Happy New Year

Everyone usually struggles to find a resolution to start each new year with.  I've never really been big on the whole New Year's celebration thing - party, or resolution-wise.  I tend to view the typical resolutions as empty promises to oneself that are inevitably doomed for failure.  Lose weight, join a gym,  get a new job, save more money, give up coffee, chocolate, smoking, alcohol - the possibilities are endless.  However, as I cross the threshold between 2012 into 2013, I find myself seeking out some attainable resolutions to uphold to this time round.  Maybe it's the fact that crossing that threshold brings me all that much closer to turning 40, the fact that just a few days ago I discovered my first gray hair, or the utmost and sincere dedication to improving my health.

In my case, I began my resolutions at the end of September when upon hearing that not only was I prediabetic, but also had high cholesterol and high blood pressure, I was determined to make some changes in lifestyle.  The next evening when my husband brought home the "Colin Firth Diet Club" incentive (that he developed all on his own I might add!) began my rebirth.  That being said, I feel the need to step up my game plan.  In order to do that I'd like to review the changes I've made thus far and see where I need to go from there.

*Diet - I've made much healthier choices where diet is concerned.  Most notably, preparing and cooking my own meals as opposed to taking the quicker, easier route - fast food and restaurants.  I've been reading books related to nutrition - particularly "Wheat Belly".  I've gone a few days at a time wheat-free.  I've expanded my grocery shopping repertoire to include new and colourful foods and tried many new recipes that are low sodium and low fat options.

*Exercise - Although I've been a member at Curves since February, I wasn't going the three times per week that I should have been - that is, until I started the Colin Firth Diet Club.  I have been at least 3 times a week ever since!  I even made the list of the top losers last month!  In addition to Curves, I've been playing soccer every Sunday which I absolutely love!  Before the weather got too cold, the whole family was going to the track at a local highschool to run laps.  Now I'm looking forward to when the snow melts and the weather warms up to resume that.

*Spiritual - We've gone back to church on a regular basis since September and I find this keeps me grounded.    I've also read Margaret Terry's book "Dear Deb" which was both inspirational and devotional.  Another thing is that I am becoming more conscious of my surroundings and have a renewed appreciation for nature.

*Family - I have passed on my Scrap Cancer fundraiser that I founded and ran for the past 6 years to someone else so that I could spend more time with my family and focus on making us all healthier.  We are all in this journey together

*Knowledge - I believe Oprah said that "Knowledge is Power".  I read a lot of books.  Reading is a passion of mine and I'm trying to read a wider variety that includes healthy diets and new recipes.

Now, although I do hope that these posts have a somewhat upbeat attitude, I must confess, that like most everyone else, I have some down days and feel defeated.  Will these changes I'm making be enough?   What if after all this, I end up having to take the medications anyways - will it all be for nought?  I know that the answer to that is no - but that's how a mind works when feelings start spiralling downwards.  Today was one of those days for me.  I was going to work out at Curves, but first I wanted to get my BP checked so I decided to opt for decaf coffee with breakfast instead of regular - hoping that this would  aid in achieving a lower result.  I arrived at Shopper's Drug Mart and felt deflated with the results which were 138/88.  Then when I parked outside Curves I had to pick myself up before the tears escaped.  Once inside I noticed that the leaves on the 'tree' were being removed.  When I first joined in February I was given a paper maple key with my name on it to place underneath the tree painted on the wall.  Each time you reach 100 workouts you graduate to a leaf, then a larger leaf of another colour.  I was looking forward to receiving my first leaf by Valentine's day - the one year anniversary of the day I joined.  When I saw that the seeds and leaves were not there, it became another shot on my soul.  The good news though is that I weighed myself and I am down to an even 144 lbs!!!  Today was also my first workout using the Curves Smart system which will help me step up my game.  Curves Smart monitors your range of motion and your intensity so I'm hoping that this will take me to a new level.    I picked up some groceries after my workout.  This week I'll be making a wheat-free lasagna dish for the first time and I bought an avocado to make a mango avocado smoothie!  I tested my blood pressure again while I was there and the results were 142/82, 138/85, 141/81, 136/86 and 139/83.  Reading the information correctly of the sheet where you record your results made me feel better.  All this time I've been hard on myself because I haven't been able to reach the optimal reading of 120/80.  Well, for the most part I'm in the normal range - just the high end of normal.  High readings would be 140 and above for systolic and 90 and above for diastolic.  Hopefully, my results will be improvement enough to avoid taking meds - but when the alternative might be heart attacks or death, I'll succumb to the meds.

Tonight, in lieu of spending New Year's Eve at a party with friends, we opted to have a quiet night at home just the five of us.  I spent the afternoon making turkey soup - the best thing about Christmas leftovers!  I boiled the bones on Christmas day after everyone left so the stock was ready to go!



We watched a couple of family movies - my request for Nanny MacPhie starring Colin Firth was vetoed unfortunately and Diary of a Wimpy Kid won out.  Perhaps I'll start the New Year off with a Colin Flick in the morning with my coffee! 

The ball just dropped in New York, so this is it - 2013.   My goal is to lose the whole 20 lbs by mid May before I leave on our Mediterranean Cruise.  I think my resolution will be to get to bed before midnight - one of my 'changes' that I find harder to combat than others - and maybe to get on top of the laundry situation instead of leaving it for John to do on the weekends!  Or...I could borrow Bridget Jones' resolution, "Resolution number one: obviously, will lose twenty pounds. Number two: will find nice sensible boyfriend and not continue to form romantic attachments to alcoholics, workaholics, peeping-toms, megalomaniacs, emotional fuckwits or perverts".   OK, so I'm good with resolution number one - and we'll just omit the second as it does not apply!

Happy New Year and all the best in 2013 Colin and friends!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you all!  What a wonderful day we had sharing lots of time with our family.  My Christmas gift to you all is a little clip that my friend Melissa sent me on Facebook the morning of our Love Actually night.  Unfortunately, Melissa was ill and was not able to attend this year, but, fortunately for all of you, you can enjoy this wonderful spectacle too!  Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM7bNingb1A

This time of the year is very hectic for most people as they prepare for the Christmas (or other holiday) festivities.  What I savour the most during the holidays is not so much the turkey, but more importantly the time spent with the family and friends we love so dearly.  Saturday we travelled to Woodstock to visit my mom and exchange gifts and then headed to Mark & Jo-Ann's for an early "Christmas Eve" dinner with my aunts, uncles and cousins.  On Sunday night we went over to Melissa and Glen's to play Five Crowns and Quiddler which happen to be synonymous with wine & fine cheese - or is it fine wine and cheese?  Yesterday being Christmas Eve was very exciting for all of us.  I went to Curves in the morning and weighed in at 144.25 lbs.  I would love to reach my next goal by the end of January if not sooner!  St. Trinian's is the next movie incentive!  After I returned from Curves we set off to Toronto for the McGirv's Christmas brunch!  John's Aunt Sue and Uncle Girv always bless us with a delicious feast on Christmas Eve.  Laid before us was a beef dish with the best mashed potatoes I think I've ever tasted accompanied by a medley of unique vegetables.  For dessert I opted for the homemade lemon tart over the chocolate cake!  It was splendid!!  Sue then turned on some music and the kids went wild, dancing up a storm!  It was all great fun!  On the way home, Matthew and Jake had me in hysterics as they read out street signs, store signs, anything and everything they could with a myriad of accents!  Shortly after arriving back in town, we headed off to church for the Christmas Eve service.  Glen and Melissa and their son Griffin joined us.  I had trouble concentrating on the hymns since I was all pent up with excitement.  You see, as soon as the church service was over, we were going to go across the street to meet Molly!  Molly is the new puppy Carla & Steve got for Christmas, and I couldn't wait to meet her!  She is a Burnese Mountain Dog and ever so cuddly!  I had trouble getting to sleep last night because I was so excited about Molly - and she wasn't even mine.  But sleep did win me over eventually, however, briefly!

By 5 am, my boys were wide awake with an excitement all their own!  They know enough not to wake Daddy so early, but I am apparently fair game.  For the past couple of years we have developed our own little tradition whereby they come to get me after they wake up and then we take Rocket (our dog) for a long walk.  I've truly come to treasure this time, just me and my boys, meandering among the neighbourhood streets unbeknownst to all who are still fast asleep dreaming of sugar plums.   The world is so still and quiet this early in the morning.  In fact, this morning Jake was startled by a noise he heard and thought it might be a coyote and became somewhat timid and wanted to set back towards home.  I explained to him that he's not used to the quiet and it was just a furnace or some pipes he heard and he was fine.  To be honest with you, I did start to get an eerie feeling at that point.  We walked past the school and the playground.  It was still very dark out so I suggested they go play on the equipment but they didn't bother wearing their mittens and the air was rather nippy out so we continued on our way.  Once back inside the house, the boys wasted no time at all jumping on John in a grave attempt to wake him up so they could investigate what Santa Claus had brought them during the night.  At 6:50 am, John finally succumbed to their devilry and arose to appease the angelic faces of our three anxious children.  Like vultures honing in on a carcass, so my kids delved into the stockings and gift boxes!

Santa must have been impressed with our behaviour throughout the year and our lifestyle changes must have paid off thus far, as we were all very spoiled this year!  Just look at what Santa brought me!!

Yes, can you believe it?  Santa brought me Colin Firth for Christmas!!  Yeah!!!  I am so excited to begin reading my Colin Firth biography, but when I started to earlier today, I realized that I was too distracted with the kids running around playing with their new toys - and I want to be able to relax and enjoy reading this book in peace without all three kids hanging off my neck!  So, I may save this one for after they return to school in January!  At some point in the afternoon I managed to lie down for a quick nap to revive my energy for when our guests arrived for Christmas dinner.  John's parents, grandparents, my dad, Julie, Jay and little Evie all joined us for the Christmas feast this year.  John makes the turkey, I make the pies and everyone else brings something as well.  Jay made an excellent 'green vegetable bake' that I loved so much I went back for seconds.  I'll have to get the recipe for that one!  Just writing about it is making me salivate thinking of the left-overs in the fridge!  Dad made his famous Christmas pudding with butterscotch sauce again too!  We had a gravy dilemma that eventually sorted itself out, and I'm sure we'll continue to laught about it every Christmas from here on in!  So, now that I am stuffed to the gills, it's time to reflect on the love, excitement and happiness that surrounded our hearts these past few days and be thankful for our family and friends, "Particularly because, if you can’t say it at Christmas, when can you, eh? I’m actually yours, with love. Your [Rebecca]".

"Love Actually"

Love Actually is without a doubt one of my favourite movies.  I can't tell you how many times I have viewed this film, but I can tell you it will never be enough!!  The plethora of A-list actors in this film (Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley etc.) ensures some eye candy for just about anyone, both female and male.  My husband for one will watch amorously while Keira Knightley is on screen, whilst ,I of course, swoon "ever so coolly" over Colin Firth.

For the past 5 or so years, I have hosted a "Love Actually" event at my house.  I invite my closest friends for what started out as movie & wine, and has progressed to include dinner and laughs.  The group changes from year to year with some regulars, some newbies and every year there always seems to be a Love Actually Virgin - someone who has never seen the movie before.  I take great pride in my quest to make sure all my friends have witnessed the wonder of Love Actually.  Each year, this event just seems to get better and better!  I can only hope that my friends have come to treasure and anticipate this annual event as much as I do!

Last year we added a couple of new traditions to the mix - ordering in Chinese food for dinner was one, the other was to arrive wearing PJ's!  Linda even broke out her new jammie bottoms that were being saved for Christmas Eve this year!  John, bless his heart, always makes sure our wine glasses are full and even offers to drive those home afterwards who have imbibed in too much vino!  This year we all sat around the dining room table (I even used the good china dishes!) enjoying good food and superb conversation while the Love Actually soundtrack played in the background.  Ahhh, I was in a happy place - and the movie hadn't even started yet!

After we finished dinner, we proceeded to the TV room.  I was worried earlier that as the group gets larger from year to year, that we would not have enough room for everyone - but it worked out perfectly!

Michelle, Sara, Amanda and Meaghan were Newbies this year and Meaghan was the Love Actually Virgin of 2012.  I am proud to say we have a new convert!  Mission accomplished!

The movie starts out with Hugh Grant saying,

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around."

The movie ends with scenes at the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport as well.  I often take these words with me when I find myself amidst others at the arrivals gate of any airport.  It's true, love is all around.  In May 2010 I travelled to Ireland with my mom for 10 days.  The day we were to return was John's grandfather's 90th birthday party.  I knew Bill (my mom's boyfriend) was due to pick us up at the airport, but in my heart of hearts, I was desperately hoping for my 'Love Actually' airport moment.  I envisioned my husband and kids rushing towards me with huge hugs and laughter...only to find my hopes deflated when reality hit and the moment was gone.  Apparently, my mother-in-law was nervous that if they came to the airport to pick me up, they would be late for the party.  I felt robbed of my moment.  It was the one and only time I have travelled by air without my husband, the only opportunity I've had to experience a 'Love Actually' airport moment - and it went bust!  Do I sound bitter?  You bet!  But, I can forget about it once a year when I am able to experience the scenes vicariously through my favourite movie!

"Banoffee Pie?".  For years, I never knew what Juliet (Keira Knightley) was offering Mark.  What indeed is banoffee pie?  So this year I endeavoured to figure it out.  Banoffee pie is a ...pie!  It has banana and toffee filling topped with whipped cream.  Not only did I discover what this delicacy was but I made my very own to share amongst my guests.  Very strategically as Mark opened the door to Juliet, I paused the movie just after she makes her offer of banoffee pie - and that is when we broke for dessert!  I looked at a couple of recipes on line and went from there to arrive at this....

Banoffee Pie...and now back to our program!  By this point you are probably wondering why I've indulged in sinfulness from Chinese food to wine to banoffee pie, right?  Well, I maintain that a little planned relapse every now and then is OK.  If I only allowed myself to eat vegetables, nuts and fish then I believe I'd be more apt to cheat and fail in my quest for healthfulness.  This time of year is particularly difficult when temptations are all around us - yes, it's not just 'love' that's all around us this festive season - it's candy, chocolate, sweets galore!  As long as we try to focus more on the 'love' and cut back on the 'sweet' I think we'll be in strapping good shape when it's all said and done.  Just remember that when a food is laid before you - you don't have to eat it just because it's there.  And if you do give in to temptation, just try limiting yourself to one cookie, one chocolate or one square.  Have a glass of water - or wine for that matter in your hand and you might just find you are less anxious to fill that hand with one of those said treats.  That being said, Love Actually night comes but once a year, and all diet bets are off for that one night!

I am very blessed and grateful for my friends.  Some of you weren't able to make it on Tuesday night and you were missed!  Thanks to Michelle, Sara, Carla, Amanda, Meaghan, Linda, Lisa and Sarah-Jane for sharing my favourite holiday tradition!  You guys are awesome, wonderful people with good hearts.  All of us have had some trials and tribulations throughout the past year whether it be health, loss of a loved one(s), relationships, financial etc.  I'm glad we were all able to forget these woes for a night and enjoy each other's company.

This leaves me to wonder...who will be the Love Actually Virgin of 2013?  Are there any of you left out there?  There are so many great quotes in Love Actually.  Tonight, I leave you with one from none other than Colin Firth who plays Jamie - "It's lovely-lovely to see you all... and, er... I'm off, actually."

"The Importance of Being Earnest"

To be earnest or not to be - that is the question! To be earnest is to express seriousness or sincerity.  I believe that I am 'earnest' in my convictions to succeed with a little help from Colin Firth!  Last Saturday after returning from a whirlwind trip to Kingston and back (to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday) I retreated to the big comfy couch to resume viewing "The Importance of Being Earnest".  I've watched this film before and found it just as amusing this time round.  Colin, along with Rupert Everett portray a rather farcical amusement of sorts. 

So it's one thing to be earnest, and yet another to be honest - and in all honesty I must supply you with the truth, that the past week has not found me in top form.  Perhaps this is normal and I should expect the occasional slump?  Maybe it's the time of year - hectic preparations for Christmas gatherings and events?  After reaching my second goal I was dismayed to get back up as high as 146 lbs at the beginning of last week.  Also, I took my blood pressure a couple of times and it was higher than I anticipated - however, one was taken after a gruelling soccer game, and the other after a workout at Curves.  In retrospect, it makes sense that my blood pressure would be elevated after exercise - and I'll take that under consideration in future.

Well, in the midst of my so-called slump, I decided to spend the day on Thursday cutting out snowflakes.  Yup, that's right - I cut out several paper snowflakes to decorate the house.  While my kids were all busy at school, here I was at home, accomplishing nothing that I should have been.  I could have been out doing some Christmas shopping, wrapping gifts, cleaning the house, finishing up Christmas cards - after all, we were having our annual Christmas Wine & Cheese at the weekend, so I really should have been focusing on that list instead of folding and cutting paper snowflakes!  But just look at this one I designed myself - can you tell who it is?  That's right, it's Colin Firth in snowflake form!!!

Last winter I surprised Jakey with Star Wars snowflakes I had made for him and hung in the doorway to his room.  This year I was able to find even more templates (which is partly why it took me an entire day to work on!).  I also had to make a special one for Matthew and Kristen too.  Matthew got the New York Yankees and I designed a Barbie one for Kristen.  The Colin Firth snowflake, as well as the Bono snowflake I designed and made for myself. 

Needless to say, John appeared to be somewhat irked when he arrived home and discovered how I spent the day (the trail of paper bits likely didn't help matters!).  But hey, sometimes you just need to chill out and do something fun - and all the kids really appreciated it, and John - you have to admit that you thought they were cool too!!

Things started looking up on Friday for me.  I went to Curves and weighed in at 144.5 lbs!  Not a huge difference, but nonetheless a difference!  I also lucked out in booking a hair appointment for Saturday last minute!  John was off work on Friday so we went out for lunch at Earl's.  Normally, I would immediately gravitate towards the salmon dish on the menu, but when I noticed the Fish Taco I was intrigued.  My friends Carla and Melissa had been razzing me earlier about getting me to like avocado.  Well, the fish taco had avocado and mango with it so I made a point to eat 'outside the box' and try something different - and I'm so glad I did!  It was really tasty!  I forgot my  phone at home so I had John text Carla to inform her that I had just ordered a meal with avocado - so there!!! LOL.  Later, inspired by the father who bought a persimmon at the supermarket last week, I took out the persimmon I purchased to try out.  Blech, it was awful - I felt like my throat was collapsing in on itself and that I was eating something with the texture of a cotton ball.

...And then, my heart fell to my stomach, feeling absolutely ill over the news of the mass shooting at the school in Newtown, Connecticut.  We heard it on the news and immediately held our breaths as we waited to hear back from John's best friend Mike who lives there.  We were terrified that his son may have been one of the children killed.  Luckily it wasn't his school where it happened and they are all safe.  But it truly breaks my heart to think of those who weren't so lucky.  Please take some time to pray for these children and educators along with the families that are left behind to grieve them.

Saturday was the day of our annual party and there was lots to be done in preparation for it.  I had a hair appointment in the morning and was absolutely famished when I returned home 3 hrs. later so I told John I would let him go pick up some McDonald's for lunch.  I know, I know...bad me (Michelle will probably call me over this and give me hell - sorry Michelle!).  But, let's just remember that just a few months ago we pretty much ate McDonald's on a weekly basis.  This was only the second time I've had McDonald's since I began the Colin Firth Diet Club.  When I was younger, going to McDonald's was a treat that we had maybe a couple of times a year - as I type that I realize the Catch 22 inherent in that - McDonald's a treat?  You  could take it the other way and ask, why do we bribe our kids with the promise of McDonald's for good behaviour when it's not good for you?  Is it negative reinforcement?  True, they do offer healthier choices than they used to - salads, wraps, yogurt etc.  I confess I had a hamburger and shared some french fries.  It filled my gut but left me emotionally empty.  I don't even enjoy fast food anymore.  It's hard this time of year to avoid giving in to stress and pressure to cave and indulge in fast foods.  All I can say is that I recognize this is a difficult time and I'm resolved to stepping up my game and work harder at it for the next couple of weeks while temptation tries to lure me in.

Our party was a roaring success!  True, there is some painting that needs to be done as a result of John's bottle opening.  Apparently we had a cork malfunction and red wine spewed all over the kitchen ceiling.  We ordered some hors d'oeuvres from the Grinning Gourmand that were delicious.  Our newest friends, Amanda and Julian who recently moved here from England came, and everyone got on well and made them feel very welcome!  We usually order a cheesecake or two from my friend Robin but she was unable to do it this year so I partook this task on myself.  I endeavoured to make a candy cane/chocolate marble cheesecake, and managed to both overcook and under cook it at the same time.  Don't ask, 'cause I'm not sure how that happened but we did serve up our cheesecake disaster anyways.   I also made some homemade mince tarts from a recipe that author Kristah Price had included in her blog on www.Goodreads.com.  This one did turn out!

Yesterday (Sunday) was another busy day, and came a little too early for my liking after the party the previous night.  Jake had his last swimming lesson, Kristen had choir practice before church.  All three kids had piano lessons and I had to take Kristen to her performance at the church in the afternoon while John took Matthew to his final swimming lesson.  Kristen had her lesson on Saturday morning.  I'm pleased that all of them passed with flying colours, but most impressed with Matthew who was awarded his Bronze Cross!  He can now enjoy some freedom on Sunday afternoons!!

Today, I suffered a headache (could be that I only had decaf coffee in the house?) so I didn't bother going to Curves after working at the school.  I've been a little stressed about Matthew heading off to high school next year.  We had to make a decision on whether or not to put him in the Academic Stream or the Gifted Stream for his core subjects - it all seems to be happening so fast and it makes me sad that we've only got him for another 4 1/2 years before he heads off to University.  I met with his SERT this morning along with Matthew and I was so proud of him for making the decision on his own to give the Gifted Stream a try for Grade 9.  I have to say that as I entered the school today, I was struck with emotion once again over the tragedy in Newtown.  You think your children are safe at school, and then something like that happens...but we can't live in fear either. 

Tomorrow I'm off to Curves and then home to prepare for my absolute favourite time of the year - the epitome of what Christmas means to me - my annual "Love Actually" dinner & movie night at my house with my friends and some vino!  John is a saint and keeps our glasses filled and even drives my loopy friends home afterwards if needed!  This year I am going to attempt to make Banoffee Pie since Keira Knightley offers Mark a piece when she comes over to hunt for her wedding video in hopes she can find a shot where she isn't "bright turquoise".  I guess Banoffee Pie is rather popular in the UK, I've never seen it here in Canada - but it will be making a grand premiere here tomorrow evening.

Well, Colin, I look forward to meeting you here tomorrow night and sharing you with my friends while we are entertained with my all-time favourite movie!  Till then, I leave you with a line stolen from Miss Fairfax, "For me, you have always had an irresistable fascination!"

The Apocalypse, Santa Clause and Sweet Victory!

Monday - "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" - a food apocalypse is occurring in the McKenzie household in our stance on the Fat War.  Just this morning Officer Jacob came to Health's defence when his sister Kristen was whinging about the lack of snacks to pack in her lunch today.  She apparently failed to read the memo from the Mess Hall that that Mom has done a kitchen intelligence recon!  "There's nothing to eat anymore!"  Well, Corporal Kristen, our intelligence operatives have been forced to redefine the parameters of what a snack entails.  From henceforth we will be annihilating the enemy known as Trans Fat.  Officer Jacob stated, "We are on a diet!  Trans fats can kill you!".  Officer Jacob was henceforth awarded Mom's Heart for his bravery during battle.

I went to Curves after helping out in Kristen's class - determined to reach my next Colin Firth Diet Club goal, "The Importance of Being Earnest" for losing 10 lbs!  Come hell or high water, that DVD would be mine by the end of the week!  Carla picked me up from Curves and we joined Steve at that wonderful restaurant in Oakville called Stoney's (remember Melissa took me there for lunch on my birthday!).  I ordered the same thing I did before - the scrumptious butternut squash and pear soup, and the spinach salad adorned with pear, apricot, candied pecans, berries and more!  Of course, since I started another 3 days of wheat-free eating I passed off the bread that came with it to Steve.  Afterwards, Carla delivered me back to my car and I headed to the grocery store.  I was making a new recipe for dinner from the DASH Diet book I read recently, Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry.  Discovering new recipes that turn out well are like receiving a gift!  The bright colours of the veggies are beautiful!  Everyone enjoyed it.  I didn't even make rice or pasta to go with it.

While at the grocery store I came upon something I had never seen nor heard of before, and in keeping with the holiday spirit this season, I decided to purchase a Santa Claus melon!  Santa Claus melon?   Yes, apparently there is such a thing, imported from Brazil!

The kids were enthralled with it, and we were all guessing at what it would look like inside.  Some thought it would be red, others green.  After dinner, Jake had soccer practice and I decided to get a start on some Christmas shopping - promising that we would cut into the melon upon our return for dessert.  The anticipation was almost overwhelming as all three kids bent over the counter to discover the mystery inside the melon!

Turns out we were all wrong about the colour - it was whitish - and the seeded centre kind of resembles that of a uterus don't you think?  Very tasty indeed though, and rather sweet.  I prefer it to cantaloupe and honey dew melon.  I also caught Kristen sneaking back several times to cut herself more pieces of it!
On Wednesday afternoon I went to my Book Club at Jen's house and she commented on the fact that my clothes were falling off!  Normally one would be embarrassed if their pants fell down, but for me it's justification for a happy dance!  OK, so my pants didn't literally fall down, but they certainly are sagging to the point where I've begun thinking of investing in a good belt!  That, or become acquainted with a good seamstress!  Later that evening I dropped Kristen off at her Irish dance class and went to another grocery store to look for ingredients for Roasted Pork Loin with Prune and Apple.

This recipe was taken from "Low-Salt DASH Dinners" by Sandra Nowlan - a book I borrowed from the local library.  I've never bought a pork loin (deboned & tied) before and I wasn't sure I was getting the right thing.  The store was very busy and the queue for checkout was proceeding slowly.  I was behind a man who was shopping with his two young daughters.  He was purchasing a persimmon.  The cashier didn't know what it was so she had to yell behind her to the customer service desk for assistance.  Turns out the man didn't really know what a persimmon was either (nor did I for that matter), but he and his daughters were eager to give it a try.   Good for them!  I was so proud of them for trying something new, a new food item, and I don't even know them!  So I'm smiling away as the cashier begins scanning my items when she points to my three Granny Smith apples and asks me, "These are apples right?" - are you kidding me?  You don't recognize an APPLE staring you in the face?   Maybe it's just me, but if you live in Canada and have to question an apple, perhaps this is not the job for you.  Just sayin'.   So I then headed home to make some cashew crusted tilapia and salad for dinner and to relay this story to the rest of the family.

Thursday morning I traipsed back to Curves for the 4th time this week, and I'm proud to announce, that after a week of yo-yoing between 145 and 146 lbs, I have earned my next movie with a record weight of 144.75 lbs!!  You'll remember that I hit the 145 mark last Wednesday, but I had to get there twice 'just incases' of fluctuation.  That second 5 lbs was definitely harder to lose than the first.  But, I continue to persevere!  Last night I had a Christmas party to attend at Breast Cancer Support Services.  I forgot that a large variety of food is served at this event.  Once the kids got home from school I got to work on my pizza dough and had mine before I left - which worked wonders when I arrived at the party because I didn't eat a single morsel there!  OK, so I made candy cane cupcakes to take with me and indulged in 3 mini cupcakes (about the equivalent of one regular cupcake) before I left, but I had to make sure they were up to par!  So this also marks another breakthrough for me - making healthy food and eating it before attending an event where less healthy options prevail.  I simply enjoyed sipping my punch and chatting with Blair and everyone else.  When John got home from volleyball we decided to watch "The Importance of Being Earnest" together, but it was getting late, and I'm sorry Colin, but I wasn't able to keep my eyes open to finish the movie.  Rest assured, you were on my mind as I drifted off to the land of Nod.  Perhaps, it was just awkward having John present for our little rendezvous in front of the telly.  I quite enjoy it when it's just you and I in the room!  We'll take up where we left off...maybe tomorrow....goodnight Earnest, or should I say Jack?

"InGREEDients"

Let's begin with recognizing that life is good!  I have made some life affirming, lifestyle changes and I'm feeling really good about it.  Looking back two months ago, I was nearly 10 lbs heavier, not sleeping enough, nor eating well.  I've tried the cayenne pepper cleanse in the past as part of an attempt to change my physique 'cold turkey' but ended up suffering from a migraine late into the second day only to be assuaged with a greasy take-out pizza.  So, that wasn't for me.  What seems to be working is the Colin Firth Diet Club incentive program that my husband developed especially for me.  For every 5lbs I lose, I will earn a new DVD movie to add to my Colin Firth collection.  This may not sound like much incentive to many people, but Colin Firth is my favourite actor - especially in romantic comedies!  So, John's ingenious idea just may end up saving my life - or at least prolonging it.  Is there anything more romantic or sweet than that?  Well, John just happens to be my true life Mark Darcy!  Never before have I had more determination or passion to change my situation!

As you know, I've been reading "Wheat Belly"  - well I've finished it now and wow!  Davis really makes you think about what you are putting into your body.    I do believe that wheat may be the cause of common ailments that include obesity, diabetes and heart disease.  That being said, it is hard to eliminate something from your life that has been part of nearly every day of your existence.  One of the first solid foods you are introduced to as an infant is wheat cereal.  Your first finger food was likely Cheerios.  The bakery department at your local grocer is expanding just like the yeast or leavening agent in all the dough they produce!  I tried a 3 day wheat-free diet the week before last, and I will be doing it again this coming week.  Cutting wheat completely out of my diet may come eventually but I'm going to work my way up to that - or at least heavily cut back on the amount I consume.  This book was a great read and I'm glad that I purchased my copy so that I can continue to refer back to it from time to time.  It has become my bible for the past month and is adorned with little yellow stickies where I found important information.  OK, I finished the book and raved about my discoveries.  I have to admit I was a little stumped when in the last chapter, Davis contradicts what a lot of diet books tell you.  He says that it's ok to eat as many nuts as you want (as long as they are RAW nuts!), when diabetics are told not to consume more than 14 nuts.  Why don't the doctors tell you that little tidbit of information?  I never knew there was a difference before - but this week I made sure I bought some raw almonds!  Even eggs and cheese appear to be ok to eat!  So now giving up wheat doesn't sound that bad after all - does it?

A new family moved here from England last month and I've become friends with Amanda.  On Tuesday I treated her to a new place that opened up downtown called Serendipity Tea House.  I have a weakness for scones with clotted cream along with a pot of tea!  When I was younger, my mom, grandmother (who was British) and I used to drive to a little town called Shakespeare just to go to Harry Ten Shillings for tea and scones - what fond memories I have of those times!  I've been known to drive John mad when travelling in the UK or Ireland, traipsing all over the countryside on my quest to find the perfect scone, and yes, it has to come with clotted or Devon cream and jam!  Serendipity was a hidden treasure!  We had difficulty finding it, but in the end it was well worth it!  We had a lovely time and the tea and scones were divine!  I just love the name Serendipity - it conjures memories from the movie Serendipity starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale - another great and timely romantic comedy for the holiday season!  Just please don't begrudge me my little serendipitous indulgences (scones)!

On Wednesday, I went to Curves and I'm proud to say that I was down to 145 lbs!  So, that's the next notch on the incentive plan achieved! 

But, you will remember my previous post entitled "Just Incases" - Aurelia's line in Love Actually in the scene where Jamie (Colin Firth) proposes?  John said he wants to have two weigh-ins that reach the goal 'just incases' there is a little weight fluctuation so "The Importance of Being Earnest" will have to wait just a little longer!  John actually had to order that DVD in advance and it arrived earlier in the week but I told him not to even open the package, that I didn't want to see it or know where it is until I earn it!  And...just as well because on Friday it was hovering just slightly above 145.  As you can see in the photo, the bar is sitting in the middle, but on Friday it was floating closer to the end.

John had the day off on Friday so I convinced him to try Serendipity for lunch.  We shared a turkey sandwich and scones with a pot of tea.  Yummy, yummy, yummy!  Then I had to come back home and work on a cake order.  The weather turned colder, and the snow started to fall a little vigorously.  I walked down to pick the kids up from school.  They were thrilled with this first real snowfall of the year and played outside for hours after they got home.  Jakey even shovelled the driveway and proceeded to do the sidewalks as well.  He's a good lad!  John has been suffering for about a week with a bad cold.  He was supposed to go to Buffalo for the weekend with his buddies but didn't feel up to it and since Youth Group was cancelled for Matthew due to the storm, the kids asked to watch a movie that night.  Well, I had a perfect movie in store for us all that I picked up at the library called, "InGREEDients".  

Yes, this was the perfect movie to gather around on the big comfy couch together - all of us.  I guess the kids had something more fun in mind, but I suggested we watch this relatively short movie together and they could watch whatever they wanted afterwards.  "InGREEDients" is a movie made by David Burton, a Registered Nurse and filmmaker.   Every family should view this movie!  I thought it was important for the kids to watch and understand why Mommy is making dietary changes for the family - that what we think may taste good, is actually harming us.  If I ventured to make these lifestyle changes just for myself that would be very selfish of me.  It would be as if I was running toward victory and leaving the rest of the family in the dust!  I don't want that!  What I do want, is for John and Matthew and Jacob and Kristen and I to be holding our hands together as we cross the finish line to a healthier lifestyle and accept the victory- TOGETHER!!  "InGREEDients" informs us of what trans fats are, and talks about the food industry and FDA guidelines for nutrition labels.  For instance, a food labelled Trans Fat Free may not be what it appears.  Regulations stipulate that food products only have to list the quantity of trans fats if they are 0.5g or more per serving.  So if a product has 0.49g of trans fat per serving it can legally be labelled trans fat free.  Be wary also of the suggested serving sizes because they might reduce the serving size to fall into the less than 0.5g category, thus being labelled trans fat free.  Remember to read all the ingredients and avoid hydrogenated oils!  I'm telling ya - thinking about all the loopholes the food industry is able to leap through can really start a fire burning within me!   Kevin Conwell, a Cleveland, Ohio Councilman said, "We are digging our own graves with our teeth" which pretty much sums up our reality today.  Conwell talked about how there were more deaths from heart attacks than homicides, but we don't focus on the heart attacks because they aren't violent deaths.  Sometimes I get frustrated when I look around and see all those 'wheat bellies' and know that they are probably not doing anything to help themselves.   Come on people - do it for your family, do it for YOU!!

This movie had a major impact on our family.  Most surprisingly with John!  The following day he went to the grocery store to buy ingredients to make our spaghetti sauce - and I think he was hoping to load up on some snacks as well - when what to his wandering eyes should appear, but trans fats, trans fats nearly everywhere!  He came home with salt free canned tomatoes instead!  Bravo!  A proud moment!

Yesterday after returning from Matthew's robot competition in Georgetown, we invited Carla, Steve and Chloe over to enjoy our homemade spaghetti for dinner and some rounds of Five Crowns!  I even brought out the Dubliner cheese - after all, Davis, author of "Wheat Belly" said it's ok!  We really have wonderful friends and I am forever grateful to have them in our lives!

After a three week hiatus, we were back to church this morning.  Singing carols that were so uplifting, along with the baptism of a beautiful baby girl brings everything into perspective - especially during this busy holiday season.  Viewing the lighting of the Advent candle reminded me of the book I recently read called "Dear Deb" by Margaret Terry.  This book is a compilation of stories Margaret wrote to her friend Deb while she was dying of cancer.  One story, entitled "Candle Love" struck a particular chord with me.  It involved her older son questioning the distribution of love now that his younger brother had arrived.  My kids are forever claiming that I love so and so, more than them so when Margaret writes about how she lit the candles to demonstrate how her love (light) doesn't burn out I wanted to borrow her wisdom to show my kids as well.  However, I can never seem to find the right candles when I'm out and thinking of it, and I was getting tired of having to continually put this little lesson on hold, so instead I decided to bite the bullet and just read the story to them instead.  So all three kids - pajamas on, teeth brushed - climbed up on my bed and we snuggled together as I read them this very meaningful bedtime story!

Now I will go and have some apple sauce with ground flax seed.  Tomorrow is another day - my monthly weigh-in at Curves, a new DASH diet recipe for dinner...sweet dreams Colin - I earnestly await my next movie!