Everyday Murphy...

Words of wisdom

everydaymurphy — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:42:53 +0000

As mentioned in the post below, I thoroughly enjoyed Joseph Boyden’s Through Black Spruce, and was just reading a bio on him…and loved this quote (he is part Ojibwe):

“We have a way in the West of looking at man as the top of the food chain – we control the world. Well, the Ojibwe view is completely opposite: even rocks are higher on the scale than us, because you need a rock to build a fire. You need a rock to build a house. You need deer to eat. You need moose to eat. We are reliant on everything. But none of these things need to rely on us. We should be looking at ourselves as in debt to our natural world.”

I just picked up one of his other books, Three Day Road, also about an Oji-Cree family. Can’t wait to start!

3 good books

everydaymurphy — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:13:50 +0000

I decided I needed to start reading again, so in the past few weeks I’ve been lucky enough to devour some really amazing books. Not often to get three in a row that are really incredible stories, where you are up at 2am, eyes falling shut but forcing them to read just one more chapter. If you’re looking for a good read, you can’t go wrong with any of these:

Snow day

everydaymurphy — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:58:28 +0000

This morning got up and ready to get everyone off to school like usual…but then found I couldn’t get there. Left the house, and at the first hill realized I wasn’t gonna make it up, and had to turn around and go home. Tried again a few hours later, but at that point were blocked into our parking spot by our neighbour and a snow drift. So…got out the Buffalo Mitts and started shoveling. Little Miss Muffin thought it would be fun to see if being buried in snow was as much fun as being buried in sand. Turns out not so much. Ok..maybe a little.

K.I.T.C.H.E.N for kids

everydaymurphy — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:02:46 +0000

I’m hoping if I get my kids helping me in the kitchen as much as possible now, that in a few years, they will be making dinner. My daughter is much more enthusiastic about the idea than my son, who would prefer to be the taste-tester and critique our creations.

Always on the lookout for kid-friendly cookbooks, today I discovered Jennifer Low’s Kitchen for Kids http://kitchenforkids.com/welcome/about.htm. Perfect even for kids a lot younger than mine, the recipes call for no sharp knives, no stove-top cooking (I will use the stove as I hate microwaves) or electrical appliances. There are beautiful photos of every recipe, and they all look incredibly yummy. Although heavy on the dessert-end, there are also simple but delicious-sounding dinner ideas like Paddy Thai Noodles and Dumpling Ravioli. We can’t wait to get started!

Squash soup….mmmmm…..

everydaymurphy — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:27:22 +0000

1 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks
1 onion
1 large potato
1 butternut squash
2 carrots
1 stalk celery
1 clove garlic
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup light cream
Salt & pepper
(garnish with green onion or chives if you like)

Directions:
-in a large, heavy saucepan, cook leeks and onion until translucent.
-add potato, squash, carrots, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, stir and leave for a few minutes.
-add stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat , cover and simmer for about 20-min. Turn off burner.
-using hand held blender, puree the mixture (as smooth or chunky as you like). Stir in cream (I sometimes leave this out if I’m avoiding dairy), season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve with warm, crusty bread!

10 (ok, 12) of my favorite records

everydaymurphy — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:05:08 +0000

1) Jacksonville City Nights – Ryan Adams

The perfect record. The perfect voice. The perfect music. Just perfect. The emotion he conveys with his voice can make me cry even on a song I’ve heard a hundred times.

Especially good on lazy, rainy days….and for daydreaming of living in the woods, in a beautiful, tiny Frank Lloyd-Wright cottage, with Ryan Adams, who sits and sings for you all day. Not that I’ve done that.

Must-listen-to-track: Dear John (with Norah Jones)

2) Cold Roses – Ryan Adams
My number one favorite singer/songwriter/voice of all time. This is one of his more alt-country dics (that’s how I like him best)…and it’s a double-disc – yay!

Must-listen-to-track: Let it Ride or If I Am a Stranger

3) Love Warriors – Tuck and Patti

This reminds me of working at Fashion Crimes, a small, designer clothing store on Queen St West in the early 90’s, with Carla. The soundtrack to this time in my life is Nick Cave, Tom Waits…and Tuck & Patti. No idea how we found out about them, but so glad we did. It’s dark and the snow is falling outside, no one is coming in to shop, and Carla and are sweeping, tidying, and belting out Tuck and Patti at the top of our lungs.

Must-listen-to-track: They Can’t Take That Away From Me

4) Green Day – American Idiot

For some reason I always feel slightly embarrassed when mentioning my love for Green Day…like I should not admit this to anyone over the age of 12. But this record is brilliant in every way: musically, lyrically – it is simply genius. An incredibly insightful commentary on 21st century life, by boys who know how to write perfect pop/punk songs.

Must-listen-to-track: Jesus of Seburbia

5) The Waltons – Lik My Tractor

This band could have been huge. Three boys from the prairies, who wrote beautiful songs that would stick in your head for days. Jason had a voice that could break your heart. Love this record.

Must listen-to track: Colder Than You or And the Farmer’s Hand

6) The Smiths – The Queen is Dead

Teen angst on a disc. “And if a ten tonne truck, kills the both of uuuuusss….to die by your side, is such a heavenly way to die.”

Reminds me of St Catharines, and Club Exit/going ‘over the river’ for fun.

Must-listen-to-track: There is a Light That Never Goes Out

7) Ron Sexsmith – Retriever

My kids call him “Droopy”…a name my daughter gave him when she was about three. She thought he sounded, well, droopy. But he writes beautiful songs that get you right in the gut.

Must-listen-to-track: Dandelion Wine

8) Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

If I heard an angel sing, I know she would sound like Neko Case. My favorite female vocalist of all time. Probably my third favorite record of all time. I love the lush layers of so many instruments, with her gorgeous voice soaring above it all. Heavenly.

Must-listen-to-track: The Needle Has Landed

9) Loreena McKennitt – The Visit

Also from the Fashion Crimes/Tuck & Patti era. Loreena fit in well with the clothes we were selling (and wearing). Think John Waterhouse painting (but with army boots). My husband still doesn’t let me forget that I used to ride my bike wearing a velvet cape.

Must-listen-to-track: Lady of Shallott

10) City and Colour – Bring Me Your Love

I discovered this record on a road trip, immediately following the death of UFC fighter and blogger Evan Tanner…whose blogs I read religiously and thus felt almost like a friend. I was so saddened by his death, and this disc perfectly captured everything I was feeling.

Must-listen-to-track: The Girl

11) The Lemonheads – It’s a Shame About Ray

This record reminds me of the excitement of being out in the world on my own for the first time, and loving every minute of it. Perfect, zingy pop songs sung by the cutest stoner ever.

Must-listen-to-track: Confetti or It’s a Shame About Ray

12) The Lowest of the Low – Shakespeare My Butt

I was obsessed with this band (and Ron Hawkins as a solo artist) from the late 80’s until….well I think until I was distracted by my discovery of Ryan Adams. Ron is a brilliant songwriter and puts so much raw emotion into his songs, they give me a total visceral reaction every time I listen. My second favorite male vocalist of all time.

Must-listen-to-track: Bleed a Little While Tonight

Well, orange is not the right choice

everydaymurphy — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:44:12 +0000

Still grasping at straws with my paint-challenged self…trying to figure out what to paint the bottom. Was all excited about the orange, but…..no.

Goodbye, my sweet.

everydaymurphy — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:50:06 +0000

I gotta get off the sugar train. I am obsessed with Lindt’s dark chocolate with sea salt, but I have no restraint when it’s in the house. I think it’s time to stop it altogether. I’m getting all choked up just thinking about it. But it has to be done.

Decorating dilemma

everydaymurphy — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:31:10 +0000

I stink at paint color selection. Yesterday, on a whim, I picked up another can of my favorite Silver Fox and started painting the kitchen. I did only from the chair rail up…but I’m thinking it might not be working. I had originally planned to paint the bottom a beautiful teal blue that I have in my office (it has Silver Fox from the plate rail up)…but now that I’ve started, it’s not feeling very kitchen-y. I definitely want a vintage feel (and fell in love with a teal blue kitchen at Pioneer Village), but this is just feeling sorta dark and….I don’t know. I also love my new Anna Maria Horner oilcloth tablecloth, which has a soft blue base…but I’m not sure if the teal is gonna work. Suggestions? Help!

Dead or Alive?

everydaymurphy — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:22:57 +0000

So today a friend of mine Tweets that beloved Canadian music icon Gordon Lightfoot is dead. Turns out he isn’t, thank goodness…but in the discussion of ‘is he/isn’t he’ that went on for an hour or so, I found out that someone quite close to me DATED Gordon Lightfoot years ago. To the point of almost moving in with him. How could I not know this?!