Happy Advent!

Now that we are in the full swing of Advent - having lit our 3rd candle yesterday - we've been doing some special things to celebrate the season.

I took the kids to see a performance of the Nutcracker ballet. Also joining us was a family friend. The four of us had a lovely time although I'm not sure Will is too interested from here on out. He put up with it but he'll probably stay home with Dad from now on.

Most recently we went to spend the afternoon with a group of fellow homeschoolers at a local estate museum where we celebrated an old - fashioned Christmas. The kids rolled their own
beeswax candle and stuck cloves in apples rolled in cinnamon. They also made gingerbread cookies - yummy! To end the trip we assembled outside for some chestnuts roasting on an open fire and hot apple cider.
Of course we've set up our tree and all the Christmas decorations. After putting up with our live tree falling over the past two years and making a wet mess all over our hard wood floors, we purchased a fake one. I'm not thrilled about it but at least I don't have to water it and clean up after it.
We got together with another homeschool family last week for a "Christmas around the world". I taught the children some ways they celebrate Christmas in Mexican complete with a pinata and the other mom taught the kids about Christmas in India which included learning some Christmas words and eating some Indian treats!

The bottom picture is of Zanna at her last gymnastics session. We'll resume in the new year but as you can see she's enjoying "hanging around"!

We've managed to make it through our first snow storm of the season where I spent most of my day driving around for no particular reason (don't ask!). And I'm already tired of trying to get Zanna in and out of the carseat with her winter jacket on. Is it spring yet?

Yesterday Will had his violin Christmas concert. He played "What Child is This" and "O, Little Town of Bethlehem" - the first to play of 13 students. He did a lovely job - I was very proud and made sure to video tape the performance for Daddy who had to work. Zanna was his biggest cheerleader, jumping up and down and giving him two thumbs up.

Happy Halloween/Reformation

As promised to the grandparents, here are my two trick-or-treaters. In case you can't tell, Zanna is a "princess" bumble bee and Will is a red Lego. He and Wayne made his costume and it turned out great! Their evening was a success as they came home with way too much candy.

These are a few of my favorite things

As time heads toward the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, I pause to give thanks for all the "little things" that brighten my day, make me laugh or give me a touch of comfort. Here we go.....

Leaf cookies and apple cider. The smell and the taste are divine as are the memories behind them. Mom started this tradition and continued it even when we left her nest for high school at Prep. She would painstakingly layer them between bubble wrap in an effort to keep the fragile cookies from breaking. I would receive this treat in the mail come fall and share them with a chosen few in the dorm. The rest I would keep for myself and indulge in while sneaking off to the TV room for Brady Bunch reruns - a short time of quiet that was hard to find living in a girls' dorm! I now continue this tradition with my children although my leaf cutout is different from Mom's. Now I'm the one rolling the dough and carefully cutting out the shapes for my children to decorate with a variety of sprinkles. I imagine a time will come when I too will be layering them in bubble wrap to send off to the States. I'm in no hurry for that!

My Nutrimill wheat grinder. How I appreciate the freshness of the flour this machine makes for me as it grinds whole wheat kernels into flour. I use this to make cookies, waffles and pancakes, muffins and breads. I love the nutty taste and texture! In this way I keep all three parts of the wheat berry and all the nutrients it holds. If I don't use all I grind I will keep the rest in the freezer until I need it since there are no preservatives in it. Which leads me to.....

Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day and the new Healthy Bread in 5 minutes a day cookbooks. I recently discovered these and shared them with several friends who are equally thrilled. The concept is that the time it takes to mix, rise, knead, rise again, etc isn't as important as we thought. By using their master recipe you can make up a batch of dough for 4 loaves in minutes and after allowing it to rise for a few hours, stick it in your fridge until you are ready to have freshly baked bread. On baking day it will take you 5 minutes of work to prepare it (not baking time of course). I'm here to tell you it works. I love it and the variations to it like using it as pizza crust. Today I am using the modified whole wheat recipe and have it on my counter top as we speak. I can't wait to sample it after it bakes!

Obviously I like to bake. I know my life it too hectic when I don't have time to bake. Then I'm miserable! I also like to cook and lucky for me my family likes to eat. My most recent cookbook purchased is Jamie Oliver's Jamie's Food Revolution. My favorite chapter is the Indian curry. After going to an authentic Indian restaurant last week and eating their stuff which was Fantastic it was confirmed that these recipes ain't too shabby. Love it.

On our trip last February to Mexico we had TV screens at each of our seats that had a choice of various shows and movies. It was then we discovered the Office. We became hooked ....fast. Since then we've become slightly obsessed. We've purchased and watched all the seasons so far. It's great for when there's nothing on TV which happens often. We'll often make quotes from the show to each other that we find hilarious - people around us are sure to think we're nuts. We had passed by this show previously thinking that it looked so stupid and the camera moved around too much (both are still true). We think one of the funniest episodes is from Season 5 called "Stress Relief" when Dwight sets the office on fire for the purpose of a fire drill.

Bath and Body Works has finally come to Canada and more importantly to me - Ottawa. I had to wait 7 years but by golly, it's finally here. I entered this abyss of lotions, soaps and air fresheners days after it opened to find the Christmas music playing and surrounded by people just about excited as me. I thought I was going to cry.

www.shutterfly.com is my new favorite website for all things picture. I've made two photo albums, a calendar and my Christmas cards simply by uploading the digital photos I want and dropping them into a pre-existing layout and adding the text I want. It's quick, easy and makes no mess. I'm all over that.

Books - specifically the ones I am reading with Will through Sonlight this year. We are studying American history (with some Canadian supplements, of course!) this year. Sonlight is the curriculum we use and there is a lot of reading both for Will and me to read aloud. Their motto "the way you wish you'd been taught" is true for me. I've learned more than I ever imagined. I'm fascinated by history and by what we can learn from the past. The Bible is the best history book out there with the way world history is intricately weaved through and in and among it. And now as we study the discovery and history of North and South America and the very beginnings of the United States and Canada I have a growing appreciation for it all. Will and I are reading about different Native American tribes and learning about them, where they're from and praying for them. The novels I read to Will I just can't get enough of - I read until my voice goes hoarse! We are currently reading "The Witch at Blackbird Pond". Before that was "The Sign of the Beaver". There are not enough hours in the day!!!

These are a few of my favorite things!

A new member of the family!

Introducing - Will's new bird Xerxes. This name, by the way, was suggested by Wayne. He originally wanted to name Will this when I was pregnant and since that didn't happen he finally got his wish. He thought it would be cool for a kid to have this name and sign his name with a big X. I don't get it.

Fall in New England

The beginning of October we went with Wayne to New England for a pastor's conference. While Daddy was in meetings the kids and I explored a children's museum in Providence, Rhode Island followed by a trip to the mall. I thought that was fair - something for the kids, something for Mommy - haha! After spending two night there and after Wayne was done with his conference, we drove up to Boston the spend the next two nights.
Wayne had found our hotel online by bidding on it. We stayed at the Hilton airport hotel which was lovely - and at a decent price. We were then given a room on the top floor with access to complimentary appetizers in the evening and breakfast in the morning! We felt so special!! We had a blast exploring Boston via the subway. This was a huge thrill for the kids! We did it all - the subway, bus and even a ferry across the harbor!

We walked the Freedom Trail that included seeing sights as the Old North Church, Paul Revere's house and more and ended with a guided tour of the USS Constitution. We visited the Museum of Science and enjoyed a lunch of New England clam chowder and some yummy beer from a Boston micro-brewery. (I had the Pumpkin ale!) We stopped at the park featured in the popular kid's book "Make Way for Ducklings" where the kids had a ride on the bronze ducks. The drive was lovely both directions as the fall colors were breathtaking. We had such a fun time!

Stepping back in time

Upper Canada in the 1860's - a step back in time. Will got an opportunity to experience this at Upper Canada Village with our home school group in September. For 2 days and 2 nights he and 20 other children lived as they would have in the 1860's. They dressed the part, did chores, attended a one-room schoolhouse, square-danced and more.
While I could not personally be there to witness all this, my dear friends and chaperone's of the trip did an excellent job in the photos that they took.
I just love the photo of the girls twirling in their dresses! Their straw hats were precious. They were taught much about the difficult kitchen work over a fire, preparing for winter and storing seeds for spring. They combed out wool and did some hand sewing. All the kids fed the animals, milked the cows and pumped water. The boys were taught to work with tin and made a candle sconce to hang on the wall. They also make a candle holder at the blacksmith. All children attended the one room schoolhouse. There they had to memorize and recite lessons, have spelling and math bees and follow the "rules" of the schoolroom minus the whipping they would have received if in trouble!

The children were challenged and much was expected of them and yet there was such a sense of innocence to it all. I enjoyed the images captured of the girls holding hands as they walked through the village, the kids playing games, the fun on the tire swing; the boys taking hostage a toad and observing it in their hat! What a wonderful experience with many memories made!

Autumn - the most wonderful time of the year!

Some of you may be aware of my, let's say, slight obsession with the season of Fall. It's back I couldn't be more thrilled. I've hauled up the 6 boxes of Fall decorations from the basement and carefully placed the items throughout my house. Fall is upon us. AHHHHHHH.......
One of my favorite Fall activities is our yearly trip to the apple orchard. We went to one this year with a corn maze that the kids had fun in until we got lost, hot (because remember it's still hot) and Will had a melt down because he wanted to lead and Daddy took over so we could get out of what was starting to feel like a rat maze. Next year maybe we'll just stick with the apples.

BTS - why rush it?

A big issue around here this year was when to start school. With Labour Day being so late it was a toss up with the school board as to whether to start after as they usually do or before. The final decision was before. After such an unusually rainy and cool summer it was when the children returned to school that the sun came out. As a home educator we made the not difficult choice to delay bts (back to school) and go outside to play. We finally made it to the beach the first week of September on a hot, sunny Friday. Will spent the whole time trying to catch some minnows that were swimming in the shallow area. The fact that an hour and a half went past and no catch was made did not deter him from continuing to try. God bless his persistence!
Another reason for the delay was a brief visit by my parents. They were en route to the UK to visit sister Bekah and her husband Tom (said with a British accent). They flew out of Ottawa but spent a few days with us before taking off. It was fun to have a visit with Opa and Oma!

OK, so we finally did get back to business and Will started grade 4. Now that we're back into the swing of things I was pleased that we transitioned from summer so well.

Back to school - 09

After having crossed off most of the items on Will's Summer Bucket List (things he wanted to do before summer kicked the bucket) it was time for some back to school photos to capture this brief moment of their lives - ages 3 and 9.

A fellow homeschool mom with a talent for photo taking met us at an apple orchard for this new school year right of passage. They turned out beautifully and I'd post them if I didn't feel funny about putting someone else's work on here but I thought these photo's captured the unique personality of both my children taken as they waited for the other to finish.
Will chooses to chase poor helpless chickens around the yard while my sweet girl uses it as another chance for a photo op.

Vacation fun!

Yeah, that's right. That's me on the go-cart. The kids can't have all the fun, can they?
Gramma and Will on the ferris wheel at Heritage Park.
Celebrating a happy occasion! The boys and their folks.

Caffe Crema

Looking at these pictures doesn't it make you crave a rich, flavorful latte and cozy up on the couch while the kiddie's take a seat at the coloring corner? If you are in the Calgary area - you're in luck! Welcome to Caffe Crema - a coffee house that offers French pressed coffee made from high quality coffee beans. It also shares a space with my brother-in-law's mission church.

It's here that the Halldo family hosted the matriarch and patriarch's 40th wedding anniversary. Our families flew in for the occasion to celebrate. The cousins had a blast playing together and the coffee house had its coming out party!

40 years is certainly something to celebrate and I appreciate the Christian legacy that they've passed on to their sons and now a new generation of little Halldos. What a blessing it is to have that common denominator among us binding us together for eternity!

Oh Lord, How Majestic is your Name!

Wayne's family is from Calgary and we get the awesome opportunity usually once a year to go back and visit. A highlight for us all is a trip out to the mountains. I have fond memories of first "discovering" the Canadian rockies on my first trip to Calgary to visit my then boyfriend. Now my beloved and I take our children to witness this incredible marvel of God's creation. I can't help but sing in my head an old Sandi Patti song I liked as a child "Oh Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth." However, I must admit other things were going through my head as we all ascended the mountain in a tiny gondola. It was more like "I'm gonna die, I can't breathe, are we almost to the top?" I think I liked the Sandi Patti song better!

Saying goodbye

August - brings up thoughts of heat, swimming, vacation and VBS. This year was a bit different! We had a few hot days but not many. We did manage to get the slip and slide out once. We filled up the kiddie pool a few times. We made it over to the Clement's pool a couple times too. Both kids attended VBS this year and had a blast. Wayne on the other hand went out of town to attend a wedding in North Carolina - an old friend from Seminary and fellow pastor. Strange for a pastor to do during VBS but this year we had a vicar. We made new friends from Wisconsin by hosting Kim and her daughter Laura for a few days as they volunteered for VBS. I took the week to go over upcoming curriculum and lesson plans in a house by myself (gasp, that NEVER happens). And as VBS drew to a close, so did Vicar's stay with us at Divine Word. Zanna made a new friend in Vicar that was very amusing to watch. Not having to compete with his fiance until he married her and brought her back here in July, Zanna had him all to herself. The fact he got married never bothered her. He was "her vicar" as she would call out in defense of anyone who dared to bother him. And she even managed to befriend his wife Kendalyn (perhaps in order to keep a watchful eye on her?). Anyway, this picture makes me laugh - notice how she's planted herself right next to him? Nevertheless, the time came for them to go back from whence they came - that would be the Seminary in Wisconsin - and we wish them both many blessings in their new life together! Zanna, on the other hand, continues to watch for silver Honda Accords that could be Vicar's.

Ta - Da!

We've been in our house for three years now and I'm starting to get antsy. So in an effort to squelch this feeling and give me something new to look at - I've attacked the bathroom. My next project is rearranging the playroom/schoolroom.

Rachel's summer project

Here's the main bath before. Stay tuned for the new look.

4th of July and Wisconsin trip

We celebrated the 4th of July and our 11th wedding anniversary with a party! We had about 20 friends over for all-American food, red, white and blue crafts for the kids and sparklers around sunset. Our guests included fellow Americans, Canadians and Chinese. It made for a very eclectic group to enjoy a very American holiday. I've included a picture of a plate of sweet rice dumplings that are apparently a staple of many Asian holidays. We made them American by sticking US flags into them! I'm all for starting new traditions! 

Shortly after, we drove to Wisconsin to visit Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa. We survived another 16hour drive by breaking it up with a hotel stop that resulted in a very poor nights sleep but was still a nice break. We made many special memories with our family and had a great time despite the cruddy weather. Most days were rainy and cold with a few days stuck in between that actually felt like summer. One of the items on Will's "to do" list for the summer was to camp and that was accomplished at least! Wayne and Will took the canoe across the lake my Mom and Dad live on and went over to the island across the way. It has a nice camp site that they set up our tent ( we apparently have a tent) and Mom, Dad, Zanna and I went to visit and roast hot dogs for dinner before heading back for home and leaving the men to pee in the bushes and sleep in the great outdoors for some serious male bonding. 

Other highlights for the guys included much time spent riding motorcycles, an unfortunate game of golf and killing bats in the house that made my Mom scream like a bad horror movie. Highlights for me was enjoying my Mom's good cooking, spending time with my parents and grandparents and shopping like a maniac with my mother after a 31/2 hour drive to Appleton/Oshgosh and back. 

Wayne celebrated his 34th birthday while on our trip and he requested my Grandma's ribs for his birthday dinner. She obliged and we feasted on a delicious meal! 

Summer's flying by and it's been lovely. As we head into August we have a Calgary trip to look forward to but not before VBS and Wayne's trip to NC to be in friend James' wedding. I'll be preparing for the upcoming school year and updating the bathroom and painting trim. 

Summer....continued

Happy Canada Day! To celebrate the occasion we went to Billings Estate - a preserved home and grounds that was built and owned by one of the first settlers to come to Ottawa (I hope I got that right). Anyway, it was a step back in time as we celebrated a 1909 Dominion day. The children helped to churn homemade ice cream, munched on popcorn, painted their own wooden yo-yo and toured the home. It was fun, low-key, low-stress. Next year we'll probably do the fireworks thing and be out later. I just need Zanna a bit older for that. But this was good. 
We came back home and did some sparklers in our back yard. We were careful to try and teach proper care and safety concerning the handheld fireworks but no matter. Sometimes things must be learned first hand the unfortunate way. The evening ended with Zanna grabbing the hot end of a used sparkler and she got it. She has a pretty high pain tolerance so I knew she was hurting but not to the extent of an ER trip or anything. As a matter of fact it could have been a lot worse and we're thankful that after the initial accident, it didn't seem to have any lasting effect. 
The last picture is of our yard. Our home improvement project for the year was a patio to cover up the muddy mess in the backyard with better drainage put in and rocks. We then purchased the gazebo structure and furniture to lounge on and I must say - it's been a dream! We enjoy sipping coffee/tea out there in the morning or cool drink in the  hot afternoon. We've done some entertaining. I've napped sprawled out on the couch. It's like having a whole other room. We are loving it!!

Anyone that knows me well knows that I not what one would consider a nature girl. I prefer to experience nature behind a window in comfortable air-conditioning where there are no bugs. Having said this, since becoming a mother I yearn to instill in my children a love for God's creation and a fascination with nature despite my inadequacies. I was determined this summer to do just that. I purchased a bird feeder and seeds to encourage birds to "hang out" in our yard and that the children would observe them. They could use their binoculars and wait in the play structure awaiting the little visitors. This was my vision. Reality is quite different.

It took a few days but word got out to the birds that there was a new restaurant in town and soon enough they came! But it was the unexpected addition of the chipmunks that came too. We couldn't figure out where all the little seeds all over the lawn were coming from until I realized that Wayne had moved the bag of seeds out of the shed where I had put them and instead placed them under the stairs. This turned out to be a veritable smorgasbord for the little animals. This bag was promptly moved back into the shed but no matter - the chipmunks just hung out under the feeder waiting for the inevitable seeds to drop. The squirrels then thought they would join in. While this is indeed nature in our backyard I was not altogether bothered by this but my husband was. The final nail in the coffin was the arrival of raccoons. That did it - Wayne and the raccoons stared each other down until he took a hose to them and then took down the feeder after their departure. But it was too late. The birds had come to like our backyard and decided to start a family in the corner of our new gazebo within the bug netting. Wayne removed the beginnings of the nest 3 times but mama bird would just return to build it again. The netting came down. So much for nature. Now we have no birds, chipmunks, squirrels or raccoons. Maybe we'll go to the zoo......

Summer time - and the living is easy

AHHH, Summer! I love it! It's been in full swing for us now for a couple of weeks. Swimming lessons wrapped up, Will took his violin exam and the weather warmed up. 
This is the last I'll be mentioning the next subject - Zanna is finally potty trained. Promised of M&M's, coloring books, etc were not enough incentive for this little diva. We pulled out the big guns. 5 poops in the potty equals a big girl bike. 
Here she is on the well deserved bike. I made up a big purple chart with little pictures and places to put stickers and she got it - FINALLY! 

My family also survived my trip to Denver. I myself had a fabulous time hanging out with sister-in-law Steph, shopping until we dropped - oh, how we dropped like flies. That was not the reason for our trip to Denver however. We attended the Lutheran Women's Missionary Society annual convention. We went to hear our WELS missionaries speak about the areas and people they serve around the world. We went for the fellowship of 1000 other women and men and our worship and praise to Christ. We went for the uplifting Bible studies and encouraging workshops. And yes, we went for the food.  It was really weird not to have hubby or kids around. I missed them like crazy but it felt good to miss them too. And it was terrific to come home! Wayne did a great job balancing the kids and work and I came back to a pretty clean house too. Super Dad!! I don't think he's keen on me doing that again any time soon but I'll take what I can get.

Wrapping things up

Will had his first violin recital this last weekend. He did a great job! 
Swimming lessons will be wrapping up for the year next week. Zanna had a rough start and got better after being bribed with ice cream a few times. Now she has a great time!
Will's doing great with his laps!

We've finished up school for the year and have been enjoying the beginning of our summer! We've planted our flowers, filled up the bird feeders and mowed the lawn.  Bring it on! 

Reflections

It will be 7yrs of living in Canada this July. Hard to believe! And now that I am a Canadian citizen I have cause for some reflection as I look back on my time here. I remember the most challenging obstacles that made it hard in the beginning to adjust. As silly as they are (and I knew they were at the time too) they all caused much stress in my life. 

Milk in a bag. After drinking milk from a gallon jug all my life, I was not amused by the milk in a bag. Originally, I bought the white plastic container that the bags go into. So cheap and ugly (I know, like the plastic gallon jugs are attractive). Some might say I was down right bitter about the whole thing. Knowing this my dear husband gave me the most precious gift he could have that Christmas. He went to a paint your own pottery place and painted a ceramic jug himself. On it says "This is the day that the Lord has made" on one side and "Let us rejoice and be glad in it" on the other side. Well good grief, how could I ever fuss about the milk in a bag while reading that? 

A trip to the grocery store ending in tears. This was a shock for me - truly. I had always walked into a grocery store and knew the brands I always bought and approximately how much I'd pay for it. Instead there you'd find me staring blankly at the shelves of canned whatever, confused by the french side and horrified by some of the prices. Meat -well, forgetaboutit. I still can't get over how expensive it is but since Wayne has no intention of becoming a vegetarian anytime soon I try to take advantage of sales. 

Yankee candles. I know - what the heck. Up until this point we always lit a Yankee candle in the evening. The scent would depend on the season or holiday. It never crossed my mind before we moved to stock up on these. I practically hyperventilated when I realized Yankee is American (duh) and may be challenging to find around here - not to mention that when I did the markup was crazy. OK, so I REALLY over reacted in retrospect and my first trip back to the States I bought an copious amount of candles in numerous varieties of scents so I will never run out. And indeed, even to this day, I have not and have no fear that I will for many, many years.

Target. 'nough said.

Ok, so now it's 7yrs later and I've embraced the country as my own. What happened?

Milk in a bag - I've come to prefer the taste. When I have it from a plastic jug now the milk tastes like plastic. And after all, this is the day that the Lord has made. Who can argue with that?

Grocery store - I am still amazed by the cost of many items but I guess I'm over it. After all, what am I going to do - we have to eat. But the big thing I really appreciate about my local grocery store is the diversity of flavours. Because of the many different cultures represented from all over the world that live in this area, they offer many authentic food products from a variety of countries. Mexico may be the exception - I've learned to make much of my own for that. I'm talking an amazing Asian selection - Chinese and Indian (my family and I just discovered Indian food and we are inhaling it. I try and make curry once a week now!) Then there's Italian, Greek and whatever else I run across. I love my grocery store. There. I said it.

Yankee candles. Well, as previously mentioned I have enough to last for years and I admit I may have over done it. 

Target. Watertown, New York is an hour and a half away and has a new Target and Kohls. This will have to do. 

Oh, Canada!

Yesterday I was one of 82 people that became Canadian citizens from 38 different countries. It was a very interesting and exciting experience! In the picture is the judge that presided over the ceremony. Behind us is Canada's coat of arms. I'm holding my citizenship certificate and a Canadian flag they gave everyone.  Now I'll have to start "talking Canadian" and ending everything with "eh". 

Will turns 9

Since last year we had a birthday bash - this year I was off the hook. It was a no stress birthday for me but more importantly, Will had a great day;make that two days! 

First of all, my parents came for the occasion and we had a great time with them. 

On the day before the big day, Will was taken out to golf with a friend and his Mom and then out to lunch for Asian buffet. In the afternoon, he invited two of his friends to play laser tag. This was of course a hit! When they returned we had tacos and homemade refried beans waiting. I even got out of making a cake this year - he wanted Dairy Queen. Fine by me!
On his actual birthday, we went to an Imax movie in the morning - Under the Sea. Which really got us in the mood for his lunch out pick - Red Lobster! He enjoyed feasting on crab legs - yes, he's high maintenance! 

Later in the day, we were surprised to see our friend Rebecca (from church) show up at our door with a bucket of four live lobster. She knew how much Will loves seafood. Needless to say, we had a feast that evening. What a 9th birthday! 

In other news, I recently tested for my Canadian citizenship test. This is not at the expense of my American. I will hold both. But "bloom where you're planted" I guess and this is where I'm planted! I am still waiting to hear whether I passed or not (I'm not worried!) and then I'll be called back to take the oath - to the Queen!! Ha! Thankfully, I now know when Nunavut became a territory. 

Enjoying Spring!

Our homeschool bookclub was revived this month. We read "Gracie and the Emperor" which was a really interesting fictional book based on Napoleon and his exile to St. Helena. 

The weather was beautiful - we stayed outside the whole time.
Lunch had a French theme to it - I made a dessert called Mini Napoleons (they're like cream puffs).