What to Eat this week..

I cannot believe its the tail end of September!!

My meal planning has been severely lacking 😭

I stopped by Superstore today and grabbed some fresh fruits and a rotisserie chicken so we can have some sandwiches and soup.

Check out some of the things we had this week and please share what you've been making!

I feel like the only way to stay ahead is to prep, cook and fill the freezer with some frozen meals. 

Which I do do and its great but then we clean it all out and I fall behind until the next big cooking day. 

I am not great at keeping ahead enough so it doesn't feel completely overwhelming 😅

A few days ago I was invited to Atlantic Superstore for the unveiling of the new Hope Blooms rebrand and product launch. It was a wonderful celebration!!

You have to read more on Hope Blooms HERE 

Since 2008, Hope Blooms has had a measurable impact on the community of North End Halifax in food security, community confidence and inclusion, and education.

I am so proud of everything they have accomplished and the products speak for themselves!

We ate so many delicious foods!! Take a peek at the photos below, I will be recreating these at home. 

Next up is the old faithful!!

I have really tried to scale back my nacho intake since I found out I have a dairy intolerance but we are such a nacho family!

I am sure I have shared this before but I had some leftover chicken, it was shake and bake but that doesn't matter. I mixed it in with the presidents choice Sweet BBQ sauce and topped that on the nachos. 

This BBQ sauce is just SO good!

I've fallen back in love with Cheerios but give me the Apple Cinnamon Cheerios all day, everyday!!

They're the PERFECT tiny little snack! Like grab a handful and go, or get something in my tummy so I don't feel nauseous while walking Teddy but doesn't weigh you down like eating a big breakfast before a walk does. 

Dare I say, they satisfy like a sweet treat does?!?!?!? they're really good, tell me if I'm crazy lol

Let's end things with a shout out to great neighbours who bring you over yummy things like a chicken and veggies plate! 

And honestly, there is nothing better than a piece of chicken with a side of roasted veggies!!! All of my days are spent complicating things, overthinking what to make and how many sides to have. 

I am sure this was a one pan meal and it was SO beyond good, a warm hug type pf meal 💛

Sunday Supper: What to eat this week?

 Heeelllllloooo....

                       

via GIPHY

I wish I had better news for you but unfortunately this has been another unbelievable week!

My heart goes out to everyone affected by the flash floods in Nova Scotia. I don't have the words to describe how upsetting its been to go through so much these last few years. I am just going to forge ahead with some foodie info in this blog post because its all I can do to not cry & I need to do something to keep my mind at ease. 

I wish I could say I have some good meals for you but this has been a busy week!! Last weekend was Elliotts birthday party, then we attended a friends 40th wedding anniversary party and we jumped into the older kids going to day camp this week so I've been kind of all over the place and not very on the ball for meals. 

Although, I feel like I did what I could and I was sending some food to a neighbour so I managed to snap some photos of those paper plates heading out the door & Scroll to the bottom if you want those yummy waffles seen above recipe!

Taco night is always a hit in our house! Everyone loves it and we do a DIY table so you can customize your own. 

I make the typical kit and some of the toppings are: cheese, lettuce, salsa, avocado, hot sauce, balsamic vinaigrette glaze. 

But my real tip for this one is to have some Tostitos on the table as well so you can either build a kind of undone nacho pile on your plate or you can use them to pick up all the crumbs that fall from your taco and eat that extra 'waste'. You could totally use a fork but the Tostitos are a nice filler and doesn't dirty any extra silverware!

A little chicken I breaded with panko and some roasted sweet potatoes. 

This doesn't look pretty but its a really great tasting meal! I use mayo to coat the boneless skinless chicken breast and then I coat with panko and any seasoning I have on hand (maybe some Epicure SPG or just some sort of Italian seasoning works!) 

And I am SUCH a lover of round cut potatoes..only me?! Is this a thing? an East Coast thing? a Cape Breton thing?

We roasted a turkey this week! Its my favourite food that stretches into many meals so we went ahead and had the full turkey supper day 1. Today we had sandwiches and tomorrow I'm making soup!!

                          

via GIPHY

We were suppose to have our book club meeting this week and we have not had a meeting in a long time due to the wildfires and rain and now flooding.. unfortunately we had to cancel again. Hopefully we will get back to it soon!! but for now I will leave you with the name of our baker - Little Bee's Bakery - find her on FB or Insta!

We have ordered a cake from her for Elliotts birthday, I've picked things up at her booth at the Sackville Farmers Market and I was able to snag all these goodies that should have been going to book club with me but are now in my belly/and or freezer.

We had some super yummy treats at an event hosted by PHITCetera 

We did a little litter clean up around the neighbourhood and then enjoyed some snacks and chats with a local group of bloggers/creators. It was such a fun night and I cannot wait to share more with you about PHITCetera. Its a small shop in Larry Uteck with the most beautiful sustainable fashion. 

Oh, I picked up this hydration powder on Prime day, its a collaboration between Alicia McCarvell and Cira. Click link below. 

So far I love it. and I chatted with my friend Suzi (Suzi Fevens!) who also tried it and loves it. So I feel good about it, Suzi is my helper in so many things body and wellness so I trust when she says its good 😍

We enjoyed these waffles tonight, we love breakfast for dinner! 

I usually double or triple the recipe so we can refrigerate/and or freeze some.

The kids always love helping make this recipe as well so its a win/win!

Please give me some dinner inspo because I am hitting a wall with summer meals.

I'm so tired of the humidity, hoping for some more enjoyable outdoor weather this week 💗

This is my waffle iron, only $35 and its great! I've been using it for 3 years now :)

Cha-cha-cha-cha- changessss...

 This last year (summer 2022-2023) has been cray cray!

So much has happened, I couldn't possibly recap it all but lets go over a bit and if there's anything you'd like to hear more about just let me know! I keep meaning to keep everyone in the loop but all I can seem to do is hold on for the ride.

Honestly the only way I can remember all these things is by looking back in my photos! 

Thank goodness I am a 24/7 photog who never deletes anything 😂

Last Summer we went to PEI, it was such a great family vacation. We are so thankful to live near so many beautiful places and attractions, the islands are my favourite. 

The photo above was taken at Grandpas Old Fashion Photos in Cavendish. 

What you may not be able to see is that during this time I was having incredible back pain. It's very rare for me to have this level of pain, I couldn't stand straight at all, I could hardly walk, I was really pushing myself to smile.

We were half way through the vacation at this point and I chalked it up to sleeping weird and all the walking but wow, it was rough and I took a lot of Tylenol. 

Later on I would discover that I was Pregnant at this time (cue all the guilt for that Tylenol 😔) It was very early, probably the cause of this back pain. And sadly that pregnancy didn't work out and you can read more about it Here - Click

That was difficult, especially around special times like the holidays and the due date, which was around my BIL's birthday and we don't have many spring birthdays in the family so I did look forward to that and the joy it would bring. 

The last photo of me when I was pregnant

Unfortunately I didn't have much time to mourn as I went immediately into the boob saga!

You can read that complicated story Click Here, thank you to my friend Krista for this wonderful piece!

Even more unfortunate is that this is ongoing. Just last month I had another scare with this development. I did go to the dermatologist and its just one of those things... we can keep an eye on it but there's no real explanation. 

stupid boob

Anywhoo, during all this life was marching on!

Just Last August >

We started major house renovations last summer, we had a beautiful shed built, our entire basement finished, including blowing out windows! We got new builtins in the living room, a new backsplash in the kitchen, we painted the entire basement, main level and half of the upper level!

We had to fix our broken ensuite and I got the most beautiful custom made Little Library added to the front yard!

I can't believe how far we've come in a year house wise! I always said it would go by fast and feel like we've had these changes forever (which it does!) but when you're going through them - its a lot!

We LOVE everything about our little makeover and have always felt so happy and at home here but this really sealed the deal. Plus you can't buy good neighbours and we have a wonderful community, I am obsessed, I want to do more and have more parties but I had to take a bit of a break because of all the things on the go here at home and with this boob 😆

I started helping out more at the kids school, took on some extra things with the president position for the school PTO and what a learning experience that's been! Crash course in everything from dances, to bingo, to markets and managing my own emotions and expectations. I LOVE doing this kind of thing, but trust me there were MANY tears and many, many laughs. At the end of the day I couldn't have survived without the help of the PTO members, and I feel super excited and much better prepared for the upcoming year. 

I spent a year on another board at the local community centre and learned so, so much there as well. This was more the business and management side of things. I did step down this summer as I signed up to be a Girl Guide leader again and I couldn't manage all the things on the schedule but I am so thankful for the people I met and the information I gained through that experience. 

We have dealt with pretty severe anxiety with the kids this year, much too much to get into but that's basically what brought me back to being a Girl Guide leader. I feel like I am well suited to work with the kiddos because its all fun and games to me! I really enjoyed being a leader in Newfoundland and I want to be there for the kids as they're joining and growing through these phases/ages/clubs.

On a very sad note we lost our Roxy Girl (cat) last spring and we sadly, lost Marley Dog on January 1st 2023.

The house is so empty without her and she will never be replaced, we talk about her almost daily and I look at her photos all the time. 

We did open our doors to a new family member - TEDDY BEAR the sheltie. 

You know him, he's a cutie and it's like he's always been here. 

We made some really special memories this year! We *just* came home from PEI 2023 which is always amazing and we did something super fun in April - the 5 of us went to Punta Cana, Dominican. 

It was the kids first time on a plane and they did AMAZING. I was worried, I am not good under pressure when flying. I get claustrophobic and anxious so if the kids lost it, I felt like I would lose it, it would have been a whole mess! But they were incredible! Honestly, it went the best it could have minus Nilah peeing all over me when we were only 20 minutes from home because she was terrified of the plane bathrooms. I can't blame her 😂

Something I didn't share publicly yet is that Nick and I have been doing a little house hunting!

We have been on the lookout for a cottage for our family to grow into. We have been looking online, going to viewings and we made 1 offer so far! Which wasn't accepted 😅 But its a dream we have, we even looked at a tiny house!! We have a very modest budget but you never know.. someday we hope to find The Cozy Clarke Cottage.

I have been working so much this year! I tend to shy away from calling myself a working mom but that's what I am I guess! It's not as traditional as my work with Canada Post (am I going back?? Who knows, I have a tiny bit more time to figure it out) but I have worked so much this last year with Brands and Businesses, with creating my own line of Journals and trying to figure out what's next for Holly's Housewife Life. 

That brings us to it!

What is next?!?

I have been working with Incandescent Clothing for a year now, having the time of my life and learning so much about fashion, business and women supporting women!

Going to incandescent every week has really brought a joy to my life that I didn't even realize I had missed so much. I LOVED working retail. I love the mall, the people, the styling and the community. 

I love beauty, makeup and the fashion world. 

I also love education. I have done so many different things in my life, some traditional, some self taught and I always come back to wanting to learn more. Last year I looked through every course available at NSCC and I truly would love to take so many of them. 

I have an interest in PR, Marketing, Fashion, Design, all of the beauty world and so much more. 

I've gone through the schedule so many times wondering if someday I could make it fit and maybe I would go back to school or who knows! I don't believe there's only one way to gain an education, NSCC or University have some great options but I am I hands on learner and maybe I just want to shadow someone or maybe I am craving a new job or career...

After putting A LOT of energy into this.. the bottom line is it still doesn't fit this season of life for me, just for me! I know many people who make it work but I am looking at our life and I'm very happy, I want to be here all the time, I want to support the kids in the ways they need right now and with all the anxiety in this house.. it means I should be at home for now, doing what I do here - which is A LOT. Kinda why I need a break or change of scenery TBH 😆

So how do I fill that nagging feeling like I need something more for me? 

This upcoming fall will be very different, all 3 kids will be in school 9-2, I've never had that kind of schedule so I decided to sign up for school myself.. but not dive in as deep as community college etc. 

I decided to take an online Makeup Course at The Institute of Makeup Artistry

This is a 6 month program, all online, based out of Vancouver BC. 

Because it is online, I will not be a member of the Cosmetology board here in NS.

They unfortunately do not accept online diplomas but it will give me a great boost into the beauty world. I will gain real knowledge and skills that will hopefully make me feel more confident in sharing with you all!

I've had a bit of an imposter syndrome over the last year or two when it comes to beauty. 

I don't have any technical training and the YouTube world has grown and changed so much I felt like I couldn't keep up. 

I am really excited to build my confidence and skills while being able to share my portfolio and test the waters to see if this is something I will continue for fun or if maybe there's even further education in my future. 

I start immediately and will keep you in the loop!!

OH! another change. 

We sold our Civic!

My 13 year old baby. She was a great car, so, so many memories are wrapped up in that tiny car and it was very sad to say goodbye. 

We are now a 2 van fam and I can't recommend a mini van enough! they're amazing 😍

But a Honda Civic will forever be a real MVP..

And there just might be more on the horizon for HHWL and friends... 

I've been leaning into what I love and you know that's a long list 😂

 but Friends, Family, TV, beauty and fashion would fall near the top 💗

Stay tuned for more... you know I gotta keep you on your toes!!

Chat soon!! XOX

Happy Summer!!

Sunday Supper: What to eat this week

 OH MAN.

This past week was BAD, real bad. (for food😆)

Every single day there was a party. There was a lot of ice cream and pizza.

Safe to say the entire family is not feeling their best. We enjoyed the partying, don't get me wrong 😂

But being out of the house so much was tough! We weren't home at all and when we were it was KD and pizza here as well because we were rushing out the door!

I did make the Benjiman TV creamy spaghetti which is one of my absolute favourites!! 

It is so quick and easy & SO tasty! The whole family enjoys this one and I had been craving some comfort pasta. 

I love this recipe because it is fast to pull together, I usually have everything on hand  and I always keep a frozen garlic bread on standby for the side. If nothing else the kids will demolish a garlic bread!

See the Youtube video below 

I use any canned pasta sauce but this one is a fav of mine but I'll tell you my secret with canned pasta sauce, let me know if anyone else does this.. 

We don't like it chunky.. so I pour that jar in the food processor and whip it into a smooth, rich sauce!

It makes any sauce better, I swear! Its richer and creamier, we love it this way.

I didn't find we had enough sauce to ground beef so I added a can of these Pomodoro San Marzano tomatoes to the food processor and whipped these into some extra sauce.

I CANNOT live without these tomatoes now!! but they're so expensive!!! I could cry. 

Someone message me when these go on sale 😂

$6.49 a can omg. I just checked. I remember basically last year they were $5 bucks a can and I couldn't handle that. Ugh. I am sad now. 

Anyway, I was going to say I can't live without these tomatoes. I always have them on hand because they make the best pizza sauce, just blend them up with some Italian spices. 

& They make fantastic tomato soup!

And they can fill in on any recipe that requires tomato sauce.

do you need to see a photo of my KD?

No.

But I need to know how you use your ketchup with your KD 😆

Dollop on the side, zig zag, happy face.. don't answer if its no ketchup that's just crazy! 

Nick and I went out to Sushi Nami which was really nice and I had the teriyaki bowl. I use to love their teriyaki bowls but I hadn't had one in years and it was much more spicy than I remember!

These Smokin' Corn ribs from Presidents choice were a hit!

PC sent these over to me to test out from the Summer Insiders Collection and they are so yummy. 

They eat like a rib would and they're covered in a tasty BBQ sauce but its the perfect amount, not too much, definitely kid friendly!

I made them in my air fryer and they were easy peasy! Will purchase for future events, especially good for a quick side that you know will be satisfying but doesn't need much fuss.

Why did I order pizza when we had pizza 367 times this week already!?😆

BECAUSE, JUST LOOK AT THIS MASTERPIECE!

Someone in a local group shared this post from Alexandras Pizza that said grease is a good thing when it comes to pizza boxes and honestly they're not wrong. It was pretty good pizza. Not Cape Breton Pizza.. but it was a nice treat!

We never have Alexandras and I think that's going to change. The secret is to order the 4 cheese garlic fingers (pictures above) I don't think I can go back to 1 cheese! 

Alright, I just got a major grocery order yesterday so hopefully this week will be better than last. 

Whats on your menu this week? I'm still trying to figure out if I'll have time to make a turkey. 

I did purchase a rotisserie chicken so I can make some sandwiches and soup and I also made a little surprise purchase... I BOUGHT A PANINI PRESS. 

Just a $40 one from Amazon, it's on sale right now, see below!

Good reviews and good price as a beginner panini lover but an experienced Sammy lover!

Nilah and I are obsessed with Press Play Cafe in Lower Sackville, Its a play place, board games and a cafe, great atmosphere.

Their food is so yummy! I am obsessed with the chicken cranberry panini and I have to learn how to make them at home. I swear I could eat that sandwich everyday. I always go in and get the same thing, chicken cranberry panini and tomato soup. 

So say tuned 💝

Sunday Supper: What to eat this week

 I have NO idea where this week went!?? 

What did we eat all week? I have almost no photos and even worse, almost no memory! 😆

We were out of the house A LOT this week, Nicks work has still been incredibly busy and the kids are wrapping up some sports while others are already starting (I'm looking at you soccer... wish they would hold off until the end of the school year 😅) 

I have been buying the kids lunch at the school cafeteria so its one meal I won't have to worry about.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays Nilah goes to a 9-2pm Preschool so she gets lunch provided on those days. 

I know that we were still snacking on a lot of leftovers from last week, we finished off some waffles and I had some chicken parm subs and some soup to finish earlier this week. 

Then at the beginning of the week I made a slow cooker pulled chicken. 

Pulled Chicken or Pork is a staple in this house! I just added it to the rotation this last year and I will never go back. It is so simple to make, I use the EPICURE pulled pork seasoning and drop it in the crock pot with either boneless skinless chicken breast or some type of pork (I usually have chicken breast so that ends up being more common). 

I saw my friend Jen from Simple Local Life - Click here for her sweet and sour meatball recipe that is an absolute favourite of ours!! Sweet and sour meatballs - click here 

Jen posted in her instagram stories about a package of sweet and tangy pulled chicken seasoning from clubhouse I believe, so I will be checking that out when at the grocery store.

I like pulled chicken because it can turn into anything!

A fresh bun with nothing, or add mayo, or add cheddar, or add coleslaw. 

Enjoy the chicken on rice or salad or, or, or.. 

Its so easy!

Next I did some Nacho Dip cups for Noelles Dance Awards Night and this is my GO-TO party snack.

I make it for everything 😆 Every Birthday, party, book club.. Its just so simple but so tasty and you can take it as far as you'd like to when it comes to toppings or side dishes. 

I usually make this on a large platter and smear it across the entire thing, I have a really nice sized platter from Superstore and it has a little lip on the edge so the dip doesn't fall over the plate. 

But since Covid I have been making individual cups if its for a larger event so that everyone can take a cup and a handful of Tostitos on their plate and hopefully that way it saves some of the cross contamination 😄

Holly's Famous Nacho Dip

- one package cream cheese 

- one LARGE tub sour cream

- one package of taco seasoning mix

- marble cheese

- tomato 

- green onion

- bag of tostitos

I always use the non brand name items for all the above, except the Tostitos! I am a Tostitos snob.

This recipe is SO simple and you don't need any gadgets to make it but let me tell you... 

Nick and I have been making this for 100 years and we use to use a potato masher and mix the dip by hand but these days we use either a handheld mixer or even our mini food processor and its a world of difference!!! so much quicker and easier!

Take out your ingredients and allow the cream cheese to warm a bit on the counter, you just want it a little soft or it may be chunky. 

Mix 2/3 a block of cream cheese, the entire tub of sour cream and 2/3 (or to taste) package of taco seasoning, this is where you could use a potato masher but its much easier to use a handheld mixer!

Mix until all combined and the dip turns a light pink shade.

Then you can spread this on a platter or make individual cups.

Next top with whatever toppings you like! We do a lot of cheese, sometimes we do only cheese because the kids like a plain dip. But mostly I top ours with cheese, tomato and green onion. 

It is so tasty!! You can serve this along side some tacos or picky plates and we use it as its own meal in those situations.

Or you can pack them up for a party! 🎈

When we picked Elliott up from Scouts Camp this weekend they provided lunch, love a provided lunch!! haha 

BBQ'd hotdogs, veggies, chips and cake!

I made myself a mozzarella, avocado grilled cheese style sandwich and it was really yummy!

I pulled this together from nothing so I was pleased with it, added lots of lettuce and some cracked pepper. 

It was delish!! but next time I will be trying to match it up with either a tomato, bacon or both! 

It needed something salty. We just bought a tomato plant for our back deck and I'm so hopeful that I will have fresh tomato this summer 🤞

So tell me what you made for supper this week!!

I actually bought a turkey this weekend so we will have turkey supper this coming week and then I can make soup, salad, sandwiches etc with the leftovers.

We have a full schedule until about mid July! and then its still really full just not as full 😆

So I have to try and get a head of things now 💗

Let me know if you try the nacho dip or make something similar! There are all kinds of variations out there 😍

Sunday Supper: Meal Planning

It's Sunday, I cannot believe a week ago at this time we were just at the beginning stages of the Nova Scotia wildfire nightmare.. my heart goes out to all my Nova Scotians at this time. 

I truly do not have the words for the devastation and loss, I hope everyone is doing as well as they can be. We will continue to look for resources to share and take part in.  Thinking of you all 💔

During the last few months we have been very busy and my meal prep has been almost non existent. You know I like the beginning of the week to get a start on things so I thought I would try to share more food content on the blog, starting today!

We finally invested in a garage freezer - yay! It is a big, beautiful stand up freezer and its my dream to have it filled with all sorts of soups and meals for not only our family but friends and acquaintances as well. 

I thought if we all share a bit more food ideas that would inspire me to get cooking! I'll share with you, you share with me and maybe we can get inspired to fill some freezers and some bellies. 

There is only 1 rule and that is that this is a 100% judgement free zone!

I am not a great cook, it's not all healthy, its a mess a lot of the time but it is just suppose to be inspiration. Take what you like and modify it for you and I will do the same :) 

I have come a long way in my cooking journey and dare I say... I enjoy cooking! 

So let's look at some food from last week!

The week started off great with these delish little lobster rolls from Presidents choice and a side of homemade french fries!

These are new from the Summer Insiders Report - Read The PC Summer Insiders Report Here

I always love the Insiders report for inspiration, style and fun new flavours. This season did not disappoint! PC dropped me off 2 bags of their new goodies so keep an eye on my meals to find out what the favs were. 

These Lobster rolls were so good because they come pre cooked! You literally only have to defrost and serve. The buns were so tasty but next time I purchase these I will make sure to pick up some lettuce just to fill up the sandwich and give it that little crunch. 

There are 6 buns in the box, & package of lobster for $24.99 

Ok, this was also gifted from Superstore and it is yummy, yummy, yummy. 

It's a sweet BBQ sauce which I used for many things so far but I really liked it mixed in with some cooked shredded chicken and baked for 10 minutes on top of nachos and cheese!

This would work for so many meals. I think I will try the BBQ chicken on little naan rounds as Bbq chicken pizza - a friend suggested this! yummy!

Speaking of chicken, I always seem to have some on hand. 

So this week I made Chicken Parmigiana sliders on sub buns. 

These were not fancy, I mixed some shredded chicken (I always have shredded chicken 😂) with some marinara I had left over in the fridge, topped with some mozzarella. 

But the trick to really tasty sliders is to mix some Epicure SPG with a little melted butter, brush over the buns and place back in the oven to bake until warm and toasty. 

Epicure has really helped me simplify spices and this SPG is good for every dish!

I rounded out the week with some homemade soup!

I love soup and would eat it every day so I usually alternate making homemade Tomato and homemade Chicken noodle. Whenever I make chicken and want to bulk it up for supper I mix up some dumplings and drop them on top! They're just so easy and add a nice cosy feeling to the meal.

Honestly life has been so busy lately, I have really leaned into DIY meals! 

Think Family style but even more DIY.. 😂

I have been prepping and placing all the foods in the middle of the table and getting the kids to help put their our plate together and serve themselves. 

Some examples that work great are: 

Sub station

Mini Naan rounds with pizza toppings

Chicken strips, macaroni and veggie meal

Taco night

So there are some of the meals we have enjoyed over the last week or so, what have you been making??

Tonight I cooked some ground beef and I made some pulled chicken in the slow cooker so we can make some meals out of those this upcoming week. 

We tend to do more simple & plant based meals for breakfast and lunch and hearty meals for supper but I am always looking for ways to up my plant based meals. You know I LOVE mushrooms! I eat so many mushrooms! 

A lot of veggies are hard on my IBS but we are big fruit eaters, I can't keep fruit in the house. It feels like it's all I buy and it is still gone by the end of every shopping day 😆

Lately I've been purchasing green juice and I find that's a good way to get some of those greens into us but it doesn't have the same harshness as eating raw veggies does (for me). 

Chat soon!

Take Care

XOXO