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!"

Laughter & The Plague a.k.a. Beauty & The Beast

   Well, I am glad to be back after being plagued with a nasty head/sinus cold that had me bedridden for days and out of commission for a couple of weeks!  A special thanks to Carla, the 'Soup Goddess' who provided and nurtured me with a variety of her homemade soups throughout!  The first weekend, I took a small reprieve on the Sunday morning to volunteer at a joint fundraising venture put on by Rotary Club of Burlington North and Breast Cancer Support Services.  It was 1 Million Steps for Breast Cancer Awareness.  I was working the Registration Table when all of a sudden the whole mall seemed to break into hysterics!  Hysterics of laughter that is!  Ever heard of Laughter Yoga?  There were a couple of Laughter Yoga instructors imparting their wisdom and laughter to all the walkers.  I seemed to recall reading that Gretchen Rubin mentioned it in her book "The Happiness Project".  Weird.  But true.  There really is such a thing!
    

"For my next experiment, I decided to try laughter yoga.  Founded by an Indian doctor, this combination of yoga and laughter has spread rapidly around the world, and I kept running into references to it as a happiness-inducing activity.  Laughter yoga combines clapping, chanting, breathing, and stretching exercises drawn from yoga to calm the mind and the body, and the simulated laughter provoked by the exercises often turns into real laughter." 

Gretchen attended a class but found it wasn't for her and did not return.  Now, I'm not so coordinated that regular yoga moves come easily to me, and to add laughter amidst that would likely find me rolling on the floor laughing at my own inability - which I'm sure I can just as easily assume in the comfort of my own home!  That being said, laughter does have its benefits to be sure, and it's worth finding ways to elicit laughter, even if directed at oneself!  After all, laughter is infectious!  And what better Colin Firth film to watch in correlation to the subject of laughter than "Nanny McPhee"!  The antics that the children of Cedric Brown (Colin Firth) perform so aptly in their plight to rid a succession of nannies is comical and clever.  I enjoyed watching this movie again with my kids!  I still remember the day I saw it in the theatre with Matthew when it was released in 2006.  He came home and drew a picture of us sitting in the theatre watching it.  Here's a photo of the picture.  We are in the very front row and he is sitting on my lap holding his bucket of popcorn.  You can see his rendition of Nanny McPhee on the screen!  Sadly, Colin's character wasn't as profound in his little eyes as he wasn't included!).

"The person you need is Nanny McPhee".  This movie could be classified as parental fantasy!  I mean, what parent doesn't at times wish a "Nanny McPhee" would whisk into their life and work wonders with their children.  Teach them manners, to do as they are told, and respect their elders.  Hell, I know I would have graciously welcomed a "Nanny McPhee" if only to tackle potty training!  When Nanny McPhee reveals to the Brown children, "When you need me but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me but no longer need me, then I have to go. It's rather sad, really, but there it is." , I felt this summed up the process of parenthood rather poignantly.  When your children are young they need you and as they become teenagers they want to distant themselves from you somewhat in preparation for 'leaving the nest'.  Once they reach adulthood and move onto post secondary education and careers, they still need you, but in a different way.  They are able to provide the basic necessities themselves (food, water, shelter etc.).  Thinking of Matthew heading off to high school next year makes this all too evident to me and I'm saddened that he's growing up so fast - but at the same time excited as he gradually reveals the man he will become.  And of course, there has been plenty of laughter along the way and I know there will be more to look forward to!

   Speaking of things to look forward to, I'm hoping we've finally seen the last of the snow and can start enjoying the outdoors more again!  Although I was sick for a couple of weeks, I still managed to get to Curves 3 times a week!  It was evident that I was lacking energy as the computer showed my residual energy as high as 61 (not sure what units this is in but that's the number).  Yesterday, I was happy to see that I completed the workout without any residual energy, so I must be on the mend!  Furthermore, I did indeed get my weight back down to 138 lbs.  Not only that, last week I weighed in at 137.5 lbs and yesterday I weighed in at 137.25 - that's less than half way to my next incentive (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)!  I also had my monthly measurements done and lost 3" overall from bust, waist, abdomen, hip and arms!  Last week, three different ladies told me they noticed I'd lost weight and asked how I did it.  I told them about the Colin Firth Diet Club and the culmination of what that entailed.  I left that day elated and on a Colin Firth Diet Club high!  I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to lose the next couple of pounds and earn my next movie before we leave on our Mediterranean cruise next month - in which case, I will proudly don the bright green bikini I recently bought!

   My culinary adventures over the past couple of weeks were on the lean side as I let others cook for me while I rested, but there are two new recipes I tried.  The first was Creamy Butternut Tagliatelle taken from the March 2012 issue of Chatelaine.  This tasty dish with butternut squash was paired with salmon and a spinach salad.



Last night for dinner I made Cantonese Lemon Chicken, a recipe I discovered in the Spring 2013 edition of Food & Drink magazine while visiting my in-laws on Easter.  Let me tell you - this dish is like meal and dessert all in one!  The chicken was tender and coated in my new staple - panko crumbs, and topped with a lemon sauce redolent of lemon pie!!  I will most definitely be recreating this one!  My mouth is watering in anticipation of it!

   More good news to report!  Yesterday I tested my blood pressure while at the grocery store.  I took five successive readings which were 136/83, 125/78, 129/77, 126/70, and 123/86.  Check out those diastolic numbers!!!  Nurse Judy would be so proud, as am I!  Guess that extra water I've been drinking has really done the trick!

Today the sun was shining brightly and invigorating my inner soul.  With all this good news - the pounds lost, inches gone, blood pressure optimal, I felt ready to try on that pile of pants hidden in the closet from thinner days.  They fit again!  Well, four of them do, I've still a little ways to go to fit into the other two again - but this is great news!!!  I was beginning to think "There'll be snow in August" before I'd be able to fit into those pants again!  Not to mention don a bikini!  Mark my words, that when I am down to 135 lbs I will purge my larger fitting clothes!  I'm glad I saved these old pants - a) because it means I don't have to go shopping for news ones (wait, that's a catch 22!  I save some $$ but deprive myself of shopping?) and b) it's very rewarding to find you can wear something you've been too fat to fit into for years and years!  I'm finding my thinner self in here somewhere finally!  And I feel great!

Till next time, remember to have a good laugh, watch Nanny McPhee and "Beehive".

Detritus Serendipitous and Happiness

     The book I need to read for my Book Club this month is "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin.  I had considered myself to be a rather happy person, but as I delved into the pages of this book, I quickly realized that there is so much more I can do to create more happiness for myself.    Gretchen starts her project in January with monthly goals.  January she chooses to focus on energy.  She attempts to get to bed earlier and declutter her house.  This has inspired me to do the same as I read her words, "I needed to clear away the detritus of my mind."   Having majored in Communication Studies in University, I sometimes fall across words that enamor me.  One such word has always been serendipity ever since I watched the film starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale.  It is coincidentally the name of my favourite new tea room in town that I frequent on a rather regular basis!  Well, similarly, when I read 'detritus' it also struck a chord in me.  I began to think of all the detritus surrounding myself - physically, mentally and emotionally.  It was time to clear some of it up!  Last weekend I began tackling the kitchen cupboards.  I started with the cupboard above the phone where we store art and craft supplies and my cookbooks.  Over the years, we have collected numerous paint sets, markers, modeling clay etc.  I made a pile of superfluous supplies and asked the kids to dispose of those they were not going to use.  Then, I went through the cookbooks and removed a few that I had never used or looked at.  The end result was order!  My cookbooks now fit nicely on the bottom shelf, my electric pencil sharpener has  it's own spot on the middle shelf and the paints fill the top shelf.  When I was finished this portion of the project, we all headed to the track!   I was excited to don my new shirt and running shoes.  I ran 5 laps without stopping!  And I felt great!  Afterwards we showered and got ready to go to my in-laws for Easter dinner and had a fab time!  We had to come home earlier than we normally would have so John and Matthew would be home in time to work on their Fantasy Baseball draft, so Kristen and I went upstairs to watch "Marley & Me".  I quite literally cried myself to sleep snuggling my Rocket!  You see, Gretchen inspired, and reminded me of one of my goals which was to get to bed earlier.  The movie ended around 10:30 and I was content to go to bed immediately following.

 

Monday, the 1st day of April felt like a renewal!  I was so energized and well slept that I felt I could take on the world!  I was beginning another week of eating wheat-free.  I felt sore muscles in my abs and thighs, and I was happy about it!  John decided the previous night to sign up for the 1/2 marathon, and for a brief moment that morning I felt that I was capable of joining him!  But I won't!!  I know my limitations, and right now, a marathon (or half for that matter) is far outside those limits.  I did go to Curves though, and had remarkable success!  As part of the Curves Smart program I can track how many calories I burn from each workout, and usually I range anywhere from say 250 - 350 calories, but Monday I burned 402!  Could it be that the extra sleep gave me the added boost?  On Wednesday I burned 500 calories during my workout!  I actually asked the Manager if that was possible or if there was a glitch in the system!  As for my current weight, on Thursday I was at 141.5 lbs.  I think I may be back under 140 lbs at this point but will measure tomorrow before my workout at Curves.  Sometimes my scale at home likes to tell a slightly exaggerated story, if you know what I mean!  Apparently my wheat-free stint wasn't as successful this time round as I was anticipating the pounds to fall off more rapidly - but perhaps those pretty foiled chocolate eggs are to blame!  (OK, OK, it wasn't their fault, it was own sheer lack of willpower - and I've since paid the price).

The calendar is filled with constant roadblocks one needs to hurdle over from one to the next.  After over indulging over the Christmas season, we tend to anticipate New Year's resolutions where we eat smarter and exercise more regularly.  We are then hit with Valentine's day redolent of red velvet heart-shaped boxes filled with assorted chocolates... followed by St. Patrick's Day goodies (in my house anyways!), only to be onslaught with chocolate eggs and bunnies, jelly beans and more for Easter!  There may be a small reprieve over the summer months where you are left to your own devices which are likely to find you scoping out the local Baskin Robbins or Dairy Queen. Then to make up for the 'dry' months we are bombarded with bags full of chocolates, bubblegum, potato chips, lollipops, and a plethora of other sweets for Hallowe'en (OK, you may tell yourself this is for the kids, but who are you kidding?  We all look forward to indulging in the fruits of the kids labours! In fact my mother-in-law is famous for eating all the candy she purchases to give out for Hallowe'en and then has to go out and buy more to hand out to the kids!).   Here I sit by my computer ranting along ...as I am disgusted by the colourful foil wrappers strewn across my desk from my own indulgence.  Perhaps they should cover the chocolate eggs in a black matte paper with skull and crossbones, or the red hourglass design found on a black widow spider - that would deter me for sure! Instead I am left here with the vision of cradling the pretty pink foiled egg "Come here my pretty!"

I have since removed more detritus from other kitchen cupboards - I'm taking things slow and trying to accomplish a little each day.  And I have become more aware of other ways of clearing detritus!  On Friday, my friend April was hosting a Princess Gold Party.  The beauty of this kind of party is that you aren't expected to purchase anything, rather - you bring your unwanted gold and they pay YOU!!!  Unfortunately I've been struck with a bad sinus cold and fever and wasn't able to attend - but I finally parted with a couple of gold bracelets given to me in high school from boyfriends past.  Why was I holding on to them?  I don't rightly know, maybe just for the fact that they were made of gold?  John was non too pleased to discover I still had them lying around, and I had forgotten I had them so why not sell them!  Carla took them and sold them for me and I made $68 from them!  Think of the more precious 'gold' I can purchase with that - namely, Colin Firth films to add to my collection!!!

Gretchen focused on her marriage for the month of February.  Her husband reminded me a lot of John and I could also see parts of myself in her.  The week leading up to Easter, I was extremely busy and stressed designing and fulfilling cake orders, and the state of my kitchen showed it!  Trying to be proactive, I explained to John that I was going to take Saturday off.  I was going to sleep in, work on updating my blog and website.  I asked that he not bully or pester me into cleaning and that I would work on cleaning the disastrous kitchen gradually.  It worked pretty good!  I'm also going to try harder not to roll my eyes when John goes on and on about his running and to be more supportive.  I truly am proud of him, but I know I can show it better!  Gretchen talks in her book about her need to receive a 'gold star' to fulfill her need of approval.  I just realized now, that this is what John is seeking, and as I am also one who likes to be on the receiving end of a 'gold star', I should be doling out more to others myself!  I used to receive lots of 'gold stars' when I was younger - certificates, awards, trophies, medals - but once you grow up and enter the 'real world', these become few and far between.  Especially after becoming a parent!  And that is the most gratifying, and stressful job of all!  In 2010 I was awarded the City of Burlington Community Service Award for the work I do with Breast Cancer Support Services and the Scrap Cancer fundraiser I founded.  I was flabbergasted to hear I was even nominated!  Gold Stars can come in many forms.  Receiving that award was one of them and it really meant a lot to me, knowing that the work I did to help others was really making a difference!  Perhaps the most rewarding 'gold star' for me however, and I receive a plethora of them, is the unsolicited hugs I constantly get every day from my children!  You know you've done something right when that happens!

In April, as Gretchen attempts to 'Lighten Up' she vows to 'Become a Treasure House of Happy Memories'.  This reminded me of one thing that leads to my happiness - scrapbooking!  I get lost in the process of reminiscing about happy times with my family as I produce a layout.  After reading this book, I plan to make more time to work on my scrapbooks.  The kids love pulling down the large albums to see what they did when they were little (well, littler).  Next weekend I am off to another scrapbooking retreat, and since I haven't done any scrapbooking since the last retreat I attended in October, I am going to make it a priority to work on at home!

The only new recipe I tried this week was a Mango Surprise Smoothie taken from the 'Flat Belly Diet Cookbook'.  I was a little apprehensive about trying this one since it includes avocado and we didn't part the best of friends with the last recipe attempt, however, we've each since matured and come to a mutual understanding.  So long as avocados are mixed in with other tastier foods, we will get along just fine!  This smoothie was so delicious!  I made it again the following day and Matthew wanted to try some and even he liked it!  I'm looking forward to grocery shopping tomorrow to get more lime to make it again!  Long live the avocado!!!!

Now, the detritus of Easter is thus removed (consumed)! I am working on clearing more detritus to make way for more Colin Firth DVD's.  When it comes down to it, The Colin Firth Diet Club in essence is my personal 'Happiness Project'!  It (he) is my muse and motivation and I am so happy with the changes I've made.  Furthermore, I am happy to have such a clever husband to have come up with the idea!  Thanks John!  This may be my 'Happiness Project', but John, you are my happiness replete!  Providing I am back under 140 lbs tomorrow - anyone want to celebrate with tea and scones at Serendipity tomorrow aft?  Colin, you are more than welcome - it'll be my treat!

St. Trinians and Vitamins: The Sequel

Ironic that this next entry is titled a 'sequel' while I also begin the sequel to the Colin Firth Diet Club.  I've bought myself another six months to continue improving my lifestyle and health.  In all likelihood, I will be prescribed medication to lower my cholesterol when I revisit the Diabetic Nurse in September - but at least I'll know I did what I could to improve my situation and put it off till my 40's!  And even if I do have to take medication, my LDL level has dramatically decreased already and the lower I can get that number, the lower the dosage I'll have to take!  (Hang on a minute, I need to get a water refill - trying to bring that diastolic down!!).  OK, I'm back now!

Over the past couple of weeks I've tried some new recipes - most of them were successful, but there was one that not even I liked!  I've made Korean Beef Bulgogi which was delicious!  I ripped the recipe out of a magazine and I can't for the life of me find it now to credit which one.  Guess I'll have to improvise next time!

Next, I'm going to share the item that left our whole family cringing in disgust!  In fact this is where my love affair with avocado met it's demise.  Yes, the Grilled Avocado with Melted Cheese and Hot Sauce (found on Pinterest) is hereby dubbed The Colin Firth Diet Club MVP for Most Vile Provision!  Just look at John's expression at having to try this food! 

Only Rocket seemed to enjoy this one!  Needless to say, this recipe has not been entered into my recipe folder for future reference!  And the avocado will indeed resurface on our plates but under the masked guise of other ingredients!  After all, I cannot forget the accolades I have previously bestowed upon it, and it's benefits have done me well!
Over March Break, Jake had a friend sleep over and I tried a new recipe for breakfast.  This is another wheat free recipe I found on Pinterest for Biggest Loser Oatmeal Pancakes!  These were very tasty and you wouldn't know that there is cottage cheese in them!  I always hated cottage cheese before, but it works well in these pancakes for some added protein. 

Excuse me again while I have some water...gulp, gulp, gulp...be right back - I've got to refill my glass.   OK, thanks for waiting! 

La Feile Padraig Shona!  Happy St. Patrick's Day!  St. Patrick's Day is the biggest event in my house and as I love all things Irish I tend to go a little over the top!  I spent all day Saturday and Sunday preparing the food for our feast of 16 people.  I made Irish Soda bread, Shepherd's Pie, Leek & Potato Soup, Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes, Leprechaun Punch (for the kids) and some Shamrock Crackers which I served with Irish cheeses!  And of course we had Guinness and Harp at the ready, along with some non-Irish wine!

We thoroughly enjoyed celebrating the day with some of our closest friends, Steve & Carla, Melissa & Glen, Julian and Amanda and all our kids!  Carla is a fabulous cook and invited us over for dinner the previous night for her famous butternut squash soup and some pesto chicken!!

A couple of days after that, Carla, Amanda and I were going to see the movie Side Effects.  My daughter Kristen was busy performing her Irish dancing that week and I was trying to sort her out before we left.  Carla was hoping to go out for dinner but I had made a Fruity Chicken Stir-Fry from the Dash Diet and she was happy to stay and have some of that.  It was pretty good too!  The combination of apricot with the pine nuts, apple and chicken was so yummy!

Since then I have also made Stuffed Zucchini Boats taken from Kraft Foods Healthy Living.  These are so delicious that they will be making a comeback!  In fact, I had bought groceries that day and picked up some KitKat's for a treat for everyone if they helped put the groceries away and ate all their dinner!  I loved mine so much that I got up for a second helping and it filled me up and I wasn't hungry anymore so I decided not to eat my KitKat that night!  Seriously, that is unheard of in my house!  I actually chose zucchini over chocolate!  What is the world coming to?  Just writing about it now is making me hunger for more!!

Isn't it truly amazing how many different foods there are available to us?  I'm in awe!  Every week I am making new food discoveries and trying new things - and enjoying the whole process! 

Last weekend, I insisted on a Family Movie Night!   Can you guess the movie of choice?  Why yes, it was none other than "St. Trinians 2 & the Legend of Fritton's Gold"!  I was anxiously anticipating the arrival of Colin on the screen only to be disappointed with his ragged appearance.  Although he, "May be a drunk, and I may be a sot, and I may be a pickled horse.." in his first scene, rest assured, Colin most certainly does clean up well!  In this sequel the girls of St. Trinian's are trying to find a second ring to match one they found that will help them discover the location of treasure hidden by Fritton's pirate ancestor.  Geoffrey (Colin) is enlisted to help them in their quest.  Fritton's adversary, Piers Pomfrey and his cronies break into St. Trinian's to steal the ring, but the girls are ready for them!  Camilla says, "My friends call me Millie.  What should I call you?  An ambulance perhaps?"!  In the end the girls discover that "The bard is a bird" - the Bard being Shakespeare!

This week I made Roasted Cauliflower & Pancetta Parpadelle along with some baby spinach drizzled with some of my homemade maple peach dressing!  I had no idea what pancetta was or parpadelle before.  Furthermore, John normally can't stand eating cauliflower and grimaces every time I make it and even he liked this version!!!  (Normally I would just steam them and make a cheese sauce to go over mine).  I tore this recipe from Wish magazine, probably a couple of years ago, but did so with the intention of one day making the Shortcut Turkey Puff Pies on the other side.  Who would have thought that after starting this journey I would be more intrigued by the cauliflower recipe?  Even better, there was lots left over to have for lunches!!!

This brings me to yet another failed recipe attempt.  It was Better "Fried" Fish taken from the April 2012 issue of Chatelaine, the fish being Perch.  Wednesdays are typically a fish night at our house, and this week I thought I'd mix it up a bit and try a new fish, much like I did when I tried making scallops for the first time a few weeks back!  Well, in all fairness it wasn't a complete failure - I didn't mind this one, but everyone else voiced their negative opinions rather loudly - especially the grown man who is supposed to be encouraging the kids to eat!  In the end, I relented and agreed not to make this dish again, not so much because of the taste, but rather it was a pain in the ass to make and left a hardened mess in the pan!

Yesterday was Good Friday, and after a hectic week consisting of two nearly all-nighters working on cake orders, I was beat!  But that didn't put a damper on my favourite Easter tradition we started last year!  We went to Bronte Park for the National Service Dogs annual Easter Egg Hunt for Dogs!  It's so much fun and for a good cause!  And Rocket came home with quite the loot in prizes!  After lunch we went to my mom's for Easter dinner, and the kids, along with their cousins went to the park to fly their new kites from Grandma!  It was a beautiful day!  We came home and went across the street to play some Five Crowns with Carla & Steve ( I won!!) and this is where I must commend Carla again.  That girl can whip up the most delicious snacks out of thin air!  She brought out some Gruyere cheese, raw roasted almonds, fig butter, crackers and apple slices.  I would just like to say I have rebounded from my doomed love affair with avocado with that of fig butter, which happened to coalesce rather nicely with the bottle of Finca Nueva Rioja!

And for tonight's dinner, I tried Bruschetta Chicken for the first time.  One Saturday when I was at Curves, the person working that day warmed up something in the microwave for her lunch and it smelled so good!!  So she printed off the recipe for me from www.kraftrecipes.com!  John came home from picking up some wine and was raving at the get go about how good it smelled!  Then more so as he ate it!  Moral of the recipe saga is , you win some, you lose some - you aren't going to like every thing, but it sure is fun trying things out!!



So, after that lengthy rendition of what I've been eating since my last entry, perhaps you'll forgive me for tipping a little backwards on the scales???  Amanda came with me to Curves on Monday to try it out and I weighed myself at 142 lbs.  Yikes!!  Today I have to confess I was up to 142.5 lbs again.  Not to worry though, I am going to be proactive and set things on the right track once more.  After Easter dinner tomorrow I am going to do another wheat-free stint.  I think the combination of the late late nights and added stress I've been under the past week contributed to the increase.  On a more positive note, John bought me some new runners, and due to the batting of my eyelashes, a new running top to match - so tomorrow, as the weather is getting nicer, we are planning to resume our running of laps at the track that we began in October.  John is trying to decide whether or not to try running a half marathon - me, I'll be happy if I can work myself up to 5K!

Before I sign off, remember that vitamin experiment I tried after reading about it in the Looneyspoons Cookbook?  Well, the sour gummy vitamins we were giving the kids before didn't pass the test, so I bought a new brand and tried the experiment with it this afternoon.  The results were much better!

This is what it looked like after being submersed in the vinegar after 1 hour elapsed.  Within another hour the vitamin had completely dissolved!

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter holiday with your family and friends!  I hope the Easter Bunny is good to you!  Good night, and Colin, "Love ya Babe!"

Day of Reckoning

Twas the day of dreaded reckoning,

My diabetic nurse a - beckoning...

Anxious nerves twined together in knot,

Results weren't nearly as bad as I'd thought!

An emotional morn' this was today,

Awaiting results, the nurse to convey.

Tears flowed from thine eyes at the word

That my prayers had been heard!

Elated to hear this news,

(Colin Firth being my muse)

My heart shall continueth its beat,

And not fall prey to defeat!

A new lease on life I received today, 

And my dedication indeed did pay!

It's been a long time since I've attempted a crack at poetry and I apologize for my lame attempt at it here.  Sometimes when I was younger that was how I best dealt with emotions - arranging them in prose.  Today was indeed an emotional one for me.  I thought my appointment with the Diabetic Nurse was tomorrow for some reason and she called me just after 10 am wondering why I wasn't there.  Oops!  After apologizing profusely, I rushed right over to her office to meet my fate.  Perhaps it was better in the end that I wasn't expecting to go to the appointment today.  I had less time to fret over what my results would unveil.  The first thing I was told was that my blood work was excellent!  I managed to evade Diabetes!  Yeah!  Not that I was worried so much about that - I was more concerned with the cholesterol and blood pressure.  So, although my blood sugars did me proud, my cholesterol levels are still of some concern.  However, when she looked up my previous results for comparison she was shocked at what I was able to achieve with diet change.  As you may recall, my LDL (bad cholesterol) level was 4.55 when I began the Colin Firth Diet Club - now I've managed to bring that number down to 3.29!!  Because I am NOT Diabetic I don't have to take medication for this yet!  If my blood sugars were in the Diabetic range I would have been prescribed medication immediately!  The nurse seemed so shocked at the decreased LDL and worried that I had been depriving myself (of food I presume).  I relayed the story to her of how the Colin Firth Diet Club came about and all the changes I've made not only for myself but for my family as a whole - and she was genuinely impressed and proud of me!!  I had intended to bring my arsenal of information to back up my story of the past 6 months, but since I goofed on which day the appointment was I went unprepared and had to resort to a verbal report alone.   I was beginning to think I would get away without her taking my blood pressure but being thorough as she is, she stood up to take my weight, girth and blood pressure respectively.  This was the moment I had been dreading most all these months and the results of which I anxiously worked myself up over.  I needn't have worried so much.  My average blood pressure taken from 6 successive readings was 126/93.  The nurse was excited about the top number but the diastolic is too high.  However, she suggested that by drinking more water every day, that alone may aid in bringing that number to where it should be.  "Done", I told her!  "I can do that!  I can drink more water!".  As she was congratulating me on my success, I must confess that I broke down and cried.  Why?  I can't really say.  Were they tears of elation, relief, anxiety, liberation, fulfillment?  Probably all of the above to some extent or other.  It's been a long journey, the changes of which I am very proud of, but it's not over yet!  I think I was just so happy that the changes I have made actually did make a very tangible difference and that all of this had not been for naught!  As I got up to leave, the nurse gave me a big hug - I didn't know it but that was what I really needed right then, a simple hug!  My next appointment is in 6 months time, just a couple of weeks before I turn 40.  So I have managed to achieve my goal of being 40 before having to take medication!  I've bought myself some more time to continue making positive lifestyle changes!  I walked toward my car a contradiction - very happy, yet as I sat down in the drivers seat, the tears streamed down my face once more.  Passersby could have mistakenly thought I had received bad news from my Doctor, but they would have been so wrong, so very wrong.

Last weeks pep talk I gave to my blood cells on the way to the Lab to get my blood tested seems to have done some good!  "Survival of the fittest here troops!  Those who are healthiest please enter the front-line trenches for extraction".  I have so much more to say, but I'm feeling drained now and need to get my beauty rest, so I'll write more later...And Colin, thank you for being my muse!

St. Trinian's and Vitamins

At long last I have prevailed in my quest to attain the elusive St. Trinian's!!!!  Upon finishing my shift in the school library on Wednesday, I headed to Curves.  During the drive I was contemplating my upcoming appointment with the Diabetic Nurse, conjuring up an arsenal of information to throw at her to prove what I've accomplished thus far.  Anyways, I arrived at my destination, changed into my gym clothes and proceeded to the scale as per my usual routine.  At first I thought there must be some mistake, so I checked again and again and again.  I was utterly gobsmacked with the results!  My weight is down to 138 lbs!!!  I did it! I did it!  I did it!  Proof positive right here folks that you should never give up on your goals but continue to persevere to attain your desired results!  I was so excited and giddy with the results that I texted John and Carla right away with the news and offered to take Carla out to Serendipity to celebrate my success!

And why did these results occur?  I have a sneaky suspicion that I owe some credit, yet again to the highly esteemed avocado!  For dinner the night previous I made "normal" chicken (as requested by Jacob) along with a new recipe (taken from Pinterest) for Brussel Sprout Pomegranate Citrus Salad.  This salad had brussel sprouts, avocado, oranges and pomegranate drizzled with a lovely citrus honey dressing.  It was delicious!  Matthew loved it and even Jakey liked this one!  They didn't even realize they ate raw, thinly sliced brussel sprouts and avocado until I told them after they finished eating it!  Another new thing for them was the pomegranate.  I've had them before but this was the first time I have ever bought a pomegranate - and again I had to consult Google to figure out what to do with the thing!  I was shocked at how many of those little suckers can fit inside one piece of fruit!  It kind of reminded me of corn kernels as they are about the same size - only red and they are on the inside throughout the fruits' membrane. 

While we sat around the kitchen table waiting for Kristen and Jacob to finish eating dinner, I poked through my Looneyspoons cookbook.  After reading a blurb about the quality of vitamins and the suggested experiment to test whether or not your vitamin of choice is really worth taking - I decided to perform the said experiment.  I took one of my Centrum Forte daily vitamins and submerged it in a 1/2 cup of vinegar.  According to the book, if your vitamin is any good for you, it should dissolve within the vinegar in less than one hour.  Luckily for me, my vitamin passed the test and was completely dissolved after an elapsed 22 minutes.



 Taking things one step further, I decided to perform the same experiment on the kids' Flintstones Sour Gummy vitamins.  One sour gummy vitamin was plopped into it's own glass of vinegar - and no surprise here, it was still there an hour later, 4 hours later, and a large blob persisted at the bottom of the glass another 12 hours later when inspected over breakfast this morning!  Sadly kids, Mommy will no longer be purchasing these for you!



John had his annual physical yesterday and I'm trying hard to keep my green-eyed monster at bay over his stellar results.  His blood pressure was very good, his cardio above average, cholesterol levels were awesome and his body fat dropped from 22% down to 17% since last year.  At least he thanked me for the diet!  The only thing wrong with him was a vitamin D deficiency!  Man, that green-eyed monster is fighting to come out!  I had my monthly measurements taken at Curves on Monday and my body fat decreased as well -  so now I've only got 32% body fat which is almost twice as much as Johns' and when you look at it that way, it's rather depressing!  But hey, I've lost 17 lbs!!!  And about 1.5% body fat since last month ...now if I can do that every month for a year, will I get the same result?  I'm too tired to do the math right now but the mere act of looking at that pic of a glass 1/2 full instead of 1/2 empty (even thought it's holding vinegar) provides me with some optimism and hope!

Moving along - let's talk St. Trinian's!

Reading Colin's biography I discovered the rift between him and Rupert Everett - a public feud lasting about 20 years beginning in their debut feature film "Another Country".  Since then, they have worked together on "The Importance of Being Earnest" and the two St. Trinian's films.  After putting the kids to bed Wednesday night I watched my newest prize!  St. Trinian's is wrought with remarkable references to Colin's career, and Rupert's portrayal of Camilla Fritton, Headmistress is a pure doppelganger of Camilla Parker Bowles!  His/Her dog in the film is named Mr. Darcy of all things.  And you have to admire the many films where Colin emerges from pond or water fountain in a wet white shirt showcasing those 'chiseled contours' we know so well!  There was also a reference to "Girl With a Pearl Earring" starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth.  On a field trip to scope out the National Art Gallery in preparing for the heist of Vermeer's famous painting, one of the girls comments, "Wow, you can so see why Colin Firth wanted to shag her!".  I think we can say the same of Colin in one of the final scenes where he is nicely unclad by the window!  If you have not watched this film yet, and intend to do so, I urge you to hang on till the bitter end and listen as the credits roll to Colin and Rupert's rendition of "Love Is In The Air"!  We just finished watching this again as a family movie night pick!  Perhaps the kids and I will watch St. Trinian's 2 tomorrow night when John is out!

Till then Colin - "Another Time, Another Country"!

Pride & Prejudice, Vexations and Calamities

Welcome March!

John and I really enjoyed watching Pride & Prejudice.  In fact the kids, I'm sure, have developed a distaste for our constant mimicking of dear Mrs. Bennett and the vexations taken upon her poor soul!  Now that we have reached the end of the BBC series, I am overcome with extreme sadness!  As much as I enjoyed the series, I still maintain my first love of Mr. Mark Darcy, albeit Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy ardently runs a close second!

It's been a while since I last posted an entry and I've much to relay to you now.  Lately it seems that many around me -family, friends, and my friends' family have been plundered with calamity upon calamity.  There must be something in the air and I just pray that a gust of health storms their way soon!  It's times like these that lead you to appreciate and focus on the positive things surrounding oneself.  So, rather than continue to dwell on my own misfortunes (largely that of the mountain of visceral fat trapped waist-side!) I decided to take action.  Instead of doing my occasional 3-day wheat-free stint, I upped the ante and went wheat-free for 5 1/2 days.  I also worked out at Curves 5 times last week.  Each time I eliminate wheat from my diet, I am amazed at how easy it is, and it continues to get easier each time I do it.  Furthermore,  I was able to dig away more of my weight after a lengthy plateau.  On Tuesday I weighed in at 143.13 lbs, on Wednesday - 142.25 lbs, Thursday - 141.5 lbs, Friday - 141.25 lbs, and Saturday 140.5 lbs.  Today I weighed in and maintained the 140.5 lbs.

After my last entry I tried a new recipe for Red Cabbage Slaw which involved making candied pecans as a topping.  It was delicious and plentiful - we had leftovers for days!

Did you all watch the Oscars this year?  We went to Carla and Steve's to watch it again with Melissa, Glen, Desi and Lori.  Before we left the house, Kristen asked me if Bridget Jones would be at the Oscars.  I told her I didn't think she would be because I couldn't recall her starring in any recent films.  But she was!  I had John call the house to tell Kristen as we saw her walk the red carpet.  I was pleased however, that she was long in bed before Bridget (aka Renee Zellwegger) drunkenly staggered to the podium (an altogether different type of calamity befallen on her) to announce a winner (which she was not coherent enough to do and thus rescued by Queen Latifah!).  Perhaps she had too much to drink, too little to eat to sop it up with, or perhaps she was dizzily suffering a migraine?  Which reminds me of something Carla brought to my attention the other day - when was the last time I had a migraine?  The answer is - I can't remember!  We discussed the possibility that my healthier eating habits and combined exercise may indeed have another perk that remained dormant as my focus lay on other matters.  I used to have migraines on a weekly or biweekly basis and now I realize that aside from a perma headache I had when I began the Colin Firth Diet Club I don't think I've had a migraine or headache for that matter, in the past 5 months!

Another unexpected thing that has resulted from the Colin Firth Diet Club is that John has lost about as much weight as I have!  He started out at about 170 lbs and a few nights ago came downstairs and asked me if our scale was accurate because he just weighed himself at 155 lbs.   That's what I started out at, and it came so much easier for him! My initial reaction was "Oh, the unfairness of it all, how it vexes me, so!"  Yes, I personified Mrs. Bennett for a moment but quickly got over my vexation to applaud John for his support of me and his own overhaul of convictions.  It's been nearly two months now since he's drank a Diet Coke or any soda!  Kudos to you Johnny!

Just as I love delving into a good movie (preferably starring Colin Firth of course!), I also love to delve into a good book.  And when I can combine the two into one - even better!  Two books have done this for me, the first was "To Nottinghill With Love...Actually" by Ali McNamara, and I recently finished reading Mia March's "The Meryl Streep Movie Club".  Upon reading March's book, I envisioned it as it's own movie and casted the roles accordingly.  I felt Colin Firth would be suited to Griffin given his experience with raising two daughter's in "A Summer in Genoa" and his genuine 'nice guy'ness.  Meryl Streep herself would be a dead ringer for Lolly.  Let me just say that I am dire agony awaiting the release of March's next book....called....."Finding Colin Firth"!!!!!!  I believe it will be released this July!

Last week was one of culinary delights!  On Monday I made Use 'Em Up Torta, a recipe I ripped out of a Today's Parent magazine years ago.  It is very aptly named and one the reasons I chose to make this was that I had some spaghetti sauce in the fridge.  The ingredients consist of brown rice, broccoli, spaghetti sauce, cheese and eggs.  Easy peasy!

On Wednesday I made Scallops and Creamy Kale.  Kale was a new item for me and I had never made scallops before either.  Unfortunately I was the only one who liked the scallops and not even Rocket would eat them.  Matthew really enjoyed the Creamy Kale with me though.  I couldn't help but chuckle as I listened to the sound effects of Jake, Kristen and John moaning about having to eat such an atrocious meal!

When I told John I was making scallops for dinner he voiced his refusal to eat them.  I was told to make them on Wednesday night when he wouldn't be home for dinner.  So, I acquiesced and moved the meal from Tuesday's plan to Wednesday.  Unfortunately for him, he found someone else to take his place at a work related dinner (forgetting the intended meal at home) and bam - karma baby!  And he ate them indeed as an attempt to be a good role model for his scallop-fearing children.

The following night instead of our traditional pizza night (remember I was going wheat-free) I made Orange Teriyaki Chicken.  As we sat down to consume the meal, Jacob, out of the blue, told me I was the best Mommy ever!  To which I raised a skeptical eyebrow and asked, "Really?  Even though I made you eat scallops and kale last night?".  He said yes, that he knows it's because I love him and don't want him to get sick and that I want him to live for a long, long time!  Those words just melted this momma's heart!  He's got it!  He might not like everything about it, but he's got the message!  Of course this is the same kid who I discovered in the school office this morning being punished for hiding a girls' boots in the boys washroom!!

On Thursday, to celebrate my good friend Steve's 45th (or being that he's a Leap Year baby - 11.25th) birthday, I tagged along with him and Carla for lunch at Stoney's and gorged on my favourite butternut squash and pear soup and spinach salad loaded with goodness!  I had to give up on the wheat-free for the weekend as I needed to make Steve's birthday cake which of course was made with flour.  We went out to dinner to celebrate again with Steve, Carla, Melissa, Glen, April and Brian.  Those Milners sure know how to celebrate a birthday!

As for my blood pressure - well, this I think can be best summed up as Acute/Chronic White-Coat Syndrome.  You see, my day of reckoning is fast approaching.  My next appointment with the Diabetic Nurse is on March 19th which means I need to get my blood tested next week.  I will bring a photo of when my blood pressure was normal a few weeks ago and just hope that the changes I've made, if not enough to satisfy her in the long run, will be enough to buy me some extra time and allow me to continue what is left of my 30's medication free!

I had hoped to reach my next goal by now, but I am so close!! Half a pound to go!! I'm confident that St. Trinians will be mine when next we meet!  Till then, Colin, "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."