Ready for the Oven

February 6, 2010 – Day 37

Here’s my first Hutterite chicken all prepped for the oven. I tried a new recipe I found online for rice stuffing (with pine nuts and raisins). It was perfect! I also made Honey-glazed carrots with Rosemary, a new recipe from the Wholefoods Cookbook I ordered from Amazon last week. Everything was exceptionally delicious and I’ll be adding these new recipes to my list of favourites.

We ate supper with our movie tonight so I didn’t have to worry about finding healthy snacks.

Baseboards

February 5, 2010 – Day 36

Ken bought baseboards for the basement today.

New Cookbooks

February 4, 2010 – Day 35

When I got home from work today I was excited enough to clap my hands and shout hooray a few times when I saw that my book order had arrived! I’ve been collecting cookbooks for at least 30 years – and I knowwwww that I gave away an entire shelf full of cookbooks over the last couple years but, but, but… I justified this purchase by convincing myself I needed more healthy recipes for my new healthier lifestyle! Note to self: give away two cookbooks from the full shelf of cookbooks that I still own to make room for these two.

I love ordering from amazon.ca – they are so fast (I ordered late Sunday night) and they are far less expensive than any of the bookstores in the city.

Basement Renos Update

February 3, 2010 – Day 34

Ken started priming the basement walls yesterday and finished today. It took a while for him to get to this stage but he did a perfect job of the drywall, taping, sanding and priming! It’s becoming easier to imagine that this is going to be a livable space one day.

Wonderful Step Parents

February 2, 2010 – Day 33

Once my stepdad (Ross) knew I wanted some chickens and eggs from the Hutterites, he went right to work to get me some! A couple weeks ago, Ross contacted a guy he used to buy eggs from (years ago) at the colony outside Westlock and they arranged to have some ready for him to pick up today. Ross and his wife Marg drove out to the colony, picked up the chickens and eggs and brought them to me this afternoon! While they were visiting, I took this picture of them. What a wonderful family I have!

My sister Darlene, Marg and a couple of her kids decided to buy some chickens and eggs as well when they heard Ross was going to pick some up. In total he bought 20 chickens and 15 dozen eggs. I took 5 of the chickens and 3 dozen eggs. I’m so excited to cook a chicken on my next day off!

An interesting thing Ross told me was the guy he bought the chickens from told him that he has an order from a doctor in the city for 150 chickens. Ross asked him what a doctor does with so many chickens. The guy said he sells them to his patients - says he believes the meat is that much better than store bought that he goes to this effort on a regular basis for his patients!

Spinach Salad

February 1, 2010 – Day 32

I had a spinach salad for lunch today. After I took this picture I drizzled the salad with a little of my current favorite dressing: Costco’s Oak Hill Farm’s Vidalia Onion (that my cousin Carol introduced me to through her Project 365 last year).

Healthy eating and exercise is paying off – I’ve been completely off my apo-triazide (water pill for borderline high blood pressure) for 9 days now. My blood pressure continues to be fine and I’ve lost 13 pounds (so far)!

Lush

January 31, 2010 – Day 31

When I got home from my day out yesterday, I put away the things I bought from the Farmer’s Market and left the other things I bought on the bottom step to take upstairs the next time I went up. Ken went upstairs before I did so he picked up the things to take up with him. When he picked up the bag of Lush goodies, he said, “The things in this bag smell good!” I was quite impressed that he noticed. I wanted to take this picture before I used any of these smell-good treats but I can’t wait to use at least one of them tomorrow. In retrospect, there are a couple more things I’m wishing I would have bought as well – so I’ll have to make another trip one day. My cousin Shanda manages the store so if you go in, say hi from me.

I love the mission statement of the company. It’s printed on the back of the paper bag and these are my favourite parts:

“We believe

…in making effective products from fresh organic fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics.

We believe in buying ingredients only from companies that do not conduct or commission tests on animals and in testing our products on humans.

We invent our own products and fragrances, we make them fresh by hand using little or no preservative or packaging, using only vegetarian ingredients and tell you when they were made.

We believe in happy people making happy soap…

We believe in long candelit baths, sharing showers, massage, filling the world with perfume and the right to make mistakes, lose everything and start again…”