To be the Whole Package

Follow me!!!!!

2010-09-22T21:07:00.001-06:00

To be the Whole Package has now moved to:

Toronto Girl West

Please change your bookmarks, feeds, and links.

Meet you over there!

Foto Friday

2010-09-17T10:00:00.000-06:00

I know of no better way to follow up a post about a day of alpine perfection than with a similarly inspired meal.

Welcome to another Foto Friday.

Question: What are your plans for the weekend? I have to spend part of mine working but I have a long run planned as well as a belated Daisy Birthday celebration!

The Hills are Alive

2010-09-16T19:57:00.001-06:00

How I have missed you, my blends (blogger friends)!

There are times, like this last little while, where my day job leaves me feeling so drained I scarcely find time to blog. It’s a side effect of reading all day long when I’m preparing for trials.

But inevitably I hear the siren song of blogging again.

And so I return. To share beautiful pictures. Tell you about my wonderful eats. Remember happy times. And feature all the loves of my life.

So let’s take a bit of a jaunt down memory lane, to a perfect summer day deep in the heart of the Canadian Rockies . . .

Where mountain meadows meet spectacular views.

And wild flowers bloom as though out of a fairytale.

No one had told us this beautiful place existed.

Discovering it led to an unexpectedly happy time.

The trails were so beautiful that for a moment, we thought we could turn this area into our forever home.

We soon changed our minds. The next year will likely see us return to the West Coast.

And when we leave, we’ll pack with our treasures the memory of a perfect alpine day.

Question: When was the last time you unexpectedly had a perfect kind of day?

A Day for Cheaters

2010-09-11T18:54:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

Tonight, I’m coming to you straight from Cowtown Canada – Calgary, Alberta. We're back here for some wedding related business but that doesn’t mean we can’t live it up while we’re at it; which is why we’re staying at the Westin hotel and treating ourselves a little.

Heavenly Bed? Yes, please!

I have to give major props to the front desk staff; despite the fact that we booked through Hotwire (and got a screaming deal) they still recognized my Starwood Preferred Guest status and upgraded us to a corner suite!!! There’s a reason I keep coming back to the Starwood hotels.

For dinner, we decided to hit up one of our go-to restaurants in this city. Which just so happened to coincide with my cheat day. That’s right, yours truly has been following a somewhat strict diet (trying to limit un-necessary sugars and fats) in the lead up to the wedding but once a week I allow myself a splurge day. Hence tonight’s dinner.

Perfect timing.

We discovered the MBA BBQ Noodle House, years ago on our first visit to Calgary. It was late, it was cold, and we were starved. Everything else seemed to be closed downtown – with the exception of some Chinatown establishments. In the end we chose the busiest restaurant.

Honestly, it was chock full of Chinese families. I always judge a Chinese restaurant by the number of old school families that are eating inside. The higher the number, (usually) the better the food.

We’re still working out the kinks of our over-ordering problem. Don’t judge!

For starters, we went with the hot and sour soup – the Fiancé's favourite. Honestly, we’ve had a ton of hot and sour soup over the years but no one does it better than this restaurant.

We then followed that up with a spicy squid. It ended up being a ton of seafood! And unfortunately, also fried. When we ordered the dish we envisioned something pan fried in a spicy sauce. Not so much.

And then there was the siu mai . . . ahhhhhhh the siu mai (shrimp and pork dumplings).

I’ve had dim sum at what is thought of as the best place in Vancouver (Sun Sui Wah) and some of the best restaurants in Toronto. And. Nothing. Even. Comes. Close.

In fact, before this little Calgary restaurant I didn’t even like this kind of dumpling!!!

All in all a fantastic meal (notwithstanding the fact that we barely touched the squid). And well worth my cheat day!

Question: Have you ever randomly discovered a jewel of a restaurant?

Foto Friday

2010-09-09T20:57:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

We’ve reached the end of another week – yaaaayyyy!!!!

And that means the return of another Foto Friday. Today’s post is brought to you by one of life’s simple little pleasures: a hotel breakfast.

That’s right. I’m a girl that loves me some room service!

There’s just something so indulgent about having breakfast brought to you in a gorgeous hotel room. The breakfast featured today was ~~devoured~~ savoured at the Hyatt International in Calgary. BTW, a hotel I would highly recommend.

Question: What are your plans for the weekend? We’re heading to Calgary (again) to run some wedding errands and indulge a little too!

Today Was a Good Day

2010-09-08T22:43:00.001-06:00

My afternoon was decidedly laid back and relaxed. And it was all thanks to a 3pm power outage that saw our boss let us leave early,

I have to confess I scurried away, lest the power come back on or my boss change his mind.

Once I was a safe distance from the office I decided to head to the gym for a run. Let’s just say it could have gone better. Clearly, the bananas in my breakfast are not agreeing with me. Noted.

After quickly rushing home for a snack I grabbed Daisy and headed out for one of our doggy hikes. It was kind of a cold and slightly wet day so we all played it safe and wore an extra water-proof layer.

Yes, even Daisy. She’s cool like that!

The emptiness of the trails was quite in contrast to the summer months teeming with other dogs, hikers, and mountain bikers. It was kind of nice to feel surrounded by the solitude of the forest. Of course that may just be the fact that we brought a hunting knife and bear spray for protection talking. Ha!

In all seriousness though, grizzlies and their cubs have been out and about in alarming numbers lately. Combine that with the fact that there are cougars, coyotes, wolves, lynx, and black bears on the trail and you can’t blame us for being prepared.

Like Daisy’s coat? It’s Gore-Tex and even has a reflective strip for greater night time visibility. Yeah, it’s mighty high tech of my puppers.

As an added bonus, it keeps her a tiny bit cleaner when she ends up muddy after our hikes.

Of course, what would one of our hikes be without our usual follow up dinner. Tonight’s menu is brought to you courtesy of the latest record run of wild sockeye salmon in British Columbia’s Fraser River.

You could taste the freshness of the fish in every bite.

All in all a wonderful night that left me feeling relaxed and ready for what tomorrow will bring.

Question: Have you ever had any crazy wildlife encounters? Do share!

Farewell to Summer

2010-09-07T21:26:00.001-06:00

In my corner of the world, today marked the first day of school. Summer has come to an end.

There’s a definite chill in the air. A wind that rustles the fallen leaves. Snow on the hill tops surrounding the city.

But what a summer it was. One filled with laughter. Doggy hikes. Blogger trips to Banff. And summer afternoons on sun drenched patios.

I will miss summer in the mountains. This will likely be our last. And I have to confess that makes this city-girl a tiny bit sad.

I will carry the memory of these past three summers with me.

And although I've much to look forward to this fall (wedding anyone?) warm summer memories will warm my cold winter nights.

So here’s to summer. The sweating. The laughing. The splashing. The hiking. The running. I have loved it all.

And here’s to the fall that will be. Filled with joy. Brimming with love. Abounding in its possibilities.

See you in a year my dear friend. Until then. Thank-you for all those special moments.

Question: What was your favourite part of summer?

Foto Friday

2010-09-03T04:41:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

Today’s Foto Friday is brought to you courtesy of the Victoria to Vancouver flight, I took a few weeks ago.

Don’t the Gulf Islands look lush? I was impressed by how much they resemble what you’d expect from Hawaii!

Question: Any plans for this weekend? I have a six mile long run planned, as well as, some chilling with Daisy and the Fiancé.

These Are a Few of my Favourite Things – a wordless post

2010-08-31T04:34:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

I hope you are enjoying my Vancouver Island recaps. I honestly believe the Pacific Northwest is a special place. And I love sharing its beauty with my readers!

On Today’s post I thought I would give you a bit of a walking tour through beautiful Victoria.

Shall we!?!?

Question: When you travel do you like to have a pre-determined itinerary or do you just go with the flow?

Sleepless in Victoria

2010-08-30T05:00:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

Happy Monday!!! In the words of one of my good elementary school friends: “Be Great” this week!

Today, I’m excited to share with you one of my favourite places in Victoria (Vancouver Island, Canada). When I moved to Victoria, to start Law School, it was one of the very first places I discovered: Fisherman’s Wharf.

Unlike, the wharfs one finds in other tourist cities, this one is still a working wharf.

People live here.

In ridiculously cute arrangements.

People work here (fisherman still bring in the catch of the day).

People sail out of here.

And of course tourists congregate here.

The main draw for tourists (aside from all the ridiculous cuteness) is Barb’s Fish and Chips. A wonderful take-out restaurant floating in the wharf. And that my dears, is the reason I was at Fisherman’s Wharf.

The line-up was very long. In fact I think I waited twenty minutes in line and almost fifty minutes for my food. But the food at Barb’s is worth every minute.

Let me put it to you this way – my parents, who have visited Victoria twice, still wax poetic about the fish and chips at Barb’s. It’s all in the freshness of the catch.

Once I got to the front of the line, I didn’t hesitate. I ordered myself a one piece halibut dinner with salad instead of chips. It’s the kind of meal that dreams are made of.

While I waited for my meal I headed off to browse around the Wharf. It’s really grown since I started going there, years ago.

Eventually I was called to the window to pick-up my meal.

I took my precious loot and found a nearby bench. It had been much too long since I had some Barb’s.

The coleslaw at Barb’s is my favourite – bar none. And the salads are fantastic (I love me some beets).

And then there is the fish – halibut just doesn’t flake like this, away from the Coast.

I loved every moment of my Fisherman’s Wharf experience; and I can’t wait to go back.

Question: What is your favourite fish? I love salmon, red snapper, halibut, cod, and tuna – equally!

There’s No Place Like Home

2010-08-29T15:14:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

I’ve missed you friends!!!

After almost a solid month of travelling (mostly for work) I finally arrived home late on Friday night. It feels so good to be back in my own casa.

The next time I travel will be in late September; granted it will only be for a few days (in Vancouver). Then there are October and November – which will frankly be non-stop travel. The difference is that those trips will be for pleasure!!! I will be flying to Southern California to run the Long Beach Half Marathon, Toronto for my wedding dress fitting, Whistler for a brief work event, San Jose del Cabo (Mexico) for our wedding, and then Guanajuato (Mexico) for our honeymoon. Happy times indeed!!!

For now though I’ll enjoy chilling in my Rocky Mountain casa.

With all this running around I need to catch up on a lot of blog posts. That means for the next little while you’ll see Vancouver Island, Rocky Mountain, and Calgary posts.

A Little Slice of England

While I was on Vancouver Island, my co-workers did their best to introduce me to all their favourite haunts.

One place in particular, The Crow and Gate, was deemed special enough for my goodbye luncheon. The property is located outside of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, Canada on beautifully landscaped grounds.

I’ve never been to England but this is what I imagine a proper pub in the countryside to look like.

Diners could either choose to enjoy their lunch in the cozy and dark interior (probably a wonderful place on a cold rainy winter day) or in the lovely exterior of the premises.

There is no traditional table service at the Crow and Gate, rather, everyone orders at the counter. At the suggestion of other diners, I ordered the local (from Fanny Bay) pan-fried oysters, paired with a Pimm’s.

If you’ve never had a Pimm’s, I highly recommend you give it a try! It’s a cocktail made of Pimm’s (an old school gin based beverage), mixed with either sprite or ginger ale, and traditionally garnished with cucumbers, mint, and strawberries. It goes down very easy and is wonderfully refreshing on a warm summer’s day.

There was a bit of a wait for food but I was so busy enjoying the ambiance that, I scarcely noticed.

When my plate did arrive I was genuinely surprised at the size of the oysters. They looked rather plump and juicy; rather unlike any pan-fried oysters I had ever eaten.

You’ll have to excuse the lack of further food pictures – my co-workers didn’t know about the blog and given that it was my last day I preferred to keep it that way. But you will have to trust me when I say that the oysters were magnificent!!! So good in fact that when I cut into the first one a spurt of oyster juice went flying. Not gross. I swear. lol

Honestly, I couldn’t have thought of a better place to visit on my last day in Nanaimo. It was a fitting end to a wonderful two weeks at the local office.

Question of the Day: Do you like oysters? What is your favourite way to eat them?

Down on the Boardwalk (Penny’s Palapa)

2010-08-23T20:41:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

It’s Monday and I’m finally back in the Rocky Mountain casa. It feels so good to be home. Aside from the ridiculously joyful reunion with Daisy, it’s just nice to be in my own space. In fact I slept like a baby.

It was the sleep of the happy.

Although, I’m completely enjoying my return to the Rocky Mountains I can’t help but reminisce about my last couple of weeks spent by the Ocean shore.

There’s just something about living so close to the water that is soothing to the soul.

Walks on the boardwalk, views across the great blue escape, and drinks at the yacht club. I relished in every Island moment.

Of course, I did my best to enjoy as many meals by the waterfront as possible. One of my favourite came at a wonderful Nanaimo spot, Penny’s Palapa.

Located on a floating barge in the middle of the harbour, Penny’s Palapa is a super cute and colourful restaurant. A perfect place to spend a leisurely summer lunch.

The menu was as unpretentious as the locale.

It only took one glance at the menu and I knew what I was going to choose. You see, once upon a time I visited Ensenada (Baja California, Mexico) and had fish taco perfection. Ever since I have been looking for a taco that could stand up to the Ensenada tacos of my dreams.

Since I knew this would likely be my only chance to visit this particular restaurant, I indulged in a bit of over ordering and started with a Mexican tortilla sauce.

I’m far from a Mexican tortilla soup connoisseur but one thing is for sure – this soup had flavours that reminded me of home. Given, that my mom is a fantastic cook, that is indeed a good thing.

I ate about half the soup and didn’t regret one bit of my over ordering.

I have to confess I was a bit disappointed to see the use of what looked like rather huge flour tortillas. I like to keep it genuine (i.e.: corn).

Still, the big pieces of red snapper filling more than made me forget about the tortilla. In El Salvador (where I’m from) we’re quite partial to red snapper so I was thrilled with this fish taco.

Close.

Closer.

I filled my tacos with all the greens and salsa that I could find on the plate. While this may not have been the most genuine fish taco it was nonetheless a quality dish. I was one very happy camper.

Question: Have you ever had a fish taco? Thoughts?

Good Even in the Dead of Summer

2010-08-21T05:00:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

How is your weekend treating you? As you read this, I’m enjoying one last full day in Victoria before heading back to my Rocky Mountain casa. If all is going according to plan, I’m spending today hitting the gym, running along the Ocean, and taking in the vibe of this small but impressive city.

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time at all, you know I’m a huge foodie! But did you know that one of my favourite things are soups!?! It’s true! Even in the dead of summer I love me a good bowl of yumminess!

Recently, I hit up the Noodle Box – a Victoria chain of restaurants that have now expanded to Vancouver. The whole premise of the Noodle Box is that everything is made to order, in an open kitchen, using fresh ingredients.

Tom Yum? Yes please!!!

This dish contained a wonderful blend of rice noodles, bean sprouts, green onions, chillies, prawns, and a spicy hot and sour style broth. It was so good I kind of wish I had some right now! Love!!

Question: Are you a soup in the dead of summer kind of person too?

Foto Friday

2010-08-20T05:00:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

It’s Friday!!! I’m done my two-week stint at the Vancouver Island office. I have had a great time but I miss Daisy and the Fiancé, so it’s time to head home.

But not before another Foto Friday – let’s call this the dining with the future in law’s edition. The wonderful evening featured on this post was brought to you courtesy of the Fiancé's aunt, uncle, and mom.

Question: What are your plans for the weekend?

Tea Time in Canada’s Most English City

2010-08-19T05:00:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

We made it all the way to hump-day bloggies! From here on in it’s full speed into the weekend. This is the last of my two weeks here on Vancouver Island which means by this Sunday I’ll be reunited with the Fiancé and Daisy. Cue the happy dance!

In the meantime I’m doing my best to enjoy some of the things I love most about the Island. Of course, that meant I had to pay a visit to an old favourite of mine – Murchie’s.

Victoria is a city that prides itself not only on its beauty but also on its Englishness. From the double decker buses, to the Empress hotel, and amazing scones, it’s Canada’s most English city. And what could be more English than tea time?

My favourite place to have tea in Victoria is actually somewhat unorthodox in that it has a counter where you order you food. While it may not be the most traditional of settings it results in a decidedly more affordable experience. Since the food and tea are fabulous, I’m game!

My stand-by order at Murchie’s is a currant scone (served with Devonshire cream and jam) and tea. On this occasion, however, I strayed from the scone way of things and headed straight into the arms of three small French style macaroons (paired with a pot of tea and a sandwich).

Honestly, the sandwich was nothing short of spectacular. The bread was hearty and fresh and the fillings were delicious. As far as I could gather the fillings included lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, bacon, and an aioli. Simple enough ingredients but somehow they came together wonderfully.

For those not familiar with a French-style macaroon they bare no resemblance to their coconut based American cousins. A French macaroon is a confection made using egg whites and hazelnut flour. The mixture is then piped and baked before being sandwiched together with a filling of choice.

In my experience it’s nearly impossible to find macaroons in Canada so when I saw these lovelies in Murchie’s, I jumped at the chance to savour them once again (I hadn’t had a macaroon since my sister, who lives in Montreal, gave me some for Christmas). They really were better than I was expecting. Surprisingly, for my lemon loving self, the raspberry one was my favourite.

Before calling it a day I made sure to stop by the adjoining gift shop.

For a tea drinker this place is basically paradise. Full of a myriad of tea pots, trinkets, china, and of course, tea.

Somehow I managed to find a bit of self-restraint and bought only a box of Murchie’s Afternoon Blend (my fave!) as a present for the gentleman who often looks after Daisy when we’re away.

On the whole I think it’s safe to say I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Murchie’s. In fact it’s one of the places I most look forward to visiting when I’m in Victoria.

Question: Are you a coffee or tea drinker?

Celebrating the Bride-to-be (Part II)

2010-08-18T14:00:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

So after I was pampered and enjoyed a totally swanky afternoon the fun continued.

After leaving the cabana area we headed to a frozen yogurt store located downstairs in the Fairmont Waterfront. Bella Gelateria was absolutely a foodie’s dream! To the owners gelato isn’t just a cool treat. It’s art.

In fact the store is owned by a couple, the male counterpart of which is the gelato maker. To learn how to make gelato, James (the official gelato maker) honed his art at the Italian Culinary Institute and followed that up with advanced master’s training at Carpigiani’s Gelato University. In 2012 James will even represent Canada at the Gelato World Cup in Rimini, Italy.

And the gelato? It was everything you would expect. Decadent.

Eventually we left the Fairmont Waterfront but we did it in absolute style. We took one of the chauffeured luxury cars for a tour of Stanley Park before stopping at my hotel for check-in (The Sutton Place Hotel) before ending up at a Korean restaurant for dinner.

While there are other yummier Korean restaurants in Vancouver, Sura has a great atmosphere.

My go-to meal at Korean restaurants is sundubu, a spicy soft tofu stew. It’s delicious!

I ordered my usual but made a point of taking a picture of some of the other dishes around the table.

While the food was delicious the company was better. Living in the Rockies I seldom get a chance to spend time with my friends. This weekend in Vancouver was a rare and wonderful treat.

As we walked back to my hotel I counted my blessings. I truly am thankful for all I have.

My friends took the time to organize a wonderful bachelorette weekend; It was honestly more than I ever expected.

(part of the view from my hotel room)

I felt truly loved and appreciated.

If anything, this weekend made me even more excited for the wedding. We honestly can’t wait to have all of our nearest and dearest there to celebrate our day!

It’s going be an awesome time. I can’t wait for all the festivities surrounding the wedding day. I get to marry my lobster (Friends anyone?). What a privilege.

You know in The Sound of Music when Maria and Captain Von Trapp are in the gazebo and she sings “’cause somewhere in my wicked childhood I must have done something good . . .” That’s kind of how I feel.

I may not have had a wicked childhood but I sometimes find myself wondering what I did to serve all of these blessings. I’m healthy, I have friends, I have love, I have a darling puppy, I have a family that supports me, I have a great career, I want for nothing, and in November I get to live out a fairytale.

I am ever so grateful.

Question: When was the last time you counted your blessings?

Celebrating the Bride-to-be (Part I)

2010-08-17T20:38:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

Sorry for the delay in getting back to blogging. If you follow me on twitter you know that my laptop basically up and practically died on me. Every time I sat down to blog it would freeze up; I spent many hours on Sunday and Monday nights trying to get it to work. But alas!

Eventually I did what any reasonable blogger would do – I went and purchased myself a netbook! I am now the proud owner of a lovely new Toshiba blogging toy!! Perfect for all those trips I always seem to be taking.

Last we talked I was on my way to Vancouver for my bachelorette/wedding shower weekend. I can safely report that I had an absolutely lovely time!!! Honestly, my friends not only did a wonderful job planning but they also made me feel celebrated and loved.

To get to Vancouver I had to take a ferry from Vancouver Island to the mainland of British Columbia. I know the very thought of boarding a vessel to get to a bachelorette weekend is a strange thought to a mainlander but when you live on the Island it’s a way of life.

I have to confess my usually land-locked self loved every moment of that ferry journey. Basking in the sunlight at the front of the ship was in and of itself a highlight of my weekend.

Once I arrived in Vancouver I quickly grabbed a cab and headed to my first destination. The Vida spa at the Westin Bayshore Hotel.

My friends had arranged to meet me at the spa where they had set up a whole host of treatments.

My half-day of treatments consisted of an Ayurvedic exfoliation and massage, a facial and a manicure. Talk about bliss overload. When I emerged from my first treatment I had officially been reduced to a relaxed mush. I don’t remember the last time I felt that way.

Overall the Vida spa was a fantastic place for a girl’s get-together. Especially since they have a trendy and relaxing lounge for you to enjoy before or after treatments. Much of our day was spent chilling in bath robes, relaxing, enjoying either lemon or cucumber water, and nibbling on fruit or nut snacks.

I visit Vancouver often and most of the time I stay at the Westin Bayshore. So needless to say I will absolutely be back to the Vida Spa!

I couldn’t believe my friends had pampered me to such a degree. And just when I thought it couldn’t get any better – it did!

Once we were done at the spa I was whisked away to a secret destination. No one would tell me where we were heading!

After some driving around Vancouver we pulled up to the new Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, where one of my friend’s had worked her hook-ups to get us a private cabana! Swanky!!

Our cabana had cushy lounge furniture, drinks, food, a large flat-screen television, and a great view. It honestly was very cool and felt nothing like Vancouver. Instead it felt like the kind of thing you would expect to find in Las Vegas.

My friends outdid themselves and packed a gourmet picnic from a local purveyor. The meal featured a lovely sandwich (un-pictured), some wonderful home-made chips, mojitos, and cupcakes!!!

Everything was absolutely yum but the cupcakes courtesy of the store Cupcakes were my favourite part of the meal. Once upon a time I was fortunate enough to eat one of their treats fresh out of the oven. I’ve been a fan ever since.

At one point in the afternoon we decided to venture up several dozen floors to see the property that secured us the cabana hook-up. Generally, the only people allowed into the cabana level are hotel guests (I considered staying there but they only had one room at $500/night and I’m not that crazy . . . yet) or property owners. That’s right. You too can own a swanky condo at the Fairmont Waterfront.

Want to see what nearly $5.5 MILLION dollars gets you?

Ummmm . . . hello, ridiculously unobstructed views! WOW!!! That place was out of control. Drop dead gorgeous. And yet – maybe not $5.5 MILLION dollars gorgeous! lol

There was still more bachelorette fun to come in my day. But I think it’s safe to say I was already feeling very very very happy!

To be Continued . . . .

Question: What did you do for your bachelorette? If you’re not married – what would you like to do?

She's Back!!!!!

2010-08-14T10:49:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

I hope you have all had an amazing week!

I've managed to keep a good work-life balance this week. Unfortunately I've also been without Internet - hence my disappearing act.

Right now I'm on a ferry to Vancouver for my bachelorettte/wedding shower. Wooohooo!!!!

I will be back tomorrow with a proper post but here's the short of what I have done this week:

I got a massively overdue hair cut. <3

I've run by the Ocean. Heads up - I experienced a moment of personal triumph that left me crying during a run.

And I've taken care of this little guy. We're working on becoming amigos!

So tell me......what have you been up to?

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Foto Friday

2010-08-06T12:37:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

This Friday sees me traveling once again. This time, I will be boarding a plane and heading to spend the next 2+ weeks on beautiful Vancouver Island off of the West Coast of British Columbia.

I am no stranger to this area of the country. In fact, I spent four years living in Victoria.

I can honestly say that Victoria is a city that changed my life. The girl that arrived in that city was massively overweight, lacking in self-confidence, and in a bad relationship. The girl that left had taken charge of her life, lost a ton of weight, ran a 10K, ended that bad relationship, became a lawyer, and met her future husband. Not bad, eh!?

Clearly I have a soft spot for Van Isle.

And since I’m going to assume you’re curious – I took this picture from the patio of my very first place in Victoria. I was blessed enough to spend several years at the foot of Foul Bay Road with a glorious view of the Juan de Fuca Strait and the Olympic Mountains (Washington State) on the other side. This picture hasn’t been retouched in any way. It really was that glorious.

Question: What are your plans for this weekend?

Why I’m Reconsidering my SHAPE Subscription (plus an awesome new workout)

2010-08-05T23:26:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

SHAPE was my very first introduction to the world of fitness magazines. Even before I started working out I would treat SHAPE as my gateway into a life I dreamed of having. One filled with runs, weight training, healthy eats, and a positive body image. I will always be grateful to SHAPE for the role it played in my journey towards wellness but right about now I find myself seriously reconsidering my SHAPE subscription.

Those of you who are frequent readers know that the Fiancé and I, will be tying the knot in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico this November 10th. Like any bride-to-be I’m hoping to look my best on my wedding day. So when I came across a SHAPE Bride app (for my iPhone) I downloaded it without hesitation.

Included in the app is a section that SHAPE calls countdown to gorgeous. The whole point of that section is to give brides a countdown of what they should be doing in advance of their wedding day. I can understand telling me to work on clearing my complexion, get a haircut, or even consider brightening my smile . . . but then they crossed the line. Big time.

The Two Month screen suggested that I banish wrinkles: “A Botox injection can temporarily relax the facial muscles that can cause crow’s feet, frown lines, and forehead furrows. But since your muscles take two to three weeks to soften after the needle pokes, it’s best to see your dermatologist for injections no less than six weeks before the wedding.” (Taken directly from the SHAPE Bride app)

Seriously!?!? Who comes up with this stuff!?!? I’m willing to bet the majority of readers of SHAPE magazine range from 18-35 years old. Women that are in the prime of their life. And SHAPE’s advice to their readers that are getting married is to inject botox into their bodies!?!?

For those of you that are unaware, botox is derived from botulism; a rare disease that causes paralysis. Paralysis in children = bad. So why in the word would we consider partial and temporary facial paralysis to be good.

Frankly, I am appalled that SHAPE magazine would suggest I inject botox to prepare for my wedding day.

Test-Driving Women’s Health

Given that I may be forgoing my SHAPE subscription, I’ve decided to test run other fitness magazines. First up was Women’s Health Magazine. This was my first time purchasing WH and I’m still working my way through its pages. Thus far its content is looking good. But the part that has most impressed me has been its workout section.

Earlier this week I decided to do their feature workout for this month. I tore out the flash cards from my magazine and set about tackling the eight moves in their “The Best Workout for You!” I have to confess I seldom hold out much hope for workouts from magazines but this one was ah-mazing.

Not only was I dripping in sweat by the time I was done but I was sore the next day. Not a little sore – a lot of sore! My butt and my inner thighs hurt oh so good.

You can refer to the Women’s Health Magazine website here for the instructions to this workout but here are the moves:

Move #1 – Shuffle with Reach

Extra Tip: Use resistance bands or weights to make this harder – I used 7.5 lb weights.

Move #2 – Squat with High Pull

Extra Tip: If you don’t have resistance bands you can use weights one again. I recommend 7.5 lb weights.

Move #3 – Single Arm Chest Press with Rotation

Extra Tip: Remember to concentrate on your abs during this move. Contract your muscles and really think about what you’re doing. Again I suggest using 7.5 lb weights.

Move #4 – Side Lunge to Shoulder Press (I loved this one!)

Extra Tip: I once again recommend 7.5 lb weights but if you don’t have any feel free to use bottles of waters or a heavy can.

Move # 5 – Reverse Lunge with Row

Extra Tip: Make sure that you maintain tight abs throughout this exercise sequence. It would be easy to allow the bands to pull your body forward. Fight that urge with a strong core.

Move #6 – Step with Rear Leg Lift

Extra Tip: Make sure the movement forward on this exercise doesn’t come from momentum. Contract your muscles and really use your glutes.

Move #7 – Plank Sweet (another awesome move)

Extra Tip: These can be very tough. Feel free to take a break if you need to but make sure you don’t rest for too long. You want to keep your heart rate up.

Move #8 – Kayaker

Extra Tip: If you don’t have a body bar you can always use a broom or mop handle.

I did all of these moves as a circuit three times. It was a fantastic workout and I highly recommend it!

Not bad Women’s Health . . . not bad at all!

Disclaimer: All pictures courtesy of Women’s Health. All Tips courtesy of moi.

Question: Do you subscribe to any magazines? If so, which ones?

Good Things Come in Three – now with a HUGE announcement

2010-08-04T22:01:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

How have things been going on your end? I hope you had an awesome weekend – and if you’re Canadian, I hope you had a fantastic long weekend!

As for things in the casa, I have to confess today was not a great day. I woke up with a full on fever accompanied with watery burning eyes. It was so bad that it had me blasting my heat inside the car . . . in the middle of summer!!! Eeek! To make matters worse work ended up being a decidedly rough day. I wish I could go back and get a do-over.

But no used on crying over spilled milk, right!?! Besides, I have three wonderful news to share with you today. In light of that awesomeness I propose we move on past my meh day and head on to my news.

Good Thing #1 – The Winner of the POM Giveaway

Thank-you so much to all of you that entered my POM Giveaway last week. I have to confess it warms my heart to be able to host those giveaways; I know I have been on the receiving end of some great prizes from fellow bloggers (the last one coming courtesy of Marianne of From French Fries to Flax Seeds) and I love the chance to pay it forward.

So without further ado. The winner of the POM coupons (as chosen by Random.org) is . . . .

Jessica of Dairy Free Betty!!!

Woohoo Jessica! No need to send me your addy amiga – a hand-to-hand trade-off will surely take place on Vancouver Island over the next few weeks!

Good Thing #2 – Long Beach Half Marathon

I am officially into week two of my Long Beach Half Marathon training. Yes bloggies, it’s actually going to happen! I’m going to become a halfy (HA!) come October 17th, 2010.

To get me to the finish line I’m using a modified version of Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon Training Program for Novices. His training plans seem to be blogger favourites so I figure I can’t go wrong. Now as fantastic as his plans are I am modifying them a little. For the most part I’m going to try to get myself across the finish line by running in between 3 and 4 times a week; some may run five times a week but I have learned through experience that my body can’t handle running everyday. I’m confident that reducing my number of running days will help me steer clear of any over-use injuries.

To follow my training you can check back on this blog or for more regular updates you can check out my Daily Mile widget on the right hand column of this blog.

I’m seriously excited to do this half marathon!!! It’s first in a series of fitness goals I’ve recently set for myself; I’m even planning on competing in a Sprint Triathlon next summer. And yes, I recall saying once upon a time that I would never do a tri but Ironman CDA changed my life!!!

Good Thing #3 – No Limits Canada

This one is HUGE bloggies! In fact, I daresay it’s EPIC!!!!!

In the recent past the healthy blogging word has given birth to some awesome movements and events (think Operation Beautiful and the Healthy Living Summit). It has been completely humbling to see what this community can accomplish. Recently, a group of us got together and decided that it was high time that something similar come to the Canada.

Today, myself, Susan (The Great Balancing Act), Morgan (Life After Bagels), Scott (Your Inner Skinny), Jen, and Nienke (Revel) are proud to announce the inception of:

No Limits Canada: Health, Wellness, and Fitness Conference

This wonderful conference will be a multi-day event taking place in Toronto, Canada in May, 2011 (final date to be announced soon). The event will be open to anyone, regardless if they’re bloggers or not or even country of residence. We hope you will join us for what is guaranteed to be a weekend full of speakers, hands-on health and fitness classes, photography workshops, foodie goodness, swag, and fun explorations a fantastic cosmopolitan city!!!

Right now the best way to stay updated is through our respective blogs, the official No Limits Canada website, or through our twitter account.

I’m super excited about the event and I hope you are too!!!

Question: Will you consider attending “No Limits Canada: Health, Wellness, and Fitness Conference?”

Foto Friday

2010-07-30T08:20:00.001-06:00

(source)

Hola Bloggies:

It’s Friday again!!! I don’t know about you but the second half of my week seemed to just zoom by – which suits me just fine!

I was looking at the calendar the other day and realized that we’re only three months away from our wedding. EEEK!!!! That’s super exciting and yet a little stressful at the same time. The dress, the honeymoon, the invitations, the ceremony, the guests . . . there are so many details to with which to preoccupy myself. Thankfully, our wedding invitations will go out this following week. It’s later than we hoped it to be but we were pretty specific about what we wanted and we had to wait for certain materials to be sourced. Once the invites are out I’ll be sure to blog about our whole wedding invitation suite – we’re really quite thrilled with how it turned out!

In the meantime, I thought today’s Foto Friday should feature a glimpse of our honeymoon destination – Guanajuato, Mexico. It’s not what people envision when they think of Mexico and that’s exactly what we wanted. Something off the beaten (North American) tourist path. Somewhere that allowed us to live out our “sitting in a cafe in a beautiful historical city” visions. Guanajuato turned out to be perfect.

Question: What are your plans for this weekend? It’s a long weekend here in Canada so I’m sure I’ll get up to some chelaxing (chilling + relaxing)!

High Altitude Roasting

2010-07-28T22:45:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

I know I keep on mentioning this but it’s still sweltering up here in the Rocky Mountains. In fact it’s almost 10PM and it’s only now starting to get bearable. All I know is, I have heaps of respect for those of you that live in the South.

My guess is that although I was born in the tropics I forgot to live in crazy heat somewhere along the way!

Monday it was over 100 degrees by the time I left work (over 40C). I couldn’t bear the thought of cooking so I went to the grocery store to buy a deli sub for dinner. That’s when one of my co-workers called wanting to know if we were still on for our standing Monday night doggy hike. Truth be told I was stunned to no end. I couldn’t imagine Daisy out in that heat. To compromise we decided to head out to one of the local lakes (a particularly gorgeous one at the base of the Rocky Mountains) for a picnic dinner and hike.

Lovely, no?

The lake is spring fed so it’s particularly frigid. Particularly where it gets deeper. This despite the intense Rocky Mountain sun.

Don’t believe me? Ask my soaking wet puppy!

Dinner featured some G2 Gatorade (I’m a big fan of Gatorade in hot weather since I tend to become easily dehydrated).

More deli sandwiches made by my local Safeway.

Some wonderful British Columbia grown cherries.

I also added one of the new Kashi granola bars (courtesy of a coupon I received for a free box).

The bars had pretty decent nutritionals.

At first glance I was impressed.

And as far as the taste I have to say my mouth was pretty happy. My chocolate raspberry bar was not too sweet and certainly not salty. I also enjoyed the fact that it tasted like it had a layer of raspberry jam between the chocolate and the granola bar itself. Overall I was pleased.

The Fiancé however felt something was missing. He deemed it “healthy tasting.” Which is his way of saying that his taste-buds weren’t fooled by the chocolate layer.

Our friend clearly voiced her opinion when she blurted out “Chocolate!?!? THIS is chocolate!?!?” Apparently she wasn’t fooled either.

The problem I had with the bars was when I noticed that buried at the end of the ingredient list was peanut flour. I was sad. Never before have I needed to worry about peanuts with Kashi. And here they went and made a bar with peanut flour. Given that I’m allergic to peanuts I won’t be buying these bars again.

Miraculously I didn’t get sick from the bars – which leads me to believe that the peanut flour content is negligible at best. Likely why it’s right at the end of the ingredient list. Still, I won’t be risking my health in the future.

I honestly don’t understand why Kashi would stipulate on the package that the bars contained dates and raspberries and somehow neglect to mention peanuts. Fail Kashi. FAIL.

After dinner we splashed around the lake where I snapped some more pictures of the surroundings.

As the evening cooled we made our way to another lake where we went on our regular hike. It was hot. Brutally hot. And the sun was blistering.

Still, we lasted about an hour and a half before heading home. Not bad.

I had grand hopes of going for a three mile run after my hike. Ha! I ended up with heat stroke and passed out from my crazy migraine. Clearly, I should have taken my outdoor activities a little lighter, given the weather. Noted.

Question: What do you do to cool off in the midst of the summer?

Lazy Sunday + A Brutally Honest Review - POM

2010-07-25T23:24:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

How was your weekend loves? We spent our Saturday largely doing wedding stuff and other random chores, which of course meant that we felt fully entitled to relax on Sunday. Woohoo for lazy Sundays!

It was crazy hot here in the Rocky Mountains combine that with the intense sun and it was blistering up in the casa. To seek some relief we decided to back some cherries and blueberries, water, a massive sub for sharing (bought at our local Safeway on the way out of town) and head out to a local lake. This was the first time we attempted to do anything like this since getting Daisy. Little did we know how difficult it would be for us to find a lake that would allow us to bring our puppy to the shore.

We tried multiple parks and no luck. So eventually we ended up heading down a forest service road and finding a remote lake in the mountains. A pristine mountain lake with no rules? Bonus!

The weather up at the lake turned out to be much cooler than down in the city, mostly by virtue of a subtle but continuous breeze.

I purchased the cherries at the local farmer’s market on Saturday. While it would be cheaper to purchase them at a grocery store (where they would likely come from Washington State) I chose to buy produce grown in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.

The sandwich was something we had to purchase since I never keep the necessary ingredients at home. I know most people consider bread a stable but I seldom keep any around; mostly because if it’s there I’ll eat ~~it all~~ a lot.

It wasn’t the healthiest option but it did the job. I picked off the salami and had two small pieces. Plenty to keep me full. I don’t know about you but I just don’t get very hungry in the crazy hot weather.

Once we finished our meal we walked around the lake and went for a dip in the water. It was so refreshing and perfect for a lazy Sunday!

A little bit later in the evening we headed out to see Inception. It was kind of trippy and a bit of the Matrix meets James Bond. Overall it was really good and made you question reality. That’s basically my measure of a good movie – does it leave you thinking afterwards? This one sure did!

A POM Review and GIVEAWAY

Some time ago I received coupons for free bottles of POM from their very gracious manufacturers. I kind of heart me some POM so I was thrilled at the opportunity to officially review the product for the blog.

I still remember the first time I heard about pomegranate juice, it was while I was talking to some Persian friends in High School. I was told Iranians swore by the health benefits of pomegranates. I couldn’t even begin to fathom what would be so great about those small little seeds. And how in the world did they manage to get juice out of those things anyways!?!?

Back then I wasn’t really interested in healthy living so it wasn’t until some years had passed that I learned the Persians had a good thing going! POM juice is made up of 100% pomegranate juice; which means it’s absolutely jammed pack with antioxidants. Current research seems to indicate that antioxidants help to prevent oxidization in our bodies and as such may help protect us from diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes (amongst others).

Many people turn to red wine for its antioxidant content. Indeed, there’s this whole school of thought that attributes the health of the French, despite their diets high in indulgences, to their red wine consumption; this is known as the French Paradox. Well it turns out that POM contains a higher antioxidant count then even red wine!

For my review I took two of the coupons I was sent and used them to purchase two flavours I had never tried.

First up was POM Kiwi. I wasn’t sure how the kiwi would stand up against the pomegranates. Overall I would say that the kiwi gave the POM a slightly increased tanginess which was distinctly different from the usual POM taste. The flavour of the kiwi was distinctly prominent.

The next flavour I tried was the POM with mango. Also a first for me. This flavour seemed to lessen the usual tartness of the POM juice but overall it seemed to get lost in the juice. I would recommend this flavour to those that find POM juice a little too tart in its original flavour.

Now I’m not going to pretend that POM juice is cheap – that it is not. But like organic produce or free-range products, I consider POM an investment in my health. Whenever possible I keep a bottled on hand. And I figure since it’s so jammed pack with antioxidants, a little can go a long way. While I know a lot of people drink their POM juice in shot glass portions I tend to make mocktails out of POM Wonderful.

Start out with your POM flavour of choice and a bit of club soda. Don’t forget a lovely glass.

Pour a bit of POM juice into the bottom of your glass. I was generous with my pour.

Top the rest off with club soda and enjoy your delicious drink. If you’re feeling particularly fancy pants, feel free to add a slice of lime to your glass or maybe some raspberries. And if you’re having a party, don’t forget to add a splash of vodka.

Overall Review? I absolutely LOVE POM juice! It’s one of my go-to healthy food splurges and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to my readers. If you don’t do it for the taste then at least do it for your health.

And here’s the GIVEAWAY part – I have two coupons for free POM juice to give away to one lucky reader. To enter all you have to do is comment on this entry. Contest closes on Friday, July 30th 2010 at 8AM PST. Best of luck bloggies!

Question: Have you ever tried POM juice? Did you like it?

Cranbrook Sushi – Crazy Good Value in the Rockies

2010-07-24T20:30:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

Lately, it seems the Fiancé and I have made it our mission to try all the sushi restaurants in the Canadian Rockies. Don’t worry . . . there aren’t too many so we should be able to manage just fine.

For tonight’s dinner we ended up heading to a place called Cranbrook Sushi; a very recent addition to the market. And while this particular restaurant may be in a non-descript strip mall they’ve done a great job remodelling the interior.

While we perused the menu we were offered complimentary hot or cold green tea. This may not seem like a big deal except that many sushi places in the Canadian Rockies will charge almost $3 for tea.

Truthfully we were somewhat overwhelmed by their awesome menu. The sushi rolls were exceedingly cheap (with most rolls under $5) and the cooked food selection looked amazing. In an attempt to sample the menu I chose one of their set dinners while the Fiancé decided to order rolls.

We ended up massively over ordering. This was mostly due to an assumption that given the price the rolls would be very small. Not so amigos. Next time (because there will definitely be a next time) we will order considerably less.

The first thing that came out of the kitchen was a complimentary rice and yam chowder. It was very delicate in taste and beautifully presented. A really nice touch!

The shrimp rolled in green stuff is a dish the restaurant calls Rollie Rollie. Essentially, a deep fried prawn covered with your choice of noodles. The Fiancé chose cha soba (gree tea flavoured soba noodles) and proclaimed the dish to be really good. Not too greasy and a good value appetizer.

Another complimentary dish. This time miso soup. I like complimentary. It’s a good price!

From there on in the food just seemed to come out in waves. By the end I was scared every time the waitress came out of the kitchen. I was afraid the dish would be for our table. Usually it was. Eeeek!

I’ll let the pictures tell the tale.

That would be the box part of my set menu. I tried a bit of everything and while the tempura was light and crispy and the miso soup was good, the fish really stole the show! I loved the gunkan (a boat shaped sushi roll) and the nigiri sushi. My gunkan had some chopped raw salmon, a bottom of rice, and a little layer of spicy sauce in between. While my nigiri sushi was perfectly fresh and delicate. Then there was the grilled black cod; a small piece but just enough to make me ooh and aaaah.

Next came the sukiyaki which is basically a combination of meat, broth, veggies, and tofu cooked at your table. I loved the earthenware containers that concealed the little canister that cooked the ingredients. Excellent presentation.

Traditionally the sukiyaki meat is passed through a fresh cracked egg and then eaten beside either rice or noodle. I shared this portion of my meal the Fiancé. We both loved the flavours of the meat. It was another highlight of an already great meal.

Just when I thought the meal was finally over the waitress brought out a cone roll. Apparently it was part of my meal. I was going to say I couldn’t possibly finish anything else and then I realized it was a chopped scallop temaki (cone sushi). Since it wasn’t that big I sacrificed myself and finished the meal. Ha!

The Fiancé who had a selection of their rolls proclaimed them to be great albeit too much food. But that’s our fault and not the restaurant. In retrospect we would stay away from the Cranbrook roll (pictured above) given that it’s way too much food and eats like a meal. Instead, we would stick to one or two small rolls.

Overall we were really happy with our experience at Cranbrook Sushi. The service was excellent and the food fantastic bang for your buck. Next time we would order only one or two dishes rather than a wider selection. Bottom line? I would definitely recommend Cranbrook Sushi to anyone passing by the East Kootenay region of the Canadian Rockies.

Question? Have you ever accidentally over-ordered at a restaurant?

Foto Friday (Before and After)

2010-07-23T05:00:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

You’re going to have to indulge me . . . I’m about to make it two Daisy posts in two days.

About a week ago, while I toiled in the salt mines of the Canadian Rocky Mountains (I kid) the Fiancé enjoyed five days off from work. Being the (Vancouver) Island boy that he is, he made a break for the water. His route took him all the way from Canada, along the Columbia river, down the Oregon Coast, all the way to Crescent City, California, through the Redwood Forest, and then back up through the Interstates. Sounds fun, eh!?

I hear it was!

And while he didn’t make the trip with another person he did take my beloved Daisy. Just before he left we took her to the groomers. Consequently, the before picture looked this:

Besides looking totally adorable she also looks pretty white. Take it from me – it’s practically impossible to keep her white paws looking clean for very long. Still, I didn’t expect her to come back so dirty!!

Here she is after discovering the joys of digging holes on the beach:

First thing I noticed in this picture was the fact that she looks like she’s going to be carried away by the wind. And then I noticed that she also looks decidedly brown!!!

Ha! She kills me!

I guess this post is my way of reminding you to throw caution to the wind! Get out there and enjoy your weekend!

Question: Do you have any plans? I’m going to lay low this weekend!

A Brutally Honest Review – Newman’s Own Organics Premium Dog Treats

2010-07-22T08:33:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

How has your week been going? Mine has been full of legal work. Not the kind I get paid to do during the week but the kind I do for free for my Fiancé after work!

I know I mentioned it briefly but some two months ago we were stopped at a T-intersection when a car turned left and directly into our lane, causing a dead head-on collision. It was shocking to say the least. But when the insurance company said we were presumed to be at fault because we had the stop sign (did I mention we were at a complete stop?) it became downright frustrating. The weeks since then have been filled with more than their share of wrangling with the insurance corporation. I’m sure you can imagine that we were seriously upset and ready to appeal.

And so this week I have been working on putting together all the documents for the appeal. That’s meant very long hours writing, and gathering materials, interviewing witnesses, as well as, drafting and swearing affidavits. Gracias a Dios it’s all done now. But if you could spare a prayer for our cause I would be most grateful!

Needless to say the huge amounts of legal work this week have meant that cooking, working out, and blogging have taken a back seat. But I’m back!!!! And with a review to boot!

A Brutally Honest Review: Newman’s Own Organics Premium Dog Treats

Recently, while in an organic grocery store I found a product I didn’t even know existed: Newman’s Own Organics Premium Dog Treats! We have a really hard time finding any Newman’s Own Organic stuff in Canada so I never expected to find products for people much less dogs.

I was curious. The front of the bag claimed the treats were made with a variety of wholesome ingredients.

Mmmmm . . . a new treat for Daisy? Perhaps!

The ingredient list was definitely enviable! I’m pretty sure most people don’t eat ingredients anywhere as wholesome as those in these dog treats. Since Daisy had been a perfect angel that day I purchased the product and walked out of the store. (Please note I used my own money for this product and no one asked me to write this review)

Now I have to confess I was still sceptical. Daisy isn’t really a treat kind of dog. She won’t even go near most doggy cookies. Sometimes she’ll like them once or twice but that will be all! It’s decidedly difficult to find a treat she loves (other than baby carrots that is).

Once home I followed the package directions and “broke their hearts!” Ha! Cute!

Then came the true test of the product – would it be Daisy approved?

Well . . . let me show you what happened. But first keep in mind that when she really loves something she throws it down on the ground, dances around it, rolls all over it, and generally proceeds to have a ball.

Cue the official puppy review.

After that spectacular love fest she devoured the dog treat. Success!!!!!

Daisy’s Review? A ringing endorsement! Two paws up!!! As for me? If Daisy is happy then I’m happy. Needless to say we both recommend this product.

Question: Do you make an effort to make sure your fur baby eats clean? I won’t feed my puppy ingredients I wouldn’t eat myself.

Notice Anything?

2010-07-19T04:00:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies!

So I’ve been looking through my food pictures and blog posts.

And while I know I often eat very healthfully (hello morning oatmeal).

That’s not always the case.

Even when I set out to be really good (hello tandoori fish), I still manage to sneak a refined carbohydrate in there.

I really have to find a way to get beyond that bad habit of mine.

So from now on, there will be more smoothies.

More fruits and healthy snacks.

And more salads (don’t mind that fro-yo in the corner back there).

Question: Are you like me? Do you have a carb problem?

Brunch? Yes Please! (Sunshine Cafe, Rossland)

2010-07-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend! It’s been very hot in my AC-less corner of the world. But rather than complain about the heat I embraced it instead. I spent a good chunk of my Saturday doing physical activities that worked up a sweat – Zumba + watering my co-workers lard yard and garden + detailing my car. Well done me!

Sunshine Cafe, Rossland

Once in a long while I like to indulge in a leisurely weekend brunch. And when I do, one of my favourite dishes is French Toast! Yum!

If you and I have ever talked about French Toast you’ve surely heard me say that challah bread makes the best ones (with brioche following in a close second place). I may have to re-visit that list to add a close third place for sourdough bread.

Recently, I found myself in Rossland, British Columbia for work. It wasn’t a completely uneventful trip – I was there to attend court and realized late at night in the middle of the mountains that I had completely forgotten work shoes!!!

The only shoes I had were my running shoes (I was planning for an early morning run) and a summery pair of pink flowered flip-flops. I was horrified at the thought of having to wear either to court. Problem was that there was only one shoe store in the whole town and it didn’t open until after I was set to start my trial. Uh oh.

The morning of court I woke up super early and decided to scrap my early morning run in the hopes of resolving my shoe crisis. At first I considered driving to a bigger city to buy a suitable pair of shoes but that wouldn’t work. I would never make it back in time. So the hotel tried calling the owner of the shoe store to get her to open her store early. Unfortunately they couldn’t find her number so that didn’t work either. Eventually,they loaned me a pair of mules from their lost and found. I was ever so grateful for the shoes even if they did show an awful lot of my toes.

The mules weren’t perfect but I decided to head to court. I pulled up, parked my car, and started to approach the front door. And that’s when I noticed a camera crew there to cover another trial. The last thing I needed was camera footage of my woefully inappropriate shoes. So I ran back to my car and kept scouring the town. And that’s when I found the thrift store. They were closed but I knocked on the door and begged the little old lady to let me in early. She obliged and I headed to their shoe section where I managed to score a fairly cute pair of work appropriate shoes for the bargain price of $2! Crisis solved!!!

Given my shoe crisis I didn’t get a chance to have a proper breakfast, which made for one mungry (mad+hungry) Karen come lunch-time. Rossland is a pretty small place with a limited number of lunch options. So I walked into the first place I saw – Sunshine Cafe.

The postage sized Sunshine Cafe turned out to be an absolute and unexpected gem! Somehow, in the middle of a small mountain town I had found a cafe specializing in gluten-free meals and baking. Even though it looked small and relatively new it had been around for over 50 years. After eating my meal I could totally see how it had lasted for so long!

There were so many delicious options on their menu it made choosing my meal very hard indeed. Eventually I settled on a build your own breakfast featuring two poached eggs, French Toast with strawberries and bananas, and a ham steak. I think my hunger got away with me on that one! lol

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see such a gorgeous plate! The eggs were perfectly cooked, the ham was delicious, and the French Toast . . . amazing!!

They may not have been made out of challah. They weren’t even made out of brioche. But the sourdough came through in a pinch. Noted.

I guess it just goes to show you – never underestimate a restaurant by it’s small-town location. Oh, and never ever forget to pack work appropriate shoes on a business trip!

Question: What is your favourite brunch dish?

Ciabatta Perfection – A Recipe

2010-07-17T18:00:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

I think by now we’ve established I have a genuine love for bread. Truth be told, I don’t know many other bloggers that have “bread” as a tag on their posts!

My favourite breads are slightly rustic and in a European style. In fact, one of the things I miss most about Europe is the ability to walk to the bakery in the morning and buy a wonderful loaf of fresh bread. In Canada, one either has to rely on a quality small scale bakery (few and far between in my Rocky Mountain town), make the bread one’s self, or depend on the kindness of others.

I chose the later.

On a recent weekend afternoon I was very fortunate to receive a call from one of my co-workers. He had made some ciabatta and wanted to bring some for us to try. This would be the same co-worker who made the delicious caramel ice-cream a few weeks back. I had loved the ice-cream and knew I would love the bread. So I did what any sensible blogger would do – I happily accepted.

Pretty soon, my oh so kind co-worker was at my door bearing the most amazing ciabatta seen this side of Italy. I kid you not, these buns were truly a work of art. I was very impressed by their lovely lightly floured exterior. But it wasn’t until I cut open one of the buns that I literally squealed with delight!!!

Look at those air bubbles!!!! They were so lovely!!! Needless to say they gave the bread an absolutely light and airy texture. Swoon.

I have to confess I quickly broke-out the butter. Quickly (and happily I may add) it joined the ciabatta in a wonderful marriage of flavours. I was in carbohydrate heaven.

Somehow I managed to pry myself away from the butter and use part of the bread to make a sandwich.

Closer.

I assure you this was some of the best bread I have had in a very very very long time. Thankfully, my co-worker was good enough to share the recipe so you bloggies could replicate this deliciousness at home! The original of this recipe was created Jason Molina in the alt.bread.recipes group.

Jason’s Quick Cocodrillo Ciabatta Bread (source)

Variation 1

500g bread flour

475g water

2tsp yeast

15g salt

Variation 2 – Semolina

350g bread flour

150g semolina flour

475-485g water

2tsp yeast

15g salt

1) In Kitchen Aid style mixer: Mix all ingredients roughly till combined with paddle, let it rest for 10 minutes.

2) With the paddle (I prefer the hook to prevent the dough from crawling into the guts of the mixer), beat the living hell out of the batter, it will start out like pancake batter but in anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes it will set up and work like a very sticky dough. if it starts climbing too soon, then switch to the hook. You'll know it's done when it separates from the side of the bowl and starts to climb up your hook/paddle and just coming off the bottom of the bowl. I mean this literally about the climbing, i once didn't pay attention and it climbed up my paddle into the greasy inner workings of the mixer. It was not pretty! Anyway, it will definitely pass the windowpane test.

3) Place into a well oiled container and let it triple! it must triple! For me this takes about 2.5 hours

4) Empty on to a floured counter (scrape if you must, however you gotta get the gloop out), cut into 3 or 4 pieces. Spray with oil and dust with lots o' flour. Let them proof for about 45 minutes, which gives you enough time to crank that oven up to 500F.

5) After 45 minutes or so the loaves should be puffy and wobbly, now it's iron fist, velvet glove time. Pick up and stretch into your final ciabatta shape (~10" oblong rectangle) and flip them upside down (this redistributes the bubbles, so you get even bubbles throughout), and onto parchment or a heavily floured peel. Try to do it in one motion and be gentle, it might look like you've ruined them completely, but the oven spring is immense on these things.

6) Bake at 500F until they are 205F in the center (about 15-20 minutes), rotating 180 degrees half way through. Some people like to turn the oven down to 450F after 10 minutes, but whatever floats your boat. I usually bake in 2 batches.

Question: Have you ever tried baking bread at home?

Does it Hurt When I do this?

2010-07-17T00:43:00.001-06:00

(source)

Hola Bloggies:

Although I haven’t shared with you, I have unfortunately been experiencing some back pain in the last month. At first it started off as tenderness in my lower back. I could feel it when I got up from extended periods of sitting – it was most noticeable right after driving or being at work. Then it progressed to pain that caused me to alter my “Operation Bring it!” workouts. I basically managed to get one week in according to the schedule and quickly found myself modifying the rest of the schedule to avoid anything that could cause stress to my back (that was most of the workouts). And then it got worse . . .

About a week ago I had several days of absolutely excruciating pain that had me flat on my back in agony. I tried using heat. I tried taking extra-strength painkillers. I tried changing positions. Nothing worked. Honestly, the pain was so bad I was absolutely nauseous. And then it largely went away.

Still I wasn’t happy with the progression of my back issues and I attended a variety of Doctor’s appointments. Currently, I’m awaiting X-Ray results in the hopes of ruling out any skeletal issues. Although my Physiotherapist fears that may be the cause the Doctor is not so inclined. Nonetheless, in the meantime I am under strict Doctor’s orders to stay away from P90X. Instead, I have been prescribed a series of abdominal and weight lifting exercises that use very little weights and are heavily supported. Basically, they’re meant to target the deep muscles of my core in the hopes of alleviating the pain.

One not so great part is the fact that this pain has coincided with the start of my training for the Long Beach Half. To train for the race I will be using a modified version of Hal Higdon’s Novice Half Marathon Training Program. Basically, I know my body can’t take running every day so I will be limiting my runs to three times a week. On my non running days I will be participating in cross-training consisting of Zumba, cycling, and maybe some deep water running (the Kinesiologist recommended that I give it a go). Of course I’ll also be incorporating weight training into my workouts, as the Doctor permits.

Today, I did my second run of my half training. Although the workout came from FitSugar, I made sure to run it by my Medical team before giving it a go. Here’s what I did today:

Beginner Treadmill Workout

00:00-5:00 3.5 Speed 1.0 Incline

5:00-10:00 3.5 Speed 1.0 Incline

10:00-12:00 5.5 Speed 1.0 Incline

12:00-16:00 3.5 Speed 1.0 Incline

16:00-18:00 5.5 Speed 1.0 Incline

18:00-22:00 3.5 Speed 1.0 Incline

22:00-24:00 5.8 Speed 1.0 Incline

24:00-28:00 3.5 Speed 1.0 Incline

28:00-30:00 5.8 Speed 1.0 Incline

30:00-35:00 3.5 Speed 1.0 Incline

35:00-40:00 3.0 Speed 1.0 Incline

If you think that looks like a walk-run, you’re right! It wouldn’t be my usual choice for training for I’m trying to be good and listen to my Doctor. Truth be told, holding back was really the hardest part of my run. I wanted to go faster during those forty minutes. And after the scheduled workout was over I still felt so good, I wanted to keep going. But I forced myself to stop and move to another cardio machine.

Here’s hoping I get good news on the X-Rays and can return to regular workouts soon!

Question: Have you ever suffered a back injury? More specifically, have you ever trained through a similar injury?

Foto Friday

2010-07-16T22:48:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

Today’s late edition of Foto Friday is brought to you by the beautiful city of Vancouver as seen from Stanley Park. Le sigh. How I love that area of the city!

How have you girls and boys been as of late? I’ve been keeping very busy in the casa and I plan on sharing it with you via blog posts pre-written during my weekend down time. The short of it is I’ve begun half marathon training amidst some nagging back pain. It’s been painful but I’m heaps better and I’m super excited to get going. Keeping with the lessons learned at Ironman CDA I will not complain about any of my workouts.

Half Marathon? Sure! Bring it on!!!

As for this weekend I plan to head down to Northern Idaho/Eastern Washington for a potential blogger meet-up on Sunday. How about you? What are your plans for the weekend!?

Painting it Red – Furia Roja Style

2010-07-12T08:40:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

I have a confession to make. Yours truly has a World Cup problem. No. Really. I watched pretty well most of the matches during the last couple of weeks. This despite the fact that many took place in the middle of the day.

Crazy, eh!?

At one point the World Cup threatened to turn into a disappointment (I would have been very sad over a Germany-Netherlands final) but the Spaniards came through and fought their way to the final. To celebrate the occasion I prepared a tapas style luncheon and invited one of my co-workers to come watch the game.

Who said noon is too early to start drinking!! Ha! I chose a couple of Spanish wines but we ended up only opening the Rosé – it was crazy hot. Turned out to be delish.

Given the heat and the lack of air conditioning in the casa, I did my best to avoid dishes that involved too much cooking. Hence the tapas style meal.

Those mushrooms are a favourite of mine. They are kind of pickled and have a lovely texture and taste.

To make the salad I used a bag of mixed field greens grown by a local producers. There were even flowers in that bowl.

Ah…cheese and bread. How I love thee. Originally I had hoped to serve Spanish cheeses but my plans were thwarted by the local cheese selection. Instead, I opted for goat cheese, smoked cheddar cheese, and brie.

Chorizo and cured ham. Both proved a hit!

This is the only dish I actually cooked on my stove top – shrimp in a sherry, paprika, garlic, and red pepper flake sauce.

And the last item – some grilled chicken marinated in a saffron spice mix.

For the dessert I served an un-pictured dulce de leche cheesecake I purchased at a local store. Truthfully, I would have rather just eaten the dulce solo!

On the whole the game and the Cup were thoroughly enjoyable – one of my favourite teams ended up winning! Woohoo!!! Too bad I have to wait four more years until the next one!

The good news is we plan on being in Brazil in 2014 – we figure we will go and watch some games then tour the country. It will be a trip of a lifetime and I`m excited already!!!

Did you watch the World Cup? What were your favourite moments? If you did not watch the World Cup, what is your favourite sport?

As for me – here are my highs and lows of the World Cup.

High – South Africa scoring the first goal of the tourney

Low – France imploding in the most embarrassing debacle ever

High – Italy failing to make it out of the group stages despite being in a dead easy group

Low – The sour way the Dutch behaved after it became clear Spain would win the Cup

High – Watching Forlan play. He was clearly the revelation of the tourney and Manchester United must surely be kicking themselves now (he used to play for them)

Foto Friday

2010-07-09T15:22:00.001-06:00

Woah!!! It's Friday and I almost neglected to do my usual Foto Friday post. But fear not - it's Daisy Cakes to the rescue!!!!

I made her stop in the middle of our walk to get this picture; it turned out to be quite the gem!

I'll be back in a while with another post but in case you don't get to check in then, allow me to wish you a wonderful weekend! With especially good wishes going out to Kelly of "She Wears a Red Sox Cap!" She is getting married this weekend and I do pray for nothing but the best for her and Eric!!!

Ironman CDA Changed my Life

2010-07-07T23:10:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

Slightly over a week ago I had the absolute pleasure of volunteering at the 2010 Ironman in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

A beautiful lake in the Idaho Panhandle may seem like an absolutely random place for this Canadian to show up but really it’s not. Currently, I live about a 3 1/2 hour away from CDA. When I heard (through Punk Rock Tri Guy’s blog) that this was the site of a full Ironman I knew I had to be there. It was only a couple of days before the event that I was able to confirm that I would be able to attend but that didn’t matter – I was just happy to be heading down.

I spent the night before the event in a friend’s vacation home in Sandpoint; that put me about an hour away from CDA. Of course this meant that I had to wake up at the crack of dawn to make sure I was on the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene in time for the start of the Ironman pros. Another reason to arrive early? To meet up with Punk Rock Tri Guy (and family). This was going to be Ron’s first ever Ironman and I was excited for him. Just the mere fact that he was willing to walk up to the shores of the lake and take on that monumental task (!) made him a hero in my eyes.

Waiting for the race to start you could cut the excitement and nerves. The competitors were just ready to go and their supporters were ready to get their cheer on.

Honestly,when I signed up to volunteer I thought I would have fun but nothing could have prepared me for how life altering this event would be.

The Ironman is about so much more than the race itself; it’s about the stories that have brought each competitor to that day.

It’s about the absolute joy and triumph on the faces of the competitors.

It’s about the first time competitor that barely misses a beat and smokes the swim.

It’s about the fact that the swim portion of the Ironman took the bulk of the competitors approximately an hour an forty-five minutes. Call me a mere mortal but I would have deemed that a very long workout and called it a day.

And yet these men and women were about to head out for an over 100 mile bike ride. And as if that wasn’t enough, they were going to chase the bike ride down with a marathon. Insanity.

While the competitors were making their way around a seriously hard bike course, I headed to (wo)man Run Aid Station #1. It was only then that the immensity of the event started to hit me.

While we were waiting for the runners to arrive we could hear the announcer on the loudspeaker telling us about the competitors. There was the man who used to weigh over 460 lbs and lost over 250 (!!!). No Biggest Loser type help. Just good old fashioned hard work. I do hope he finished. I hope he knows how much he inspired me.

One of the most amazing things was seeing the different shapes, sizes, and ages of the competitors. I saw elderly people run by me – not hobble by – but run!!! I saw men and women that looked like they had no business being Ironmen and yet there they were – proving everyone wrong. Defying the stereotypes.

By the point people ran by us they had been racing for the better part of the day. And yet, some of them managed to run by with completely fresh legs and sound totally in control when declining fuel. I’m looking at you Mr. Potts.

Calling the Ironman gruelling is an understatement of epic proportions. Yet no one complained. Never once did I hear people say they wanted to quit. They all pushed themselves beyond what I thought any human body could accomplish. And they did with style and grace.

Right then and there I resolved to never complain about a workout again. If these people could be out there for over a dozen hours surely I could manage to find a way to push through a four mile run or a hard P90X workout. Surely I could do more.

And that’s why Ironman CDA changed my life – it forever altered my concept of what I can achieve. It takes determination, discipline, and strength of character but you really can accomplish anything. Sure, I had heard that before but I didn’t really believe it until that day on the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Every single one of those competitors taught me something. From the ones that smoked the race to the ones that missed the cut off. And especially the one that finished triumphantly with 900 seconds to spare (a massive congratulations to you Ron!).

I spent days letting the experience sink in. Admittedly, I gushed about it to absolutely anyone that would listen. And you know what? Some ten days later I can’t stop thinking about the race. It’s changed my life. I will forever be grateful to the competitors for allowing me to share in their day in even the smallest of ways. It was a privilege and an honour.

There really are no limits.

Ditch the Workout and Join the Party!

2010-07-04T00:04:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

So a while ago you may remember I posted about a dilemma I had – whether to attend my first ever Zumba class or go on my re-scheduled doggy hike. Well I was kind of a superstar and did both. By the end of the night, I was one tired but really happy cookie. And in the midst of it all I developed what may become a long term workout related obsession!

If you’re anything like me (two weeks ago), you may be a bit confused about the whole concept behind this latest fitness craze. Zumba is the brain child of a Colombian by the name of “Beto” Perez. One day he decided to combine his aerobics class with the fun rhythms and movements of Latin dances. The class became a hit and thus Zumba was born. The instructional videos had their North American release in 2002 – that’s when it spread like wild fire; now it seems like everyone you talk to (or every blog you read) mentions Zumba!

(source)

As I pulled up to my first Zumba class I was admittedly nervous. Would it all be cheesy beyond words? Would I be able to keep up? Heaven forbid – would it be like the time I tried step aerobics (never got beyond grapevine and never went back)? Would I have any rhythm at all? Turns out I had nothing to be afraid of – I loved Zumba!

When I walked in I instantly noticed that the class seemed to be made up of people of all shapes, ages, and sizes. Definitely a very inclusive aerobics class. Another thing that impressed me was the fact that everyone kept on telling me how much fun I was going to have. Surely their enthusiasm was well founded!

No sooner had we started the classes when I realized what an absolute blast I was having!!! Zumba didn’t feel like exercise, it felt like dancing around your living room. Except that I was sweating buckets and I knew I was in the zone. The hour went by way too quickly. At the end of the class I knew three things for certain: I would be back, I had gotten a great workout, and I totally had rhythm.

Thank-you Latin blood. Ha!

Since then I’ve gone back to four more classes and I’ve bought a membership of sorts. Although the classes are not cheap ($8/class if you buy a 10 class pack or $10/class if you go on a drop-in basis) they’re well worth the fee. I don’t think I’ve ever had as much fun in an exercise class in my life! Plus honestly I feel like I’m exploring my Latin roots while getting a serious workout in – score!

So now that you’ve heard me wax poetic about Zumba you’re probably wondering what it looks like. Well, it goes something like this:

Admittedly that girl has energy to spare but that’s more or less what a Zumba workout looks like – just add a bunch of people following (or attempting to follow) the instructor. Now you understand why I keep going back for more!

Have you tried Zumba before? Did you love it? Are you curious?

Fruit and Veggie Power

2010-07-03T14:18:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

How is your weekend going? I had Thursday and Friday off so it really feels more like a Sunday. Kind of like I should be getting ready to go back to work. Thankfully I still have one full day. Gotta love those extra long weekends!

For the last couple of weeks it’s been all about the World Cup here in the casa, so early this morning I settled down to watch Argentina vs.. Germany. After the elimination of Brazil and Ghana I was really hoping for an Argentinean win. But it wasn’t to be.

I’ve no idea who showed up to that game but it wasn’t the team everyone thought capable of winning the World Cup. Pobre Argentina. Pobre Maradona. Pobre Latinos. Since I was feeling kind of sad I thought it a great time to head to Zumba. Nothing boosts my mood like Zumba – but more on that on tomorrow’s post.

Before heading out I decided to try a new product sent to me by the nice people at Prairie Naturals – Berry Force.

Berry Force comes in a small plastic container. Similar to what you might find for a protein powder. Essentially, this product is meant to work as a supplement giving you all the vitamins, antioxidants (they are key in eliminating free radicals in your system), and nutrients found in organic apples, apple pectin, fruit and berry concentrate, organic blueberry, organic cranberry, goji berry, mangosteen, organic strawberry, pomegranate, organic raspberry, blackberry, blueberry complex, elderberry complex, and acai berries.

When I opened the bottle I was somewhat disappointed to see that it was only just about half full. Now while I confess I don’t know much about the economics of packaging this just seemed wasteful and misleading. I expect that if I buy a jar of something it will be mostly full. If it’s not mostly full than perhaps it would be better placed in another container. In the case of Berry Force they could even try using a pouch of some kind.

As per the instructions I mixed one heaping tablespoon of powder into my mixer bottle. I was surprised by how easily everything came together. No clumps. No mess. In fact it ended up looking just like juice.

I’ll have to do more research on the nutritional values of the product before I give you my full review but for now I’m impressed. It tasted subtly sweet and was perfect for a quick pre-Zumba drink. I could totally see this working well as an addition to a banana, ice, protein powder, and almond milk shake. I will have to try that soon and let you know what I think.

After finishing my drink I headed to Zumba. It was, per usual, a brilliant workout that left me dripping in sweat and feeling heaps better than when I worked out.

Near the end of Zumba I hiccupped. Now I know this is going to sound strange but I tend to hiccup when I’m really hungry! As my parents, it’s been that way since I was very little. Clearly my body was lacking in fuel. Luckily, the local farmer’s market was taking place just a few blocks from the dance studio so I made a bee-line towards food!

My local farmer’s market is just in its infancy. In fact, this is only the second year it’s been running. Last year it was quite modest featuring very little produce and instead concentrating on crafts. Not my cup of tea. This year, however, it has just blossomed! There were lots of people selling produce, fresh baked goods, sausages, and even local ethical farmers taking orders for organic grass fed beef and similar meats. I’m considering buying a 30lb sample pack from the good people at Kootenay Natural Meats. Sure, it’s not the cheapest meat but I love the fact that I’m supporting a local farmer in their no hormone, no antibiotic, grass-fed, ethically grown beef operation.

While at the market I inhaled (no really – I was starved) a delicious farmer’s sausage on a kaiser bun made by the nice people at Biltong Canada. I followed my main meal up with a (very) small Huckleberry muffin; it was incredibly fresh and simply lovely.

Since I got there near the end of the market, most of the produce was gone but I still managed to buy two bags of Fiesta Salad Mix, kale, a muffin for the Fiancé, and a funky curly thing that is supposed to be a type of garlic but tastes like a green onion. Or maybe the other way around. Either way it’s nice and crispy and I can’t wait to use some!

Do you see the bag? I bought it today to help support the market (proceeds go to cover the costs of the street rental and advertising for future market days). Truth be told I didn’t need another reusable bag but it wasn’t so much about the bag itself, instead I was voting with my dollar$! As a bonus the bag ended up being of fantastic quality. It’s made by local crafts people and it’s quite sturdy. Much better than pretty well every other reusable bag I own. Score.

On the whole I was pretty pleased with my market haul. Having said that, since they were low on fruit I may have to hit another local farmer’s market tomorrow.

Do you support local producers? What about if their product costs more than that at the grocery store?

A Brutally Honest Review: Dempster’s Oven Fresh Bread

2010-07-02T22:57:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

I’ve missed all of you!!!!! Seriously, it’s been a crazy busy week and I’ve had so much to tell you peeps but no time to do it in. But no worries – I’m back!

This week you can look forward to some clean eats and workout recaps, my epic Ironman CDA re-cap (life altering – seriously), some product reviews, a giveaway, and the start of my half marathon training. That’s right – this Toronto Girl out West is going to run herself a Half-Mary in Long Beach this October, 17th!!!

Am I excited!?!? UH HUH! I’m looking forward to pushing myself and seeing just how I handle that bad boy. Who knows, maybe it will be the beginning of a long distance running love affair. Toronto Girl Runs Far. Has a ring to it, doesn’t it!? Ha! Loves.

A Brutally Honest Review

~~A seriously long time ago~~ Some time ago the friendly people at Dempster’s were good enough to send me a package loaded full of bread. I took one look at the very generous package sent by the company and knew I just had to share! So I took half of what was sent to me (2 multigrain baguettes and 2 white baguettes) and passed them on to a co-worker to review. But more on that later.

Dempster's is a totally familiar brand to most Canadians. It’s basically the Wonder Bread equivalent for Canadians. Recently, they decided to launch a line of partially baked breads (OvenFresh). I know I’ve bought similar products in the past but they always had to be refrigerated. Not so with the OvenFresh variety – they come vacuum packed and are sold in the bread aisle. No refrigeration needed. I consider that a definite bonus as it makes it easier to transport the bread.

Cooking the product is pretty easy. You pop it in the oven for eight minutes and it’s done. Easy peasy.

Now as a healthy living blogger you know I checked the nutritional stats. Half a multigrain baguette has 160 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 340 grams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, and 7 grams of protein. The ingredient list for the multigrain baguettes includes enriched wheat flour, whole wheat flour, sunflower seeds, millet, and sodium steardyl-2-lactylate.

By contrast, half a white baguette has 180 calories, 2 grams of fat, 390 grams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, and 6 grams of protein. The ingredient list for the white baguette includes enriched wheat flour (no whole wheat flour this time), malted barley flour, natural and artificial flavours, and modified wheat starch.

To test the white baguette I made one of the recipes that came with my media package. Specifically, the Garlic Bread with Asiago Cheese.

Garlic Bread with Asiago Cheese

1 Clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp soft butter

1 tbsp chopped chives

1 tbsp chopped oil packed sun-dried tomatoes

1 Dempster’s OvenFresh White or Multigrain Baguette

1/4 cup crumbled asiago cheese

If you’re paying attention you’ll notice that I substituted the butter with Earth Balance and managed to forget the chives. Ooops! I added some dried herbs at the end instead.

While the oven preheated to 400F I combined the garlic, Earth Balance, herbs, and sundried tomatoes in a bowl.

I then cut vertical slits in the baguette almost to the bottom. After placing the baguette on the baking sheet I spooned the “butter” mixture over the top of the bread making sure to get the mixture in between each of the cuts.

Afterwards I topped the baguette with Asiago cheese. Yum! I then popped the bread in the oven for eight minutes until the cheese looked all melty and happy happy happy!

I cooked up this recipe while the fiancé's parents and nephew were visiting and they declared it an absolute hit. The “butter” and cheese made the bread soft and delicious. And the Asiago lent it a sophisticated flavour. It would have been even better had I used fresh herbs. Next time.

To test the multigrain bread I made sandwiches. They were good and went over really well with everyone that ate them. I liked how the bread was warm after being in the oven. It made if feel “fresh.” Unfortunately, it also seemed to cool down fairly quickly. This was likely due to a combination of the fillings and the fact that you weren’t actually baking the bread.

As for my co-worker, she packed her baguettes and took them to feed her nieces and nephews during a family ski trip. The bread was a hit with that group as well! Mostly because it allowed them to have oven fresh bread without having to worry about baking it or buying a new baguette everyday.

Now for the bottom line . . .

Would I recommend this product? I have mixed feelings.

Hear me out. I love how the bread is long lasting without needing refrigeration. I love how you can bake it up for that oven fresh taste. I love how it is much more convenient than baking your own or heading to the store. I love how it’s definitely a step-up in flavour and texture from your average grocery store product. And the garlic bread recipe was delicious but I don’t think you can really go wrong adding cheese, “butter”, and garlic to bread. It’s basically a guaranteed win – so I can’t let that be the deciding factor.

Truth be told it was the ingredient list that caused me the greatest concern. Sure the nutritional stats were good but that means nothing if I can’t pronounce some of the stuff they put in the bread. I would still be willing to overlook that if only both products hadn’t chosen to use enriched wheat flour. The problem lies in the fact that enriched flour is basically flour stripped of it’s nutritional goodness and reduced to an extremely simple carbohydrate form. They then add some of the good stuff they took out back in, thereby making it “enriched.” You may as well be eating plain white flour which is okay if that’s what you’re looking for but if you’re trying to eat complex carbohydrates it’s not the greatest of choices.

I guess what I’m saying is you have to take the product for what it is. A quick and easy way to have oven fresh bread at home. Your kids will love it and if you make the garlic bread recipe you’ll love it too. Just please, don’t think it’s uber healthy. A nutritional powerhouse it is not.

I frankly won’t be buying this product again. But at least if you consider buying it, you now have my brutally honest review.

Foto Friday

2010-06-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

Today’s Foto Friday is brought to you courtesy of Toronto Girl out West Mom. Yup! My mom!

She took pictures of some of the treats she made my dad for Father’s Day. I guess you could say it’s her first ever guest post!

Not bad for a first time blog post, huh!? I’m particularly proud of the cross section shot of the pie in the Pyrex pan. Woohoo mom!

Question: Any exciting plans for the weekend? I’m heading to the Ironman CDA to hang out with Ron of Punk Rock Tri Guy (and son)! It should be a blasty!!

The Sound that Made me Remember

2010-06-22T22:58:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

I’ve heard it said that sometimes memories are triggered by smells but this morning mine were triggered by sound.

I was awakened this morning by the noise of construction, traffic, beeping, and people talking. Given that I hadn’t slept very well, you’d think I’d be annoyed. But I have to confess I wasn’t. Instead I enjoyed the slight breeze coming from the open window and allowed my mind to wander . . .

(source)

It took me to my time spent in Paris; I lived on Boulevard Saint Michel, one of the main arteries running through the Latin Quarter. The foyer I lived in was housed in a very old building. I don’t know if you’ve ever had occasion to spend a significant amount of time in a building centuries old but they don’t generally have great ventilation. If I left my room locked up for any period of time it would become really musty. To remedy this problem, little grates were built into the exterior walls of the building; when opened they left a small whole completely open (and directly I may add) to the street.

As a result of my little grate, every morning I was treated to the sounds of the city coming alive. I could hear the university students laughing with each other on the way to class, the workers gossiping about the daily news, the sounds of cars whizzing by, and even the older gentleman who liked to whistle classical tunes on his walk. This last fellow was a staple of my everyday life in Paris.

I loved those sounds.

This morning I found myself thousands of miles from the City of Lights. But for an instant, if I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds I was back there all over again. Twenty-two. A student. Loving every second. On Boulevard Saint Michel.

The Eats

Yesterday’s eats were pretty delicious! I was kind of proud of my clean eating self!

Cue the Breaky . . .

My breakfast happily (tee-hee) included my usual chia, banana, almond butter, oatmeal base with the exception that this morning I chose to add half a tablespoon of coconut oil and a sprinkling of shredded coconut. With some carob chips for added effect. Overall it was pretty delicious but I still heart my maple butter concoction just a little bit more.

Cue lunch . . .

Monday court took me a bit further afield from home. Instead, of eating out (at the delicious but not really good for me Italian restaurant) I opted to pack my own lunch. In my trusty container I packed 2 cups of greens, four pieces of oven roasted chicken, two eggs, half a tomato, a handful of sugar snap peas, nutritional yeast, and a bit of balsamic-olive oil-mustard vinaigrette.

As delicious as my lunch was I did learn one lesson: it’s not a good idea to eat in the car then drive for hours. It’s a pretty sure fire way to make yourself nauseous. Next time I’ll make sure it’s not quite as much of a lunch on the go.

Cue Snack Face Time . . .

Notice how I took a picture of my cherries in the car? I’ll confess these were actually eaten while driving (although I was stopped when I took the picture – I’m not that crazy). I don’t know about you loves but I totally look forward to cherry season!!!

Cue Dinner . . .

This was volume eating at it’s finest!!! I’m justifiably proud of how fantastic dinner was last night. First I tossed a quarter of a red pepper, a quarter of a yellow pepper, and half a baby eggplant in aged balsamic vinegar and parsley flakes. I grilled all the lovely veg. along with one Amy’s California burger (my favourite veggie burger!). I paired my cooked ingredients with a handful of sugar snap peas and three strawberries.

I was so full after eating all of this – but in a really good way. Although I knew I wouldn’t need to eat for the rest of the evening I still felt light and energetic. Clearly volume eating is where it’s at boys and girls!

This clean eating thing is going really well. And I have to confess I think it’s getting easier. Bonus.

Join me tomorrow for a Healthy Mexican Tortilla Soup recipe and a recap of P90X days 2 and 3.

Question: I have a bit of a dilemma bloggies. My regularly scheduled Monday dog hike has been rescheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Problem is it’s at the same time as the Zumba class that I’ve been trying to get to for weeks. It never seems to fit it in with my schedule and this week was finally going to be the week I could attend! Did I mention it will be my first time doing Zumba. What would you do if you were me? Go on the doggy hike (the Fiancé could take Daisy on a hike during the day instead) or go to Zumba!? Help!!!

The First Market Day of the Season

2010-06-21T12:47:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

I hope your Monday is treating you wonderfully!

As I mentioned in my last blog post, yesterday Daisy and I hit up the local farmers market. Given that it was the first market day of the season, we were particularly thrilled to be out enjoying the sunshine and buying lovely goodies with everyone else.

The market was held in the central plaza of a Bavarian themed town. It’s kitschy but it works; this particular town is mega-popular with tourists (especially in the winter and during the accordion festival).

All kinds of vendors were out hawking their wares. But in the end it was clear who stole the show – the fruit and veggie purveyors.

Love.

While I was at the market, one of the vendors suggested I check out a nearby health foods store. It sounded like the kind of place I would absolutely love so I wandered over.

Sprout turned out be fantastic. There were all kinds of products I had never even heard of before. I was one happy blogger.

My loot.

Sure I came home $60 (!) poorer than I started the day but I consider it an investment in my health. Given the choice, I’ve decided to support local organic producers.

Do you make it a habit to visit farmer’s markets? If yes, have they already started in your area?

The Dog Ate my Homework – I think she was trying to tell me something

2010-06-21T00:13:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

This weekend was an important one for the me that is striving to be “the whole package.” Saturday I forced myself to re-evaluate my progress in my journey to wellness. You see this past week I received a call telling me my wedding gown had arrived (!!!) several months ahead of schedule.

WOW. Talk about a reality check.

So I’ve decided to clean up my eating. Say buh bye to refined carbs, excess sugars, mindless eating, and fatty stuff. Say hello to photographing my eats in an effort to keep myself accountable.

Cue breaky . . .

1/3 cup of oatmeal, one tablespoon of Chia Goodness, one banana, half a tablespoon of Maranatha Almond Butter, and a dollop of maple butter (it actually contains no butter and is made by cooking maple syrup to a high temperature, cooling it, then raising it again). This dish wasn’t just good – it was ahmazing! Kind of made me wish that every meal was breakfast. So far so good!

Cue lunch . . .

One lean Italian sausage sautéed with a cup of mushrooms. Paired with 1/2 a banana and about a cup of strawberries. Not too green huh!? My fridge was admittedly low on veggies and since I was trying to hold out for Sunday’s farmers market I didn’t bother re-stocking. Ideally I would have sautéed a pile more veggies in with the sausage. But no could do. Still doing alright.

Cue dinner . . .

Go ahead – say it! “Karen, what were you thinking!? That’s not enough food for dinner!” You’re right . . . you’re so right. I ate 4 1/2 oz. of angus strip loin steak, half of a lean Italian sausage, one orange, and one strawberry. GINORMOUS fail!!! This is where it all fell apart. Sure I felt okay when I finished eating it – maybe even a little stuffed but it just didn’t have the staying power I needed. Soon enough I found myself hungry – which is why I proceeded to eat (un-pictured) two more oranges and 1 1/2 bananas.

Lessons learned from Saturday’s eats? Eat more veggies!!! My body needs something fibrous and slow to digest in order to keep me full between meals. Fruits are delicious and great for summer days but they just don’t have the staying power of veggies. I also learned I need to drink water. A LOT MORE! I need to make sure I keep my absolutely full Nalgene bottle (BPA free) on me at all times. That way I have no excuses. Staying extra hydrated will not only make my skin look baller but it will also help to stave off the hunger.

Let me be clear, I don’t intend on depriving myself but I’m smart enough to realize that ~~revamping~~ cleaning my eating won’t be easy. I expect to crave soft doughy rolls, the sugary treats at the office, or indulgent restaurant food . . . I just need to keep the bigger picture in mind!

Sunday I woke up determined to do better food-wise. I also woke up to discover a very sick Fiancé – le pauvre. While he stayed in bed all day I went about my business.

Cue breaky . . .

For breakfast I had pretty much the same 1/3 of a cup of oatmeal, whole banana, one tablespoon of Chia Goodness, and one tablespoon of Maranatha Almond Butter as yesterday. The only difference was that instead of using maple butter I added carob chips. Delish! Clearly this is going to be a staple around these parts.

After breakfast I loaded Daisy into the car and listened to a Joel Osteen podcast (it was my church substitute) as I drove to a local farmer’s market. We had a glorious time walking around the place, meeting the food producers, buying delicious goodies, and finding a new health food store. Around lunch we headed back home, where I proceeded to make myself a delicious meal with my new ingredients.

Cue lunch . . .

In my massive salad bowl (it’s kind of more bucket-like than bowl-like) went two cups of locally grown greens, half a tomato, two soft boiled organic free-range eggs, three slices of oven-roasted turkey breast, a handful of sugar snap peas, a couple of tablespoons of a homemade vinaigrette, and two tablespoons of nutritional yeast. This was my first time using nutritional yeast and all I have to say is – where have you been all my life!?!?!? Seriously delicious!!! It’s almost cheesy or nutty in taste. I’m not really sure how to describe it other than to say that it added a depth of flavour to my salad that had me totally liking the bowl. True story.

After lunch one of my co-workers called and said he wanted to drop off some home-made caramel ice cream as a thank-you for allowing him to use our PO Box. Far be it from me to turn down delicious homemade treats.

Cue the snack . . .

It was such a warm day the poor little ice cream partially melted on the drive over but that in no way lessened it’s out of this world yumminess!!! You see those dark pieces? That would be home-made salted caramel. It tasted like dulce de leche (think Argentinean milk candy). I had about a scoop of this deliciousness and forced myself to leave the rest for the Fiancé.

I spent most of the afternoon doing chores, writing emails (wedding stuff), and taking care of the sick one. Unfortunately, I also had to take a nap in an effort to try to get rid of the excruciating bout of back pain I faced this afternoon. Once upon a time, I suffered a back injury; years later I still have flare-ups. Truth be told I’ve had my fair share of back pain this week. Boo back pain. Thankfully, I woke up feeling all better and incredibly hungry.

Cue Dinner . . .

Dinner featured approx. a cup of those lovely locally grown greens, one strawberry, more vinaigrette (balsamic + olive oil + organic mustard), one tablespoon of nutritional yeast, one lean Italian sausage, and 4 oz. of pork tenderloin (little known fact – pork tenderloin is amongst the leanest cuts of meat you can buy, and I include chicken breast). Okay I’ll confess, I liked the plate some more!

Also eaten but not pictured was a handful of pizza flavoured pretzels. Ugh. And I was doing so well. But the Fiancé got a snack attack in his sick state so I bought him some goodies. I couldn’t take it. The temptation was too much. Clearly, I need to work on that but overall I’m pretty impressed by how today went.

Win.

Operating Bring it! – The Do Over

For a long time now I had been feeling guilty that I started P90X and then stopped doing the workouts on a daily basis. Then, when I re-started the programs I just picked up from where I left off. It just didn’t sit right. It kind of felt like cheating.

Clearly Daisy agreed with me . . .

Those little bits of paper would be my worksheets. The ones where I keep track of how many reps I did and at what weight. The worksheets are key in helping me to know how my progress is coming along and if I need to up or lower my weights. Ideally I want to work to failure on each rep and I heavily depend on those torn pieces of paper.

I don’t know if they tasted like sweat (she likes to lick me right after a workout) but she got into my precious papers and had a ball. But wouldn’t you know it – she barely owned up to the damage.

You see how she wouldn’t even look at me!?!? Ha!

My mangled sheets were just the impetus I needed to do the whole thing over again. For a long time I knew it wasn’t right to pick up where I started off. Looking back on this challenge I wanted to be able to count 12 solid weeks. No breaks in between. In the end I hoped to have an amazing and inspiring story to tell – Janetha style.

I knew what I had to do, Daisy had made it abundantly clear. It was time to start “Operating Bring it!” from scratch. Again

“Operation Bring It!” – The Do Over – Day 1, June 20th, 2010

Ah good old chest and back. And endless repetition of push ups and pull ups. The workout that is notorious for leaving me weak in the arms the next day.

I’ve done this workout before so I knew what to expect. But that doesn’t mean it hurt any less. There is just something about an hour’s work of push ups (intermingled with other moves of course) that makes me want to crawl in a ball. Today was no different.

228 push ups later (all but 36 on my knees) I was done for the night. I started off pretty well but near the end I started to feel nauseous. That’s when I decided to call it quits and leave my ab workout until tomorrow morning.

Overall it was a hard workout but I’m proud of myself for sticking with the DVD. As Tony Horton says “Keep showing up. Keep pressing play.” One day at a time, I’ll get there.

A mi padre (to my father)

2010-06-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

My father is not a man of many words but those he speaks he chooses wisely.

His strength of character pervades everything in his life.

I know that I have a father that I can count on. I have no doubt he will support me whatever my choices be.

He is a proud man. But in a very good way.

My father is a God fearing man.

Amongst a family of strong-willed people he has been our rock.

I owe my father more than I could ever hope to repay. And on this day I pray that he may be blessed with joy and love.

I pray he has a Happy Father’s Day.

A Reason to Look Forward to Mondays

2010-06-19T07:01:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

Those of you that read my blog know I take part in a weekly Monday night doggy hike. But have I mentioned that after every hike we’ve now started incorporating a dinner? Allow me to show you some pictures . . .

Sharing wine and good food is a fantastic way to end a Monday night. It makes all the difference between dreading Monday and absolutely looking forward to Mondays. And that shift is a GIANT win in my books!

Our dinners aren’t complicated – rather simple really. Some grilled protein of choice, a salad, and a starch. I’m of the opinion, however, that simple meals are often the best. Especially in the middle of summer-like weather.

The idea is that every week someone else will host the dinner. It hasn’t been our turn yet but the Fiancé and I have given it some thought. My casa isn’t really suitable for entertaining so I think we’ll host the dinner at a local park. We have a brilliant Weber Q (100) bbq that is totally portable and grills up an absolutely lovely meal. That way we can host even though the casa is really not good for inviting people over.

I kind of love our new tradition. It’s the kind of thing that makes a girl feel more at home in this Rocky Mountain town. In fact I daresay I’m really looking forward to our walks. Even in the dead of winter.

Yaaaayyyy for wonderful Monday hikes + dinner!

Do you have a casa that’s good for entertaining? Did you ever have a too small home like mine? What did you do? Did you still invite friends over?

Here Comes the Bride

2010-06-18T22:56:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

I know I haven’t talked about it in a while but trust me when I say I think about it on a daily basis – our wedding.

We now find ourselves less than five months away from the big event and aside from worrying about looking smashing in my dress (it arrived this past week) I confess we are both filled with a sense of peace. I think that is what comes from knowing that this wedding will be an answer to our prayers and the start of a beautiful and exciting chapter in our lives.

Yes, there are times that I feel the stress of the event. I have often wanted linens and flowers to pick themselves. But on the whole I am enjoying every moment of this process. On November 10th we will officially become a family (Daisy is looking forward to being a legitimate pup). I know not everyone will be able to share that day with us but in the end we trust that the right people will be there. The ones that were meant to be there all along.

I trust that our wedding day will be filled with love, laughter, and joy. As November 10th draws near I hope you will share the journey with us.

Whitney + Jerod's Country Wedding Trailer from Joe Simon Films on Vimeo.

Video courtesy of our brilliant cinematographer – Joe Simon

Foto Friday

2010-06-18T09:00:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

This Foto Friday is a reader request – and that reader is my mom! You see she’s always asking when I’m going to send more pictures of Daisy (i.e.: the grand puppy). The other day I found Daisy playing in the grass and decided to engage in a photo session of sorts. Of course, it took a little bit of work to get her to pay attention to me! lol

“Hey Daisy – look at me!!”

“Don’t hide in the grass silly!!”

“Daisyyyyyy………”

“Almost!!! Just one more try!!”

“Awwww!!! There you are!!!!”

Question: Any exciting weekend plans? I’m looking forward to attending the opening weekend of a local farmer’s market. Maybe I’ll even take Daisy!

An Epic Finale

2010-06-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

And this is where it all ends. The last of my Banff recaps. And I think I may have saved the absolute best for last.

Our spectacular day in Lake Louise.

Lake Louise is a glacier lake high in the Canadian Rockies. It’s kind of amazing and rightfully popular with tourists.

I wish I could convey to you the beauty of the scenery! The water is a turquoise colour. Totally natural.

On it’s shore you’ll find tourists enjoying casual walks and in some cases more hardcore hikes that take them high into the glaciers.

See the man on the rock face? There were tons of rock climbers scaling the rock faces that surround the lake. It was basically and outdoors(wo)mans heaven.

Those looking for a unique (and less strenuous) activity could opt for a Brewster Horse Ride around the lake. The man in the picture is their guide.

We chose to take a jaunt around the lake. By the end of our hour walk we were absolutely starved and went looking for a place to eat.

After some deliberating we chose to have our lunch on the veranda of the stunning Chateau Lake Louise. This meal was a definite highlight of my trip!

Since I couldn’t have the afternoon tea (they were sold out) I chose their antipasto platter and a cup of Empress tea to start.

The tea, made by Murchies (and available online) was delicious as always. But the view . . . the view was what made the meal memorable.

One of the things I most love about elegant restaurant is the little surprises during your meal. Like this bonus biscotti that came with my tea. It was incredibly delicate!

By this point I was seriously grimy but I still did my best to be a “lady that does lunch.” lol

The antipasto was amazing!! The pickled veggies were great with the mushroom being the star. The cured meats were not too fatty and just flavourful enough. And the freshly baked bread was the perfect pairing.

Besides, all that food made for one of the loveliest photos I have taken in a long time. You see all those different layers of food? And the wonderful background at the end? Yeah, I’m kind of proud of that one!

I finished the whole meal off with an espresso and another (bonus!) biscotti.

On the whole I have to say I’m thrilled I got to take place in Susan and Holly’s Banff Getaway. I made two new friends, ate some wonderful food, enjoying fantastic vistas, and most importantly – pushed my physical limits. After my weekend in Banff I can’t wait to continue to explore the beautiful Rocky Mountains!!!

Question: Have you ever taken a trip that made you realize you were stronger than you were you were? I felt that way after my hike!

Roughing it – Rocky Mountain Style

2010-06-16T09:00:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

So by this time you’re well versed in my Banff adventures! But did you know I also tried camping?

And while this wasn’t my first time camping, it was my first time car camping.

All the previous times I had gone camping I had really roughed it in the wild.

Think loading all your gear into a canoe, rowing for hours on end, then setting up camp in a totally remote back country kind of place.

Admittedly, even with car camping I was kind of afraid of the animals.

I find the thought of encountering a cougar (or a grizzly) incredibly terrifying.

Turns out I had nothing to worry about at all.

The campground was much too noisy and well lit for any animals.

Or me for that matter.

At 1:30 I gave up trying to fall asleep outside and crawled into my car.

I know, eh!? Giant. Car. Camping. Fail.

Maybe I’ll try it again; but I’m in no hurry.

Question: Have you ever gone camping? Back woods style or car camping? Did you enjoy it?

Blogger Get Togethers Rock my World!

2010-06-15T09:00:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

This past weekend’s trip to Banff marked my first extended blogger get together. I’ll admit I went into it slightly nervous and just hoping we would get along well. Turns out I had absolutely nothing to worry about. In fact I learned that there are a bunch of reason I love the healthy living bloggers.

They understand that a bowl of oatmeal in the morning can be a beautiful thing.

They totally understand that tea isn’t just tea. It’s something amazing and worth photographing.

They get why you get totally excited (!) when you see a product you have previously reviewed (and loved).

They agree that bison burgers + soccer = a beautiful thing.

They know that before eating one must take a picture of the food.

They won’t think twice of sharing overpriced raw food treats with you (in the end we agreed that we could do way better).

And as if that wasn’t enough – at the end of the day they’ll still go exploring gorgeous lakes with you!

I heart bloggers!

Question: Have you ever taken part in any blogger get togethers!?! How did they turn out?

Will Hike for Burgers

2010-06-14T21:40:00.001-06:00

Hola peeps!

I’m back from Banff and sorely missing my peeps, Holly (The Healthy Everythingtarian) and Susan (The Great Balancing Act). Let’s just say vacation blows work out of the water! And although today was a pretty decent day I still found myself thinking back to awesome Banff times. Like the time we hiked a mountain and earned a delicious evening of eats in the process . . .

Usually I tend to stay away from adult bevies and burgers. But these holidays called for an exception! They called for an utterly delish veggie/portabella burger, the most amazing french fries (drenched in malt vinegar – yum!), and a Bud Light with lime. Awesome.

With a side of food blogger at work!

And what does one do for an encore after such a meal (special mention to the french fries)? One heads to Cows – a Prince Edward Island treasure! Home to the richest ice cream known to man. By the way, rich ice cream = delish!!!

Say “hello!” to 16% milk fat! lol

All in all it was an awesome day: we conquered a mountain and then feasted!

Question: Have you ever exercised just so you could eat something particularly rich? That’s not what I did in this case but it did get me thinking . . .

I Earned Every Single Inch of that View

2010-06-12T10:20:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

How did you like yesterday’s entry? I’m rather proud of myself for blogging from the road – so I hope you enjoyed reading about my adventures!

Back to where we left off . . .

On the afternoon of our first full day in Banff we accomplished what will likely be THE most epic of all of this weekend’s feats!! We climbed a mountain. Hiked up the whole thing. And not just any mountain – the highest mountain the Banff Area!!!! Us three blogger girls conquered a mountain!

You’ll have to excuse my use of exclamation marks in this post – I’m kind of proud of us!!!

We started our hike down by the village of Banff, right by where we were staying. From there we walked through the Banff Springs Hotel eventually ending up at a parking lot that marked the trail head to Upper Banff Springs (the tourists normally take automobile transportation to this point and then take the gondola).

It didn’t take long at all for us to fall rather silent. Don’t worry, we still liked each other! We were just trying to keep our breathing even! lol As Holly (of The Healthy Everythingtarian) said “It’s crazy how it just takes a steep hike to show you just how out of shape you are!” Still we kept on going. And by the time we got to Upper Banff Springs I had already worked up a sweat.

In order to psych ourselves up for the rest of the hike, we took a break at the base of the gondola for pictures.

Spectacular view much!?!?!? From there it could only get better!!!!

After eating an apple for fuel, all three of us bloggers started our way up the mountain. It soon became evident that our heart rates would totally remain “in the zone” during the entire hike. This was no walk in the park.

I had brought my Garmin along and turned it on at the base of the trail head (the one that lead to Upper Banff Springs). Based on the map we knew it would be about 5km to the top or roughly 3miles. To get to the Gondola Station we had already hiked 1.5miles. So by the time we were at the top we would be at about 4.5miles. This was helpful to know because it helped us to track our progress up the mountain.

Now I go hiking quite a bit. In fact at least once a week. But I’m still a chicken. Challenging hikes kind of scare me! They totally make me want to run home . . . where it’s flat. But I wasn’t going to be the blogger that wimped out and took the gondola – so I sucked it up and pushed myself!!!

The going was hard but the increasingly more beautiful views made it all worthwhile! Every time we caught a glimpse of the mountains through the trees we were absolutely gobsmacked. Banff is one of those places that people dream of seeing – and there we were! On our way to it’s highest peak (Sulphur Mountain). That’s the kind of stuff worth blogging about!! lol

To help ease our trip from the gondola base up to the summit we made a decision to take a break every 30 minutes. It was while stopping for our breaks that we realized how far we had come. Go us!!!

You see my red face? lol How about the sweat across my forehead (the sweat that would later turn into a crazy amount of salt on my face)? By this point my legs were starting to feel kind of heavy. We only had about a mile left to go but we could tell the trail was getting steeper. Funny how it coincided with when we were most tired! lol

Now this was the part where I started to have trouble. I had been drinking water but I guess I was low on fuel because I started to get light headed. Given that I live at a fairly high elevation I didn’t think it was due to being so high. Holly (of The Healthy Everythingtarian) came to the rescue with a Larabar. Thank God!!!

With renewed strength we made our final push to the top. Near the end I kept on checking my Garmin. I knew how long the trail was and consequently how long we had left. Just when I thought I couldn’t make it any further (my knee was starting to hurt) we spotted the summit!!!! We had conquered Banff’s tallest mountain!!!!!

Voila, Holly (of The Healthy Everythingtarian), Susan (of The Great Balancing Act), and me!!! The trio of Healthy Living Bloggers feeling pleased as we could be!!!

And the views!?!? Oh my!!!! I think it’s safe to say I earned every inch of that glorious view!!!!

No picture we could ever take could do this magnificent place justice. Knowing that, we tried to take mental pictures of the stunning scenery surrounding us.

For reference sake, this is a picture from the summit of the mountain. You see those little buildings down there? That’s where we began!!! And look at how high we went!!!!

I pushed myself to the limit on this hike. And kids, peer pressure can be a great thing! Without my partners in crime I don’t think I would have hiked this mountain. My first really big mountain hike.

All told, we climbed 4.61 miles straight up the side of a very high mountain. In total the hike took us 2 hours and 22 minutes.

I will forever be grateful to my new amigas for joining me on this adventure! It was EPIC.

LIVE from the Rocky Mountains

2010-06-11T21:35:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

Let me start off by saying, I’m having the time of my life with Susan (of The Great Balancing Act) and Holly (of The Healthy Everythingtarian). They’re both awesome girls and fabulous travel companions!!!

I arrived in Banff on Thursday afternoon and met up with the girls and since then we’ve been having an awesome time. Truth be told I was particularly excited to tag along (they planned this trip a while back and traveled from New Brunswick and Wisconsin to be here) because I don’t have many friends my age in my current city. Yeah there are one or two but they’re into different stuff. Hanging out with food bloggers, on the other hand, is perfect!!! No having to explain why you want to life a healthy lifestyle and no having to apologize for taking food pictures. Brilliant!

But enough talking – let’s look at some pictures!

The morning started off in typical food blogger fashion, with a hefty bowl of oatmeal. This one was loaded down with soy protein powder, a crumbled 1/3 of an All Bran bar, and a smushed banana. It was hearty and filling. Good thing because we had an action packed day ahead!

As we walked downtown to have coffee, we happily noted that the clouds were lifting! Perfect, considering we had grand plans of attempting to hike a mountain in the afternoon. Truth be told I was a little chicken about the whole mountain thing!

Our morning largely consisted of walking around the mega-cute city of Banff, drinking coffee, and doing a bit of shopping (why hello there incredibly cute Lululemon sweatshirt!). Eventually we headed to a local yoga studio for their lunchtime yoga class. Although, I have done tons of yoga DVDs and attended yogalaties class this was my first ever purely yoga class.

The yoga class turned out to be a multi-level flow class. My non yogi self managed to keep up with most of the moves. I only ran into trouble at the very end, with the balance postures. Instead of falling over I opted to settle into an easier pose and enjoy the ridiculous view out the window! Overall I was really pleased with the class and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Rocky Mountain Yoga to others looking for yoga in and around Banff.

After yoga we were sweaty and starved. Just downstairs from the yoga studio we found a bakery that was just begging to be explored. While we were getting our food we noticed that the crowds kept on pouring into the place! Wild Flour Bakery turned out to be quite the hot spot in town.

I totally devoured by traditional ham sandwich on a baguette. The bread was dense, grainy, and perfect. Total score! And at a reasonable price (considering where we were).

After lunch we decided it was time. We were going to hike up Sulphur Mountain. Most people use the gondola to get up the highest peak in the Banff Region. But we were going to do it the good old fashioned way going up. On our way down we planned to take the gondola (my knees LOVED this idea). I was kind of intimidated but I couldn’t avoid it any longer.

We had a mountain to conquer!!!!

To be Continued . . .

An Early Foto Friday

2010-06-10T00:40:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies!

It's been super busy in the casa today.

I know I didn't really mention it on the blog but a week and a half ago we were in a head on collision. As crazy as it sounds, we were waiting to turn at a T intersection when a vehicle turned directly into our lane. Thankfully no one was hurt but dealing with the insurance company has been time consuming. All of the going back and forth has turned me into a lawyer in my free time too. But as much as I would prefer to contain my lawyer activities to work I am incredibly blessed to have this skill-set; there's no doubt in my mind, that it's a huge asset.

Another reason things have been busy is I've been prepping for a weekend trip to Banff!!!

I will be taking part in a fun filled weekend with two other healthy living bloggers. Confession? I'm a city girl at heart and every time I go on a hike I'm pushing my bounds. Still, I'm really looking forward to my trip! There is basically nothing more spectacular than the Rockies on a clear sunny day!

How about you? What wonderful weekend plans do you have?

I'm out bloggies! But I'll be back on Tuesday morning!!!!

The Return of “Operation Bring it!”

2010-06-08T21:47:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

You will remember some time ago I commenced what I called “Operation Bring it!” Basically my attempt to do a full cycle of P90X. I got off to a great start and then ~~work~~ life got in the way. And although I kept doing most of the workouts I wasn’t doing them on the basis of the original plan and so I stopped telling you about them. But I’m not a quitter (no sir!) so it’s time I start updating you on the drops of sweat I’ve shed with Tony Horton.

This week I’ve decided to re-start the program where I left off. To make-up for the fact that I started it and then took a break I may add an extra week at the end. Either way I’m back on the band wagon and feeling rather proud of myself.

Want to know how I’ve fared in my return to “Operation Bring it?” Read On!!!

Day 8 – “Operation Bring it!” - June 5th, 2010

My first official day back called for a return to the good old Chest and Back routine. I had done this DVD enough times that I knew what to expect – a massive amount of push ups!!

I have to confess that this time the DVD didn’t feel as long. The push-ups were still hard but somehow it didn’t seem to drag on (like the first time I did the workout). One thing that quickly became evident was how quickly I improved! On Day 1 I did a grand total of 162 push-ups with all but 26 of them on my toes. On Day 8 I did a grand total of 216 push-ups (!!!!!) with all but 27 of them on my toes. I was amazed at the difference!!!

I still say this is my favourite of all of the P90X workouts. There’s just something about the variations on a simple push-ups that I love. And the dive-bomber is still my fave!

Aside from P90X, I also went on a short two mile trail run (it started to rain so I had to turn around) through a local hiking path. It was glorious! My joints were pleased that I was nowhere near pavement and they rewarded me with a pace of 10min/mile. Which for me is basically blistering! I was one thrilled cookie!!!

Day 9 - “Operation Bring it!” – June 6th, 2010

All too soon it was time for the “Mother of All P90X Workouts!” The dreaded plyometrics day.

On Day 1 I felt like I was going to die during this workout. I had to keep on pausing the DVD to take longer breaks. Consequently it took much longer than an hour to complete the DVD! On Day 9 I didn’t have to pause for any extra breaks and I didn’t feel like I was going to die. In fact, I don’t know if I confessed this during my first recap but I got dizzy a couple of times. That’s seldom happened to me during workouts so I knew I was massively pushing myself. This time I still felt challenged but in a much safer and healthier way.

One additional change this week was my use of a heart rate monitor; I wanted to make sure I stayed within my calorie burning zone. I was thrilled to discover my heart rate stayed in the zone for the whole time with the exception of a few moves that caused me to head into my lactic acid build-up zone. It was an awesome workout and I could definitely see an improvement.

My goal for the end of the cycle? To be able to do the moves with the same absolute explosive energy as the peeps on the DVD. I believe I can totally get there!!

And then She Rested

What would have been Day 10 fell on a Monday – which as you know is the day I have my standing doggy hike date.

On this particular occasion we headed out on a two hour hike in the Rockies. Sometimes we take our hikes at a rather relaxed pace but on this occasion we were going at a really fast clip! In fact a really fit member of the group proclaimed it a death march! lol While I don’t think it was that bad I will confess to falling quickly asleep that night.

As if Monday night doggy hikes weren’t fantastic enough already we have decided to take on a group dinner at the end of each hike. This week one of our hike participants treated us to a lovely bbq featuring sockeye salmon, a mixed greens salad, rice, a dill yogurt sauce, and wonderful white wine. It was simply lovely! Unfortunately, I was so starved I neglected to take any pictures. But I promise to make up for it in spades!!!!

So there you have it – you’re all caught up now! Tonight I will be doing another of the P90X workouts but first I have to bake some “I Don’t Want to be a Lawyer Anymore Cookies” for the winning bidder in Bobbi’s bake sale and then of course I have to watch glee. Oh glee . . . how will I ever survive a summer without you . . .

Hasta Pronto!

Foto Friday

2010-06-04T10:48:00.001-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

Happy Friday to you!!! And to me!!! :o)

This has been a long and rather trying week that has left me feeling all too ready for the weekend. I'm thrilled to pieces that I get a few days off to chill. And while the weather may not be perfect - I'll take it!!!

In other news - I took an unexpected and previously unplanned break from blogging this week. To be perfectly candid I did so because I thought I needed to re-evaluate my social networking. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love connecting with other like minded individuals and blogging really is a joy. Ditto for twittering. But at the end of the day I still have to make sure that social networking reconciles with my security concerns.

I won't be going into details into it in the blog but there have been some recent events that have made me question if having a public access blog in a good idea. For now I have protected my twitter updates but have decided to leave my blog open. If that should change I'll give you a heads up and let you know how you can get the requisite password.

But enough about that - it's Foto Friday and this week I'm featuring a picture taken on one of my many Rocky Mountain hikes. As you can tell by the scenery it was an absolutely crisp and gorgeous spring day. There were remnants of snow on the higher elevations but on the whole you could tell the warmer weather was just around the corner.

I don't know about you but I never seem to get sick of those gorgeous Rocky Mountain views!!!

They'll Call me Freedom

2010-05-27T01:15:00.000-06:00

Hola Bloggies:

So let's talk beats (i.e.: music) or what I consider an integral experience to my workout experience.

You see, I'm one of those people that got an iPod (1st generation nano - thank-you very much) for the sole purpose of working out. Given that I'd never owned a Walkman or a Discman it was rather a leap for little olde me. But truth be told, when I first started working out you couldn't have paid me to stay on a treadmill for more than five minutes. It pretty much bored me to tears.

Enter my BabyPod (yes - it had a name). She was a gift from my parents and she pretty well changed my life. From there on in there was only life pre-nano and post-nano. That little device, along with the Nike+ system, got me from couch to my first 10k race.

Ever since then I've considered my tunes to go hand in hand with my training. Which means that I'm always on the look out for new songs and artists. Today, I thought I'd share with you one of my favourites. The artist known as K'naan.

K'naan is absolutely a product of the Canadian multicultural experience. Born in Somalia, he was fortunate enough as a teenager to escape on the last commercial flight to ever leave Somalia. After a brief stint in the United States, he along with his family found a home in Toronto. There he honed his art - because this man truly is a gifted artist. Until one day he was invited to present a spoken word piece at the United Nations. Story has it, once he was done he was greeted with a massive standing ovation. From there K'naan would go on to release his dayview album before releasing Troubadour.

If you want to know what K'naan is all about - listen to Troubadour. There are songs on there that have made me share a tear or two (okay - maybe three) but there are also up beat songs totally suitable for running or working out. Here are my recommendations:

1) "Somalia" - good steady beat and a great hook

2) "T.I.A." (This is Africa) - the rap and drum beat in the background is just begging for a good run

3) "ABCs" - this was the first K'naan song I ever heard and to this day it gets me to pick up my tempo

4) "Wavin' Flag" - there is no way you can hear this song and not have your spirit lifted

Now unless you're totally living under a rock, K'Naan's music will be totally impossible to ignore over the next while. You see "Wavin' Flag" has been chosen as the Official Anthem of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. And yes that means the song has been re-mixed a million times but my favourite version may very well be the "Young Artists for Haiti" version done with an all-star Canadian ensemble to benefit the Haiti relief efforts.

What do you think about K'Naan? Are you a fan? Favourite songs? I have to say "Fatima" pulls at my heart strings every time. It's the perfect combination of poetry, joy, melancholy, and sadness.

Quoi de Neuf?

2010-05-26T23:34:00.000-06:00

source

Bonsoir Bloggies:

I thought it was high time I check back in avec my friends and readers. Yes, I have been noticeably absent from blogging this last little while. The irony of the situation is that I (along with the Fiance) have been insanely hard at work on another website - our wedding website!!!!

It's been an incredibly labour intensive project that has happily resulted in a website we're massively proud of and are excited to share with our guests. Honestly, I think it has to be the most detailed wedding website in the history of wedding websites. We have subsections covering everything from our story (rather cute if I do say so myself), local attractions, wedding traditions, customs questions, booking accomodations, our photos . . . even survival Spanish!

In the process of designing our content the Fiance and I discovered that we're fantastic at building websites together. I'm good at the quick witty thoughts and he's great at revising what I wrote and making sure it looks good and follows proper rules of grammar. All of this led me to think that perhaps post-nuptials a whole blog revamp is in order. Preferably one that involves a professional designing my templates and new branding and the Fiance working with me on the content. I have some thoughts on new names for the blog but if you don't mind I'm going to keep things under wraps for now!

Speaking of keeping things under wraps - as much as I would love to publicly share the URL of our wedding website I am a little fearful of creepers. And by that I don't mean you readers - you're all cool beans - it's more the lurkers that exist out there. Having said that if you know me and would like to see our website please get in contact with me at tobethewholepackageATgmailDOTcom and I'll happily share! :o)

As for the Quoi de Neuf (which literally translates into what's new, in French) . . .

I still intend to keep on blogging about health and wellness. In fact lately I've begun to frequently use dailymile to log my workouts. And don't worry I haven't forgotten about P90X. Yes, I know I haven't been updating you on my progress. So tomorrow I will begin doing so again.

Now your turn! Quoi de neuf with you?