettiest pink birthday cake!
