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I just noticed in this picture that only one of my office doors had "frost" on the windows..I still haven't finished that!!

And, I should clarify, that's a TOY gun leaning against the cabinet...haha.

I apologize-I've been AWOL for the last while. A lot has been happening around here! Illness, house/bedroom re-arranging/renovating (does it ever end?)

It all started on Chinese new year.

We celebrate this holiday most years, sometimes with a little more enthusiasm than others. (We have several families of Chinese friends that introduced us to the festivities a long time ago, and we fell in love with Chinese cuisine.)

 Often, for us, the holiday just means making dumplings, chicken, buying 12 different kinds of vinegar and having family over.

This year though, the boys really wanted to go all out. I don't blame them-after all, February is a really boring month, and little extra flair couldn't hurt.

So I let them thoroughly decorate our dining room (which kept them busy all day!) while I prepared food for dinner.

That day, I also woke up with the urge to pickle just about everything in the house. I had just run out of my favorite spicy pickled green beans that aren't even available in Canadian stores. I was gung-ho to make my own. (I know, this has nothing to do with Chinese new year. Don't ask me why...)

I pickled the green beans, which turned out really well. But I figured, while I was at it, sterilizing jars and such, I may as well make some other things.
I found a recipe for Moroccan pickled oranges, and made those too. And then I started in on the garlic. I already had huge trays of peeled garlic cloves that I had just bought at the Vietnamese grocery store. ( which, by the way, is the cheapest way to buy garlic, in case you're wondering!)

I found myself at the end of the day with more pickled fruits and vegetables than I knew what to do with! I ended up handing out the little jars as party favours. (I know. Not very Chinese!)

Long story short, it wasn't until my head hit the pillow that night with a combination of happiness and exhaustion, that I began to wonder....
Why on earth did I choose an already busy day to get out the canning equipment, and pickle fresh vegetables, in February?? Why was it so necessary that the pickling happen that day?

Sure enough...in two days, I had my answer.

Little did I know that I wouldn't be eating anything but tiny pieces of toast chased by shots of earl grey tea for the next three months.

The nausea is getting better now, I can actually eat again. I still have some major food aversions though.

Guess the last foods on earth I'd want to eat right now?! My all time favorite- Chinese (or anything Asian for that matter...) Go figure.

p.s. I almost posted this on April Fools...but I decided that was just kinda mean.