1.  My new gel nails- that exactly match the turquoise of my business card and my bracelet from World Vision.  These were lovingly applied by the nicest team from Bio Seaweed Gel at the Shades of Grey party.

2. My gorgeous new ilashme eyelashes-I feel years younger with them on.  They take five minutes to become accustomed to because they are light weight but securely affixed.  They make your eyes open wide and make me feel sophisticated and sassy at the same time.

3. Molson Canadian 67 Sublime -I was already a lover of the beer all by itself but I now have fun recipes for cocktails that I can’t wait to try out and the knowledge of cheese pairings to impress with at my next dinner party.  I was blown away that a company like Molson’s hires so many savvy women in key roles.  My understanding (and reverence) of their product has been elevated.

4.  Meeting Stephanie from World Vision-I am quite sure that we will stay in touch.  Her enthusiasm and passion was genuine and something just clicked when I spoke with her.  I am so impressed that an organization like World Vision understands that female bloggers are a key way to get their message out in a compassionate way.

5.  Getting to meet Heather, her staff and the rest of the Canadian Beef Ambassadors from Canadian Beef IRL (in real life)

over dinner at the Lonestar Texas Grill (amazing steak sandwich).  The opportunity to attend the conference was because of Heather for the purpose of meeting the rest of the team.  I was so impressed (and rather humbled) that I was in the company of such successful bloggers.  Christine, Alexa, Lina-you have already coached and connected me in so many ways.

6. The Speakers for She’s Connected-I cannot even begin to list and share all that I have learned.  I must admit I did some day-dreaming in a couple of sessions but that is good because I have been inspired to write a third blog that I can’t wait to get at.  Stay tuned.

7.  The hard-working Ambassadors for She’s Connected-(including my roommate Little Miss Kate), SoberJulie, Life On Manitoulin and Mommyoutsidethebox you all welcomed me into your circle and I cannot express my gratitude. I look forward to staying connected with you and blogging alongside you.

8. Donna Marie the founder of She’s Connected-I finally got a chance to introduce my self to her on our last evening.  In spite of all the details, stress and people that she had encountered at the event, she recognized me, knew my work and praised me for it.  I was very touched and look forward to spending more time with her in the future.

9. Getting to hang with the lovely ladies from the Manitoba Canola Growers.  Thanks Jenn and Leanne.  It was a comfort to start the conference off with friends from home.

10.  Being in TO again.  The city energizes me with its diversity, culture and natural and man-made beauty.  I love to visit and I love to come home.

The view from my office window at home.

Until next year, lovely ladies….

Kath’s (overheard at conference) quote: “Go big, or go home.”

Love-that is all.

 

 

I have been in TO this weekend and this is significant for two reasons: 1) Even though I am not much of a shopper when I am at home, I do love to shop in cities not my own  and 2) I met Stephanie from World Vision Canada at a conference that I was at and wanted an opportunity to share the amazing work that they do.

We already have the World Vision Gift Catalogue at home in the bathroom basket with the rest of our “urgent” reading material.  This is because Daughter #2 and The Frenchman are foster parents to a World Vision child.

We are a family that loves to celebrate Christmas and plans are already being made about drawing names for our gift exchange, the location of our celebrations, dinner menu, etc., etc.  I sometimes get stressed about Christmas because I want to give the family “exactly” what they asked for.  When I read through a brochure like the one provided by World Vision, I realize what a ridiculous thing my stress is.  “Lydia knows what it is like to be poor.  To be hungry and have no food.  To be sick and have no medicine.  To not have even one dress without holes.  Her parents are farmers barely scraping by in the bush country of Uganda.  But this little girl’s life has begun to change…”

And so I am rethinking gift giving (and receiving) this Christmas.  Sure I have been dreaming about that Kitchen Aid Mixer but that money could buy the following:

clothing for 250 children, or

9 pigs, or

medicines for 120 children, or

36 soccer balls, or

help protect 7 child laborers, or

help restore 5 child soldiers, or

help 5 sexually exploited children, or

educate 6 girls, or

provide a latrines for 3 communities, or

60 fruit trees

Without that mixer I will expend more calories and conserve energy too.  My life is so full and I am richly blessed.  I know this in my soul, so this Christmas, why do I need one more “thing”?

Kath’s quote: “It is not good for all our wishes to be filled; through sickness we recognize the value of health; through evil, the value of good; through hunger, the value of food; through exertion, the value of rest.”-Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Love-that is all.

Today my Guest Blogger is my much loved daughter in law, J2, married to my son (J1).  She is a successful blogger in her own right and has started up her own business and can you tell, I am so very proud of her?

“I wouldn’t classify my husband as a picky eater. His palate is very wide and he is no stranger to trying new things (we both tasted fertilized egg embryos when we lived overseas…). There are a few things though that he strongly dislikes. He dislikes beans, or more specifically anything with a chalky texture – lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans. He dislikes most foods that are overly pungent (he also dislikes when I eat them, but I LOVE them) – olives, blue cheese, black licorice. He dislikes broth-y soups. Chicken noodle, minestrone, hamburger…if you can see through the broth, he will probably decline. I love soup, so I try to be creative in finding thick and creamy soup recipes that we will both enjoy.

One soup that we can both agree on is Jamie Oliver’s Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup from Jamie’s Food Revolution. This happens to be one of the recipes on our weekly meal plan this week and it was a perfect fall meal after raking the front yard.

I have used a regular blender in the past (before I received my beloved immersion blender as a gift), but be sure to let the soup COOL OFF before you blend. Otherwise it will end up all over the walls.
I modified slightly and blended the soup before I added the sausage for a little more texture. Delicious!

Jen Grisim, Providing Pre & Postnatal Services in the Heart of Winnipeg www.specialdeliveriesfitness.com Check out my blog: www.babyladyoftheprairies.com”

From Kath: By coincidence, Jamie Oliver was in Toronto this weekend and so was I.  He was there for a Jamie Junior T-Fal event.  Jamie is our families’ favourite chef and I would love to meet him.  Maybe next time…..

Kath’s quote:

“Said Aristotle unto Plato,
‘Have another sweet potato?’
Said Plato unto Aristotle,
‘Thank you, I prefer the bottle.’”

Owen Wister

Love-that is all.

I kept my friend waiting at the airport as my flight was delayed and the luggage took forever to arrive.  By the time I saw her familiar, smiling face she had been urged to take a lap by the loading zone attendant.  We were hungry and anxious to get caught up and so veered into Milestone’s on Dixon Road.

Milestone’s apparently skipped the province of Manitoba when it expanded from west to east and I have never had an occasion to dine with them.  By reputation though, I knew that they were famous for an international influence and bold flavours.  Sure enough, while my friend was able to choose an Asian Citrus Steak Salad, I was talked out of the Goat Cheese and Roasted Beet Salad that I had my eye on and into the Harissa Chicken by the persuasive server.  Don’t get me wrong, she had enjoyed the dish herself and was just trying to be helpful.  I appreciate when serving staff are willing to take a gamble like this.

I refer to this as a risky suggestion because the tastes were bold indeed.  The advice was perfectly suited to my palate but may not have been for everyone.  Thinking that I may never travel to the Tunisia in North Africa, I decided that at least my taste buds could make the journey.  The brown rice, sweet potato and parsnip pilaf was chock full of flavour with tastes of lime and cilantro (if I am not mistaken).  I ate it all before I even started into the chicken which packed a nice punch in its own arena.  The chili rub was beautifully offset by a creamy Fontina cheese and an acidity was added with a lemon mint yoghurt.  My first bites of TO accompanied by sips of a lovely Malbec held promises of delicious dining ahead.

My friend and I had years to get caught up on and therefore even though I did pause long enough to get a photo of her lunch, I completely forgot to ask for a taste or inquire as to how she was liking it.  I did spy cucumbers, red peppers & onions, avocado and two kinds of Asian noodles.

Time was precious as we still had a trek downtown to get me checked into my hotel before her journey back home before rush hour. There never seems to be enough time when you are catching up with a good, good friend.

Kath’s quote: “Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.”-Groucho Marx

Love-that is all.

Although I get a kick out of the Mom and Pop atmosphere of many neighbourhood restaurants, there are occasions when a more sophisticated ambience is appropriate.  The Bonfire Bistro on Corydon offers a slightly upscale décor, reasonable prices, excellent fare and that neighbourhood feel, all in one neat package. Recently,  I met a good friend, who is also a business acquaintance and we got caught up on family, accomplished all of our business decisions and enjoyed a delicious lunch-not necessarily in that order.

My friend chose the pasta/salad lunch combination.  On this day it was fettuccine topped with a hearty mushroom sauce, garnished with crispy bacon.  The salad greens included sweet currants, so that the sweetness of the dried fruit offset the saltiness of the bacon.  She let me plunge my fork into her plate for a sample.  Now that is a good friend.

I was tempted to have the same because I really wanted a last summer taste of the bistro’s gazpacho which was the featured soup.  Instead, our accommodating waitress provided me with just a spoonful of the chilled soup.  So I was free to order the clams, spicy sausage and artichokes from the anti-pasta section of their lunch menu.

I was trying to restrain myself, because I knew that I was going out for dinner that evening (oh, the life of a foodie) so I tore pieces of the grilled Portuguese waterbread and dipped them into the saffron marinara sauce and just had a couple of pieces of the sausage and artichoke.  The rustic recipe is a perfect lunch to take us into Winnipeg’s chilly winter.  The leftovers were packaged up for a future meal.

I can also highly recommend Bonfire’s wood-fired pizzas with a delicious sauce and decadent toppings.  Or the vermicelli with spicy marinated eggplant, wilted field greens, roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes, kalamata olives, tomatoes, green onions and feta cheese in an Aglio E Olio sauce that I have enjoyed on other occasions.  The pizzas, pastas and salads are always fresh, seasonal, hearty and perfectly prepared.  Service is more than cordial and you would have no issues getting back to the office on time if you were on your lunch hour.

Kath’s quote: “The whole Mediterranean … the wine, the ideas … seems to ride in the sour pungent taste of those black olives … A taste older than meat, older than wine. A taste as old as cold water.”-Lawrence Durrell

Love-that is all.