Girls Day Out

January 30, 2010 – Day 30

Today was girls day out! My sisters Darlene and Cathy, my niece Michelle and I spent most of the day together.

Our adventure began with a visit to the Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market. I bought a lot of goodies including: 2 dozen free-range brown chicken eggs, organic chicken breasts, ground chicken, ground beef, a few roasts (beef, pork and bison), golden flaxseed, carrots (both fresh and pickled), 2 Jamaican patties, a loaf of fresh homemade multigrain bread, Ukranian buns filled cottage cheese and dill, organic mini spinach and caramelized onion pita breads, homemade tabouli salad and tzaziki.

After unloading our pull cart – and our arms – we walked a few blocks to visit my cousin Shanda at work. Shanda manages Lush, a unique shoppe along Whyte Ave. that specializes in handmade bath and body products. We spent some time in the store – getting hand massages and being shown some of the products. In this photo Shanda is showing us how well the bubble bath foams up! Her job looks more like fun than work to me! I was sold on the strawberry scented bubble bath and also bought a chocolate shower bar and a lemon hand cream. Everything in the store looks and smells “delicious”.

After the fun we had in the store, Shanda came out to lunch with us. We ate at Chianti, also along Whyte Ave. I thoroughly enjoyed my choice for lunch: a whole wheat fettucini dish with sundried tomatoes and peas, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper.

Shanda had to return to work after lunch but the rest of us stopped at Chapters, where I picked up a book I wanted (and a beginner yoga DVD that caught my eye).

From Chapters, we went to see a matinee at South Common. We didn’t have a movie in mind beforehand but once we got to the theater we chose to see “When in Rome” – a lightheared girlie love story.

It was a wonderfully fun day!

Metis Status Application

January 29, 2010 – Day 29

My sister Cathy (in this photo), her boys and I went to apply for Metis status today. This was our second attempt – our first being in the fall of 2008. Even though Cathy, her oldest son and I had Metis status (and our Metis cards) with us the first time, we learned that we needed our long-form birth certificates and a completed genealogical record dating back to the mid-1800s in order to reapply under the new guidelines (that have been in place for a few years). We had what we needed with us this time and, even though it took us about an hour and a half to fill out the applications and put our genealogical information into a chart, we were successful. The woman who helped us with our application took our photos and said our cards will arrive by mail but she couldn’t give us a time frame within which to expect to receive them.

New Things

January 28, 2010 – Day 28

I bought myself a yoga mat and a couple water bottles today. I plan to continue to do the easy yoga DVD Christine bought me until I have it mastered and then I’ll try the Kathy Smith DVD again. One day I may even get brave enough to join a class! The water bottles are so I can take filtered water to work from home and save money buying bottled water from the stores downstairs when I’m at work.

Beware of Sodium Nitrites

January 27, 2010 – Day 27

I have been buying Olympic bacon by the four-pack for years; I always thought it was the best bacon out there. However, the things I’m learning about what food processors put in some of the items we buy in the grocery stores has been, and continues to be, a real eye opener. I’ve read a lot of information recently that indicates sodium nitrites (and nitrates) are preservatives that may cause cancer. And I have yet to find out what sodium phophates and sodium erythorbates are (also ingredients listed on this package of bacon).

Every person has to decide for himself or herself what to eat or not eat – and whether or not to pay attention to ingredients on the packages of food they purchase but, now that I am becoming aware of these things, I choose to err on the side of caution and switch to healthier choices.

Ken and I both love bacon and I will continue to cook with it on occasion but it won’t be Olympic bacon, or any other brand of bacon that contains preservatives, that I’ll be cooking with. From now on, I will only buy bacon from a local butcher – one that doesn’t add preservatives and additives to the meat!

Eating Clean

January 26, 2010 – Day 26

After having recently watched the documentary Food Inc., the movie Fast Food Nation and doing a lot of research on food, and superfoods in particular, I’ve decided to push my quest for good health up a notch. I have been shocked to learn how many unhealthy things are added to the foods that a lot of people in North America normally consume on a daily basis. Additives, preservatives, artificial flavours, artificial colours, ridiculous amounts of refined sugar, salt, and more. Why do we need all those things added to our food? Most other countries in the world don’t have such things added to their food – and most other countries in the world are healthier than we are!

I had already decided to look for a farmer who will sell us grass-fed beef. I want to buy my chickens and eggs from the Hutterites and find a farmer who sells bison. I want to start going to Farmer’s Markets regularly, buy more organic food, or even just good clean food that doesn’t have a list of ingredients that I can’t even pronounce! And thankfully, Ken is completely on board with me.

Little did I realize that there are already many people that are “into” clean eating! I’m discovering that there are a few people at work that eat this way and there is a lot of information online (all you have to do is google “eating clean” or similar search words) to find a plethora of information, recipes, success stories and so forth.

On Sunday, Christine phoned to tell me of book she found, and bought. The title was “Eat-Clean Diet” by Tosca Reno. It isn’t really a diet really; it’s more of a lifestyle choice based on eating good clean food, stuff that actually does your body some good.

So, today at lunch I went to Coles bookstore in the mall below the office tower I work in to see if they had the book in stock. They did – so I bought it. This may be a variation of the one Christine bought, because they had a couple on the shelf but it’s the same idea and written by the same author. When I went back upstairs, I realized Tosca Reno has also written a couple of cookbooks as well so I went back down to see if they had either stock. They had both in stock – so I bought one. I received a $25 gift certificate to the mall as part of the Christmas gifts my lawyers gave me at Christmas time and I used that towards my purchase – so a wonderful treat from them!

Hard to believe the author once weighed over 200 pounds! I am really excited about my new books and anxious to try some of the delicious-looking, clean-food recipes!

Yoga

January 25, 2010 – Day 25

So this morning I was all gung-ho to try the Kathy Smith yoga DVD that Christine sent me last week. I put it in to play and tried my best to follow the moves; however, I was quickly lost and ended up completely frustrated and angry. It seemed so technical, I was afraid I was doing the moves wrong, my belly was in the way – and it seemed like they were moving through the workout so quickly!

It drives me crazy when I can’t do something even though I’m trying my best, but I also can’t stand giving up and walking away! Thankfully, Christine gave me another yoga DVD when they came down at Christmas time so I gave that one a try. It’s very basic, very simple and slow enough for the ultimate beginner like me to follow along. I managed to get through the entire workout, although I’m still not sure that I did a couple of the moves right. And my belly was still in the way but I did the best I could in spite of it, although thankfully appreciated being in the privacy of my own home! I thought I might take a yoga class but I am rethinking that idea. I don’t think I’m ready to stretch and bend and jiggle awkwardly in front of a room full of strangers!

At the end of the workout I felt energized and wanted to do it over again! I didn’t though. I opted instead for the familiarity of my recumbent stationary bike and rode for 40 minutes this evening - but I am looking forward to doing the easy yoga DVD again soon.

A Nice Visit

January 24, 2010 – Day 24

Ken and I were generously treated to brunch today by my cousin Hazel and her significant other, John, who are visiting Edmonton from High Prairie. We went to Bonanza: a close-to-home restaurant that has good food – and plenty of it – to choose from. Ken and I don’t go out to eat very often so it was a very special treat! Thank you again Hazel and John – Ken and I both had a wonderful time!

Hazel is my first cousin once removed (her mom, Gladys, and my grandfather Leo were brother and sister). Hazel and John have been together for about four years but we don’t see them often and today was the first time we met John. I was quite excited to learn that John is a cousin of my dad’s brother-in-law (his sister Gladys' husband), Uncle Maurice!