GETTING BACK TO BASICS

Year Of The Dragon

2012-01-25T14:28:00.000-04:00

Jan.23rd was the Chinese New Year..."the year of the dragon,"

so this week we celebrated by sharing

red envelopes containing coins for good luck

and crafting dragons.

"Gung Hay Fat Choy!"

The Best Damn Squash

2011-11-20T21:41:00.001-04:00

Tonight I fell in love for the first time

...with squash.

Although I like squash and have been eating it for years,

it never excited me.

I've experimented with preparing it different ways and,

while it was good,

it never had the WOW factor...until tonight!

Cranberry Orange Squash and Rosemary Chicken

Cranberry Orange Squash
1 acorn squash (any type of squash will do)
1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 orange or clementine
butter
1/2 c. water

Cut squash in half length wise and scoop out seeds. Prick squash with a fork. Place skin side down in a baking pan that has been lined with tin foil.

In a bowl mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Add the cranberries and toss. Spoon the cranberry mixture into the squash and arrange orange sections on top. Add a small amount of butter.
Pour about 1/2 c. water into the pan. Cover squash with tin foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for about an hour until squash is tender.

Pour juices that are left in the pan over the squash and serve
... with a spoon
...because this is so good you want to scrape every bit out.

Eating Well

2011-11-11T19:11:00.001-04:00

I wish I could say I eat like this all the time

...but I don't.

I do I feel so much better when eating healthy foods that it

baffles me why I fall off the "healthy eatin' " wagon time and time again.

This meal was fast and super easy to prepare...just lightly pan sear a salmon fillet along with your favorite veggies and add a sprinkling of seafood seasoning...ymmmm!

Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup With Ginger & Orange

I was given this recipe for Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup With Ginger & Orange

by one of my daycare moms

and it gets
two thumbs up!

2011-11-01T14:09:00.000-03:00

Fall is a time for harvest, frosty mornings, the smell of wood stoves, colored leaves and pumpkins, but best of all is the smell that fills the house when those pumpkins are brought into the house and cooked into delicious soups, pies, muffins and squares.

I just discovered this recipe somewhere on the web
and tried it for the first time last week.
We loved it!
It meshes two of our favorite deserts
...cheesecake and pumpkin pie
into one and is so much easier to make.
The pecans and cinnamon add a nice flavor and crunch to the bars.
This recipe is a repeater!

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE BARS

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE BARS

1 c. all purpose flour
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
5 tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 c. finely chopped pecans or walnuts
1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine flour and brown sugar in medium bowl. Cut in butter to make a crumb mixture. Stir in nuts. Set aside 3/4 cup mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture into bottom of 8 x 8 inch baking pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Combine cream cheese, sugar, pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Blend until smooth. Pour over baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved topping. Bake an additional 30-35 minutes. Cool before cutting into bars. Makes 32 x 2 inch bars. If you double recipe and put in a spring form pan it makes a wonderful cheesecake (increase baking time).

On a healthier note,
I bought ten pounds of carrots and have been busy
cooking and pureeing them for the freezer to be used later in soups
...found a great recipe for Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup I'm anxious to try...
and grating them for this yummy
Carrot Bran Muffin recipe I found.

Carrot Bran Muffins

Carrot Bran Muffins
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of bran
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup soured milk (sour with vinegar) or buttermilk
1/2 cup of oil
1 tablespoons of molasses
1 1/2 cups of grated carrots
1 cup of raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix your bran with the milk and let it sit.
Combine all your dry ingredients and whisk them together.

To your bran mixture add the eggs, molasses and oil, and mix well.Add raisins. (to plump up your raisins heat them for a couple minutes in a large measuring cup with hot water them for 2 minutes in the microwave0. Drain. Add the grated carrots and mix well. Then add the dry ingredients and combine well.
Line the muffin tins with cupcake papers... they do come out beautifully instead of sticking to the liners. Bake at 350 degrees until the tops spring back when touched, about 15-20 minutes depending on your oven. This will make 16 medium sized muffins or 12 large ones.

Homemade Goodness

2011-10-05T20:02:00.000-03:00

One of our favorite cookies around here are from a recipe of my Mom's,

"Dad's Cookies."

Soft, chewy and easy to make!

Dad's Cookies
1 c. butter or margarine
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 c. coconut
2 c. flour
2 c. rolled oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
***for Thanksgiving, I threw in a couple handfuls of dried cranberries for a holiday touch. The recipe doesn't call for them but you can throw pretty much anything in...pecans are yummy in this recipe.

Cream butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs together. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. The easiest way I find to mix is to just roll up your sleeves and use your hands to mix. Roll into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork dipped in milk. Bake in a preheated oven, 375 degrees for 10 to 12 min. until set and just lightly browned. Do not over bake or they will be hard and not soft and chewy. Cool for 5 min. before removing from cookie sheet.

Double Pumpkin Bars

...another recipe that I tend to make quite often,

a little healthier than the Dad's Cookies

but we find them just as tasty!

These are a nice moist bar.

Double Pumpkin Bars

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. rolled oats

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 egg

1/4 c. veg. oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. chopped dates

1/4 c. pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 pan. In a bowl combine the first seven ingredients. Whisk together the wet ingredients and then stir into the dry ingredients. Mix in the dates and pumpkin seeds. Spread in pan and bake 20 min. until top is firm and tooth pick comes out clean. Cool on rack, cut into bars and store in refrigerator for up to a week.

"Squashed" for Six Word Saturday

2011-09-17T19:22:00.000-03:00

"I'm feeling a little bit squashed!"

and

"If it grows, we'll eat it!"

After planting Zucchini Squash for the last couple of years, we decided to change it up some by planting Hubbard Squash last year and this year...Acorn Squash.
It doesn't matter which variety you choose,
three little plants can soon overtake your garden,
sending vines climbing up nearby shrubs, and can produce enough squash to feed half the neighborhood.
One can tire very quickly of steamed squash,
so I am always searching for new recipes to liven things up.
Here are just a few of the ways we've been
enjoying our squash....

Rice Stuffed Squash with a side salad.

Baked Brown Sugar Squash
This is the fastest and easiest way to cook squash.

Zucchini Casserole

Just because we didn't plant zucchini ourselves,

doesn't stop other people from giving theirs away.

The hubby brought home the mother load of all zucchinis from work

and I chopped it up to produce this yummy dish.

It is definitely a repeater!

Zucchini Casserole
8 cups sliced zucchini
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
2 cups cooked rice (I used Brown rice)
1 cup fat free sour cream (I used plain yogurt)
1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
*(I didn't have Italian bread crumbs so I toasted 4 slices of bread, let them cool and them tore them up into chunky bread crumbs...the more bread crumbs the better for me and I threw a teaspoon of Italian seasoning into the casserole)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
cooking spray
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 3 ingredients in a dutch oven, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain; partially mash with a potato masher. Combine zucchini mixture, rice, sour cream, cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons parmesan, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and eggs in a bowl; stir gently. Spoon zucchini mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden.
Preheat broiler. Broil one minute or until lightly browned.

For a fantastic zucchini recipe

to satisfy the sweet tooth in your family see

"Dreamin' Zucchini."

Caribbean Zucchini Bread has become

one of our favorite

zucchini bread recipes.

Join Cate at Show My Face for more Six Word Saturdays.

Pond Watch

2011-09-04T09:37:00.002-03:00

Water is the driver of nature.
~Leonardo da Vinci~

"The upholder of the cycles which sustain all Life is water. In every drop of water dwells a deity whom indeed we all serve. There also dwells Life, the soul of the primal substance - water - whose boundaries and banks are the capillaries that guide it, and in which it circulates. Every pulse beat arising through the interaction of will and resistance is indicative of creative work and urges us to care for those vessels, those primary and most vital structures, in which throbs the product of a dualistic power - Life"
Viktor Schauberger

There is something about water that has a drawing force compelling me to stop,

if only for a moment, to rest and meditate

....to muse about things past and present,

or to contemplate the future.

It doesn't have to be a sparkling pristine stream,

a babbling brook,

or a vast ocean of waves or tides to reel me in.

It can be a pool of water trapped between rocks after a summer rain,

or a scum covered pond dancing with insects

...food for what lies hidden beneath its surface.

There is something quieting and mysterious about a pond

...often stagnant, murky, and unimposing

... that makes one stop

and

watch

and listen.

Hosted by Tabitha at Fresh Mommy.
Pop on over for more
Sunday Citars.

I'm In A Pickle!

2011-09-02T14:09:00.001-03:00

As a teenager leaving home for the first time, there are certain pieces of familiarity such as loved recipes one brings with them. This is one of many of my mother's recipes that I carried with me and made every year for the last thirty five years. Little did I know as I sat at the table writing out her recipes back in 1976, that my mother would be dead six months later. Her recipes are treasured and have been made repeatedly over the years. They have been passed on to my two girls who, though they never met their grandmother, know her through her recipes.

Mom's Bread and Butter Pickles

~in my 19 year old handwriting~

Before you start, sterilize your jars in a hot water bath.

Bring pickling mixture to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Add cucumbers and onions and bring to a boil.

Carefully pour into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe edges of jars and place on cap and lid and hand tighten.

Place filled jars in a canner and hot bath process for ten minutes. A lot of people do not do the hot bath process when making pickles. My mom never did this step when she made pickles, nor did I until a few years ago, but it is recommended.

One jar got short changed on the pickles...not to worry...even the extra pickle juice is saved and used around here. It adds a tangy zest to coleslaw or cucumbers & cream and is the secret ingredient that makes my spaghetti sauce so good...there, the cat's out of the bag!

Happy pickling,
Marisa

You Are Never Too Old To Learn Stupidity!

2011-08-25T14:25:00.006-03:00

One man's trash is not always another man's treasure, especially when it is dumped on him in the middle of the night. We are all for recycling by passing items you no longer have any use for on to someone else who might have a need for them, but really...

We live on a quiet country road with only five houses on our end, spaced far enough apart so that we can't see what the neighbour next to us is doing nor he us, and that's just the way we like it. We value our privacy and love the peace and quite that comes with owning a home surrounded by woods and apple orchards.

One of the downsides of living where we do is that other people take advantage of our homes being "out of the way" to slip in under the cover of darkness and dump their garbage in the ditches along the side of the road. We are constantly bombarded with lazy people's throw a ways, everything from beverage and fast food containers, entire garbage bags full of trash, tires, TVs, mattresses and other items of furniture. I recently hauled home two large garbage bags filled with empty "40 ouncers"...good to know someone is enjoying themselves...and spaghetti sauce jars with an inch of mould in them and washed them, not a pleasant task, so they could be recycled. Each time we get dumped on, we drag it home and set it aside until the next spring or fall cleanup so we can dispose of it properly.

We are getting tired and fed up of cleaning up after stupid, ignorant people who are old enough to know better...this is not the act of young people who seem to get blamed all too quickly for every misdeed... adults are the culprit here...which only goes to show that you are never too old to learn stupidity.

Here is the latest "dump."

Not easily riled,

I was fit to be hog tied when I encountered

this latest dump this morning.

We've had enough! The RCMP have been called, Valley Waste has been notified, the neighbours have been called and are on board to keep watch, the apple grower in the area is going to have his workers keep and eye open, NO DUMPING signs will soon be erected and letters will be going out to the local and regional papers. We may not yet know who is responsible for the illegal dumping...but we will! Big Brother is watching.

The Heron

2011-08-18T14:07:00.000-03:00

"One of the great things about being an early morning walker

is that you get to experience a feeling of calmness and a quiet serenity
that soaks into your pores
and washes away the disturbances
of every day life.
Some people mediate to quiet their body...I walk...and watch."
~Marisa~

As someone who enjoys spending alone time, I felt great affinity for this Heron that I chanced upon while hiking around Graves Island, East Chester. Although Herons roost and nest in groups they hunt alone unless food is plentiful where they may feed in groups evenly spaced out. They will eat whatever they can catch: fish, insects and spiders, amphibians crustacea and small rodents, reptiles and birds.


This Heron seems to be standing in a lonely vigil to the rising sun although I expect he is just waiting for breakfast to swim by.

"As a totem animal, the Heron signifies self determination and self reliance. It is said that the appearance of a blue heron is a symbol to follow your own unique wisdom and self-determination. The heron is about following your heart and your soul rather than popular opinion or the latest bandwagon."

"Herons are pretty solitary creatures. The lesson to take from them is that there is strength to be gained from spending time with yourself, away from the crowds and opinions of others. There are times when following a solitary path, or non-traditional role may be very rewarding."

~Heather MacKenzie -Carey ~

~Pixie Dust Healing~

~Animal Signs:Heron~

After watching quietly for ten minutesI approached a little closer for a better shot but a little too close for the Heron.

There he goes...

For more interesting information on the Heron, visit Heather MacKenzie-Carey's blog Pixi Dust Healing

and while you're there, check out the rest of her blog...it's filled with good stuff!

Roads To Sea

2011-08-12T12:48:00.002-03:00

I had a chance to spend some time with my girls last week and we spent part of our time together in Moncton, New Brunswick, a first for all of us, shopping, visiting the Hopewell Rocks at high tide and low tide, the Fundy National Park, and Cape Enrage.

Lights reflecting on the Petitcodiac River just behind our hotel
...or mud flats as the tide was out.

On our first day we took an all day coastline excursion with a guided tour, Roads To Sea, owned and operated by a wonderful lady Anna- Marie Weir who did a fantastic job explaining the history of the area and pointing out everything she thought we would be interested in seeing. Because she thought we were all quite agile...he he...I love it when I get included in that group, she changed things up for us so we got to see all areas at high tide and later at low tide.

Hopewell Rocks

at high tide.
"The Flower Pot Rocks"

...at low tide...we walked on the ocean floor!

Starting at the far left the rocks resemble

...bum cheeks (you can't really tell from this picture)

...the kissing rocks

...the bear

...and finally, on the right

...the...well you use your own imagination!

Our first covered bridge,

Sawmill Creek Bridge - 1905

Our tour group,

Yogin from Berlin, Germany,

Me, Celia From Vancouver,

and my girls, Grace and Amanda.

A stop in Alma for more site seeing

and dinner.

Table side entertainment provided by Anna

...just for us

...how many tour guides do that?

Lobster Stuffed Chicken

...delicious.

Anna treated us to some

world famous sticky buns

...yummy.

Point Wolfe Bridge

Fundy National Park

We even got to call a moose...
no luck attracting a moose but my daughter did manage to
call a park ranger...not a bad looking one at that!

Cape Enrage,

the top attraction in New Brunswick,

has the oldest lighthouse (built in 1848)

on the mainland of NB
...and what a spectacular view!

Just added to Cape Enrage,

it actually opened the day we were there,

is this 660 foot zip line.

I would have loved to wiz above the cliffs

over looking the water but they had just closed down

for the day when we got there.

I did get to zip line at TreeGo the next day

which was loads of fun but without the view

...but that's another post.
(You can find our adventure at TreeGo at Walking My Ass Off. )

I would love to return and spend a week or more camping at the Fundy National Park and revisit all the places we saw on our tour. A day is just not enough time to fully enjoy the surroundings. Anna did an amazing job introducing us to just a small part of what New Brunswick has to offer, and if you are ever in the area, search her out and book a tour...it's well worth it.

Roads To Sea

Guided Tours

Moncton, New Brunswick

www.roadstosea.com

The Bay of Fundy and The Grand Canyon are the only North American contenders left in the New 7 Wonders of the World campaign. You can vote for the Bay of Fundy at The New 7 Wonders Of Nature web site here.

Fresh And Good

2011-08-08T20:45:00.001-03:00

Life is like a box of chocolates...

you never know what you're gonna get.

~Forest Gump~

We are fortunate that we get a steady supply of fresh, free range eggs, brought to us each week by one of my Daycare parents. Like a box of chocolates, we never know what shades we're gonna find, brown, white or green... but we do know that they will be a good size, fresh and clean...and at $2.50 a dozen...you can't ask for more than that.

Dark yellow yolks

...thick

and creamy.

Sundown At The Harbour

2011-07-21T13:09:00.002-03:00

Come watch with me the shaft of fire that glows in yonder West:

the fair, frail palaces,

The fading Alps and archipelagoes,

And great cloud-continents of sunset-seas.

~Thomas Bailey Aldrich~

Halls Harbour

~famous for the world's highest tides~

Going...

going...

gone!

This Is The Precious Present

2011-07-17T22:34:00.000-03:00

If you feel like you're being watched...

chances are...

you probably are.

"This is the precious present, regardless of what yesterday
was like, regardless of what tomorrow may bring. When your
inner eyes open, you can find immense beauty hidden within the
inconsequential details of daily life. When your inner ears open,
you can hear the subtle, lovely music of the universe everywhere
you go. When the heart of your heart opens, you can take deep
pleasure in the company of the people around you -- family, friends,
acquaintances, or strangers -- including those whose characters are
less than perfect, just as your character is less than perfect. When you
are open to the beauty, mystery, and grandeur of ordinary existence,
you "get it" that it always has been beautiful, mysterious,
and grand and always will be. This is the precious present."
~Timothy Ray Miller~

For more Sunday Citars, join host Tabitha at Fresh Mommy Blog.

Summer Delights

2011-07-12T13:45:00.003-03:00

Fat juicy strawberries.

More to freeze for smoothies.

Sunny Brown Eyed Susans.

Ice-cream that melts faster than hubby can eat it.

I swear...you can't take that man anywhere!

Enjoy your summer,

Marisa

For more summer fun, join me at Walking My Ass Off

Taking The Plunge

2011-07-10T10:40:00.003-03:00

(To read more Sunday Citars, visit Tabitia at freshmommyblog.com.)

"Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin.

Beginning makes the conditions perfect."

~Alan Cohen~

The idea for launching a new blog has been mulling around in my mind for some time now, but I've been putting off committing myself to yet another endeavor due to time limits...or lack of it... plus I don't feel I've contributed much lately to "Getting Back To Basics"... so why take on more.

While Getting Back To Basics focuses mainly on home, cooking, gardening and life in general with a few musings of wracked out weirdo tossed into the mix, my interest lately has been shifting more toward finding a balance between working full time and living a healthy active life style.

I started using Nordic walking poles in March and find they're kind of addictive ...yep...sure... roll your eyes...I did my share of eye rolling too before I started but I'm glad I did. Since signing in with the Heart & Stroke Walkabout website a little over a month ago, I've been Walking My Ass Off, literally... hence the name for my new blog. I wear a pedometer now when I walk and record my steps daily on Walkabout. I find doing so helps to keep me accountable and it is my hope that this new blog will also help to keep me on track.

After all...

If I'm gonna talk the talk,

I'd better be prepared to

walk the walk!

I will still be posting here,

but you're quite welcome to pop over for a visit at

Walking My Ass Off.

Hope you find something there to interest you.

Happy walking,
Marisa

Tick Tock Time For Tick Talk

2011-07-05T10:34:00.000-03:00

Some uninvited guest hitched a ride home with us

after our little adventure into the woods

on the weekend.

The day after our outing,

hubby found this wood tick

attached to his

forearm.

Wood Tick

Two days later,

I was sorting the laundry into piles before starting the wash

and I spotted this tick

...what I believe is a "deer tick"

or "black legged tick" crawling on the floor.

Deer Tick or Black Legged Tick

The picture is a little blurry so it's hard to get a good look at it. We picked up our little hitch hikers in Lunenburg County where ticks been a problem for years, but lately they have been quite prevalent here in Kings County as well. While I can manage to live with the wood ticks, the fear of Lyme disease, which is carried only by the Black Legged tick, has me freaking.

Black legged ticks live for about two years. They have three feeding stages: larvae, nymph and adult. When a young tick feeds on an infected animal, it picks up a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. It's normally carried by mice, squirrels, birds and other small animals. The bacterium then lives in the gut of the tick. If you are the tick's next meal after it's ingested infected blood, you could show symptoms in three to 30 days. Most cases are reported in late spring and summer, when the young ticks are most active and people are outdoors more often.

Studies suggest that the incidence of Lyme disease in Canada is increasing. Lyme disease has become established in parts of southern and southeastern Quebec, southern and eastern Ontario, southeastern Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia as well as much of southern British Columbia.

If Lyme disease is not treated with antibiotics soon after infection, patients can suffer arthritis and neurological problems.

- CBC news report Feb.25, 2011

I will certainly be taking a closer look whenever I come in from spending any time outside, not just from outings in the woods.

Canada Day - Visiting Past Haunts

2011-07-01T20:45:00.006-03:00

While I expect most people flocked to the beach or community parks to celebrate Canada's 144th birthday, we loaded up the truck and headed for the woods to bike through the woodlot that once belonged hubby's grandfather ...and later his father. It was the first time we had been back since the land was sold several years ago. We spent 2 1/2 bumpy hours biking over roads that never existed when the land was in the family, as well as older over grown roads that were there since his grandfather's days. The scape has changed enough over the years that we could not find old familiar landmarks.

Ready to go.

My old circa 1940's Schwinn Corvette bike

survived yet again

another rough ride.

When the family worked the woodlot

there was still a market for

natural Christmas trees.
Now everyone wants a pruned tree like these.

Exploring an over grown road.

Stopping for lunch.

The house I was born in

... in what was then my parents bedroom

...upper left hand window.

The house has change hands many times since I left

over 35 years ago

and it's good to see that some work

is being done on it now.

What used to be my grandparents house

...a mansion compared to the one

I grew up in.

The old church hubby went to as a child

...and carved his initials into the pew.
Our eldest daughter was baptized in this church.

It is now being demolished

...or being taken apart so it can be moved.

An old dilapidated one room school house

hubby's dad attended as a boy.

A visit with hubby's Mom.

...and with my Mom and Dad.

TANGLED GARDEN

2011-06-23T12:47:00.000-03:00

We woke on Sunday to dark skies that looked pretty ominous for our plans for Father's Day, but it wasn't until I cursed the Gods for ruining our outdoor plans that all Hell broke loose...the black clouds released a turret of rain, thunder and lightening. Fortunately, by the time we finished our lunch the storm had past and things started looking up...the weather Gods were good to us. Donning rubber boots, we were on our way.

Grace and Issy

One of our stops for the day was the Tangled Garden (on highway #1 just past Wolfville and the turn off to Grand Pré National Park. Tangled Garden is on the right, just before "Just Us Coffee Roasters".
Although Tangled Garden has been there 20 years, this was our first visit.

The welcoming view from the parking lot.

Herbs from the garden hanging

from the ceiling to dry

before being used in jellies and infused oils they make and sell from the shop.

The smell when you first enter is amazing

and I really enjoyed seeing the array of herbs.

They were hanging so compactly that I couldn't help but wonder

how many mice could be nesting among

the dried foliage.

Dried sunflower heads.

Jellies and oils on display.

Then into the garden to explore...

...you never know who you might meet

...or what you might see.

As we were leaving, we noticed these little creatures

peering at us through a shop window.

They seemed to be wishing us a safe

journey home.

"YES, GRASSHOPPER, PIE IS GOOD FOR YOU."

2011-06-11T20:00:00.002-03:00

...well at least this Lime Pie with Chocolate Macaroon Crust is. When I saw this recipe on my daughter's blog, Graceful Simplicity, I knew I would have to give it a try. Her post, " Food, Love and a Raw Food Pie" touches on the erotic use of food "as a prelude, a stirring of the senses, a preparation for or igniter of passion." Judging by the murmurings of "mmmm" and "wow" that passed through hubby's lips as he ate this, he found it very tantalizing. While this is a Lime Pie, the color comes not from limes, but from the surprise ingredient...avocado. Don't let the avocado turn you off...you cannot taste it, only the lime, and combined with this Chocolate Macaroon crust... is totally divine.

Lime Pie with Chocolate Macaroon Crust
(adapted from this recipe)

Lime Filling:
1 ripe avocado (I used two small avocado)
¼ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
1tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
½ cup honey (or agave)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Pour into Chocolate Macaroon pie molds (see below) and refrigerate for at least one hour and/or until ready to serve. Makes one pie or four, 4” tarts.

Chocolate Macaroon Crust:

1 cup pecans
1 cup chopped dates
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp honey if needed to hold it together

Directions:

Add all ingredients into food processor and mix until all ingredients are finely processed and starts to stick Press firmly into pie form, or for tarts, divide and press into 4, 4” tart molds – place in fridge while making the filling.

Enjoy!

WHY WAIT ?

2011-05-31T13:51:00.000-03:00

The hubby's eyes nearly popped out of his head

when he came home from work yesterday

and saw this sitting

on the

counter.

He loves Rhubarb pie

...Strawberry Rhubarb even better,

unfortunately,

the strawberries won't be ready for a few more weeks,

even longer before the prices come down enough for me.

When I saw this recipe for Pineapple Rhubarb Pie

somewhere online

I thought,

"Why wait for strawberries?"

PINEAPPLE RHUBARB PIE
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/4 cups thinly sliced rhubarb (I used 4 cups)
14 ounces crushed drained pineapple (I used a 19 oz sized can)
pastry for double-crust pie
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar (to sprinkle on crust)

In large bowl measure 1st amount of sugar and flour, stir.
Add rhubarb and pineapple, stir.
Pour fruit mixture into unbaked pie shell.
Moisten pastry rim and cover with top crust.
Cut slits in top crust to let steam escape.
Sprinkle with remaining sugar.
Bake in 350° oven on bottom rack for 50- 60 minutes until browned and rhubarb is cooked.
* I baked mine in a 11 1/2 inch pie pan and had to increase the baking time by an extra 20 minutes.

Happy eating!
Marisa

WISH CASTING WEDNESDAY

2011-05-25T14:24:00.001-03:00

When Jamie at Jamie Ridler's Studio asked this week

"What do you wish for your health?"

I immediately thought of this commercial for the Kia Soul car featuring golfer Michelle Wie. I can't help watching whenever it comes on...the Soul is so ugly it's cute, but the music is catchy...and while the hubby (whom I repeat thinks primary with his lower mind) finds Michelle Wie hot and sexy, I am drawn to her power and strength. Although I have never played golf, I can't help but wish I had the strength to hit a ball with this force...maybe in my next life!

SOUNDS GOOD... LOOKS GOOD...TASTE YUMMY!

2011-05-21T23:00:00.003-03:00

Since planting our first rhubarb patch last summer I have been waiting for our first picking in order to try a new recipe given to me last summer by a friend Carol from PEI. The first crop did not disappoint, nor did the recipe for Rhubarb Torte, and if you like rhubarb, you will be sure to like this. Good food is meant to be shared and I'm sure Carol won't mind if I pass this one on.

...freshly picked rhubarb

and lots more

to come.

Rhubarb Torte has a shortcake type base

topped with a layer of a creamy rhubarb custard like filling

and

a golden meringue top.

...yes it taste as good as it looks!

RHUBARB TORTE

Base

1 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 c. margarine

Mix dry ingredients together and cut in margarine with a pastry blender. Press crumb mixture into an 8x8 baking dish and bake in a 325 degree oven for 25 min.

Filling
While base is in oven cook the filling. Watch filling very carefully...it will burn to the bottom of the pan unless you stir it constantly.
1 1/4 white sugar
2 Tbsp. flour

3 egg yolks

1/2 c. evaporated milk
2 1/4 c. rhubarb, cut into one inch pieces
Cook until the rhubarb is cooked up and the sauce is thick. Cool and then pour over base. Top with meringue.

Meringue
3 egg whites
1/4 c. white sugar
Beat egg whites on high speed until thick. Gradually beat in 1/4 c. sugar. Spread meringue over rhubarb filling.

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 5 - 9 min. or until meringue is golden brown.

Enjoy!

FOR THE LOVE OF FLAX

2011-05-19T12:20:00.001-03:00

I have a thing for flax seed...you might call it a love affair, that's been on going for well over five years...and the power of my attraction for flax, unlike most love affairs, has not waned over time. I don't keep my liaison a secret, engaging in it openly, and I'm willing to share with anyone, even the hubby. And it's true what they claim, that in matters of love, size doesn't really matter, because this tiny little seed is powerful. It is one of the biggest nutrient payloads on the planet, and while it's not a grain, it has a similar vitamin and mineral profile to grains... but has way more antioxidants, and Omega-3 fatty acids than grains. As a bonus, the flax seed is very low in carbohydrates making it ideal for people who limit their intake of starches and sugars. Its combination of healthy fat and high fiber content make it a great food for weight loss and maintenance -- many dieters have found that flax seed has been a key to keeping them feeling satisfied. What's not to love?

I start off every day with a heaping teaspoon of ground flax seed sprinkled on my yogurt, along with a spoonful of All Bran cereal and a helping of fruit. " Fiber-ing-up" in the morning is a good way to warn off feeling hungry before lunch. I also throw some ground flax seed in most of my baking, sprinkle it on salads or add it to smoothies. With my family history of colon cancer, the more fiber the better...it gets things moving to really clean out the pipes!

I made these two muffin recipes on the weekend, each containing a whole cup of ground flax seed, and they turned out wonderfully. While most "healthy" muffins tend to be a little on the heavy side, these were amazingly light and airy.

CRANBERRY FLAX MUFFINS

    1 cup (250 ml) flax seeds
    1 cup (250 ml) all purpose flour
    1 cup (250 ml) whole wheat flour
    1 cup (250 ml) natural bran (I used Natural Wheat Germ)
    1 tbsp (15 ml) baking powder
    1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda
    1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon
    1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
    2 eggs
    1-1/2 cups (375 ml) buttermilk (I used regular milk)
    1 cup (250 ml) packed brown sugar
    1/3 cup (75 ml) vegetable oil
    1-1/2 cups (375 ml) dried cranberries (I used frozen cranberries)

Set aside 2 tbsp (25 ml) of the flaxseeds. In food processor, finely grind remaining flaxseeds; transfer to large bowl. Add all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, natural bran, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt ; whisk to combine.

In separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, sugar and oil; pour over dry ingredients. Sprinkle with cranberries; stir just until combined.

Spoon into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups; sprinkle with reserved flaxseeds. Bake in centre of 375°F (190°C) oven until tops are firm to the touch, 20 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes; transfer to rack and let cool completely.

ORANGE BRAN FLAX MUFFINS

(Whole oranges give these muffins a wonderful flavour)
1 ½ cups (375 ml) oat bran (I used chickpea flour)
1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 ml) ground flax seed
1 cup (250 ml) natural bran (I used Natural Wheat Germ)
1 tbsp (15 ml) baking powder
½ tsp (2 ml) salt
2 whole oranges (peeled, quartered, seeded)
1 cup (250 ml) brown sugar
1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk (I used regular milk)
½ cup (125 ml ) canola oil
2    eggs
1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda
1 ½ cups (375 ml) raisins - optional

In a large bowl, combine oat bran, flour, flax seed, bran, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a blender or food processor, combine oranges, brown sugar, buttermilk, oil, eggs and baking soda. Blend well.
Pour orange mixture into dry ingredients. Mix until well blended. Stir in raisins.
Fill paper lined muffin tins almost to the top.
Bake in 190 C (375° F) oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.
Cool in tins 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

Enjoy!

MOTHER'S DAY

2011-05-08T06:00:00.001-03:00

Happy Mother's Day!
...in memory of my mom,
Ruth
and mother-in-law,
Margaret.

Ruth Marie (Wile) Hiltz
April 29th, 1929 - Nov. 28th, 1976

Margaret Rose Elizabeth (Keddy) Bezanson
Aug. 17th, 1940 - April 15th, 2003

ROYAL HAT DAY

2011-04-29T22:00:00.000-03:00

British ladies weren't the only

ones

wearing fancy

hats

today!

BOTTOMS UP - A BELOW THE BELT COMMENTARY ON A SENSITIVE ISSUE...BUM PLUG #3

2011-04-29T05:00:00.002-03:00

April is the month that finally awakes a sense of coming alive after the seemingly endless days of burrowing inside under the warmth of snug blankets or cozy sweaters, venturing outside only when we need to or when we reach the point where "cabin fever" is about to send us over the edge. When April comes we want to break loose and explode out of our cocoon to enjoy the fresh air and the great outdoors while witnessing the newness of nature budding out. We search out the signs that spring is really here, from the singing of the birds and spring peepers to the new shoots...and yes, even those weeds... bursting from the soil. We have a powerful urge to get down and dig and plant and create.

One of the first affirmations that spring has arrived is the blooming of one of my favorite flowers, the daffodil, usually by mid to late April in our area. Its timely arrival in April makes it the appropriate flower to represent the Canadian Cancer Society's annual fund raiser for cancer research. This year, April 27th has been marked as "Daffodil Day" in support of anyone struggling with cancer or suffering the loss of a loved one from cancer.

Another date this month, April 29th, is on everyone's mind for other reasons as they await the Royal Wedding of William and Kate, and while I will be checking in mostly to see "the dress", my thoughts on that day will also be with my mother who would have been 82 had she not died at age 47 of bowel cancer.

Ruth Marie (Wile) Hiltz

April 29th 1929 - Nov. 28th 1976

Paul Merrill Hiltz

Nov. 28th 1926 - May 8th 1997

The 29th is also time for me to post the third in a series of what I call “Bum Plugs” in my effort to spread the message of the importance of early colon cancer screening. Having a family history of colon cancer, my mom at 47 and my maternal grandfather at 50, puts me in the high risk group for getting colon cancer. But knowing my family history also means that regular colon screening every five years or less is available to me and all seven of my siblings, and that is very reassuring. A new gasterologist in our area who focuses mainly on colonoscopies has shortened my wait for a colonoscopy from what usually takes up to two years from time of referral to just two short months. I encourage everyone, especially if you have a family history of colon cancer to ask your family doctor about screening. Don't let embarrassment put you off...live your life...get tested...and please copy and paste this badge to your side bar with a link back to this post.

COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING

Live Your Life, Get Tested!

The Scoop On Colonoscopies!

What happens before a colonoscopy?

The day before the procedure is a day of fasting, no solid food, only clear liquids... and nothing red or orange for obvious reasons. Next comes the hard part and there is no way to sugar coat it… it is just plain nasty!!!!

Your doctor will have already given you instructions on what to pick up at the pharmacy and you should have these already on hand. In my case I was given the choice of either “Pico-Salax" or the prep of his preference "Colyte." Eager to please the Doc, I chose the Colyte over the Pico-Salax (will not be doing that again) which involves mixing the Colyte crystals with four liters of water and drinking it all over a period of four to six hours. While it didn't taste bad, it had a thick slippery texture that was not to my liking and I managed to down only three liters over a six hour period...but enough to do the job. For past colonoscopies I used Pico-Salax and it wasn't bad at all...there is only two glasses of citrus flavoured prep to drink plus lots of water. Whichever prep you choose, they both have the same result...within an hour you start to shit...lots...and lots...and it will last the next few hours.

The day of the colonoscopy…

The day of the colonoscopy you will check into the day surgery department of the hospital. You will be given a beautiful johnny shirt to wear and a housecoat (another Johnny shirt to tie in the front) so your ass is not exposed, paper slippers for your feet and a blanket to cover yourself while you wait. When it is time for your procedure you be taken to the room where the colonoscopy equipment is set up and be given a pain reliever and a sedative intravenously (in your vein); you will feel relaxed and somewhat drowsy. You will lie on the left side, with your knees drawn up towards your chest.

What happens during a colonoscopy?

During a colonoscopy, the physician uses a colonoscope (a long, flexible instrument about 1/2 inch in diameter) to view the lining of the colon. The colonoscope is inserted into the rectum and advanced through the large intestine. A small amount of air is used to expand the colon so the physician can see the colon walls. This is the only time you will likely ever be told that it is OK to pass gas...it will make you feel better and helps the Doc to get a better view. You may feel mild cramping during the procedure; cramping can be reduced by taking slow, deep breaths. The colonoscope is slowly withdrawn while the lining of your bowel is carefully examined. Some people dose during this procedure but I was wide awake and I didn't feel a thing.

If necessary during a colonoscopy, small amounts of tissue can be removed for analysis (a biopsy) and polyps can be identified and entirely removed. In many cases, a colonoscopy allows accurate diagnosis and treatment of colorectal problems without the need for a major operation. The procedure lasts from 30 minutes to one hour.

What happens after a colonoscopy

You will stay in a recovery room for observation until you are ready for discharge. You may feel some cramping or a sensation of having gas, but this quickly passes. You will probably let one rip but you won’t be the only one so don’t be embarrassed. You will be offered a muffin and tea or coffee before you leave…take it… after almost two days of nothing to eat, the carrot muffin and tea I was given was divine. A responsible adult must drive you home; avoid alcohol, driving, and operating machinery for 24 hours following the procedure. Unless otherwise instructed, you may immediately resume your normal diet, but it is recommended you wait until the day after your procedure to resume normal activities.

If polyps were removed or a biopsy was taken, avoid taking aspirin, products containing aspirin, or anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen [Advil®, Motrin®], naproxen [Naprosyn®] or indomethacin [Indocin®]) for two (2) weeks after the procedure to help decrease the risk of bleeding; you may take acetaminophen (such as Tylenol®) if needed. If a biopsy was taken or a polyp was removed, you may notice light rectal bleeding for one to two days after the procedure; large amounts of bleeding, the passage of clots, or abdominal pain should be immediately reported.

Three of my sisters and me have had colonoscopies in the past month or so and two out of four have had polyps detected or removed and will have to go back for a follow up visit. I was one of the lucky ones and will not need another colonoscopy for five years. Although the procedure itself was a piece of cake the prep was not pleasant… but when I consider what it must like to battle colon cancer I won’t complain.

For more Information on colon cancer you can check back to my earlier post,

BOTTOMS UP - A BELOW THE BELT COMMENTARY ON A SENSITIVE ISSUE...BUM PLUG #1

or

BOTTOMS UP - A BELOW THE BELT COMMENTARY ON A SENSITIVE ISSUE...BUM PLUG #2

or check out the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada web site.

HAPPY EASTER

2011-04-24T06:00:00.003-03:00

Although our two girls have grown and moved on, we still get to experience the "Easter Bunny"excitement through the eyes of my little daycare kiddies. The little bunnies had a great party, but the old hare ain't what she used to be... but hopefully I have few more years left in me before I get put out in the clover field.

Happy Easter everyone,

from all the gang!

99 YEARS AGO

2011-04-16T18:45:00.002-03:00

Ninety nine years ago the impossible happened...the greatest passenger liner built at that time, the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage. Heralded as being unsinkable, the Titanic met its doom when it crashed into an iceberg and went down resulting in a great loss of life.

Many tributes and activities are already being planned to the mark the upcoming 100th anniversary in 2012 that I am sure will draw large crowds to Halifax next year.

If you are a regular listener to CBC's Weekend Morning show with Stan Carew, you have probably heard Les Barker's "Have you got any news of the ice berg" before as it is one of the most requested recordings. It looks at the sinking of the Titanic from a different perspective and I always enjoy it every time I hear it.

SUNDAY CITAR

2011-04-10T09:47:00.002-03:00

It's been a while since I've participated in "Sunday Citar" hosted by Tabitha at Fresh Mommy Blog. Tabitha has just posted a recipe for a dressed up version of Banana Bread I can't wait to try and has also recently posted some pretty amazing wedding photos in celebration of her and her hubby's seventh anniversary. Boy, weddings have really changed since I was married 34 years ago...you don't see crape paper streamers and trays of egg sandwiches any more. Pop over to get that Banana Bread recipe, and read some great Sunday quotes.

"How strange that nature does not knock,

and yet does not intrude."

Emily Dickinson

Some signs of spring...

pussy willows

buds bursting forth

the honey bees are back

...and some idiot feels the need to lay a little rubber!

WELCOME SPRING

2011-04-05T21:24:00.002-03:00

Spring has been slow showing it's face in our little corner of the world and while people living just ten minutes from us have been raking their lawn weeks ago, we are still waiting for the last of our snow to disappear. Although our crocuses and daffodils have yet to bloom, the hubby surprised me the other day with a gift of what's to come.

One of my favorite poems that always makes me smile is Daffodils by William Wordsworth (1770-1850). It is a lyrical poem in which Wordsworth compares himself to a lonely cloud and personifies the field of golden daffodils he sees below as a crowd of joyful dancers. The poem shows the author's love and appreciation of the beauty of nature.

"Daffodils"
I wander'd lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

But another lesser known poem To Daffodils by Robert Herrick is equally stirring of the emotions but in a different way. While Wordsworth evokes feelings of joy, Herrick has a note of melancholy/sadness in his poem which arises out of the realization that beauty is not going to stay forever. He compares the fast dying daffodils to the shortness of human life.

To Daffodils

Fair Daffodils, we weep to see
You haste away so soon;
As yet the early-rising sun
Has not attain'd his noon.
Stay, stay,
Until the hasting day
Has run
But to the even-song;
And, having pray'd together, we
Will go with you along.
We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a spring;
As quick a growth to meet decay,
As you, or anything.
We die
As your hours do, and dry
Away,
Like to the summer's rain;
Or as the pearls of morning's dew,
Ne'er to be found again.
by Robert Herrick

Fasting...but not in my mind!

2011-04-04T17:05:00.000-03:00

A day of fasting in preparation for a scheduled colonoscopy for the following day did not dissuade me from checking out a new recipe passed on to me from my daughter. While I enjoyed my green tea, I was really craving the mouth watering, melt in your mouth chocolate goodness of these Fudgy Coconut Flour Brownies. My daughter made these in place of a cake for my birthday a few weeks ago and I know they will become a family favorite...in fact, they are on the menu for our Easter meal. She found the recipe at Always Order Dessert by Alejandra Ramos. Check out her blog...there are oodles of wonderful recipes.

FULL MOON

2011-03-20T22:24:00.002-03:00

Last night's clear sky provided an amazing view of the full moon

...can you see the man in the moon?

EAT, PRAY, LOVE...CHICK FLICK OR SNOOZE FEST

2011-02-14T14:25:00.002-04:00

Wishing everyone a Valentine's Day

full of warm happy vibes.

If you are thinking of spending Valentine's cuddling under a blanket while enjoying a movie together, I would recommend that you give this one a pass. We recently rented Eat, Pray, Love after hearing all the hype about the book and movie. The movie is based on the book written by Elizabeth Gilbert in which she chronicles her travels to Italy, India and Indonesia in an attempt to find balance in her life. The movie starts with Elizabeth (Julia Roberts) walking away from her marriage, suffering a brief period of depression, and then deciding she needs to travel for a year in order to find herself.

She first travels to Italy where she immerses herself in Italy's culture...well actually...she eats...and one third of the film is focused on her developing a "love" relationship with food.

She then travels to India where she scrubs floors and practices hours of silent meditation at her Guru's Ashram. Her meditations bring her to God...or the revelation that God is found within herself, and to find peace one must return-to-self.

In Bali, Indonesia, Elizabeth consults with Ketut, a ninth generation Indian medicine man, who tells her, "To find the balance that you want, you must keep your feet grounded so firmly on earth that it's like you have four legs, instead of two. That way, you can stay in the world. But you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart instead. That way you will know God."

While in Indonesia she meets and falls in love with Felipe, a Brazilian man who loves her with such intensity that she feels unbalanced and scared, enough so that she is about to board a plane and go home, leaving Felipe behind and it is only the last minute advice of Ketut "that it is OK to be unbalanced for love" that she changes her mind and stays...

While the hubby snoozed through this movie I managed to stay awake...but just barely. The movie is long, tedious and uninspiring...certainly unworthy of all the hype. I found Elizabeth to be a self absorbent, self indulgent twit who is willing to walk away from a marriage for no other apparent reason but that the "novelty" has worn off.

While the book is touted as a wonderful book of self-discovery that will nourish your soul I found the movie to be lacking, and I suspect that the book is no more promising.

My thoughts on self discovery:

... can't find myself...no need to travel half way round the world... just plant my ass under the giant hemlock in our back yard and and gaze up through the branches at the sky.

...can't get any closer to God than that

...better yet

...I'll take a big bag of Lays chips along and rekindle my love relationship with food...killing two birds at the same time.

...and as for being "balanced"...how boring is that?

INTO THE DARKNESS...THEY'RE HERE!

2011-02-01T14:20:00.001-04:00

I like to walk daily, just 20 minutes in the early morning before moms with their kiddies walk through the door, which this time of the year means walking in the dark. Although it sometimes requires a lot of effort to leave the coziness of my bed, once past the thresh hold I always enjoy the exercise, the fresh air and the quiet stillness of the early hours...the morning belongs to me.

I have never really been bothered by the dark, except for being nervous of the possibility of a sudden run in with a skunk. As for encounters with the two legged persuasion, I've always been able to dismiss my fear by telling myself... what would anyone want with an old thing like me... even though I know that someone in that frame of mind is probably not going to be very picky.

Three winters ago, while cross country skiing on my own, I witnessed several hawks, at least seven, feasting on a deer carcass on a frozen pond. While in awe of the size and wing span of these birds and their majestic beauty as they soared above my head and swooped down to feed, I felt immense sadness for the fate of the deer, brought down by what I now believe were coyotes. The hawks were just helping them self to the leftovers...the way of the wild.

Picture found at at free-extras.com.

The death of singer/songwriter Taylor Mitchell in Oct. .2009 by two coyotes while hiking on Skyline Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, and all the talk that followed caused me some concern but did not interrupt my routine, after all...that happened in Cape Breton, not my back yard...as long as I didn't allow my mind to wonder to the "what if's" I was fine.

But a recent conversation with an elderly uncle who just happens to be an avid hunter has opened my eyes. He was lamenting the fact that he didn't bag a deer this year due to what he believes is the increasing coyote population..."there are no deer or rabbits around this year he says." I too had been noticing the lack of deer or rabbit tracks in our neck of the woods, something always plentiful in the past...but there are plenty of other "dog like" tracks around.

... and then there are the daily accounts in the news of "run ins" with aggressive coyotes.

..so perhaps it is time to be afraid.. to be very afraid...

...they are here,

...and I am now afraid of walking alone in the dark.

...especially down over the hill which is bordered on each side by deep woods.

...but I have not given up my walks

...I am just better prepared.

I have always made it a habit of wearing a safety vest for visibility and carried a small flashlight to light my footpath, but I now carry a larger, brighter flashlight which I am constantly shinning into the edge of the woods, fields and orchard looking for any signs. I also carry a whistle to hopefully scare away any animals.

...and something I never thought I would ever do...

I'm packing a weapon

...just in case the whistle doesn't work!

WINTER'S DUSTING

2011-01-24T14:24:00.002-04:00

Winter's Dusting

Winter's dusting

silently blankets

the earth with down

clinging to bared branch

bringing renewed beauty

to weary gardens

and woodlands

cloaking the world

with pureness.

Winter's dusting...

hushed

untouched

...serene.

Marisa

FLOUNDERING

2011-01-12T21:30:00.001-04:00

The New Year means to different people different things, but typically represents to most a new beginning...a chance to wipe the slate clean and start over, replacing old habits with new and making fresh resolutions to "do better" in the coming year. In the past, I've made my share of resolutions, jumped into them gun-hole only to have them fall by the wayside, often leaving me feeling worse off than before I started. In recent years I've switched in my attempt for self improvement from making specific resolutions, like loosing 20 pounds, to more generalized ones such as eating healthier and being more active. Last year instead of a resolution, I tried to focus on an intention or mantra for the year- "simplify"- which worked quite well for me. I was able to rid a lot of clutter in my surroundings, although I still have a long way to go, as well as let go of a lot of "mind clutter".

Almost two weeks into 2011, I had yet to form an intention for the year that I could get excited about. Finding myself floundering from feeling a strong urge to bring about "change" for the New Year to feeling a need to"lighten up" it suddenly hit me today what my focus needs to be for the months ahead.

Drum roll please... my mantra for 2011...

"JUST SMARTEN THE - - - - UP!"

...I think that just about covers everything.

(Don't ask what precipitated this eureka moment cause I won't tell

...just wish me luck.)

HAVE A JOYFUL CHRISTMAS

2010-12-24T14:02:00.001-04:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas
...may your joy be great
and your worries small
and may you hold in your heart,
love for all!

A few gifts from my tree...

"the love of

Christmas

...and purple."

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2010-12-24T09:50:00.002-04:00

Our Christmas party with my daycare kids was a success

...a good time was had by all!

Usually,

there is at least one unwilling to sit

for the Christmas group picture

but this year we managed

to get all ten to pose...yea!

TWELVE TREATS OF CHRISTMAS

2010-12-17T13:48:00.000-04:00

This year instead of the usual Advent craft with my day care kiddies consisting of "paper chains" or "numbered ornaments" on the tree or "bells" on Rudolph's harness, we opted for something simpler...Twelve Treats Of Christmas. We traced our hands to make mitten shapes on old Christmas cards, cut them out and glued two mittens together leaving an opening at the top into which I slipped a piece of card with a treat of the day written on it. Treats ranged from a chocolate, a special story, a pencil, or pack of crayons to a game of Reindeer Pokey.

Today's treat was...popcorn for lunch...with real butter! It's funny how many kids have never experienced making popcorn other than sticking a bag in the microwave. They enjoyed watching it explode out of the air popper and really wolfed it down while telling me how good it was...even better than what you get at the theaters.

Maybe next Christmas I will pop it in a pot on top of the stove just like we used to in the "olden" days! They should get a real kick out of that.

Popcorn

Put the oil in the pot

and you let it get hot

Put the popcorn in

and you start to grin.

Sizzle...sizzle...sizzle

...sizzle...sizzle...sizzle

POP!

Raffi

SIX WORD SATURDAY...OOPS!

2010-11-21T11:45:00.004-04:00

"I'm

late

posting

Six

Word

Saturday."

These six words describe my day...

One basic rule of baking cookies:

"Don't drop cookie sheet on floor!"

Maybe...

"I should of stayed in bed!"

For more Six Word Saturdays, visit Cate at Show My Face.

After a bad start, I ended up with lots of yummy cookies. I posted these before but they are so... good!

Aptly named "Field Cookies" they are loaded with goodness... lots of seeds and grains, but low in fat and sugar. This recipe calls for only one cup of butter and two cups of sugar to make seven dozen cookies which is not a lot compared to what most recipes call for. These are a great and very tasty way to "fiber up" your diet!

FIELD COOKIES
2 c. unbleached flour (I used 1 white and 1 whole wheat)
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. raisins
1/2 c. sesame seeds
1 c. flax seeds
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. pumpkin seeds
1/2 c. poppy seeds
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. coconut
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

2 c. brown sugar
1 c. unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together the first 12 ingredients. In a separate bowl beat together the butter, eggs , sugar and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients. The recipe says to roll dough into balls, place on cookie sheet and flatten balls with a fork but I didn't. I just dropped mine by a teaspoon and didn't bother to flatten them. They flattened out on their own in the oven. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

WISH CASTING WEDNESDAY

2010-10-06T14:20:00.002-03:00

I haven't participated in Wish Casting Wednesday for awhile as I am usually busy with other things and her questions sometimes require a lot of thought and self reflection that I seldom have time to sit down and put thoughts to paper or should I say cyberspace. But the instant I read Jamie Ridler's question today "Where do you wish to grow your confidence?" the answer practically sprang out of me.

I would like to gain confidence in my speaking ability and have just a little bit of the "gift of gab," not a lot...there's nothing more annoying than people who talk incessantly for the sake of talking... but just enough to see me through social situations without stumbling over my words. The more nervous I am, the more I reverse my words, mispronounce words and just generally bumble thing up. So at a social gatherings, I will be the quiet one, not because I am self-absorbed or stuck up, but because I am being cautious that I don't say something to embarrass myself. Although a few drinks of wine may loosen my lips, it does nothing improve my skills at intelligent conversation, and if I am going to make an ass of myself, I would rather to be the first to know.

FREE RANGE

2010-10-05T21:13:00.005-03:00

It seems I can't get off the subject of boobs. A recent article in the Halifax Chronicle Herald about the latest beauty implement called the "Kush" prompted this post. The Kush, an "anatomically contoured" cylindrical plastic pillow invented in the U.S. by Cathinka Chandler who lives in Charlotte, N.C, was designed to prevent large breasted women from developing a wrinkly cleavage. Chandler claims there are now 20,000 users in the US and that the "Kust" is now "busting" out in Canada as well.

Used by large-breasted women who sleep on their sides, the Kush works by keeping a woman’s breasts separated while sleeping to prevent wrinkles caused by the pull of gravity on their breasts.

Customers range from girls that are having breast implants to moms wanting to buy them for their daughters because they already have cleavage wrinkles and they don’t want their daughters to get them too. Yup...just one more way to show your daughter how much you love her ...just hand over a plastic pillow and tell her that if she sleeps with it between her boobs for the rest of her life she will never have a wrinkled cleavage. It ranks right up there with allowing her to grow up with the delusion that there is a prince out there somewhere just waiting to fulfill her dreams of a "happily ever after."

But let's be honest here...our daughters deserve it. Just as there is no fairy tale "prince" ( men just won't shed their horny toadness ...I mean their warty frogness...even for a princess) a hunk of plastic is not going to prevent boobs from doing what boobs do...they head south. They get bigger as you age...throw in a couple of kids and a few extra pounds and you may as well pack a bag for the Caribbean cause they're headed for lower hemispheres along with your ass and other unmentionables. It's the law of gravity...blame Isak Newton for coming up with that one, and don't think for a minute that if you are small busted you will escape this phenomenon...remember sneaking peaks at National Geographic magazines at the back of the library when we were kids. Huh...huh...that's you in 30 - 50 years.

To prove my point, I did a full frontal booby check in the mirror ***warning do this only in the privacy of your home ...with door locked... and this is what I found:

...they are big

...they are heavy

...and
... they hang

...but nary a cleavage wrinkle if sight!

It is not until I try to pick up my babies to stuff them into a steel, double reinforced support bra that the wrinkles appear.

Conclusion:

The real battle is not in keeping them separated, but in keeping them from falling, and short of duck taping them to your chin 24/7, it's a no win battle. But if you don't want to take any chances and you're up for a good fight, you can order your very own Kush (that and a Barbie pipe dream too) at a an online lingerie shop called Candy and Lacy.

As for me...I already have enough preventive nightly rituals so when my wifely duties are done, it's...a couple squirts of Nasonex to prevent the "stuffies", slap on some night cream to battle facial wrinkles, tuck a pillow between my knees to ward off hip pain, pop my bite plane in to keep me from grinding my teeth, and kiss my frog price goodnight...but my girls...they're sleeping "free range."

Nightie - night...don't let the bedbugs bite!

ELEMENTS OF SELF - SELF ART

2010-09-30T21:07:00.000-03:00

The love of purple and "sparklies"!

This weeks theme of Elements Of Self is “self art” where we get to do a self portrait using what ever medium we choose. I like working with my hands and there is so much more I would like to learn, pottery, oil painting and creative art using fabric, but my hours looking after children does not leave much free time to get my own creative juices flowing. It seems my creative focus is primarily based on what one can do with finger paints and play dough. So for this prompt, I incorporated “self portraits” as part of this weeks daycare theme...

”FRIENDS MAKE US HAPPY!”

Body tracing is always a fun but somewhat squirmy activity especially if you have tickle spots or you are trying to trace a one year old...not an easy task. The kids enjoyed painting themselves and choosing stickers and sparklies to embellish their self portraits. I am including my little friends as they play a big part in defining who I am.


The Gang - Sydney, Kaiden, Elliot, Jonah, Me, and Kaidince...missing - Caeden

With the addition of leaves and pumpkins we will soon be painting, this mural will become a "Fall Fair."

For more Elements Of Self, visit Juliana at Shakti Mama.

A FLASH TO THE PAST

2010-09-24T13:40:00.001-03:00

Last week when I stopped at a local department store to pick up a few items I experienced a time warp in which I found myself back in the past, circa 1977. I was standing in line at the check out waiting my turn when an elderly woman was called off the floor to open an extra cash for which which I was next to be rang through.
As luck would have it, my items would not scan...the registrar was out of tape and needed to be reloaded. It was easy to tell that this poor lady was used to working the floor and was not well experienced working the cash as she was having a difficult time installing the tape into the machine and was getting more flustered by the minute. I told her that it was OK and just take her time ... I was in no hurry, then focused my attention on what was going on around me so she would not feel that I was watching her. I too have a hard time doing tasks when I know someone is watching over me...things I can normally do with my eyes closed...and will become a bumbling idiot if I feel I am being watched.

As she struggled with the tape a couple of ladies...and I use this term loosely... joined the line behind me and immediately started to complain about her incompetency, making no attempt to keep their comments quiet. The more they talked, the more clumsy and flustered the clerk got and the more I felt her pain. I was transported back over thirty years when I worked at this very same store.

Like her, I was in charge of a department and I was good at my job, but occasionally, when things got busy, I would be called to open a cash.

I hated it!

If anything could go wrong it seemed it would happen to me, and with a line up of people waiting I would break out into a sweat and turn red as Borscht soup. While most people would be polite and patient, there were always the asses who were so full of themselves and their importance in the world that they did not hesitate to complain loudly. I remember wishing I could sink under the counter.

While my experience as a sales clerk when I was in my teens made me empathic for the position this sales clerk was now in, it did not give me courage, for I did what I always do. I kept my mouth zipped when I so wanted to turn around and tell those "ladies" to lighten the f*** up. I left the store feeling angry and discussed at myself for not speaking up.

But this tale has a happy ending...

I made one more stop on my way home, a local video store, to pick up a movie, when the sweetest little girl (I'm guessing around three years old) turned to me, a complete stranger, poked her finger at my boob and exclaimed, "I like those!" She was pointing to my tank top's purple sequin and bead "sparkies."... positioned...well, over my boob. While her Dad pretended he didn't just see his daughter poke a strange lady in the boob, I knelt down beside her and said "I do too! And I really like Strawberry Shortcake", pointing to the movie she was holding in her hands, to which she gave a big smile and a "Me too!."

This little girls exuberance was all it took to "un-grump" me and was a reaffirmation that:

I made the right choice thirty + years ago to not return to a costumer service type job but start an in home daycare.

If you like sparkly things you should not be afraid to wear them.

Don't wait till you're old to wear purple!

Are you afraid?

BODY BASHING - ELEMENTS OF SELF

2010-09-16T14:09:00.000-03:00

Today's post for Elements Of Self - Least Favorite Body Part is done in jest.
Although there is always something for which I can find fault in myself,
I have for the most part accepted that,
to borrow a phase from Popeye,

"I is what I is!"

I am...imperfect

but

I am healthy

I am active

and

I am happy

all for which I am very grateful.

...but I can still body bash with the best of them

so

...lets take it from the top!

...drum roll please...

(I will keep my list limited to the "B's" in order to keep it short)

THE B'S OF BODY BASHING

The Beak

...too big

The Boobs
...too big

The hubby would argue
that these are my best feature
but he tends to think primarily with his "lower" mind
and he doesn't have to bra shop
nor
does he have to carry this rack around.
(did I mention that I'm pretty good at male bashing too?)

We'll just skip past the Belly rolls...all three of them.

And now for the grand finale...

The Butt!

Unlike Sam at Emerging Into Wholeness,
I do not have the courage to post a picture of my ass
wearing nothing but my undies.
That's one brave woman!

Join guest host Sam at Emerging Into Wholeness
for more Elements Of Self
- Least Favorite Body Part.

A WEEK OF FIRST

2010-09-12T15:28:00.002-03:00

Last week's Hurricane Earl, our first of the season, did a no show here in the valley, choosing instead to steer off it's expected course and honor the eastern coast with a visit. While they experienced wind damage and power outages, we had merely a windy, wet day no worst than we would normally get this time of year. Hyped up for a real storm and not wanting to be caught with our pants down this time, we were prepared... all the garden and patio furniture was either put away or tied down tight, our meat was relocated to the bottom of the freezer, the flashlights and the cell phone recharged, and lots of water was drawn for drinking, cooking and flushing. When the storm passed us by with nary a bluster and only a flicker of lights, we were left feeling a little bored and let down. While the forecast hurricane brought little excitement to our part of the valley, it did bring cooler fresh air after a week 35 + degree temperatures hot enough to melt the tits off a polar bear.

I had my first deer sighting of the season while returning from my morning walk...there were two (and I almost missed them so there may have been more) that crossed in front of me but I had been looking down and just happened to look up at that instant. I had my earphones in so I didn't hear them, a reminder that being "wired" is not always a good thing. We miss so much of what is going on in the natural world around us. I will be doing more of my walking "unplugged" in the future.

I ate my first "hot" apple of the season, swiped from the neighboring orchard on one of my walks. Gasp! ...I know... I know...I'm on a spiraling descent into the fiery pits of Hell but don't despair for me... as my daughter always says, "That's where all the interesting people are."

Always thinking of my stomach, I enjoyed my first corn boil of the season, late I know, but it was just too hot before now to enjoy it ...and I had my first taste of BORSCHT. I have heard people say how good it is so I decided to use some beets from our garden and give it a try. It didn't disappoint and I will be making it again.

BORSCHT - BEET SOUP

2 c. beets (canned or cooked & peeled)
1/2 c. carrots, peeled & cut
2 c. beef bouillon or broth
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. dill weed

garnish
1 tsp. dill weed
1 tbsp. sour cream per serving (opt.)

I cooked beets from my garden the day before. Wash beets and cook in water until tender, drain and run cold water over them. The skin will easily slip off. Refrigerate until you are ready to make your soup.

Cook carrots in bouillon. Do not drain but allow to cool enough so you can puree the mixture in the blender. Blend in portions...some carrot/bouillon along with some beets, pour into soup pot and repeat until all the carrots and beets have been pureed...If you don't have a blender, mash with a potato masher. Add vinegar and dill weed. The pureed version is very elegant. Reheat soup ladle into bowls and top soup with 1 tablespoon of sour cream. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon dill weed. This soup can be served hot or chilled.

Footnote:
Don't try this one on kids unless you are wearing head to toe protection. I offered it as "Christmas Soup" to my daycare kiddies after first setting the scene by singing Jingle Bells with them, but I couldn't pull the wool over their eyes this time. The one little guy I expected not to eat it did while the rest balked. The baby spit out the first spoonful and sent the second one flying hence the warning about full body protection. Lets hope the Tomato Orzo soup planned for tomorrow goes off better than the Borscht.

ELEMENTS OF SELF - FAVORITE BODY PART

2010-09-02T13:05:00.000-03:00

This weeks prompt for "Elements Of Self - Favorite Body Part" required a lot more thought than previous weeks. Perhaps a fitting title should be "The Good...The Bad...And The Ugly" since this post is about what I feel I good about and actually like about my body while the next prompt will focus on my least favorite body parts. I feel like I have been playing a game of "Head and shoulders...knees and toes trying to come up with what I like...a very short list... while the self critical part of me can easily we pick apart all the things...cognitive, physical, emotional, and spiritual etc. about my self that I don't like. Generally the list shifts depending on the circumstances and where I am in my life. When life is a bummer it's is much easier to fall into a negative pit of self hating. Liking myself was much more difficult when I was younger, shyer and more self conscious but I have found that the older I get the less important it is to me. Perhaps I have finally grown into my body or maybe I have reached a point in my life that I just really don't give a shit anymore and accepted the fact that I never had an hour glass body...and I never will. I try to focus more on trying to keep my weight in check, staying active and eating a healthy diet because, saggy boobs, belly rolls, bad skin and frizzy hair I do want to stay in the game for many, many more years.

My Two Favorite body parts are:

...my wrist

...because no matter how the rest of my body fluctuates
from a healthy weight
to a heavier weight
after falling off the wagon,
my wrist never change,
always staying slender
...a reminder that underneath all the padding,
there is a little person.

... and my feet

...not much to look at and painful at times,
they keep me mobile and when placed in the right hands,
they give me immense pleasure.

I would have to say that there is little that tops
the pleasure of a good foot massage...

For More Elements Of Self join
host Juliana at Shakti Mama.

ELEMENTS OF SELF - THE SHADOW

2010-08-18T22:42:00.000-03:00

The theme for this week's "Elements Of Self...The Shadow" with host Juliana at Shakti Mama had me connecting a lot with my faithful companion, my shadow. Unlike a lot of people who need people around them all the time, I am quite comfortable being with myself...just me, myself and I, and sometimes I let my shadow tag along. I don't feel the need for constant conversation which is probably why I enjoy my solitary early morning walks and why I can spend hours alone digging in the dirt and tending to my gardens. Although I like to have hubby's help, I will send him off to a different section of the garden so I can be alone with my thoughts.

Walking is my time to clear my head of negative "garbage", collect my thoughts and recoup, ready to start the day fresh. Even on days that I need to push myself to get started, I will always feel better after, and will only skip my walk on very hot humid mornings. I am looking forward to the cooler fall weather when the air is crisp. My favorite walks are ones just after a snowfall with the sun is just coming up on the horizon, and the only tracks in the snow are my own.

Being a "shortie"
I like the way the early morning sun cast me
as being really....
tall.

A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature.
It is earth's eye;
looking into which the beholder measures
the depth of his own nature.

Thoreau, Henry David

I took this picture at the shallow lake edge just as I was leaving after spending the afternoon swimming and kayaking with hubby and our daughter. I like the solidness of the stones, the smoothness of some while others are a little rough around the edges, the variety of colors, the fluid softness of the water transparent and calm at the moment but constantly changing...characteristics that can be used to describe my ever changing moods and feelings.

As a child, I loved the water
and put me in it now,
I will become that kid again.

Just fooling around
...me and my shadow
...I love how well we get along together!

THE POWER OF THE EYE - ELEMENTS OF SELF

2010-08-04T12:29:00.003-03:00

~ The eye speaks with an eloquence and truthfulness surpassing speech.
It is the window out of which the winged thoughts often fly unwittingly.
It is the tiny magic mirror on whose crystal surface
the moods of feeling fitfully play,
like the sunlight and shadow on a still stream. ~

Henry Theodore Tuckerman

The focus this week for "Elements Of Self", hosted by Juliana at Shakti Mama is the eyes. Eyes fascinate me, especially it they are accompanied by laugh lines. I am drawn to them more than than any other facial feature...which is why most of the photos I take are close ups focusing on the eyes. They are truly windows of the soul...often reflecting thoughts and feelings ...adapt communicators when words are not needed. Being verbally shy and quiet by nature, I let my my eyes do most of my talking for me. A firm believer in "Loose lips sink ships" I tend to hold back my words when angry or upset...after all, words once released can't be reclaimed...but my eyes give me away all the time.

My girls, now grown and making their own way in the world, were always well behaved...most of the time...well... at least in comparison to horror stories told by other parents at the time, and it seems now that I can't remember ever having to "get after" them much. They would tell you that I didn't have to...that one look from me...with my "I'm only going to tell you once" eye, was enough to keep them in line.

I had The Power!

We were able to skip over the adolescent and teen years relatively unscathed due partly to of the "power" of the eye. They hated to see the look of disappointment in my eyes and would do the best they could to avoid it. They often joke about it now, laugh over times past and teasingly remind me that they had no choice but to behave because they would "wither" under my disappointed gaze if they didn't.

I still had The Power!

The hubby has become an experienced reader of my eyes too, although he has come to it much more slowly than the girls...probably because he is a man, and like most men is a slow learner when it comes to the wants and needs of women. But he can see when I am not feeling well or when something is bothering me. He has learned by reading my eyes when I need some extra love and attention or when I need some space and he is slowly beginning to learn when it is best to just shut up. Being the talker in the family, he really struggles with this one.

Yup, still got it...The Power!

Mostly, my eyes are smiling eyes ...sparkling blue jewels encased in a setting of deep laugh lines and it is when I am happy that you see the real power of my eyes.

I have been fooling around with the camera a lot lately since Juliana started this self portrait challenge, deleting many, many pictures before finally settling on the above close up of my eye, and the next one that I photo shopped to make look old.

I chose this one because I was struck by just how little my eyes have change from when I was the child seen in the next photo, taken when I was in grade three.

And here is a picture of one happy mother of the bride
where my eyes are indeed
...sparkling!

ELEMENTS OF SELF...UNVEILING THE ME IN ME

2010-07-21T11:28:00.001-03:00

"Learning to be comfortable in ourselves
... to reveal intimacies,
and to show our faces."
Juliana at Shakti Mama

I have recently discovered a wonderful blog "Shakti Mama" by Juliana that I would like to share. She is starting a weekly or bi-weekly self-portraiture titled "ELEMENTS OF SELF" and is inviting others to join the challenge of "seeing the self in the world through self portraits." It is an opportunity to look inside ourselves to find our own inner beauty and learn self- love and self-kindness.

At first I thought, I could never do this but I have decided to just "suck it up"and go for it. Although the sense of openness is exciting, it also scares the shit out me. Typically a shy introvert, taking part in in a self portraiture is going way beyond my comfort zone. While exposing a picture of myself to the world is not a problem, posting one in response to a thematic prompt is more difficult. But Juliana is breaking us in easily with the first week's prompt...a mask self-portrait...we get to cover our faces. We're free to do what we want...just have fun. A mask self portrait is a wonderfully symbolic beginning to what I hope will be a journey of self discovery.

I chose to do a mask self portrait using my belly dance veil. In belly dance, the veil provides a sense of allure and mystery but for many, the veil, physical or invisible, provides refuge or a place to hide... a shield that separates our real self from the world.

So take a stroll over to "Shakti Mama" and say hello to Juliana, and join the fun.

SILENCE

2010-07-18T09:24:00.000-03:00

In order to see birds
it is necessary to become part of the silence.

- Robert Lynd

For more Sunday Citars,
join Tabitha at Fresh Mommy.

WELL WORTH THE WAIT

2010-07-14T13:27:00.000-03:00

The strawberry:
"Doubtless God could have made a better berry,
but doubtless God never did."
Dr William Butler, 17th century English writer

Since being served this delightful desert by our friend Carol on our last visit to PEI, I have been waiting for the strawberry season so I could try it myself. The berries were wonderful this year, thanks to the cooperative weather, and we have taken full advantage, eating strawberries every which way you can imagine...jammed...short caked...on ice cream...or just on their own. This recipe for Pavlova is very easy to make, is light and airy and really satisfies the sweet tooth.

Pavlova
4 egg whites
1 c. white sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. vinegar
2 c. whipping cream
Fresh fruit of your choice (strawberries, blueberries, kiwi or pineapple)

Whip egg whites until they form peaks. Gradually add sugar, vanilla and vinegar and continue beating until very stiff.
Spread over parchment paper on a round pizza pan. Bake one hour at 275 degrees. Turn off the oven and leave meringue for several hours (4 - 6) or overnight. It should come out lightly golden as pictured below.
If you're serving a crowd you can top the baked meringue with whipped cream and strawberries just before serving. You can spread the whipped cream with a knife or go for the "wow" reaction and pipe the cream on... or just do what I did since it was just hubby and me...cut the meringue into serving size pieces, then top with whipped cream and strawberries.
I have to admit, my 26 week X-weighted challenge was put on hold for a week because I certainly ate my share of this one.

During our visit, we took in a hike at the Greenwich National Park . I felt like I was in another world...the sand dunes were so amazing.

The western tip of Greenwich, a peninsula that separates St. Peters Bay from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, became part of Prince Edward Island National Park in 1998 to protect and preserve the natural and cultural resources found in the area.

The site contains an extensive and fragile coastal dune system, wetlands and various natural habitats in which numerous rare plant species are found. Among the most spectacular natural characteristics to be protected at Greenwich are the unusually large and mobile parabolic dunes with their associated counter ridges or Gegenwälle . This phenomenon is very rare in North America.

And look at what awaits you on the other side of those dunes!

SCAVENGER HUNT

2010-06-28T13:45:00.006-03:00

Jill over at Jillsy Girl is having a

scavenger hunt!
While many of the photos have already been found,
there are lots on her list so it's not too late
to play for a chance to win
an 8x10 print of the final collage!

I'm sending my humming bird photo!

Here is a list of photo's yet to be collected:

lightening bug
...
someone jet-skiing
...
someone water-skiing
...
someone diving into a body of water
...
someone eating an ice cream cone
...
a campfire
...
someone playing tennis
...
lightening
...
a hummingbird
...
an army of ants
...
A plane pulling a banner (usually seen at the beach)

...

a dolphin

...

a ladybug

Humming bird on window ledge

SUNDAY CITAR

2010-06-27T06:49:00.001-03:00

The sound of birds stops the noise in my mind.
- Carly Simon

My initial excitement in discovering a nest of robin eggs tucked among the branches of the honey suckle vine climbing up the side of our back deck soon gave way to worry. Built just four feet off the ground , I knew this nest was easy pickings. When the eggs survived long enough to hatch I had a glimmer of hope...but alas...it was not to be.

These little guys lasted just one week before they became a meal for what I suspect was a raccoon.

But , for every story with a sad ending, there is one with a happy one. Sometimes we have humming birds that fly into our garage through the large door which is open during the day. Once in, they flutter all over the garage trying to get back out, sometimes flying against the windows. They can't seem to navigate their way back out through the large open door way. Luckily, I was able to rescue two in the past couple of weeks.

This little guy got caught between the top and lower window pane but I was able to pick him up and release him outside.

Isn't he/she beautiful?

After a brief rest on my hand he flew off.

For more Sunday Citars, join Tabitha at Fresh Mommy.

ONE DOOR CLOSES ANOTHER DOOR OPENS

2010-06-23T14:10:00.001-03:00

Over the twenty years I have been providing childcare I have seen many children come and go. Some start out with me as babies and stay until they have outgrown the need for childcare while others end up leaving due to marriage breakups, school location changes or because their parents are relocating due to job demands and and occasionally I loose someone due to conflicts. Luckily, this doesn't happen very often and while upsetting at the time, life goes on. I always try to keep a positive attitude believing that when one door closes another door opens. The recent loss of one of my kiddies opened a space for another. The door opened to reveal the sweetie you see above. When she hugs you she melts right into you...

Yea!

2010-06-22T13:35:00.001-03:00

This is me doing my happy dance cause I was just presented the "Life Is Good" award by Joanna Jenkins at The Fifty Factor. I have been following Joanna's blog since I first started blogging myself a little over a year ago. I believe we both started our blogs around the same time, and both being in our 50's, we have a lot in common.

This award is passed on to other bloggers in an attempt to get to know one another. The rules are as follows;
Answer ten questions the presenter poses, then pass on the award to six other bloggers with ten new questions of your choice.

Here are the ten questions Joanna asked of me:

1) Your life is at the intersection of What & What?

I am entering the crossroad of menopause and grand parenthood. Although the first is moving along rather nicely, the other is taking a little longer but, as they say, the best things in life take time so I'm willing to wait.

2) Compared to three years ago, how has the way you communicate changed (In person, phone, email, text) and is it for the better?
There has been no change in the past three years in how I communicate...I'm pretty "techie illiterate"...still using a land based phone and dial up internet.

3) Is the "price of fame" worth it?

I have never aspired to be famous so I wouldn't know.

4) What are you wearing?
PJs

5) Who does the dinner dishes in your family?
We call it supper around here and hubby and I both share the dish detail...the old fashioned way washing them in the sink and hand drying them.

6) How long have you blogged and how often do you post?

I started blogging just over a year ago and blogging comes in spurts at times, then I take a breather from it to get caught up on the household chores and gardening.

7) What's a favorite memory?
Probably camping at Grave's Island when our girls were little. I loved the wet sponge fights we had, eating outdoors, the tooth paste spitting contest and the great sleeps we had in the fresh air.

8) What's on your "to-do" list?

I've been thinking a lot lately that I would like to learn how to skate, something I haven't done in years and at best I could only get from point A to point B. But I would like to learn how to skate backwards, do cross cuts and glide gracefully with my hands behind my back, like you see in the movies.When I retire, I think I will check into it to see if adult lessons are offered in our area.

9) What 3-5 words do you think people would use to describe you?
Quiet...sensible...tinsel haired...!

10) Have you met Hilary at The Smitten Image and seen her Post of the Week feature?

I hadn't til now but thanks thanks for pointing it out. She has a great blog and her Post of The Week is a wonderful way to discover other bloggers.

I pass the "Life Is Good" award on to the following bloggers and hope that you will drop by and say Hi.

Mountain Thyme

Selah at
NECESSARY ROOM

Robynbeth
at Robyn's Nest

Juli at

Barefoot Gypsy Blog

Jac at
Coco Sunday and finally

Joycee at
Granny Mountain

Ta...ta...now I present the ten questions I would like to have answered....

1. You decide that you want to write your own "Bucket List", what would be the top three things you would write on your list?

2. You are going to a party and you want to shock the other guest by wearing something that is truly out of character for you...what would you wear?

3. If you could change one day in your life, how would you have lived it differently?

4. What annoys you the most...and please don't say people who pass on memes to you?

5. You are offered your last meal...what would it be?

6. Do you like exercise and if so what form do you enjoy most and why?

7. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you in the past two weeks?

8. Are you an outgoing "people person" or do you prefer spending time alone or with close family and friends?

9. Of what are you most afraid?

10. You are given the gift of time...one free day to spend however you choose...how would you spend your day?

There, that's it! I look forward to reading the answers to my questions.

Enjoy your day!

Marisa

WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

2010-06-08T06:00:00.002-03:00

One enormous burger

...actually
... on the menu
it's listed as a
"bodacious" hamburger.

After reading about these super sized hamburgers in the local paper, we headed to a little bistro in Port Williams, "The Tin Pan Bistro" to check them out for ourselves. At $7.25 per burger we were hoping they would live up to their reputation and they did. The size of a small luncheon plate, ( just over 2/3 of a pound of beef in each burger) even the hubby could only eat half, but the waitress was quite happy to wrap the rest to take home. The dinning area was small...four tables...and not much to look at, but the burgers were good and the dishes being delivered to other tables looked delicious as well. I recommend you try it out but avoid lunch time as there will probably be a lack of seating.

Oh...and leave your bank cards and credit cards at home
...it's a cash only establishment!

Good food is meant to be shared and since I hate eating alone,

I invite everyone to join me for a virtual coming together
at "Getting Back To Basics"
where we can sit around and talk about eating,
share some recipes,
photos, or quotes about food
and maybe share a few laughs as well.

So whether you're a connoisseur of fine food
or good wholesome home cooked meals,
a vegan or a "raw foodist, "
... come, join me at my table on Tuesdays for some fun.
Grab my badge and place it on your side bar with a link back to me
so more will see it and take part.
See you on Tuesday
...oh, and feel free to bring a bottle of wine to the table.

Bon Appétit!

Marisa

WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

2010-05-18T06:00:00.003-03:00

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

...to die for...

Good food is meant to be shared and since I hate eating alone,
I invite everyone to join me for a virtual coming together
at "Getting Back To Basics"
where we can sit around and talk about eating,
share some recipes,
photos, or quotes about food
and maybe share a few laughs as well.

So whether you're a connoisseur of fine food
or good wholesome home cooked meals,
a vegan or a "raw foodist, "
... come, join me at my table on Tuesdays for some fun.
Grab my badge and place it on your side bar with a link back to me
so more will see it and take part.
See you on Tuesday
...oh, and feel free to bring a bottle of wine to the table.

Bon Appétit!

Marisa

SIX WORD SATURDAY

2010-05-15T05:40:00.000-03:00

"Just checking out the digs here!"

For more Six Word Saturdays join Cate at Show My Face.

WHATS ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

2010-05-11T06:00:00.001-03:00

Homemade yogurt
topped with ground flax seed, granola,
grapes and mango!

I love yogurt!
Since I started making my own about three years ago I have been eating it
every morning and I never get tired of it.

My first experience with making yogurt was over thirty years ago when it was a "hippie / cool" thing to do. I remember buying the starter culture and mixing it with warm milk and incubating it in a roasting pan filled with warm water. It wasn't easy. You had to be on your toes monitoring the temperature of the water, replacing it several times during the day, and no matter how closely I babied my yogurt, I often ended up with poor results. I gave up after messing it up a few times.

Three years ago I decided to give it another try, but this time I was going to buy a yogurt maker and let it do all the work. It's very easy, using a yogurt maker, to turn out a perfect batch of yogurt every time.

Yogurt

1. Mix 4 cups of whole milk with 1 /2 cup instant milk powder.

(You don't need the instant milk but I use 2% milk for mine and the
instant milk powder helps to make it thicker.)

2. Heat the milk to scalding over medium heat while stirring constantly
...be careful not to scorch it or you will really taste it.

3. Let it cool to luke warm
( use the baby bottle on the wrist test
...if it's too warm for a baby, it's too warm to mix with your culture)

4. Skim the top of the milk with a spoon.

5. Add your culture or reserved yogurt to a mixing bowl (one with a spout to make pouring easier). Here I am using reserved yogurt from my last batch. You can either buy a tub of plain yogurt with active bacteria cultures or pick up a package of culture for starting your first batch. I buy Yogourmet Cultures (one box contains six packages of starter) which you can find in the cooler next to the health food section of your grocery store.)

6. Slowly pour the warm milk into the reserved yogurt or culture and whisk to remove lumps.

7. Skim off bubbles with a spoon.

8. Pour into jars and place
jars in yogurt maker.

9. Plug her in.
Set the timer for six to twelve hours and go off and enjoy your day.
The longer you set the timer for, the thicker and tarter your yogurt will be. Since I like mine thick and tart, I always set mine for 12 hours, sometimes 14.

10. When done, place the jars in the refrigerator to set overnight.. I always spoon mine out of the jars and put it in a covered glass bowl and reserve 1/2 cup in a small mason jar to use as a starter for my next batch.

***The starter is only good for about one week so unless you are making a batch of yogurt every week, you will need to use a new culture the next time. Since I make yorurt every week, sometime twice a week, my reserved starter never has a chance to get old and one package of culture last me a very long time.

My yogurt maker which makes 1 liter of yogurt cost around $30.00 was a great investment
...it takes all the guess work out of making yogurt.

Good food is meant to be shared and since I hate eating alone,

SIX WORD SATURDAY

2010-05-08T09:55:00.001-03:00

Crimson Trillium

"Woodland flowers that make me smile."

For more things that make you smile, join our host Cate at Show My Face

WHATS ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

2010-05-04T06:00:00.003-03:00

So whether you're a connoisseur of fine food
or good wholesome home cooked meals,
a vegan or a "raw foodist, "
... come, join me at my table on Tuesdays for some fun.
Grab my badge and place it on your side bar with a link back to me
so more will see it and take part.
See you on Tuesday
...oh, and feel free to bring a bottle of wine to the table.

Chicken Taco Soup With a Toasted Chicken Club Sandwich

One of my daycare moms told me about this wonderful soup which will be a regular dish at our house. Not only a delicious "stick to you ribs" meal, it is high in fiber and low in fat. You can make this on top of the stove or throw it together in a large slow cooker. You can substitute the chicken with browned ground beef or make it vegan by adding cubed firm tofu or nothing at all. Instead of using browned ground chicken, I just mixed all the soup ingredients together and placed skinless chicken breast on top, cooked the soup for four hours then removed the chicken breast and shredded it and stirred it back into the soup.

Chicken Taco Soup

1 large onion, chopped
1 pkg. Clubhouse Ranch Dressing mix
1 pkg. Taco seasoning mix (or 2 tablespoons of your own Taco seasoning...*recipe below)
2 cups whole kernel corn
2 cups chicken broth or water
1 can black beans
1 can white beans (I used a can of Six Bean Medley)
1 can low fat refried beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
Your choice of meat...2 chicken breast...1 lb browned ground chicken or beef or chopped tofu

Toppings: (optional)
Shredded cheddar cheese
Taco or corn chips
Sour cream

Mix all the soup ingredients together in large crock pot. You can do this ahead of time and refrigerate over night and put it on to cook in the morning. If using chicken breast wait until morning to add them to the pot. I cooked mine about four hours on high, shredded the chicken, stirred it back into the soup and cooked it on low for another hour. If you are going meatless or using precooked meat, a couple of hours on high should be long enough. If you want to have the soup cook while at work, set the slow cooker on low for eight hours. Spoon soup into a bowl and top with shredded cheese, crumbled taco or corn chips and a dollop of sour cream.

Taco Seasoning

1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/8 c. instant onion flakes
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Mix together and store in a sealed container in a dry place. Add 2 tablespoons to any recipe calling for Taco Seasoning. This recipe makes enough for 3 recipes and can easily be doubled.

Bon Appétit!

Marisa

SIX WORD SATURDAY

2010-05-01T09:27:00.006-03:00

" THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT!'

I feel like I just came off a big drunk...no I wasn't out partying last night but I did make the mistake of trusting hubby to get groceries and buy only what I had on my list. I normally write across the bottom NO JUNK FOOD but I didn't this time. I did have on my list a bag of Whole Wheat Tortilla chips as I like to have a few to go with a great soup I make. Hubby sees the Tortilla chips were more expensive than the PC chips that were on sale so he ends up bringing home not one but four bags of chips...and no tortillas...there are two things I can't have in the house...chips and ice cream...anything else I can control my urges...but not those two. Needless to say I ate a large bag practically alone and I'm feeling rotten now. Can't really blame him...he didn't make me wolf down a whole bag...!

I will be posting a recipe for Chicken Taco Soup next Tuesday for WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

For more Six Word Saturdays join our host at Show My Face.

BOTTOMS UP - A BELOW THE BELT COMMENTARY ON A SENSITIVE ISSUE...BUM PLUG #2

2010-04-29T06:00:00.004-03:00

This is the second of a series of annual plugs— “Bum Plugs” —addressing the importance of colon cancer screening that I will be posting every April 29th (her birthday) in honor of my Mom who died November 28th, 1976 at the age of 47.

Very few of us
are blessed with
smooth firm mounds
like these
unless you are pumped full
of as many chemicals
as this processed
piece of meat.

Most of us
fall
into the
"flat ass" category

or...

the
over sized
dimply,
whoa...
"thats some big ass"
category.

We're all human but each of us are unique in that we all come in different sizes, shapes and personalities...that's what makes life so interesting, but we all have asses and we all use them for the same thing, sitting, removal of bodily waste, and OK... if you have a nice one you probably use it to draw attention to yourself... and I'm sure you can come up with other ways to put it to use, but this is not that kind of blog.

So, if we all have asses, why are we so intimidated by the process of having a rectal exam by a professional physician? I mean...have you taken a good look at your doctor's ass lately? Why do we let embarrassment keep us from asking for what could be life saving screening?

Anyone is at risk for bowel cancer and there are usually no symptoms until the cancer is advanced, so early screening is very important. Anyone 50 years
(I personally feel 40 is not too young) should speak to their doctor about having a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy done and anyone with a family history of colon cancer should start screening 10 years before the earliest colon cancer diagnosed in a first degree relative.

Because our mother died at 47 and her father at age 50, my entire family has regular colonoscopies, as does my 28 year old daughter who was diagnosed with Ulcerative colitis in her early 20's ( people with Crohn's disease and Ulcerative colitis have a high risk of getting colon cancer so it is very important that they be screened regularly).

For more information on Colon Cancer read:

BOTTOMS UP - A BELOW THE BELT COMMENTARY ON A SENSITIVE ISSUE

and

http://www.medicinenet.com/colon_cancer/article.htm

So, don't let embarrassment sign your death sentence...buck up...get tested!

And please,
help to spread the word by pasting
"Live Your Life...Get Tested"
to the side bar of your blog
and link it back
to this post.

WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

2010-04-27T06:00:00.001-03:00

Onion Mushroom Meatloaf/Sweet Potato Fries/Salad and Raw Baby Carrots

Yes, it was as good as it looks!

Tahini Garlic Salad Dressing

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons flavored vinegar ( I used basil vinegar I made with basil from my garden)
1 teaspoon Honey Dijon Mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic paste or more to taste
2 teaspoons tahini

Pumpkin seeds (Optional...to sprinkle on top of salad)

Add all ingredients to a bottle and shake well. Toss with your favorite salad ingredients ( I used lettuce, red peppers, tomato, chopped avocado and chopped apple) Spoon onto a plate and sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on top.

Onion Mushroom Meatloaf

1 pound lean hamburger
1 to 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms (reserve a few to garnish the top)
1 large onion chopped fine
1/2 pepper (I used red)
2 eggs
3/4 cups seasoned bread crumbs
1 package onion soup mix
pepper to taste
3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all the ingredients (except cheese and reserved mushrooms) together in a large bowl. After you've mixed it well, spoon into a large loaf pan or an 8x8 inch baking pan. Top with reserved mushrooms. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle on cheese. Bake another 15 minutes.

Bon Appétit!

Marisa

WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

2010-04-23T13:54:00.006-03:00

"One of the delights of life is eating with friends,
second to that is talking about eating.
And, for an unsurpassed double whammy,
there is talking about eating while you
are eating with friends."
-Laurie Colwin 'Home Cooking'

Always "snap happy" I've taken it to a whole new level since entering the "bloggie universe" a year ago. Not only do I photograph family, friends, amazing vistas and nature, I find myself captivated by what makes it to my plate. Seldom do I eat anything I prepare without first taking a picture of it to compliment recipes I may decide to post, but I'm sure I'm not the only blogger who has fallen into this habit.

Good food is meant to be shared and since I hate eating alone, I invite everyone to join me for a virtual coming together at "Getting Back To Basics" where we can sit around and talk about eating, share some recipes, photos, or quotes about food and maybe share a few laughs as well.

So whether you're a connoisseur of fine food or good wholesome home cooked meals, a vegan or a "raw foodist, "... come, join me at my table on Tuesdays for some fun. Grab my badge and place it on your side bar with a link back to me so more will see it and take part. I apologize in advance for any speed bumps we may encounter along the way as this is my first attempt using Mr. Linkey. Our first installment of, "What's On Your Plate Tuesday" will be on April, 27th.
See you on then...oh, and feel free to bring a bottle of wine to the table.

Bon Appétit!

Marisa

MOTHERS

2010-04-18T07:24:00.000-03:00

Whether our relationship is strained
or easy, hostile or amiable, we need
our mother if only in memory ...
to conjugate our history, validate our
femaleness and guide our way.

~ Victoria Secunda

This week has been full of thoughts of my mother as am I trying to answer as honestly as possible the many questions posed by my daughter Grace in her attempt to get to know me better. She will be posting them on her blog, Graceful Simplicity on Mother's Day on May 9th.

If you would like to join her, add a link to her post:

"Pulling on the Apron Strings
Interviews with Our Mothers"

We would love to hear your stories about your mothers.

For some more inspiring words, join Tabitha at Fresh Mommy for other Sunday Citars.

BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

2010-04-14T07:16:00.003-03:00

"The loss of a mother, echoes throughout a woman’s life.
She feels it again with every year, every change at every stage of her life.
When she is establishing her adult identity and life path in her twenties, she has no secure base to return to for a mother’s support and comfort.

When she is marrying and starting a family in her thirties she has no guide. As she approaches mid-life, she has no “wise woman” to show her the path to fulfillment and wisdom. The mother-daughter relationship is like no other. With the death of her mother, she has lost her caregiver, her guide to all things female, and in some cases a loving companion.
"She is a motherless daughter."
- Motherless Daughters--a Legacy of Loss, author Hope Edelman

One of the tragedies in life is that we take for granted that those we love the most will always be there, only to wake up one day to realize we have lost something valuable that can never be replaced. Loosing my mother at nineteen, I lost my chance to get to really know her as a person other than in her role as my caregiver. I was not much more than a child at the time, consumed with my own teenage life and my need to break away from the apron strings and start making a life of my own, that I didn't always listen or pay that much attention to her life. I didn't ask when I had the chance and now it's too late. There are so many unanswered questions. So I was happy when my daughter approached me with a timely idea for a blog post. She will be hosting "Pulling on the Apron Strings: Interviews with Our Mothers" on her blog Graceful Simplicity so pop over and add your name to take part.

"If you are fortunate enough to still have your mother with you, take
the time to write down the questions you’ve always wanted to ask, and
just do it. If you want, you can share it on your blog (get your
mother’s permission, of course!). Add your blog in the list below or
leave a comment in this post. I plan to reveal my Pulling on the Apron
Strings interview on Mother’s Day May 9th."
-Grace

Even if your mother is no longer with you, you can post the questions you wish you would have asked while you had the chance.

DISCOVERY

2010-04-11T07:37:00.002-03:00

"The real voyage of discovery

is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."
-Marcel Proust

WHAT'S NEXT?

2010-04-08T14:28:00.002-03:00

I thought it was time to do a little spring cleaning around my blog so I packed away my snow covered birdhouse header and replaced it with a new photo that reflects both my love of gardening and the color purple. Other than a few other minor changes I left it pretty much the same. I hope you like it.

Now that spring is here it's good to see people out in droves raking their lawns, cleaning out their gardens or biking, walking, jogging, playing ball and just having fun. Spring always seems to have that "kick ass feel" to get people outside and moving after a long tired winter. I managed to do quite well this winter to stay active...walk every day, some skiing and snowshoeing plus some time working out on the equipment in the basement all in an effort to stay as fit as I can, although there is always more I can do.

One of my favorite sections of the daily paper is "Arts and Life". I'm always interested in reading about new health studies or the latest exercise trends, but sometimes I am totally amazed. I think pole dancing would be a lot of fun as well as an excellent total body workout, and although I don't think I could ever go for "hot" yoga...I hate being hot... I can see the value in it and that some people would love it. But the latest craze to come out from California, "nude yoga"classes has me scratching my head. Slow to pick up coed participants, it is picking up steam among the male crowd...MEN!...you gotta love em! I wouldn't want to be in a back row in that class!!!

Another trend that started in the US but has made it's way to British Columbia, is the Street Strider. The Street Strider is a mobile elliptical (or elliptical on wheels) that combines fun and the excitement of being outdoors with a proven high calorie burn rate. Supposedly, you can burn three times as many calories as running and it's easy on joints. If you could get past the fact that everyone would be staring at you, it could be a lot of fun. It would sure beat a stationary elliptical or bike...at least you would get from point A to B.

BEES LOVE IT AND I DO TOO!

2010-04-06T12:45:00.001-03:00

The recent beautiful weather means the spring flowers
are blooming early and that
makes me smile.

The bees are happy too!

For more happiness, join our host Leigh, and take part in the "Happiness Project."

"Eat your oatmeal, don't wear it."

2010-03-31T14:30:00.001-03:00

Jamie at Jamie Ridler Studios ask today, What do you wish to accomplish?

I wish to manage to have at least one good belly laugh a day even if it means laughing at my own stupidity, and this morning I outdid myself. Awake a good half hour before my normal 6:00 alarm, I decided to take advantage of the extra time to try out a new natural home beauty treatment. I'm always willing to try natural home cleaners and beauty products, so when I heard Dr. Oz the other night endorsing using oatmeal and banana to condition old and tired damaged hair I knew I had to try it. All you have to do process some oatmeal with banana, rub it into your hair, leave it on for 15 minutes and then shampoo hair...right...

Opting to use my blender instead of the food processor as I planned to use the blender anyway to make a breakfast smoothie...why dirty two appliances...I set about making my natural conditioner.

Lesson 1. Should have used the processor as the blender did not do a good job breaking up the oatmeal.

Lesson 2. Never put oatmeal and banana in your hair.

It took two shampoos, combing my hair with a wide tooth comb, then a fine tooth comb, followed by a third shampoo and cream rinse to get the porridge of of my hair. During the whole process I kept hearing my mother's voice reminding me of all the poor children around the world who would be thankful to have the food I just wasted. So here I sit, with very clean but still dry and damaged hair. But I did accomplished something. I got my belly laugh!

2010-03-30T11:40:00.005-03:00

Join Leigh for more happy post.

Happy is having a machine that does all the hard work
...well, the lions share anyway.

YOU CAN COUNT ON A WOMAN

2010-03-28T07:17:00.002-03:00

"If you want to change the world, empower the women. Especially the grandmothers."

"Improve the condition of women, and you achieve real development. Men will squander their money on toys, drink and general peacockery. Women will improve the lives of their families and their communities.
Women will behave like adults."
-Silver Donald Cameron

The above statements were made by one of my favorite columnist Silver Donald Cameron who writes a weekly column for "The Nova Scotian", issued every Sunday as part of The Halifax Herald. He seldom disappoints, and his article entitled "Solar-powered grandmothers" in Sunday's March 21st edition was no exception. In it he writes about the positive effects of providing micro credit to women of poorer nations in order to train them to set up business for themselves that empower them to fight their way out of poverty and provide a better life for their families.

He describes how Muhammad Yunus built the Grameen Bank, in order to provide loans to women. The bank organized women into small borrowing circles, and made the group responsible for the loans of all its members. The loans were small, and the women used them to buy tools they needed, such as sewing machines. The default rate on the loans was practically zero, and the women used the tools to lever themselves and their children bodily out of poverty.

He also writes of of Bunker Roy, operator of the Barefoot College which trains women from villages all over Asia and Africa, and how they successfully trained illiterate grandmothers in India to become solar engineers.

Why grandmothers...?
According to Roy, "Grandmothers are solid, sound, patient, willing to learn slowly, and they are rooted in the village.

And I agree...
it is the mothers and grandmothers of the world who are more self sacrificing. They will be the first to give up their share of food in order that their children do not go hungry, and I am not the only one who shares this view, as illustrated after the tragic earthquake in Haiti. It was shown that the most effective way to get food to the people who needed it most was to distribute it to the women. And if I were in the mood to do a little male bashing I would have to say, it also supports my theory that "men are basically stupid animals" and if you want something done well ladies, you do it yourself...but hey...you didn't hear that from me...

If you would like to read "Solar-powered grandmothers" you can find it here. For more writings by Silver Donald Cameron you can check out his web site.

For more Sunday Citars, join our host Tabitha, at Fresh Mommy.

HERE'S SIX FOR SIX WORD SATURDAY

2010-03-20T08:40:00.003-03:00

"My journey into the dark zone."

"Don't try this one at home."

"Busting the fat burning soup hype."

"This was so not worth it."

"For your own safety, stay away."

"Proof why fad diets don't work."

I was entering my eighth week of my commitment to the 26 week X-weighted challenge and progressing slowly but steadily loosing an average of a pound per week through following a well balanced diet, paying close attention to portion size and exercising as much as possible when a friend told me about the "fat burning" soup diet. I won't post the recipe or the details of the diet here as you can google it yourself and find it or a variation of it. This is not a diet you can stay on over a period of time, but is a one week "boost" diet designed to give you a quick start at the beginning of a diet or as a "hump buster" to get you over the plateau stage most people experience when they've been dieting for a while. You can eat all the soup you want, the more the better, but you are limited to eating only the foods the diet specifies for each day, plus water, tea or coffee or light cranberry juice. According to claims, you can loose 10 to 12 pounds in one week if you follow it exactly.

So, with a large pot of soup simmering, I started my week of fat busting.

Day 1 - All the fruits, except bananas, I could eat plus all the soup I wanted...wasn't too hard...I love fruit and the soup was simply delicious.

Day 2 - All the veggies I wanted except corn or potato plus all the soup I wanted...boy, was I missing my usual yogurt and fruit breakfast and cravings were setting in...not for junk food but I would have killed for a slice of bread!

Day 3 - All the fruits, veggies and soup I could eat with a bonus of a potato for supper...finally some carbs...but not enough...I was feeling very tired and cranky.

Day 4 - All the bananas and skim milk I wanted (bananas never tasted so good) plus all the soup I could eat. I was on my second pot of soup at this point but it was still tasty. I was finding it very hard to do my morning walk and too tired to do much else.

Day 5 - Yea protein!!! A whopping 10 - 20 ounces of beef, sliced tomatoes and soup...I didn't eat that much meat...what I really wanted was bread to go with my soup.

Day 6 - More meat, up to 2 - 3 steaks were allowed plus all the veggies and soup I could eat.
Again, I couldn't stomach all that meat so I stuck with mostly soup and veggies and only a small steak. I was tired...tired...tired...a good time to keep your distance.

Day 7 -All the brown rice and veggies plus soup I could eat. The brown rice was welcome, but I was up to my eyeballs with soup and so glad the week was over.

What did I gain from my seven day excursion into the realm of fad dieting...nothing, but a lot of headaches, extreme fatigue, a step closer to a divorce and the grand total of a three pound weight loss which quickly turned into a one pound loss as soon as I started eating a normal diet again. Far from giving me the "boost" this diet is popular for, it set me back, so much so that two weeks later, I am still not feeling as energetic as I was prior to starting it...and I haven't lost any weight since.

The only plus to my week of torture...

The experience did make a sprout and avocado sandwich
taste like fine cuisine.

Bon Appétit!

For more Six Word Saturdays join Cate at Show My Face.

FIELD COOKIES

2010-03-16T20:05:00.001-03:00

Last week, Jacqueline, one of my daycare moms brought me some freshly baked cookies to try and they were so delicious I had to have the recipe. Aptly named "Field Cookies" they are loaded with goodness... lots of seeds and grains, but low in fat and sugar. This recipe calls for only one cup of butter and two cups of sugar to make seven dozen cookies which is not a lot compared to what most recipes call for. While Jacqueline's turned out like thicker drop cookies, mine flattened out during baking like typical chocolate chip cookies and I ended up with nine dozen instead of seven. These are a great and very tasty way to "fiber up" your diet!

FIELD COOKIES

2 c. unbleached flour (I used 1 white and 1 whole wheat)
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. raisins
1/2 c. sesame seeds
1 c. flax seeds
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. pumpkin seeds
1/2 c. poppy seeds
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. coconut
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

2 c. brown sugar
1 c. unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together the first 12 ingredients. In a separate bowl beat together the butter, eggs , sugar and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients. The recipe says to roll dough into balls, place on cookie sheet and flatten balls with a fork but I didn't. I just dropped mine by a teaspoon and didn't bother to flatten them. They flattened out on their own in the oven. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

SIX WORD SATURDAY

2010-03-13T08:24:00.000-04:00

"A 5km walk for my birthday"

...which proves that I'm...

"not ready for the pasture yet!"

For more six words join Cate at Show my Face.

SWS

2010-03-05T07:15:00.001-04:00

"Party pooper didn't want to play."

"So he missed all the fun!"

Join Cate
for more Six Word Saturdays
at Show My Face.

YOGI TOES

2010-03-04T15:25:00.000-04:00

Who says you can't push the gender stereotypes

...the boys were up for some
quality "girlie" time with me.

Attempting "downward facing dog"

...tongue out to make it more authentic.

...focusing on the breath..

...and some "spa" time.

FOR ME ?

2010-03-01T12:59:00.001-04:00

I was just graciously awarded
a Beautiful Blogger award
by Leslie of Home-Grown Love
and I would like say a very warm thank you Leslie,
for thinking of me.

The requirements for accepting this award are as follows:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award.
2. Pass this award along to 15 bloggers you've recently discovered and whom you think are fantastic!
3. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.
4. Share seven (7) things about yourself.

Seven things about me:

1. I was a teenager before I could go for a sleep over at a friends and spend the "whole" night.

2. I still haven't conquered my nervousness about driving, and plan all my outings for early morning when traffic is light, and I also map out what stops I have to make ahead of time to avoid making left turns.

3. I detest wearing long sleeves and high necklines so chances are, nine times out of ten, I will be wearing a tank top even during the winter.

4. I love autumn, winter and spring...summer...not so much...and if I could skip summer altogether, I probably wouldn't miss it.

5. I cannot for the life of me understand how someone can wear a thong and claim they are comfortable.

6. I have zero musical talent...can't sing a note...not one...nope...nadda...nothing...

7. I like to break rules. As much as I love receiving blogging awards, I have one a hell of a time coming up with seven things to tell about myself and an equally hard time choosing fifteen bloggers to pass them on to, which is why I am breaking the rules and cutting it down to seven...seven facts about me and seven new blogger awards... just to make it even...tit for tat!

Seven Bloggers I've recently found that inspire me are;

Autumn's Seasonings

Joy in Being

Love's Nest

Memoirs of a Modern Day Mumma

bountiful living

Dandelion Seeds and Dreams

mindmists

Pop in and say Hi! I think you will enjoy them.

GETTING BACK TO BASICS

Year Of The Dragon

The Best Damn Squash

Eating Well

Homemade Goodness

"Squashed" for Six Word Saturday

Pond Watch

I'm In A Pickle!

You Are Never Too Old To Learn Stupidity!

The Heron

After watching quietly for ten minutesI approached a little closer for a better shot but a little too close for the Heron.

There he goes...

Roads To Sea

Fresh And Good

Sundown At The Harbour

This Is The Precious Present

Summer Delights

Taking The Plunge

Tick Tock Time For Tick Talk

Canada Day - Visiting Past Haunts

TANGLED GARDEN

"YES, GRASSHOPPER, PIE IS GOOD FOR YOU."

WHY WAIT ?

WISH CASTING WEDNESDAY

SOUNDS GOOD... LOOKS GOOD...TASTE YUMMY!

FOR THE LOVE OF FLAX

MOTHER'S DAY

ROYAL HAT DAY

BOTTOMS UP - A BELOW THE BELT COMMENTARY ON A SENSITIVE ISSUE...BUM PLUG #3

HAPPY EASTER

99 YEARS AGO

SUNDAY CITAR

WELCOME SPRING

Fasting...but not in my mind!

FULL MOON

EAT, PRAY, LOVE...CHICK FLICK OR SNOOZE FEST

INTO THE DARKNESS...THEY'RE HERE!

WINTER'S DUSTING

FLOUNDERING

HAVE A JOYFUL CHRISTMAS

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas...may your joy be great and your worries small and may you hold in your heart,love for all!

A few gifts from my tree...

"the love of

Christmas

...and purple."

MERRY CHRISTMAS

TWELVE TREATS OF CHRISTMAS

SIX WORD SATURDAY...OOPS!

WISH CASTING WEDNESDAY

FREE RANGE

ELEMENTS OF SELF - SELF ART

A FLASH TO THE PAST

BODY BASHING - ELEMENTS OF SELF

A WEEK OF FIRST

ELEMENTS OF SELF - FAVORITE BODY PART

ELEMENTS OF SELF - THE SHADOW

THE POWER OF THE EYE - ELEMENTS OF SELF

ELEMENTS OF SELF...UNVEILING THE ME IN ME

SILENCE

WELL WORTH THE WAIT

SCAVENGER HUNT

SUNDAY CITAR

ONE DOOR CLOSES ANOTHER DOOR OPENS

Yea!

WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

SIX WORD SATURDAY

WHATS ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

SIX WORD SATURDAY

WHATS ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

SIX WORD SATURDAY

BOTTOMS UP - A BELOW THE BELT COMMENTARY ON A SENSITIVE ISSUE...BUM PLUG #2

BOTTOMS UP - A BELOW THE BELT COMMENTARY ON A SENSITIVE ISSUE

WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

MOTHERS

BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

DISCOVERY

WHAT'S NEXT?

BEES LOVE IT AND I DO TOO!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas
...may your joy be great
and your worries small
and may you hold in your heart,
love for all!