Sunday, August 12, 2012
Trader Joe's Mango/Apricot Greek Yogurt
I bought one container of this as it looked interesting. I am going to give it an 8/10 as far as yogurt goes. It was an interesting flavor and creamy. That was the highlight of my food consumption last week.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Rest in Peace John Pratt
In 2001, I joined an online Literati site, and one of the first people I met and played was Bigjohndj aka John from London, UK. He passed away on Saturday, at age 63. His birthday would have been March 15th. He was a terrific guy. This is what his friend posted on John's Facebook page:
"In his last day, John said to me "Goodbye, my Friend. I am dying, it was a pleasure meeting you" and he shook my hand. I replied "Bye John.And remember, we will all meet you at some point" . And he laughed."
"In his last day, John said to me "Goodbye, my Friend. I am dying, it was a pleasure meeting you" and he shook my hand. I replied "Bye John.And remember, we will all meet you at some point" . And he laughed."
Thursday, March 8, 2012
In Memory of my Dad ~ 25/11/1930-28/03/2008
My Dad passed away four years ago this month, at the age of 77. During the last several years of his life, I had not really visited him (he was in a nursing home, and this is something that I do regret. There are many memories of my Dad that i do not want to forget and would like to write down:
My Dad always called me J.J., he and my sister Jill. I loved this nickname....it makes me feel special.
When, I was in grade 7, I had some issues, and one day when it was raining, I left my house in some distress. My Dad drove around and found in at a local park. He came and talked to me and told me about similar problems that he had when he was a kid. He was kind, gentle and understanding at this time, when I was in turmoil and having a hard time (and so were other people, especially my sister Lynne), and it meant the world to me then as it does now.
There were many times when I was in financial trouble and my dad would help me. One time my phone was cut off, and he paid the bill (he was a co signer). I am sure it must have aggravated him, but as again, I was now a young adult and really should have been paying my own bills, he never said anything to me about it. He just did it, and I was very grateful.
When I was in the hospital, pregnant, my father came to the hospital EVERY DAY and sat with me and chatted. It was fun in many ways, and I learned some interesting things. My Dad was kind, sensitive, thoughtful and caring to do this for me.
My Dad, was not always the best family man, I think maybe he was overwhelmed, but he cared for all his kids a lot, and on the rare occasion when I would complain about my mother or a sibling to him, he would often (usually) defend them!! I think that was a wonderful attribute and shows his loyalty.
When my mother died (my parents really were not all that close that I can recall), I remember him sitting in the kitchen, looking out the window, with tears in his eyes, and saying, "Marilyn sure could grow a garden". This just moved me to no end. Maybe I grew up a bit that day, as I realized how hard it must be on my Dad to lose his spouse of a lifetime.
He was an active man, walking a lot, telling stories, friendly to people, and into Tai Chi in the later parts of his life. It was sad to see him go rapidly downhill after surgery for diverticulitis and then a diagnoses of Alzheimer's Disease. Very sad, but he still smiled his smile and was the same man!
There are many other times when he showed a very kind, sensitive, and caring side. I can see parts of my Dad in myself, and it makes me glad. There are funny things too - like being in a long and at that point aggravating labour, and watching baseball with him, as he was telling me a horror story about my mother once being in labour for days (haha). He did not really like pets, but he grew to be quite close to our cat Kiki, as well as our other cat Tasha, after my mother died, and was a good dad to them too.
I always loved watching sports with my Dad. I was certainly no sports fan, but I remember how he would always watch the Tiger's and him telling me about the announcer, Al Kaline, and his favorite football team was The Steelers (he would try to explain football to me), and then of course the Maple Leafs! I don't remember a lot about the actual games, but I remember sitting there with my dad watching them with him and feeling close to him. I am sure that I must have talked at important times and asked dumb questions at times!
I went to my first professional baseball game (at Exhibition Stadium, Toronto), with my father in 1984 or thereabout. It was hot , we were out in crappy outfield seats. I remember Jesse Barfield, because he was the right fielder and only player we could really see clearly. haha
He loved and was proud of all his grandchildren and a great Grandpa! (to be edited later, just wanted to get this started). This is more for me, than anyone, though I am glad if my friends and family read this too.
http://www.sootoday.com/content/announcements/obituaries/print.asp?c=22656
My Dad always called me J.J., he and my sister Jill. I loved this nickname....it makes me feel special.
When, I was in grade 7, I had some issues, and one day when it was raining, I left my house in some distress. My Dad drove around and found in at a local park. He came and talked to me and told me about similar problems that he had when he was a kid. He was kind, gentle and understanding at this time, when I was in turmoil and having a hard time (and so were other people, especially my sister Lynne), and it meant the world to me then as it does now.
There were many times when I was in financial trouble and my dad would help me. One time my phone was cut off, and he paid the bill (he was a co signer). I am sure it must have aggravated him, but as again, I was now a young adult and really should have been paying my own bills, he never said anything to me about it. He just did it, and I was very grateful.
When I was in the hospital, pregnant, my father came to the hospital EVERY DAY and sat with me and chatted. It was fun in many ways, and I learned some interesting things. My Dad was kind, sensitive, thoughtful and caring to do this for me.
My Dad, was not always the best family man, I think maybe he was overwhelmed, but he cared for all his kids a lot, and on the rare occasion when I would complain about my mother or a sibling to him, he would often (usually) defend them!! I think that was a wonderful attribute and shows his loyalty.
When my mother died (my parents really were not all that close that I can recall), I remember him sitting in the kitchen, looking out the window, with tears in his eyes, and saying, "Marilyn sure could grow a garden". This just moved me to no end. Maybe I grew up a bit that day, as I realized how hard it must be on my Dad to lose his spouse of a lifetime.
He was an active man, walking a lot, telling stories, friendly to people, and into Tai Chi in the later parts of his life. It was sad to see him go rapidly downhill after surgery for diverticulitis and then a diagnoses of Alzheimer's Disease. Very sad, but he still smiled his smile and was the same man!
There are many other times when he showed a very kind, sensitive, and caring side. I can see parts of my Dad in myself, and it makes me glad. There are funny things too - like being in a long and at that point aggravating labour, and watching baseball with him, as he was telling me a horror story about my mother once being in labour for days (haha). He did not really like pets, but he grew to be quite close to our cat Kiki, as well as our other cat Tasha, after my mother died, and was a good dad to them too.
I always loved watching sports with my Dad. I was certainly no sports fan, but I remember how he would always watch the Tiger's and him telling me about the announcer, Al Kaline, and his favorite football team was The Steelers (he would try to explain football to me), and then of course the Maple Leafs! I don't remember a lot about the actual games, but I remember sitting there with my dad watching them with him and feeling close to him. I am sure that I must have talked at important times and asked dumb questions at times!
I went to my first professional baseball game (at Exhibition Stadium, Toronto), with my father in 1984 or thereabout. It was hot , we were out in crappy outfield seats. I remember Jesse Barfield, because he was the right fielder and only player we could really see clearly. haha
He loved and was proud of all his grandchildren and a great Grandpa! (to be edited later, just wanted to get this started). This is more for me, than anyone, though I am glad if my friends and family read this too.
http://www.sootoday.com/content/announcements/obituaries/print.asp?c=22656
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Hungarian Mushroom Soup - The key is the Hungarian Wax Pepper
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
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I have made this soup multiple times from many recipes, and also have developed my own Vegan and Vegetarian versions of the soup. The key is to add a Hungarian wax pepper at the stage where the soup is simmering. Once the soup is complete, you remove and toss the pepper, otherwise the soup will continue to get hotter as it sits, and is also hot to eat. If you like spicy things, you may want to eat the pepper or leave it in the soup to continue heating up any leftovers.
Here is my personal recipe, which I usually alter at will, and don't measure exactly (see picture above, this is vegan style with cherry tomatoes added at end for colour):
2 teaspoon Olive Oil
2 teaspoons water
2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 pounds fresh mushrooms (a variety of kinds)
5 teaspoons chopped fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 tablespoon HUNGARIAN paprika
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups soy milk (or other vegan milk), regular milk for vegetarian.
3 tablespoons all-purpose whole wheat flour
ONE HUNGARIAN WAX PEPPER
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic (or to taste)
dash of hot sauce
ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/2 of sour cream or vegan sour cream substitute
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
1. Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan and add the water and onions. I saute this on low for about 15 minutes, as it really draws out the onion flavor.
2. Add the garlic, mushrooms, dill, and saute for another 5 minutes on medium.
3. In a large soup pot, make a roue with the butter and water. Melt butter, and add flour and whisk til it pasty. Add the cup of milk and cook on medium heat until thickened.
4. Put all the stuff in the pot, EXCEPT FOR THE SOUR CREAM AND LEMON JUICE. So add the onion/mushroom mixture, and the rest of the ingredients. Don't forget to add the Hungarian Wax Pepper. Just cut it in half, clean it and add it in.
5. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. I let it simmer for about 30 minutes.
6. Remove the Wax Pepper,
7. At this stage you can add some parsley for garnish, though I don't, sometimes i add in a cup or so of spinach, as this looks and tastes better to me.
8. Add the sour cream, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste!
9. That's it, serve it up and enjoy.
Here are some links to more organised recipes for this soup!
http://www.food.com/recipe/hungarian-mushroom-soup-from-the-moosewood-cookbook-135215
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hungarian-mushroom-soup/
Monday, February 20, 2012
Lost cat, but never lost hope - My missing cat Paige
I want to write this out while it is still somewhat fresh in my mind, as I feel that it is a valuable lesson for me, and may also help other pet owners. On January 17th, 2012, I headed out to the CVS pharmacy at about 7:00 PM, to pick up some photos. On my way to my car, I passed my cat Paige, and said hi to her as usual, then I went out and about doing my business. When I came home a half hour later or so Paige was not around ,so I called her a few times, but she didn't show up, and so I went in and went to bed.
Usually during the night, when Paige wants in, she comes to my bedroom window and cries and bangs on it, until I wake up. I sleep poorly, so this is an effective system. That night - the 17th, Paige did not come to the window. When I went out to my car in the morning, again there was no Paige. This was unusual, as she would usually be there in the morning for breakfast, but I didn't worry at that point. I did start to worry around 5 PM, when I arrived home from work, to no Paige. She often runs out and greets me, as she recognizes my car, but not today. I searched the basement, and the property. No Paige. I was worried, but hoping she would be back sometime in the night.
By the morning of the 19th of January, I realized that Paige was officially missing. I stopped off at the CVS pharmacy on my way home from work and purchased bright colored paper, and printed off some photos of Paige. Arriving home, I was disappointed, but not surprised to not see Paige. I decided to be aggressive in my search, and printed off a variety of posters, the first a simple handwritten one, that I copied with a photo glued on, and some better ones that I made later, after I put the initial 5 or so up in my immediate neighborhood. I posted on Facebook that Paige was missing and throughout the ordeal, received a lot of helpful advice and support from friends, and online friends who are cat owners.
I called the town's animal control officer that night (January, 19th), as I had a dreadful fear that Paige may have been run down. Cars often speed down our street, and last year our neighbors dog was run down right outside our house. No luck. The animal control officer no longer in that position, had not been replaces, and out town has NO animal control. I called the local police station to submit a missing cat report, as that seemed the next most logical step. I also made a list of the surrounding area shelters to call in the morning. Then I began my ground search for Paige. I went out for two hours, calling her, and searching for her in the woods. It was dark, but I figured that was better. I had read about cats having an intuitive sense of their owner (thus they can find them), and tried to "tune" into Paige. I honestly believed that she was out there alive somewhere, but could not come home.
Over the next few days, I called all the shelters, searched daily, made a map of the neighborhood and started systematically searching within a one mile radius. I posted posters, on every street, and when driving stopped to put them up at intersections. One week, after Paige had been missing, I received a call that a black cat was seen at this cat owner's house, about 3/4 miles from mine. On the advice of friends, I rented a cat trap on the way home, and went over to his house to set it up. Unfortunately, he did not want me to set the trap, as he had 4 cats, and he was afraid of them being trapped. He said he would call if he saw the black cat again. I went back to that neighborhood multiple times that evening, calling and looking for Paige.
On Saturday, January 28th, I recieved a call early in the morning, from the owner of an apartment building. There had been a black cat in the hallway for a few days, and he thought it might be mine!! I was super excited and after figuring out the address headed over there. This was maybe 1/4 from where the black cat had been spotted the weekend before. When I parked and met the manager of the building, he asked me, "Is your cat an adult?, because this one is a kitten". I was crushed. My posters all stated that Paige was FOUR years old. Anyway, he invited me to check out the cat. Inside there was a sweet black kitten, old enough to be away from her mom, but clearly a kitten, and not Paige. She was meowing piteously in the hallway. I asked the manager what he was planning in doing with the kitten, and he said that it didn't belong to any of the tenants and if I could catch it, I could take it home.
Of course, I took the kitten home!! She cried, but was not hard to catch. I put her inside my warm winter ski jacket and zipped it up, and she was fine on the trip home. Such a sweet little cat. It was at this point, that I decided that a ground search for Paige was futile, and the only home was that someone had her and would eventually turn her into a shelter. I was afraid that she had A> Been killed by a Coyote, B> Fell through the ice and drowned, C> killed by the local raccoons that I habitually fed :(, or D> killed by my neighbors pack of 6 dogs. So anyways, I took in the new kitty. My older cat, Kitten (9 years old), really didn't seem to mind her and we all sleep on the bed together., It is kind of pathetic, but I called her Paige, and was sort of pretending that she WAS Paige (weird I know).
Anyway, she stayed at our home for the weekend, and seemed very relaxed and comfortable. I spoke to a few people about Paige and giving up the ground search, and was thinking I was ready to move on. Now comes Monday evening! It is January 30th, THIRTEEN days after Paige was last seen. I was having a nap around 4 PM, when my neighbor called. He claimed Paige was in my yard. Of course I ran down, and there was no Paige. This was not the first false report, but I was dissapointed. I went back to bed. Fourty-five minutes later, my phone rings. A young voice says. "I have your cat, if you want to come get her." I was sure it was some kind of prank call, but I obtained the address and headed out. I can actually see the house from my own deck, and as the crow flies it is about .2 miles!
The house was located across a pond and a state highway from my home. I parked half assed on the street in front of the appropriate address, and was met by a young boy, maybe 11 years old. He brought me inside the hallway (house with three apartments), and said "Is this your cat?"......................and it was my cat!!!!! Poor Paige looked shelled shocked. I was so excited. I grabbed her and held her and told her to my car. I put her in the car, and talked a bit to the boy (Ugh I forget his name). Anyway, Paige had shown up wailing and crying a few days before. This other young boy (8 or 9 maybe), had given her some food. The other boy, the older one, recalled seeing the poster and got my number. Apparently Paige was being very vocal and noisy and disturbing the tenants! Someone wanted to sick their dog on her, but this boy recalled seeing my poster and decided to call!
I chatted with the boys a bit, and promised to return shortly with a reward (I had already decided that if Paige was found, that I would reward the finder $100.00, which seemed a lot of money, but really was not ( worth every penny). I brought Paige home. She cowered in the car all the way, in the back seat. She acted oddly when I brought her into our home. She certainly did not like the new black cat! I think the poor thing was almost shell shocked, or maybe even near death. She immediately drank massive amounts of water and ate a lot of food. She didn't seem to recognize me. I weighed her after she had ate/drank some, and her weight was 7 lbs, down from her normal weight of 9 pounds.
At this point, I needed to go to the ATM and go back to reward the boys. They were super pleased with their reward ($50.00 each), and offered to take care of Paige anytime I needed it, and to do anything they could for her!! That night Paige slept on my bed, and she purred and cuddled into me. It was absolutely incredible. It had taken the bulk of the evening for her to return to normal. Now, in mid February, we have three happy and healthy cats. They all get along together, and I have learned a valuable lesson. By day 10, I had given up hope. I figured a cat would be dead or come home. That was clearly not the case! My cat survived cold weather, severe weight loss and was only .2 miles from home! We believe she crossed the pond in our backyard when it was cold and frozen, and it thawed the next day. Then she crossed the state highway and was afraid to come home. I had searched and called in that area at least three times. I am sure she heard me calling plenty, but was afraid or hiding! .... More to come..... and photos.....
Usually during the night, when Paige wants in, she comes to my bedroom window and cries and bangs on it, until I wake up. I sleep poorly, so this is an effective system. That night - the 17th, Paige did not come to the window. When I went out to my car in the morning, again there was no Paige. This was unusual, as she would usually be there in the morning for breakfast, but I didn't worry at that point. I did start to worry around 5 PM, when I arrived home from work, to no Paige. She often runs out and greets me, as she recognizes my car, but not today. I searched the basement, and the property. No Paige. I was worried, but hoping she would be back sometime in the night.
By the morning of the 19th of January, I realized that Paige was officially missing. I stopped off at the CVS pharmacy on my way home from work and purchased bright colored paper, and printed off some photos of Paige. Arriving home, I was disappointed, but not surprised to not see Paige. I decided to be aggressive in my search, and printed off a variety of posters, the first a simple handwritten one, that I copied with a photo glued on, and some better ones that I made later, after I put the initial 5 or so up in my immediate neighborhood. I posted on Facebook that Paige was missing and throughout the ordeal, received a lot of helpful advice and support from friends, and online friends who are cat owners.
I called the town's animal control officer that night (January, 19th), as I had a dreadful fear that Paige may have been run down. Cars often speed down our street, and last year our neighbors dog was run down right outside our house. No luck. The animal control officer no longer in that position, had not been replaces, and out town has NO animal control. I called the local police station to submit a missing cat report, as that seemed the next most logical step. I also made a list of the surrounding area shelters to call in the morning. Then I began my ground search for Paige. I went out for two hours, calling her, and searching for her in the woods. It was dark, but I figured that was better. I had read about cats having an intuitive sense of their owner (thus they can find them), and tried to "tune" into Paige. I honestly believed that she was out there alive somewhere, but could not come home.
Over the next few days, I called all the shelters, searched daily, made a map of the neighborhood and started systematically searching within a one mile radius. I posted posters, on every street, and when driving stopped to put them up at intersections. One week, after Paige had been missing, I received a call that a black cat was seen at this cat owner's house, about 3/4 miles from mine. On the advice of friends, I rented a cat trap on the way home, and went over to his house to set it up. Unfortunately, he did not want me to set the trap, as he had 4 cats, and he was afraid of them being trapped. He said he would call if he saw the black cat again. I went back to that neighborhood multiple times that evening, calling and looking for Paige.
On Saturday, January 28th, I recieved a call early in the morning, from the owner of an apartment building. There had been a black cat in the hallway for a few days, and he thought it might be mine!! I was super excited and after figuring out the address headed over there. This was maybe 1/4 from where the black cat had been spotted the weekend before. When I parked and met the manager of the building, he asked me, "Is your cat an adult?, because this one is a kitten". I was crushed. My posters all stated that Paige was FOUR years old. Anyway, he invited me to check out the cat. Inside there was a sweet black kitten, old enough to be away from her mom, but clearly a kitten, and not Paige. She was meowing piteously in the hallway. I asked the manager what he was planning in doing with the kitten, and he said that it didn't belong to any of the tenants and if I could catch it, I could take it home.
Of course, I took the kitten home!! She cried, but was not hard to catch. I put her inside my warm winter ski jacket and zipped it up, and she was fine on the trip home. Such a sweet little cat. It was at this point, that I decided that a ground search for Paige was futile, and the only home was that someone had her and would eventually turn her into a shelter. I was afraid that she had A> Been killed by a Coyote, B> Fell through the ice and drowned, C> killed by the local raccoons that I habitually fed :(, or D> killed by my neighbors pack of 6 dogs. So anyways, I took in the new kitty. My older cat, Kitten (9 years old), really didn't seem to mind her and we all sleep on the bed together., It is kind of pathetic, but I called her Paige, and was sort of pretending that she WAS Paige (weird I know).
Anyway, she stayed at our home for the weekend, and seemed very relaxed and comfortable. I spoke to a few people about Paige and giving up the ground search, and was thinking I was ready to move on. Now comes Monday evening! It is January 30th, THIRTEEN days after Paige was last seen. I was having a nap around 4 PM, when my neighbor called. He claimed Paige was in my yard. Of course I ran down, and there was no Paige. This was not the first false report, but I was dissapointed. I went back to bed. Fourty-five minutes later, my phone rings. A young voice says. "I have your cat, if you want to come get her." I was sure it was some kind of prank call, but I obtained the address and headed out. I can actually see the house from my own deck, and as the crow flies it is about .2 miles!
The house was located across a pond and a state highway from my home. I parked half assed on the street in front of the appropriate address, and was met by a young boy, maybe 11 years old. He brought me inside the hallway (house with three apartments), and said "Is this your cat?"......................and it was my cat!!!!! Poor Paige looked shelled shocked. I was so excited. I grabbed her and held her and told her to my car. I put her in the car, and talked a bit to the boy (Ugh I forget his name). Anyway, Paige had shown up wailing and crying a few days before. This other young boy (8 or 9 maybe), had given her some food. The other boy, the older one, recalled seeing the poster and got my number. Apparently Paige was being very vocal and noisy and disturbing the tenants! Someone wanted to sick their dog on her, but this boy recalled seeing my poster and decided to call!
I chatted with the boys a bit, and promised to return shortly with a reward (I had already decided that if Paige was found, that I would reward the finder $100.00, which seemed a lot of money, but really was not ( worth every penny). I brought Paige home. She cowered in the car all the way, in the back seat. She acted oddly when I brought her into our home. She certainly did not like the new black cat! I think the poor thing was almost shell shocked, or maybe even near death. She immediately drank massive amounts of water and ate a lot of food. She didn't seem to recognize me. I weighed her after she had ate/drank some, and her weight was 7 lbs, down from her normal weight of 9 pounds.
At this point, I needed to go to the ATM and go back to reward the boys. They were super pleased with their reward ($50.00 each), and offered to take care of Paige anytime I needed it, and to do anything they could for her!! That night Paige slept on my bed, and she purred and cuddled into me. It was absolutely incredible. It had taken the bulk of the evening for her to return to normal. Now, in mid February, we have three happy and healthy cats. They all get along together, and I have learned a valuable lesson. By day 10, I had given up hope. I figured a cat would be dead or come home. That was clearly not the case! My cat survived cold weather, severe weight loss and was only .2 miles from home! We believe she crossed the pond in our backyard when it was cold and frozen, and it thawed the next day. Then she crossed the state highway and was afraid to come home. I had searched and called in that area at least three times. I am sure she heard me calling plenty, but was afraid or hiding! .... More to come..... and photos.....
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Yummo Oven Baked Brown Rice
Back to cooking. Tomorrow I am going to make some delightfully delicious, oven backed rice (with added stuff), and post photos and reviews. Yummy!!!! Will update this then!!
Tommy Mac "Rough Cuts" Shirtless
I am not one to fawn over guys, even well built, good looking ones such as Tommy Mac. But from the first time I saw him on his Rough Cuts show, where he made a step thingy and later a cabinet, I was hooked. Anyway, I expressed the desire to see him shirtless (like admiring art), and since then have taken a lot of kidding anytime he is on TV from both my husband and son (the last being from my son "Hey come quick Mom, he has a woody")...hahahah.
So here it is, after searching diligently online:
To tell the truth, I was a little disappointed. His shirt left a lot to the imagination, but I must say he has really strong forearms and nice abs.
So here it is, after searching diligently online:
To tell the truth, I was a little disappointed. His shirt left a lot to the imagination, but I must say he has really strong forearms and nice abs.
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