Manitobans

Howdy everyone!!

Just the other day something happened that reminded me just how Manitoban our family is!

We were having farmer sausage, schmofat, ( pronounced shmofat, with a tiny accent) perogies, and veggies for supper. That's a DELICIOUS Mennonite meal that consists of...

• Sausage (I hope you know what that is!!)
• Perogies - Those are kind of like dumplings, with a doughy outside and filling of normally potatoes. These yummy boiled carb blobs can be topped off with Schmofat.
• Schmofat - also known as cream gravy. (Not to be confused with American cream gravy.) A yummy you-could-almost-drink-it-in-a-milkshake hot sauce (not to be confused with hotsauce) made of mostly heavy cream and butter. It goes well with sausage, perogies, and caramelized onions.
• Caramelized Onions - are pretty much what they sound like. Onions fried up in still more butter until they are caramelized.
• Peas. Those are peas. Yup, that's what they are.

That's a delicious carb filled, super filling, easy to love, possibly protein packed, Manitoban loved, and overall amazing Mennonite-ish supper!!

All that to say, that's what we were having and Dad was grilling the sausage. While doing that he was eating sunflower seeds. Or as we and our friends call them in low german, knacksot. ( Pronounced k-nock-zote.) Now these are also sooo Manitoban!! Here is the process of getting the seed out to eat.

1. Place whole seed in mouth.
2. Crack between back molars.
3. Pry the seed open with front teeth and tongue.
4. Spit shell out and eat the inner seed.

As complicated as this sounds, it is easily learned at a pretty young age, and can be done on average for me in around 3 ish seconds. You normally put in a few in your mouth at a time. Or a handful. After there has been an outdoor gathering like a bonfire at our house the ground around the fire is covered with quite a few of the shells!!

Well, we were spitting these when our cats started eating the shells... we would be on the deck spitting shells down, and they would be nibbling away!! What's that you say, you haven't met our cats? Okay, time for Appendix C! ( And before you ask, although these cats are from Manitoba it is not a 'Manitoban thing' to own a cat.)

We currently have 3 cats, one female, and two males.

This is Toffee. ( I won't be telling you nicknames, because each cat must have at least 3, which would lead to Appendix D, E, and maybe F!!) He is my personal favorite, and (in my opinion) the cutest.

This is Mocha, she is the only female. She is Larren's favorite. And is currently pregnant... we are excited for baby kitties on the way!!

This is Caramel, he is Caidrie, Mom, and Dad's favorite. ( It is a ongoing debate between me and Dad about who is the best. Toffee or Caramel. ) Although all of the cats are very cute!!

Here they are together, from left to right: Toffee, Caramel, and Mocha. ( And I apologize, I noticed that Caramel was yawning. ) 

When these cats were only a week old, their mama (who looked very similar to Mocha) left and never came back. We don't know what happened to her... so we ended up bottle feeding these cuties. It was a good experience, but we wouldn't do it again. There were originally five kittens, but two of them died. They just needed their mama! We have noticed that these kitties snuggle more than any other cats we've had, which makes for great picture ops!! We often see Caramel licking Toffee's fur. (Dad thinks that it is because Toffee needs all of the help he can get when it comes to his hair, but I say otherwise!!)

Well it seems that I have gotten miles off of topic, but I think I have said all that I want to say!!!

So bye for now!!

Off to pet the kitties,

Alia

14 Facts 'bout me.

Hi Everyone! Sorry about the long silence, I guess that I have found enough stuff to do!!

Today I decided that I am going to share a little bit that you might not know about me.

1. I like fixing things and figuring out how they work.

2. I know how to play the piano, and enjoy composing. Which is kind of funny, because looking back on the blog, mom had a post in which I was playing the piano! (Find the post here )

3. I like snowmobiling and four wheeling, and know how to drive both! Which I really like doing! Daddy has taught me to drive things from a young age!

4. I like to cook and bake, and decided on my own when it was time to start! And almost gave Mom a heart attack by doing it! Mom and Dad were sleeping in on a Saturday morning when suddenly... they heard the oven door open!! Dad rushed downstairs, and found me making baked oatmeal. I had recently gotten a baking set, and so far it had only been used for play, until today! I matched up the measurements,the one four to the one four and the one two to the one two. Doing this I managed to actually make a successful baked oatmeal. I had wanted to surprise Mom and Dad, but once they heard the oven rack slide out, they were down in a flash. It was still enjoyed though, and that afternoon I got my first lesson on baking!!😜

5. I love little kids and have taken the baby-sitting course. I have been counting down the days until I get to babysit (age 12!!) since I was 7. 

6. I like spicy food. Now I wouldn't douse my pancakes with paprika, but in my case "Spice is Nice!"

7. Even though I am Canadian, I only REALLY learned to skate when I was around 9. But now I'm a big fan!! I even played my first game of hockey on ice last winter! ( You can tell that only my Dad is Canadian!)

8. I was training for a 5K, (3.1 miles for all of the Americans out there!) but it got postponed, due to... you guessed it Corona.😟 And since then I have lost gumption. I mean can you blame me? A large half of April it has been snowing. 

9. Even with Manitoba's wacky weather, (It was snowing yesterday!! And today it is so nice that I should probably be outside instead of writing this blog post, and could probably do so without a jacket.) I still love it here, and don't think that I want to leave. 

10. I love facts. I have a crazy amount of facts floating around my brain... maybe due to the substantial amount of reading I do. Did you know that a baby giant panda is the size of an ice cream sandwich at birth? And speaking of ice cream, did you know that the first banana split sold for 10 cents?

11. I love researching things. Also possibly one of the reasons I know so many facts. My dream job... besides being the mother of 18 kids... would be in research!

12. I have eaten pig and cow heart. Pig heart is like chewy chicken strips and cow heart is like bacon bits. ( Sorry to all of the vegetarians! )

13. I like coloring intricate designs, and enjoy making color schemes.

and last but not least...

14. My favorite Bible verse is Joshua 1:9.

Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you, wherever you go.

I hope you have a great day!!

Grabbing some shoes, a sweatshirt and heading out,

Alia

Noodle Niceness

Last week Caidrie had a run in with the flu. When our friends heard about it they kindly dropped off chicken broth, along with some other goodies, to help her feel better! (Thanks again!!) We have been wanting to make homemade noodles for a while, and with everything on hand for chicken noodle soup, we jumped at the chance. It went surprisingly smooth and we all had fun!

Forming the flour

Adding the egg

Mixing the egg

Kneading the dough 

(Don't worry, we only did a small portion by hand.)

Putting the dough through the rollers

My turn!! 

(Notice that this dough is thinner, this is farther into the process.)

The nicely thinned noodle sheets

They are quite long aren't they!?

Here we are guiding the noodle sheets through the cutter

Larren's turn 

(notice how long the noodles are, we had to go through and cut them all more!)

Every girl gets a turn, last but not least, Caidrie!

As you can see, this is a hot commodity

The finished product!! Which were delicious, I might add! 

Now it's your turn! What is something you have been wanting to do and now have the time for?! Tell me in the comments! 

Heading for the Vitamin C container,

Alia

Quarantine Questioner

Hey Y'all,

Today I'm going to do a Q & A about llamas, toilet paper,and more.*

Q: I have heard this virus called two different things, which one is the real name?

A: Both of these names (COVID-19 and Corona) are correct, one is just the scientific name, the other being the more popular 'friendly' name.

Q: What does COVID-19 stand for? 

A: CO stands for Corona, VI stands for virus, D for disease, and 19 stands for 2019.(The year that it was discovered.)

Q: Do I need to stock up on toilet paper?

A: No.

Q: So it isn't essential for survival?

A: No. Toilet paper is helpful and a good thing to have on hand, but it is not critical for living. Also stocking up on years worth of it might not be the way to go... worst comes to worst we just use leaves, and there are plenty of those in Manitoba. Though they might not be as fresh as we like (given the fact that we just finished winter) they are still better then nothing! We should also remember that toilet paper was only invented in 1857. People survived for many, many years before that without toilet paper, and we can too. (Though hopefully not for that long, just until Co-op restocks😜)**

Q:I know that some stores have been selling out of frozen pizzas, should I stock up on those too, in case we are confined to our houses?

A: Okay, it's good to be prepared, but getting 15 pizzas might not be the best way to go. As far as protein wise, pizzas are more of a fast burner and are quickly used up by our bodies. Plus they aren't the healthiest food on the block. Don't get me wrong, I quite like pizza, but when thinking long term it is better to get beans, rice, meat, quinoa and oats. These types of non or less perishable foods are actually quite high in protein and, like I previously mentioned, good for a long time. Tip: Dry beans stretch better then canned ones do.

Q: I have heard that one of the best ways to combat corona is to wash your hands, is this true?

A: Yes.

Q: Why is this?

A: Corona's bacteria has a fatty membrane on the outside, when you wash your hands the soap breaks this membrane making the bacteria unable to infect you. Also the rubbing motion you make can actually scrape the bacteria off of your hands.

Q: I've been told that I should stay at least a llama's distance away from people, how long is that?
A: Staying 3-6 feet away from people is one of the best ways (besides washing your hands) to combat corona. ( I know, the llama thing confused me too. It most likely came from a foreign country where the people there are more familiar with llamas then we are.)

Q:Why should I stay so far away from people?

A: Corona can actually spread by breathing, so keeping your distance from people should help reduce the spread.

Q: Should I be afraid?

A: No. Joshua 1:9 says: "Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." God is always with us through good times and bad, sickness and health and life or death. God will give you strength.

I hope you enjoyed! Off to go measure a llama! 😉

See you later!

Alia

*Please note that this might not be the most accurate, I'm only 11!

**I know that toilet paper is a controversial topic, this is only my take on things! 😉

P.S We have been told that our favorite locally made, family owned, take and bake pizza company sold 24,000 pizzas last week , in comparison to their normal 11,000/week. Hence the LESS pizza blog post!😜

Corona Craze

Hi Folks,

As most (okay scratch that, all) of you may know, a new (as of December 2019) virus has been sweeping the world. Because of COVID-19 (affectionately-NOT- called Corona) toilet paper has been in high demand, countries have been quarantined, and I have been going a little bit crazy. I now think that I am more of an extrovert and find it hard to stay so far away from my friends for so long. I finally found some crafts to do (more on that later) and believe the worst (for me) has passed. As for being 'socially distanced' I think the best thing to do is stay busy.

Also due to corona schools throughout Canada and the US have been shut down for varied lengths of time. But since we homeschool we don't need to stop. Not as exciting for me and my sisters as it probably should be😜. But Mom relented and this week we get to skip individual subjects. For those of you who are new to Kreiser lingo,that means anything that is grade differentiating such as Math, Language Arts, Spelling, and more.

I know that it is easy to be scared by corona, but we have God with us and there is nothing that is bigger than Him. God rules over everything, climate change, natural disasters, and you guessed it, corona. Though right now we might not see a purpose for all of this quarantine, sickness, and toilet paper hoarding, God has a purpose and a plan for everything... and will use it for His glory! (Okay, maybe not the toilet paper hoarding though!!)

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Signing off to go wash my hands! 😉

Alia

A Soaring Tradition

In our family we have a certain tradition, but it all started by mistake! For our birthday Dad normally gets the birthday girl a foil balloon, so naturally that’s what happened on Caidries birthday a couple of years ago. Well, one of her sisters (who probably wasn’t me... insert nervous laugh here!! 😊) was running with the balloon when it broke right off of the string and floated up, up, up to the 16 foot vault in our ceiling. There was no way to get it down (seriously 16 FEET!!) so we just waited. Good thing we weren’t on a time crunch because it lasted 4 months!! After that it became a tradition to let the birthday balloon go! So far the record is 7 months, held by my 11th birthday balloon!! Larren just had her birthday so it was time for “the balloon releasing ceremony!”

Success!!

I will give you an update when it comes down!!

A New Era

Hi, I'm Alia and I'm going to be (attempting to) take over this blog. If you don't know, my Mom (the esteemed Renee Kreiser... wink,wink) started this blog in 2009. Her main subject (for a time) was a very cute, adorable, and somtimes trouble causing 7 month old girl named Alia. Okay, okay... I know that's me, but now I'm 11, older, taller and (hopefully) wiser. Get ready... it's a new era!!

School is in Session

I've heard the saying "The days are long, but the years are short!" and can say a hearty "AMEN!" to that. Here I am, in a new season... turning a new page. All three of my girls are in school, and that leaves me with three hours each morning where I am flying solo! It's odd. It's quiet. It's prayer time. It's change. It's been sad. But it's also good. 

My lovely ladies on their first day of school...

Funny Faces...

"I'm going to miss you Mommy" faces...

"But we'll kiss you when we get home!" faces...

I have rarely ever been without children in the last 8 1/2 years... and I will say, it's a good thing to miss each other a bit. And it's also a very good thing to joyfully embrace in hugs each afternoon!!!

Matie and I waiting for the two older girls to get off the bus!

And here they come... ready for hugs, snacks, and talk, talk, talking!!

Bale Business

 Jon has always thought of unique things to do with the girls when he knows I just need a break. Often he'll take them for a country drive, or out exploring through the woods, or on a four wheeler/snow mobile ride to "new places they've never been"... or in the fall, when the hay bales start "rolling in" he'll take them to play on the "country playground!" 

They LOVE it! As soon as they see a near by line of bales they are asking to go visit them!! 

Since we have moved, we have a huge hay field to the east and south of us... and the kids were PUMPED when Mr. Mark started stacking bales along the edge of our property!

They drive the four wheeler over, hop from it onto the bales, and away they go!

I know the memories they are making on these "daddy adventures" will be highlights of their childhood!

And thanks to a zoom lens, I just snapped the pictures out the backdoor. Can you see them on the bales over there? 

I'll post pics of the house soon.... but see those hills of weeds? Thanks to continued progress on the exterior of the house, we are now ready to knock those down, bring in more dirt, smooth it all out and hopefully have a real yard again soon!!! 

One step at a time, with a little fun along the way! 

Horse Lovin' Gal

For the last number of years, Alia has asked for ONE thing every Birthday and Christmas... horse tack. Oh, and a real horse! :) We tried to supplement with stuffy horses and play horses, of various sizes and kinds.... so the next time a wish list was made, she was sure to clarify... "real live horse!" Because, clearly, Mommy and Daddy just weren't getting the message! :)

We are still getting our yard established, after the house build, so sadly a horse won't be joining our family this year... but POSSIBLY (I added that as a small disclaimer!) in the future.

So, when given the choice of gymnastics or horse riding lessons, Alia JUMPED at the horse riding lessons option... and couldn't WAIT to start!

There was a HUGE smile on her face, literally, every single minute of lessons!!! Every. Single. Minute... for 8 weeks straight!

Her teachers were above the top fantastic! They were always full of encouragement and worked hard to help her horse pick up the pace when need be!

Getting "Big Mac" to lope was Alia's FAVORITE part!!!

 It took her almost 6 weeks to work up to that, so it was a super exciting day when she earned that privilege!

Her sisters were great sports too.... it's not always easy watching big sister have all the fun (though of course, they got to have fun in gymnastics while Alia watched on!) but they would yell encouragement and say "Come on Big Mac!!" when it was time to barrel race!!

  

And go play with the barn cats, when things were slow paced!

All in all, her first go around with horse riding lessons were a huge highlight of her spring! And positive in every way!!

But guess who has a birthday coming up? 

And guess what's on the list?!?

The flame has been fanned bigger and bigger!! :)