Sunday, October 30, 2011

By George I Got It

All this time I have been thinking about a non book club book club. See . So last night at about 2am, when I do my best thinking, I thought screw the book club ...I should start a bake club! This way we can talk about whatever and eat!

The more I thought about my wonderful idea the more I thought ...there should be some rules...welcome to the OCD side of me.

So here is what I have come up with:

Rule 1: The core group shall consist of 6-8 people
Rule 2: There is no pressure to actually bake the goodies, sometimes store bought can surprise everyone
Rule 3: Everyone must bring one item and enough servings for 12
Rule 4: The hostess will not be the same person each time and they can invite whomever they want to their day but no one else can bring extras...this rule is strictly for seating purposes as none of us have enough seating for 20 in our living rooms.
Rule 5: If you bake it...bring 10 copies of the recipe
Rule 6: The hostess gets all the leftovers.
Rule 7: This is meant to be casual and not add extra stress on anyone so simplistic drinks such as tea, juice/water will suffice. This is not a competition
Rule 8: The hostess names the theme of the party..in other words if the hostess is looking for kids birthday party treats than that's her decision....no matter if she will freeze the leftovers and use them at said party...hey who am I to judge
Rule 9: The bake club will be held the first Sunday of every month..not so much a rule but a guide
Rule 10: I think there are enough rules...so let's have fun and eat!

Who's in?

Sunday, August 28, 2011

It's all about the poop

It never fails that whenever my family sits down to a meal the topic of fecal matter always pops up. The conversation can be going along in a completely different route and then all of a sudden poop comes into the picture.

It is not always at dinner either. When we first got our dog I knew I would have to pick up the poop. I have never had the best of stomachs for picking it up, but I figured I could venture. I actually built a whole system down to how I do it. I usually get lots of forewarning with the dog pooping as he suddenly does the John Wayne walk and then drops his bum...stares intently at you and the deed is done. In order for me to deal with this and not gag...not to say I haven't..here is my scenario.

-When your dog is beginning the John Wayne walk. Stop. Make sure you are not in the downwind direction
-When he stares directly into your eyes, turn the other way and get the bag ready
-Inspect the bag once it is over your hand, still turned away, to ensure there are no hole or tears. This ensures no vomiting on my part either
-Hold breathe and quickly look to see if the deed is done. Turn head back the opposite way and let out your breathe
-Hold your breathe once again, turn around..pick up the poop, flip over the bag, beginning walking away, knot the bag, take two more steps and breathe out


The last step take only a minute but it is the most important step to limit the gag reflex.

Not only do dinner and walking consume the poop conversation but so does general conversation. I recently had to take Tylenol 3s and two members of my family began talking about my possible constipation...which I wasn't...Everyday the big conversation was...did I poop...I thought they were going to cheer when I did...I KNOW...we need a life but then again...Shit happens!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Break it down

I love to read recipes. I love to look at the pictures and imagine what it will taste like. I have been going online for years to search for new ideas and twists to our favorites. Because really how many times can you make the came chicken over and over.

So I am always looking for new ideas. I tend to go to allrecipes.com a lot as it is an easy site to search and has ratings; which for the most part, are true.

If you are trying to find a recipe by your local restaurant...chances are you will find it here copykat.com
Link
There are lots of site out there but then I came across this one today and the pictures are amazing foodgawker.com. This site will make you drool over the possibilities. For once I found a site where I am actually going to try the full recipe without making any changes....well maybe a substitution or two wouldn't really make a difference.

Monday, June 20, 2011

What to do on a Saturday

I woke up last Saturday morning in anticipation of my parents coming to the city for the morning. I never realized, until I started driving them around, how many great places there are in the city. We started the morning off with a tour of our "new farmer'sLinkmarket". While it may have been open for longer than new applies, the old farmer's market still thinks of it as the new building. Might have something to do with the whole original market being established in the 1700's ..but back then there was no Loblaws.

This market was open only on Saturdays but now has several days when it is open but Saturdays are the best as all of the vendors are in. There is everything there from coffee to handmade craft to vodka...oh yeah and some produce and meats . I enjoy strolling up and down the aisles as it is not only a great place to do your shopping but oh my...the people watching is a definite 10 out of 10. Bring cash and your appetite and you are sure to leave empty and full! Check it out at http://halifaxfarmersmarket.com/

After out stroll around the market,
we decided to head off to an oil and vinegar store I have been talking about. Trust me, I was a skeptic too until I took the taste test. I thought how different can olive oil be....well I am now a believer! It can taste like anything from your grass clipping to the most aromatic flavours, all of which makes you think of all recipes to try. The names may sound off but the taste is amazing. I will be forever converted. No more Bertolli for me. Check it out at: http://www.allthingsolive.ca/ I recommend the Herb Olive oil and the fig balsamic.

There are lots of other shops in the Hydrostone to check out, but it was time for coffee and I could taste a chocolate croissant in my future. Which meant we were hopping back in the car and up over the bridge to a tiny little place called Two if By Sea.



They make THE BEST croissants in metro. And ours had just come out of the oven. Now be forewarned if you have eaten before attempting this delectable you may want a doggy bag as it is not for the "bird eater
". It is true perfection from its crunchy outside crust to it layers of buttery pastry on the inside. YUM is the only word. There are lots of tasty treats here and the coffee is good too...which is always a plus. BUT on Saturday morning be prepared to wait in line and you wont be disappointed.

After our adventure we said out goodbyes and I started thinking, where will we go on our next Saturday adventure. I guess you'll have to stay tuned.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Everyone's a doctor

Some days I think I should put MD after my name. No I did not go to school for a gazillion years to study medicine, but I do have access to the Internet. In this day and age all you have to do is click on a couple very random questions regarding your symptoms and bam! you are diagnosed. No more long lines at the doctor's office or 3-5 months of waiting to get a cat scan. It really is a medical advancement.

The other day a woman in my office was having a pain in her head we thought ..tumor but according to web MD she has a brain aneurysm. Looking for a second opinion, she went to a real live doctor and crisis averted...she has a migraine. Whew it was close for a while.

I am sure self diagnosis is part of the reason the lineups are so long as everyone with an ache and a pain are panicked that they are going to die.....News flash:some day we all are....and while I am the first one who looks up various symptoms I or my family may have to get an idea of what they might actually have. I do take it lightly and wait until they actually see a doctor.

Sometimes the Internet has way too much information.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

But I want to

There have been many days when I have bit my tongue instead of saying what I really want to. There have also been many days where I have not gotten my own way. I may look gracious and smile sweetly but inside I am having a mental hissy fit to the max. While this may not always be the case, I do miss the days of having a full on temper tantrum.

Yes...I admit it, I want to stomp my feet, scream at the top of my lungs and have my head spin around. Being a grown up and having to learn to control my emotions at times...sucks. Now I must admit that when I see parents who are having to deal with their children in a full on tantrum I smile affectionately and sympathize with them but inside I am thinking...ok kid...milk it while you can. If you pull that shit when you get older you are going to wish that a small spank was all that you would get...instead of looking like a full on crazy person and then the police start showing up.

Sigh....I don't think I had many tantrums that I can remember. I do remember slamming a lot of doors, growling under my breath and a lot of stomping..but later learnt that my mother could see what was coming and knew that peace was only moments away after my stomping began. Meanwhile I sat and stewed and could not believe that I didn't get my own way. I have now become older, and hopefully wiser and found ways to get my own way without the full on hissy...but one of these day I am going to go out to a field in the middle of nowhere and scream for all I am worth.....call it memories of things I never did.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

I think I am a social experiment

Did you ever wake up and wonder why you got out of bed?

Some days I think I have cameras watching me just to see what I will do next. While people are at home watching, and thinking... this reality TV must be scripted. Nope, that's just me. I would like to say that the hair dye hasn't affected my thinking, my clumsiness is from lack of sleep or my perpetual apt for embarrassing myself is not a habit I am accustomed to ...but sigh..then I would be lying.

I have never been graceful, at any point, in my life. I have run into door jambs, the vacuum cleaner, tables, desks etc more times than I care to mention. I even have the bruises and lost toenails to prove it.

I have given up on my face blushing from any form of embarrassment and instead laugh it off. At least my neighbours enjoy the show. Now that I have you wondering...I will tell a little story called Exhibit A.

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I went out for dinner. I picked him up on my way home from work and off we went. After dinner we did some errands which involved a couple of stops, a trip to the hardware store and arms loaded. We got the stuff out of the car, I hit the automatic locks, we closed the doors and off we went into the house.

The next morning my husband goes off to work. I follow my sloth like routine and decided to head into work early as I had a couple of meetings to get ready for. I lock the front door and hit the automatic lock opener to the car and...hear nothing. I click the opener again and...nothing. This is strange. I then go back to the archaic days and open the car with the key and when I do all of the interior lights start to flash on and off...and I think...well that's odd. I put my key in the ignition, turn it and...nothing. SHIT!

So I think of possible solutions:
1. Call my husband and rant
2. Call roadside assistance
3. Call the dealership.

I go for option 3..no matter how tempting option one was. They log the scenario and tell me to call roadside, which I do. Then I wait..so much for going to work early...and wait...so then I call my husband to rant. While I do; roadside shows up. I grab my jacket and keys, lock the door and out I go. yes! The guy takes all of 3 seconds and my car is running. He says to let it run for 20 minutes. I say thank you, off he goes, I jump back in my car and look to my right...oh ohh..my purse and cell phone are in the house...which is locked. My house keys are in the ignition.

Now here is where I needed to make a choice. Behind door number one: go to work and forget the purse, I have a running car. Door number two: take out the keys with the house on them very quickly and replace it with my secondary key which is in my pocket from before.

Since I had a couple of meetings and needed my cell phone, I choose door number 2. The wrong door. Just for anyone wondering...you DO need to let your car run for 20 mins. Now what...CAA is already down the street. SO I go back in and call my husband to see if he can boost me...of which his response was...wasn't CAA just there..shut up!...come boost me. Luckily he was close by and this time I let the car run!

Now this would seem like any ordinary story except that in the past month I have done something similar twice more. Soon people are going to get tired of the repeats and change the channel. Maybe someday I will tell you about Tim Horton's.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

If truth be told...

1. I think if you are old enough to buy alcohol, you are too old to wear pajamas outside to do it.

2. A good friend will not only laugh at your faults but will also find ways to showcase your talents.

3. Why do vacuum cleaners come with a light on the beater bar?

4. Why did it always seem like a good idea at the time?

5. Why do airlines fly you west first when you are going east?

6. I always seem to meet people I know when I am looking my worst but see no one when I am ready for them.

7. Why do I always remember my keys are in the car after the door has just shut.

8. I think the TV should have a "clap off" option for when you are in bed and cannot locate the remote

9. Never trust the brownie behind the display case, it looks better than it tastes.

10. I think I should start a non-book club-book club. I would rather someone hand me a book saying "this was good..read it".

11. Why does take out sound like a better idea before you eat it

12. I don't think the smell is the egg you just ate

13. Karma is real

14. How can I go grocery shopping and still have nothing to eat

15. I really don't think my pants shrunk in the wash, but I would like to believe it

16. I would rather sweat from laying in the sun than from exercising

17. I think the DMV uses the photoshop warp tool before printing your license.

18. I never trust a critic's movie rating as I like being able to understand the movie

19. Turkey dinner taste better when mom makes it

20. I think 50 being the new 40 and 40 being the new 30 hasn't felt my joints at 6:30am

Saturday, January 8, 2011

What's in your cart?

OK, I admit it. When standing in the grocery lineup I look at what people have in their carts. It is some weird thing I do where I look at the ingredients and try to picture what they are going to make. unless it is a cart full of chips and pop and then i think drinking fest until I look up and see they are in their 80's and figure they are probably shoving their grandchildren full of "not alloweds" before giving them back to their parents. Karma can be a bitch.

I am just as guilty with my own cart. I look at the food placed haphazardly in the cart, and feel like others are watching and reorganize my cart...I know I need help. I also like to go up an down each aisle, unless my husband is with me..then we just need to pick up the exact items on my list and get the hell out. As I scour the aisles for new products and options from what I always seem to buy, I am on the look out for new packaging and branding.

I love to go into the one-off stores as well, as they always seem to have a weird organization of products. Like toothpaste and toilet paper go naturally beside each other but the paper towel is three aisles over. Then there is our lovely farmers market on Saturday where you get up early and race for a parking space that is less than 1km away. Have I mentioned that my husband would rather go shopping in a mall than to the market? Again, I know where each vendor is but feel gypped unless I go up and down each isle, I think I must have been a lab rat in another life.

So this morning after going for massages I casually mentioned that we should go to the market...coffee bribery is always good. I was sadly disappointed though as the crowd was almost non existent and half of the items were gone. On the flip side B. thought it was the best time to go...MEN!

So the next time you go to the market look at the odd array of items in your cart, peek around and throw something crazy in...just to make people wonder. Some days I have no life.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Live it up

Why does it seem that every where I turn lately, someone is either writing or talking about their life list or bucket list? Have making New Year's resolutions gone by the way side as they are too constricting to be done within the year; and therefore we have moved to bucket lists and things to get done by the end of our lives.

There are so many things which I would like to do but I seem to be more of a whim kind of girl, than the big dream type. They say you should have 100 items on the list, but my bucket list is simple:

1. Get B. to finish his "leftover" jobs around the house. This may take me until the end of my life to convince him to do
2. Get me to finish my leftover jobs around the house. ditto comment to above
3. Go to Greece
4. Be financially free...give me 10 more years on this one

I am sure over the years this list will grow and change but for now I am good with the four. After all I don't want to put too much stress in my life.