a peek inside the fishbowl

We’ve been living in our renovated home for about a year now, and I have to say, one my favourite things about it is our big family bathroom. Regular readers may remember how much I agonized over it. Well, I’m happy to report that it’s worked out incredibly well for us.

I wanted a bathroom that the four of us could use at the same time… and it has totally worked out that way. If you look at our drawings you’ll see that the room is compartmentalized in order to separate the (a) main area from the (b) toilet/tub, and the (c) shower area… which is big enough to have a dry spot to hang towels and robes just inside the frosted door. (There are some photos of it here.)

As the only bathroom on the second floor, I knew it was going to be a high traffic area. One of the things I wanted very early on was a style of bathroom cabinet that had two sinks, two outlets, and a separate drawer for each member of the family.

Thankfully, our cabinet guy (Bob at BCR Woodworking) was able to accommodate my request:

The style of cabinetry is exactly the same as the one in our kitchen. The only difference is that the drawers have extra detail that the kitchen ones do not. This cabinet is about 63″ wide, just over 5′, so not that big really. It was actually a bit of a squeeze to get two sinks in there. (Undermount sinks are AWESOME, and they were very inexpensive. I just love them.)

The key here, for me, was having the four stacked drawers. Not only does it help keep the counter tidy (if I see something out on the counter I just sweep it into one of the drawers!) but it gives everyone a place for their stuff.

My drawer is the second one from the top, and it contains only the things that I use on a daily basis. This is what it looks like most of the time:

I should point out that all of our cabinetry uses smooth-glide/soft-close/self-close hinges and rails. You just give them a little push and they practically close themselves… without slamming shut too. And it may be a small thing, but I am quite happy with the shelf liner! It’s pretty AND it prevents things from sliding around in there too much.

Now that I’m looking in there, I realize that I could actually get away storing fewer items in my drawer. There are a few things that don’t need to be in there.

The rest of the bathroom-type things (cotton swabs, extra hair products, lotions, medicines, hair dryer etc.) are sorted in bins in the cabinets under the sinks. They’re shared anyway, so it works out pretty well.

Anyway, yes! I’ve been very pleased with our family bathroom. Now if only people could remember to replace the toilet paper rolls when they run out… !

Many of my neighborhood peeps might already know Tudor Robins. I’ve gotten to know her a little bit over the past few years, mostly because (a) I am fan of hers and (b) our circles keep overlapping all over the place. And (c) if I can borrow a phrase from Anne Shirley, I see Tudor as the kind of “kindred spirit” I want to grab and hug but I think that might freak her out a bit.

Tudor is the author of a novel called Objects in Mirror. I picked it up with great interest at her book launch this past summer (which you can read a bit about here and here), and brought it home with me. It tackles some big issues and is a timely read for us as well. (You can buy a copy right here!)

I keep thinking about Tudor and how cool it is to know a published author… not just for me, but for the girls. Putting a face to the name that’s on the cover of a book is a big deal, and knowing that that person lives in our neighborhood, is a mom of two kids who volunteers at their school, and likes to go for walks (just like us!) makes it all seem more real in a way. And attainable.

I don’t think I’ll ever be a novelist. I’ve had people suggest it, but I honestly am not sure if it’s in me to be that kind of writer. I do however, think it’s important to show my kids that this is an option for them if they are so inclined.

I’ve often written about how important it is to expose kids to arts and culture, and get kids writing. We do that here at Casa Fishbowl by encouraging them to read, and also by buying cute stationary, notecards and pens, blank sketch books and pretty journals. When we’re packing for a vacation or a road trip those are the first things that go in their travel bags. I want them to doodle, to write, to jot, to ponder with a pen in hand. It’s valuable; more so than we know. I know many parents reading this probably do the same thing, but how often do we have the opportunity to take it one step further? Well there’s a good one coming up!

The Ottawa Public Library is hosting a really cool event this Saturday called Kids’ Lit Café. There will be a dozen great authors (including Tudor) signing autographs, leading workshops and more. And it all goes down on Saturday, October 19 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Greenboro branch.

So if you have a doodler or someone who likes to draw cartoons or write funny songs or poems, maybe this is something you might want to consider. I don’t think there’s a better way of inspiring kids and getting them creating, do you?

I will cut to the chase. The girls had the option to have this for dinner and they both opted RIGHT OUT and made their own dinners instead. Oh well. BUT if you (a) like curry and (b) want to use up some of your Thanksgiving turkey this recipe is THE ONE FOR YOU. Mark has made it 7 or 8 times. Not only it is delicious but it is The Best Way of using Leftovers EVER, especially the dry bits that have been sitting in the fridge for a couple of days. It’s full of flavour, and perfect for fall.

Turkey Curry
(originally from Ceil Dyer’s Wok Cookery)

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tart apple (peeled, seeded, and diced)
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter (yes, again)
2-3 tablespoons of curry powder
2 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth (heated)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
approx 2 cups cooked turkey, diced (I used a bit more)

Optional toppings: diced green onion, peanuts, parsley, or cilantro.

Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan and add the diced apple and onion. Cook over a medium/low heat for a few minutes until the mixture has softened. Add the extra tablespoon of butter, then the curry powder, and the flour. Stir until combined. Add the broth, then the turkey, and the pepper (if desired). Stir and simmer on low until your rice is cooked. You can even add a handful of frozen peas at this point if you so desire.

Serve the curried turkey on top of hot rice, and top with diced green onion, chopped peanuts, parsley, or cilantro (my fave).

Suffice it to say, this recipe makes fabulous leftovers for lunch the next day!