Countdown to Christmas ~ Bah Humbug!

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Deborah

I love Christmas…..at Christmas time. Which for me, starts AFTER the end of November. Not October 15th (circa retail displays) or even November 1st after Halloween.

I don’t want to acknowledge or even think about the Christmas Holidays until December 1st and even then, it takes me a good 2 weeks after that for me to get into the spirit and start grooving to The Chipmunks. It is just all the commercialization of it that bugs me to no end. Didn’t Charlie Brown ponder the real meaning of Christmas and not all the pomp/glitter and 50% Off of 150% Markup … Read more...

Blue Suede……Jacket

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Deborah

No, not the shoes of Elvis fame….but a jacket. A bright, blue, fringed, suede jacket that has been tucked away in my closet for about as long as I have been married. This was a present given to me by my husband, many, many moons ago when I was into my horse-fetish/riding days.

I haven’t worn it in years though…it seems to have shrunk actually…did you know that suede is prone to shrinking? They need to print warning labels….or perhaps it is the phenomena that is affecting hundreds of people over the age of 40….the realization that they have clothing … Read more...

Christmas Shortbread Cookie Baking Bonanza Day!

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Deborah

That is a mouthful of a title…but not as yummy as a mouthful of buttery, flaky, shortbread cookies!

Yesterday my daughter came over for our annual Christmas cookie baking palooza day. This is our 3^rd year of baking cookies together, prior to that, she was always baking them with her cousin. But since her cousin moved to BC a few years ago for school, she has been painfully missed. So I happily stand in for my niece and offer up my kitchen to the Gods of Flour Scattering. Yup, plural, I do believe there is more than one, hence … Read more...

How To Make Granola

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Deborah

I love Granola. Granola on yogurt. Granola in a smoothie. Granola sprinkled on ice cream. Granola by itself even. Makes a great snack anytime you get the munchies.

It is very yummy stuff…. but very expensive to buy and the commercial stuff is loaded with more sugar than necessary.

So make your own instead.

Ingredients

½ Cup Un-sweetened Apple Sauce
¼ Cup Canola Oil
½ Cup Lite Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp. Honey
1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
8 Cups Whole Rolled Oats
1 Cup Raw Sunflower Seeds (unsalted)
1 Cup Slivered Almonds (raw, unsalted)
¾ Cup Wheat Bran (or Cracked Wheat)… Read more...

Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Deborah

To All My American Friends

Wishing you a day filled with love, laughter and of course, Great FOOD

Enjoy!

Getting Old Sucks

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Deborah

Especially when waking up is like starting a car on a -30C day…you just can’t get yourself cranked up and running like you can when it’s warm, or in my case, when I was younger.

I used to literally bounce out of bed in the mornings, head downstairs to the stairclimber and spend 30 minutes bopping to tunes and stepping away. Those days are seemingly over. I would bounce out of bed now if someone dropped a bowling ball onto the other side and launched me.

Stair climbing now is heading down to the kitchen, putting the kettle on for … Read more...

Need A Quick Christmas Gift?

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Deborah

I love Chunky yarn. Chunky yarn makes for fast knitting for those instant gratification type folks (like me). The pattern is so easy, even the most timid knitter can make this in no time.

If you can spare one day, then you can knit this cowl that will be sure to delight that special friend or neighbour that is on your Christmas List. Giving a handmade gift truly is a delight…both for the Gift-ee and the Gift-or!

The yarn is available in a multitude of striped or solid patterns and is sold at Michael’s Stores everywhere.

To access the pattern, … Read more...

8 Random Things About Me

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Deborah

Why 7? ‘Cause if I told you everything about me, then I would have nothing else to write about in the future….

*ok…so I messed up the numbering and fixed it…which now gives 8 Random Things About Me….oh well! Thanks Trishie for pointing out my goof….funny how you can look at something and NOT see a typo???

1. Favourite Sport – NASCAR

2. Favourite Colour – Blue (at the moment, it changes seasonally)

3. Favourite Musical Group – Led Zeppelin

4. Favourite Food – Pizza, followed closely by Pierogies

5. Favourite Outdoor Activity – Fishing

6. Favourite Indoor Activity – … Read more...

It’s Healthy Food Time

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Deborah

Sometimes you need to step away from the butter laden, ooey-gooey, rich, decadent, make-you-swoon recipes and stabilize your blood sugar or before you know it, you will be living in sweatpants and over sized t-shirts hauling around an oxygen bottle for the rest of your life.

Not to get all preachy….ok, maybe a ‘little’ preachy…but the average person should aim to get 25 – 30% of their daily calories from fat, of that amount, approx. 7% should come from saturated fat (meats/dairy). Less than 1% should come from trans fat and the rest should come from mono and poly unsaturated … Read more...

How To Make Your Own Croutons

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Deborah

Making your own croutons takes about as much time to make a pot of coffee…and just as easy. Trust me, once you make your own croutons, you will never go back to store bought again. With the use of heart healthy Olive Oil, they are much better for you than the butter/transfat laden commercial variety too. These are made from day or two old fresh bread. Not the packaged, preservative laden stuff either, because no matter how long you leave it out, it just doesn’t get stale enough to be used as croutons.

Grab a fresh baguette (preferably whole wheat … Read more...