Short Blog Break

I'll be taking a short blog break to enjoy some family time. Have a Happy New Year when it comes!

One thing I learned yesterday from a friend whose wife is a nurse is that women with tattoos on their back cannot have epidurals (used for childbirth)  because the ink might cause an infection wherever the needle has to go (spine?)  Well, that is the belief in Canada anyway.  I went on snopes to investigate this and it seems some radiologists are refusing to perform MRI's on people with tattoos as certain inks may be harmful to the skin.  I'm glad I don't have any tattoos.

Anyway, enjoy these photos I took when M and I lunched recently at a new Panera Bread cafe.  Their food is fresh, healthy and absolutely delicious!  Their bread is unquestionably fresh-baked.  We really enjoyed their caffe latte.

bacon turkey sandwich and caffe latte

spinach bacon souffle and caffe latte

Boxing Day

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! M brought this nice bottle of red wine home from work last week. It was a gift from his boss, a nice thought.   It's been really busy around here, almost overwhelming, as I like it more quiet and prefer to be on a regular routine.

As we approach the New Year, I'm reading of all these cancer breakthroughs in the news.  It seems they have cured prostate cancer in mice and are making new discoveries about how normal cells help cancer cells spread.  This is great news going forward.

Light vs White Tuna

I picked up an information flyer at the grocery store concerning methylmercury in fish.  We are being cautioned to reduce our exposure to mercury in fish.  So we are to beware of King Mackerel, Shark, Swordish, Tilefish and white albacore tuna.  Canned light tuna from smaller fish such as skipjack is advised.  Fish considered low in mercury are: catfish, clams, cod, crab, flounder/sole, haddock, herring,ocean perch, oysters, rainbow trout, farmed salmon,wild salmon,sardines,scallops,shrimp,spiny lobster,tilapia,farmed trout.

I've heard about this before, but it was good to refresh my mind with this list.  I always buy canned light tuna.  Were you aware of this issue?

At any rate, have a wonderful Christmas Day, I won't post tomorrow!  We plan to go over to my mom and sister's place this evening,  my kids will celebrate with their cousins and we will exchange gifts.  Christmas Day will be spent with M's extended family.

our fresh wreath

Sunday Sketches - Deer

Just a quick sketch based on a photo I saw on a Tumbler blog. I grabbed a nearby post-it note and used a fine point marker and some watercolour pencils when inspiration hit!  It's a busy time of year that's for sure!  Have a great Sunday.

Linking to Sunday Sketches.

Visiting world sites remotely

The January 2013 of  'Good Times' magazine says we can now google our way around the world.  Just google World Wonders Project to see things like the treasures of Versailles from our computers. This project developed from Google Street View.

In other news, I got a free sample of Donna Karan's 'Cashmere Mist' eau de toilette, you know the scented papers stuck inside magazines, and I quite like this fragrance!  What's your favourite fragrance?  My regular fragrance is Nina Ricci's L'air Du Temps.

Paint Party Friday - Sailboat

I just did a quick sailboat sketch today for Paint Party Friday. It's done using a fine point marker on cardstock and watercolour crayons(8.5" x 11").

Have a great weekend!

Healthy eating tips

Browsing a flyer I picked up at the supermarket concerning healthy eating, here are some ways it recommends to add flavour to foods naturally:

Savoury:
stocks, broths, herbs, vinegars, ginger, garlic, onions

Spicy:
chili, mustard, curry, cumin, cardamom, coriander,peppercorns,horseradish, wasabi

Sweet:
fruit, coconut water, applesauce

Neat tips, I thought!

And look what we found at our front door when we got home the other evening!  This is the fun part of Christmas!

Godiva Chocolates

 

Beautiful Gifts

I was a recent winner of day 8 of  Lilly's Life 12 days of giveaway:

It was 10 pairs of beautiful MARVEL earrings! It's so fun getting lovely gifts in the mail at Christmastime! Thanks again Dear Lilly!

Yesterday I was at the gym and saw the attendant with a pair of huge pliers cutting through a padlock on one of the lockers.  I had to inquire as I had never seen this being done before.  The poor lady had locked her locker with the keys inside!  Isn't that maddening?  I have a combination lock and hope I don't one day forget the combination.   This lady even had a lanyard necklace off of which she hangs her keys.  Yep, it was inside the locker!

Creative Tuesdays - Holiday Song

For the latest Creative Tuesdays 'Holiday Song' theme, I decided to do 'Silver Bells'.  It's the first Christmas Carol that came to mind and I've always loved that song.  It has a magical, dreamy quality to it.  This piece is acrylic on cardstock, with the silver bells outlined with a fine point marker (4.5" x 6.5").  I did the branches in gold paint.

Please visit the other participants over the next few weeks, theme deadline is January 1st!

Brown Sugar Cookies

I made these brown sugar cookies based on a Crisco recipe that Dkzody spoke about in a recent blog post. She asked Crisco for permission to publish the recipe and they said 'no'. So you can just search for the recipe yourself and we can all avoid copyright infringement!

They were absolutely delicious and disappeared very quickly, besides being a simple, easy recipe!

A good friend and her husband dropped by with some of her own homemade cookies on the weekend,  quite an assortment, they are all good!   We had a nice chat about the passage of life, as we've known each other for about 30 years!

Sunday Sketches - Diamond Earrings

Welcome to Sunday Sketches!  I've done some diamond solitaire earrings today, inspired by all the jewellery being displayed in the newspaper ads at this time of year.  I've outlined the drawing with a fine point marker and completed it with pencil shadings.  It's (6.5" x 4.5") on cardstock.

Please visit the other talented participants!

Neat Seasonal Idea

Ikea Margarita Fabric

I took K to the dentist yesterday I was browsing the Dec 2012 issue of Chatelaine magazine I believe it was. I saw this cute idea for people who might be short of space. It recommended stretching this Ikea Margarita fabric with its Christmas tree pattern over a canvas and then decorating it with lights and ornaments! Why not?

The weather was a 'balmy' 6C, and I went for a walk with a friend in the afternoon.  Upon my return I read about the terrible Connecticut shooting rampage.  I pray for the families involved, it is hard to understand such tragedy.

Paint Party Friday - Diamond Solitaire

Welcome to Paint Party Friday! I've done a diamond solitaire engagement ring today. I've outlined it with a fine point marker and finished it with pencil shadings. It's (6.5" x 4.5") on cardstock. I'm influenced by all the newspaper jewellery ads at this time of year. I also love this style of ring!  What's your favourite?

Please visit some of the other talented participants!

Apple Pear Upside Down Cake

M, K and I finally went to see the new Skyfall James Bond movie.  M thought the movie didn't have as much action or gadgets as it usually does.  I thought it had lots of stunts and action but I went to see what all the fuss was about.  Daniel Craig does a good job as Bond and I liked the new theme song by Adele.

I was inspired to make this cake on the weekend as I browsed through the current edition of Healthy Living Magazine. The Apple pear upside down cake is on page 46 of the current edition, I think.  My version is actually just with apples as I didn't have any pears on hand.  It also called for buttermilk, but I used plain yogurt as that is all I had.   I also used almonds instead of pecans.  It turned out to be quite delicious!  If you like the magazine, you can sign up for a free online subscription.  It has all kinds of interesting health information.

On gift giving

Seasonal Sightings

I've starting delivering a few gifts. I dropped off some nice chocolates to the management and staff of my favourite McDonald's this year. My favourite attendant was there to receive it. I got a big smile and thank you from them all. It was totally worth it! That same day, I took a container of similar chocolates to my mom's pharmacist and also received a big appreciative smile and thank you. They had a bunch of interesting health flyers for the taking, information on the glycemic index and general healthy eating. I've never been sure if potatoes and corn belong in the grain or the vegetable category. So according to these flyers, they are considered grains, more's the pity!  That must mean popcorn is also in the grain category.  I was hoping it counted as a vegetable, lol.

We've been enjoying this box of 'Ferrero Collection' by Ferrero Rocher. It was a gift from a girlfriend. It contains dark chocolate, regular chocolate and their coconut flavour. Well, they are all fine flavours, including this new coconut one!

But to get back to the gift giving, I must say it's so much more fun to give than to receive sometimes, it does wonders for the self-esteem!

Creative Tuesdays - Mittens

Welcome to Creative Tuesdays' Mittens theme! This one is acrylic on cardstock (11" x 8.5"). If you look closely, you will see the mittens hanging off the tree, a seasonal contribution, if you will!  I actually took a photo of such a scene, except the tree was filled with birds that day.  I had the idea to replace them with warm mittens.

Please drop by the other participants to see their 'mittens' interpretations!

Food Find

I bought these Brome Lake duck sausages from Costco. It's a sundried tomato and garlic flavour that I sampled there. I baked it from frozen at 350 F for about 20 minutes after pricking them with a fork. They are delicious!

In other news, K got a small Christmas bonus from his part time job this past weekend!  It's nice when a company can do these little things for the workers.  The envelope had a nice little Christmas sticker on it and they were surprised at getting 2 envelopes instead of one paycheque!

Sunday Sketches - Liqueur

For Sunday Sketches, I drew a bottle of this popular liqueur.  I saw it at the back of  the liquor store magazine and gave it a festive touch!  Actually the festive dots came about when I accidentally splotched some of the gold paint on the background.  I just decided to add more dots!  It's acrylic on cardstock (4.5" x 6.5").

Please visit the other talented participants.

Extreme Pita

There is a new franchise at our mall eatery called 'Extreme Pita'.  We love it there.   We've tried the falafel and the chicken shawarma.  They are served with the freshest vegetables and sauces such as tzaziki and hummus and a light tasting pita bread.  It's undeniably healthy fare compared to Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell (which we also love!)  Pictured above are some of their yummy fruit smoothies, one is mango based and the other is strawberry banana.

Paint Party Friday - Tequila

For Paint Party Friday, I drew this bottle of Tequila I saw in the liquor store magazine. Apparently this brand is quite expensive! I'm not a drinker so I wouldn't know! I liked the shape of the bottle and I love the way the cork turned out!  It's acrylic on cardstock (4.5" x 6.5").

Please visit some of the other talented participants.

A Big Hit

I finally got around to making the Dark and Delicious Chocolate Velvet cake from the 2013 Milk Calendar. It was a big hit with us all. It's nutritious and contains one large beet and uses cocoa powder, all good stuff.  The recipe makes 8 servings at 281 calories per serving.  It's cake after all.  My picture is half a serving.

I've been learning that low fat food products are not necessarily better for you.  A lot of these products replace fat with sugar, for example in light peanut butter.  So you are better off buying real peanut butter and eating a couple of tablespoons of it.  It will make you feel more satisfied.  Did you know that? 

A fun morning

Lion Dance

My friend S and I attended the official grand opening of a local bank branch on the weekend. We were looking forward to all the freebies to be honest, being frugal people! So we entered a draw, drank coffee, got free reusable bags and little piggy banks. Then we had roast beef sliders, and some lovely cake at the end topped with berries. Oh, we met the local politicians who had been invited to make speeches and participate in the ribbon cutting. They also had a professional lion dance, as the area has a large Chinese community. We also had hot chocolate from a truck specially parked outside.

We discussed the sports arena and cultural centre that is currently under debate with the local councillor. He is against it, as we are, largely because it makes no financial sense. The mayor is in favour of it.  M sees an advantage for hockey players. We also discussed the looming teacher's strike which we don't support. It's sounding a bit like the NHL Hockey lockout. 

Anyway, it was a fun morning for S and me, did I mention we were stuffed?

Ikea Food Products

We were at Ikea recently and I was browsing through some of their food products. I came across these jars of orange and elderberry marmalade, and gooseberry preserves. Maybe I will try them sometime. They also had this Christmas Drink which I've never tried.

FreeStyle Fountain

Have you seen one of these Coco-cola Freestyle Fountains? I saw one recently. If you are a soda fan, it seems like a neat innovation.  You can mix your own flavours of Coke using touch screen technology, with a choice of 100 combinations.

I went to church yesterday on a rainy Sunday morning. I had to drive over as it was too wet to really walk comfortably. I entered the church and it sounded like they had piped Christmas-sounding music reverberating through the halls, it was really cheerful and joyous, something new, I thought. When the mass started, a Filipino priest visiting from Jamaica gave a moving sermon. It seems he is newly ordained, 3 weeks. Towards the end of mass that joyous singing started up again. Then I realized it wasn't a recording, it was an ebony-skinned young man (from Jamaica) singing effortlessly beside the choir. His lovely voice reverberated high into the ceiling, without being loud. The congregation applauded after the song. I'm saying, he could win X-factor no problem. I didn't recognize the beautiful song. The candle was lit for the first week of Advent. What a treat we had that day!

I happened to be sitting nearby a woman and her son. Her daughter had attended pre-school with my daughter L, so we were able to quickly catch up on what the girls were doing before mass started. The son is now 11 years old, how quickly time flies. Then later on, I turned to shake 'the hands of peace', another couple I knew happened to be sitting behind me. I was able to share with them my amazement at the talented singer!

My friend S was supposed to meet me for a walk afterward, but we cancelled due to the rain.

Sunday Sketches - Birds

Welcome to Sunday Sketches! This is an acrylic on cardstock (6.5" x 4.5"). It's inspired by a photo I took of some birds twittering in the trees, except that they weren't red.

Please visit the other talented participants!

Shazam

It's December!

So  yesterday K and I were driving the the car, and we hear this song playing on the radio.  We wondered who it was and he whipped out his ever present Iphone.  He used an app called Shazam that told him in seconds the name of the song and the singer!  It 'listened' to a few notes of the tune on the radio and 'shazam'!  There it was.  Yes, we are living in a different world these days.

M, K and I were out shopping at a packed mall last weekend, looking for a special gift.  Isn't it funny how you always find stuff for yourself while out Christmas shopping?

I took these photos of the Chrismas decorations at that mall for you. Santa was there taking photos with people.

Xmas Deco

Santa's Chair

Paint Party Friday - Trees

Welcome to another Paint Party Friday! This is an acrylic on cardstock (4.5" x 6.5") inspired by a photo I saw on Pinterest. I liked the depth of the trees.

Please visit some of the other talented participants!

A busy time of year

I snapped this photo late one morning, I thought the sky looked so pretty:

Well, our Christmas tree is up a few days early this year and I've made a good start on the Christmas cards. Next, I'll have to start wrapping some early gifts. K will take some chocolates to share at his part-time job. I will also drop some chocolates off at my mom's pharmacist, to thank them for their good service throughout the year. As for our newspaper delivery service, they have been terrible this month, with at least 3 missed deliveries. Maybe I won't tip them this year. I will get my hairdresser of over 25 years a bottle of wine. Yes, it's a busy time of year.

Childhood Memories

Walking at the shopping mall with my son K, I noticed this design on the floor. It's an Xmas hopscotch pattern. Isn't it cute? I started hopping on it and  K quickly moved on, embarrassed at my behaviour! Well, it was just for a moment, do you have happy childhood memories of playing this game in the schoolyard? I do!

Creative Tuesdays - Starry Night

It's time for Creative Tuesdays! The theme this week is 'Starry Night' and this is what I came up with in acrylic on cardstock (6.5" x 4.5").  I think  the dark purple background adds a rich feeling to the piece.  I used a bit of gold paint to add a bit of shimmer to everything.

Please visit the other talented participants!

Christmas Decorations

Here are some pretty Christmas decorations at the mall:

Have you started decorating your house yet, or done any Christmas shopping? I have put a few Xmas items out and packed away most of my fall decorations. I've started thinking about gifts I might get for others and already have a few purchased.  It snowed here for the first time yesterday and it's been a lot colder.

We went to visit L at her university last week as they weather was mild and very pleasant.  It was great to see her.  We took a lot of groceries down, so she should be set until she comes home for the Christmas break.  Yes, we spoil her!

The past weekend was busy, we went to a few College Open Houses with K and were pleased with the positive information we received. On Saturday night I went for a coffee and dessert evening at a friend's house with a bunch of girlfriends. I hadn't planned on staying too late, but came home at around 1 am, we were having such a good time.  I think the others planned to stay on for a couple more hours!

Sunday Sketches - Sunrise on the Snow

Welcome to Sunday Sketches! I did a  'Sunrise on the Snow' today in acrylic on cardstock (6.5" x 4.5").  I was going to add a quote to the piece then decided it didn't need one.  I just added that solitary figure in silhouette.

Please visit some of the other talented participants!

Zen

I took this photo in a store and thought the arrangement in the foreground looked so 'zen'.

I was talking to an acquaintance recently. She rents a basement apartment in a house. She approached the owner about the possibility of renting the second apartment in that house as it's larger. Well the owner says it would be fine, but he's waiting for the current tenant to vacate. They have missed their monthly payment but they are allowed two weeks to pay it. Even then, they can't be forced to vacate until after about four months of not paying their rent and have to receive all kinds of notices first. So renters are protected quite well these days, and now it's owners who are not protected. Owners may have to pay their own mortgages too!

My Holiday Card

As thoughts turn to Christmas, I have come up with my own Holiday card design. It's more of a contemporary style, acrylic on cardstock (6.5" x 4.5"). I've been wanting to do something with festive circles for awhile and this idea came to me earlier this week.

Linking to Paint Party Friday. Please visit the other talented participants!

The Compliment

The weather has been so mild this past week, I was out walking with my friend S on the weekend and snapped this photo. I liked the yellows on the shrub beneath the tree.  The shadows are pretty too.  It was just after 10 am.

The city of Toronto is very excited about The 100th Grey Cup football final on Sunday. Well, according to M as I'm not a sports fan. He will be attending a Grey Cup party on Sunday. Because of the NHL Hockey lockout, this CFL game is getting even more attention. That and the fact that the Toronto Argonauts are in the final against the Calgary Stampeders and the game is being held in Toronto! The Argos have not been in the final in a long time.

I was driving in dense fog yesterday morning and a lady driving next to me asked me to roll my window down so she could communicate with me. She told me to put my lights on as she couldn't see my car from behind. I put my high beams on and felt lucky for the warning from the nice lady. My car has lights that come on automatically but it was just the daytime lights. They are brighter at night. So much for automatic technology. Then I noticed most people had their high beams on. And some didn't have any lights on at all!

Then I got to the gym and the attendant complimented me on my jacket. He said it was nice, and inquired if it was a windbreaker. The girl next to him agreed and said the colour suited me! I thanked them graciously and decided not to mention that I've been wearing this coat for about 20 years. Maybe they are getting training on customer service, but still, they made my day!

Pretty Tree

I noticed this pretty store display at the mall, an all white Christmas tree made of flowers:

And from the 2013 Milk Calendar, I can't wait to try one of these 'Anyday, anytime smoothies'. I already bought some cottage cheese to try the strawberry smoothie, except I'll use fresh strawberries. I've noticed this year they are substituting cottage cheese for cream cheese, and it sounds like a good thing.

Traction Aid

I noticed what looks like a new product on a recent trip to Costco. It's called 'Get a Grip before you slip'. It's a traction aid that you slip over your running shoes. Wonder if this would help in the snow and ice?  I think I'll just wear my boots.

I got the 2013 Milk Calendar in the newspaper and am going to try a couple of interesting recipes in it. One of them is 'Dark and Delicious Chocolate Velvet Cake', it uses beets and cocoa and seems quite healthy and simple. Here is the recipe.

A most interesting conversation

I was at the gym last week, lying on one of the massage machines.  A friendly lady with whom I will often exchange pleasantries lay in the machine next to me.  I would guess that she is in her early sixties, a tall Jamaican of African descent.  With me being Jamaican of Chinese descent, we have a lot in common.  I asked her if she had started any Christmas shopping yet.  She said she had 2 married children and one still unmarried.  She will likely get gifts for her grandkids and maybe a gift certificate for her newly married son.
Her married daughter has asked not to exchange gifts because she really doesn't need anything.

This daughter travelled the world with her husband and two kids for a year and returned this past summer.  Somehow she managed to school her elementary kids under 10 years old.    I had to ask if they were independently wealthy.   It turns out that this daughter is a travel writer and will often get free hotel accommodation from the hotel being reviewed.  They travelled Western Canada, The U.S., Australia, Africa, the Middle East and returned through Eastern Canada.  She was even on some TV shows in various countries!   Her husband has a government job which allows him to take a year off every now and then with some planning.  The kids were schooled sometimes through internet courses, especially in places like Africa.  It was difficult for the kids to return to regular school but the older one has re-adjusted and the younger one  is still requiring extra tutoring.  And they want to do this again in a few years!

Well I must say this was a most interesting conversation.  I will likely never get to visit half of these places, ever!  It must be nice to be a travel writer.  Of course you would have to be a qualified journalist first!

The Leaves Are Gone

I've been inspired lately by all the fall images about the city. This piece is called 'The Leaves Are Gone'. It's an an acrylic on cardstock (4.5" x 6.5").

Linking to Sunday Sketches, please join us!

Festive Special

It's time for the Swiss Chalet restaurant's Festive Special! K and  I had this for dinner recently as M was out of town.  It comes with stuffing, cranberry sauce and some Lindt chocolates.

It's neat that they always give you a finger bowl to clean your fingers after your chicken dinner!

The Leaves Are Almost Gone

I've been inspired lately by all the fall images about the city. This is my latest one called 'The Leaves Are Almost Gone', it's acrylic on card stock (4.5" x 6.5").

Linking to Paint Party Friday. Please join us!
Also linking to Show and Tell Saturday at Artists in Blogland.

Food Find

A friend gave me some of her delicious Hawaiian chocolates with macadamia nuts inside.  I thought they were homemade, almost melting in my mouth. She said she got them from Costco so I checked them out when I went  there recently.   I've had Hawaiian chocolates before when a friend brought some back from Hawaii, but these are particularly delicious.  Anyway this is my food find for the week!

Speaking of homemade, I was at the grocery store with my daughter L while she was visiting the other day.  She noticed these platters of frozen seafood and said they looked exactly like the ones some lady had brought to a party she attended in the summer.  The lady had said she made them from scratch and everyone had complimented her  on how delicious they were!  Lol, I've read jokes about people doing this, but it does happen in real life!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made a batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on the weekend. I googled a nice recipe from Canadian Living. You can't go wrong with butter and brown sugar, it's hard to stop at eating just one! Well, I ate four that day!

Here is a website with lots of healthy recipes tailored to diabetics, but great even if you are not diabetic. It's in my family although I'm hoping I don't get it.  There is a booklet there that you can download.  I'd like to try the Zesty Artichoke Dip and their Slow Cooker Turkey Chili.

I enjoyed this video a friend sent me, and thought you might too.

He is 17 and she's only 15. But together, they won the
2012 Junior Division National Carolina Shag Dancing Championships.  

They're dancing to Joe Turner's "Flip, Flop and Fly."

Creative Tuesdays - News

It's time for Creative Tuesdays, thanks to MMm for hosting! The theme this week is 'News'. I was inspired by a photo on Twitter that my sister found, it was taken during the Sandy hurricane when it hit NY, New Jersey. It's watercolour pencils on cardstock (4.5" x 6.5").  After a couple of years sketching these art co-ops, I seem to do these very quickly now.  Practice makes perfect I guess!

Please visit the other talented participants to see what 'news' inspired them!

A Toilet Story

So I learned a new word last week, 'Webinar'.  That's a web seminar.  Have you ever attended one of these?  You just need your computer or an Iphone, Android phone, or tablet.  I was invited to a financial one, to teach me how to use some new kind of facility.  All I had to do was reserve my 'seat' at the particular date and time.  I wasn't really interested (didn't attend) but it's a new concept to me, being out of the work force.

Do you notice Google Ads popping up into all the websites that you browse, based upon stuff you have been searching on?  It's a bit annoying really, like an invasion of privacy.


I saw this story in the newspaper and for some reason I find these toilet stories interesting.


Victoria public loo voted best bathroom in Canada


'the stainless steel, unisex toilet provides an eco-friendly, convenient and free service that appealed to the most voters.' ...  'The finalists were selected on cleanliness, innovation, functionality, visual appeal and unique design elements.'

Sunday Sketches - Inspiration

It's Remembrance Day in Canada.  ' the date is of "remembrance for the men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace"; specifically, the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and all conflicts since then in which members of the Canadian Forces have participated'

The Ode of Remembrance:
They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.
Lest we forget.



For Sunday Sketches, I did an an inspirational  piece today, just a simple sunrise in the background! I found the anonymous quote on Pinterest.

Watercolour pencils on cardstock (6.5" x 4.5")

Please visit the other talented participants.

Low Carb Lunch

I had a low carb lunch the other day. I had been eating a lot of starchy and  sugary things and decided to try to make up for it with this lunch. It was leftover baked chicken with baked zucchini and carrot strips. It was quite filling. The zucchini and carrots are a nice combination if you haven't tried it yet.  That is just a saucer by the way, not a dinner-sized plate!

I also baked my own top sirloin roast beef yesterday. I'll use the leftovers for sandwiches instead of buying deli meat as they are loaded with nitrites and sodium. Well, it's a nice change for however long my momentum lasts! I have a good friend who has always fed her family the healthiest food. For example, they will eat salad without any dressing and actually like that. Wouldn't you know it, she has developed a high cholesterol level in middle age (due to family history)!  The irony of this story is that you can eat badly and live longer than someone who has tried their best to live a healthy life!

And Marie at The English Kitchen is having a fabulous giveaway of Jamie Oliver's new cookbook, 15 minute meals...I'd love to win that.