Food Addict

Hello Friends! It's been a while!  It has been a crazy few months that now find me in a completely new, hectic but unbelievably rewarding routine. For those of you who don't know, I've gone back to CHBC TV as Producer/Anchor of CHBC News at 11.  It's a position I worked in for almost nine years, but left six years ago to pursue other passions--fashion and small business. Now, I'm doing both and managing family and household.  At first thought, it seems impossible but it has all fallen into place. I still have the store - Influence.  I work there in the morning, however, I have reduced my actual 'in store' time.  I still pick up my girls from school and ferry them to their various extra-curriculars.  I still make dinner and eat it with my family.  The change comes after dinner.  Instead of curling up on the couch, I slip into a skirt and blazer and head off to work.  It's a whirlwind that sees me return to my driveway at 12:22am!  (that's e

Hello Friends. Where did the time go?  It's a statement that runs through my mind numerous times a day.  I'm always pushing the limits.  Just five more minutes on the treadmill, just one more minute on Facebook, whatever it may be I'm wondering when I will learn that there aren't any more minutes in my day.   Something always has to give.  It's something I'm trying to drill into my children as well.  I'm sure it's a universal thing, but mine are always trying to negotiate one more minute to do this or that.  Ava 1 Day Old On another 'time' front...how is it that I have an 11 year old child? (well, almost 11)  I dropped her off at the 'babysitting' course today.  I found myself surrounded by other mothers and daughters, many of whom we went to 'Small World' pre-school with a decade ago.  It was a moment for me.  Ava 3 yrs Old We aren't close friends, but I see these mother's periodically at school and extra curri

Hello Friends! It's been a month of  'cleaning' for me...not my house but my diet.  I have considered myself a 'clean' eater for years now, but I've discovered in the last four weeks I wasn't as 'spotless' as I thought!  A nibble of this, a gnosh on that...it all adds up!  So I tightened the reigns and guess what?  I lost eight pounds in the first 10 days.  Now, I am not a scale person.  I usually go by how my clothes and bathing suits fit/look.  I do like the scale now and it propels me forward. I have increased my workouts as well.  Six days a week I do 30-50 minutes of cardio in the morning, followed by targeted weight training immediatly following the cardio or later in the day. (Usually P90X)  I've also come across some great synergistic workouts (working multiple muscle groups at the same time).  Jillian Michaels Trouble Zones is a great one!  P90X Plyometrics and Core Workouts are great too!  I use these if I only have time for one wor

Hello Friends! This is the most excited I've been about a food find in a while!!  I've been eating 100% clean, no sugar etc. for 10 days now.  I feel fantastic, but sometimes there is a need for a bite or two of something sweet!  I came across a recipe from Jamie Eason for Protein Ice Cream.  It's very simple to make...and the possibilities are endless.  My kids and my husband were amazed. Basically it's 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk (regular, vanilla or chocolate) 1.5 scoops of protein powder (I used chocolate/peanut butter) Fill a large ziploc bag half full of ice and pour in half a cup of table salt. (not your fancy sea salt...just regular because you are not eating this...salt makes the ice colder!) Mix your protein powder and almond milk in a bowl, then transfer to a small ziploc bag.  Seal it, place it inside the large bag and then seal that.  Now put on some oven mits (or something to keep your hands from freezing) and shake for about five minutes.  I

Hello Friends, Well it's been a few days...some changes have been occuring that have kept me from the computer keyboard.  Nothing, life or death, just some moral and physical dilemma's that have forced me to look deeper at what I believe and the life I intend to create for myself.  I made the decision to adopt a Vegan lifestyle in February.  I later became an almost-Vegan when I added Whey (milk) protein back into my diet.  This week I became Vegetarian (for reasons I will discuss at a later date) I added egg whites, cottage cheese and yogurt back in.  Last night, I became a 'Pesce Vegetarian' as I prepared and ate a meal of fish.  Sounds like a slippery slope, doesn't it?  I can assure you though, this is as far as I intend to go.  I don't like labelling anything, we are all free to eat the way we want.  In many respects, a diet free of animals and animal products was a positive choice for me.  However, in terms of my day to day activities and my goals fo

Hello Friends, I've had some moments recently where I've been feeling taken advantage of.  I'm keeping it real here...it doesn't really matter what the situation was, I just know I spent a lot of time thinking about how lucky 'those people' were that I was so understanding!  Anyway, I was out for a run yesterday with Dr. Wayne Dyer chatting at me in my ipod.  He related a poem that caused me to actually stop in my tracks and laugh out loud!  "Wayne, how did you know I needed to hear this?" The Cookie Thief ~ Valerie Cox A woman was waiting at an airport one night With several long hours before her flight She hunted for a book in the airport shop Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop She was engrossed in her book but happened to see That the man beside her as bold as could be Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene She munched cookies and watched the clock As this gutsy cookie thi

Hello Friends! How many vitamins and supplements do you take?  I'm always reading health magazines that tell me I should be taking 'this' and 'that'...but how much of it is really necessary?  My husband would say none of it is...he loses his mind when I come home with bottles of pills. I feel I have whittled it down to a respectable number of bottles...I even bought a little pill organzier to keep it all straight.  OK, so here it goes.  This is what I take on a daily basis. Vitamin B.  As a vegetarian I'm not getting B12 in my food...this is the solution. Don't you find you just have more energy when you take Vitamin B?  Someone also told me you lean out when you have B6...don't know if it's true..but I like thinking that it is! Here's some bone builder...standard.  Although, my mother-in-law says something about too much Calcium actually having the opposite effect on our bones???  Ugghh...who knows?  I'm taking it anyway! He

Good morning friends! It's one of those mornings that is perfect in it's simpleness.  Sunshine, blue sky, my trusted four legged friend lying at my feet as I sip my tea by the pool.  Warm sun on my face, lush greenery surrounds me (bless the rains!) and my gaze lands on this... A perfect tree.  Fresh leaves glistening in the sun.  This was actually one of three trees we planted several years ago.  Two were later removed when we put in the pool.  This was the 'runt' tree.  It was smaller than the others.  It got it's leaves much later than the others and dropped them weeks earlier.  We always commented on this 'stunted' tree.  Interesting how it was the only one that survived the backyard demolition. As I pondered the beauty of this tree this morning...I didn't initially remember it's history.  I was completely absorbed by this perfect work of nature.  When I started thinking back, about the other trees, I had a 'moment'. On it's ow

Hello Friends!! Long time no blog!  Sometimes it seems life passes in the blink of an eye.  The weekly routine repeats and repeats and suddenly it's June! I haven't been that creative in the kitchen as of late.  Lot's of basic cooking going on. Veggie Burgers, salads, wraps and soup.  It's the soup that seems to have been the big winner around here. A Minestrone Soup recipe I found online. Soooo delicious and thick.  It really is a nice 'summerish' soup...great with some crusty bread.  Give it a try and let me know your thoughts.  I`ve included my substitutions below. That's all I've got today....until next time! Toby Minestrone Soup ~ http://www.allrecipes.com/ Ingredients 4 cups vegetable stock 2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes 1 large potato, cubed (I used a sweet potato) 1 onion, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 1 large head cabbage, finely chopped (I used a bag of coleslaw) 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

Hello Friends! I always say that it's the little things in life that excite me the most.  Right now, I'm loving that my favourite 'veggie meat' has new varieties!  Yippee!!! I love Gardein because they use minimal soy product and lots of veggies!!  The Chipotle Lime Crispy Fingers are delicious...spicy with a crispy crust.  I cooked them, cut them and put them on a salad.  These would also make a great 'chicken burger' alternative...guacamole, salsa...mmmmm! I haven't tried the Beefless Burgers yet...but knowing Gardein they will be tasty!!!  Can't wait for a BBQ this weekend. Here's something else I found... Polenta has intrigued me for a while now.  This looked good, but I don't know what to do with it.  I've read recipes but I'm looking for something tried and true.  Anyone?? Also today, I have a message for the Quail that seem to be drunk on berries right now.  It doesn't matter what road I'm driving on, t

Hello friends. I have something I need to get off my chest.  For years, I have been intimidated by curry.  I don't know a Vindaloo from a Tikka Masala.  What I do know is that I always enjoy an authentic Indian meal, I just want to be able to cook one myself! Last night a friend put on a fantastic Indian spread...butter chicken (none for me!)  a delicious vegetable curry and a chick pea curry.  There was of course naan bread and basmati rice.  Delicious.  Today I was inspired...I entered the grocery store without a list or any concrete plan.  I just knew I wanted a curry dish, I knew what I wanted in it and how it should look and taste.  Brave I know...but this story has a happy ending. I grabbed all my vegetables first.  Onion, garlic, red pepper, cauliflower, potato and peas.  I moved on to organic chick peas, light coconut milk and brown basmati rice.  A great base...but then the curry conundrum.  I approached the Asian Foods section with much trepidation.  I know, I know 

Hello Friends! 2011 has been a year of appreciation for me.  My focus is on the good things in my life.  My family, my friends, my health, my store.  I even include material things that bring me enjoyment like my pool and my seven year old SUV that gets me where I need to go.  No keeping up with the Jones's...I am sitting back and relishing in all the wonderous creations already here for me. It's been going pretty well...but I have to say this week, something is different.  It always happens to me in the spring.  The weather gets warmer, the sun shines and my attention wanders.  A shiny new car maybe?  A bigger, better house, or some upgrades in the one we have.  Paint, carpet, countertops...heck let's re-do the kitchen.  What is with this? I made a conscious decision before my feet hit the carpet this morning.  I was going to really set my focus on appreciation today...I mean really focus again on being completely happy with everything I already have.  So why then, j

Hello Friends! It's been a few days since I've posted.  The truth is my meals have been pretty standard lately...although I did make a killer, last minute Indian Dahl last night. NOT ACTUALLY MINE ~ LOOKED LIKE THIS THOUGH, SANS THE GARNISH!   Just threw in various ingredients...I was craving lentils!!  I know, I know, CRAVING LENTILS...LAME!!!  Lame is a kind word for what my kids thought of the meal.  It makes me giggle to think about it now actually. They tasted it...gagged, Ava spit her's in the garbage.  Nice!  Did I really think they would eat it though...lentils, veggies, curry, coconut milk?  I just was not in the mood for 'short order cooking' last night...so there was one meal on the menu...imagine that!!  They apologized for 'dissing' my stew then made themselves peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Curtis and I enjoyed our Dahl.  (He had a second helping!) Ava kept hugging me through the evening, asking if I was sad that she didn't like

Hello Friends, You may or may not know that I love, love, love animals.  Some of my happiest moments are when I'm at home with one dog on either side nudging me for attention. Sadie & Bella I treat my pets like children, I believe they have emotions that they may or may not actually have, but most of all I love how much they love me!  I am a collector of things to love and that will love me in return.  With that said...meet the newest addition to my collection! Archie  This is Archie!  He's a cockatiel and he's lovely!  Curtis and I had a cockatiel 12 years ago, before we had any children or other pets.  His name was Charlie.  He loved a morning shower and blow dry.  He ate food right off of Curtis's plate and whistled at himself in the mirror all day long.  Charlie was pure entertainment...so Archie has some pretty big shoes to fill! Within a few minutes of bringing him home last night, he was stepping up on my finger and letting the kids cart him aro

Good morning! I got back on the golf course last night!  It was fantastic.  Like many other mothers, my days of golfing were diminshed with the arrival of children.  Who has time to spend four (+) hours on a golf course with babies and toddlers at home??  Not I, if you do...congratulations! Anyway, for the last 10 years I've golfed 18 holes about once a season.  My daughters are 10 and eight now, so this is the year it changes.  My friend Sheri has put together a golf group...girls, mostly mom's, who are ready to reclaim their time on the tee box!  (and in the sand and in the water and in the rough...)  We will play once a week at various courses around the Okanagan.  I can tell you it was quite a switch for my husband and I last night.  He taking the kids home to make dinner while I headed to the golf course.  FUN! I hit some great shots and some not so great shots...but finally I feel like this will be the year for actual improvement.  Perhaps even better then that, i

Good morning. I have been missing eggs lately.  I was the 'Egg White Queen' before I changed my diet.  I would scramble them up every morning with garlic, spinach and feta...mmmm!   These days, I find myself craving egg salad sandwiches...fresh bread, pickles, sprouts, mayo...SNAP...back to reality.  This path of restriction that I have chosen has come relatively easy so I knew there had to be a solution...something to fill the 'egg salad' void.  Here it is....it's tofu based and comes with a great review from me (obvs) but also my neighbour who tells it like it is.  She actually said that if I hadn't told her it was 'eggless' she probably wouldn't have known!  Nice! Start with tofu...organic, firm and pressed! I chop it into chunks and then mash with a fork.  It works best with a pastry blender...but I broke mine...dang firm tofu! OK here it is mashed!  Now add whatever you like!  Green onion, pickles, celery, peppers, seasoning, dijon an

Happy Friday! I love Friday Pizza Nights, but I don't love all the dough and cheese that's usually involved.  I was recently introduced to a beautiful creation from a local Mediterranean Market. This is pizza crust, whole wheat, as thin as a cracker and as fresh as your Grandma's homemade buns.  That's actually what it smells like.  (I smell everything!)  I'm sure you have a similiar market where you live...this crust is what makes the pizza so enjoyable for me.  I still have issues when it comes to eating 'bread'.  The thinner the crust, the fewer the carbs and calories, in my mind. I make myself a delicious veggie pizza loaded with whatever I have on hand. Tonight it was mushrooms, peppers, onions and cauliflower.  I love, love, love thin cut zucchini on this too, but I forgot to buy it.  (How does that happen even when I have a list??)  Anyway...I cook these up in a little Grapeseed oil and white wine. Smear the crust with pesto sauce (fre