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!!!!

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!"