Home » Food » #WeekendCoffeeShare – Drab Weather and Big Plans

#WeekendCoffeeShare – Drab Weather and Big Plans

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weekendcoffeeshare

Hello my pretties!  Another week has flown by and we’ve our hostess Diana to thank for grouping us all together to share.  Just click on the box above, and you will be brought directly to her site to read other shares and maybe add your own!  Do come in, we are a most sociable bunch!

If we were having coffee, I’d offer good old drip coffee from my Melitta cone, or a stronger espresso or latte or cappuccino from my Italian coffee machine.  It takes a little longer but oh my, the flavour is so much better!  The weather has been wet and grey and blech.   The all-powerful “They” say that we are dreaming in Technicolor if we think we’ll have a white Christmas this year.  I decided to Google to find out how many “Green Christmases in Montreal” there have been since at least my birth year (1964) and couldn’t find it.  Heard a “ping” from my Facebook, and there it was!  The Universe does work in mysterious ways, doesn’t it?

green christmas

Wow, I cannot believe what I am seeing.  It was a green Christmas for my birth year, my sister Lisa’s, and my three boys!  Funny how we don’t remember these things.  All I could remember was being pregnant for Iain and the famous ice storm hit in 1998.  Mick and I had wanted to go visit Austin’s, our firstborn, grave as it was the first anniversary of his death on January 17th and the Mount Royal Cemetery was closed due to the detritus that were broken tree branches.  We ended up going up to the St. Joseph’s Oratory to light a candle for him.

Saint_joseph_oratory_montreal_2010q

©GaryandMarie.blogspot.ca

If we were having a nice cup of coffee, I’d have to apologise to my youngest for not mentioning what a fabulous job he did on his aquarium last Sunday.  The filter was dead so no matter how often he tried to clean the tank, in no time, it was a box of green.  A new filter, a major scrub and voilà!  The fish can now see outside their home!

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If we were having coffee, I’d tell you it has been a rather quiet-ish week activity-wise.  There were a couple of outings, including a date with a very nice fellow who is not quite my type.  We had great conversation (mostly my motor-mouth) and a lovely meal but I’ll have to leave him to another lucky lady.  There was coffee with my friend Andrea who wanted to make sure I was okay as this is a bit of a difficult period.  So very sweet of her.

I, of course, am pretty much always in front of my stove or chopping board so will have to share a couple of meals I prepared…  The chicken, pasta and chickpea stew doesn’t look all that exciting but I really enjoyed the flavours (hope my client did too!)  The Italian sausage and veggie frittata, on the other hand, was most delicious.  I was jealous of my client having one, so I made one for me and the boys.  Neither of them came home for supper and I have been eating a quarter of it every day since Wednesday!  And I’d have it again tomorrow but there is none left.  Sigh.

Chicken, Pasta & Chickpea Stew
Italian Sausage & Veggie Frittata

Every Wednesday, (or Thursday or Friday), I participate in Friday Fictioneers.  There have been a few that were none too fictional as the image prompts had me writing more personal stories.  This past Wednesday, I found myself dreaming of Tuscany.  So much so, that I actually sent my application to Linda and George of Cook In Tuscany and booked my culinary stay for next September!  What Linda and George offer is exactly what I’ve been dreaming of doing for years.  I used to (and still do) warn my family that I was going to pull a Diane Lane and never come back!  Now I have to try and wait patiently for nine months!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I am so very happy I got my hair done.  My bangs were driving me nuts and those roots?  They had to go! If I didn’t look so darn tired on the selfie I tried to take, I’d show you my new ‘do!

I was supposed to go help a new client cook at her place (another thing I’ve been wanting to do) but her guest list went from 20 to 9 so she decided to do it all herself.  She did, however, need help with dessert which I was more than happy to do!  A ridiculously rich brownie trifle!

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Friday would have been Mick’s 52nd birthday and my Facebook page was filled with love and good wishes.  I am blessed indeed.

And now my customer has hauled off her dessert (yes, it is that heavy!), I’ve gobbled up my poached egg with avocado and tomato and my coffee to go is ready to go.

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Look at that!  The sun has come out full force for the first time in what feels like ages!

I wish for you all a most wonderful week leading up to Christmas and I hope you take the time to sit back, relax and enjoy the spirit of the holidays without too much frazzle!

Merry Christmas to those of you who do celebrate it and Happy Holidays to those of you who celebrate something else!

xoxo

 

 

26 thoughts on “#WeekendCoffeeShare – Drab Weather and Big Plans”

  2. You and Mick (and your boys) have been on my mind this holiday season, Dale. I am glad that you are the type of person who dives into life with gusto, and it’s fun to read about your doings. But, if you ever need an ear, I’m here. xox

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  3. Many wonderful memories in this short chat … and quite a range of memories for you in December. … and oh the food you provide … always a treat … Meanwhile, the flock is patiently waiting for some of your culinary treats at my holiday party – which isn’t the same without you … but I figure Pier 1 must have you in chains at the moment.

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  4. You always make me hungry when I read your posts!

    It’s good to see that you are on the move and not letting any moss grow beneath your feet. It keeps you vital and active and young! I know some days must be difficult but keep moving and being you!

    Wishing you the best of the holidays!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you, Corina. Oh definitely no moss growing here! I can do nothing else but be me.
      Have a most wonderful Christmas (or whatever you do celebrate!) We’ll “see” you next Saturday, or Sunday…

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Merry Christmas to you to, Dale! We are looking at possibly 80 degrees, so no white Christmas here. Hee hee. Though their never is, we did have flurries one Christmas Eve here in Houston. I hope my Santa hat looks good with shorts.

    So glad you have friends and family surrounding you. It seems crazy that at year has passed.

    Sending love!
    Tammy

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    • Oh hello Tammy! A most Merry Christmas to you and C.J.! I would have been shocked if you had snow and we didn’t!
      I cannot wrap my head around it. I will be writing something on Monday to mark the last of the First anniversary events. Totally crazy.
      Lots of love you you both!
      Dale
      xoxo

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  8. Wow Dale! That trifle looks divine! I’d love to polish off some of that I’m a real chocoholic.
    Hope Christmas goes okay for you and the family. Such a tough time for those missing loved ones. You seem to be going well but I know from my health scenario how you can look good on the outside and still not be okay behind the scenes. Have your moments. It’s great you have such love and support around you who get that, by the look of it. That moving forward isn’t usually a one-way journey and has it’s ups and downs.
    I ditto your wishes for a Merry Christmas to those of you who do celebrate it and Happy Holidays to those of you who celebrate something else! You put that very well. Here in Australia, Merry Christmas has lost much of its Christian meaning and is now more about Santa. We don’t tend to wish people Happy Holidays and even though many of the people reading my blog are American, I still feel the need to be authentic to my culture and where I’m from. It also concerns me that I could well make a bigger cultural bungle by trying to adopt someone else’s lingo.
    Take care xx Rowena

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