30 days until we close

That's right! 30 more days and we'll finally be home owners. It's really very exciting for me. Not so much for the hubby. I'm thinking it's a woman thing...hah

Sorry for my absence, it's been a very busy couple of months. I didn't realize there would be so much work in order to close. Not only that but shopping around and such. Anyhow, I hope in Aug/Sept I'll be able to start posting more often again. I'm crossing my fingers that we'll be all settled in by then! (we don't actually move in until the last weekend in July)

Thanks for the support guys!

Ciao

Mexican Pizza Pie

So I'll admit, there's some items in this that aren't Mexican hah but it's really the best description I have for it. I got the base idea from a kraft magazine and made my own variation. It's super easy to make and I joined it with a simple salad. Healthy and yummy, this pie is sure to please everyone.

What you'll need:

1 lb. ground lean meat (beef, chicken, pork, turkey)
1/2 onion chopped (optional)
1 garlic clove chopped (optional)
Seasoning
1 cup corn (canned, frozen, fresh)
1 cup of black beans
1/2 cup cheez whiz
1/4 cup ketchup
3/4 box of frozen puff pastry (I used Tenderflake)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup shredded taco cheese
Sour cream and Salsa (optional)

How to make it:

Pre heat oven to 375F. Brown meat with onions and garlic in a large non stick skillet. Use desired seasoning if you'd like (I used tex mex seasoning) Turn off the heat when meat is cooked through, stir in corn, black beans, cheez whiz and ketchup until the cheez whiz is melted and evenly coated. Set aside.

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Flour and roll out the puff pastry on a clean surface until its at least 12-13 inches all around. Place the pastry on the parchment paper.

Spoon meat mixture onto the center of the dough; spread it within 2 inches of the edge. Fold edge of dough over meat, leaving the center uncovered.

Bake in the oven for 20 min. When 20 min is up take the pizza out and sprinkle it with the shredded taco cheese. Turn the oven on to broil for about 5 min to melt cheese. But be sure to closely watch it so it doesn't burn.

Let it cool for a few min and top it off with the parsley. I cut mine into 6 equal parts, they were nicely sized portions. The sharper the knife the easier it will be to slice

I had salsa and sour cream on the side for people to eat with it. Totally optional

This is really easy to make, I also made some egg wash for the edges of the pastry folded on top of it. I use an egg yoke and a tbsp of water. Mix and spread.

What a month!

Jeesh! I'm sorry, Valentines came and went...and what do I have to show for it? Nothing. Sadly I got extremely sick on the 13th, terrible timing let me tell you. It lasted for a week or so and then I went back to my "regular" sort of pain. So sorry everyone! I was so looking forward to surprising the hubby. It was upsetting for me.

Its been just over a month now. I've been either sick or busy with so many other things that I let the blog slip my mind. Not sure if I mentioned this before but the closing date on our house is officially June 25th :D So I've been making preparations for that. We're almost completely starting from scratch as neither of us has lived out of our parents home (I know right? but things happen)

So I've been buying things here and there, always on sale. A piece of me dies inside if I ever spend full price on just about anything. It drives the hubby nuts but he knows it's smart thinking.

I got a letter in the mail on Monday, I was finally accepted for ODSP. After 2 and a half years, they finally said yes. I couldn't help myself, I started to cry. These last couple of years have been so stressful, it was like a huge weight had instantly been lifted off my shoulders. I have my update appointment this Tuesday, they essentially want all the paper work I gave them when I first applied. Updated of course. I'm nervous, excited and scared to be perfectly honest. It almost seems like a dream.

Anyway, this Sunday the builder is having a customer appreciation party in a community center by the development. Like a meet your neighbor type deal =P It'll certainly be interesting. Our parents are coming along for the trip; I think they're just glad to be rid of us soon hah.

I'll end this on a cheery note. Has spring arrived for you? (where ever that may be) Today was very lovely; 19°C out with the sun shinning. A hint of a cool breeze...I can certainly get used to this.

Treats for Valentines...?

Yep, Christmas & New Years are gone. The time honored tradition of "moving to the next money making holiday" began probably Jan 2nd. I believe the first stores I noticed it in was the dollar stores. Anyway, it's my aunts birthday this Thursday. My mom plans on having something of a party at the house for her on Saturday. I offered my services (instead of ordering cake) but shortly after doing so, remembered that Friday I have an appt to have my wisdom teeth pulled. Not a good idea.

Originally, I had brownies planned for the hubby this Valentines. However, after careful consideration I've decided to go with another route. The route I would have traveled by making my aunt something yummy for her birthday this Sat. I'm not going to go into to much details; I'd like it to be a surprise for him and others :) But this sweet treat will be in cupcake form...possibly including cookies...

Need I say more? :D

Baked apricot brie wheel w/puff pastry

How was everyone's holidays?! Mine was so nice, I spent it with the hubby's family. I made Christmas dinner, I had a whole menu planned out and this was one of the apps I served. It was awesome, everyone loved it. Even the old Italians who are stuck in their ways enjoyed it. Joe's mom liked it so much she had me make it again for new years dinner.

So here it is, let me know if you use it and if you do any sort of your own variation.

Ingredients

• 1 (200g) wheel Brie cheese
• 3 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 1/2 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
2. Mix the egg yolk and water in a small cup; make sure it’s big enough to dip a pastry brush (silicone or otherwise) inside it. Set aside the egg wash.
3. Slice one wheel of Brie cheese in half (leave in freezer for half an hour for easier cutting) so you have 2 circles of cheese. Spread apricot on (the cut side) half of one circle of brie. Make sandwich out of the two halves of Brie, so that the preserves are in the center of both halves.
4. Wrap the entire wheel of Brie with one sheet of puffed pastry; using the egg wash to seal the folds, flip it over onto the prepared cooking sheet so the seam is on bottom. Brush the entire puff pastry with the egg wash.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the pastry in golden brown. Serve immediately.

Notes:

• You can use essentially anything you want in place of the jam. I’ve tried herb and garlic cream cheese, it was just as yummy.
• I don’t use all the pastry (the half package) I find it gets too heavy/thick on the bottom otherwise. So what I do (see photos) is I use the “leftover” pastry to make shapes that I place on top of the finished product. You follow all the steps, but after you brush the pastry with egg wash place the designs on top and then egg wash it all again for a nice seal.
• Make sure you unthaw the pastry covered overnight in the fridge. Having it sit in the open (fridge, counter etc.) air makes the outside layer of the pastry hard and crusty. It’s still good but it leaves odd looking chunks you can see, even once baked.
• Every oven’s different, be sure to keep an eye on this. I’ve had mishaps where the entire wheel of cheese leaked out onto the pan.