Quick and dirty...

Charming homes in downtown Fredericton...

Funny name for a post, isn't it? Well, it best describes my weekend and (stat holiday) Monday. We decided to blow back into our old university stomping grounds of Fredericton, N.B. this past weekend. My brother, Alistair, and his wife just built another new home there(I've lost track of what number this is...) and since my hubby never got to see the last one...and thus we were long overdue for a visit...we decided to pack up Friday to see them. We got in just in time for a delicious ham dinner cooked by my sweet SIL, Denise, on Friday evening and had a jam-packed weekend which ended with us leaving for home after breakfast (bacon and eggs) on Sunday. Denise is quite the cook, and is also a great friend...we actually lived together while we were both in university and she was dating my brother. We had a great time shopping (of course), eating, laughing, and sipping cheap bubbly (as I always prefer...) and the time FLEW!!

***edited to add: Guess what hubby bought himself while we were shopping?? Yep, a nice, new plaid shirt...in Christmasy colours...and he was as happy as a lark when he spied it. "Good quality", you see, (Woolrich's), and "sooo cozy". He looked so earnest that I had to relent. What's one more??***

We also hooked up with "old" friends from UNB and all the kids had a great time hanging out, too. It was kind of a last minute trip, due to all of our busy schedules, and Denise and Alistair just moved into their new home two weeks ago! So...we came, we saw, we conquered...and then flew back home (well, not literally...hubby, aka Mr. Magoo, was driving...).We returned home to some pretty angry cats (they hate each other) and our own beds, sans Sophie, who had insisted on sharing our bed while away!!

Monday was the stat holiday ( in lieu of Sunday being Remembrance Day) and I was actually scheduled for two consultations that day, so the day went by quickly and the kids enjoyed a quiet day off from school. Since I haven't quite got on the meal planning bandwagon that hubby keeps singing the praises of, I have been yanking out my neglected recipes and would like to share with you one of my family's favourites: (as per Wendy's request)

Spicy Garlic Noodles with Chicken (or pork or beef):

1/2 pkg fettucine.. ...............1 tbsp dark sesame oil

1 bunch broccoli ............1 and 1/2 tsp hot chili-garlic sauce

1 lg carrot (julienned).....4 garlic cloves (or 2 1/2 tsp bottled garlic)

1 bell pepper, julienned...............1 tbsp veg. oil

1-2 lbs chicken, pork or beef ..........1/4 cup water

1 tbsp cornstarch ............................1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce

**Cook pasta according to directions; drain. Cut up the veggies (use your favourites...I also add lots of sliced mushrooms). Cut meat into bite-sized pieces. In a bowl, stir cornstarch with 2 tbsp of the Teriyaki sauce until dissolved. Stir in remaining Teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, chili-garlic sauce and garlic. Set aside.

Coat frying pan with the veg. oil and cook meat over med-high heat. Stir, then pour in the Teriyaki mixture and veggies. Pour in the water. Stir often until veggies are done to taste. Toss the veggie/meat mixture with the hot pasta and serve. Makes a generous amount of food!!

**Here are a few pictures of my brother and SIL's new home. They insisted I not show too much, as it is not 100% finished, but I had to show you their beautiful new kitchen in particular...