SNAP THAT

A Thing of Beauty

2012-02-10T22:54:00.000+03:00

I love handmade things. I've always loved crafts of all kinds. Anything made by the hand, that takes time to render, is special and holds deep attraction for me.

When I travel, my eye is always drawn to different textiles, pottery, jewellery and other hand crafted items. Kenya is a wonderful place for seeing and buying hand crafts. I wrote about some of it here.

Kenyan beadwork is connected to the cultures of the various tribes doing the beadwork and is a somewhat new addition to their culture. Much like it was tothe Native American Indians who traded in beads with the foreign settlers, Kenyan beadwork dates back to the late 19th century when beads from what is known today as the Czech Republic, became available to them.

Beadwork has a special attraction for me because when I was a teenager, I made things out of seed beads. Mostly I made earrings and necklaces for the women in my community. They loved to adorn themselves with one of a kind pieces. I haven't done any of that kind of work since then.

In Kenya, bead work is often used, along with hairstyle and other types of adornment, as a way of identifying someone's status and identity. I'm not sure if this is still the case today, but certainly it probably is where the tribal traditions are thriving. Westerners tend to know more about Maasai beadwork. For example, a mother may place a string of beads around a baby's wrist, ankle and waist and thereby be able to track the baby's growth. In addition, a girl or boy's eligibility for marriage can be observed by the shape, pattern and colour of their beadwork.

A beaded bowl caught my eye the last time I was in Nakuru. The beautiful colours caught my eye and also the fact that I'd never seen a beaded bowl before. I brought one home. It now sits in my bathroom holding small items like my hair clips. I would love to have several more of them in different colours; at least one gold, and one in different shades of blue. I'm sorry I didn't buy more but I have learned not to overdo it with the tourist purchases. Whenever I get back to Kenya, I can buy a few more bowls.

I added the last photo jut because I like the wavy lines of colour that occurred when I moved my camera too quickly.

In writing my post I was fortunate to come across a book devoted to the culture and customs of Kenya, called Culture and Customs of Kenya by N. W. Sobania. It looks like a wonderful book for your library if you're at all interested in the culture of Kenya; a fascinating country with many different cultural traditions.

Enjoy your weekend!

Dragons Fly Overhead

2012-02-09T23:30:00.000+03:00

It's the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. I wrote about it here if you would like to read more.

Imagine my surprise, when earlier this week, I looked up at the sky and saw a cloud in the form of a dragon!

I quickly snapped these photos before the dragon flew away!

I'd love to hear what kind of interesting cloud formations you've seen lately.

Enjoy more sky watching by clicking on the badge below.

Beans, Beans, Beans

2012-02-09T08:33:00.000+03:00

Today on my walk I managed to find a brand of lentils and beans that I haven't tried before. The price also seems a little cheaper than the usual offering at the other stores I frequent. So I picked up a few bags of several types of beans and green lentils.

Right now I'm soaking garbanzo beans and pinto beans and thinking of what to make with them.

These new to me garbanzo recipes look like something I would like to try.

Garbanzo Bean Medley

1 tsp. olive oil
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, chopped (optional)
1 can garbanzo beans (I'll use "from scratch" beans as they have no preservatives)
1/8 tsp. fresh pepper
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a skillet and saute green pepper for 2 minutes, add onions and garlic; saute until soft. Add beans, pepper and salt; saute until well blended and heated through. Serves 4.

Notes: I will use red peppers instead of green ones because I prefer the taste and colour.

Garbanzo Bean Soup

1 lb. garbanzo beans (the recipe calls for dried but I'm using "made from scratch" beans)
8 c. water
1/2 c. olive oil
1 lg. onion, diced
1/2 clove garlic, diced
4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
2 bay leaves
1/2 (6 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 (6 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
4 med. size potatoes, peeled

Saute onions in olive oil and when tender add all other ingredients with the exception of stewed tomatoes and pepper. Saute for 2 more minutes. Bring garbanzo to a boil and add all ingredients. Lower heat to low and boil until tender. More water or salt may be added to taste. Cook until potatoes are done. If you would like a thicker consistency.mash some of the beans and potatoes.

I'll probably use the pinto beans for some make ahead chili, as in this recipe but I'll use pinto beans instead of kidney beans.

The health benefits of beans are many: they lower cholesterol and promote digestive health, promote heart health, stabilizes blood sugar levels. The beans also have antioxidants in them and can help manage your weight by giving a feeling of fullness (satiety). Garbanzo beans contain molybdenum, manganese, folate,fiber, tryptophan, protein, calcium, phosphorous and iron.

I was surprised to learn that garbanzo beans may be one of the world's oldest, cultivated bean. I was also surprised to read that India supplies the vast majority of the world's garbanzo beans; something like 80-90%! Other producers of garbanzo beans are Pakistan, Turkey, Ethiopia and Mexico.

This chart is a bit old but I don't think that the bean production levels haven't changed too dramatically.

Recently I learned two tips for cutting down on the gas in cooked beans. The first tip is not to cook the beans in the same water in which you soak them. The second tip, is to change the water part way through the bean cooking process. I tried the latter tip last time I made beans and it really worked.

What about you dear reader?

Do you have tips you use to cut down on gas from cooked beans?

Moon Beaming Bright

2012-02-07T04:48:00.000+03:00

(These photos are better viewed by clicking on them.)

Thank you for visiting.

Mama's Bread Pudding

2012-02-06T07:15:00.000+03:00

Some of my fondest childhood memories revolve around mama's baking. Among other things, she made delicious bread pudding. It was so creamy and soft. Actually she was an excellent cook overall. Self-taught and a largely intuitive cook. I was not a natural cook and I took little interest in the kitchen except to make baked goods.

My lack of interest in cooking continued after I was grown. My jobs always required me to put in long hours and arriving home late at night left little energy or time to shop for a wide range of ingredients or slave over a stove. While mom was still able to get around, she would often visit and I so appreciated her visits. I loved to come home from work and have well made and good smelling food hit my nostrils as I walked in the door. I also just appreciated being able to spend time lots of time with her and though I worked long hours my weekends were free so we would spend time together going around the city and being tourists.

In later years, I had to cook for my mother and my cooking skills improved though most times my cooking was not to her liking. Who can blame her after having been such a great cook all of her life? Others of her generation looked to her to teach them. So it was hard for her to be able to enjoy much of what I'd cook. Later, when I retired, I began to experiment more in the kitchen. A few of my recipes and experiments are on this blog. However, I admit to still having little patience in the kitchen. I need simple recipes that don't require too much fussing over, especially since I'm prone to multi-tasking. I am a simple girl at heart and I love simple food.

Recently I've been thinking of recipes that mom made when my siblings and I were growing up. Things like rice pudding, bread pudding, dream bars, hamburger soup, home made bread, and bannock bread. Of course she made much more than these dishes, but these are the comfort foods that stick out in my mind, and which I crave from time to time. I've posted my experiments with each of the above dishes on my blog. Even though I had no intention of posting anything about cooking on my blog, it actually became something I did rather frequently and cooking has become something I enjoy from time to time.

If you are interested in any of my cooking experiments you can search for them on my blog by typing "recipes" or the type of recipe you are looking for like "baked beans". The repertoire on the blog is not extensive, but it is growing. I would say that my dream bars still need work to be truly "dreamy", lol. But other than that my other cooking experiments have turned out well enough. I call them experiments because I didn't inherit any recipes as such from mother (except for the dream bars) and I experiment by changing up recipes a fair bit to suit what I have on hand or to capture the essence of how mama made something.

Today's cooking experiment is bread pudding. I remember that mom's bread pudding was not like most people's bread pudding. Hers was very soft, melt in your mouth, and delicious like real custard pudding.

I took the following recipe and made it my own with a measure of success. I can see those areas where I can improve things.

I used left over 2 left over French baguettes, one was white and one was whole wheat,. Rather than homogenized milk I used 1 1/2 cans of evaporated milk with equal amounts of water and I used 1/2 cup of brown sugar (a slightly reduced amount). I made sure to use lots of liquid to try and achieve the creamy consistency and also because the French baguette was very hard. I can also use stale white bread if I want bread pudding more like mama used to make.

Some recipes call for the milk and eff mixture to be heated first which is what I did. If you do this with evaporated milk you need not boil the milk otherwise it will curdle with the added water. I used mine when it was just before the boiling point.

I added the raisins to the bread before pouring in the milk mixture.

Ingredients

3 cups milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 loaf day old bread, cut into cubes and toasted
1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together milk, eggs, brown sugar, spices and vanilla. Toss in bread and raisins. Pour into a 9” by 9” ovenproof casserole dish, sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake for 30-45 minutes, until eggs are set, and the top is golden brown.

Ready for the oven.

In my house we never ate bread pudding with a sauce. We ate it with cream so I have not put a recipe here for bread pudding sauce.


Finished product.

After the pudding was cooked I noticed that some of the bread pieces were still a bit hard. I left the pot in the oven after turning the heat off and kept it in there for another 15 minutes or so. When I took it out again, it looked like the pudding in the photo above (Finished product). It softened up much of the bread that was chewier.

If I make this pudding again with hard French baguette, I will first soak the bread crumbs to soften the crusts a bit. In the end though, the pudding tasted a lot like that of my childhood.

What about you my dear reader? What childhood recipes do you recall and perhaps make?

Enjoy!

Missions of Hope: Visiting the Samburu People

2012-02-05T05:13:00.001+03:00

Hi friends, I'd like to share this post with you from my friend Jonah who has just returned from a trip to Northern Kenya's Maralal District. I think you will find it interesting. Just click on the link below (underlined). Please do leave him a message at his blog site. I know he'd love to hear from you. Thank you for visiting.

Missions of Hope: Visiting the Samburu People: Hello, I had a short visit to the Samburu people in the Maralal region of Kenya. Near Marsabit, Kenya. Another ph...

Marsabit, Kenya

Calm Before the Storm

2012-02-03T02:45:00.000+03:00

These photos were taken over a week ago. The weather had been very cold all week. When it is cold here we don't get our usual winter rains.

These photos were taken the day of the night we were expecting our usual winter rains, and warmer temperatures. In fact, they said a storm was on the way. Hence the title of my post. It didn't rain or storm that night after all. In fact it took another few days before the storm arrived. When it did arrive, it knocked out many power lines, shut down traffic on the mountain highway, closed schools in some places, and shut down many ferry runs between the mainland and Vancouver Island. Fortunately my household was not affected.

The sky didn't have a lot of variation in it but the birds and mountains give it a bit of interest.

If you look closely to the right of the photo you will see four birds in flight.

This photo capture two birds in flight but they look like black specks.

To join in and see more beautiful skies from around the world, please click on the badge below. Enjoy!

Gung Hay Fat Choy

2012-01-30T10:38:00.001+03:00

It's been a busy few days since I posted last.

I've been trying out some different knitting patterns. Hopefully soon I will unveil a few of the finished projects.

Here is a sneak peek at one of my "works in progress".

It is a little baby cap.

I've also been busy making and cancelling appointments. Don't you hate it when you wait for an event and the hosts/organizers cancel? This has happened twice this past weekend for two events I was looking forward to later in the month. On the other hand, that is probably just what I needed right now so I can catch up on things around the house and all the budgetary matters (bill payments and tax issues).

On Thursday night, I did get together with 3 people I know and 23 more that I didn't. My friend who is an acupuncture doctor organized a dinner for the Chinese New Year; which this year, is called, the Year of the Dragon. Chinese New Year actually started on Monday but we had our dinner on Thursday night to avoid the crowds.

Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. In China, it is known as "Spring Festival," the literal translation of the Chinese name 春節 (Pinyin: Chūnjié), since the spring season in Chinese calendar starts with lichun, the first solar term in a Chinese calendar year. It marks the end of the winter season, analogous to the Western Carnival. The festival begins on the first day of the first month (Chinese: 正月; pinyin: Zhēngyuè) in the traditional Chinese calendar and ends with Lantern Festival which is on the 15th day. Chinese New Year's Eve, a day where Chinese families gather for their annual reunion dinner, is known as Chúxī (除夕) or "Eve of the Passing Year." Because the Chinese calendar is lunisolar, the Chinese New Year is often referred to as the "Lunar New Year"....

According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian (Chinese: 年; pinyin: Nián). Nian would come on the first day of New Year to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people. One time, people saw that the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the color red. Hence, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again. The Nian was eventually captured by Hongjun Laozu, an ancient Taoist monk. The Nian became Hongjun Laozu's mount. (Source: Wikipedia)

With such a large group of diners, we ended up sitting at 4 different tables. There were 9 at my table. On my left were Madeline and her husband Alfred, an elderly couple. Alfred is blind so I helped him by explaining the various dishes that we were being served and by making sure he had enough to eat. On the right of me were two women, Freida and Suzette, who are now Canadian citizens but originate from Texas. Freida hosts a radio program on international women's issues and Suzette is a gardener. Across from me sat a man whose name escapes me though I've met him before and his wife, Victoria. The man is originally from Tehran, Iran and his wife is Canadian. They recently closed down their restaurant business which is too bad since their food was very good. It is very difficult to make a go of a restaurant in this city and so many of them close every year. Fortunately the couple each has other work. Rounding out the table were two women, Bernadette, who works at one of the larger local grocery stores and Trudy,who I think lives in my acupuncture doctor's building. The entire group was friendly. There was not a quiet moment or lull in the conversation.

It was my first time at this particular restaurant and besides very tasty food, it was also very good value for money. Unfortunately I forgot to take photos of the food until we were almost finished.

This photo was taken near the end of our meal. The green beans to the left and the chicken cashew to the right, were two of my favourite dishes.

The restaurant, Szechuan Chili Restaurant, is a humble restaurant tucked away in a corner of a small strip mall on a busy street. It is not a place, I would normally pass on my way to anywhere so I was happy to try it. I'm always open to new places to eat especially when I'm with such a large group of people.

Our menu consisted of: spring rolls, deep fried wonton, Szechuan Chili Dry Ginger Beef, Breaded Lemon Chicken, Mixed Four Kind of Vegetables, Deluxe Orange Peel Chicken, Fried Green Been Szechuan Style, Sweet and Sour Pork, Chicken Chow Mein and BBQ Pork & Shrimp Fried Rice. To top it off it was suggested that we order two more dishes to make sure we had enough to eat. So a few of the ladies ordered for the rest of us and decided upon Diced Chicken with Cashew Nut and a prawn dish which was loaded with vegetables. I would say that every dish was great but I especially loved the vegetable dishes and the green bean dish. Lemon Chicken seems to be extremely popular because by the time it got to Freida and I there was not much left. Nonetheless, I did not go hungry. In fact, I could not partake of the Dry Ginger Beef or the Orange Peel Chicken which are the two dishes that arrived last.

It turns out that Alfred's favourite dish is Chili Dry Ginger Beef. So we gladly had it wrapped up along with the remaining rice and vegetables for he and Madeline to eat later.

I would like to end with another quote from a well known, Canadian financial expert

... Chinese Dragons, unlike western dragons, are benevolent creatures. They offer you the chance to reach for the brass ring, to dream, and to make your dreams come true. Spring is particularly important to the Dragon, so what you put in motion in this spring will carry you through the year.
Lest you think Lucky is all in the mind, let me point you to a stody done by a Professor Richard Wiseman at Britain’s University of Hertfordshire who studied lucky people for ten years. He found that folks who feel lucky do differ from those who do not, but not because of some outside force. It turns out that “lucky” people pay more attention to their surroundings, are more extroverted and open-minded and are optimist. Since the soul of “luck” is opportunity, the more opportunity you encounter, and the more willing you are to see that opportunity, the luckier you will be. (Source Gail Vaz-Oxlade)

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

(Best Wishes and Congratulations. Have a prosperous and good year!)

P.S. If you missed my post on the appeal for Jeremiah, please read here.

Urgent Appeal

2012-01-25T22:03:00.000+03:00

Dear Friends,

We have an urgent appeal for a young student, named Jeremiah Lokol who lives on the border between Turkana and Pokot areas; one of the poorest parts of Kenya. I met him in September when I was on a food relief mission to the people in that area.

Turkana people waiting for food relief

Jeremiah

Jeremiah has just been accepted to the top school in the country and this has made my day with this news. But he needs tuition and school uniform costs in a matter of days (by the end of this month) so I am making an URGENT appeal to everyone.

Sadly, everything that Jeremiah's family had was stolen by their neighbours just around the time the parents were planning to sell some cows and goats to pay for his education. Some of you will know that in this area the people are pastoralists and they suffer from cattle raiding.

Standing with some Turkana women holding their water cans.

As the boy comes from a family of 9, it looks like his dream of attending the school which is located in Kikuyu town near Nairobi, might not become a reality.He might lose the chance of joining this great school and achieving his dream of becoming a pilot after finishing high school.

What we need to do is gather everyone's support to ensure he can go to school. He needs everyone's support to make this possible.

The fees and costs for term one are 24,943 Kenyan shillings ( $304 Canadian, $275 Australian, $292 US, 222 Euros, 187 GBP) There are additional costs of 6695 Kenyan shillings for school uniforms ( $81 Canadian, $74 Australian, $78 US, 60 Euros, 50 GBP and some modest amount for travelling to the school and making sure he has the other clothing and bedding he needs.

I am praying to God for someone to come forward and answer the prayers for this family and this boy.

Please pray with us and help to raise awareness of the Missions of Hope by using the share buttons at the bottom of this post.If you can do more than pray, please donate now at the donate button on the upper right of this website.

If you have any problem with the Pay Pal button you can send the donation to kerichojoy[at]gmail.comThank you and may God bless you.

Jonah

What's Happening in My World?

2012-01-24T10:49:00.003+03:00

We had another major storm pass through on the weekend. The winds were howling for two nights. I saw on the news that ferries serving the islands off of Vancouver were shut down due to the bad weather and power was knocked out in many places. I was snug inside and safe from the storms. I was blessed that my power didn't go out at all.

The small amount of snow we had was washed away by the rains and the temperature has warmed up considerably. I spent the blustery day yesterday making progress on my goals.

One goal is to finish the baby afghan. I had started out making dishcloth squares in a new-to-me pattern. One of the ladies in my knitting group suggested I sew them altogether into a baby afghan and I thought that was a great idea. I made about half of the squares last Fall and finished the other squares today. I just have to decide on which colour to use to crochet all these squares together with and I'm leaning toward a cream colour. I also like the blue in the yarn.

I am still a newbie knitter and have only made dishcloths and slippers. I needed to make enough of these squares to practice the stitches but I see I still need more practice*smile.

I also started my second paper book over the weekend (I have a few electronic ones on the go) entitled, Paris, 1919 by Margaret MacMillan. This one I've had in my library for awhile now and thought I'd better get at it.

Margaret MacMillan's Paris 1919 is a colourful, epic history of the momentous days after World War I that saw U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and the other Allied leaders reshape the world. Wilson arrived in France to referee the Paris Peace Conference only a month after the war's end, sailing into a French port past an avenue of British, U.S., and French battleships. The world, horrified by the millions of war deaths, was desperate for peace and embraced Wilson's call for a League of Nations and self-determination for all peoples. Enthusiastic European crowds greeted the U.S. president and posters bearing his face lined the streets.

It was a conference unlike any other in history: attendees redrew borders, rewrote international relations, and tried--unsuccessfully--to contain German militarism. It unfolded in the midst of massive social upheaval as Europeans awoke to widespread hunger and the inequalities of their age. In the pressure cooker of Paris, this bubbling stew of social and political forces boiled over, and many of Wilson's dreams were dashed. The world lives with the legacy of these few months. Not only did the conference produce a new map of Europe and the Middle East, it led to the infamous Versailles Treaty, often blamed for provoking World War II. MacMillan, a University of Toronto history professor, argues that the Allied leaders did their best, and to blame World War II on them is to absolve Hitler and his appeasers. MacMillan could perhaps be accused of bias: her great-grandfather was British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, one of the main political players in 1919. However, her book has been acclaimed by historians and has won Britain's richest nonfiction award. Complete with backroom intrigue, personal drama, and vivid characters, Paris 1919 is a vital contribution to our understanding of the last century and the current one. (Source: Amazon).

I picked this book up several years ago because I was fascinated to learn that political leaders of the day redrew borders. I didn't learn this in history class. I'm not sure why I waited so long to begin reading it other than I have so many books in my library that I have yet to read and this is just another one. I'm sure I will learn a lot from it.

It's great to feel like I'm making progress on my goals for the year.

Having goals helps keep me focussed on the things I want to do and gives structure to my time.

How about you dear reader? Are you making progress on your goals for 2012?

Click on the badge and join in to see what others are doing around the world.

Basic White Bread

2012-01-21T08:26:00.000+03:00

I'm still looking for my favourite bread recipe. One day, I will try making artisan bread because I love crunchy, chewy bread. For now I am still making the traditional bread loaves and experimenting with different recipes. I often substitute whole wheat or multi-grain flour for some of the white flour in the recipes because of my diabetes. But in this batch, I only used unbleached white flour. The recipe is from the Robin Hood (maker of flour) website.

Ingredients:

1 tsp (5 mL) sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) water, warm
1 envelope (8 g) active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp/11 mL)
1 cup (250 mL) milk
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter or margarine
2 tbsp (30 mL) sugar
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) water, warm
5 1/2 cups (1375 mL) white flour

Directions:

1. DISSOLVE1 teaspoon (5 mL) sugar in 1/2 cup (125 mL) warm water in large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast. Let stand 10 minutes, then stir well.
2. HEATmilk to lukewarm. Stir in butter, 2 tablespoons (30 mL) sugar, salt and 1/2 cup (125 mL) warm water. Add milk mixture and 2 cups (500 mL) white flour to dissolved yeast mixture. Beat with wooden spoon or electric mixer until smooth and elastic.
3. STIR IN2 1/2 cups (625 mL) of remaining flour gradually. If necessary, add more flour to make a soft dough which leaves sides of bowl. Turn out on floured board. Round up into a ball.
4. KNEADdough, adding more flour as necessary, until dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky (about 10 minutes).
5. PLACEin lightly greased bowl. Turn dough to greased top. Cover with greased waxed paper and tea towel.
6. LET RISEin warm place (75°-85°F/24°-29°C) until doubled (45-60 minutes).
7. PUNCH DOWN.Turn out onto lightly floured board and divide into 2 equal portions. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
8. SHAPEeach portion into a loaf. Place seam side down in 2 greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 3/4" (1.5 L) loaf pans. Cover with tea towel.

The bread dough is ready for it's second rise. I guess I could have made the loves nice and neat and smoother but I think these will taste the same *wink.

9. LET RISEin warm place until dough rises 1 1/2" (3 cm) above top of pan in centre and corners are filled (45 to 60 minutes).
10. BAKEat 400°F (200°C) on lower oven rack for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from pans immediately. Brush top crust with butter if a soft crust is desired. Cool on wire racks.
11. QUICK NOTE: This recipe makes 2 loaves. You can double the recipe to make 4 loaves.

Cooling the bread. I think it turned out nicely. I gave it a taste test after cooling.
The bread was delicious. It was also soft and moist without being full of air.

Nutritional Information
Servings Per Recipe	8
Per 2 slices (85 g)
Calories	214
Protein	6.9 g
Fat	3.4 g
Saturated Fat	1.9 gm
Carbohydrate	38.9 g
Fibre	1.1 g
Sodium	451 mg
Cholesterol	8 mg

Vitamin A	3 %DV
Vitamin C	0 %DV
Calcium	0 %DV
Iron	12 %DV

These did not last very long because the loaves were small. I also made two larger, multi-grain loaves later in the week. Those will last a little longer.

How about you dear reader?
Do you have an easy bread recipe that you believe is tried and true?
I'd love to hear about it.

Baked Beans on a Cold Day

2012-01-20T22:30:00.000+03:00

We had a storm overnight. The snow kept falling through the night. Though I see it didn't amount to a whole lot of snow on my patio, the snow did cause havoc on the highway.The sky is dreary and grey and it will start raining soon making the roads icy. The forecast is more rain over the weekend so it should melt all the ice and snow away over that time.

It was, in short, perfect weather for some baked beans. I don't make baked beans very often but I am committed to making and eating more "from scratch" dishes using pulses and grains. Often I use dried peas, lentils, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, barley, cous cous and bulgar.

For people with diabetes, consuming lentils, peas and beans helps control blood glucose management. Compared with some other carbohydrate sources, pulses have a lower glycemic index. Studies have also shown that consuming pulses can result in more stable blood glucose levels after meals.

Pulses are high in fiber and protein, low in fat and moderate in calories. One cup of cooked lentils or dry peas contains about half of the daily fiber recommendation for adults. Foods higher in fiber content usually help people feel “full” or satiated at mealtime.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Here is the recipe for the baked beans. I increased every ingredient by 2 1/2 times so that I would have leftovers. I served the beans with some very lean sausage tossed together in a fry pan with shredded savoy cabbage and a small amount of oil. The cabbage and sausage made a nice savoury counterpoint to the sweetness of the beans.

This was a tasty dinner.

Ingredients

2 cups navy beans
1/2 pound bacon
1 onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions

Soak beans overnight in cold water. Simmer the beans in the same water until tender, approximately 1 to 2 hours. Drain and reserve the liquid.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Arrange the beans in a 2 quart bean pot or casserole dish by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of dish, and layering them with bacon and onion.
In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
Bake for 3 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until beans are tender. Remove the lid about halfway through cooking, and add more liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from getting too dry.

Notes: I soaked my beans for a day and half and boiled them in my rice cooker until they softened. I changed the water half way through as I've heard that this cuts the gas that is often a problem when eating beans. This approach meant my beans were ready in half the time but I let them cook for 2.5 hours to make them nice and well done. I omitted the bacon because I was making sausage.

Enjoy!

'Twas a Busy Sky Day

2012-01-19T20:00:00.000+03:00

On this particular day the skies were busy with planes and birds. Within a few seconds of taking my first photo, I spotted two planes in the air. I was also able to capture some seagulls perched on a building and others in flight. All in all, it was a great day for sky watching!


Can you spot the small plane in the sky?

I wonder where this commercial jet is going? I'd like to be going too.

Click here to sky watch with others from around the globe.

The Wealthy Barber Returns

2012-01-19T08:11:00.000+03:00

Though the first two weeks of this month, I felt rather tired, I'm having a good week so far in this third week of January. In the first half of the month, I did a lot of resting and didn't push myself too much. I used the time to think about different activities and events that I hope to take part in as part of moving forward in my goals. I also used the time to continue treatment for my leg and to get myself organized. My sleeping pattern got messed up in December and this continued into the month of January so I've been working on trying to improve that as well. It takes me a long time to get back into a good sleep pattern once it's out of whack. Probably because I suffer from a couple of sleep disorders. For those that don't suffer from sleep problems, give thanks for you are lucky! Sleep is so important not only to energy but to good health in general. When you don't have it, you surely miss it.

A stunning scene greeted me early Tuesday evening when I took this photo. Just a few minutes later, the sky became dark and the ski lights on the mountain were brightly shining. You can see them in the photo at the top of the mountain. Click to enlarge the photo.

Very recently we've had a "large-ish" snowfall so it gave me good excuse to stay indoors and try to catch up on cleaning; basic things like vacuuming, washing down the counters, laundry, baking, etc. Daily tasks like this take me much longer these days and tire me out. It is tiring walking around on a painful leg but I am happy I can still walk around at all. I truly am. I continue stretching and going to massage therapy though I've reduced the appointments from one hour to 30 minutes. This way I can get a few more appointments covered under my extended health insurance plan. I've also started drinking mangosteen juice for inflammation. I don't know if it works yet because it is a little too early to tell but it won't hurt to give it a try.

I'm taking the new year slowly. I like what blogger, Melissa Tchieu, said to me a few posts ago. She said "RESTFUL INCREASE is what you need to achieve this year." I thought that was perceptive and also accurate. I will rest in God and give my progress up to Him as best I can.

One of my goals for this year is to read 24 books. I read 24 books last year and want to do the same this year. It isn't a lot of books as such, but it is a lot for me and I also want time to do other things as well.

The first book, I've read is entitled, "The Wealthy Barber Returns" by financial expert, David Chilton. I found the book funny and, at the same time, full of financial wisdom. I actually enjoyed this book more than his first one because I think it is more accepting of the way people really are about their money. Chilton distills financial advice down to a few realistic steps that people can take to improve their financial situations. Much of the book covers ground that I've learned over the past decade or more, but it was still great to have a review. There were also a few bits of information that were new to me and it is always good to learn something new.

David Chilton writes in an easy style that everyone can understand. For example, here is his opening to the chapter entitled "Emergency Funds"

MANY IDEAS IN THE WORLD of personal finance sound great in theory and appear to be logical and well thought through in books, but seldom work in real life.

Exhibit one: emergency funds.

Financial writers love these things. And for good reason. We live in unsettled and unpredictable economic times. Bad things happen. What idiot wouldn't recommend saving at least six to nine months of after-tax income to carry us through rough patches?

This idiot.

If you are intrigued and would like a review of this book, you can read one here. Not everyone likes the book and the reviews from ordinary people will give you a good sense of whether the book will appeal to you.

I picked the book up at half-price; a real bargain! I thought I would give it to my nephew, the one I'm helping with his budget so he can finish the year at university. After further thought, I decided he probably wouldn't read it so I'd better read it myself. By the way, it looks like my nephew's money woes will be substantially alleviated by the news that he will receive a generous bursary. Once his funds arrive, I hope that we can sit down and go over his budget categories to allocate his funds, and ensure he stays on the right path.

I hope that you dear reader are also have a good start to the year and also time to reflect on how you want the year to unfold. Blessings as you move forward!

The Web Goes on Strike

2012-01-18T05:35:00.001+03:00

January 18th, 2012 is the largest online protest in history, to stop the internet censorship bills, SOPA & PIPA. Join in by blacking out your site and urging everyone you can reach to contact Congress now.

I'm not actually American but on January 18th, I will not be blogging or publishing comments on my blog or commenting on other blogs. I do not support internet censorship or more government control over the internet and America's actions will have ramifications for other countries.

I will resume blogging on Wednesday, January 19, 2012. Thank you for your patience. In the meantime, I offer this short article from the Canadian Press.

~~~

Canadians to join Wikipedia protest of anti-piracy act

Online encyclopedia to black out site for 24 hours at midnight

The Canadian Press

Posted:Jan 17, 2012 6:52 AM ET

Last Updated: Jan 17, 2012 4:46 PM ET

Some Canadian websites are pledging to join Wikipedia and other prominent sites in a protest blackout on Wednesday.

The self-imposed blackout is a protest against proposed anti-piracy legislation in the United States that could have far-reaching effects for Internet users and companies around the world.

The Stop Online Piracy Act and the PROTECT IP Act could allow website addresses to be blocked when complaints are filed about copyright infringement.

The Wikimedia Foundation says the proposed U.S. law would harm the open internet and make more censorship possible. (Wikipedia.org)

Search engines and websites could be compelled to remove links to sites accused of copyright violations, and web payment processors and advertisers could be forced to stop doing business with alleged offenders.

Tucows (TSX:TC), a Toronto-based company that manages over 11 million domain names and provides other Internet services, is planning to temporarily take down its popular downloading site, which hosts more than 40,000 programs. The legislation could theoretically affect Tucows if someone claimed it was allowing downloads of software illegally.

"There will be hundreds of thousands — maybe a million — people impacted by not being able to download the software they want but we feel it's important," said Ken Schafer, executive vice-president of products for Tucows.

"It's not just about inconveniencing them, it's about getting to those people and making them aware of this issue and getting them to take action."

Law professor Michael Geist, who is Canada's Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law, and social media service is also among the Canadians taking part in the protest.

Other popular sites that are participating include Boing Boing, Reddit and the blogging platform Wordpress, which is encouraging its users to join the cause.

Only the English portion of Wikipedia is going offline Wednesday, reads a message to users signed by Canadian Sue Gardner, executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation.

"My hope is that when Wikipedia shuts down on Jan. 18, people will understand that we're doing it for our readers. We support everyone's right to freedom of thought and freedom of expression," she wrote.

"We believe in a free and open internet where information can be shared without impediment. We believe that new proposed laws like SOPA and PIPA, and other similar laws under discussion inside and outside the United States, don't advance the interests of the general public."

Low Fat Cranberry Apple Muffins

2012-01-17T23:30:00.000+03:00

I made cranberry oatmeal cookies on the weekend and I decided to look for a good recipe for cranberry muffins. These ones are low fat and not too sweet. I substituted oat bran for the wheat bran because it is good for the cholesterol levels.

Leading nutritionist and author, Leslie Beck has this to say about oat bran.

Oat bran has long been touted for its soluble fibre. About one-half of the fibre in oat bran is soluble fibre, the type that lowers LDL (bad) blood cholesterol. Soluble fibre is a soft fibre that absorbs water as it moves through the digestive tract. In addition to helping lower cholesterol, it also keeps blood glucose levels in check. Technically, oat bran is not a whole grain (since it's actually only one part of the oat grain). But because of its exceptionally high fibre content, it can be considered a whole grain.

A landmark study published in 1963 was the first to document the cholesterol-lowering effects of oat bran. Since then, there's been no shortage of research to support the many health benefits of a diet rich in soluble fibre, including oat bran.

A notable study published in the Western Journal of Medicine in the late 1980's found that study participants who ate two oat bran muffins a day for 28 days experienced a 5.3% decrease in total serum cholesterol, and an 8.7% decrease in LDL cholesterol, compared to no change in participants consuming wheat muffins.

I won't be eating two muffins every day but adding oat bran wherever I can seems to be a good thing for keeping my overall cholesterol levels in check. Besides that it is a good source of fibre.

I didn't have any apple sauce so I chopped two small apples and boiled them in some water with a small amount of brown sugar until soft. I did not wait until they were mushy as I like chunks of fruit in my muffins.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 cup nonfat milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar (I put 1/cup as I don't like things too sweet)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped frozen cranberries

Directions

Beat in bran mixture. Sift together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir into bran mixture until just blended. Fold in blueberries. Scoop into muffin cups.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tops spring back when lightly tapped.

Taste test: These muffins were not very sweet and had a nice tartness provided by the cranberries. I made a boo boo however. I didn't have the oven high enough for some reason and ended up cooking these for twice as long as necessary. In the process the outside of the muffins became a little rubbery and hard. I cooked them in my newish silicon muffin pans and I'm thinking that might also have something to do with it. I've just read on line that overmixing the batter can also lead to a rubbery texture. I think that was also part of my problem though the recipe clearly says "stir...until just blended". I will be more careful next time.

Does anyone else notice a negative difference when cooking in a silicone muffin pan? Baking bread in my silicon pans seems to work just fine but I've noticed the muffins lately are rubbery in texture.

Mountain Moods

2012-01-16T21:28:00.000+03:00

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

(In honour of Martin Luther King day)

~~~~~

I captured the mood of the mountains at several stages this past weekend. It always fascinates me how quickly the weather conditions can change.

We were expecting a big snow storm on Saturday but it didn't amount to much; at least not where I live. We did get a mild sprinkling of snow on the mountains and in the city which you can see in the photos below.

The storm did arrive overnight on Sunday. This morning's news said that some schools were closed up the valley, about an hour or so away from me. Big snowflakes were falling here outside my window a few moments ago and fog shrouded the mountains.
Right now though, the sky has cleared a bit and the snow has stopped.

I am not sure what the next few days has in store. So far it is not too bad where I am but I intend to stay cosy indoors. This is a good time for me to "catch up" on housework.

Click on the badge to join in with others from around the world!

Low-Fat Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

2012-01-15T00:18:00.000+03:00

NOTE: I've just been advised by a reader that she cannot leave a comment. I apologize to all bloggers who experience the same issue. I've recently set blogger settings to allow "embedded" comments. I know that this used to cause commenting problems for some people. Blogger's new comment feature requires "embedded" comments. Hopefully blogger will soon resolve any issues associated with this change.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour (white or whole wheat)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup packed brown sugar (I used about 3/4 cups)

1/4 cup fat-free vanilla or plain yogurt

2 tablespoons canola or corn oil

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cups uncooked old fashioned or quick-cooking rolled oats

1 cup dried cranberries (original recipe calls for raisins)

Directions:

HEAT oven to 350°F. Cover 2 cookie sheets with
parchment paper or use non stick teflon cookie sheets.
COMBINE flour, baking powder, cinnamon,
baking soda and salt together in small bowl.
COMBINE brown sugar, yogurt, oil, egg and
vanilla in large bowl. Add flour mixture to make
a blended dough.
STIR in oats and raisins.
DROP mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches
apart on prepared cookie sheets.
BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes until very lightly
browned. Do not overbake.

I made about 33 cookies with this recipe though it says you can make 40. I had to watch how much I put in each spoon. Surprisingly the batter spread well.

I slightly adapted this recipe from a Sun Ripe Raisin recipe book. These cookies are low sodium, low fat and low cholesterol.

My taste test reveals a crunchy cookie, not too sweet, quite airy and delicious.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Daily Values:
Dietary Fiber 4%
Nutrients per serving (1 cookie): Calories 63, Protein 1.1g,
Fat 1.1g (Sat. Fat 0.1g), Carbohydrates 12.7g, Dietary Fiber 1g,
Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 63mg.
Note: Since I've added 1/4 cup less sugar, each cookie should be a few calories less than stated but that is only if you make 40 as per the recipe suggestion. If there are fewer cookies, the calorie count per cookie will be higher but still very reasonable.

To All the Somebodies

2012-01-14T20:00:00.000+03:00

SOMEBODYis thankful for the support you have provided.

-somebody wants to hold your hand.
-somebody hopes everything turns out all right.
-somebody wants you to be happy.
-somebody wants you to find him/her.
-somebody is celebrating your successes.
-somebody wants to give you a gift.
-somebody thinks that you ARE a gift.
-somebody hopes you're not too cold, or too hot.
-somebody wants to hug you.
-somebody loves you.
-somebody admires your strength.
-somebody is thinking of you and smiling.
-somebody wants to be your shoulder to cry on.
-somebody wants to go out with you and have a lot of fun.
-somebody thinks the world of you.
-somebody wants to protect you.
-somebody would do anything for you.
-somebody wants to be forgiven.
-somebody is grateful for your forgiveness.
-somebody wants to laugh with you.
-somebody remembers you and wishes that you were there.
-somebody is praising God for you.
-somebody needs to know that your love is unconditional.
-somebody values your advice.
-somebody wants to tell you how much they care.
-somebody wants to share their dreams with you.
-somebody wants to hold you in their arms.
-somebody wants YOU to hold them in your arms.
-somebody treasures your spirit.
-somebody wishes they could STOP time because of you.
-somebody praises God for your friendship and love.
-somebody can't wait to see you.
-somebody loves you for who you are.
-somebody loves the way you make them feel.
-somebody wants to be with you.
-somebody wants you to know they are there for you.
-somebody is glad that you're his/her friend.
-somebody wants to be your friend.
-somebody stayed up all night thinking about you.
-somebody is alive because of you.
-somebody is wishing that you noticed him/her.
-somebody wants to get to know you better.
-somebody wants to be near you.
-somebody misses your advice/guidance.
-somebody has faith in you.
-somebody trusts you.
-somebody needs you to send them this letter.
-somebody needs your support.
-somebody needs you to have faith in them.
-somebody will cry when they read this.
-somebody needs you to let them be your friend.
-somebody hears a song that reminds them of you.

Wise Words

2012-01-13T04:36:00.002+03:00

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.

~ Og Mandino

The best practical advice I can give to the present generation is to practice the virtue which the Christians call love.

~ Bertrand Russell

The first and highest law must be the love of man to man. Homo homini Deus est - this is the supreme practical maxim, this is the turning point of the world's History.

~ Ludwig Feuerbach, The Essence of Christianity

I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.

~William Penn

A prayer

Father, I pray for your people. I pray that your kindness will be their kindness, that

your love will be their love, that your mercy will be their mercy.

I pray for your people to receive your grace, your power, your abundance; for you have come that we might have life and have it more abundantly.

In Jesus' name, I pray and give you all thanks, honour and glory.

Amen

A Guest Post from Missions of Hope: Changing Lives

2012-01-11T22:48:00.000+03:00

This is a guest post from my friend, Jonah, in Kenya. Please leave a comment at his blog by clicking the Missions of Hope logo at the bottom. Have a wonderful day!

~~~

We continually monitor the work of this lady--Mama Linet since giving her start up funds to get a small business going. She is the one with the little girl, Linet; the one with a cleft palate.

Mama Linet's business is booming (according to her). She has rented one more room so she can use one for her business of selling charcoal and omena (small fish). She also sells cabbages to her friends and neighbors. I'm so glad she has been able to pay fees for her kids who are going to primary school.

With the little help we've given her, I am seeing a big sign of moving forward and lifting herself and her family out of poverty through small business.

Please continue to pray for her.

At the same time, continue to pray for the medical student Kipngeno. Kenya desperately needs young men and women who will study and train to become doctors. Kipngeno went back to school today with only 10% of all the fees he needs. We are trusting God for a breakthrough for him.

Many thanks for praying with us for these needs.

Jonah

You can help raise awareness of the Missions of Hope by using the

share buttons at the bottom of this post. You can leave an encouraging word for Jonah by clicking the logo for the Missions of Hope.

Thank you!

~~~~

Someone Needs You

2012-01-11T00:50:00.003+03:00

Hello friends,

I'm still on my blogging break but I wanted to thank you all for your kind comments on my last post. I have been enjoying some restful days while I also plan a bit of my schedule but I did say to a friend that I would be back on the blog if I have something to report concerning the Missions of Hope.

I do want to mention that my friend, Jonah has returned to what what I think is his last semester in his Master's Degree Program on International Development. He has been in an accelerated program to try and save money on his studies. Please pray for him to have excellent study skills and good memory and research and writing skills as he completes his thesis and prepares for exams.

The other student, Kipngeno, I've written about before. I ask you to continue praying for him as he is now at a critical juncture in the finances needed to complete his first year of medical studies at the Kisii University.

Here we have given him a small amount of money to get him started. It is only about 10% of what he needs to complete the year. This amounts to about $88. Canadian dollars. I will round that up to $90.

This boy, Kipngeno, is a promising medical student and needs your help to continue his studies.

I know that perhaps the full amount required is too much for one person to take on but you can help to the amount of $90, $180, $270 and so on.

If you can help, please click the Missions of Hope logo below now. You will be taken to the donate page.

If you cannot help, please at least spread the awareness of the need an/or pray for this young man. Thank you so much and may God bless you.

Time has a Way of Moving On

2012-01-03T03:24:00.003+03:00

Dear reader,

Where does the time go? It seems that the older one gets the quicker time passes and the Christmas season we just had is no exception.

This past Christmas was the first time I was at my own home for Christmas. There was only one other time I was far from home and family at Christmas. I didn't remain at my home though because I had been invited to a friend's for the holiday. I wanted to stay home but she insisted that no one should be alone at Christmas so I accepted her hospitality. This year, I had a number of plans but everything was in limbo until the last moments before Christmas. In the end I was at home and it was okay. I was looking forward to it and I thought I might actually have a nice rest from all the busyness of constant appointments concerning my leg, and all kinds of errands to run, before Christmas. Not!

It was quiet but it wasn't restful because I was very busy. Besides the rush of buying and getting Christmas gifts in the post (yes, this year I did buy gifts!), decorating my home and my tree, planning and buying food for Christmas dinner and generally getting things tidied up, I had a number of other unexpected projects.

A blogging friend of mine, Caroline, has been wanting to change up her blog for a very long time. I offered to try and help her though I am not a blog designer as such. Caroline had her own ideas about what she wanted and I learned that my skill set wasn't advanced enough to complete some of the specific work. Not to fear though as I was able to give Caroline what she wanted through the assistance of my brother. In the end, Caroline was happy with the overall result and I was happy to have helped her achieve her goal.

I had another unexpected project to help my nephew with his budgeting. I didn't know that he had been struggling and was seriously considering dropping out of university. Though he doesn't live with me and has an "affordable" rental that he shares with others, we live in one of the most expensive cities in Canada, perhaps even in all of North America (exception New York City), and the burden of the finances were proving to be too much for him.

I offered to take a look at his budget and see what the shortfall is and whether we could save his year. It took awhile to get all of his financials and to create a budget and a cash flow to the end of the school year. It was also a bit challenging figuring out what his real costs are in a few areas because of the holiday. At this moment, he is also trying to renegotiate some of those costs. We've established a food budget and come up with nutritious and affordable menu ideas and places to shop. They are menu ideas as opposed to recipes but I've kept them simple and easy. It will require that he shops the sales and cooks more. He did say that he has been cooking more since he moved here so those skills will help him. We have chatted about living within the budget categories, the difference between "needs vs. wants" and how to use a credit card. Shortfalls in the budget and ideas about how to meet them while trying to successfully manage a course load, were also important aspects of the budget "summit".

As an auntie and surrogate parent, I feel it is my duty to demonstrate some "tough love". It is the first time that my advice and suggestions appear to be listened to and accepted. That means, this can be a very good learning experience for which life long skills can be learned and applied though I know it will be very challenging for him. I will also be saving funds monthly for when he finishes his term as he will have no money left over to cover bills until the first pay cheque. He hopes to sublet his bedroom which will help him a lot. But he needs a back up plan if that doesn't work out and he still needs money until first pay cheque even if that does work out. I have a few stipulations for giving my help: no credit card usage and renegotiating credit card interest rate, getting on equal payments for electricity costs, no gym membership, taking thermos (flask) coffee to university, no entertainment unless it comes out of the food budget. The budget is very strict. There is no fat. He will need to bite the bullet and commit to the plan or the year will have been a lost one in the sense that he will have incurred significant debt from student loans. At least the debt will have been for a useful purpose, if he is able to finish the year and complete his courses with good grades. Though the budget is very tight, I do feel it can be met with some hard effort and discipline.

I have tough conditions because I want him to learn financial discipline and responsibility for his own actions. If I was overly strict, I would simply say "get yourself out of it" and "you made your bed", but I think people need second chances. Sometimes you get a second chance and sometimes you don't. In this case, he has a chance to set things right and it is now or never to learn some good financial management skills. I've seen him struggle with some of the same financial issues now for several years though in different circumstances and he needs help but he can only benefit if he is willing. Right now to make some effort to change because he doesn't want to lose out on his entire academic year. Sadly, the issues he faces are not uncommon. There are many people who fritter away hard earned money on "nothings", racking up debt, and wondering where the money goes.

To his credit, he does know that there are certain things that are costing him too much (like debit card bank fees) but he doesn't know how to fix the problems. He tries but then it seems to lead to other issues and then he gets into a cycle of issues. I'm sure many of you reading this can relate and have had to deal with these kinds of issues yourself, or seen loved ones with similar issues, but different circumstances. I too, can relate, because I always had to learn things the hard way with no one to teach me or guide me about financial matters. Thankfully I was able to begin to learn and get some measure of control over the myriad financial issues that we all have to deal with every day.

My medical issues and associated costs are another thing I was dealing with over Christmas. As part of better financial management, I wanted to get all the benefits from my extended health coverage for the year 2011 as I could. I'm still experiencing a sore knee and so I went to as many physiotherapy and registered massage therapy sessions as I am allowed under my health plan. I also filled my eye prescription and my pharmacy prescriptions for the next several months. Once 2012 rolls around, I have to pay a deductible before I get any prescriptions filled. I like to prolong that payment. As a result of all this activity over the holiday, I now have my receipts ready for submission to the insurance plan. I won't have the problem I often have of losing track of my receipts since I can submit them all at once.

Finally, I managed to take stock of my goals in 2011 and set new ones for 2012. I've got a busy year ahead and I am hoping that soon I can enjoy myself without the level of knee and leg pain present I had this past year. I still have pain but hopefully things are improving. I do notice my right leg muscles and knee cap are not stiff like they have been for at least half a year. Hopefully the stretching and exercises will really help.

Things have been much busier than I could have anticipated over the holiday but I feel like I am ahead of the ball for 2012 and ready to make the best of things.

A photo of a gate I took in Chinatown.

The truth is that right now I am a little tired so I probably won't be blogging that much for a few weeks. I want to enjoy the next few weeks and take things slowly as I begin to implement my plan for 2012. I hope you will come back from time to time and see me once I am back.

Taking Stock of 2011

2011-12-31T11:00:00.000+03:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Photo information: Photo from internet. Not sure the name of the photographer.

At the close of the year, many of us look back and review how the year went. Some of us, make resolutions. Others of us, set goals. I've never been one to make resolutions but I usually do set some broad goals for myself. Mostly these have been unwritten goals in 2-3 key areas. For the first time last year, I sat down and wrote out my goals in several major areas of my life. Last year was also the first time I posted my goals on my blog. Within each broad goal I identified, there are a number of smaller ones. I didn't write these down, but kept them in mind as I moved through the year.

I wanted to see if writing and posting my goals would help keep me achieve some things that I "always want to do" but which just never seem to get done due to lack of time. Does that sound familiar to you? I've heard it said that if you want to make sure you do something, you need to make an appointment to do it. Setting broad goals can help in setting those important appointments with yourself throughout the year, and keep you focused on what is important. It can even help you decide where you will spend your money in a given year and help you be realistic about what you can and cannot achieve.

Some of my regular readers know that I had major mobility issues this past year. The lack of mobility and the constant pain impacted negatively on my ability to achieve a number of health goals, despite my best efforts. Nonetheless, I kept trying and I'm still trying. Eventually I'll get there. Having a very sick parent that was in and out of hospital and needed to move, also took up a lot of energy and resources.

While I did think about different ways to undertake some minor renovations in the kitchen, in the end I didn't make much progress on my "Home" goals. I decided not spend anything in this area and I won't spend anything in this area unless I have saved it first. Debt repayment and living within my means, or living under my means, is one of my key goals for the foreseeable future. I've been making steady progress in this area over the past several years. I've managed to make progress by organizing my finances to make things flow better (cutting interest rates and number of bills paid), implementing a lot of cost saving measures in running the household (food, electricity, buying medical prescriptions 3 months at a time instead of monthly, only shopping the sales flyers), cutting costs on hobbies (buying books and yarn at thrift stores, buying exercise equipment rather than spending on gym members, buying used rather than second hand where cost effective, shopping the sales when buying new) and cutting out expenses that were no longer necessary or changing services to get better value for money (cable television, mobile internet, cell phone, pharmacist).

My debts do not prevent me from giving to charitable causes, like the Missions of Hope , my sponsored children or a variety of other needs. I am a tither so giving ten percent or more of gross income is something that I do despite my other financial obligations. Having said that, giving would be easier when debts are cleared. No more debt would also give me more freedom to do what I'd like as well as prepare me better for whatever comes.

Of course, debt management is only one part of financial planning. One must also think about savings/investments for retirement, insurance needs, and paying off the mortgage while you still have the finances to do it. If you are still working on all these steps don't forget to have a lawyer make up your Last Will & Testament. Give some thought to your beneficiaries as well as your last wishes concerning "going home" arrangements. It really isn't that expensive to have a lawyer draft your will so don't try to cut corners by going to a notary public. It is better to see a lawyer who specializes in Wills & Estates matters. So many people don't like to talk about these things but it is all a part of the life cycle and we must be grown up and practical about such things. Otherwise you make it harder for those left behind to cope when they are grieving and having to sort through your personal and financial business.

While you're at it, you might also give some thought to having a lawyer draft up a legal document as to what you would like to have happen if you find yourself requiring life support. Hospitals need to know whether their patients want to be resuscitated. They get these wishes from the patient. However, if the patient is too sick and weak to properly represent himself/herself, it really isn't a good idea to leave this decision until a critical time. It is important to know ahead of time and to give your loved ones your wishes in a legal document so that they can advocate for your wishes at the hospital. More and more hospitals simply want to "pull the plug" before the family is fully ready. Don't be caught unaware on this one. In Canada, this kind of legal agreement costs about twice as much (about $550.00) as I paid for my will (about $275.00) though the price may have gone up since I hired a lawyer.

Writing my goals down really helped to keep me on track and start doing the things I've been wanting to do, like reading more and getting on with my swimming lessons. While the achievement of my goals has been mixed, I am still happy with what I was able to achieve given my limitations and the always unexpected things that "pop up" to distract you.

I put a little √mark beside those goals I was able to achieve, and anX beside those that I did not meet. If I was not able toaction any goal, consistently throughout the year, I put an Xbeside it.

In 2012, I will undertake the same process ofsetting my goals in writing and posting them since I found it to be ahelpful process.

SPIRITUAL
* Make more time forprayer and study √
* Research and obtain some good study materials√
*Support one person in reaching their dreams/goals √
* Make one loan to a female entrepreneur in aKenyan village√
* Cultivate and nurture my Christian friendshipsand broaden my base of friendships√
* Write to my new sponsored children in Kenya, sendthem photos and family/birthday gifts √

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE
* Learn more abouthealthy diet for diabetics and incorporate pulses, grains, dark greenveggies into cooking. √
* Be more active & do more stretching X
*Ride my stationary bike for 30 minutes 3x per week, increasing toevery day X √
* Resume weight training X
*Continue with my swimming lessons √
* Take a water aerobics class X
*Eat more vegan or vegetarian dishes. Limit protein eaten at any onemeal. X
*Learn how to make make bar soap X
*Get more Omega 3 EFA, vitamins & fibre √
* Daydream more X
*Laugh more X
* Watch more videos andinvite friends for movie and popcorn X
*Use computer time more efficiently √

FAMILY
* Continue to visit mom √
* Learn about mom's special clothes needs √
* Find new home for niece/mom√

FINANCIAL
* Pay down debtX
* Learn tools to pay debt √
* Live below income √
* Save more X
* Continue saving in the snowflakejar fund for miscellaneous projects √
* Think two or three times before impulse spending√
*Implement strategic charitable giving (where my dollars will have themost impact to address grassroots needs) √

HOBBIES
* Read at least two books per month√
*Learn more about creating an edible garden X
*Embroider 1 medium-large piece X
*Crochet several doilies √
* Knit slippers√, learn to knit sweaters X
*Take a quilting course X

HOME
* Redecorate master bathroomX
* Continue major declutteringproject and give to the goodwill √
* Consider and save for minor kitchen upgradesX

How about you dear reader?

Did you set goals last year and did you reach them?

Do You Use Wikipedia?

2011-12-31T08:03:00.000+03:00

Dear friends,

Do you use Wikipedia? I know I use it a lot and find it very helpful for the most part. If you use it too, please consider making a small donation to keep it going. I made my small donation of $5. last year and again this year. If we all do our part, we can continue to have this service benefit us when we need it.

Here is an excerpt from the personal appeal from the founder of Wikipedia.
With just a few days to go in our 2011 fundraiser, we're so close to reaching our annual budget. Then we’ll have everything we need to keep Wikipedia going in 2012.

Only about 1 of 500 Wikipedia users donates each year. But that’s enough to keep us free for the whole world to use, without ads, and without restriction.

When we raise our budget, we stop fundraising. Please help us end this year’s fundraiser today with a donation of $5, $20, $50 or whatever you can.

Thanks and Happy New Year,

Jimmy Wales

An Update on Mama Linet

2011-12-29T07:52:00.000+03:00

My friend visited Mama Linet on December 12, 2011 to take her some support I sent to try and help her get on her feet. Some of you remember me writing about Mama Linet before. She is the young mother with the little girl named Linet who has a cleft palate.

I came to know of Mama Linet through my friend Jonah. He found this little family while on a medical mission. On that mission he learned about the little girl Linet who was rapidly losing weight and could not eat. He felt led to help her get some medical attention and the right food to help her get stronger. He was so gratified and excited when the little girl stopped losing weight and started to get healthier. Now the little girl is thriving, running around, playing and drawing. She still needs cleft palate surgery and hopefully she will be able to get it some day.

In the meantime, we also wanted to help this mother try to provide for her family since times are very hard in Kenya with runaway inflation and poor maize prices. Initially, the young mom thought she would like to try and start a beauty salon. After she thought about it some more, she decided to start a charcoal business instead. I do hope and pray that she will make a success of it for the future of herself and her children.

(Click photos to enlarge)

Here is Mama Linet with her children and the charcoal she is now selling.

My friend also visited some Internally Displaced People (IDP) in early December. He returned to see them on December 24, 2011, to take food. I wrote about this in my last two posts in case you are interested in reading more about this. It will bless you so much to see that someone's Christmas was brightened.

Jonah has visited the IDP Camp whenever he can to try to encourage the people and bring them hope. He tries to take blankets and mosquito nets whenever he can purchase them. These IDPs are Kenyans and they were displaced about 4 years ago from their homes. They lost everything and escaped with their lives after the ugly violence that erupted soon after the last national election in Kenya.

Here is Jonah distributing candy and medicine to the children as well as mosquito nets to some of the elderly.

These are the living conditions at the IDP camp.

We know that most people will never get a chance to go and visit these places.
We want to show you the conditions the people live in so you can determine whether you can share whatever you have to help these people.

Even a little goes a long way but we don't want anyone to give what they cannot afford. We only want you to give if you have enough food and if you are thankful for what you have.
We want you to give if you feel blessed enough to help someone else and have faith that your future needs will be met.

If you can help, you can do so here.

God bless.

Photo credits: Jonah, Missions of Hope

2011-12-25T23:00:00.000+03:00

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,

The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

~ Isaiah 9:6

God is love. ~ 1 John 4:8

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself ~ Matthew 19:19

Christmas for the IDPs

2011-12-24T23:58:00.003+03:00

On Christmas Eve day, my Kenyan friend Jonah went shopping for food at the local Gilani's Supermarket in Nakuru town. He hired a truck and got together some volunteers. (Click all collages for a large view).

Their mission was to visit and encourage some people living in a camp for Internally Displaced Persons outside of Nakuru. These people live in deep poverty. That means they do not have proper housing, jobs or food or clothes. They live in ragged tents and ramshackle buildings constructed with scraps they have been able to find. They live without water, electricity or basic toilets. It is a miserable and hard life.

Now and then if they are lucky they might get a glimmer of hope through the gifts of strangers like Jonah and those that help him in the missions.

Here are a few photos of the children and the people of the camp.

Children love to be remembered. These small gifts of snacks made them happy at this time of year.

The grownups also love to be encouraged and remembered. Many of the people in IDP camps once had land, homes, jobs. Now they live like beggars not knowing what will happen to them tomorrow. They are trying very hard to get some kind of compensation and a new start from the governing powers.

They were very happy to receive the gifts.

This is what the spirit of the Christmas season is about.
Bringing joy to others.

Blessings of the season to you.

Merry Christmas and a Blessed, Peaceful Season

2011-12-23T23:00:00.000+03:00

I wanted to share something with all my blogging buddies for Christmas.

Originally it was going to be a Christmas photo,But I came across this video which really "blew me away" and instantly knew this was what I wanted to share with you all.

The song is introduced by David Foster, Canadian "boy" and well known music producer
and composer and sung by the wonderful Andrea Boccelli and the world reknowned
Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Whether you are a Christian, or not,
I hope that the peace and beauty of this song will bless you.

Enjoy!

Peace, Joy, Love & Hope,

be unto you.

Wise Words

2011-12-23T22:42:00.001+03:00

A lie does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become a lie because nobody sees it.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

³¹Then said Jesus ...If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; ³²And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

⁵⁰And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. ⁵¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

John 8: 31-32, 50-51

~ Jesus Christ

Wise Words

2011-12-18T23:14:00.001+03:00

It does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop.

~ Confucius

Hoping you are all enjoying your holiday preparations.

Gift Catalogue - Missions of Hope

2011-12-14T22:42:00.001+03:00

Hello friends,

I know you are all busy preparing for Christmas. If you are still considering what to gifts to buy for Christmas, I have some ideas for you. It is becoming more and more popular to purchase charitable gifts on behalf of someone else. We have some great ideas for you through the Missions of Hope. Please take a moment to consider whether any of these gifts would speak to your needs. It would be also be great if you would feel free to share this post with your friends who may still be looking for Christmas gift ideas

Soon I will do a post on a woman who has been helped by gifts such as these. Thank you so much for considering these needs.

Merry Christmas and happy shopping!

Orphan & Family Needs

$155 to $205 US - School Fees per Boarding student

$25 US School Uniforms per student
$15 US School Shoes per student

$25-50 US monthly for Orphan support

$55 US Family Support

Farm Animals

$5 US per chicken
$6 US per rooster
Just a few hens can help provide eggs and chicks to raise poultry for sale.

$55 US for one goat ($50) + vet inspection ($5)
A goat can provide milk and if two goats of opposite sex are purchased, can provide a simple livelihood for a family.

$800-$1000 US for one high grade cow
A good cow gives quality milk for consumption and for sale.
8 or 10 donors can help to purchase 1 cow.

Agriculture

$120 - $250 US for seeds & fertilizer per growing season For several years, Missions of Hope has planted communal crops (corn, cabbages, potatoes) and given out the harvest to the widows and orphans. We were unable to do this in the Jan.- March 2011 planting season. Instead each farmer must find adequate funds for planting. Help us to help them, with the planting in Jan.-Mar. 2011.

Other Suggestions

* corn 30 kg $22.00 US
* oil 1kg $7.00 US
* beans 5kg $4.00 US
* flour $2.00 US
* onions 2kg $2.00 US
* royco 500 gr $2.00 US
* veggies $3.00 US
* rice 3kg $4.00 US
* meat 2kg $6.00 US
Based on monthly needs per family of 5 members

* $250 US to sponsor 1 mother for small business start-up or to learn a trade

* 300 US/yr to help 1 child attend school
OR
* $3000 US to send 1 youth to college/uni.
OR
* $60 US to buy 1 cell phone for pastor or college student
OR
* $10 US/mo. to buy airtime for pastor or student

* misc. $10.00 US (eg. soap, toilet paper, toothpaste, etc.)
Based on monthly needs per family of 5 members

* 1 pit latrine - $60 US
sponsor 1/2 latrine - $30.

* legal title deeds - This need has been met.
OR
* Build 1 Refuge Centre $15,000 US OR any amount to help get project underway

* blankets n mattresses
$25-$50 US for 2-3 people
OR
*day clothes 1 child $15. US
OR
* medicine n doctor - $20 US

NOTE: All prices fluctuate greatly in this time of incredible inflation. We have tried to give accurate costs to the nearest rounded up dollar. These figures will be updated when there is a significant change in prices.

DONATE HERE (See top right of page).

If you wish to donate more than $300. US kindly contact us first by clicking here

Missions of Hope: Mama Linet

2011-12-10T05:59:00.000+03:00

I wanted to share this uplifting missions update out of Kenya. (Click on the highlighted title below, to read the post).

"Mama Linet" and little Linet.

Missions of Hope: Mama Linet: Hello friends, I was able to meet Mama Linet on Wednesday of this week. Mama Linet, is of the Luo tribe, like President Obama in USA. She ...

Soft Glow

2011-12-09T05:53:00.001+03:00

Lamplight keep on burning while this heart of mine is yearning.
Lamplight keep on burning till this love of yours is mine.

Song: Lamplight (sung by the Bee Gees)

I stand at your gate and the song that I sing is of moonlight.
I stand and I wait for the touch of your hand in the June night.
The roses are sighing a Moonlight Serenade.

Song: Moonlight Serenade (sung by Carly Simon)

Join Skywatch Friday here for more beautiful skies.

Sponsorship Needed ~ Please Pray

2011-12-06T01:59:00.001+03:00

Missions of Hope enrolled Kipngeno in university in Kisii Town, Kenya where he is majoring in pharmaceutical studies. Kipnegeno waited years after graduating from high school to be able to start university. Several times we thought we had a donor for him. Several times our hopes, but more importantly, Kipngeno's hopes, were dashed because the would-be donors never followed through.

Kipngeno kept busy on the farm while he waited for his time to start university studies.

In September 2011, we took a leap of faith and enrolled Kipngeno in school and have managed to help him through 4 months of student housing and all needs associated with living in a new town and going to university.

The term finishes at the end of December and we are appealing for someone who feels led to help Kipngeno, to come forward.

Are you the one that can help him?

You would be changinga life for the greater good if you can help.

Jonah pays a visit to Kipngeno. Jonah is on far left, Kipngeno on the far right with his lab coat and stethoscope, a friend of his in the middle. Can you imagine how excited Kipngeno must be?

Once Kipngeno finishes his education he will also be added to the ranks of the medical profession. Kenya is greatly in need of medical personnel.

According to Oxfam, there were only 14 doctors for every 100,000 people in Kenya in 2006.
There is a critical shortage of doctors and specialists in Kenya.
Food for thought.

You can help publicize this need by using the share buttons below.

You will never know how one simple act can change someone's life.
If you can help or know someone who can help, financially, then please contact me here.

Photo Credits: Jonah at Missions of Hope

Ever Changing Weather

2011-12-03T08:04:00.001+03:00

I was reminiscing about a road trip to visit my mom last Spring. Just look at the ever changing weather and sky in a few short hours. In the case of the bottom photos, it is only a few minutes between photos.

Join Scenic Sundays hosted by the Holleys to see more beautiful scenes from around the world.

Macro Flowers - December 2, 2011

2011-12-02T23:24:00.000+03:00

These flower photos are from my archives as of course we have no flowers growing here at the moment. You can enjoy more flowers from around the world at Tina's Pic Story and Maia's Macro Flower Saturday.

A Series of Sky Photos from the Spring

2011-12-02T07:34:00.001+03:00

Click here for more sky photos from around the world.

Chocolate, Nut, Molasses Cookies

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000+03:00

Cooler weather always brings out the desire to have hot tea and eat wonderful cookies. These cookies are my latest experiment in the kitchen. The recipe makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies that are about 2 inches in diameter. You can make the "drops" larger or smaller to your liking.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup molasses (black treacle if you live in Africa)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 gently rounded tablespoons unsweetened chocolate (I used cocoa powder)
1 cup all-purpose flour (I used a mix of white and whole wheat)
1 cup of oatmeal (or enough to make a drop cookie batter, see photo)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar; beat in eggs, vanilla and salt, beating until well blended. Beat in chocolate and stir in flour and chopped walnuts. Add oatmeal until you have the desired consistency.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on well-greased baking sheet.I have a coated sheet so I did not grease the pan.

Bake in preheated 350° oven 10 minutes, or until edges are crisp. Cool for 1 minute; remove to rack to cool completely.

I enjoyed these cookies. You can readily taste the molasses, chocolate and nuts. If you don't like the strong flavour of molasses you could substitute about 1 cup of sugar for the molasses. I've read that the treacle is not as dark as molasses so I'm assuming that molasses also gives the cookie a stronger flavour.

Enjoy the cookies with hot tea or milk.

Monday & Meeting a Blogger Friend

2011-11-28T23:38:00.001+03:00

Today is a beautiful, sunny day in Vancouver. Though there are some grey clouds around it is a bright and beautiful day.

Taken Monday from my balcony.

Yesterday, it was so lovely to meet Kay from Medicine Hat and her Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel blog. Kay came into the city while visiting family and friends in the Lower Mainland. We had a chance on Grey Cup day to meet and get to know one another over coffee.

The coffee shop was jam packed with students studying and cramming and people watching the Grey Cup game on the courtesy screens. At times it got a little loud, but we carried on talking over the din.

Kay and I have a mutual blogging friend, Jo, and that is how we came to know each other's blogs. Kay has a kind heart as she was one of the people who contributed to help this little boy in Kenya. We didn't get a chance to take a photo together. Perhaps next time.

This is Kay.

Kay is such a world traveller and we had a lot to talk about. If I keep on travelling perhaps I can catch up to her journeys and perhaps some day we will have another chance to meet again.

I'm happy because this is the second blogger buddy I got to meet in person. Both experiences have been wonderful. I hope I get even more opportunities in future to meet more blogging friends.

To cap off the day, the BC Lions won the Grey Cup!! Yeah!!!

I was pleased to see I had captured seagulls in flight in both my photos today.

Mountains in Scripture

2011-11-26T09:43:00.001+03:00

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:12

Hear ye now what the Lord saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

Micah 6:1

Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth.

Luke 3:5

How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion,

"Your God reigns!"

Isaiah 52:7

We've had a beautiful day here today.

I send you wishes for a wonderful weekend.

Macro Flowers ~ November 25, 2011

2011-11-25T12:49:00.001+03:00

I'm digging around my archives to see what macro flowers I can offer up this weekend.

All of the flowers here are gone until the Spring.

Flowers always make me smile and bring me jOy.

I am not entirely sure what this flower is called but I believe it is a "wood anenome".

Please join Tina at Pic Story and Maia at Macro Flowers Saturday.

Skywatch Friday

2011-11-25T04:57:00.001+03:00

We've been having storms and very high winds today so I've dug through my archives for today's submission to Skywatch Friday.

These photos of a June sunrise are taken from my patio.
Isn't the sky beautiful?

I miss summer already :-(

Join in here for more beautiful skies from around the world.

It's Gonna Be a Loud Weekend

2011-11-24T08:37:00.001+03:00

Today the sun came out unexpectedly (to me anyway) and the sky had a beautiful blue that a few clouds could not diminish. In these days of rain and days which begin and end earlier in darkness, it is always a treat to see a blue sky.

Here it what it looked like this afternoon. There are low lying clouds that make the mountains disappear!

The City is preparing for a huge sporting event which will take place here on Friday. I have it on good authority that there was a buzz in the air downtown today much like during the Winter Olympics held in 2010.

Newly refurbished roof on BC place. At night, this big white dome on our city skyline is light up in colour. My photo isn't that great as I took it quickly as I was walking to my acupuncture appointment.

This year's Grey Cup Festival takes place here in Vancouver from November 24-27, 2011 and the host football team is our very own BC Lions. Downtown will be alive with free concerts and Festival activities from Friday, November 25 through Sunday, November 27th, and there are many different activities taking place for adults and children alike. However the big event is obviously the 99th Grey Cup game on Sunday between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the BC Lions.

Photo credit: Grey Cup Festival Website - This is what the stadium looks like when a professional photographer takes a photo from the right location, with the right equipment.BC place is the building that looks like a tiara on the right (beyond the water).

I'll be staying away from downtown.

Amongst other things, I don't like large and raucous crowds. But I do hope our City puts on a good and safe event that will be remembered for years to come by those with the courage to head downtown and the funds to spend on those expensive Grey Cup tickets.

Chocolate Goodness

2011-11-23T07:00:00.000+03:00

With the cold weather we had over the weekend, I craved hot tea and some sweet goodness. Internet surfing led me to this chocolatey concoction. It was good enough to share.

Ingredients:

Brownies
2/3 cup (125 mL) butter
2/3 cup (150 mL) milk chocolate chips (4oz/125g)
3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup (175 mL) flour (I used a mix of white and whole wheat flour)
3 -4 tbsp (30 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt (I actually omitted this)
2/3 cup (150 mL) milk chocolate chips (4oz/125g) (I omitted this too. I was low on choco chips).
Topping
1 cup (250 mL) miniature marshmallows
1/3 cup (75 mL) milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
2. Melt together butter and chocolate chips. Cool slightly. Whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs, one at a time and then vanilla.
3. Stir in flour, cocoa powder, salt and chocolate chips. (I omitted the salt).
4. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until just set (center will still be moist), sprinkle with marshmallows and chocolate chips during last 5 minutes of baking. Cool in pan on rack.

This was VERY tasty; especially good for chocolate lovers.

Notes: I did not add the 2nd amount of chocolate chips called for. After I mixed up the batter, I realized that the original recipe was not going to produce enough batter my smallest pan. I then increased the egg (by 1), butter (by about 1/2), flour (by about 1/2, sugar (1/4 cup), and added and extra teaspoon of vanilla. The increased amounts are captured in the ingredient list above.

The end result is that the brownies were delicious but they were very soft. After sitting overnight the consistency was perfect. I overcooked the marshmallows because I wanted to be sure the brownie mixture was fully cooked in the middle. I think next time I would wait for the brownie mixture to finish cooking and add the marshmallows for just long enough to barely melt, yet retain their shape.

A Rainy Monday

2011-11-22T00:30:00.000+03:00

It's a pouring, rainy, gray day today. Perfect for the rain to wash the icy snow off of my patio.

See what it was a few days ago. Not a lot of snow perhaps but it was stuck like glue to the patio and it didn't melt.

Monday afternoon it looked like the photo to the left.

This is the view on a clearer day.

The weather is also perfect for a bowl of hot, steaming soup. I am low on my core vegetables today as I haven't bought any in a week. My soup therefore omits carrots.

Ingredients:

- brown a pound or so of minced beef (ground beef)
- chop one large onion into chunks and add to the beef
- chop two celery stalks and add to the beef and onions
- add several splashes of soy sauce and brown this mixture all together, stirring occasionally
- add 1 1/2 cups of brown rice to the browned beef and veggies and cook for a few minutes
- add several leaves of chopped kale leaves and continue stirring
- add about 6 -8 cups of water and boil

Cook this mixture until the rice has softened, then check to see whether you need more water and seasonings. I always find the water has boiled down a lot because my burners only really cook on the highest heat. I like to add more water at this stage and assess the taste of things.

At this point, I added

- a few shakes (1 tsp. or so) of oregano seasoning
- a few more splashes of soy sauce (to taste)
- add 3 medium, chopped potatoes
- add 1 large, chopped yam
- add one large can of stewed tomatoes or add several chopped fresh tomatoes.

Simmer together until the rice and potatoes are fully cooked. Keep an eye on things and stir occasionally.

It was delicious!

It is also a perfect day to finish reading my latest book, Assault on Reason by Al Gore, former US President. What an eye opening book! Very informative and fully referenced with resource material for any skeptic among you. I highly recommend reading this book.

What activities do you like doing on a gray or rainy day?

Click here to see more beautiful places in the world and what people are doing there!

A Baby Is Born

2011-11-20T10:54:00.001+03:00

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

Psalm 127: 3-4

My first great nephew was born 2 weeks ago this Monday, weighing in at 8 pounds and 3 ounces. Quite a large baby for this day and age. I am glad he came into this world strong and robust.

I wanted to buy him something special as he is the first of my great nephews. His father, my nephew is an avid horseman so I've settled on a beautiful Pendleton baby blanket as one of my gifts.

This Pendleton Baby Blanket was manufactured in Pendleton, Oregon at the family's woolen mills. I was fortunate enough to take a trip there many years ago because of my interest in these woolen blankets with Indian motifs. This blanket can be used for the baby and then saved as a keepsake for when he gets older. Alternatively, it can be used by mom and dad as a cover for the lap or to place as a cover over an armchair. The pattern is printed on both sides.

This little kimono/bunting bag was my first purchase. I thought it was a unique gift as it is made of ultra soft velour to keep the baby's skin from irritation. It is sewn shut at the bottom so no cold air gets in and can be put on baby apres bath or as extra warmth during the winter season which we are going into momentarily.


This little pajama onesie is a traditional baby sleeper with motifs that are appropriate for a baby boy.

The blanket is my Christmas gift to the baby and other two items are to celebrate his birth.

It is a joyous and exciting for me (and the rest of the family) to have a little baby in the family again.

First Snow

2011-11-18T23:55:00.001+03:00

We've had our first snow in the city! We had our first snow on the mountains a while ago, but overnight or early this morning, we had our first snow down below. I think the snow is very early this year.

It is coming down heavily right now on the patio but it looks like small balls of hail and not light fluffy snowflakes. Can you see the flakes falling in the photo? If you click the photo you can see the "snowflakes".

Skywatch ~ November 18, 2011

2011-11-17T17:00:00.000+03:00

What can be better than a glorious red Maple tree against a beautiful sky on a sunny day?

Fall Series 3

2011-11-17T05:32:00.000+03:00

First, a note about my blog. I've had a continuous stream of changes as I've tried to upload a new look and a new banner. I apologize if things didn't always 'gel'. I was having photo storage issues. I think those are temporarily resolved once again.

I'm continuing with my Fall theme. Soon Fall will be over in this part of the world and I want to capture the beauty of the season while it's here!
These photos were taken on different days in different neighbourhoods.

I was trying to capture the falling leaves as the wind blew them off the trees. Can you see the falling leaves, like snow? So pretty too when they blanket the ground.

Fallen leaves on the ground always made me a joyful child and young adult, kicking my way through leaves with a song on my lips. I especially remember this during my university years. I loved the invigorating air as I'd make my way from class to class from one end of the campus to the other. This day I felt like kicking through the leaves but that wouldn't have been good for my sore leg.

This intense colour of the maple tree was so pretty against the robin egg blue sky that I just had to use it for my new header.

I love this clump of leaves at the base of the tree. They look so artfully arranged.

My photo storage issues were caused by blogger saying I've reached my photo limit so I've deleted numerous blog posts from blogger and photos from the web album. I have to make time to resize all my photos in the photo storage before uploading them to the posts.

I've just been busy juggling a number of things and not doing any of them properly.
Hopefully things will ease up in the New Year.
Thank you for your patience with me.

Enjoy!

Kipngeno Goes to School

2011-11-16T06:30:00.000+03:00

A long while ago I wrote about Kipngeno, a bright young man who graduated from high school and wanted to be a nurse. Several times we thought we had a donor for him to go to university and several times our hopes were dashed.

Jonah, of Missions of Hope has now enrolled Kipngeno in university in Kisii Town, Kenya where he is majoring in pharmaceutical studies instead of nursing. Kipngeno is now living out his dream because he started university studies in September. But he faces great financial challenges ahead.

Kipngeno kept busy on the farm while he waited for his time to start university studies.

If you can help this young man reach his dreams through sponsoring his education at university, please contact me. You would be changinga life for the greater good. We need to know soon whether someone can help this student continue with his education in January.

Jonah pays a visit to Kipngeno. Jonah is on far left, Kipngeno on the far right with his lab coat and stethoscope, a friend of his in the middle. Can you imagine how excited Kipngeno must be?

You can help publicize this need by using the share buttons below.
You will never know how one simple act can change someone's life. Just think, you might
be responsible for getting this story into the hands of someone who can actually help Kipngeno.

That would be awesome!

Kipngeno will get a valuable education and a chance to be lifted out of poverty. But he will also be added to the ranks of the medical profession. Kenya is greatly in need of medical personnel. According to Oxfam, in 2006, there were only 14 doctors for every 100,000 people. Compare this to Canada which has about 32,000 doctors (and almost the same number of specialists). This is about 1 doctor for every 850 people (if you don't count the specialists). In Canada we are experiencing a shortage of doctors for our needs.
Food for thought.

Fall Series 2

2011-11-15T23:34:00.001+03:00

We've had some beautiful sunny weather since yesterday. It made me linger along the streets as I made my way to the latest acupuncture session. My regular readers who have been commenting and cheering me on, please know that my leg is getting better. It is just a very slow process.

Now here are the Fall photos.

I love the dappled sunlight on the multicoloured leaves of the trees.

At the top of the photo you can see one of the ski "hills" in the local area. I don't live right in this neighbourhood but I can see the lights of the city and on this mountain at night.

There is a very busy city corridor at the end of this street. That is why there are so many cards parked here on the side of the street. In addition, many businesses and residents only have street parking.

When the winds whips up as it has been doing, the trees quickly give up their dried leaves and you get a carpet of leaves on the ground. They give a nice crunching sound under the feet :-)

I liked this house. As I was walking by I saw the shadows of the bushes against the brick red house. After getting home and looking at the photo on line, I saw a dream catcher in the window. Dream catchers are said to catch your bad dreams in the webs. They are an Aboriginal (First Nations) item but have become very popular amongst the general population. Something like the South American 'worry dolls'.

It doesn't matter what the weather is. There is always someone who is so "tough" they don't need a jacket when mere mortals like me would be shivering without one.

The colours of Fall always make me happy.

What makes you happy dear readers?

The Week Begins

2011-11-14T23:43:00.001+03:00

It is a beautiful sunny day here. It's very windy though and wind isn't great for my knee pain. I don't ever recall a year when we've had so much wind before but lately it seems to be windy a lot.

It's been raining and cold since Friday so I wanted to capture today in it's bright glory. It is actually sunnier than it looks in the photo. There is some fresh snow on the mountain. I think it fell on Saturday but wasn't watching carefully.

I'm on my way to yet another appointment with the acupuncture doctor and to just enjoy the day.

Have a wonderful day!

Re-post: Change of Address for Missions of Hope

2011-11-14T11:27:00.000+03:00

Hello friends,

The blog for the Missions of Hope has a new domain name www.kenyamissionsofhope.org. Please be sure to change your bookmarks and visit often. Jonah would love to hear from you.

Once the blog was available at the new domain, I posted about the change of address and was promptly informed that the comment feature was not working. It appears to have been a blogger problem and I apologize if you were trying to leave a comment and couldn't. I think it is working now.

The last post was about little Linet and her family. Linet is the little girl who needs reconstructive surgery. MOH was not able to help her with surgery because we are still recovering from the months of expenses for little Kigen's medical needs, however Jonah did help Linet to get medical attention for a month as she was losing weight and unable to eat. She is stable at the moment but we want to keep her that way.

One of the things we would like to do to help little Linet and her family is to help her mother with a micro-enterprise initiative. The mother wants to start a beauty salon business near where she lives. If she is successful in this venture, she may be able to take care of Linet's surgical needs herself. We just don't know for certain if she will be able to cover the cost of surgery for her little girl but at least she would be able to try and make some money of her own. I have received one contribution toward this project and have contributed funds of my own but we need another $100 to $150 to fully fund this enterprise and get Linet's mother on her way. If you can help at all, please donate here.

Linet and her mother.

Know that Jonah reads and treasures all of your comments and they encourage him in his work under difficult circumstances to bring help and hope to the people. There have been some problems with the comments feature at his site but it seems to be working now. Please pray for him as he is currently on the road undertaking some work. Pray that all goes smoothly and that all needs will be met. May God bless you!

Fall Series

2011-11-13T07:16:00.001+03:00

We had a seasonal storm blowing off the west coast yesterday. It was very blustery. I was dressed warmly enough. Even so, I felt the chill of the air. My friend who was inexplicably dressed in linen and who only wore a light woolen shawl was understandably colder than I.

We met for lunch, coffee afterward and an early movie. I had a nice visit as I seldom indulge for so long with a friend over a nice visit. The movie we went to see was J. Edgar about J. Edgar Hoover, the long time head of the Federal Investigative Bureau (FBI).

I knew little about this man save for he seems to be responsible for spying on American citizens and usurping the rights of citizens on the basis of the need to protect the state. The movie was directed by Clint Eastwood and I enjoyed it though I think it tried to cover too much ground in the space of a few hours. The title role was exceedingly well played by Leonardo Di Caprio.

Besides the great visit and the enjoyable movie, I managed to capture some beautiful Fall scenery.

I decided to try some special effects.

And more special effects. I like it!

Although we had a major storm here with trees being uprooted, power outages in thousands of homes and snow on the high mountain passes, I was fortunate that I had no major problems. I also felt blessed to see the wonderful scenery and like to see the roads blanketed in colourful leaves.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

I Shall Remember

2011-11-11T09:30:00.000+03:00

At 11:00 o'clock, on the 11th day of the 11th month, I shall remember.....

Thank you
to those who fought for freedom.

A Little Snack of Squash Seeds

2011-11-09T20:00:00.000+03:00

I baked an acorn squash for dinner last night. The seeds were saved, cleaned and baked for a late night, delicious snack.

Washed and seasoned seeds before they go in the oven.

This food is very good if you are diabetic as it has a very low glycemic load. The seeds are very low in cholesterol and sodium. It is also a good source of protein, vitamin K, iron and copper, and a very good source of magnesium, phosphorus and manganese.

Ingredients

1 cup winter squash seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Directions

Seeds after roasting.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
After removing the seeds from the squash, rinse with water, and remove any strings and bits of squash. Pat dry, and place in a small bowl. Stir the olive oil and salt into the seeds until evenly coated. Spread out in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until seeds start to pop. Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet before serving.

These seeds were a little thicker than the butternut squash seeds I roasted last time. They required a longer roasting time. I like my seeds to be roasted so that they are turning brown.

Easy Multigrain Bread

2011-11-09T06:38:00.001+03:00

The dough is rising in the silicon loaf pans.

Ingredients:

1 tsp (5 mL) sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) water, warm
1 envelope (1 envelope) (8 g) active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp/11 mL)
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) water, warm
1/3 cup (75 mL) molasses
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) salt
2 tbsp (30 mL) oil
5 3/4 cups (1425 mL) multigrain flour

Directions:

1. DIissolve1 teaspoon (5 mL) sugar in 1/2 cup (125 mL) warm water in large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. Add 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) warm water, molasses, salt, oil and 2 cups (500 mL) of multigrain flour.
3. Stir in2 3/4 cups (675 mL) of remaining flour gradually. If necessary, add more flour to make a soft dough which leaves sides of bowl. Turn out on floured board. Round up into ball.
4. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
5. Place a bit of oil on the dough ball, place it in a clean bowl and cover it with a tea towel to keep warm.
6. Let the dough rise in a warm place (75°-85°F/24°-29°C) until doubled in size (about 45-60 minutes).
7. Punch the down down and turn it onto lightly floured countertop. Divide it into 2 equal portions. Round up each portion. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
8. Shape each portion into a loaf and place them seam side down in 2 greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 3/4" (1.5 L) loaf pans. I now use silicon pans so I do not need to grease them first. Cover with a tea towel.
9. Let dough rise again in a warm place until dough rises for another (45-60 minutes).
10. Bakeat 400°F (200°C) on lower oven rack for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake 20 to 30 minutes more. Remove from pans immediately. Brush top crust with butter if a soft crust is desired. Cool on wire racks.

Here are the loaves fresh out of the oven. I've brushed them with butter.

I enjoyed this bread but I really want to try it with seeds and nuts sometime. I want to try a heavier bread so I need to look for another recipe. I love the idea of multigrain bread because I'm a bread lover but white flour breads are not good for a diabetic. If any of my readers have a recipe for a heavy, healthy bread, please let me know if you can share it with me. Update November 11, 2011 - Although the bread tasted fine after baking, I have to say, I think the taste of the bread seemed to improve after a day or two. I enjoyed it a lot more!

Make Your Own Flour Mix

If you do not have or cannot find multigrain flour or simply want to make your own multigrain mix I've reproduced a master mix recipe below. This recipe comes from the Kansas State University's Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. I haven't used this recipe yet myself but intend to mix some up for future use. I will likely add some seeds and nuts to this mix to make my bread extra crunchy.


Slices of the finished loaf. You can see the seeds in the sides of the loaf. The bread is soft inside but crunchy with grains. The bottom of the loaf pan makes the diagonal lines across the bottom of the loaf.

Multi-Grain Master Mix

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose white flour
¾ cup instant non-fat dry milk
½ cup dry rolled oats
½ cup yellow cornmeal
3 Tablespoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup oil

Stir together all dry ingredients in large bowl
or pan.

Cut in oil with pastry blender or two knives
until mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.

Store in covered containers.

Yield: 5 ½ cups of MIX

A Brief Update

2011-11-07T01:43:00.002+03:00

It's been pretty chilly in my apartment this past week. I'm wearing socks every day now and sometimes two pair of ankle socks (one thin and one thick). I'm also wearing a sweater or track jacket indoors each day.

I've been cocooned up indoors a lot this week as I continue to make slow progress on my major decluttering and reorganizing project. I feel good about what I've been able to accomplish so far and will continue with it over the next little while.

Due to my frugal nature and the season's chill I've been doing a number of things to try and keep overall heating costs down, I keep my heating pad on whenever I'm relaxing. I put on my portable heater if there is too much chill coming through the row of windows in the front room and I have my mattress heating pad on when I go to sleep at night. The past two nights I have been very cosy in my bed and slept with only half of the covers. After being up far too late the last few nights I was asleep surprisingly early and had a good sleep last night.

I continue with my acupuncture therapy and herbal therapy. I only went to one appointment for each of two weeks and am now back on the regular schedule. I haven't been able to start physiotherapy or massage therapy because for some reason I haven't received my referral papers yet. I've also been busy this week with concerns over mom's health. She is losing a fair bit of blood and circulatory issues seem to be arising. I pray that everything settles soon. Other than that I'm swirling around some holiday plans in my head. Christmas is just around the corner and the chilly air has me thinking about where to put the tree. The antique blanket chest I told you about last week now occupies the area where my tree used to go.

Yesterday I went to a movie after talking with mom by phone. I wanted to get out and enjoy the sunshine as we are now in the season where we get a lot of rain. The movie was a disappointment. To be honest I didn't know what kind of movie I was going to see. Only that it was about a journalist who gets a job in Puerto Rico. I just thought that it would be nice to see some scenery of a warm and sunny tropical place and to get a break from my tediousness of decluttering and going through seemingly endless paper. The movie did have some tropical scene and I also enjoyed the faded beauty of the Spanish style buildings on the island. I also enjoyed the excuse to get out while the sun was shining and a stop at the pharmacy and coffee shop on my return. A nice way to end a quiet Saturday.

Oh by the way, if you missed it, don't forget to enter the giveaway.

Have a wonderful week!

Update: Tuesday, November 8, 2011
I wasn't able to reach mom for a few days but when I called her residence today I learned she was on an outing. That told me that she id doing better. I spoke to her later and it seems her circulation issue is holding steady and her bleeding has ceased for now. I am giving praise to God and thank my readers who prayed for us. God bless you all. xx

Macro Flowers ~ Friday November 4, 2011

2011-11-03T21:00:00.000+03:00

Clothing Now Ready for Sale ~ Please Share this Post

2011-11-02T07:27:00.001+03:00

Hello friends,

I've now posted the first set of clothing for sale. I will see how this goes before posting more items for sale, like sweaters and dress slacks and jackets.

Please help to spread the word and help me raise money for Kenya Missions of Hope.

Here is the link to the clothes and all the information.

http://kerichojoy.livejournal.com/624.html

If you or your friends have any questions about the items posted, please feel free to send me a message.

I thank you on behalf of the Kenyans who will benefit.

Calling All Plus Size Ladies

2011-11-01T02:52:00.004+03:00

Dear friends,

I've finally decided I will try to sell some of my little used clothing. I have a lot of clothing I used for work and also some clothing I've never worn for summer. I want to make room in my closets and also make some funds to send to the mission field. I hope you will tell your family and friends so that when I have finished taking photos of the inventory, you will be ready to take advantage of the sales.

All clothes are of excellent quality and mostly from the high end stores. I want to upload these items soon so that the sweaters I have can be in someone's hand during the cooler weather. I also have some dresses for summer wear in case you are taking a cruise this winter or going to a warmer climate for the coming Christmas holiday.

Gently used boiled wool jacket sweater. Perfect for Fall and Winter.

I know of two places on line that specialize in clothing sales (not ebay or Craigslist). When I post for sale, I will put a notice here on my blog. Sizing and brand information as well as price and shipping information will available wherever I post the clothing. All sales will be done through Pay Pal.

If you know of any websites that you like to deal with and that specialize in sales of plus size clothing please let me know.

Stay tuned!

A Unexpectedly Beautiful Day

2011-10-31T15:00:00.000+03:00

The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you.

Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes,

certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.

Robert Louis Stevenson

I was surprised to see there was a seagull sitting at the top of the cross on the church spire.

The wispy clouds are dark grey. It was supposed to rain. Unexpectedly the sun was out and it was a glorious day.

Here you can see the snow blankets much of the mountain.

Thank you for your visit. Please visit again soon!

I Do Love Antiques

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000+03:00

I am not sure why but I have always loved antiques and I have a few pieces that I cherish. I wrote before about one such piece which I will sell due to it being too large for my condo. That didn't stop me from buying another treasure. This one I purchased more for practicality than anything.

My latest acquisition is a Chinese Elm wood blanket chest. It is about 150 years old so not terribly old but I like the character it has. I immediately wiped out the inside and filled it with some of my craft supplies which are overflowing in the living room. I covered the stop with some of my African craft finds and my Aloe Vera plant which really does need to be re-potted into a larger container.

I have been wanting a Chinese antique for years. Initially, I was thinking of an altar table to be used in my front entry. But really I have no room in that area because it isn't a hallway and that is where I have bookshelves housing many of my books. The altar tables don't have the kind of practicality I need since they don't have doors and drawers to hide things. I think this piece is more suitable for my needs.

I got it for a wonderful bargain and paid almost one quarter of the original price. These days, antique shopping is a luxury for most people and the store owner is branching out in many ways to try and save her business. She can no longer afford to just sell antiques. She understood the value of off loading her inventory by giving me a fabulous deal. It also helped that I had my eye on other pieces in a different shop and so knew my prices as well as the market right now. Learning how to establish bottom lines and haggling in Kenyan market places has helped me here at home. At least with stores that aren't big box stores.

I'm very pleased with this piece. I see that I need to give it a good cleaning on the outside as well but that can wait until I re-organize things a bit more.

What about you dear reader? Do you prefer antiques that have the character and vibe of days gone by or do you prefer the modern look?

Creamy and Tangy

2011-10-30T10:30:00.000+03:00

Saturday's juice was a little creamy and a little tart. It was made in my blender rather than in a juicer.

I wanted to make a juice featured by my friend Brenda at Hearts Touching Hearts here, but I didn't have the ingredients on hand so I had to modify the recipe substantially. I still need to try Brenda's avocado drink. Next time I get to the produce store I will make certain to buy spinach and English cucumbers.

My juice consisted of:

- 4 stalks of kale, chopped finely
- 1 small lime. chopped fine
- a small piece of zucchini squash, chopped
- a few stalks of parsley springs, no need for chopping
- 1 small avocado, peeled, no need for chopping but discard the nut inside
- 1 half of a small banana, peeled

Throw all this into a blender along with a cup and half or two of water and some spices as you like. I used some Mexican chili powder but would have added some cayenne or garlic powder if I had some on hand. Yet another few items for my grocery list.

Blend until you can no longer see any specks of kale and drink.

I found this blend of produce made a creamy if somewhat tart and tangy juice due to the use of a whole lime. Perhaps next time I will try it with only half a lime. My blender is just a regular household blender and I could taste little pieces of the vegetables in the mix. This didn't bother me. It probably all works as good fiber. This is good news for my reader Kay, at an Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel, who wants to try blender juicing.

Creamy rich avocado is considered the world's healthiest fruit, because of its nutrient contents such as vitamin K, dietary fiber, potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper, and it has reasonable calories in it. Potassium can help you guard against circulatory diseases, like high blood pressure, heart disease, or stroke. Avocados contain many good things for our bodies but I will end my little educational bit here and encourage you to eat an avocado now and then. It contains good fat.

Where I live avocados are quite expensive as they are imported from warmer climates. I make an effort to always have them on hand and try to eat them once or twice a week in simple salads, a sandwich and now, juice.

Not bad and I think it is probably quite healthy with avocados and kale as it's main ingredients.

What about you dear reader? Do you have avocados as a crop where you live or is it too cold?

Macro Flowers ~ October 28, 2011

2011-10-29T10:36:00.000+03:00

I captured these at the beginning of the Fall season.

The colour was starting to fade and the petals were a little wilted but I found the faded beauty enchanting.

Join Maia and Tina for more beautiful macro flowers. Just click on the badges below.

Thursday Sky

2011-10-27T20:58:00.002+03:00


First snow on the North Shore mountains this year. It is a nice, sunny day even though we were expecting rain. There is no snow at street level here in the city but the air has a definite chill. Time to start wearing and carrying gloves.		.

Enjoy your weekend and please check out beautiful sky photos from around the world by clicking on the badge below.

Pear Tart

2011-10-27T10:30:00.000+03:00

Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

Leviticus 26:4

One of the fruits of the tree that I love is pears.

One of the unripened left over pears.

We had some pears this week that quickly started to ripen. They got used in an easy to make tart.

Pie crust rolled and put into tart pan.

Ingredients:

1 (unbaked) pie crust
3-4 pears, quartered, cored, peeled, and sliced
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 Tbsp.lemon juice

Pears sliced and arranged in the pan and excess dough taken off the edges.

Preparation:

Line a 10-inch tart pan pr pie pan with an unbaked pie crust and set aside.
In a large bowl toss pear slices with 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice. Arrange pear slices on crust in a pattern of your choice.
Bake at 350º until crust is brown on the edges and pears are tender which will take about 40 minutes depending on your oven.
While the pear tart is baking put the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar in a small saucepan along with 1/4 cup of water and the remaining pear slices. Once it boils, reduce heat, simmer and cook for about about 10 minutes until the syrup thickens.
While tart cools, brush generously with syrup.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Finished tart!

This is a simple recipe to make and is the first time I've made it. I had pie crust on hand in the freezer from the last time I made a pie so all I had to do was thaw it out first. If you don't make pie crust you can use a store bought one.

Notes: The original recipe calls for 2/3 cup of sugar (1/3 for mixing with the sliced pears and the other 1/3 to make the syrup but I used less because of my diabetes. If you like a sweeter tart, you can use the original amount of sugar and add 1/3 cup of water when making the syrup. If you have a tart pan with a removable bottom like mine, I recommend putting it on top of a cookie tray when you put it in the oven. Otherwise the juices will be running into your oven and possibly catch fire. Putting the tart pan on top of a baking sheet will likely increase the time you need to bake the tart.

Enjoy!

Some Things End and New Things Begin

2011-10-26T07:51:00.000+03:00

We were made to enjoy music, to enjoy beautiful sunsets, to enjoylooking at the billows of the sea and to be thrilled with a rose that is bedecked with dew… Human beings are actually created for the transcendent, for the sublime, for the beautiful, for the truthful... and all of us are given the task of trying to make this world a little more hospitable to these beautiful things.

Bishop Desmond Tutu

South African Activist and Nobel Peace Prize Recipient

I so love this quote by Bishop Tutu. It is these beautiful things in life as well as my faith in the Creator who made them, that keep me sane and help me endure whatever I may face in life. The beauty in the colours of Fall are what spoke to me of the sublime today amidst learning of the tragedy that has hit the country of Kenya. The country of my heart and spirit. Please say a little prayer for the people as they endure yet more tragedy in the form of bomb attacks on the City of Nairobi.

A month or so ago, I started pneumatic compression therapy. It was to help eliminate some water from my legs and take some of the stress off of the right knee and leg which has troubled me for months. I think it helped me by giving me that added boost I needed in conjunction with everything else I'm doing to lose weight and get more mobility in the leg.

This is a photo of pneumatic compression therapy. I only get my legs and hips covered.

Given the high cost of this therapy, even at reduced (for me) rates, I've decided not to continue with another round. Instead I'm going to start physiotherapy on the leg and deep massage to supplement the acupuncture treatments I am still getting.

Today I managed to heed my TCM doctor's advice and walk very slowly. Distance covered was 18 city blocks or approximately 1 mile or 1.6 kilometres. Not too bad, considering there are some days I can't walk more than 3 blocks. The new cross trainers really helped provide the stability and support I needed.

Along the way I stopped at a few shops to buy some small items and to replenish my supply of vegetables. For a treat and for juicing, I was able to pick up a basket of strawberries on a great buy.

I stopped by my doctor's office to pick up the referral for the new therapies as they will be paid for in large part by medical insurance. The paper wasn't ready. Or at least the front desk staff couldn't find it. My trip wasn't wasted as the doctor asked me to get about 4 blood pressure readings at different intervals over the next several weeks. I got the first one today.

I was relieved to find my blood pressure reading was much better than it was last Wednesday (136/76). Today it was 126/85. I'm not sure why the bottom number is so high but I'm working on getting the numbers down to normal (120/70). I'm hopeful my next reading will be similarly good, or even better.

Tomorrow we are supposed to have more rain after a few days of beautiful, sunny Fall days. Today it was just nice to stroll along the street and snap a few photos of the Fall foliage without worrying about rain drops getting in the camera lens.

This is what I love about the Fall; all the glorious colour.

I want to let my regular readers know that I may not be as active for a few days while I deal with some personal errands and begin new therapies. I have one or possibly two pre-scheduled posts but I may not be up to reading blogs and commenting as prolifically as I usually do for the immediate future.

Chicken & Sausage Casserole

2011-10-25T12:30:00.000+03:00

Yesterday I posted a recipe for the chili I made on Saturday. Today I'm posting the dinner made on Sunday. It was delicious and very filling. I feel like making some nice pumpkin or cranberry muffins but I'll probably wait until Monday as there is movie I want to catch right now while I enjoy a cup of tea.

Ingredients

6-8 Italian sausages (sliced) *

4 pieces of chicken thighs/legs

3 c. brown rice

6 c. water

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1 chopped white onion

1 chopped green and red bell peppers

1 can of stewed tomatoes or chop about 3 fresh tomatoes

3 tsp. of chopped/minced garlic

3 chicken bouillon cubes

salt (to taste - not to much if you have high blood pressure)

pepper (to taste)

3-4 drops soy sauce for colouring (can be omitted if you have high blood sugar)

a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper

1 tsp. worchestershire sauce

1 tsp. hot sauce

Directions

In a large pot over medium/high heat "brown" your sliced sausage in the vegetable oil for approximately 5-7 minutes. You want it brown. Repeat sausage step with the chicken and remove from the heat when done.

Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Sautee in the same pot until transparent. Put the chicken and sausage back in the pot and add the water. You can also add the seasonings, worchestershire, and soy sauce (optional). Bring to a full boil and add rice, boullion cubes and hot sauce. Stir occasionally and bring to boil.

Reduce heat to simmer, and cover for 1 hour taking care not to remove the lid during this time.
Remove lid, turn off heat, serve up and enjoy.

* A package of Grimm's All-Beef Smokies were used and they were very lean.

If you have no dietary or cholesterol concerns you could use a sausage with more fat (and flavour). Personally I found these sausages to be hard and they didn't soften with cooking. They were okay in the casserole but next time I would choose a more traditional pork sausage.

Enjoy!

I think this will be new favourite during our cold months of winter.
What is your favourite cold weather dish?

Organizing, Cold Weather Eating & Chillaxin'

2011-10-23T14:30:00.000+03:00

Despite the fact I can't move around normally (yet), or perhaps because of it, it has been an incredibly busy few months. Barely a day goes by when I am home and when I can attend to the day to day running of the household, relaxing, paying the bills (ha!) or catching up with friends. This past week, I cancelled and rearranged several appointments so that I could have a few days to myself to get things done like shop for my mother (see post here) and myself, look after some administrative issues for the Missions of Hope, shop for some books (more about that in another post), cook, clean, plan ahead for new appointments (massage and physiotherapy) to continue the leg treatments, a bit of mending, and a lot of washing dishes (not something I really enjoy). Next week will be another busy one so I had to make the best of the last few days.

I'm madly trying to catch up to my goal of reading two books a month. I'm sadly far behind but I've read some good books. Some of them were rather long, like Anna Karenina which is over a 1000 pages. It probably qualifies as 3 average length books, lol. I've got numerous books in various stages of reading so before the year is out I will have made good progress toward my goal even if I haven't fully achieved it.

One of the things I managed to buy for myself was a good pair of cross trainers so I can walk properly. I also had to pick up a new bottom for my swim suit. Mine seems to have disintegrated since my last swim lesson at the Bontana Hotel in Nakuru in June. Hopefully I will have some time this winter to continue with the lessons.

When I am too busy I also don't get a chance to cook and eat from scratch and it is important I keep on track with the dietary changes to help my blood sugar levels. This weekend I was at least able to cook and use kidney beans and cook a few cups of pinto beans for use later this week in soups or salads.

On a coolish day, I tend to want some "stick to my ribs" kind of food like a good hearty soup, stew or chili. Yesterday was such a day. It was also my first full day home all week and a time to get caught up on laundry and other things before the week starts again.

I don't have a standard recipe for chili. I use whatever I have on hand.

Today's version consisted of:

- 1 or 2 pounds of lean ground beef, pre-cooked
- several cups of not quite cooked kidney beans
- 2 large celery stalks, cleaned and chopped
- 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup of diced carrots
- 3 medium tomatos, washed and diced
- chili flakes to taste
- hot sauce to taste
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- half can of tomato paste (approx. 1/3 cup or 75 mL)
- few splashes/dashes of soy sauce
- few splashes/dashes of vinegar
- bit of salt (not too much if you have high blood pressure or diabetes)

I browned the meat and put it in an electric rice cooker to cook on the counter top. I added the celery, onions, carrots and kidney beans to this along with about 4-5 cups of water. If you like a thinner broth you can put more water or reduce water if you prefer a chunkier chili.

I added the tomatoes and all the seasonings after this was all boiling together for a while. Cook and simmer everything together until you are happy with the consistency and the taste of the vegetables and beans. I like my beans a little on the crunchy side but some people prefer their beans very soft. The chili was good but it made me realize I was out of chili powder so I made a point of getting some for next time. It is a gorgeous, deep red mexican chili powder and will add just the right amount of zing for the next chili dish.

If you are vegetarian you could of course omit the beef and perhaps add some zucchini instead. You could also add another type of bean to the dish if you like beans.

Notes: I soaked the kidney beans for about 1 hour and pre-cooked them in the rice cooker before using them. I left them a bit on the firm side so that they wouldn't get too soft and mushy as my chili was cooking. The beans were not of a high quality. I noticed that a good many of them were already split open. I used them anyway but they tend to cook more quickly than the beans that are intact.

I am really loving my rice cooker which I've had now for a few weeks. It is much quicker to cook beans from scratch. It literally saves me hours of waiting for beans to soak or boiling on the stove for hours. It also cooks my brown rice to perfection in about one third the time. I've owned a rice cooker several times before (we've worn them out) but never used it for more than cooking white rice. I know a lot of people who like slow cookers for chili and stew. I don't like slow cookers. They take too long and I am usually hungry long before the slow cooker has finished it's process. I think this little appliance is not only going to save me a lot of time in the kitchen but also save me money by reducing the electricity consumption.

I didn't finish all of my errands and realize it doesn't sound like I've relaxed much. But in truth I've found that just being at home for a stretch of time helps me to feel like I'm not dashing around all the time. It helps me to pace myself too so I don't get overly tired. When my hands aren't busy with something else, I can also read a few pages of a good book.

What about you dear reader? How do you relax and chill out when you are super busy?

Hearts Touching Hearts: “Chocolate Chip Cookie Lovers”

2011-10-23T09:07:00.000+03:00

Hello friends,

I have a blogging buddy in California who started a blog not so long ago. Her name is Brenda Green and her blog is called Hearts Touching Hearts. Brenda writes about what is on her heart and what the Lord is teaching her. She really has a heart to have a testimony for God. I met Brenda on line through our mutual love of Africa. She really has a missionary heart.

Photo Credit: Brenda - Isn't she beautiful? Better than that, she has a beautiful heart.

Brenda writes about other things too. Check out her blog and let her know how you found out about her. Let's spread a little blog love. Blessings and Happy Sunday!

Hearts Touching Hearts: “Chocolate Chip Cookie Lovers”: My dear readers, To all of you who like chocolate chip cookies. I was encouraged to put a little food on my site. so here goes. I just...

Preparing Mom for Winter

2011-10-23T01:15:00.002+03:00

Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and the wrong. Sometime in your life you will have been all of these.

Dr. Robert Goddard

Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD.

(Leviticus 19:32)

Last winter I bought her a beautiful red car coat in lightweight wool. However, it is supposed to be a very cold winter this year and the little red coat, though pretty, won't keep her warm. Especially if she has to go anywhere on a cold and windy day. Mom and I chatted a bit the other day about her needs. In the end I think I was able to find things that were a good compromise between her wants and what I thought would match better with the clothing she currently wears. She doesn't have a lot of space to put too many clothes so we have to be able to coordinate multiple outfits with fewer items of clothing. Not as easy as it sounds when we have limited purchasing options.

First up was a warmer jacket. I bought her this beige coloured jacket which has a warm, but not too thick, inner lining. It also has a detachable hood which she likely won't wear. I paired it with this beautiful chocolate and camel coloured shawl for added warmth on a blustery day. I am thinking of taking off the garment tag at the neckline. This will give an added colour option because it will then be reversible. The compromise is that mom wanted a purple jacket (same style). I felt the beige one would coordinate better with all the bottoms she is likely to wear on excursions. I got the nice cape to give her a bit of a colour lift while still coordinating with her bottoms.
Here is what the cape looks like on the inside if she chooses to have more of the tan colour showing.

Next up was a nice woolen sweater. This will enable her to wear the summer dresses over the winter months. She really enjoys wearing the dresses because they are so comfortable and have big pockets. This nice purple sweater and a soft camisole underneath will keep her nice and toasty. She wanted purple. The compromise is I would have preferred a slightly heavier knit for her and a shorter length so she doesn't have to sit on it. I think in the end, the care workers will probably tuck the length in at the back of her, rather than have her sit on it. I would have selected a gray sweater but I know that colour isn't to her taste.

In the photo below, I've paired the sweater with one of the summer dresses.

In the next photo, I've paired the sweater with a beautiful tank top I bought. It will coordinate well with two of the skirts she wears in winter. I hope she likes it. It is a stretchy comfortable fabric. I don't normally buy her tank tops to wear especially for winter but this one is so pretty. She doesn't have to wear it over the Winter but can wait until Spring.

I also bought this lightweight and long, striped t-shirt. It will coordinate well with the sweater and a navy velvet skirt she likes to wear. I really like this t-shirt and I think she will too! It still coordinates well with the purple sweater.

Here, I've put a stretch navy blue camisole underneath the top. It isn't as see through as it looks. It looks very see through because of the back light coming through the window.

It seems a never ending job to buy things for my mom. I am happy to do it most times but my longstanding leg and heel issues make this a somewhat more difficult task than it used to be. However, with the exception of one or two skirts, a heavier weight dress and coordinating sweater, some warm socks, two or three nightgowns (I've been looking for long cotton jersey nightgowns) and a proper pair of shearling booties (to be ordered on line from New Zealand as my Christmas gift to her), I think I have finally got enough clothing for her. In retrospect, that list of outstanding items sounds rather long! LOL. Sadly, there are many outfits (jacket and pants which mom can no longer wear and didn't wear at all) and which I probably need to bring home from the residence to make room for what she does wear.

What about you my dear readers?
Do you also shop for your elderly parents? Do you have difficulty finding what you need? Do you have to buy adaptive clothing or can you get by with regular clothing? If you do shop for your parents, I pray the good Lord would bless you for your caring heart.

Macro Flowers ~ October 21, 2011

2011-10-22T06:48:00.000+03:00

This yellow flower reminds me of a "happy" flower.

The Dahlia.
Just the perfect thing to gaze upon on a rainy Vancouver day!

Please be sure to check out more beautiful flowers by clicking on the badges below.

A Wee Bit of Good News

2011-10-21T08:20:00.003+03:00

Every third month I go to a diabetes workshop run by my doctor and the medical clinic's nurse. I missed the last workshop and so it has been six months already since I was there last.

At the workshop we get a little education and each member of the group is provided with their updated cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and weight numbers. We are also given any shots we might need.

I was a bit anxious over my numbers as the last time I went my blood sugar was a little higher, again. My blood pressure was also a wee bit elevated. I had also gained weight since the last workshop I attended.

I was happy to find that my blood sugar levels have in fact improved and I am nearing normal. My weight has returned to where it was, however my blood pressure has gone up a bit more. I'm not sure if it was hidden salt in the breakfast I ate and the coffee I had within half an hour of being tested, the white coat syndrome or just rushing to get to the clinic on time. They let me rest awhile when I told them I felt my blood pressure was high and that it didn't usually get that way. Sure enough my blood pressure was elevated. I guess this is what they call prehypertension. My blood pressure is not yet at the level considered high but it has been elevated more than not, on my last several visits to the clinic and something I need to get a grip on. Now.

I think if I continue with my new dietary habits, get more fibre and get a bit more exercise and practise deep breathing, my blood pressure should come down. I guess my real challenge is that I continue to have leg and mobility issues and that affects my ability to exercise or even get around as well as I need. But assuming I can do some light exercise and all the other "right things", my blood sugars should also continue to improve in addition to the blood pressure.

I also asked my doctor to reduce the cholesterol medication I have been on. I asked for it to be halved since I feel it is too high. The medication is causing cramping in the legs and the problem seems to be getting worse after months of no side effects. She agreed to reduce my dosage. I guess we will see how this affects my cholesterol levels the next time I get a full blood work up next year. I am really hoping by then that I can go off this medication altogether.

This bit of good news made my day.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!


Here, I've put a stretch navy blue camisole underneath the top. It isn't as see through as it looks. It looks very see through because of the back light coming through the window.

SNAP THAT

A Thing of Beauty

Dragons Fly Overhead

Beans, Beans, Beans

Moon Beaming Bright

Mama's Bread Pudding

Ingredients

Directions

Missions of Hope: Visiting the Samburu People

Calm Before the Storm

Gung Hay Fat Choy

Urgent Appeal

What's Happening in My World?

Basic White Bread

Ingredients:

Directions:

Nutritional Information

Baked Beans on a Cold Day

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Directions

'Twas a Busy Sky Day

The Wealthy Barber Returns

The Web Goes on Strike

Low Fat Cranberry Apple Muffins

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Directions

Mountain Moods

Low-Fat Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

Directions:

To All the Somebodies

Wise Words

A Guest Post from Missions of Hope: Changing Lives

Someone Needs You

Time has a Way of Moving On

Taking Stock of 2011

Do You Use Wikipedia?

An Update on Mama Linet

Christmas for the IDPs

Merry Christmas and a Blessed, Peaceful Season

Wise Words

Wise Words

Gift Catalogue - Missions of Hope

Orphan & Family Needs

Farm Animals

Agriculture

Other Suggestions

Missions of Hope: Mama Linet

Soft Glow

Sponsorship Needed ~ Please Pray

Ever Changing Weather

Macro Flowers - December 2, 2011

A Series of Sky Photos from the Spring

Chocolate, Nut, Molasses Cookies

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Monday & Meeting a Blogger Friend

Mountains in Scripture

Macro Flowers ~ November 25, 2011

Skywatch Friday

It's Gonna Be a Loud Weekend

Chocolate Goodness

Ingredients:

Directions:

A Rainy Monday

A Baby Is Born

First Snow

Skywatch ~ November 18, 2011

Fall Series 3

Kipngeno Goes to School

Fall Series 2

The Week Begins

Re-post: Change of Address for Missions of Hope

Fall Series

I Shall Remember

A Little Snack of Squash Seeds

Ingredients

Directions

Easy Multigrain Bread

Ingredients:

What about you my dear readers?
Do you also shop for your elderly parents? Do you have difficulty finding what you need? Do you have to buy adaptive clothing or can you get by with regular clothing? If you do shop for your parents, I pray the good Lord would bless you for your caring heart.