Make Yourself a Quiche! {Four Different Crust Ideas}

Whenever I make a quiche my husband raves about all the hard work I put into it and how good it is. Yes, he has good manners, but I'm pretty sure that he has them confused with souflees and he thinks I’m a culinary  goodess when I make them. I won’t correct him (yet) – but really, quiche is the EASIEST thing to make. It is also completely versatile in terms of fillings and crusts you can use, that is why in our house, it is usually a 'go-to' for an end-of-the-week, out-of-ideas meal.

Now, I kinda make things up as I go in the kitchen so I'm sure my recipe may be snubbed by some quiche-connoisseurs -  but here is my take on it.....

1. Mix together all the filling you want: veggies, spices, cheeses, meats. 

I usually use onion, garlic, tomato, spinach, mushroom, zucchini with salt, oregano, mrs.dash garlic.  Then I'll add whatever cheese I have (parm, feta, cheddar) and any meat (lunch meat, sausage, bacon, etc.)

2. Fill your crust of choice

3. Whisk together your eggs and if you want more of a custard add some heavy cream.  

The ratio is up to you, I usually skip the milk/cream and use about 5-6 eggs in a standard size pie dish

  

4. Bake at 325-350F for about 40 minutes (or until cooked all the way through)

 SOME CRUST IDEAS!

The Classic Flaky, Buttery Pie Crust

Hard-cores will make their own, I use the frozen kind and take it out a few hours ahead of time.  

Sweet Potato Crust

My little sister just made this one and it was delicious! She sliced yams and lined the baking dish with them (no precooking or oiling) - they came out perfectly cooked.

Basmati Rice Crust

This is from the Low GI Meals in Minutes cookbook (one of my favourite cookbooks) - super quick and easy to use some precooked rice you have left over.

Tortilla Shell Crust

I use about 3-4 shells in a lightly oiled pie dish. It's enough to prevent the filling from leaking through and makes a light and crunchy crust. You could even use the flavoured shells too.

What are your favourite quiche fillings? Have you tried different crust options? I'd love to hear about it!

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We Aren't Boring, So Why Are Our Style Choices? {EXPRESS YOURSELF!}

Do you have feel like your decorating decisions are ‘safe’ ? You buy something 'neutral' or 'timeless' but then feel like you end up with a bland room? Meanwhile you are looking at other rooms in envy cause you think they are so much more awesome? I do! Granted I’ve always opted for cheap over quality and maybe I’ve stuck with safer and neutral items knowing my husband wouldn’t put up too much protest over the purchase of a beige couch rather than a Kelly green one.
The same goes for fashion - why don't we wear those things we think are adorable!? When we see someone who is sporting a look we love we only think well of her self assurance and fashion sense - then turn around and try to make ourselves feel better by pointing out how those sandals make her ankles look puffy or that she must be a fashion-obsessed, debt-carrying, shopaholic - nah, we are just jealous.
What keeps us making these 'safe', nondescript choices with how we express ourselves? After all it is the image we share with the world on how we perceive ourselves - what message are we sending?

Why do we go for this....

 When we really want this?......

When we moved into this boring ole split level I knew we would be here for the next 15ish years and I thought – now is the time I start decorating how I’ve always wanted and envied over – buying things that maybe are a little more expensive but things I feel like they are a reflection of me and my aesthetic. 

 Here are the safe choices I've stuck with .....

Here are the looks I really wanted to go with....

I think a big turning point was (one, Pinterest! Thank you evil genuises who developed Pinterest! and two....) becoming a stay at home mom. Don't get me wrong, I'm not stuck at home all day everyday, but I do spend copious amounts of time at home now.  It kinda makes a woman go a little house-crazy. It gives you that urge to feather your nest, to make this house feel like the home you've always imagined raising your family in - having your friends feel welcome in - making your guests want to come again - where you and your husband feel peaceful and relaxed at the end of the day.
What kind of items and looks are you pursuing to make your house your home?

Picture sources:

Boring clothes

Brown Loafers

Cute outfits

Teal Heels 

Green Coffee Table

Yellow Side Chair

Yellow Chevron Chair

Yellow Barn Door

Red Dining Chairs in Blue Room

Teal Headboard in White Bedroom

Yellow and Grey Wallpaper

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Who Is in The Delivery Room with You?

During the prenatal classes the nurse asked 'Will you have anyone else in the delivery room with you two?'. My husband and I never talked about this but knew we had the same answer and responded in unison 'No'.
Fast forward to going into labour and being admitted to the hospital. The family and friends were notified and on their way.  My little sister, Rachel, asked if she could bring anything to us in the hospital, we had been there five hours so the necessity was food!
So it's 9 pm and Rachel brings us (my husband) some food, we get chatting, she lightens the mood, sends a few texts for hubby from curious family and friends, offers to stay with me if hubby needs to grab a nap (he'd been up since 4am for work) and that was that. It was an unexpected blessing!
She was also 6 weeks behind me in pregnancy so she says that she got a lot out of the experience in what to expect (especially since she had pretty much the same birthing experience as mine). It really brought us all so much closer to share the experience with her.

My sister with my son (a week before she had her baby girl)

So here is my official list of benefits to having someone in the labour room with you (especially for a long labour):

• An extra pair of hands to press on your lower back during contractions
• Someone to grab food, run to the parking meter, etc. 
• If your spouse needs to grab a nap then you won't be left alone
• A go between to those in the waiting room and someone to answer the countless texts asking for a status update
• A support for your spouse - sometimes labour can be scary and confusing, it's hard for your spouse to make sense of it all and stay strong 
• A clear head to ask questions that you or your spouse may not think of at the time 
• Someone to take pictures of those special moments

Pictures of me holding Levi for the first time, taken by my sister

But I don't think you can have just anyone with you. For me, there was no other who could have done the job my sister did - nobody other than my husband knows me so well (good and bad) and cares so deeply and urgently for my well-being. She is the reason I'll ever want any future daughter I have to have a sister too.  If you don't have someone like this in your life, then I urge you to consider a doula or a midwife, after all that's their job!

What is (or were) you plans for company in the delivery room?

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The Great Canadian Mobile Home Reno {The First Pancake}

The Final Product

You know how the first pancake sticks to the pan or burns or takes forever to cook and you get a mucky mess? Unless you are a seasoned pro at pan temperatures and flipping (which I expect to be in the next 5-10 years) you are usually left with a barely edible blob that we in our house call 'the first pancake' - the rest are all good after that one.  We refer to many things as the 'first pancake' and this home reno we did six years ago was our biggest on yet!
My husband and I bought an old trailer on 5 acres - really we bought a tractor and this is what it came with. A mobile home on part swamp land. It was a Real Estate 101 DON'T...but we did and got  schooled in DIY for Dummies, Home Makeovers on a Budget and the Art of Staying Together During House Renovations. Thankfully we had some great Dads to come help us navigate these waters.
Here are our before and afters I wanted to share. I'll do another post later with some budget friendly reno tips that we learned along the way.

Honey, let's buy this place and live here! WTF makes a woman agree? A tractor apparently!

The living room before. Yes with a courtesy chair left for us!

The living room after

Looking toward the kitchen peep hole, before

Toward the kitchen, after. Nice thing about trailers is you can pretty much knock down all the walls

The kitchen, before

The kitchen, after

The bathroom, before - you can't buy fixtures like that anymore

The bathroom, after

The bathroom before, it was pretty much a health and safety hazard to use the tub

The bathroom, after

Hallway, before

Hallway, after

'Master' Sconces

Master, after - not really sure what to do with those lights

Master, before

Master, after

Laundry Room, before

Laundry Room, after

Two VERY small bedrooms

With two VERY small closets

Took down the wall between the two

Made one big spare room

No Mobile Home reno is complete without an addition! Built on this addition with a dining room....

...and entrance with wood stove

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