SNAP THAT

I want to say a big thank you to all of my new followers. You are all appreciated. I hope you will not just pass by once but come again and come often. It would be great too if you leave comments or check out some of my older posts.  If you see any problems like photos that aren't where they should be, let me know so I can "fix" it. I promise, I'll be by to visit you soon.  If I take the time to read your posts, I will also take the time to comment. <<<<<<~>>>>>> And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts. Acts 2:46 I have a meat slicer which I inherited from my mother last year and I've never used it.  I was wondering if it would do the job of slicing the bread I made on Monday (see post here ). I brought it down from the upper cabinet, washed it up and used it. It took me awhile to remember that you need to hold down

I want to say a big thank you to all of my new followers. You are all appreciated. I hope you will not just pass by once but come again and come often.  It would be great too if you leave comments. I promise, I'll be sure to do the same. I believe in taking time to comment if I'm going to take time to read your post, and if I follow you, I will read your posts. "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God."  1 Cor. 10:31 Tuesday was the big shop day of the week. I purchased all kinds of vegetables (veggies), except lettuce and cabbage which I can pick up later in the week or when I need them. As you can see by the photos, I bought a lot of fruits: cherries, bananas, papaya, lemons, limes and a few mandarin oranges (not in photo). The cherries were a great price at $1.99 a pound at my local produce market.  That is a significant savings over the price at the start of the season when they were almost $6.00 a pound!  N

In last Sunday's post, I mentioned the Canadian and Australian aboriginal entertainers and artists who participated in this year's annual live show in celebration of Canada's National Aboriginal Day.  One such performer was the legendary Buffy Sainte-Marie ,who, at the age of 71, still has more energy and vibrancy than many artists half her age.  Buffy is an internationally known Aboriginal activist, musician, educator and artist. I had the pleasure of meeting her once many years ago at a conference. I was struck by how tiny she is.  She is short but also very petite and much prettier in person.  (Read more about her by clicking on her name in the sentence above). She has many songs that I love; Piney Wood Hills and Darling Don't Cry, among them.  The one I'm sharing with you today is one of her newer compositions, "Cho Cho Fire".  The drums she is referring to in the song are the pow-wow drums which are played by groups of singers. Photo Credi

Yesterday I mentioned that I was going to make bread for the first time with soaked flour.  Soaking helps neutralize the phytic acid in the grain and enables your body to better utilize the grain's nutrients.  The flour I used is Robin Hood Multi-grain Flour. This is what the flour looked like after overnight soaking. My plastic wrap wasn't wrapped tightly over the bowl and so the part at the top was getting a bit hard. I read on line that you can go ahead and make your regular bread recipe with your soaked flour.  I used this recipe on the Robin Hood website but used multi-grain flour instead of white. What I discovered is that my dough was far too wet and sticky after mixing to the recipe's ingredients and instructions. I don't know if I somehow added too much water accidentally or if it was because the soak flour was already "wet". In any case, I had to add a lot more flour to get the bread dough to a better consistency.  I added all purpose fl

Hello friends, I've started a new (to me) method of cooking my oatmeal. The night before I soak my rolled oats in a container of water.  In the morning I drain the oats in a seive and rinse the starch.  I add the rolled oats to a small pot with enough water to cover the oats, and perhaps an inch more.  Once the water and oats are brought to a boil, I add nuts, berries (fresh, or dried) or raisins. This morning I added a handful of goji berries (high in vitamins, minerals and amino acids) and a teaspoon or two of cinnamon (high source of manganese, fibre, calcium and iron and good for arthritis and diabetes).  After the mixture has boiled and has cooked enough for me (I like it before it congeals too much), I add a few tablespoons of ground flaxseeds which are a good source of soluble fibre and Omega 3 fatty acid (good for inflammation, diabetes, cholesterol, etc.). If the taste is not quite sweet enough I might add a teaspoon or two of brown sugar or some milk. Today I ate

Since 1996, Canada celebrates National Aboriginal Day on June 21, 2012.  It is a day to recognize and celebrate the culture and contributions of Canada's Aboriginal Peoples, the Indian, Inuit and Metis. Mostly the celebrations happen in large towns and cities across the country and often includes Aboriginal artists and dancers and activities such as: Summer solstice festivals Barbecue fundraisers Social networking gatherings with traditional and contemporary music, dance and singing Sacred fire extinguishing ceremonies Traditional feasts, which may include fry bread and moose stew In addition, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), airs a televised special of Aboriginal entertainers for Canadians to watch in the comfort of their homes. Usually this nationally televised program is aired live from Winnipeg, Manitoba at a place called "The Forks", a beautiful part of the city which is down by the riverfront. Today is June 23, 2012, and right now

My regular readers know I often bake Banana Bread. It isn't that I love Banana Bread so much. It is more because I hate to waste food and even though I try very hard to buy just the right amount of bananas, I often don't eat them all before they get overripe. Sometimes I freeze the bananas with skins on for later use when I don't have time or interest in baking the bread. When I make it, I try to give some away or freeze some for another day. There is only so much banana bread a person can eat. After freezing some bananas last week and having a few more that were beyond eating this week, I decided I needed to bake banana bread once again. I do not really like the recipe I've been using so I took inspiration from a new and delightful blog I've been following called "Food and Thrift". I didn't follow the original recipe but have made a few adjustments (added oats, oat bran and pecans and omitted the granola and one egg). I've added oats and

Hello everyone, It is the end of another week. I trust that means that most of you will have a few days off from your usual schedule and will be able to recharge and refresh. I was out at some large pharmacies late yesterday and decided to take some sky photos while out. The first three photos I am sharing with you were taken in the early evening on West Broadway, west of Cambie Street in Vancouver. I like the swirling clouds in the sky.  I am not sure what the building with all the round windows is, but I think it is part of the Vancouver General Hospital complex of buildings. On the opposite side of the street we have these interesting fountain sculptures. These sculptures have been here for years and years. I love the idea of water and fountains on a busy city street but I think it would be nicer if they enhanced the area with more gushing water and public seating so people could sit down and enjoy the sound of water.  There is a restaurant with a patio just behind

Lots going on: music, food, entertainment but I didn't get to most of it. Day was sunny until dusk then clouded over. Join others for (nearly) Wordless Wednesday here .

Recently I've been seeing all kinds of cake recipes from my blogger friends. I didn't have the ingredients on hand to make the cakes on offer, so instead I whipped up this basic white cake using some fruit cocktail I had in the refrigerator.  I used half of the sugar called for in the recipe and it was sweet enough for me. The addition of my left over fruit cocktail also gave it added sweetness. I also used reduced fat cream cheese for the frosting.  If you wish to reduce the calories further you can use skim milk rather than whole milk in the cake mixture and use splenda. I personally do not like to use artificial sweeteners though I might use something like xylitol or stevia in a powdered form if I had it on hand.  Though after reading this article , I might have to reconsider the idea. White Cake Recipe Ingredients 1 cup white sugar (I used 1/2 cup) 1/2 cup butter (I reduced this about 1/4 cup)

It was another wet Saturday in Vancouver but I had to go out. I was making my way to Trout Lake Farmer's Market where I had an appointment with my hat maker. I took this photo as I was crossing a street to make a bus transfer. It's not cold as you can see the gentleman in the foreground doesn't have a jacket on. After my transfer I had to get off and walk several blocks. I don't often come to this place so I always get off too soon and end up walking too far. In the old days this wouldn't have been a problem. These days it is a bit more challenging. As I walked down the street, I noticed that the building which is undergoing restoration is a senior's residence. This was a rather short street with very few homes on it.  I found this modern styled home. I liked the simple, yet effective front entry with the small garden and potted plant. The door colour is nice too! I didn't expect to find a restaurant here just a few steps away f