My Weekend With Colin

  Oh my!  What a story I have to promulgate about my 'Weekend with Colin'!  As you may surmise, I didn't actually spend the entire weekend clung to his flanks, but it was enticing all the same! I have attended the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) before, but this was the first time I actually 'did the red carpet'!  It was so exciting, anticipating the arrival of the snazzy black cars delivering celebrities to the red carpet.  Watching intently to see just who emerged from the car was just as thrilling as the moment you give birth to your child and the doctor announces 'it's a boy' or 'it's a girl'!  In this case we first heard, "It's Nicole!" followed by the ensued uproars of "Colin!".  Yes, I was one of them!  And thus began a weekend experience I won't soon forget!

   The very handsome and debonair (and somewhat slimmer) Colin Firth was a sight to behold!  Women and men alike were fighting for his attention on both sides of the barrier while I managed to get several photos!  Colin's wife Livia, looked gorgeous as ever standing next to her man wearing a gown that meets the Green Carpet Challenge criteria  (http://www.eco-age.com/green-carpet-challenge/).  Once satisfied I captured enough photos, Carla and I hoofed it back into Roy Thompson Hall to find our seats.  We were in the balcony and from our seats we could see Livia and I was so pleased that someone so elegant and slender can mow down on the popcorn just like the rest of us!  You go girl! 

   After the cast of  "The Railway Man" was introduced, they came and sat down in the row ahead of Livia and we were able to steal looks at Colin during the film. "The Railway Man" is based on a true story about Eric Lomax (portrayed by Colin) and his wife Patty (portrayed by Nicole Kidman).  Eric Lomax was a British soldier in WW II who was captured by the Japanese who tortured him and put him to work on the Thailand Death Railway.  It was a very compelling and moving story, even more so when it was announced that the real Patty Lomax was in the audience with us!

   Afterwards, upon retrieving my car and Carla paying the exorbitant parking, we headed home, but not before a surprise sighting of Colin entering the Ritz Carlton hotel!  Next year, we must plan ahead and book a room there!  Carla was flabbergasted that Colin was actually there watching the film with us and we talked the whole way home about the experience.  Kudos to her husband Steve who graciously took care of my two youngest kids (John was flying home from Calgary) and even took them out for dinner!

   It's not often that I get a chance to dress up, so this year I enjoyed donning a dress and heels to attend the festival.  Knowing that on the Sunday I would have a much better chance of getting up close to Colin, I made an extra concerted effort.  I was so worried about not getting to the film on time that we left at 3 pm to head into Toronto.  After a minor map mishap, we managed to get to Roy Thompson Hall to park.  Here's where I must mention the perks of being a VISA Infinite card holder.  On Friday night (after having already parked in the money pit) we learned that VISA Infinite was giving out parking vouchers, cab fare vouchers, water bottles, chocolates, espresso and more!  We told the man at the kiosk that we would be returning on Sunday but the film was at the Elgin Theatre.  He said that was no problem, come and park here at RTH and I'll give you a voucher for a cab to take you to the Elgin!  Sweet!!  So we did just that, which kind of lessened the sick feeling of what we paid on Friday!  The cab dropped us off in front of the Elgin and we proceeded to line up. An attendant asked us if we had tickets for "The Prisoners" which is when we discovered that the film I thought started at 6:30 pm actually began at 9:30 pm.  Oops! But, we discovered the priority line for VISA Infinite members, and a bar across the street!  And take that John!  I was over 5 hours early for something!! LOL!   At Baton Rouge with a glass of Torrentes in hand and a plate of nachos before us, we also had a great vantage point to see when the queue started for "Devil's Knot".

   We secured our spot in the VISA Infinite priority line, then saw an e-Talk car drive by.  Carla and I glanced at each other and mouthed "bitch" at the same time, when Fernando, the man ahead of us turned round and said he didn't hear a thing!  Backtracking again to Friday night, I should inform you of what happened at the red carpet before the stars arrived.  Tanya Kim, host of e-Talk came out to the crowd asking if there were any Colin Firth fans present....umm...yes!  She went over to talk to some older lady with bottle-blond coiffed hair (I wonder if she is the stalker Colin mentions in his biography?).  When Kim started walking away from her, I sequestered her over to where I was standing and showed her the Colin Firth Diet Club sheet that John gave me almost a year ago and explained what it was about and that I was hoping to get Colin to autograph it for me.  (Unfortunately it wasn't the original paper because while I was frantically rummaging through the junk drawer for a suitable Sharpie, I mistakenly scribbled on it with a green one - so I had to run downstairs to the office and print off a new copy).  Anyways, Kim just didn't get it and didn't understand the motivation behind it all - and why would she when she's pencil thin and may never have to worry about Diabetes and heart disease like so many of us!  Sorry if that came off a tad bitter, but...!

   ...But if it wasn't for her, we may not have voiced the expletive we did, and Fernando may not have turned his head and began talking to us, and the amazing events that transpired afterwards may never have happened - so thank you Ms. Kim!  Fernando and his friend Mario, along with 3 other friends:  Jonathan, Dave and Mary Rae really know the ins and outs of TIFF.  They attend about 25-35 films each year during the festival.  I explained the Colin Firth Diet Club to Fernando and discovered he is a fan of 'Wheat Belly' and is currently eating wheat-free.  He asked me to enter my blog address into his phone and we had great conversation.  These men told us the ideal place to situate ourselves in the lounge so we'd be closer to the stairs when they escorted us into the theatre.  We were handed free water bottles, free Lindt caramel chocolates made before our very eyes, free popcorn and a free TIFF canvas bag.  Fernando even managed to get other Lindt flavours because he's so well known in the lounge!  Our new friends even treated Carla and I to a glass of wine!  When time was nearing to go into the theatre, Fernando and Mario told us to sit, relax, and enjoy our wine - that they would save us some seats.  Of course, having just met them we were in awe that they were so willing to help us!  I decided to go back into the lobby and await Colin's arrival.  Having been at this venue to see him last year in "Arthur Newman", I knew my best chance to obtain an autograph would be there.  Meanwhile, Mario instructed Carla to hold on tight to the strap of his bag and not let go while they entered the theatre.  A few minutes after I arrived in the lobby, I received a text from Carla stating "We are fckn front row!".  Our new friends became our guardian angels from above!  Not only did they get enough seats for us, they gave up prime real estate and let us have the two seats front row dead centre!  People kept trying to take my seat while I was in the lobby but Carla and the gang told them all that I was in the lobby doing an interview and would be there shortly.

 

   Things were getting intense in the lobby as Colin inched his way closer to me through the press and  paparazzi.  I held on to my Colin Firth Diet Club sheet with great hopes of acquiring Colin's autograph.  When choosing what to bring for an autograph, I figured this was the most special as it was personally meaningful to me and the best 'gold star' I could achieve for the progress I've made in nearly a year!  I could hardly contain myself when he got near enough that I was able to thrust the paper and Sharpie pen in his hand - and I got it!  He signed the Colin Firth Diet Club!  Now, you are probably asking yourselves - did he look at what he was signing?  Did he know about it?  And sadly he didn't have enough time to take in what he was signing.  I was the first person he gave an autograph to and he proceeded to sign a few others with my pen (actually it was Carla's and she's never getting it back!).  Had you taken my blood pressure at that moment, I think the cuff may have exploded!  I stepped back to let others have a chance and texted Carla "I got it!" which she relayed back to our Guardian Angels who all shouted and jumped with joy at the news!

       

                                    

   "Devil's Knot" was also based on a true story and was rather disturbing as it told the story of 3 young boys murdered in Arkansas.  Colin played the detective who investigated the case.  After the premiere, Atom Egoyan, the Director, along with the cast came up on stage for a Q & A session.  Our Guardian Angels informed me that should I not manage to get Colin's autograph in the lobby I could try after the film.  The cast exits out the stage side door and this is where the cars meet to pick them up.  I didn't need to go as I already secured my autograph, but while Carla went in search of a ladies room, I followed the cast out into the side street.  Colin made a speedy escape but I did see Stephen Moyer and James Hamrick.  James signed my ticket stub and posed for a photo with me.  Then I went to find Carla to fetch my car and reminisce about our good fortune that night!!  The whole evening seemed so surreal and we wonder, Fernando, Mario et al.,   are you real?  Are you really angels sent from above?  We many never meet again...but we will never forget you guys! 

   I went to TIFF the following two nights and saw "Blood Ties" with Melissa (Clive Owen fan!), and "Kill Your Darlings" (with John) and one last time on Thursday to see "The Love Punch" with Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson.  We kept our eyes open for Fernando and Mario but didn't see them - hope we run into each other again at TIFF 2014!  You will be forever known as the Fantastic Five who helped make my wish come to fruition that night!  Thank you!

Today's Post is Brought to You By The Letter "A" and Hippocrates

"Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates    

It's not often that you find a non-fiction tome that grasps you so much that you can't put it down. The Fruit Hunters by Adam Leith Gollner is one such book!   His writing is witty, informative and thought provoking.  I love this paragraph will justly sums up the state of our purchasable perishables, pg.14

"Having commodified nature, we're eating the shrapnel of a worldwide homogeneity bomb.  I've purchased identical apples in Borneo, Brazil, Budapest and Boston.  Many of the fruits we eat were developed to shop well and spend ten days under the withering glow of fluorescent supermarket lights.  The result is Stepford Fruits:  gorgeous replicants that look perfect, feel like silicon implants and taste like tennis balls, mothballs or mealy, juiceless cotton wads."

I was alerted to many new terms such as biophile, agtourism, votary, fructology and more.  Did you know that in medieval times, a woman would ensconce a peeled apple in her armpit immersing the apple with her scent which she then proffered to her man!  Perhaps I'll try this on John and see if there is any merit to it!

John has an unwarranted dislike for rhubarb and insists it is a weed and refuses to eat "weed" pie.  It gave me great pleasure to inform him that I read that rhubarb was legally deemed a fruit in 1947.   The tomato dilemma?  Fruit or veg?  Tomatoes legally became a vegetable in 1893 by US Supreme Court!!  That's your trivia for the day!

The author raves about many ultra exotic fruits, one being the mangosteen.  It just so happens that I found mangosteens in our local grocery store.   Mangosteens have a purplish, maroon  hard outer shell and what resembles a slug is the prize you find inside.  I literally saw a snail or slug in the grass the other day that reminded me of this fruit!  Clearly Adam Leith Gollner has a more extensive palate for appreciating the ultra exotic fruit paradigm!

This book inspired me to not only try new fruits but lit a fire in me to yearn to travel to remote areas to sample the splendor of little known varieties.  Books have a habit of grafting travel concoctions in my mind.  I once read "Northern Exposures" by Eric Walters and proposed a once in a lifetime trip to Churchill, Manitoba to see the polar bears!  My family didn't share my enthusiasm.  "Fruit Hunters" had me dreaming of travelling to the Seychelles to see a coco-de-mer fruit.  I've recently heard about 'fruit porn', but this fruit takes the cake as far as food porn goes!  There is both a female and male plant - disturbingly anatomically correct!  Here's a photo I googled to show you!  See what I mean!!

In addition to reading "Fruit Hunters", I am reading the Reader's Digest compilation "Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal".  This book lists foods alphabetically and informs us of the pros and cons for each entry.  So, I really wish that my kids could have been with me this week while perusing the aisles of the grocery store.  For a chore I once loathed, I've managed to make the experience both challenging and fun!  This week's food itinerary involved purchasing healthy foods beginning with the letter "A".  "A" is for apple, asparagus, amaranth grain, arugula, apple, apricot, asiago cheese, artichoke, acorn squash, agave nectar, almonds (I already had these at home!) and the little known, elusive atemoya!

I read that a mixture of mashed up avocado, jojoba oil and wheat germ oil applied to the scalp does wonders for your hair shafts, so I was even prepared to try this!  However, when my search for these oils was looking destitute, I was able to locate some but the cost was exorbitant!  The jojoba oil was $38.99 and the wheat germ oil was $25.99 and that's before taxes!  Somehow I knew John would totally flip his lid if he found out I spent that much on an "A" experiment so I hung my head low and walked out empty handed!  If anyone knows where I can score a sample of each please let me know (the recipe only requires 1tsp of each!).

Yesterday I began sweetening my coffee with the agave nectar in lieu of cane sugar cubes.  When I returned from a much needed massage, I enjoyed a snack of fresh apricot and a handful of raw almonds.  After the kids got home from school we each tried a bit of the atemoya.  I admit I had to google atemoya to figure out what you are supposed to do with it first.  Good thing  I did too, because otherwise I wouldn't have known that the seeds are in fact toxic.  The outward appearance of the atemoya resembles that of an artichoke.  My google search revealed that the taste of the fruit was reminiscent of pina colada.  I love pina colada so I couldn't wait to try it.  When you open the atemoya, you see that the pulp is white and there are black seeds hidden inside 'pods' that remind me of garlic cloves.  The texture of the pulp looked and felt like a cooked, flaky white fish like tilapia.  The taste didn't live up to my pina colada expectations but it was certainly more appealing than the mangosteen!  For me it tasted more like a naturally sweetened milk - only in more of a solid form. For dinner the kids and I each tried the acai berry juice!

I'm getting anxious about my next appointment.  My latest blood pressure results  were 145/72, 134/81 and 126/73 - not bad.  My anniversary gift from John (new running shirt) was put to good last weekend - and I completed the challenge and did 17 laps of the track.  I ran most of them with walking breaks in between and John supportively ran right beside me!  Now that school in full swing again, the tracks are being utilized for football practice, otherwise I would have continued during the week.  My weight isn't going anywhere unfortunately and the scale is trying to tell me that I've converted more fat into muscle - right???

But never fear, for I will be seeing Colin Firth in the flesh tonight!!!  I scored tickets to see his new film "The Railway Man" at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) tonight and again on Sunday to see "Devil's Knot"!  I think that is the medicine Hippocrates intended for me!!!  I have photos to attach to this post, but will do that later when I have more time - after all, I must prepare and arm myself with a Sharpie to procure an autograph!!!

Finding Colin Firth

     Let me begin by stating that the only thing better than finding Colin Firth standing on your doorstep is finding "Finding Colin Firth" in your mailbox!  A while back, I contacted Mia March who wrote the newly published "Finding Colin Firth" to inquire about pre-ordering a signed copy of the book and her generous response was, "I'll happily send you a signed copy, from one Colin Firth fan to another."  I was overjoyed and anxiously checked my mailbox over the next couple of weeks for it's pending arrival.  Since I was leaving for the cottage on July 10th (the day after the book was released) I was really hoping to bring it along to read on the dock.  Mia messaged me to say that the book was on its way.  Sadly it didn't arrive on time to take to the cottage, however, I didn't manage to get much reading time in anyways.  You can imagine that my excitement for the arrival of the book was intensifying as if it were Colin himself arriving!  Embarrassed as I am to admit it, when it did arrive the next week...I actually went upstairs and put makeup on and primped a bit before coming back downstairs and delving into the package!   My daughter likely thought I was bordering on insanity over such antics but humored me just the same!

 

     It's been awhile now since I last posted an entry, and for several reasons.  This summer has been both relaxing and busy.  I thoroughly enjoyed the time at the cottage with my kids and Rocket, so much so that John and I are considering purchasing a cottage of our own!  Since I made the decision to pass on Scrap Cancer, it has freed up considerable time for me to appreciate my surroundings and those I love.  Now, when I take my blood pressure I can conjure the image and feeling of peace and serenity I had as I took the paddle board (and Rocket) around the two islands on the lake, remember seeing the little family of loons (mom, dad and two babies!). 

     Another reason I haven't posted sooner was that I had regained a couple pounds and was deliberately putting off my weigh-in at Curves.  I seem to have plateaued now and I'm having difficulty meeting my next target.  When I finally had my monthly measurements done on August 1st, my weight was 135.75 lbs.  I even tried going wheat-free and alcohol-free until I lost the weight which I managed to do for 8 1/2 days but without the desired results since it clearly wasn't making a difference.  It was more about staying true to my convictions and following through than anything else, and with several social engagements I surprisingly stuck to it!  On a positive note however, my % of body fat has decreased by .5% (from 31.7 to 31.5).  I maintain therefore, that as it appears I have plateaued for now, that the 1/2% of body fat has transformed into muscle, and I've been told that muscle weighs more than fat!  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

     I've also taken the time to 'smell the roses' so to speak.  A couple of weeks ago, I joined Carla and her daughters at the Royal Botanical Gardens to feed the birds (afterwards we came back to my house and watched Mamma Mia together!).  I was amazed to have a red-winged blackbird land on my outstretched hand and eat the seeds I was holding!  This was something I really wanted to share with my kids so a couple of weeks ago, we went to Lowville park to try to catch crayfish in the creek (the only thing we managed to catch were some dragonflies!) and afterwards we went to RBG.  For a trio of kids who weren't so keen on going in the first place - they changed their tune quickly as we entered the park to find chipmunks and birds galore!  Jake was so thrilled to have a cute little chipmunk eat out of his hand.  Matthew too.  Kristen busied herself as the photographer.  Jake was the only kid brave enough to let the birds eat from his hand and at one point he had about 8 different birds swoop in for a nibble in less than a minute!  We can't wait to go back and do it again!

     So, we've been rather busy this summer between baseball games, soccer, hanging out with friends and family, and all the cake orders I've had.  In addition to all that, my dad's health hasn't been stellar lately, and we've mourned the loss of a family dog - Carla & Steve's dog Reese, who felt just as much a part of our family as theirs :(

     One of the things that sets this summer apart from others past is my garden.  I love having a garden!  Why didn't I have one before?  Who would have thought that one could get such a thrill from going out back to pick fresh herbs to season a meal?  My only regret will be that winter will come and what will I do then?  On Saturday John bought some sausage at the market that he barbecued for lunch and I went to the garden and picked a handful of golden grape tomatoes from the vine to go with it!  A year ago I would have never eaten a tomato on its own like that!  Tomatoes were meant only to be sliced and added to hamburgers or BLT's back then! 

     This summer I've made Shrimp Scampi from the Dash Diet Cookbook with fresh parsley from my garden.  The shrimp was topped onto some linguini noodles to which I added some fresh lemon balm from my garden.  I forgot to plan a vegetable to go with it so I sliced up a cucumber (from my garden) and splashed some balsamic vinegar and added some fresh cut mint from my garden - Delicioso!!

     I have the best market basket!  I actually bought it as a wedding gift for someone once and decided to keep it for myself!  All of my market treasures fit perfectly in my basket and my kids enjoy going with me.  My favourite thing to purchase at the market, and there is a very small 2 week window in July when they are available, are black raspberries (what I like to refer to as fruit caviar!).  They taste great with oatmeal or Shreddies for breakfast.   Kristen pleased me by suggesting we make a fruit salad together with the berries and other fruits - yummy! 

 

 

     In mid September I have another follow-up appointment with the Diabetic Nurse, and although my blood pressure seems to have sorted itself out, I'm concerned about my cholesterol.  I've read that avocado helps decrease cholesterol levels so I'm going to make a concerted effort to consume more avocado from now on - hopefully I can convince them to give me more time to further reduce these numbers!  And since John bought me a new running shirt for our 17th anniversary this weekend with the implication he wanted me to run 17 laps of the track (perhaps not the most romantic gift -and one step up from the 3-hole punch I once got for Valentine's day from an ex-boyfriend, but it was with good intentions!) - I'm hoping to work towards that and finally earn my next movie!!!

     If you haven't read Mia's book and you love Colin Firth as much as I do - what are you waiting for?  Finding Colin Firth is a delight and a great beach or poolside read!

Happy Anniversary John - my own Mr. Darcy!!! xoxo

Who the Fig am I? and Making a Purple Stew

Another month, another photo of Colin to admire while I work!  I've had cake orders flying through here left, right and centre for the past few weeks - the good news is that I've reacquainted myself with Colin serenading me with his rendition of "Our Last Summer"!  It's become my baking jam - Carla can attest to that as she's walked in many a time while the Mamma Mia soundtrack is playing amidst cake chaos in the kitchen!  Not only does the music make me feel happy, but I find myself dancing away to it while I'm working, therefore, calories are being burned!

As mentioned in my last entry, I thought perhaps, that my lull in progress could be somewhat attributed to the lack of Colin Firth infusion into my daily rituals.  So, to get back on track, on top of listening to the Mamma Mia soundtrack, I invited Carla and her daughters to come over and watch Bridget Jones's Diary with Kristen and I.  It was girl night!  We had Coke, chips, and wine (for Carla and I!).  Soon, we'll have to do it again and watch the sequel together!

My weight has been teetering back and forth a bit lately, but when I weighed myself in at Curves this morning I was thrilled to see that I am back down to 135.75 lbs again!!!  And while I wish I could have lost all this weight before my high school 20th reunion last summer, I was ecstatic that I was able to lose a good chunk of it before dancing with my son at his Grade 8 Graduation!  He's such a cool dude!

Last week I went out for dinner to an Italian restaurant with my friend Michelle!  It was delicious as always and we each ordered a tartufo for dessert (which was perfect, and thank goodness they ran out of cheesecake!).  On Friday night, nine of us went to Sakai for dinner to celebrate John's 41st birthday.  You may remember my dislike of this restaurant from a previous blog entry - I don't care for sushi!  However, I capitulated under the premise that I would enjoy a salad, steamed rice and mango ice cream for the goodwill of the group.  I begged of John in the car on the way to the restaurant "Don't try forcing your dragon on me!" which elicited laughter in some dirty minds!!  I, of course, was referring to the sushi dishes called Green Dragon, or Red Dragon....whatever other dragons they serve!  Well, I surprised even myself by foraying out of the box and trying something altogether different.  My entree was a Korean dish called Dol Shot Bee Bim Bap - a mixture of rice, beef, veggies and a fried egg set in a heated stone bowl that continues cooking the meal while it's front of you.  Thanks Lori for the suggestion!  It was certainly more exotic that what I was planning to order!
Over the past couple of weeks, I've made a few new meals.  The first was one taken from an Atkins summer recipe magazine published a few years back for Pork Tenderloin Plum Salad with Couscous.  This was my first time making couscous and it was pretty good.  I think it would have been better if I'd used a sweeter plum instead of the slightly sour and tart one I added.  The basil was fresh from the garden!!!

On Saturday night, while the men were off playing poker, Carla invited us girls over for wine and appetizers in the backyard.  Our friend Sara made this amazing appetizer with Brie, fig and a pecan atop crostini and drizzled with a pomegranate reduction!  Oh my heavens, it was to die for!!!  I also gorged on some Gruyere and fig butter!  Hmmm...I've come to the realization that the fig is completely UNDERrated!!  Bring on the Fig Revolution!!

Since the shops were all closed on Monday for Canada Day, we had a quiet day at home and decided to make a fire and roast marshmallows in the backyard!  On Tuesday, I was anxious to get to the garden centre to see what was still available to fill up some space in my garden.  I bought a hanging strawberry plant, a strawberry plant for the ground, mint, and lemon balm.  My green peppers and tomatoes are doing nicely and the cucumber and watermelon vines are growing quite rapidly!  I love my little garden, and I get so much pleasure out of watching things grow and cooking with them!!!

For dinner on Tuesday I made Chicken Spiedini (www.whatsgabycooking.com).  I found the recipe on Pinterest.  The pasta was delicious with the fresh Roma tomatoes and the kids all loved the chicken skewers!  Note the sprig of fresh parsley picked from my garden!

A couple of weeks ago, I bought some purple carrots at Fortino's not sure what to do with them, as they lingered under my neglect for a week or so before I had to add them to the compost.  I had good intentions, really I did.  But, in the end, those few purple carrots reminded me of a childhood song that I couldn't get out of my mind, and hence inspired a desire in me to ....drum roll please...

Making a purple stew, whip whip, whip whip,
Making a purple stew-bee-doo-bee-doo-bee-doo,
With purple potatoes
And purple tomatoes
And even a purple YOU!

Yes, it became my mission to create my very own, for real, purple stew!!  So when I went grocery shopping this week, I foraged around for any and all purple vegetables I could find at my disposal!  I found purple kale, purple onion, shallot, baby eggplant, purple asparagus, radicchio, purple cabbage, and beets.  Alas, they no longer had any purple carrots, and I couldn't find any purple potatoes or tomatoes.  Yesterday I took the kids with me to the farmers market and told them to keep their eyes out for any purple vegetables that we could throw into tonights' purple stew!  I'm pretty sure I heard some purple 'ewwws' upon my request!  While my boys were trying to hide certain items from my view, Kristen was pleased to have found something purple, not to mention alien-like.  I had to ask the farmer what this item was and was told it was kohlrabi.  OK, we'll give it a go.  Not sure what it was or what I was supposed to do with it, it was nonetheless destined for my big pot.  I also purchased some purple potatoes!!!  When we arrived home, I was eager to display my purple finds and take a purple photo.  Here's my purple stew ingredients:

I knew that if I expected my kids to eat this I'd have to add some meat, so first things first, I browned up some extra lean ground beef with a generous sprinkling of Worcestershire sauce and added it to the pot.

Next, I sliced and diced the purple (red) onion and shallot which I sauteed with a little olive oil till nicely browned and added it to the pot with the meat.  I added 2 cups of vegetable stock and 4 cups of water to the pot as well.

Then I peeled and diced the beets and purple potatoes and added them to the pot.   I removed the alien-like leaves sprouting from the kohlrabi and diced the bulb and then added it to the pot as well.  See, the potatoes really are purple!  All the way through!

My next ingredient to tackle was the radicchio, which I was told was rather bitter (and I remember this from using it the first time in a salad).  I decided to try something I saw once on TV and caramelize it!  The sliced radicchio was added to the frying pan with another drizzle of olive oil and sauteed for a bit before I added 2 heaping Tbsp of brown sugar.  This did the trick, and I pretty much thought of it myself!!  It was so good that I may make radicchio on its own like this!

I've never had asparagus in a soup or stew before, but it was purple asparagus and had to be included.  I dug out the recipe I used for roasted asparagus a few months back and made a mixture consisting of 2 Tbsp of olive oil and I Tbsp of balsamic vinegar.  I then brushed the mixture over the asparagus and very lightly (2-3 turns of my salt mill) added some salt.  Next, I diced up the 3 baby eggplants and threw them on top of the asparagus before roasting in the oven at 400F for about 17 minutes.  When they were done I cut up the asparagus into smaller pieces and added them to the pot along with the eggplant.

Last but not least, I steamed the purple kale before adding it to the pot.

I then ran out to the garden to pick some fresh parsley and basil and added it for extra flavour...and voila!  I present to you, my Purple Stew!

The Purple Stew simmered for another hour before serving.  My kids came in to have a look and told me it looked like compost!  And to their credit, the parts of the veggies that ended up in the compost did have a striking resemblance to that which was in the pot - but I can assure you it wouldn't have tasted as good!

That's a whole lot of goodness in there, and they ate every bite (some had to be coerced more than others but I was able to entice them with the promise that after eating Purple Stew, chances are..you'll end up with a Purple Poo! - yes, it was Jacob who needed some extra coaxing to finish!).  I suddenly want to go upstairs and read Kristen's book, Mable Murple's Purple World!

So, I'm back down to 135.75 lbs, I'm more excited than ever about food and further inspired to try to get down to 130 lbs by the end of summer!  After all, it's been awhile since I've earned a new movie reward! When I look back to where I was last summer I have to wonder who I am, who I have become since then.  I've tried so many new foods!  I love figs!  Who would have thought!  I love cooking!  I used to procrastinate making dinner, hoping that John would take the reins when he got home from work so I wouldn't have to, or order in for us.  Last night I made up my own recipe and loved it!  Who am I?  One thing I can tell you, is I am a much happier person.  I am also a much thinner and healthier person, and I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of peach season in August. 

Here's a heads up to my fellow Firth Fans - next week Mia March's new book "Finding Colin Firth" will be released!  Pick up a copy and let me know what you think of it!!  I can't wait to read it myself!

Goodnight Colin -and purple dreams to you!

Defying the Odds Bravely

     Forgive me readers, it has been one month to the day since my last confession (entry).  I survived my first cruising experience despite the seasickness and looking forward to our next adventure!  Coincidentally, Colin ended up joining us on our vacation!  During the flight to Barcelona, I selected "Nanny MacPhee" to view and listen to Colin's voice as Mr. Brown lull me to sleep as we crossed the Atlantic (how romantic!!).  There was a cinema on the ship, and on the eve of arriving in Greece they aired "Mamma Mia" which elevated the anticipation even further!  We also watched it on the TV in our room one night.  And finally, on the flight home - the icing on the cake - I watched the charming Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones!  I titled this entry Defying the Odds -  why you may ask?  Because I actually defied the odds and lost weight over the 2 week cruise!  You'll remember that I weighed in at 138 lbs right before we left on the trip - well, the morning after we returned, I went to Curves and weighed in at 135.75 lbs!!  And I certainly didn't deny myself any wine or desserts either!  John and I did however manage to run laps on the upper deck of the ship a few times - and also did a lot of walking on port days.  It was a dream vacation, and all the beautiful sights we saw seem so surreal now - Pisa, Rome, Athens, Ephesus, Santorini, Amalfi, Pompeii and Barcelona!  If I didn't already have the travel bug, I certainly do now!  We were supposed to port in Villefranche but the waters were too rough.  If we had been able to port, one of the excursion choices available went to Cannes, and the Cannes Film Festival was taking place at the time.  Can you guess where my mind drifted off at the mention of that?  Immediately I wondered if Colin Firth would be there and how wonderful it would be to run into him in France!  This time I would definitely come prepared with a pen for his autograph!  But alas, it was not to be, and upon our return I looked into it and found that Colin was indeed in Cannes for the festival but not at the time we would have been there - which is almost a relief!

So, now we are home and back to reality and I must also confess that defying the odds was short lived.  Last week when I had my monthly measurements taken at Curves I was back up to 137.5 lbs.  What can I say?  I've been pretty stressed out since we got home - trying to get on top of the yard work, house work, garden, cake orders and attending the kids' concerts and volunteering - I feel like I haven't had a moments rest since we got home!  Last week I heard some bad news from my cousin and was devastated - so I called Carla and asked if she wanted to go to Serendipity for lunch (my other weakness, after Colin Firth!) and devoured scones and tea.  I made an early dinner of salmon and beets because I had a meeting at 4 pm and then had to rush home to take Kristen to Irish Dancing and drop Matthew off to umpire a baseball game and Carla and I were going to see our friends' daughter star as Anne in the Anne of Green Gables musical out of town.  Normally we would have gone out for dinner first but we didn't have time between carting my kids around so we went to a convenience store and bought Doritos and Cheetos to tide us over.  Bad, bad, bad!  Those carbs blossomed into a relentless tailspin leading us to crave more carb rich foods.   Luckily, I think we've straightened things out again now and I hope to report more promising results in my next blog entry!

Before we left on our cruise, I planted some vegetables and herbs in the garden - watermelon, cucumber, red peppers, green peppers, beans, chives, parsley and kale.  The night after we got home, I made Shepherd's Pie for dinner and went out into the rain and picked parsley from my own garden - it was so thrilling for me to use something fresh my garden!!  Last week I made my homemade chicken burgers for dinner and picked fresh chives!  This past weekend, John removed some hydrangeas from the backyard so that I can expand the garden and I'm looking forward to planting more food!!!

One of my favourite meals I had while on the cruise was linguini with pancetta and fresh peas and I was dying to try to recreate it!  I cooked about 1/2 a package of linguini pasta, sauteed some shallots and garlic,  then cooked the pancetta.  Then I added some chicken stock and cream to the pan as well as some Parmesan cheese and let it thicken a bit before adding the cooked pasta.  I then added fresh peas and cooked for another 2 minutes!  It was just as good, if not better than the one I had on the ship!

Since it was Father's Day this weekend, I invited my dad for dinner on Saturday and made that Bruschetta Chicken Bake I've made before.  I paired it with a recipe from Massimo Capra's "One Pot Italian Cooking" book (I received a signed copy when I met him a few years ago - but until now had never made anything from it).  The recipe was Cavoletti alle Pancetta e Mandorle (he's Italian of course, just as Mrs. Livia Firth!) also known as Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Almonds.  I had always thought my dad liked brussels sprouts because he's the one who fed them to me as a child - apparently he grew out of them and never told me.  However, he said he loved them made like this!  In fact they were so good that I had a second helping myself!

Steve, I think you would even like them like this!  I hope all you dads had a great Father's Day on Sunday!  Jake made John a healthy breakfast to start his day!

OK, now here's a moment of truth - I donned a bikini in public for probably the first time in my life while on the cruise.  When John first saw me in it he commented, "Wow, that's brave!" which he claims was meant as a compliment but to my ears sounded more like, "I can't believe you are seriously wearing that!" and made me feel even more self conscious than I already was.  Well, if he thought that was brave, I'm about to step it up a notch and post a photo of me avec bikini in this blog entry that is visible to one and all around the world!  This is one photo I didn't add to my Facebook album.  Here it is folks - avert your eyes if you so wish.....



A few days later (after having returned to the safety of a traditional one-piece) I pointed out to John all the much heavier and obese women on the ship who shamelessly donned bikinis and said that if they can pull it off, then why can't I?  He told me that I was right, that I've worked hard and absolutely I should wear the bikini - and that is when this photo was taken!

So, now I need to regain my focus and get back to where I was and hopefully lose a few more lbs.  I feel somewhat deprived of my muse since I've returned which may indeed have taken part in the gaining of a couple of lbs. - well that, and the scones of course!  This weekend certainly calls for a Colin Firth flick and in the meantime I shall listen furtively to my Mamma Mia soundtrack and swoon over Colin singing, "I can still recall..our last summer.." and remember how far I've come since last summer and not get so down on myself when the scale dips a little in the wrong direction!

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!!!!