Bubbles & Pie Crust

I have found my camera chargers. Having no camera is by no means a solid excuse for having not posted since the...ahem, inaugural post, and neither is it the only excuse. Things have been busy. However, a blog post without pictures is no fun, and the last few days the camera has been out, capturing magic. Behold the divinity of cooked banana, dark chocolate, and walnuts wrapped lovingly in left-over pie crust, and a baby discovering that which brings out the inner child in any self respecting human, bubbles.

Yesterday I made a pumpkin pie for a friend. It felt strange making a pumpkin pie in June, but alas, when it comes to pie, I aim to please. The fun part of making a single crust pie is the left-over crust. Sometimes I make a fruit or berry galette, or perhaps the little jam pop-overs that I made with my mom as a child. Yesterday, I was too lazy to haul frozen berries from the freezer and dirty another bowl mixing in spices and sugar. I dug in the fridge and discovered precious little jam. I gazed at the left-over crust and almost...almost tossed it into the compost. Then I saw the banana. I sliced it into thick chunks and tossed it onto the crust. To that I added chocolate pieces, and without even thinking,  a handful of walnuts. I folded, crimped, and put it into the oven along with the pumpkin pie. It was simple. Simple, melty, gooey, flaky, and not too sweet. I didn't even take a photo of the pumpkin pie.

 Today, magic. X has discovered the magic of bubbles. I can't think of much else that exemplifies what a childhood should be. Perhaps bubbles and pie crust. She's a bit little for dabbing blops of jam into left-over pie crust circles, but it won't be long.

Here I Am, and There You Are

My name is Stephanie. I am from Ithaca, NY and live in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in a big brown house on the west side. I live with Jose, my Spanish/ geneticist fiance, my seven month old tri-national daughter,  Ximena, and Mystery Cat, a former stray who I estimate at between 7 and 9 years of age. I occasionally contemplate the addition of a fish.

Right now, I am a full-time homemaker. I add that to the list of what has been- designer, marketer,  event coordinator, photographer, videographer,  personal assistant, bed & breakfast cook, housekeeper, student, dog groomer, server, bartender, landscaper, and if I reach far back enough, busser and babysitter. I also enjoy volunteering.


If one thinks about it in just the right way, all of these occupations provide one with the perfect set of skills for homemaking.  After all, I can craft home-made invitations for birthday parties, plan said events, document them thoroughly, assist myself in keeping everything organized, perform basic grooming needs up to and including the use of clippers, tend the garden, keep a child fed, napped, and entertained, and even fix a nice beverage at the end of the day, if desired. Did I mention that I also enjoy volunteering?


Frederick L Collins once wrote that there are two types of people--those who come into a room and say, 'Well, here I am!' and those who come in and say, 'Ah, there you are.'" Today I step into an empty room, hoping to make it inviting, so here I am. If you are reading this, well...There you are!