Mamma Mia!

   First of all, let's congratulate  John who ran his first 1/2 marathon and did better than anticipated finishing in 2 hours 5 minutes.  To celebrate we made him a surprise cake and I invited his parents over for dinner.  We had sweet and sour meatballs, beets and since I hadn't made quinoa in a while I made nutty quinoa to go with it.  To be honest, I opted for the quinoa to show off my new culinary abilities.  I spent a good part of the afternoon preparing the meal and really enjoyed the whole process.

Last week I finished reading Ali McNamara's "From Nottinghill With Love...Actually" again and loved it just as much if not more the second time round.  Where Renee Zellwegger informs Tom Cruise in "Jerry McGuire" that, "You had me at hello.", the main character, Scarlett had me when she mentions Colin Firth on page 13 referring to "Shakespeare in Love",

"Although I'd always had issues with Colin Firth playing the baddie in that film; Colin to me would always be Mr Nice Guy in whatever movie he was in"

I wholeheartedly agree with Scarlett on that one.  Although I first fell in love with Colin Firth as Mark Darcy and will always view him in that light, try as his more elusive characters might, my opinion of him shall not sway in the instances/roles where he plays someone gay (Mamma Mia, A Single Man), or even if he Americanizes his accent, however disappointing this can be (Arthur Newman).

I also finished reading one of the other books I took out from the Parent Lending Library at the school, called "Outside the Box - Why Our Children Need Real Food, Not Food Products" by Jeannie Marshall.  Marshall is a Canadian who now lives in Italy with her husband and son who was born there.  She aptly observes the changes in eating habits and food preparation over the past decades and inspires people to eat real food!  Funny thing happened one day while I was working at my computer after reading part of the book - my kids were watching TV and  a commercial came on for the Jane's brand of frozen fish products.  The voice over stated, "Real life demands real food!" - Really?  I'll tell you one thing - after reading Marshall's book, you would be stupefied trying to figure out the company's motivation behind the ad, because that kind of statement would deter you from buying the product, as it does not meet the definition of 'real food' due to all the processing and additives.

A couple of weeks ago at the grocery store I saw a little girl, maybe 4 years old who would likely be categorized as obese.  I felt pity for this child - her parents being the 'nutritional gatekeepers' of their household.  I had to restrain myself from approaching her mother to inform her of the disadvantages she is setting her daughter up for.  For the past 7 years or so I've been heavily involved with Breast Cancer Support Services and facilitate one of the support groups there.   I have read lots of books on the subject so I now know that not only will this girl be susceptible to being diagnosed with diabetes or heart disease, she is also more likely to develop breast cancer in her future.  Fat cells have higher amounts of estrogen and higher levels of estrogen have been linked to breast cancer.  Breast cancer seems to be more aggressive in those diagnosed at an earlier age.  Exercise and healthy eating habits can help in prevention.

Back to my own issues now - I had my monthly weigh-in at Curves last week and was 136 lbs and I've lost a few inches as well.  My blood pressure is awesome!  Here's some readings over the past couple of weeks:





Then comes Mother's Day!  Remember the entry I talked about the calendar year being loaded up with holiday hurdles that make it hard to stick to healthy eating habits?  Well, as I've mentioned before, I enjoy going to Serendipity for tea and scones, it seems to be my biggest vice!  John tried to make a reservation for Mother's Day but they were fully booked.  An hour later Carla called me to see if I could meet her at Serendipity, and of course I obliged!  Then on Mother's Day John managed to get some scones for pick-up and he and the kids essentially brought Serendipity to me!  It was lovely!!  Tea, scones, little sandwiches and lemon cookies!!!  To add to this, John was off on Tuesday to see a Dr. about his broken finger and we went to Serendipity for lunch again!  Needless to say, I'm back up to 138 lbs (scone induced) and have not met my 135 lb goal yet - and I leave for the airport in a couple of hours for my 2 week cruise!

To be fair to the scones, I have to also admit to imbibing in many wines last weekend when we went to Niagara-on-the-Lake with Carla, Steve, Amanda and Julian!  It was a wonderful overnight getaway!  I will allude to this weekend further, as well as Inspired Wellness in my next entry upon my return.

This week I tried another new recipe - Lemon Rhubarb Chicken!  "It's a real first!" (Emma Thompson in Love Actually).  I, with love...actually...pulled fresh rhubarb from my garden to make this scrumptious meal!

Last weekend we all watched Mamma Mia to gear up for our cruise.  We won't be going to Donna's (Meryl Streep's) resort in Kalokairi but we will visiting Athens and Santorini and you can't bet I'll be envisioning Colin Firth sitting across from me on a lounge chair singing, "I can still recall...our last summer..." on the ship!!!

Must sign-off now to finish my packing!!  I just bought 2 gorgeous new bathing suits from new little shop downtown called Forever Summer!  Valerie, the owner made this venture a very pleasurable experience compared to other shops I've been it.  She wasn't pushy at all and was most helpful!  Who knows, perhaps I'll be brave enough to post some pics when I get back.  This is my first cruise and I'm rather nervous - the thing people talk about most about going on a cruise is the food - the food that is ALWAYS available.  I vow to make good choices while I'm away and continue to exercise!  Since I'm gone for 2 weeks I did make sure to get my 12 workouts in at Curves before I left though!!

Bon voyage!  What do you think the chances are that I will run into Colin Firth near his home in Rome while we are there? Hmm...one can dream!!!!

May the Firth be With You!

   Today being May 4th, the many men in my life have been celebrating Star Wars Day, greeting everyone with "May the 4th be With You".  Well, it came to me this evening while comfortably perched on my neighbours couch, a vision proposing a new intergalactic movement to counteract the Star Wars geekdom that persists in my house and many others.  Yes, I much prefer to greet you with "May the Firth be With You"!  After all, I think I can aptly match my boys quotations from Star Wars with lines orated by Colin Firth in his many films!  Why not have an internationally celebrated day of Colin Firth instead!! 

May the Firth Be With You sounds so much better - and this time of year holds so much promise!  The weather is gorgeous, Colin Firth is gorgeous, a time of rebirth and new beginnings...

Last Wednesday at Curves I weighed in at 136.25 lbs!  To celebrate, I pigged out at Serendipity on an extra order of scones with Carla for lunch.  Earlier that day while working in the school library I checked out the parent lending library and signed out three books on healthy eating for kids.  One of the positive side effects of the Colin Firth Diet Club is that my kids are also eating better and trying new foods, real foods!  The first book I read was Anita Bean's "Healthy Eating For Kids".  There were a few alarming statistics revealed in her book that I would like to share with you,

"According to the National Obesity Forum, if the number of obese children continues to rise, children will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents."

"...obese children are up to 20 per cent more likely to develop cancer as adults, according to a 2004 statement from the National Obesity Forum."

"Children who are obese in their teens are twice as likely to die by the age of 50."

These statistics are rather sobering aren't they?  I know I don't want to have to bury one of my children, so reading this verified for me, that the changes I am making are not only improving my health, but the healthy odds of my childrens' future.  Less packaged food items and more natural healthy foods from here on in!  I have to say again, that since I've started this program, I have developed a new passion for cooking!  I used to dread making dinner, or heaven forbid three school lunches everyday!  Now I find I am embracing the wide the selection of produce at the grocery store, trying new recipes, spending more time in the kitchen, and the positive influence this is all having on the family as a whole.  It's hard on the kids when they see classmates eating the prepackaged, high sodium and fatty items that through manipulative marketing techniques have been made to look more appetizing and aesthetically appealing such as Lunchables.  The daughter of a friend of mine wanted to know why she wasn't allowed to have Lunchables when her friend was, and her mom responded that the other childs' mom obviously didn't love her as much!  That may seem a bit harsh, but there is a reality there.  The problem is that people need to be reeducated as to what healthy food is.  Sure, there are all kinds of wonderful sounding claims shouting out to us on packaging but these are giving us a false sense of healthy eating.  I guess this is why I find it helpful to continue reading up on the subject, as it never hurts to be reminded along the way and keep myself accountable in my progress.  I am constantly educating myself about incorporating a healthier lifestyle.

Every time the kids have a P.A. Day at school, their Great-Grandparents like to take them to McDonald's for lunch.  Last Friday was one such day, and I am proud to say that I opted for a healthier option.  I ordered a Teriyaki Chicken salad with cashews and a fruit smoothie to drink.  Afterwards, I came home and began dethatching my lawn of dead grass and debris - a job I had never done before, but I felt great and motivated to do so.

Last Saturday we went to the Niagara Food & Wine Expo with Carla and Steve and sampled wine, beer and food.   Since I have previously been extolling the virtues of laughter, this was a prime venue!  See below!

We had such a great time (thanks to Dave and Barb who gave us the tickets!), especially when a certain bartender concocted an amazing cocktail for Carla and I just after having those pics taken.  On the way back home we stopped for lunch at The Pie Plate (the place Steve bought that delicious banana cream pie before!).  Carla and I shared an Asiago and Artichoke pizza - what?  A year ago, there would have been absolutely no way you would find such a thing on my plate!  But now that I am eating real food and keeping an open mind (and mouth!) that has all changed and I've come to enjoy experiencing and appreciating new flavours! 

The following day I worked more on raking up the lawn.  It was quite a work out, and I came inside late afternoon and gorged on a few too many shortbread cookies I had purchased at the Expo, so to assuage my guilt, I decided to go back out and do more yardwork - even as the skies opened and the rain was pouring.  But I didn't mind getting wet, it was so peaceful out there and I was in my own little world working away!  And instead of dwelling on eating the cookies, I did something productive to counteract it - exercise!

On Monday I weighed in at 136.5 lbs.  My blood pressure was awesome! 

At the grocery store I was excited to see they had sour sop!  When we were in Costa Rica last year, Kristen and I fell in love with sour sop juice at the resort!  I had to buy some sour sop!

I also bought 3 different kinds of eggplant and red swiss chard.  Since I had eaten some chocolate for a snack, I decided to walk in the rain to pick the kids up from school to work it off.  Hmm, maybe the weather is to blame for my snack infractions?  That's twice in a row that I've eaten something naughty and gone to work off the ill effects in the rain.  Hmm.. something to think about?  For dinner I tried a new recipe for Delicata Chard taken from "The Cleaner Plate Club".  Well, technically since delicata squash wasn't available it was Butternut Chard!  I had some butternut squash in the freezer so I substituted it for the delicata and made swiss chard for the first time.  Admittedly, I was worried this would be another recipe that would get thumbs down from all of us, but the flavour surprised me!  Will definitely be making it again!

With our upcoming cruise arriving before we know it, I'm going to try to get my 12 monthly workouts in before we leave as I'll be away for two weeks.  Since we'll be touring the Mediterranean, I think it's time to revisit Mamma Mia for some Colin eye candy (even though, sadly, he ends up being gay!).  I went wheat-free for a couple of days this week and on Thursday I weighed in at just over 135.25 lbs!  Getting so close to my next movie!  I'm so excited!    Last night we were invited to Amanda & Julian's for dinner.  Amanda made the most divine goulash!  I loved it!  I'm looking forward to spending next weekend with them and Steve and Carla as we return to Niagara-on-the-Lake to visit some wineries!  I predict much more laughter on the horizon!

As it's past midnight now, I'll sign off - but then again, Colin Firth Day could be extended to Colin Firth weekend, I think "May the Firth Be With You"  works just as nicely for May 5th - don't you?  John is running in his firth (while reading this over before publishing it, I noticed that I inadvertently typed firth instead of first here, but I decided to leave it as is, because clearly it's the firth thing on my mind!) 1/2 marathon tomorrow morning and I wish him luck. John -  "May the Firth Be With You!"