Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Official Website

Phew!  I just returned from a whirlwind shopping trip in Seattle this past weekend (SO dangerous!) but I wanted to share my new, official website for West Coast Leslie Designs!  
I'd love for you to hop on over to www.westcoastleslie.com.  Not to toot my own horn, but I designed the whole thing (with a little help from Wix.com) so I'm very proud of it.  I'm proud of my products and just pretty  much everything I've been working on.  My poor husband has had to live in, what was starting to look like, a crochet sweatshop - with only one worker, me! LOL.  This is my first website (besides the blog) and I know my brand and my online presence will evolve but for now, this is it.  And I hope you like it!  I've also added pages on the top of my blog that link to my Storevny store and my website, incase you forget the names :)

And if you notice any issues like bad links or things that don't load etc, please email me or leave me a comment.  Thanks so much!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

My Online Store

I am SO excited to finally be able to share my online store with you!  I went through a lot of trouble; reading pretty much EVERYONE'S (and their dog) opinion on what kind of store I should use etc etc and I finally decided.
West Coast Leslie Designs is open!
Right now I have classic scarves and ear warmers online.  After Crafty Affaire I will be adding any unsold items as well! The classic scarves will be available all year round, but also can be made to order.  I'll be adding more to the store, seasonal additions and other goodies, so please be sure to check back often.

I'll be taking Christmas orders up until December 10th!  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about custom orders.

A big thank you to my Mum and sister, who I've annoyed with all my texts, phone calls and email, asking for their opinions and help!
Stay tuned for the announcement of the West Coast Leslie Designs official website launching soon!

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Schnitzel

When Ty & I were in Vienna we had some amazing food!  Including true weinerschnitzel, made from veal.  Now I know, everyone has their opinion on veal, and so do I.  I think it's awesome.  Especially when it's prepared traditionally in Vienna.  
 After having this amazing weinerschnitzel, I swore I'd never make my version with pork tenderloin.  Well that was until I was running low on dinner ideas and decided to make schnitzel.  But I make a few small changes to make it more authentic.  So here's how to make relatively authentic weinerschnitzel, with pork.

Take your pork tenderloin and cut into medallions.  Then take a plastic sandwich bag and place over the medallion.  With a meat tenderizer, hit the medallion until it flat.  REALLY FLAT! 
As I learned, the thinner the better.


Mix some garlic salt, pepper, parmesan cheese and bread crumbs together and put on a plate.  Dunk your meat in an egg wash and then coat in the breadcrumb mixture.


Then heat some vegetable oil in a large, flat skillet.  Once the oil is hot, place the breaded meat into the oil.  The thinner you pounded your meat, the better - the tenderloin will cook faster and more evenly.  (The schnitzel we had in Vienna was probably deep fried)

I served this delicious schnitzel with noodles (you're singing aren't you? ha ha ha! Me too), and broccoli!  In Vienna they served the schnitzel with a slice of lemon, which I had never tried before.  Now I'm hooked, as you can see, I had lemon with my pork schnitzel and it was super tasty!

Monday, November 11, 2013

Lest We Forget

Today is Remembrance Day.  
The day when we take time to stop, and remember all of those who have protected our country.  I often hear stories from my friends, talking about their grandparents, or great uncles etc, who served in the Canadian military.  I always felt upset because I couldn't share a similar story.  My Grandpa never went to war.  And thankfully he is still alive (86 years young!) and such an important part of my life! He makes the best beans and sausage!

But I felt like the odd kid out, who couldn't take pride in her grandfather.  So I finally asked my Mum why my Grampa never went to war.  And I know it sounds funny, but my he never went to war because he is Mennonite, and Mennonite's believe in social justice and peace, and non-violence.  It all made sense, and I understood why my Grampa had never been to war.  Acknowledging this information made me realize why I am passionate about things, like non violence, gun control, anti-military, pro peace.  It had never occurred to me before that so many of my strongest beliefs, things I believe to my very core were shaped by my grandparents and the thread that ran through my family.  I am proud of my family's non-involvement in world-wide conflicts.  Most importantly I'm proud that my family stood up for what they believe. 


I am thankful to those who have made the choice to join the armed forces, like my cousins who are members of the US Air Force and Army.  They are both SO young, I pray that they will never be called into combat.  I am thankful for those who go to places far and wide, to serve their country.  And I am thankful for those who, like my grandparents, stayed at home, to work, to farm, to support the economy, to pray, and to welcome the soldiers home.  On this Remembrance Day remember all of those who fought, who resisted, who succumbed, who survived.  Thank you will never be enough.