Serenity at 40

     Well, it's official.  I'm 40 now.  Turning 40 has been bittersweet.  The sweet was really sweet, and the bitter, bitter.  A month or so ago I had my follow-up appointment with the Diabetic Nurse, whom I've nicknamed "The Executioner".  While my weight and girth had decreased since my last visit, and my blood sugars were optimal, my cholesterol and blood pressure were still too high.  Six months ago I received her praise for managing to bring my cholesterol levels down from 4.55 to 3.29, but it had gone back up to 3.43.  My blood pressure that day was higher than 6 months ago.  Last time she told me that drinking more water could bring the diastolic number down which seemed to have worked, only the day of my appointment I felt somewhat dehydrated - not to mention super nervous about the results that were to be bestowed upon me.   I even backed up with photographic evidence great blood pressure readings taken at the pharmacy.  Then end result was she booked me in for a months time to reevaluate my blood pressure and if not improved she will put me on medication.  When asked about why my cholesterol spiked a bit, the only answer I could fathom was the increased consumption of cheese (with fig butter - my new fave!) poolside during the summer.  There may also have been an element of invincibility rewarding myself for having done so well bringing the numbers down initially.  So I've been given a month to improve blood pressure and another 6 months to reevaluate the cholesterol issue.  She thinks that I may have succeeded in doing all that I can to bring my numbers down and that the rest I can't do anything about - it's simply genetics - it's in my DNA.

I left the office feeling defeated, deflated and depressed.  Six months earlier I left that office in tears, but they were tears of joy and pride that I was able to make a difference and improve my situation.  That day, I once more left the office in tears, because I hadn't done enough and it looks like I will need to take medications after all.  While I sat weeping in the car, I confess that all I could think of was wanting to inhale a gooey donut or cupcake - what difference would it make now anyways, right?  I called John and he set me straight, reminding me of all the progress I've made and that I did manage to fulfill my wish set out at the beginning of this.  It was my hope that I could at least hit 40 without having to take such medications, and at that point it was only a couple of weeks away and that wish would come true.

On a positive note, I realized how lucky I am to have such wonderful friends and family who genuinely care about me.  They lifted me up when I was down.  Carla and Steve along with John, hosted a grand surprise 40th birthday party for me a couple of weeks before my birthday.  It was so much fun and they really did surprise me - which is funny, because I thought they were up to something and then they threw me off the scent the day of and still managed to surprise me!

My birthday just seemed to get better as my daughter Kristen and I boarded a flight to Dublin, Ireland!  Dublin is my absolute favourite place to be, and where I wanted more than anything to celebrate the big 4-0 milestone!  This was Kristen's first time in Ireland and my 6th.  We had the best time!  I've been so many times and yet there is still so much I want to see that I haven't yet -and that's just in Dublin!!  Those of you who know me well know that in addition to being a Colin Firth fan, I am also a huge U2 fan!  I showed Kristen all the famous U2 landmarks - we even went to Bono's house!  We met the most extraordinary gentleman on the beach behind the house.  He was collecting what looked like seaweed from the shore.  We went over to talk to him and asked what he was gathering.  His name is John McKenna, a famous jeweller and sculptor (Frank Sinatra, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev all had pieces of his work).  He's very knowledgeable about the history of Dublin and the Vikings (we got quite the history lesson that's for sure!).  Anyways, the stuff he was gathering was called dulse.  McKenna has been ill for a couple of years and he uses the dulse to improve his health.  Dulse, it turns out is very good for you.  It's loaded with vitamins and minerals, fibre and protein.  It helps heal the digestive system and liver and cleanses the body; increases metabolism; and is high in iodine which is beneficial for the thyroid.  He helped us collect some and I brought some home with me to try out someday!  I'll let you know how it turns out!

Other highlights of the trip were meeting the cast of Mrs. Brown's Boys!!!  Totally unplanned and we definitely had the luck of the Irish behind us!!  If you haven't seen this show I highly recommend it-it'll have you stitches it's so funny!

 Lastly, my birthday gift to myself, was a photo shoot with Peter Rowen (remember the boy on the cover of U2's War album?  That's him!)  His work is superb and Kristen and I both enjoyed meeting him!

 

While we were in Ireland, I called home on the Saturday and found out that my dad had had a heart attack and was in a coma.  Kristen and I were traipsing all over Dublin making wonderful memories while my dad lay immobilized on a hospital bed.  When John and the boys picked us up at the airport we drove directly to the hospital in Woodstock.  By this time, Dad was out of the coma and awaiting more tests.  All my worries about having to take medication for blood pressure and/or cholesterol ended when I saw my dad lying there with tubes attached in various places!  A couple of weeks ago, he underwent a quadruple bypass surgery and I'm happy to report that he is now home after spending 32 days in hospital.  He was given another chance and a new lease on life and will be making some lifestyle changes so he can be with us even longer!!!  Some of us aren't that lucky!

My eating habits have been less than stellar as I tried to get down to visit my dad every other day or so (he's an hour's drive away) after work.  Everywhere you turn there is a Tim Horton's in Canada and almost every visit I would stop for a French Vanilla Cappuccino and a doughnut - not the best foods to consume on the Colin Firth Diet!!  Or any diet for that matter!  Luckily, although my weight has gone up a bit, I have not gone over the 140 lb ceiling!  I tried a couple new recipes you may want to try.  The first is Summery Quinoa Pilaf from the Flat Belly Diet Cookbook by Liz Vacciariello.  OK, so it's no longer summer, but it still felt like it when I made this dish!  It was light and refreshing!

The other recipe was Mediterranean-Style Turkey Scaloppini (omitting the olives!!) from a pamphlet I received in the mail from Ontario Turkey.  The topping was delicious and I even used the left overs to put on top of nachos for a healthy snack the next day!! 

Last week I had that one month blood pressure check-up.  I walked in telling the nurse (Executioner) that it was going to be high and told her about dad's heart attack/surgery and the other stress I was under.  Turns out it wasn't so bad!  My blood pressure was 130/88.  She's still concerned about the bottom number and I have to go back in a couple of weeks to check it again.  And now I feel like a blubbering fool, because again I started sobbing during the appointment.  She told me that my dad was going to be OK, that he would be even better now than he was before and I believe her.  I came to realize that she is not the Executioner - only I can be the Executioner of my own fate.  Rather, she is more of a Pacifier - as she listened to me cry, gave me a sincere hug and left me with a feeling of peace and hope of better things to come!

Yesterday after a long hiatus of monthly measurements at Curves (I was hoping to get my weight down lower than the last record), I realized that I needed to just bite the bullet and be honest with myself and others about what's going on.  So, the gist of it is that I am currently 138 lbs.  There I've said it.  Now this could be due to the Timmies but also due to the fact that I took on a temporary job for a month, and after much deliberation decided to take on Scrap Cancer again -so I was unable to find the time to get to Curves.  Yes, I broke the habit for the month of October after a full year of making at least 3 visits per week.  One day I dropped my keys and my Curves tag broke in half.  I think it was a sign that I had broken a healthy habit.  I taped the tag back together, and after another couple of weeks of missing the gym, I noticed the half had fallen off again.  OK, now this really was a sign!  And I verbally replied to the remains of said tag, "I know, I know, I know - I need to get back to Curves!!!  I haven't forgotten!".  Moral of the story is, I am back on track again!! 

Remember my earlier post about the serenity I felt while paddle boarding around the lake at the cottage this summer?  Well, now I can experience that more often (weather pending!) as when I came home from seeing my dad in the hospital the night we came home from Ireland, there was my very own paddle board waiting for me - a gift from all my family!

While all these events were going on I came across the Serenity Prayer in a book I was reading and it really struck home.  There are things I can change such as my weight, blood pressure (to an extent), exercise and eating habits, enjoying more Colin Firth flicks etc., etc..  But there are things I cannot change, namely genetics - my DNA, and unfortunately my genetics have me predisposed to heart disease and diabetes.  That being said, I am even more determined to fight this so my kids learn what a healthy lifestyle is and reduce their risk for heart attack and disease!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some Colin Firth to catch up on!!!  I think a little, "When Did You Last See Your Father?" is in order for this evening!

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!