Diet is NOT a Christmas Word

Every day on my way to work I pass by a Tim Horton's.  I've noticed a sign advertising a new seasonal promotion but can't quite make out the phrasing.  So today I looked up the slogan online.  "There's Snowplace like Tims"  Cute.  Then I saw some of their holiday items...

Gingerbread Oat Latte 280 calories.

Candy Cane Hot Chocolate 390 calories

Gingerbread Chocolate Dream Donut 480 calories.

Holy smokes Batman.

Don't get me wrong - they look amazing, and you know what?  If you want one, then go for it.

It's coming on December, and this is the season where we are once again gathering and celebrating together.  There may be some pressure to look better than you have in a while.  I mean, during the whole pandemic some of us got a little loosy goosy with our dress codes.  Is Christmas really the time to decide to go on a diet?

No.  Absolutely not.  I am giving you permission to let yourself off the hook this holiday. 

This is the time of year where we bake all the cookies and family favourites and yes, I'm the weirdo scoping out all the shops for the best mince pies and while we are on that subject, why doesn't fruitcake have marzipan on it anymore?  Anyhow, when we're doing and making these things, why on earth would we tell ourselves we shouldn't have one or two?  We love them so much we only have them once a year?

Just because I'm giving myself permission and you as well, doesn't mean we can go hog wild and eat the box of chocolates stashed on the top shelf of the pantry which your husband probably doesn't know about.  What I am saying is that when we associate so many happy memories with food and especially Christmas food why would we not only restrict ourselves but make ourselves feel guilt over it.  The diet industry makes a load of money by telling us we should feel guilty over food, punish ourselves and that we should make resolutions and join whatever fad is happening.  Don't give them that power.

Me, taken December 2019

In case you don't know, and I'm assuming many do not, during the pandemic and summer of 2020 I decided to better myself.  I started with the app MyFitnessPal and recorded all my food choices in an effort to be healthier.  Within a month I'd lost 15 pounds.  When I realized what I was doing was working I wanted to make life long manageable changes, but I also knew that if I told myself I could never eat another cookie or brownie or whatever again then there was no point.  So, I gave myself permission to have those things but only if I stuck to the recommended servings.  So almost every evening since then I've had tea and 2 cookies.  Guess what?  I'm satisfied with those 2 cookies.  To date I've lost just under 90 pounds.

Me, taken November 28 2022

I'm not saying that works for everyone because it doesn't.  Boundaries are also important during this holiday season.  You stuffing yourself with your families cooking doesn't mean you love that family member more or less.  It's okay to say no, thank you.  We joke around about wearing our stretchy pants to Christmas dinner but it's so uncomfortable and many like me end up with bloated stomach aches afterwards too.  I once said something to the effect of, "yes I can let my pants out, but I can't let my stomach out" Everything in moderation but knowing when enough is enough is important too.

So don't start the diet now.  Remove that word from your life.  Who needs that negativity?  Spend the holidays making happy memories and by golly eat the donut and don't give it a second thought. 

Advent Calendars Galore

Advent Calendars aren't something I remember having growing up.  That's not to say they didn't exist, but I only recall the chocolate ones and I don't think I ever had one as a youngster.  Over the last several years, countdown and advent calendars have definitely evolved from the chug all the chocolate on December first type.  You can have an advent calendar of every type these days.  I have jumped in with both feet over the last couple of years and 2022 is no exception.

The gateway calendar is a chocolate countdown.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with picking up the regular chocolate calendar from your local Walmart.  Pretty much every chocolate company makes one.  I even saw one priced for $1.99 at the Shoppers Drug Mart.  I'm sure they're all completely enjoyable.  It seems, although I don't know from experience, that the Lindt calendars which I've seen at Costco seem to be one that many enjoy.  There really isn't bad chocolate is there?  

If you are a tea drinker like I've become then you'll know that one of the most adored calendars is produced from David's Tea.  The first one I purchased was lovely and I really looked forward to having a special cup every evening.  Customers ooh and ah over the designs every year and this countdown is one of the few which will give more than 1 cup of tea behind every door.  This worked nicely for me if I enjoyed a particular flavour more because then I got to have extra cups.  Lot's of calendars will provide one tea bag behind every numbered door.  You may want to take that into consideration when purchasing.  You want the most bang for the buck right!  

Another sought after tea advent calendar is from Bird & Blend which is a tea retailer in England.  I've been fortunate enough to have had this one the last couple of years.  Their flavours are unique and really great.  The big consideration with ordering with them is the shipping and handling and let's face it...we've all tightened our purse strings a little so while I LOVE this company whole heartedly, I have not purchased this one for 2022.  What they provide that's a one-of-a-kind experience is a message board dedicated to their calendars and sharing with other tea drinkers.

So what did I buy this year?  

I purchased 3 advent countdown to Christmas calendars.

Actually 4...but one isn't for me.

I purchased a tea advent calendar from Tea At The White House which despite its name is a Canadian tea company.  This is a company in Ontario and when surfing their website, I'd compare them to the British Bird & Blend.  They boast flavours like Sticky Toffee Pudding and Royal Chocolate Biscuit Cake.  How could you possibly not want to test your taste buds with those?!  This was very affordable and easily ordered.  Each day consists of one tea bag and it's a mixture of non-caffeinated and caffeinated.  I just wish I had also ordered their scone mix as well...

...I wish I had the scone mix because I also ordered the Bonne Maman calendar.  I saw this one all over social media last year.  It is a little tricky to get in Canada, but I was alerted by Youtuber Tea With Jann that it could be ordered from Papa Jack Popcorn.  Bonne Mamman makes one of the best strawberry jams I've ever had and so much so I've gotten other family members hooked on it.  They make a HUGE array of flavours.  So, for the month of December, breakfasts will consist of toast and jam, English muffins and jam, crumpets and jam...you get the idea.

The most expensive advent calendar I spoiled myself with is from The Body Shop.  As I said, literally everyone is coming out with these little gems, but the Body Shop countdown is anything but little.  I stumbled upon it back in early September when visiting the store for some hand lotion.  Not only was it on promo for its release but I was able to apply some loyalty coupons to the purchase and voila!  It came home with me.  The Body Shop has two calendars and the one I liberated was the lesser priced of the two.  I've opened it and looked at the numbered boxes several times and I cannot wait to dive in on December 1st.  I'm assuming the products are perhaps travel sized, but we have to wait and find out.  I only dream of how luxurious the higher priced version must be!

The advent calendar which I purchased for someone else aka Hubby was a cheese calendar.  Hey, I said they make them these days for everyone.  It was already on my radar when I stumbled upon it in the deli section of my local Co-Op Marketplace.  It must be refrigerated and is hidden in the bottom of our fridge so the mouse in the house doesn't decide to imbibe early.  I also suspect I won't get many samples nor photos to share here or anywhere else.  That being said, I will try to post a review in some form or fashion upon its completion.

So those are the advent countdown calendars hidden away in my house.  Which one are you getting this year?  Is this something your family participates in?  

I'd like to give an honourable mention to a calendar I had last year which I thoroughly enjoyed was a Keurig coffee countdown which I purchased from a fantastic store called Ecs Coffee.  I completely would have purchased it this year as well, but believe it or not, I did show some restraint with the boxes I did buy.  We can't have them all!  If you have a coffee lover in your life, by all means check this one out!

Every holiday season, I share mostly on Instagram what I've enjoyed each day so you can check that out when the time comes.  I'm thinking of also writing blogs for my favourite of the week here as well.  Regardless, how excited are you to dive into the holiday festivities!  I know I can hardly wait.

Out There

When I was a kid I saw the movie I Wanna Hold Your Hand.  It was on one of our then called Super Channels which was a 24 hour movie channel.  I've never watched the movie since but I remember how it showed the hysteria of the culture surrounding the Beatles and their fans.

When I was in junior high school I went through a whole 50's and 60's phase.  I made mixed tapes [remember those?] of music from that time period.  I borrowed records from the library and recorded them onto cassette tape.  I borrowed all the Beatles greatest hits albums and transferred them to cassette tape.  This was also around the time Duran Duran hit it big and I quickly transferred my obsession to them and the new British Invasion.

In a million years I would have never thought I'd ever have a chance to see someone of the calibre of Paul McCartney in concert anywhere near my home.  People like that only toured in the US and maybe had one or two concert dates in Canada.

As a piano "mackdaddy", I've taught many students to play Let it Be, Hey Jude, and Yesterday.  I've felt it is my duty as a music teacher to educate the up and coming about relative music.  I teach the songs and I try to teach the story behind it.

In 2012, I went to New York and saw the building John Lennon was killed in front of.  I walked through Central Park which contains Strawberry Fields and a memorial to John Lennon.

This year.  I got to go to Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan for an evening of magic with 40,000 other people.  I saw Sir Paul McCartney in concert for the final night of the North American Out There tour.

It was EPIC.

We drove into Regina about 4pm and checked into the Days Inn which has the highest beds of all time.  Seriously, when I stood beside the bed, it was hip high.  We couldn't find a restaurant so we had to get a quick and untastey burger at McDonald's before we lined up for the shuttle buses to the stadium.  We were there at what we thought was early.  Within a very short period of time the line traveled around the entire parking lot.  The buses could only take 45 people at a time.  There weren't enough buses.  Some people were opting to drive instead but the city strongly urged people to take the SGI sponsored shuttles instead.  So we stuck with the shuttles.

That wasn't the worst of it.

When we got to the block before the stadium there were streets blocked off with police everywhere.  The line up for the gate to our seating was a city block long.  The signage inside the stadium was poor.  It was hot and we had been standing forever.  Bottled water was $4.  So finally we found our seats and settled in.  I use the word 'seat' generously because it was a bench basically.  The guy on the isle got the worst of it by only  half perching on the seat.

Because it was taking such an enormous amount of time for fans to get there the concert did not start on time.  It started an hour after it's supposed initial start time of 8pm.  But something was happening and does tend to happen when 40,000 people are in a stadium together and the sun is setting making the moon [and I'm not talking about Jon Cornish here] over Mosaic a magical place. 

 

A spontaneous wave broke out.  Have you ever seen that amount of people participating in the wave?  I bet we set a record.

Finally, Paul appeared on stage and from there on out.....it was purely 3 hours of legendary music spanning 50 years.  We heard tributes to Lennon and Harrison.  We heard songs dedicated to two of his wives.  We heard stories of recordings and playing with Jimmy Hendrix and it was all incredible.  At one point he took a certain section of the stage to himself.  It was himself and his guitar, which he played about 5 different types.  McCartney talked about telling people how much you love them while you have the chance and how he didn't with John Lennon.  Then he sang a song about him and the stage began to rise up while water falls emerge on the screens below.  Paul wiped away a tear when he was done.

At another point in the concert, he took to his piano to sing Let it Be.  I've heard it billions of times.  This was the most emotional time I've ever experienced it as the entire stadium lit up with lighters and cell phones.  Again, Paul was clearly moved by the outpouring of emotion from the crowd.

The most mind blowing part of the concert was the rendition of Live and Let Die.  I can't even hardly explain the jaw dropping excitement as flames were shot off the stage and fireworks streaked into the night sky.  Wow.  Just plain WOW.

During the 1st encore Hubby pulled my arm and said we should go and catch our bus.  We were clearly leaving early as by the time we hit the bottom of the stairs Paul had broken into Yesterday.  So we stood outside on the street with tons of other people listening in the night.  When it was over we headed to our bus while more fireworks went off and could be seen for blocks around.
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Today we were lucky and beat the rush to the continental breakfast which was delish!  We needed it because we were sight seeing before heading home for the 3 hour drive.  The first place we went was the Legislature Building.  This is the massive building which our Premiere Brad Wall conducts all provincial business.  It is on the bank of Wascana Lake and features immaculate gardens, sculptures and walking trails.  There was a tour which takes a half hour but we had other places to get to.

Rider practice!!!!!  We got a little lost trying to find Leibel Field but finally found it.  It was 32*C so we didn't stay as long as originally planned.  It was fun to watch the team practice.  It was cool to hear the 'wolf pack' howl in unison a number of times.  I snapped a few shots before we left for lunch.

Lunch was at the Star Italian Deli.  The main objective was cannoli.  And yes, they did have cannoli!  It was really good too.  We also got assorted Italian meat sandwiches and an orange Boylan soda, another treat from our NYC trip.

Because of the heat, we decided to drive and eat.  We found the highway and zoomed off with enough vivid memories to last a life time.  I am still drinking it all in.  It is amazing to be Out There.

The Wheels on the Bus Go.....Hot Diggety Dog!

Hubby was at the kitchen counter gulping down fresh cherries left and right when I wandered in.  I said, "You know, if you wanted to take your fancy schmancy camera and go for a walk I have an idea.  I've always wanted to go to the red double decker bus.  We can get a hotdog and wander through the park."

He looked at me.

Then he looked at his cherries.

Then he responded, "Well, I may as well eat the rest.  There's only 5 left."

So we hopped in the Honda and cruised into downtown Saskatoon and found a very lucky parking spot right down the street of the picturesque Bessborough Hotel and across the street from the Red Bus Refreshment double decker bus.  After perusing the menu we decided on the Riverbank Frank for $5 each.  We had a choice of  4 toppings.....I got the usual ketchup, mustard, relish and mayo.  Hubby had pickles, sauerkraut, mustard and salsa.  He is adventurous after all!

The back view of the bus.

We walked to the corner where there were several park benches and sat and ate our huge hot dogs.  The bus offers many things ranging from ice cream, frozen yoghurt, ice tea, lemonade, floats, popcorn and our dogs.  This is the first time that I've ever gotten something from the bus and yes, it was on my Sand Bucket List.

The view from our park bench.

When we were finished our lunch we walked across the street to the Bessborough Hotel.  The Bess was built as many were for the railroad.  It is an outstanding feature for our city.  It's known as the Castle on the River and is a major landmark.  It's a very interesting building and some say it has ghosts!  I tried to take pictures of some of the interesting architecture including the gargoyles sitting atop the roof.

Can you spot the gargoyle?

We walked along the paths of the park adjacent to the hotel.....it is the same place the Taste of Saskatchewan was.....but this time, being empty of food tents, it was reminiscent of the great lawn in Central Park.  I found a maple leaf on the trail and picked it up and carried it the entire way with me.  [I set it free before we left :) ]  In the middle of the park is a band stand that is dedicated to those who fought at Vimy Ridge.

Hubby's Hand, my leaf, the Vimy memorial & South Saskatchewan River.

Saskatoon is known as the City of Bridges.  In fact, we just had a brand new bridge, the South Bridge, open last week!  We ventured close to one of them, the Broadway Bridge, and snapped a few neat pictures.

Right under the bridge!

We meandered down the paths and found the ornate back gate open to the Bessborough Gardens.  I bet it was an interesting place back in the day. 

We continued on until we got to the spot where the skating rink is during the winter.  Hubby remarked, "No one is skating today."

Riding on the Prairie Lily is also on my Sand Bucket List!

By this time we were getting a little thirsty and a Tim Hortons was nearby so we went there.  I had a gift card to use.  I got an ice cap while Hubby got a raspberry lemonade.  On our way back to the car we walked by his work and a couple other business.

Street fleurs with church in the background.

It was fun and relaxing and made for a beautiful day!  I love where I live and I am so appreciative of the things we have here to enjoy.  In the words of my brother in law, I can't believe you have this here!

Taste of Saskatchewan

I'm thinking it's been at least 5 years since we've taken in Taste of Saskatchewan.  I remember it was so hot and there wasn't any place to sit and we had to huddle under a tree to eat.  That doesn't sound like much fun does it?  Well lot's can change in that length of time and I thought Hubby and I should take the opportunity to sample the cuisine from different eateries and listen to some local talent.

Parking was INSANE!  We had to park about a 10 to 15 minute walk from the park where it takes place.  I'm sure they call it Kinsmen Park but it's located to side of the picturesque Bessborough Hotel.  We bought 11 tickets at $2.50 each.  Most dishes were 2 tickets each with some desserts and drinks being only 1.  Each venue offers 3 choices.

Both, Hubby and I had scouted out the website which had the list of 30 restaurants taking part in the event.  We decided our first stop would be to a brand new place.....so new in fact that it doesn't open until tomorrow.....the Bell & Whistle Bar & Bistro.  We ordered the Sundried Tomato Bruschetta.  Hubby is all over Bruschetta lately since he got it at Pizza Pirates.  It was presented to us in a cup much like those from the fro-yo places.....the bruschetta was in the bottom and the bread was rising out of it like the rocks of Stonehenge.  It was good.  No it wasn't the best we've had.  The bread wasn't toasted but yet was almost....I have no idea what they did to it.  The tomato was a little too tomato sauce like and not really chunky as we've had it before.

We ate under a tree.

In the next booth was Saboroso Brazilion Steakhouse.  It was my turn to order so I chose Picanha Taco which was a shredded prime cut of beef.  How it was presented was a taco with the beef on top and then I got to choose from toppings.  I choose guacamole and a tomato/corn salsa.  I really enjoyed this dish.  The beef wasn't really anything special, but the toppings were amazing and really made it delicious!

Moving along we stopped at La Bamba.  Now, a loooooong time ago Hubby and I tried to go to this place and people were lined up out the door.  After tasting some of their food, I now know why!  We ordered the Tostadas de Pollo with refried beans.  Holy smokes were the refried beans amazing!  I don't know what they did to them but I've never ever had refried beans like that!  The tostada was filled with a flaked chicken and had a lemon cilantro sauce.  The combination was really good.

We wandered around looking at the various booths.  Some of them were places we've already been to while others Hubby had heard didn't give very much for the tickets.  Some of his coworkers had already been there for lunch.  So we stopped at a place and a restaurant which we found last fall and totally fell in love with the Louisiana cuisine.  Hubby ordered Jambalaya from Mardi Gras Grill.  It came with two giant shrimp and nice pile of rice and the sauce.  It was perfect.  It wasn't too mild and wasn't too hot.  Then Hubby decided we should get the dessert from that booth too.....Flambe Bananas Foster Cheesecake.  This might be the most incredible dessert I have ever eaten since New York.  PLUS we got to see the chef actually flambe the bananas.  They tasted like cinnamon and rum but it wasn't over powering and those flavours along with the bananas and cheesecake.....well......*faints*

To finish things off, I went to the booth right next to Mardi Gras Grill - the Winston's English Pub and ordered what I had seen everyone walking around with.....the Saskatoon Berry Iced Tea.  I've had it other places before but I really liked this drink.  It wasn't too sweet and yet was very refreshing.

On the bandstand during the whole even is various entertainment.  When we first got there, my coworker who is a violin teacher was performing with one of her bands.  By the time we got to the bandstand that band was done and packing up.  Phooey!  So with our tummies full we decided to take a scenic walk back to the car along the walking path of the South Saskatchewan River.

The Bessborough Hotel & Garden on the bank of the river.

Kinsmen Fountain with the Bessborough in the background.

The University Bridge.

Sand Bucket Update 2 ~ A Weekend with Family ~

On Friday I scheduled a substitute teacher so Brandy and I could pick Hubby up from work at 4:30.  Hubby's "Brodder", Sister in Law & their grandson was visiting the In Laws for the last week.  Also, Hubby's Sister's two children were spending the month at their grandparents.  It was important to make the trip while everyone was home.

It is a 4 hour drive south east.  We stopped after driving for 1 hour in a town called Humbolt.  I had coupons for A&W.  We had two-can-dine-for-$9.99.  It was so yummy!  It was two teen burgers with fries and a drink.  We had to share some fries with Brandy.

On the way we listened to 620 CKRM and the pregame show.  It was the first Rider preseason game.  It made the trip go really fast!

"The Home Place"

When we arrived the TV was quickly turned on so we could watch the second half of the football game.  The Riders beat the Edmonton Eskimos 31 - 24.  WAHOO!

For some reason, Friday night Brandy thought it would be best to sleep with her head under this table.

It was a very rainy weekend, but Saturday afternoon it stopped long enough for the boys to get outside and find something to do.  Brodder in Law got some guns out and set up water bottles.  The guys loved...LOVED shooting the water bottles and soon ran out of targets and had to switch to bricks!  They laughed that when the bullet hit the brick there would be a poof of dust.  Hubby called it "shoosting."

Left to Right: Hubby, Brodder in Law & Father in Law

Baron is Brodder in Law's 8 year old German Shepherd.  Baron does not know he is a big dog.  He has the friendliest face and it is so expressive too!  He wasn't sure what to make of Brandy.  They'd met before.....twice even, but it's been a long time between visits.  There was a slow motion chase in the family room.  Picture this....Baron trying to get away from Brandy by walking away with Brandy trotting behind panting all the way!  In the end, they were BFF's and even shared each others dog food and water dishes.

Sunday was the last day of our visit.  Hubby's Grandpa came for lunch.  Grandpa turned 95 a few months back but is still as spry as ever.  You should have seen his face light up when we mentioned there was pie!  I'm pretty sure he had both the coconut cream and banana cream!

I was responsible for the whipped cream & decoration.

 It was a good visit but it went much too quickly.  We gave the kiddos gifts because we don't normally give presents except for Christmas and even then we are never together.  Nathan will be 10 and is devouring Hubby's Hardy Boys books.  We took 6 more books for him.  For Ava, we bought a toy pony that walked.  Cole was the lucky recipient of Hubby's baseball glove and ball.  He was so surprised with his gift!  It was awesome to see their happy faces.

Great Nephew, Nephew & Niece.

We set out for home and had fairly good weather the whole way.  I was happy that I only had the 4 hour drive and not the 3 day drive like Brodder in Law.  We made vows that we'd go visit them next year for sure.  I'm pretty excited to think that we'll maybe hopefully be able to make the trip to Oregon and Idaho!

10 Thought Tuesday ~ Sand Bucket List ~

The idea behind the bucket list [which I personally feel is overused, but here I am using it] is to make a list of things to do or accomplish before you kick the bucket.  Well, I don't plan on kicking the bucket soon, but I do feel summer days are numbered.  I have 6 more Tuesdays until I am on summer holidays.  I don't want to miss out on anything and since when we go to the beach in the summer we use sand pails, I decided this list would be dedicated to things I want to make sure I do this summer.  I present to you....my Sand Bucket List.

1.  In the downtown across the street from the historic and possibly haunted Bessborough Hotel is a red double decker bus called Bus Stop Refreshments.  I have never gone there.  The reviews are mixed.  It's been there forever so I don't think we have anything to worry about.  It might be fun to have lunch and eat it in the park or have an authentic froyo.  I want to make sure I hit this place up! The Wheels on the Bus Go....Hot Diggety Dog!

2.  Last year I vowed I'd go on a river boat cruise.  How did that work out?  We didn't do it.  It only costs $40 and is a beautiful cruise down the South Saskatchewan.  I've been on cruises in Seattle and NYC....why haven't I done it in my own city?  Shearwater Riverboat Cruises.   A One Hour Tour

3.  Of course I will spend time reading books.  I think that's a given.  I want to spend some time at McNally Robinson book store.  I always forget what pretty gifts they have there.  Inside the bookstore is an eatery called Prairie Ink.  I want to browse books and enjoy some time in the restaurant. There is no blog for this one.  I didn't do it.  Well, I sort of did it.  I went to Indigo books because I had a gift card.

4.  This weekend we are going to get out and scratch in the dirt.  My flower/shrub bed looks a disaster.  Lot's of plants are already poking through.  It's tough on me to get out and work in it during the day due to my sun allergy, but I plan on spending many an evening tending to it.  The best part is then enjoying time on the patio swinging in out deck glider, hopefully not swatting mosquito's, but gazing at sunsets.  My Natural Habitat

5.  Football!  OMG FOOTBALL!  Even before the football season starts.....there will be training camp and if you've followed the news or not....Roughrider training camp is taking place in my very own city.  I hope to be able to attend at least once.  That starts June 2nd.  At the end of that week they hold their annual Green & White Day which I've attended for many years now.  Check out Riderville North for what I might be up to!  Check out this blog to read all about it!  What I Learned At Training Camp

6.  Hubby's brodder is going to be coming this way....to the In Law's for a visit.  I'm sure we will travel to Norquay to see him, our sister in law and our great nephew!  Check this blog out for details of our trip!  Weekend with Family.

7.  August 14th is the day Hubby and I will go to Regina to the Paul McCartney concert at Mosaic Stadium.  That is going to be so thrilling.  While we are there.....I've found the Italian Star Deli which has cannoli!!!!  My quest for cannoli is never ending.  I hope to stop in and bring some home. My Paul McCartney Out There experience.

8.  Did you know Saskatoon has a Broadway?  It's true.  I want to spend some time wandering up and down the street.  I also want to stop in at the Broadway Cafe.  It's done up in 50's 60's decor and although reviews call it trashy....it looks pretty cool from the outside.  I think it might be a fun stop after an afternoon of browsing the interesting shops on the street.  As time went on I wanted to do this less and less.  I've shopped on Broadway before but there were two armed robberies on this street this summer.  I didn't feel safe doing this alone and it just didn't seem as important anymore.

9.  Taste of Saskatchewan.  This happens downtown near the Bessborough Hotel as well.  It's where restaurants open food booths and you get to try different cuisine from all over the province.  The last time we went it was what felt like the hottest day of the year.  We found a tiny square of shade under a tree.  There's entertainment in a band shelter.  We haven't gone for a few years and I think this year is the time to go. Our new Taste of Saskatchewan visit with amazing flambe dessert!

10.  Picnic!  I want to pack up the wiener sticks, the cooler and head out somewhere for a good old fashioned picnic.  It feels good to get out of the city, build a fire and cook over it and come home smelling all woodsy.  If we don't get to go camping this summer.....a picnic will fit the bill.  Wieners weren't involved but I think it still counts!  Day Trip & Picnic to Gardiner Dam

I don't know if I'll get to do all of these things or just some of these things.  I know I will probably get to do things that are outside this list as well.  I just don't want to waste a minute after enduring the longest winter ever.  What's on your Sand Bucket List?

10 Thought Tuesday ~ Dog Eared ~

I wanted to name my blog "commandeered" but I'm a dog.  Doggandeered just didn't have the right ring to it.  Dog Eared sounds much betterer.

And yes....I've dog eared The Mom's blog to record my own thoughts.

1.  pant.....pant....pant.....

2.  CHEERIO'S!!!!  OMG Cheerio's!!!  There's some on the counter! *jumps* I can't reach them!  OMG it's going to drive me crazy!  CHEERIO'S!!!  *lays down to wait for Cheerio's to drop off counter*

3.  *scratches ear*

4.  *runs away from The Mom because she has that Ear Cleaning look about her*

5.  IT'S THE MAIL MAN!  NO IT'S THE GARBAGE TRUCK!  THE MAILMAN!  GARBAGE TRUCK!  WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF *pant* WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF

6.  *lays down on blue carpet*   *sighs*   Zzzzz....

7.  The Mom loosened my collar today.  It was getting a little snug.  I seem to be very furry.  It makes me hot.  *pant*  The Mom says Saturday I get to go to the spa.  *wags tail*

8.  Sometimes after a trip to the spa The Mom makes me wear my red sweater.  I like my red sweater even though it makes me look like a Montreal Canadiennes hockey fan.  I wish I had a green sweater.  The Dad says they cost to much.  Maybe if I saved enough dog cookies I'd be able to get one.

9.  On the weekend The Dad likes to watch cars going around in a circle.  He makes The Mom and me wait until the end.  Sometimes there's something called the "lucky dog."  The Mom says I get the Lucky Dog Award.  *wags tail*

10.  *licks netbook screen.*  Nope.  It doesn't taste like Cheerio's or cookies or chicken & rice.  Pfft.

3.14

A Cow Pi.  Would that be mince meat?

Today is Pi Day.  A day to think about Pi = 3.14.

I would rather think about PIE.  It's round, golden, crispy, flakey and filled with a mixture of your hearts desire.  Homer would say "Mmmmmmmmm pppppiiiiiiieeeeeee."  My favourite flavours include cherry, pecan, peach, rhubarb, huckleberry, chicken pot, shepherds and pizza. 

Pizza pie.  *giggles*

That's amore.

When I was a little girl, my Mom and I would bake.  I'd watch from my perch on a stool on the other side of the counter while my Mom rolled out pie dough into perfect rounds.  I remember lot's of apple pie in my childhood even though Dad's favourite is banana cream pie.  There was always scraps of pie dough left over.  Mom would moosh them together and roll them into rounds for me.  My pie.  Then we'd spoon jam.....usually strawberry jam.....over the dough.  It would get folded over and pinched and would get baked in the oven as well.  That was great childhood pie.

I don't care for ice cream with my pie.  It melts.  The pie gets soggy.  You can never get all the ice cream out of the dish.  Who wants soggy watery pie?  Not me.  However, if Cool Whip is on hand then pile it on!  I prefer my Cool Whip straight out of container.....not stirred.  Never stirred.  Just straight up.

My preferred method of eating dessert such as pie is with a spoon.  This has become controversial at family gatherings.  Oh, Sandra wants a spoon.  Ugh!  Everyone gets a fork and then I have to pipe up and inquire, "May I please have a spoon."  The nerve!  I think it runs in the family though because my brother likes to eat with plastic forks.  Anyhow, my point is also that if you have no choice how the pie is served and does indeed have ice cream on the top.....how the heck to you eat it with a fork?

Spoon. 

A spoon is indeed the correct eating utensil.

One time I took my nephew out for a treat.  We went to Tim Hortons.  Nephew was maybe 11 at the time.  Those were the days when Tim Hortons had pies and cakes.  Nephew ordered pie.  He told me about an uncle from the other side of the family who had visited.  The uncle was a great cook and by the sounds of it a pie connoisseur.  Nephew rattled off all sorts of concoctions and flavour combinations that his uncle had made.  He ended the story by saying, "Yup, he makes good pie."

I never noticed if Nephew used a spoon or a fork.

Grandma Johnson's Casserole

This recipe is from the Covenant Women cookbook.  The Covenant is the church in Hubby's hometown.  The recipe in the book isn't by Grandma Johnson.  It's actually by Jean Johnson.  That's Larry Johnson's mother.  Larry Johnson was an usher at our wedding.  It was easy for him because he worked as a funeral director.  I doubt it was very much like Six Feet Under.  I know our wedding wasn't.

But I digress.

Grandma Johnson made this recipe a few times when we visited.  I'm pretty sure she added a few things too.  I've made notes and tried to replicate it the best I can.

Ingredients
1 pound hamburger
1/2 pound low sodium bacon
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup rice
1 can mushrooms, drained
1 can mushroom soup
2 tbsp soya sauce
3 cups boiling water
Salt and pepper to taste
Chinese noodles, crushed

Fry the hamburger, bacon and onion in a pan.  Add the mushrooms, soup, soya sauce, water, salt, pepper & rice.  Put in casserole and bake for 1 hour at 375*F.  Stir a couple of times while cooking.  Top with Chinese noodles.  Bake for 15 to 30 minutes longer.

Valentine's Day Cookies

Since I found out I can pretty much make any kind of cookie using a box of cake mix.....I've gone a bit crazy.  I have buyers remorse for the huge bag of flour in the pantry which was supposed to be used up by making sugar cookies.  Alas, there it sits abandoned amid an array of cake mixes galore.

These are Red Velvet Cream Cheese cookies.  Red Velvet is just a new type of thing in these parts.  Strange I know, because it seems to be plenty popular in every other part of the universe.  So far there is only one brand of cake mix that makes a red velvet version and that is Duncan Hines.

These are the Cherry Chip but give you the idea of the size.

Ingredients
1 box Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup Canola Oil
1 tub Cream Cheese type frosting

In a bowl, combine cake mix, eggs and canola oil.  Mix well.  Using a melon baller.....yes, strange I know, but it makes the perfect size!....scoop out portions of mixture, roll into a ball shape and put onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350*F for 8 minutes.  Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then remove to plate to cool the rest of the way.

Once completely cooled, sandwich together using cream cheese frosting.

OHMYGAWD, THEY ARE DELISH!

*Variation*
Cherry Chip cake mix and add 1 cup chocolate chips.  Do not sandwich together.  They taste like chocolate covered cherries!

I've heard Cherry Chip isn't available everywhere :(

Grandma Larson's Casserole

I never had the pleasure of meeting Grandma Larson.  From what I know of her, she was a loving type of Grandma who liked to impart snippets of Scandinavian wisdom on her family.....and she did love her family deeply.  

I first tasted this casserole back in the early days of dating Hubby.  He'd made it with some left over curry rice,  I believe, and it tasted wonderful.  What's even better is that it is super easy to make and has ingredients that most of us have in our pantry.  Especially if you've stocked up at the 10 for $10 sale at the Co-Op like I have!

Ingredients
Ground beef 1 pound or a bit more
2 onions chopped
1 can of Chicken Noodle soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can water
1/2 cup rice

The brand of soup doesn't really matter but I've come to believe Campbell's is best and brings the most flavour.  Also, you can try with different flavours of cream soup if mushroom isn't your favourite.

In a large frying pan, brown the beef and cook the onions.  When cooked, add the soups, water, and rice.  Mix it well.  Pour into a large casserole dish or loaf pan.  Cook in the oven uncovered at 350*F for 1 1/2 hours.

My Go To Meatloaf Recipe

I got this recipe off the back of a box of Uncle Ben's stuffing mix about 15 years ago.  I never looked at another meatloaf recipe again.

Ingredients
1 container ground beef approx 1lb (it's okay if it's more but not less)
1 box stuffing mix - the brand doesn't matter but I've found the varieties with separate spice packets are more flavourful.
Milk to soften the stuffing mix
1 egg
2 tsp (approx) Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup ketchup (anything tomato-y works...I've used salsa and BBQ sauce too)
Enough mustard to turn the ketchup orange.  Type of mustard doesn't matter...I've used regular, Dijon etc.
1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar

In a bowl combine the stuffing mix with enough milk to soften them.  Add the egg and Worcestershire Sauce.  Mix.  Either by hand or with a potato masher [sounds crazy I know, but it works] mix in the ground beef.

Press the mixture into a glass pie plate.

In a separate bowl, mix the ketchup, mustard and brown sugar.  Hubby likes it when I leave brown sugar lumps because it makes the sauce caramel-y.  Spread over the meatloaf.

Cook in a 350*F oven for 35 - 40 minutes. 

I'd post a picture, but there's never enough of it left to snap a picture of!!

Resolve to Evolve in the New Year

I set my alarm on my iPod to scroll "New Year New You....Get Up & Get After It."  I don't make resolutions anymore.  They just aren't realistic.  Over that past few years I've tried to evolve instead.  My list of improvements have included anything from live a more active life to read more books.  These are things that enrich my life and don't make me dread the changes in my life.

Since I gained this enormous amount of weight from the hypothyroidism discovery and all the other issues that seemingly went along with it I've battled food.  I don't smoke and I rarely drink so food is my only vice.  Food is not something you can quit.  I've continually tried to make changes to evolve the way I think about food and the choices I make.  Last fall, I downloaded the app MyFitnessPal which is also a webpage MyFitnessPal.com.  After a short time of logging my meals I was enlightened to some of the choices I was making.  I stopped using coffee creamer.  Oh how I miss the flavoured creamy coffee but at the same time I cut my coffee consumption dramatically.  I probably drank less than most people to start with but now I only have 1 cup of coffee in the morning and it includes Splenda instead of creamer.  Instead of drinking 2 cups of coffee at work....with the cream and sugar, I switched to a travel mug of hot cocoa.  I switched the bread I buy and started to create better dinner choices.

Then I got sick before Christmas and it all went out the window while the boxes of Christmas chocolates floated through the door.

Oh well.

A long time ago, back in July, I talked to my doctor about seeing a dietitian.  The appointment was supposed to be in November, I think.  The appointment was postponed because the dietitian had to stay home with a sick child.  That was all fine and good because all the time I was questioning my choice to do this in the first place.  Then my appointment was made for January 2nd 2013.  There is no better time!  Out with the Christmas me and in with the new me.

This lady was awesome!  We went meal by meal with me describing a typical breakfast/lunch/dinner etc.  I described my teaching lifestyle.  I told her the things I was already doing and the changes I was trying.  She praised me!  Dietitian told me to take small steps when it comes to exercise.  She gave me an "Action Plan" which suspitiously looks like the "Practice Commitment" I gave my piano students.  Dietitian said to make a commitment to do exercise for X number of days in 1 week for X number of time and see how it goes.  Then the next week make a new commitment.  Oh how I loved that!  We discussed how going to the community centre for classes didn't work because of my teaching schedule and how I'd much rather do things at home.  She said even a commitment to turn on the stereo and dance for 15 minutes was better than anything.  I'm pretty sure I can take that advice!

I felt like I could to talk to Dietitian for hours!  We discussed the pros and cons of processed things and simple little things like fat content in mayo.  She said that most people consume more calories from condiments than actual food because we think we're only using a tablespoon of something when it's actually a tablespoon or more!  Dietitian liked many of the choices I'm already making.  She liked my hot cocoa choice at work and suggested a light brand.  We talked about lentils.  Yes.  Lentils.  I came home with a Pulses cook book.

Unfortunately, we ran out of time.  Dietitian said I am on the right track.  She said to keep tracking my food and making the small changes I have been.  She gave me her card and told me that I could contact her in the future if I needed any additional help or advice.

I wish she was my best friend.

I am feeling very encouraged.  In 2013, I hope to continually evolve to, as someone said to me, so my outsides match my insides.