Brian's Chicken Wings - Recipe

This isn't maybe exactly a recipe, more of a process - but it's worth sharing because the results are super delicious!

Cook chicken wings until juuuuuust done cooking in the oven (do not overbake).

Deep fry wings in peanut oil for approx 7 -10 mins. 

Once they are fried, toss in melted butter right away while they're still really hot.

Sauce with your fave sauce or flavoring spice or rub! 

It isn't really that difficult at all - but it's the most effective way we've found to get crispy wings, which is what we like. Nothing worse than rubbery chicken skin 😩.

To reheat leftover wings, the best way (to maintain crispiness) is to heat in an air fryer or a toaster oven.

Seint Makeup

My sister in law, Chantelle, started selling Seint makeup - formerly Maskcara by Cara Brook. I found her years ago on Pinterest and have been following her makeup highlighting and contouring tips since then - I think 2011?! I was excited to try her makeup, and enjoyed it - it applies very nicely! A full coverage makeup without leaving the skin feeling heavy or sticky. I adore the colour "Nude" as lipstick, perfect shade for me! (it's also on my cheeks)

 Here is the process - from bare faced, applying "frenchie lip & cheek" as colour corrector, "june" foundation, "olive" contour, and I used other eye products (Savvy Minerals pressed powder eye shadows, and Younique eyeliner pencil, and Ilia mascara). From beginning to end, it took 10mins. I used Seint's contouring/foundation brush, along with mine regular ones for the other stuff. I used Young Living ART moisturizer approx 10 mins prior, and considered that my primer. Super pleased with the results, the ease and quickness with which it all pulled together, and the longevity - it's 8:45pm and it's still all on there, except the lips!

Weekend Update - Porch remodel

We got the other 2 doors installed, and all the door knobs and locks put in. The original structure isn't exactly plumb, so leveling the doors took more doing than it should have, but such is the life with a reno vs a new build. It is what it is, and you have to get creative with making everything work.

Also Brian finished making all the new trusses for the ceiling. It will be a barrel/arched ceiling. Here are all the new trusses!

That means all these straight guys are going to be coming down.

This will be the ceiling - it's wood - red oak, I believe Brian said. Looking so forward to how pretty this will be in the end!!

 

Solomon is 4!

Happy Birthday kisses!

German (chocolate) + Shepherd('s pie) to celebrate

6 weeks old

10 weeks old

Handsome Boy

 

This is Us: Grey

Of all my kids, this kid pains my heart the most, I think. In a sweet way, but still...Grey is a little kid who is going places one day. He's quiet, sweet, kind, thoughtful - and he's really grown up a lot faster than he should have in a lot of ways. He was my baby for so so long, and I miss that. But he's also such an old soul, that he's grouped up with the older kids, and handles it well - but also I have to remind myself, he's only 10, he's really not big, he's little💗. He's our most careful student, and takes pride in everything being given 100% effort (and result), from quizzes to pretty penmanship. It is not unusual for him to spend all day on school. Literally all day (9 to 4) by his own choice with limited breaks. Doing something and not actually learning it, or doing it "well" is a concept that doesn't even exist in his mind. Excellence is the goal. Unlike the older two, who are quite the opposite, and have much lower personal standards for all things school😛 He is a true introvert, and finds time to play alone with his Lego, and is often off in his own little world, not paying attention at all to what the rest of us are doing. It's a good thing because it recharges him so that he can deal with the constant pestering and chiding and goofing off from the older two. He has a very tender heart, a killer sense of humour, still likes a good snuggle, and still get nervous during the scary parts in movies - I'll be sad when that phase ends.

Fave Foods: Quiche, Pizza, Sausage & Peppers (a meat sub sandwich)

Best Friends: Sonny & Benjamin

Fave activities: Playing soccer & football. Legos. Tubing. Rock & Mineral collection

Fave School Subject: Science and handwriting

Fave colour: Grey😉

Movies/TV Show: Peter Rabbit (new one), Corner Gas, Psych

Fave Family Vacation: Disney World (2019)

Best Restaurant: Olive Garden

Best Advice? "Don't take my advice. That's my advice"

Instruments: He takes piano lessons, and is "drums" in the family band. Mostly the cajon, but he's getting unofficial tips from his brother, and others, and does really well keeping us on beat!

This is Us: Brooks

It's hard for me to believe he's a teenager. He's outgrown so many stages it's hard to even remember them all - the R's as Y's speech impediment phase, the snuggle couch as a bed phase, the nervous of everything phase...He surprises me, because as he's grown, he's gone from most-like-mom to most-like-dad, and I didn't really see it coming somehow. One day, it just was. He has many of Brian's mannerisms, sense of humour, sarcasm and interests. He's a favourite of just about everyone - I swear there has never been a more popular kid. Everyone seems to know him, like him, buy him candy, and invite him to their birthday parties 😂 He just has a way of including others, and doing his own thing, while making others comfortable and somewhat just minding his own business. He applies these personality traits well at home too, bridging the gap between Kenna and Grey. He's a people person, who loves to be with his people. Lucky for us the whiny phase ended quite awhile ago - so he's pleasure to be with. He wins the gold medal for problems with teeth / jaw / mouth checking every single box in every category. After 4+ years he'll have a nice smile, and that phase should last forever, we just have to endure a little while until then😜 He's working on wrapping up the memorization of the entire book of 1st Peter.

Fave game: Monopoly - he has Monopoly, Jr Monopoly, Fortnite Monopoly, Canada-opoly, Hampton Roads-opoly & Monopoly Deal (not unrelated, Fave collection: Monopoly)

Fave sport: Baseball, football, soccer, etc...basically all the sports - tubing & waterskiing

Fave food & drink: Chicken Gnocchi soup (mom's recipe), & lasagna, tiramisu. Lipton Morac tea, & Twinings Buttermint tea

Best friends: Eli B, & Logan

Movie/Show: White Collar, Psych, Corner Gas, A Christmas Story, The Star Wars Series

Fave Family Vacation: Canadian Family visiting in the Outerbanks

Fave Restaurant: Macks Grill

Cool thing: a vintage (1960's & 70's) comic book collection (items found on Facebook Marketplace)

Best Advice? "Don't put too much faith in a certain football team, or their best player will go to another team and they'll be stuck in a rut. I'm going to spend my life rotting away in a basement watching and waiting for them to ever win again" 😂😂😂

Instrument: He's the guitar in the family band, learning the basics from my Dad via video chat, and kind of taking it from there. He seems to be very musical and also takes piano lessons, and is getting good on drums and cajon with unofficial lessons here and there.

This is Us: Vale

Our littlest treasure. She is the embodiment of a hurricane. A really loud hurricane. She's Momma's girl for sure - but only when it really counts ("serious injury")...most of the time, she's Kenna's. We're all really different people for sure, but we have one thing in common: Vale is our favourite. It's amazing to think how we ever got on without her.

Fave food: Avocado, French fries, nuggets, rice, broccoli, tomatoes

Fave drink: Apple juice and seltzer water

Fave stuffed animals: Poosh, Auss, Skye, Minnie seem to always come to the top of a MASSIVE faves list in this area

Fave show: Paw Patrol

Fave movie: Frozen 2

Fave app: "NewTube" kids

She's tall for her age, especially for one of our kids. She's twice Kenna's size at the same age (not literally, but sure seems like it). She speaks well, counts well, "reads" well, and general keeps us on our toes. We are so privileged to watch her grow and are so entertained by her antics. Ever since she showed up on the scene, she's taken over my Instagram account with almost daily pictures, so if you follow me there, you are well versed in all things Shaunie Vale

I asked her a few of these questions directly, and these are her answers (not necessarily accurate, but cute)

What is your favourite colour? "I wike Green"

What is your favourite Movie? "Mickey...Elsa"

What is your favourite food? "um carrots"

Where do you like to go? "I wanna go a Kroger" (this is 100% accurate, she LOVES Kroger)

Who is your best friend? "oh Kenna" Ok, but who is your friend at church? "I wike Kenna"