Wow it’s been a while since my last post. Kudos to those of you who post every couple of days or even everyday! With nicer weather, more daylight, and more events happening around the city, I’ve been trying to make the most of my time with the kiddies before dreaded old man winter hits again. I think I’ve come to accept that if I only have time to blog once a week then so be it. My children are more important to me than trying to keep up with regular blog posting. But blog reading is a different story, THAT I try to do daily.
So have you ever had one of those weekends where after it’s over you feel like you need a weekend just to rest up for the weekend you just had? Well this was definitely one of those weekends. On Friday we went out to last minute shop at Costco cause we had some friends coming over for hot pot that night. The hubby has half a day off work every Friday so we try to be in and out before 5:00 hits. Other than that I try to stay clear of Costco on the weekends. Consider yourselves warned 😉
We had shrimp, mussels, fish tofu, squid balls (minds outta the gutter peeps, these are just squid or octopus ground up and made into balls), salmon, enoki and oyster mushroom, spinach, watercress….
scallops, oysters, and beef. Sorry for the blurry picture.
One of my friends made these Hello Kitty cake pops for my kiddies. Isn’t she a sweetheart? Hmmm, how would I describe these? YUMMILICIOUS! Inside it was basically chocolate cake but the best chocolate cake I’ve had in a while. Moist and extra chocolatey just the way I like it. And so much more fun than just eating a normal cake. 11 out of 10 on these babies. Does that make sense? Whatever, it’s my blog 😉
Our other friend who owns a wonderful Korean-fusion restaurant in Calgary called Anju (which I’ll most likely blog about in another post sometime)brought over some drinks to make my favorite drink called the Bruised Heart. It’s got a mix of cranberry juice, aloe drink, peach schnapps, and Soju. Great friends, great food, great times!
On Saturday we had a wedding to attend. A quick picture with the kiddies before our date.
This was the centerpiece. No pics of the bride and groom for privacy reasons of course.
Our names were written on the cranes to tell us which seat was ours. See the red and blue mini laser light thingys on the favor box? Each guest was given one of those and as a surprise for the bride and groom they turned off all the lights while everyone turned on their lasers right before the happy couple made their grand entrance. It was pretty cool, almost like a light show. We originally got blue and white lights but Gary traded the white for a red so I could have my superman colours…lol. If you’re wondering, here’s what was in the box:
A picture with my lovely girlfriends.
Now onto the food. I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves.
Before Gary and I left I wanted to have a virgin Caesar so we headed to the open bar and got dragged into this:
Note to self: do not go anywhere near the bar before you leave a wedding. What was I thinking? I had 1 shot, Gary had 2 and then we ended up staying for another hour chit chatting with old friends before we were finally able to leave….lol. Good times, good times.
You know it’s a great party when you see the conga line pass by while your hubby is downing a few for you 😉 (I was the designated driver as usual.)
One last picture before we left. That’s my “I’m too tired to smile for the camera and just want to get home” look.
On Sunday we had lunch with my in-laws, some grocery shopping, a playdate for the kiddies, and dinner with my in-laws before they left. No pics as this post is already long enough. How about you, do anything exciting this weekend? Now off to catch up on the rest of my blog reading. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Until next time friends and family.
luvtoeat 
You look so pretty! I love the family picture at the wedding…you are a beautiful family.
I am in awe of your friend’s talents! Maya would go crazy over the Hello Kitty pops. Too cute.
I had to stop blogginge every day. It was too stressful and so many other things in my life were suffering. You are a good mother to put your kids ahead of blogging…I am tryiing to do the same.
Oh, and I avoid Costco as much as possible. That place is a madhouse all the time!
Thank you so much for your kind words Ameena! I know you’re an awesome mother. Just blog when you have the time.
The hot pot looks so inviting. Could we join in? Iike the lobster title – you are so lucky.
The wedding party sounds super fun and your family is beautiful especially the lady in black. Happy blogging (when you can)!
Definitely a great weekend but not perfect for me … b/c I wasn’t invited to Hot Pot, didn’t taste of those yummy Hello Kitty cake pops that makes my heart bruise without taking a drink *sigh* I guess I don’t belong; lol! but at least I know I belong in the group of “hotties” at the wedding.
Great wedding party, got to see lot of old high school friends, too bad I didn’t get a chance to take some pics with them, don’t know when we’ll see them all again. I was hoping you have pics of our old friends to share with me!
Lol. Told you to tell me when you were coming out of hibernation. Totally would have had you over. After your no reply on FB I assumed you were still hibernating. Yup yup, took lotsa pics with those old friends. Posted them already. The wedding was like a high school reunion wasn’t it? Loved it!
yes…what a great weekend! and yeah…omg…high school reunion, was so nice to see them all…wish i coulda stayed longer to play catch up with them all 😦
What a fantastic and busy weekend. I can totally relate… but that is the kind of weekend you want when it is as gorgeous out as this one was! What Costco do you go to? I was there on Friday, too. Met Vanja at the South Side one at 3:30 to buy school groceries (a really hot date) and then we went for dinner and a movie (The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo at the Princess Theatre… it was a great who=dun=it… but a few brutal scenes in it).
Then the market in the morning – and then I was sick all weekend. Poor me. Your family is so gorgeous. The photo of the 4 of you is so cute. It is always hard to get everyone looking at once. I love the girlfriend photo, too. Save those. Take them often. I am blessed to have many friends since I was 12. If you can grow old with good friends and your family, what more can you ask?
And – I sure hope you had help with that hot pot for dinner! It looks like a heck of a pile of work – AND FUN!
Oh,,,, I have SO much to learn!
Talk to you soon!
🙂
Valerie
I really hope you’re feeling better now Valerie. Thank you so much for your kind words as always too. I was at the south side costco at around the same time also. Too bad I didn’t get to interrupt your hot date…teehee. Maybe next time. I always prepare the hot pot by myself while the hubby plays mommy for a while. Yes, so much work but so worth it 😛
Hey LeQuan, you look so pretty in the picture before the wedding with you, Gary, and the kids. I also like the pic with you and your friends holding those cute pops (whoever made those is awesome by the way). Your little one looks so cute. Her face just makes me feel good and laugh-precious.
By the way, the coconut milk panna cotta is so easy. You’ll see once you do it. It’s rich and creamy too with redeeming qualities. You know, you could do it with just a tsp. of vanilla. The rosewater does add something very unique and special though…
Hope you have a relaxing week till your next post!
You look so happy and beautiful in your pictures 🙂 And I love the hello kitty pops! They are too cute! I am glad you and your family had such a wonderful time! What a great post!
Oh my, oh my! Those are some snazzy-looking appetizers!! I think my favourite dish to look at is the cucumber ring, but I could definitely go for the black forest cake melting in my mouth…
A CAKE-POP?!?!?!?!?!? At first I thought perhaps the lollipop was just candy – BUT A CAKE-FILLED POP?!?!? That’s like black-forest-cake wearing a hello-kitty mask on a stick!!! You should have take pictures of the inside. I WANT. ME WANTS.
Oh LeQuan — how I love your family. Azn pride REPRESENT. Haaaaaaaaaaaaa.
You crack me up Aletheia! Yes Azn pride 😀
Hotpot is something best enjoyed with a group of good friends – that is the joy of hotpot, I believe. 🙂
I think you might have a pannacota recipe to share with me soon! 🙂
You look GORGEOUS in those pics! I love that dress! I’m telling ya… One of these days I’m going to show up at your house for dinner! 🙂
I used to post everyday in the winter but now I post every couple days or so… I’m just so busy anymore hanging out with my family… But I’m definitely taking advantage of it!
I love hotpots! Wonderful way to spend the evening with good friends, eating and chatting. Those hello kitty cake pops are so cute. They look like sweets. I wish you had shown one with the cake inside. I am curious about how that is done.
Lovely pictures of you and the family. Looks like you had a great time at the wedding 🙂
LeQuan, you are GORGEOUS! Look at you posing all pretty in your wedding outfit! And the pic of you with the whole fam is too precious for words – Lex is like “where’s my cape? Do you have my cape??” Definitely a picture to be framed 🙂 Also, “Azn pride”!! hehehe. I’m glad you had fun at the wedding! I love weddings, but by the end I’m begging to go home and turn in early because I’m not a partyer! Love the conga line, too.
I think it’s great that you’re enjoying the weather and kiddies and not worrying about blogging. It’s good to fit that around your life, not arrange your life around that. When I first started, I blogged every single day for 2 months, but once exams started to hit I was happy to cut it back and just blog when I felt like it. I have a feeling that even when I get back the blogging will be more sporadic – gotta enjoy the warm weather! 😉
I love hot pot! I want to come over to your house and eat hot pot and share Hello Kitty cake-pops! xo
awww…thanks for your compliments Jessie. i’m sooo blushing right now. lol about Lex and his cape! seriously, that comment literally made me laugh out loud.
“enjoy”, that’s the word. enjoy the weather, enjoy life, enjoy blogging. as long as we’re enjoying it, it shouldn’t matter how often we blog. whether it’s everyday, once a week, or once a month…just enjoy 😀 hope you two free lovebirds are ENJOYING the beautiful weather!
What an exciting post! Those Hello Kitty cakies are sooo pretty! I want to know how to make them! Love it! Isn’t it great to get together with good friends – people who share your interests who you can really talk to?!
Your little family is so adorable. Just beautiful, really. Aren’t weddings so much fun? That menu looks incredible! I’m so jealous! Pretty food is almost as important as yummy food! haha!
I’m totally going to make that drink… thanks for the ingredients!
Love and Hugs, Mama!
Amanda
I LOVE salads that are in a cucumber ring! I always get so excited about them, and wind up eating everyones cucumber. Theyre just so fun! 🙂
You look great in all of these pictures – I especially love the one of you guys with the kids. So cute.
The hello kitty candy is so so so cute! I can’t believe your friend made them , please save one for me and I am sure I not too old for that yet! LoL.
I really like watercress in the hotpot, yet couldn’t find them here in the supermarket. Glad you enjoy the party!
Wonderful post. Thank you for sharing it with us. You have a beautiful family.
Fantastic photos of the food. What spreads…
You looked lovely in the photos.
Cheers!
Dear Lequan – Look how pretty you look! GORGEOUS WOMAN!
I love hot pot. IS there anything better than a good hotpot. For us purists where’s the tripe? & the liver?…just kidding, I’ll take fish balls (squid balls) any day though.
Fantastic spread…yummmy. Boy can I use a bowl right about now!
Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
a.k.a
fan of Costco 🙂
I must say I love Costco too…lots to see, try food and buy in bulk 😀 My spending always goes out of control there..haha
Wow…that’s really lots of awesome food, gorgeous ladies, a happy family with adorable kids and so much fun. LeQuan, you look fabulous!
Your family photo is BEAUTIFUL! your kiddos are soo cute! I love the photo of you in black dress, you are so pretty! Looks like great food at the wedding and a great party! Those hello kitty things that your friend made sound soo yummy!!
Woooohooooooooo!! Who is that hottie in the black dress? Wow, LeQuan, you clean up really nice 😉 Who woulda thought that under the mommie exterior was a babelicious cutie? I really like your dress and necklace!
I used to post daily too like 3 months ago but I found it way too demanding on my time so now I just do it about twice a week.
Looks like you had fun at the wedding but I think I would have enjoyed the food at your hot pot party more!
Do you think your friend would be willing to do a guest post on your blog about those hello kitty cake pops???
Denise you crack me up! Glad you think I clean up nicely lol. Thank you for your sweet words. I’ve already asked about the guest post. She’s a busy girl and I don’t want to trouble her. I’ll at least try to get the recipe though.