tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139443142024-03-14T01:24:38.560-07:00Charity Never FailethTrials + Humour = NanaEasy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.comBlogger448125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-13486251103714079362021-03-29T08:02:00.003-07:002021-03-29T08:02:54.174-07:00Where you come from<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">For those that are feeling bored with life being stuck at home, kids driving you crazy, you after all need your adult time socializing with others etc I remember my grandparents and the countless talks they had with me telling me about their early days of the hard work they did day in and day out to be self reliance. My cousins and I talk about coming from strong pioneer stock, that the lessons we learned at the knees of our parents and grandparents we now teach to our children and grandchildren. I found this article about pioneer life on the WIKi. Might put things in perspective. </span></p><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="pq6dq46d tbxw36s4 knj5qynh kvgmc6g5 ditlmg2l oygrvhab nvdbi5me sf5mxxl7 gl3lb2sf hhz5lgdu" style="display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit; height: 16px; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle; width: 16px;"><img alt="🙂" height="16" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/ta5/1.5/16/1f642.png" style="border: 0px;" width="16" /></span> Way Of Life</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Whatever their surroundings, the pioneers had to depend on themselves and on the land. Self-reliance was a frontier requirement. Game provided food and leather clothing. New settlers gathered wild fruits, nuts, and berries. For salt they boiled the water of saline springs. Maple sugar was made by tapping maple trees in early spring and boiling the sap until it thickened into a tasty sweetening. Substitutes for tea and coffee were provided by boiling sassafras root and brewing parched corn and barley. With an ax and adze for cutting tools, the pioneers made beds, tables, benches, and stools. They split logs into rails to make the zigzag fence that enclosed their clearings.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Pioneer women learned to supply their own household goods. Gourds served as pails and dippers. Wood ash was sifted to make soap. Tallow (sheep and cattle fat) was molded into candles. Every cabin had two spinning wheels—a big wheel for wool and a smaller wheel for flax. With their own home-woven "linsey-woolsey," a coarse cloth of mixed linen and wool, pioneer women made their family's clothing. Clothes were also made from animal skins, which the pioneers tanned into leather.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Winter was a hard season on the frontier. In bitter weather the family huddled around the fire. When there was no leather, some people went barefoot and suffered frostbite. Food was scanty and monotonous. For months there were no fresh fruits or vegetables. In early spring, women looked eagerly for the first wild mustard and dandelion plants, which they could boil into a dish of "greens."</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">As long as they had their health and strength, people could stand hardship. But every family had frequent bouts of illness. The most common frontier ailment was chills and fever. Young and old suffered from "the shakes," shuddering with cold and then breaking into a drenching sweat. This disease came at the end of summer and lasted until frost. Since it was most common in marshy districts, the settlers thought it came from breathing damp air. Actually it was malaria, carried by mosquitoes. When swamps were drained, there were fewer mosquitoes and the number of malaria cases declined.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For medicines the pioneers had to provide for themselves. Women soon learned the use of herbs for healing. They used boneset for fever, pennyroyal to purify the blood, horehound for coughs, and ginseng for tonic. Syrups and salves were made from cherry root, horseradish, and witch hazel. Wild mustard, poplar root, and red sumac root went into teas, poultices, and powders. The standard cure for a chest cold was to rub the chest with goose grease and apply a mustard plaster.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Some frontier remedies were based more on superstition than science. Among these were potions of walnut bark "peeled upward," boiled nettles, and "nanny tea," made from sheep dung.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Pioneer families tended to be large. Most cabins had a cradle, hollowed from a poplar or cottonwood log, and the cradle was rarely empty. Children were helpful in new lands. Girls soon learned important household tasks—gardening, cooking, spinning, weaving, mending, sewing, making soap and candles. Boys worked in the woods and fields with their fathers. They learned to fell timber, to clear out brush, to split rails and build fences. A rail fence would keep hogs and sheep out of the corn, but deer could leap that barrier. It was the children's job to chase deer out of the fields and to keep squirrels from devouring the growing crop. Children pounded dried corn to make cornmeal. When gristmills came into the neighborhood, it was typically a boy's chore to ride to the millstream with a bag of grain behind his saddle and return with a dusty bag of meal.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Although pioneer families were extremely resourceful and nearly self-sufficient, neighbors were highly valued on the frontier. When fires went out, one could borrow a pan of glowing coals from the nearest cabin. Neighbors from miles around helped newcomers with logrolling, house-raising, and barn-raising. Entire communities joined in hunts for wolves, foxes, squirrels, and rabbits.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">These common tasks, shared by pioneer neighbors, also provided amusement on the frontier. A house-raising was also a picnic, with women spreading a dinner on the grass while children swung from grapevines and the men laid up the roof poles on a new cabin. Neighbors gathered for "husking bees," competing to see who was the fastest at stripping the husks from ears of corn. The cornstalks were kept for fodder, while the husked corn was stored in a crib. Pioneer women held "quilting bees," exchanging family news while they sewed patchwork together. One amusement that did not involve household tasks was the barn dance. With a local fiddler playing such tunes as "Skip-to-my-Lou" and "Way Down in the Pawpaw Patch," men, women, and children joined in square and circle dances by lantern light on a rough barn floor.</div></div>Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-32038853914357429302020-07-27T09:50:00.002-07:002020-07-27T09:50:51.103-07:00Meatless Grilling this Summer<h1 class="BlogItem-title" data-content-field="title" style="-webkit-box-ordinal-group: 2; color: #222222; font-family: baskerville-urw; font-size: 42px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.01em; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 40px; order: 2; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
Going meatless in grilling season</h1>
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Summer has made its appearance across North America and it’s time to get your grill on! If you’re looking to save some money, add more plant-based/meatless options into your diet, or you’re a vegan or vegetarian, BBQ season can be challenging. The good news is, Epicure has your back! Load up on flavour and save time while you enjoy the sunshine and your fave cold brew. Here are some summer recipes we love:</div>
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<a href="https://epicure.com/en-us/recipe/veggie-halloumi-burger" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(34, 34, 34, 0.3); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding-bottom: 0.05em; text-decoration-line: none; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s, color 0.15s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"><strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">VEGGIE & HALLOUMI BURGER</strong></a></h2>
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<strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">Halloumi takes this veggie burger over the top! Halloumi originates from Cyprus and is a semi-hard, unripened, brined cheese that’s salty and squeaky! Wrap this burger in crisp local lettuce leaves or go all-in and grill a pita wrap for a smoky flavour.</strong></div>
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<strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">Perfectly Balance Your Plate: </strong>Serve with 1 cup oven fries (about half a potato), and 2 tbsp prepared Big Burger Sauce (use to top burger and dunk fries).</div>
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<strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">INGREDIENTS</strong></h3>
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1 block (12 oz/350 g) medium-firm tofu</div>
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1 carrot</div>
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1⁄2 pkg <a href="https://epicure.com/en-us/product/veggie-burger-seasoning-pkg-2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(34, 34, 34, 0.3); color: #222222; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding-bottom: 0.05em; text-decoration-line: none; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s, color 0.15s ease-out 0s;">Veggie Burger Seasoning (Pkg 2)</a></div>
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1⁄3 cup quick oats</div>
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1 tbsp vegetable oil</div>
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1⁄2 block (9 oz/250 g) halloumi cheese</div>
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1 tomato</div>
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1⁄4 small red onion</div>
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1 head iceberg lettuce, 8–16 leaves</div>
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Toppings (optional): prepared Big Burger Sauce</div>
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<strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">PREPARATION</strong></h3>
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1. Drain tofu. In large bowl, use your hands to crumble tofu, breaking it up into small pieces. </div>
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2. Grate carrot until you have about 1 cup; squeeze to remove excess liquid. Add carrot, seasoning, and oats to crumbled tofu, stir until well combined. Form into four balls and pack together tightly. Flatten into thin patties. </div>
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3. In fry pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook patties until golden brown, 3–4 min per side.</div>
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4. Meanwhile, cut cheese into eight slices. Slice tomato and onion. </div>
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5. Remove patties from pan and set aside. In the same pan, fry cheese until golden-brown, about 1 min per side. </div>
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6. Divide half the lettuce leaves on plates; cover with patty, cheese, tomato, and onion slices, then remaining lettuce.</div>
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<a href="https://epicure.com/en-us/recipe/lentil-souvlaki-tzatziki-flatbread" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(34, 34, 34, 0.3); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding-bottom: 0.05em; text-decoration-line: none; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s, color 0.15s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"><strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">LENTIL SOUVLAKI & TZATZIKI FLATBREAD</strong></a></h2>
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<strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">Grilled flatbread is where it’s at! Add greens—like fresh arugula or basil—and finish it with an olive oil drizzle and a twist of Smoky Sriracha Sea Salt. </strong></div>
<h3 style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: brandon-grotesque; font-size: 10.2px; letter-spacing: 0.25em; line-height: 2.2em; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-transform: uppercase; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">INGREDIENTS</strong></h3>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1 tbsp <a href="https://epicure.com/en-us/product/lemon-dilly-dip-mix" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(34, 34, 34, 0.3); color: #222222; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding-bottom: 0.05em; text-decoration-line: none; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s, color 0.15s ease-out 0s;">Lemon Dilly Dip Mix</a></div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1⁄2 cucumber</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Sea Salt (Grinder), to taste</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Black Pepper (Grinder), to taste</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1 can (19 oz/540 ml) lentils</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1 tbsp <a href="https://epicure.com/en-us/product/souvlaki-seasoning" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(34, 34, 34, 0.3); color: #222222; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding-bottom: 0.05em; text-decoration-line: none; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s, color 0.15s ease-out 0s;">Souvlaki Seasoning</a></div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1 tbsp olive oil</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
4 naan breads</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1 cup crumbled feta cheese</div>
<h3 style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: brandon-grotesque; font-size: 10.2px; letter-spacing: 0.25em; line-height: 2.2em; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-transform: uppercase; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">PREPARATION</strong></h3>
<ol data-rte-list="default" style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">
<li style="counter-increment: rte-list 1; counter-reset: rte-list 0; list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Preheat grill to medium.</div>
</li>
<li style="counter-increment: rte-list 1; list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Meanwhile, make tzatziki. In a bowl, stir together yogurt and dip mix. Grate cucumber on a box grater. Wrap in a kitchen towel; squeeze out excess liquid. Stir cucumber into yogurt. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.</div>
</li>
<li style="counter-increment: rte-list 1; list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Drain and rinse lentils. Place in small bowl; stir in seasoning.</div>
</li>
<li style="counter-increment: rte-list 1; list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Lightly brush both sides of naan breads with oil. Place tzatziki, lentils, oiled bread and cheese on a Sheet Pan and head to the grill!</div>
</li>
<li style="counter-increment: rte-list 1; list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Place bread on grill. Barbecue until one side is lightly charred, about 2 min. Remove from grill; spread grilled sides with tzatziki then top with lentils and cheese.</div>
</li>
<li style="counter-increment: rte-list 1; list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Place back on grill; close lid and barbecue until cheese melts, 1–2 min.</div>
</li>
</ol>
<h2 style="color: #222222; font-family: brandon-grotesque; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.2em; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-transform: uppercase; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<a href="https://epicure.com/en-us/recipe/epic-veggie-burger" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(34, 34, 34, 0.3); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding-bottom: 0.05em; text-decoration-line: none; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s, color 0.15s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"><strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">EPIC VEGGIE BURGER</strong></a></h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="sqs-block image-block sqs-block-image sqs-text-ready" data-block-type="5" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1594854423129_37083" style="box-shadow: rgba(128, 128, 128, 0) 0px 0px 0px 1px inset; clear: both; height: auto; outline: none; padding: 17px; position: relative; transition: box-shadow 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">
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<figure class="
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" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1595868444146_107" style="margin: auto; max-width: 1036px;"><a class="
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" href="https://epicure.com/en-us/recipe/epic-veggie-burger" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1595868444146_106" style="display: block; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><div class="
image-block-wrapper
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<img alt="6512_Epic_Veggie_Burger_1036x583.jpg" class="thumb-image loaded" data-image-dimensions="1036x583" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-image-id="5f0f908aad0b5c27fbfeefc1" data-image-resolution="1000w" data-image="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e164b9458f86a07ed5ee543/1594855562878-EM5T9O6J8MFUQUZG37GY/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kIk1pCNVnZhtAlt9y4_0K3IUqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8N_N4V1vUb5AoIIIbLZhVYxCRW4BPu10St3TBAUQYVKccPfIMVaBeBtbY-I5rwVoj2wLWzcgaETi-b2VF0XgWuN1Yv7YXRR84yntzaTtEQ__/6512_Epic_Veggie_Burger_1036x583.jpg" data-load="false" data-src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e164b9458f86a07ed5ee543/1594855562878-EM5T9O6J8MFUQUZG37GY/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kIk1pCNVnZhtAlt9y4_0K3IUqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8N_N4V1vUb5AoIIIbLZhVYxCRW4BPu10St3TBAUQYVKccPfIMVaBeBtbY-I5rwVoj2wLWzcgaETi-b2VF0XgWuN1Yv7YXRR84yntzaTtEQ__/6512_Epic_Veggie_Burger_1036x583.jpg" data-type="image" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e164b9458f86a07ed5ee543/1594855562878-EM5T9O6J8MFUQUZG37GY/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kIk1pCNVnZhtAlt9y4_0K3IUqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8N_N4V1vUb5AoIIIbLZhVYxCRW4BPu10St3TBAUQYVKccPfIMVaBeBtbY-I5rwVoj2wLWzcgaETi-b2VF0XgWuN1Yv7YXRR84yntzaTtEQ__/6512_Epic_Veggie_Burger_1036x583.jpg?format=1000w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: 550.922px; left: -0.0625px; max-width: none; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 979.125px;" /></div>
</a></figure></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html" data-block-type="2" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1594854423129_41815" style="box-shadow: rgba(128, 128, 128, 0) 0px 0px 0px 1px inset; box-sizing: border-box; clear: none; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; outline: none; padding: 17px; position: relative; transition: box-shadow 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; width: 1013px;">
<div class="sqs-block-content" style="outline: none;">
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Nothing says socially distanced, backyard BBQ, like a Veggie Burger! At just $1.56 (US) per serving, this is a great way to save some money while you enjoy a tasty plant-based meal. </div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">Perfectly Balance Your Plate: </strong>Serve with 1 cup oven fries (about half of a potato).</div>
<h3 style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: brandon-grotesque; font-size: 10.2px; letter-spacing: 0.25em; line-height: 2.2em; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-transform: uppercase; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">INGREDIENTS</strong></h3>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1⁄2 cup uncooked quinoa</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1 1⁄2 cups hot water</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1 small zucchini</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1 head iceberg lettuce</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1 pkg <a href="https://epicure.com/en-us/product/veggie-burger-seasoning-pkg-2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(34, 34, 34, 0.3); color: #222222; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding-bottom: 0.05em; text-decoration-line: none; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s, color 0.15s ease-out 0s;">Veggie Burger Seasoning (Pkg 2)</a></div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1⁄2 lemon</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
2 tbsp oil</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Big Burger Sauce</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1⁄4 cup light mayonnaise</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1 tsp <a href="https://epicure.com/en-us/product/big-burger-sauce-mix" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(34, 34, 34, 0.3); color: #222222; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding-bottom: 0.05em; text-decoration-line: none; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s, color 0.15s ease-out 0s;">Big Burger Sauce Mix</a></div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1 tsp ketchup</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
1⁄2 tsp relish</div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Toppings (optional): sliced tomato, pickles, mustard</div>
<h3 style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: brandon-grotesque; font-size: 10.2px; letter-spacing: 0.25em; line-height: 2.2em; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-transform: uppercase; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">PREPARATION</strong></h3>
<ol data-rte-list="default" style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">
<li style="counter-increment: rte-list 1; counter-reset: rte-list 0; list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Place quinoa in <a href="https://epicure.com/en-us/product/multipurpose-steamer" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(34, 34, 34, 0.3); color: #222222; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding-bottom: 0.05em; text-decoration-line: none; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s, color 0.15s ease-out 0s;">Multipurpose Steamer</a>; stir in 1 cup hot water. Microwave on high, uncovered, until tender and water has been absorbed, 12–15 min.</div>
</li>
<li style="counter-increment: rte-list 1; list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Meanwhile, grate and measure out 1 cup zucchini. Wash and separate lettuce leaves. Set aside.</div>
</li>
<li style="counter-increment: rte-list 1; list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
In a small bowl, combine mayo, Big Burger Sauce Mix, ketchup, and relish. Set aside.</div>
</li>
<li style="counter-increment: rte-list 1; list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
In a separate bowl, combine Veggie Burger Mix with ½ cup hot water. Using the<a href="https://epicure.com/en-us/product/2-in-1-citrus-press" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(34, 34, 34, 0.3); color: #222222; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding-bottom: 0.05em; text-decoration-line: none; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s, color 0.15s ease-out 0s;"> 2-in-1 Citrus Press</a>, squeeze in 3 tbsp juice from lemon. Add zucchini; stir until combined. When cooked, stir in quinoa.</div>
</li>
<li style="counter-increment: rte-list 1; list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Preheat grill When hot, brush grill with oil; scoop batter onto grill, making four burgers. Lightly press and flatten into shape. Cook until golden brown, 3−5 min per side.</div>
</li>
<li style="counter-increment: rte-list 1; list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Divide half the lettuce leaves on plates; add a dollop of Big Burger Sauce. Cover with patties and toppings, then remaining lettuce. Add toppings, if desired.</div>
</li>
</ol>
<h2 style="color: #222222; font-family: brandon-grotesque; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.2em; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-transform: uppercase; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<a href="https://epicure.com/en-ca/recipe/4311" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(34, 34, 34, 0.3); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding-bottom: 0.05em; text-decoration-line: none; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s, color 0.15s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">EASY VEGETABLE SKEWERS</a></h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="sqs-block image-block sqs-block-image sqs-text-ready" data-block-type="5" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1594854423129_43830" style="box-shadow: rgba(128, 128, 128, 0) 0px 0px 0px 1px inset; clear: both; height: auto; outline: none; padding: 17px; position: relative; transition: box-shadow 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">
<div class="sqs-block-content" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1595868444146_127">
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<figure class="
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<img alt="1516630452693-recipeMainImagePath.jpg" class="thumb-image loaded" data-image-dimensions="1036x583" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-image-id="5f0f91e858d5843868722cc1" data-image-resolution="1000w" data-image="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e164b9458f86a07ed5ee543/1594855913284-6W5G3XRKK1IVC2PKCKJA/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kIk1pCNVnZhtAlt9y4_0K3IUqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8N_N4V1vUb5AoIIIbLZhVYxCRW4BPu10St3TBAUQYVKccPfIMVaBeBtbY-I5rwVoj2wLWzcgaETi-b2VF0XgWuN1Yv7YXRR84yntzaTtEQ__/1516630452693-recipeMainImagePath.jpg" data-load="false" data-src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e164b9458f86a07ed5ee543/1594855913284-6W5G3XRKK1IVC2PKCKJA/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kIk1pCNVnZhtAlt9y4_0K3IUqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8N_N4V1vUb5AoIIIbLZhVYxCRW4BPu10St3TBAUQYVKccPfIMVaBeBtbY-I5rwVoj2wLWzcgaETi-b2VF0XgWuN1Yv7YXRR84yntzaTtEQ__/1516630452693-recipeMainImagePath.jpg" data-type="image" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e164b9458f86a07ed5ee543/1594855913284-6W5G3XRKK1IVC2PKCKJA/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kIk1pCNVnZhtAlt9y4_0K3IUqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8N_N4V1vUb5AoIIIbLZhVYxCRW4BPu10St3TBAUQYVKccPfIMVaBeBtbY-I5rwVoj2wLWzcgaETi-b2VF0XgWuN1Yv7YXRR84yntzaTtEQ__/1516630452693-recipeMainImagePath.jpg?format=1000w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: 550.922px; left: -0.0625px; max-width: none; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 979.125px;" /></div>
</a></figure></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html" data-block-type="2" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1594854423129_44130" style="box-shadow: rgba(128, 128, 128, 0) 0px 0px 0px 1px inset; box-sizing: border-box; clear: none; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; outline: none; padding: 17px; position: relative; transition: box-shadow 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; width: 1013px;">
<div class="sqs-block-content" style="outline: none;">
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Make it a rainbow of colour: variety makes these kebabs nutrient-dense. Brush on Epicure dressing or finishing sauce to deliver a burst of flavour! </div>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">Perfectly balance your plate:</strong> Serve with 1 protein serving and 1 C (250 ml) grain/starch.</div>
<h3 style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: brandon-grotesque; font-size: 10.2px; letter-spacing: 0.25em; line-height: 2.2em; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-transform: uppercase; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">INGREDIENTS</strong></h3>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
MAKES: 8 SERVINGS</div>
<ul data-rte-list="default" style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">
<li style="list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
6 C (1 1/2 L) thickly cut vegetables, your choice</div>
</li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
8 bamboo skewers</div>
</li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
3 Tbsp (45 ml) <a href="https://epicure.com/en-ca/recipe/1491" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(34, 34, 34, 0.3); color: #222222; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding-bottom: 0.05em; text-decoration-line: none; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s, color 0.15s ease-out 0s;">Greek Dressing</a>, prepared, or Epicure dressing or finishing sauce, your choice</div>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: brandon-grotesque; font-size: 10.2px; letter-spacing: 0.25em; line-height: 2.2em; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-transform: uppercase; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">PREPARATION</strong></h3>
<ul data-rte-list="default" style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">
<li style="list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Skewer vegetables on bamboo skewers.</div>
</li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Brush with dressing or finishing sauce.</div>
</li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Barbecue over medium heat, turning often, until lightly charred, 6–8 minutes.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Happy summer! </div>
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Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-83043879789701029562020-05-31T09:40:00.001-07:002020-05-31T09:40:20.745-07:00Dolly Parton - When Life Is Good Again (Official Music Video)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zEUYlo6OoDY" width="480"></iframe>Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-87845710811568289602020-05-27T15:50:00.002-07:002020-05-27T15:50:16.592-07:00COVID Pandemic<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Today is Thursday May 27th, 2020</div>
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• We are at 72 days of social isolation. </div>
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• The CDN dollar is worth $.71 US.</div>
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• Gas costs 89.9 cents per litre at the pumps in our area . A tank of gas is lasting a lot longer these days.</div>
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• Schools have been closed since March 16 and kids are learning remotely on-line. This will continue for the rest of the school year.</div>
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• High school has cancelled all exams; grade 12 students will graduate with their last mark...what they had before March Break...and without needing to complete their literacy test and their 40 hours of volunteer work. There was no prom, nor graduation ceremony. We're hoping graduation will be re-scheduled for the Fall.</div>
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• Restaurants are only open for home delivery & pick-up orders, although many people are afraid to order take-out because we aren't 100% sure if Covid-19 can be spread through food. Some stores give their take out orders with a small alcohol wipe to wipe down the bag and containers inside.</div>
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• National and Provincial Parks and Conservation areas have reopened, but all playgrounds will remain closed.</div>
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• All sports competitions have been canceled.</div>
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• All festivals and entertainment events have been banned (Canada Day celebrations in some cities and Calgary Stampede canceled just in the last few days, ND state fair, Estevan Fair and Rafferty Rumble)</div>
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• Weddings, family celebrations, birthdays and funerals have been canceled.</div>
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• Gatherings are limited to no more than 10 people outside the same household.</div>
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• People are doing drive-by parades to celebrate birthdays, baby showers, schools staff to see their students and show appreciation to front-line workers.</div>
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• Hearts and rainbows in the window began as a way to show love and appreciation during a time of self-isolation and lock-down, and has spread worldwide.</div>
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• Churches are closed or online.</div>
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• We have to stay away from each other by at least 2 meters (6 feet). These are the new Social-Distancing Rules that most everyone adheres to, without thinking now. During jogging or cycling, it’s advised to stay 20 feet away.</div>
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• When out for a walk (basically the only outdoor activity we are still allowed to do), people will step off the curb and wait while another person passes.</div>
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• Old Age and Retirement homes are experiencing high rates of outbreak among residents and staff, and in some cases there are 1/10 of the staff working. Many of the deaths are attributed to these outbreaks.</div>
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• Our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has been doing daily press conferences from Rideau Cottage. On April 8th he said masks help prevent you from “speaking moistly” to others. He instantly regretted saying it and the phrase went viral.</div>
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• People are using their home 3D printers to help make PPE like face shields and clips (to save health care workers ears and hold back mask straps), and even ventilator pieces that are in short supply</div>
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• People are wearing masks, some places now REQUIRE that you wear them to enter!</div>
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• People are sewing masks & gowns. Others are crocheting or knitting bands to help save people's ears who have to wear them for extended periods. They are donating them to group homes, medical facilities and people who need them. Disposable gloves are also widely worn when out in public to get supplies.</div>
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• Toilet paper, yeast, hand sanitizer, flour, antibacterial wipes and anything Lysol or Clorox is in short supply and limited per person.... IF you can even find them!</div>
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• Chicken wings are also getting hard to find, as is beef, because 2 of Canada’s top 3 beef suppliers have been hit hard with outbreaks. Things like milk were limited up to 2 per person. Prescription medications are limited to just one month instead of having multiple months.</div>
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• Stores are closing early to disinfect everything. (24 hour stores are even closing by 9pm).</div>
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• Store check outs, pharmacies and even fast food drive thru windows have added plexiglass between employee and customer. Have to reach around or under to pay!</div>
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• Online shopping and grocery delivery services are at an all-time high.</div>
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• There are lines taped and even painted outside the stores for people to line-up to enter with max #'s allowed in a store at a time. There are lines and circles at the check outs to keep people 6 feet apart. There are taped arrows in the aisles to keep flow of traffic one-way as you shop.</div>
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• Canada has closed the borders to all non-essential travel.</div>
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• No visits or respite/relief allowed for any children in care.</div>
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• On April 19, Canada was devastated by the largest mass shooting in our history, 22 lives lost in Nova Scotia. A virtual vigil was held April 24 for the victims, as Canada mourned. On May 1, the PM announced an official ban on assault-style guns.</div>
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• As of May 19th, some provinces have chosen to slowly start re-opening businesses in an effort to restart the economy. (Even some of the hardest-hit provinces, like Alberta and Quebec). Some provinces (like Ontario) have chosen only a few outside businesses to open. Taking their time as it is far too soon to lift the full lock-down. Not enough is known yet about the virus and we are still in the middle of the peak. It is still being spread easily and there are still high numbers of deaths. We expect a second and even third wave to hit and the pandemic is expected to last 18-24 months before it is over.</div>
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• Air and water pollution are at an all-time low, and animals have been seen going through areas not normally occupied by them.</div>
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• The world has quieted, a large hole in the ozone has closed. Our Earth appears to be healing.</div>
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• We stay in our homes and make the best of the time we have to spend together with those who live in the same household. People are trying new things, learning new things, playing games, taking the time to read, and we can thankfully stay in touch with loved ones through technology like phones, texts, emails, FaceTime, Skype, and Zoom. Window visits are also on the rise, as people find new and creative ways to show their quarantined loved ones that they are loved, thought of, and cared about. Although this is a different way of life for now, and many things are missed, it’s teaching us not to take those things or people for granted when we do finally reach some sort of “normalcy”, whatever that looks like from here on out.</div>
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• People are becoming much more careful and conscientious about hygiene and how it affects not just ourselves, but others.</div>
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• People are also realizing there are a lot of material things that we are used to having, that have now become unimportant - we are realizing the difference between need and want, and how unnecessary certain things are in times like these.</div>
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• Covid-19 has shown the world what’s important, and that it is indeed possible to come together (by staying apart) for the greater good. It’s teaching us that it is indeed possible, and important, to help more vulnerable people, like the elderly and the homeless. I can’t remember a time when people worked so hard to provide shelter and food for the homeless. Or a time when long-term care residences were in the forefront and it came to light how much more they need from the government and the public, in order to properly care for their residents. It is also teaching us who the real heroes are; it’s not the movie stars and the highly-paid sports stars in all their fame and glory. It’s the front-line workers, the delivery workers, the grocery store clerks, the garbage collectors, and all those who continue to risk their lives to keep the communities fed, clean, housed, healthy and connected.</div>
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• May 17th we lost one of our Snowbird representatives (the Public Affairs Officer, Capt Jennifer Casey), on the cross country tour called Operation Inspiration, to lift the spirits of Canadian's. Life is so precious.</div>
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This should</div>
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be a reminder that life is precious & that nothing should be taken for granted. We are where we are with what we have. Let's be grateful <span class="_5mfr" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 1px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t6c/1/16/2764.png"); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; color: transparent; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; height: 16px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 16px;">❤️</span></span><span class="_5mfr" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 1px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tfd/1/16/1f9e1.png"); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; color: transparent; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; height: 16px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 16px;">🧡</span></span><span class="_5mfr" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 1px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t15/1/16/1f49b.png"); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; color: transparent; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; height: 16px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 16px;">💛</span></span><span class="_5mfr" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 1px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t94/1/16/1f49a.png"); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; color: transparent; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; height: 16px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 16px;">💚</span></span><span class="_5mfr" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 1px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t6c/1/16/1f499.png"); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; color: transparent; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; height: 16px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 16px;">💙</span></span><span class="_5mfr" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 1px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t96/1/16/1f49c.png"); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; color: transparent; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; height: 16px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 16px;">💜</span></span><span class="_5mfr" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 1px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/te9/1/16/1f496.png"); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; color: transparent; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; height: 16px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 16px;">💖</span></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-71336633217997514132019-04-09T23:01:00.001-07:002019-04-09T23:15:56.249-07:005am Club day 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://books.google.ca/books/about/The_5_AM_Club.html?id=Nh9PDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&redir_esc=y">https://books.google.ca/books/about/The_5_AM_Club.html?id=Nh9PDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&redir_esc=y</a></div>
This is the book I have been talking about. It is going to change my life! Thanks @RobinSharma!Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-40930500822226445602019-04-08T09:39:00.004-07:002019-04-08T09:39:23.991-07:005am Club<a href="https://cvws.icloud-content.com/B/AUctSo1BVr1dkumlVSmkW6_a9g5GAc7VWdMiwy2wThFA6W4v_rwVJxAX/IMG_1098.MOV?o=AnBJczFtbbh16Tk_HS4GW91cpObcyFl-Owt6iYPiEGYz&v=1&x=3&a=CAogw71LU4_yp-hBLUluXA6epf5cVz6MAMqnjhRfaeCFh3YSGxDZqoPuny0Y2br-waktIgEAKggByAD_AN3Vag&e=1557332467&k=B-CPyJQr578xJpoR24YrWw&fl=&r=0F429463-B3AE-4A29-B384-CD3ED7D0A058-1&ckc=com.apple.largeattachment&ckz=13116B3F-3D29-4203-9439-697D23CD5198&p=38&s=kzbM7LlVwREb2sgNgzZzpvnkum0&teh=2">https://cvws.icloud-content.com/B/AUctSo1BVr1dkumlVSmkW6_a9g5GAc7VWdMiwy2wThFA6W4v_rwVJxAX/IMG_1098.MOV?o=AnBJczFtbbh16Tk_HS4GW91cpObcyFl-Owt6iYPiEGYz&v=1&x=3&a=CAogw71LU4_yp-hBLUluXA6epf5cVz6MAMqnjhRfaeCFh3YSGxDZqoPuny0Y2br-waktIgEAKggByAD_AN3Vag&e=1557332467&k=B-CPyJQr578xJpoR24YrWw&fl=&r=0F429463-B3AE-4A29-B384-CD3ED7D0A058-1&ckc=com.apple.largeattachment&ckz=13116B3F-3D29-4203-9439-697D23CD5198&p=38&s=kzbM7LlVwREb2sgNgzZzpvnkum0&teh=2</a>Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-73965192324924195892019-04-08T06:41:00.000-07:002019-04-08T06:41:34.203-07:005am Club<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOG_video_class" contentid="UPLOADING" height="266" id="BLOG_video-UPLOADING-0" width="320"></object></div>
<br />Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-25190813951213419782019-02-21T20:09:00.002-08:002019-02-21T20:09:56.745-08:00Where have I been??<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgjXTHndDaAaliwyi9xkzoFVCTXk94LSk2bY_V3d5CnPNGUwHJPg6vNRmmgK7BZUuQ_2etpwhwep_-_xDt7K5UqJAl9ycJzcN5zrmnSrT8R9ylpBY913mC8bafW55wBZaGnSv_A/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgjXTHndDaAaliwyi9xkzoFVCTXk94LSk2bY_V3d5CnPNGUwHJPg6vNRmmgK7BZUuQ_2etpwhwep_-_xDt7K5UqJAl9ycJzcN5zrmnSrT8R9ylpBY913mC8bafW55wBZaGnSv_A/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
I cant believe that it has been two years since I wrote on here. I can tell from past entries that the more I used other forms of social media the less I wrote on here. I also have noticed lately well ok for a long while that my FB statuses are getting longer reads instead of just quick notes of what I am doing. So after digging this out of storage I have decided to go back to using this as a journal and to keep my social media for what I am actually doing not for my thoughts. I can almost hear the uproar cheers coming from my fans lol..Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-9614058935162089442017-04-01T01:18:00.000-07:002017-04-01T01:18:22.288-07:00History BookAs most of you that read this, I am passionate about family history. Well at least passionate about mine.. not so excited about John Smith's. I was looking up something in one of my grandparents history book the other week and realized that although the book was less then 10 years old, so much information had changed. People had married, died, given birth, moved etc. <br />
<br />
A thought had been niggling at my brain cells for some time now but I kept piling other stuff on top of it pretending like it wasn't existing. But just as I never stop talking in real time, my brain never shuts up either even when I am sleeping so this thought just kept cropping up and getting stronger. I gave myself excuses after excuses most of which began with "I do NOT have any more spare time" but that didn't deter me. <br />
<br />
After looking through the book I knew in my heart of hearts what I needed to do. I need to write a new history book of my father's line. I have done so much genealogy on both his parents I am knee deep most days. It isn't that I want to do this book to show others see what I have done... it's because of something my grandmother told me before she died. Her greatest concern was that our family would stop getting together after she was gone. She knew we would all be busy with our lives, jobs, children, and for some of us grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She knew that the only time we would get together if at all would be at funerals and weddings.<br />
<br />
My mom told me once when I was whining about why we had to be poor and why people made fun of us when we were growing up, that all you really have in life is your name and your family. She also said to never do anything that would put a tarnish on your name.<br />
<br />
I value my heritage. I work hard at keeping traditions that belong to our family. The first thing that attracted me to my church was the focus on families. I was hooked.Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-12539210868978355752017-04-01T01:17:00.003-07:002017-04-01T01:17:52.305-07:00End of ProjectsI finally completed 3 projects I had on the go for the last month and a bit and I am so happy. Even though they were projects I REALLY enjoyed doing, it still took a lot of time in preparation (yeah I know that OCD perfectionism thing again). Because I had different ones on the go I never seemed to get one completely done before I started another one as they were all running concurrent. This morning I came into my office to clean up, took one look at all the stuff NOT in their proper place, took some pictures to post on here and I am going to back out of the room very quietly, close the door and go find something chocolate to eat!Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-74832617387057365932017-04-01T01:17:00.002-07:002017-04-01T01:17:32.056-07:00ProjectsI have been working on some projects here for gifts and for some classes I have been teaching. I don't have a "crafty" bone in my body, that was my sister Adele's talent, but I like doing it even if they do tend to come out a tad lop-sided at times. But what the heck...at least I can say they are one of a kind and unique hehehe. So here are a couple of pictures of my new front door wreath that I made a couple of weeks ago as well as photo albums that you make with card stock and scrapbooking papers. This class I taught on Saturday as well as one on one plus making them for presents. Now if only I could learn how to take pictures!!Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-72708567456117893312017-04-01T01:17:00.001-07:002017-04-01T01:17:22.753-07:00Pros and Cons of ChildrenThe Price of Children<br />
<br />
Something absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice.<br />
<br />
The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 to be $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.<br />
<br />
But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:<br />
<br />
* $8,896.66 a year, or<br />
<br />
* $741.38 a month, or<br />
<br />
* $171.08 a week.<br />
<br />
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!<br />
<br />
* Just over a dollar an hour.<br />
<br />
Still, you might think the best financial advice is if you want to be 'rich', don't have children. Actually, it is just the opposite.<br />
<br />
What do you get for your $160,140?<br />
<br />
* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!<br />
<br />
* Glimpses of God every day.<br />
<br />
* Giggles every night.<br />
<br />
* More love than your heart can hold.<br />
<br />
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs. * Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.<br />
<br />
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.<br />
<br />
* A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites.<br />
<br />
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.<br />
<br />
For $160,140, you never have to grow up.<br />
<br />
You get to:<br />
<br />
* finger-paint,<br />
<br />
* carve pumpkins<br />
<br />
* play hide-and-seek,<br />
<br />
* catch lightning bugs, and<br />
<br />
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.<br />
<br />
You have an excuse to:<br />
<br />
* keep reading "The Adventures of Piglet and Pooh" ,<br />
<br />
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,<br />
<br />
* go to Disney movies,<br />
<br />
And<br />
<br />
* wish upon a star.<br />
<br />
You also get to:<br />
<br />
* frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets, And collect:<br />
<br />
* spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas,<br />
<br />
* hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and<br />
<br />
* cards with backward letters for Father's Day.<br />
<br />
For $160,140, there is no bigger bang for your buck.<br />
<br />
You get to be a hero just for:<br />
<br />
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,<br />
<br />
* taking the training wheels off a bike,<br />
<br />
* removing a splinter,<br />
<br />
* filling a wading pool,<br />
<br />
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and<br />
<br />
* coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.<br />
<br />
You get a front row seat to witness history:<br />
<br />
* her first step,<br />
<br />
* his first word,<br />
<br />
* her first bra,<br />
<br />
* his first date, and<br />
<br />
* their first time behind the wheel.<br />
<br />
You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs called grandchildren and great grandchildren in your obituary<br />
<br />
You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, andhuman sexuality that no college can match.<br />
<br />
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God.<br />
<br />
You have the power to:<br />
<br />
* heal a boo-boo,<br />
<br />
* scare away the monsters under the bed,<br />
<br />
* patch a broken heart,<br />
<br />
* police a slumber party,<br />
<br />
* ground them forever, and<br />
<br />
* love them without limits...<br />
<br />
So that one day they, like you, will love without counting the cost.<br />
<br />
That is quite a deal for the price!<br />
<br />
Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren!<br />
<br />Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-91775378265032604932017-04-01T01:17:00.000-07:002017-04-01T01:17:01.200-07:00Back Up To SpeedWell hello everyone,<br />
<br />
Have you all missed me? It has been a very very long past 3 \weeks., There were several times I didn't want to make it as the pain was astromonical I have had to deal it ongoing pain with my FM and De generative Disc Disease so I am used to it but this blows all that out of the water/ Nothing compares to things kind of pain/ But I am working through it all and trying to keep a stiff upper lip.Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-78113382779172607562017-04-01T01:16:00.000-07:002017-04-01T01:16:37.490-07:00My Saving GraceAbout a year and a half ago I started getting "feelings" about one of our granddaughters. Feeling that I needed to be watching her and not her day care. I couldn't understand why I was feeling like this. This went on for a couple of months and so I talked to Keith as the feelings were getting stronger and stronger. He told me to go with my gut instinct as that has always led me down the right path. So I nonchalantly asked the kids if they had been having problems with their day care but they said no she loved going there etc.<br />
<br />
But it still weighed on me that I needed to get her out of day care and here with me so we talked to the kids and told them I would be able to watch her now and they were quite happy and last September I started watching her. Nothing ordinary happened. Then 3 months after she came into our house I was diagnosed with the cancer and then had subsequent surgeries. She has gone with me on these surgeon visits, she has been here when the public health nurse came to change the draining bags etc. She was fascinated about everything they were doing.<br />
<br />
Tonight just before Mommy got here to pick her up I was watching her play in the back yard collecting caterpillars and putting them in her collection box and listening to her rattling about crustal us stage and cocoons and butterflies and I listened Io her babbling away in her lone little world and it hit me like a tom of bricks. I was having those feelings for real but they weren't about me saving her it was about her saving me. <br />
<br />
The Lord knew what was coming up and he knew that I would need motivation to get out from under my quilt every morning. He knew I would need a reason to get dressed and get outside ever day. he knew that every morning come rain or shine there was a little 4 year old girl at my door.<br />
<br />
I get it now. She has saved me on days when all I wanted to do these past 6 months is climb in bed and hide from the world; she was there when I knew she had to get out to get some fresh air and so I got dressed and went for my walks for exercise. I believed her sole purpose in life was to save me. Save me from myself and save me from my pity party.<br />
<br />
I wrote her a letter tonight and it is tucked safe in my cedar chest for one day when she is older and will understand who she really was in my eye and how she became my saving grace. <br />
<br />
This is Rosaleen. If I didn't know better I wouldn't think that those ties behind her were actual wings. Making her a very beautiful angel sent from my Father in Heaven to help me get back on my feet and off my butt. thanks Sweetheart Nana loves you with all her heart!Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-56179696783642847132017-04-01T01:15:00.000-07:002017-04-01T01:15:23.012-07:00My weekHow is YOUR day going?<br />
<br />
Sounds like the days I have been having lately<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
First you had trouble getting out of bed<br />
<br />
You had a stiff neck.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
You washed your hair and couldn't do a thing with it.<br />
<br />
You felt like you had a hangover and you weren't even drinking last night.<br />
<br />
Your new diet really doesn't seem to be working out.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
You pulled a muscle when you tried to exercise.?<br />
<br />
Your new hat looked better on you at the store.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
You keep losing things.<br />
<br />
The boss chewed you out at work.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
You got caught in the rain at lunchtime.<br />
<br />
Then the lunch you had didn't seem to agree with you.<br />
<br />
You feel trapped.<br />
<br />
Uninvited guests showed up at dinnertime.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
On top of that you think you're coming down with the flu.<br />
<br />
And finally, you're alone in the house at night when you think you hear a noise in the basement.<br />
<br />
MAYBE TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER?<br />
<br />
Thought for the Day<br />
<br />
<br />
Handle every stressful situation like a dog.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
If you can't eat it or play with it, Just pee on it and walk away.Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-56030267665583733692017-04-01T01:13:00.000-07:002017-04-01T01:13:45.502-07:00Testamentone day after our brand new temple has been dedicated, I have never been so thankful for the sacrifices of the Prophet Joseph Smith and all the pioneers,,,,,for what they have done so that we may worship without fear of persecution ...My heart, mind and soul is overflowed with emotion and love for all those who gave up their lives so that we, today, are able to give of ourselves freely...... My prayer is that we never take our membership for granted, that we always remember Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-7674178859763995322015-01-01T03:26:00.001-08:002015-01-01T03:27:44.969-08:00Happy New Year and Letting it Go!HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!! Man it has been such a long time since I have been on here..,,,, that's what you get for having Facebook :). It has been a roller coaster of a year so many bad things happened in our family! 4 deaths starting with my godfather who was one of my uncles, my older brother, a month later my stepfather then a couple of months later one of my nephews. Add to that my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimers and had to move her from her house to a city into an apartment... everything was changing so fast for her and it pushed her into irrational thinking and a lot of emotional upheaval. <br />
<br />
I went from being able to speak to my mom every 2-3 days to now I go a couple of weeks with no contact. This 2 hour zone time difference really hurts.. We would always talk for over an hour just chit chatting about everything and nothing and a couple hours later talk some more. Now when I do connect with her I am lucky if I can get a 10 minute conversation. My brain tells me it is all part of Alzheimer but my heart just grieves on top of all the grief it has had to already deal with this year.<br />
<br />
I stopped making new year resolutions years ago usually just trying to better myself into being a better person. But this year I am going to do things differently. Having a lot of young grandchildren we have watched the movie Frozen numerous times this past year. I have loved watching them do the dance moves to the songs and sing them even the littlest ones who just say GOOOO and stamp their foot. Even when we opened our Christmas presents on the 20th at our oldest son's home Elsa made an appearance and it was priceless to watch the faces of the little kids!! I would have liked to have seen my face!<br />
<br />
And so this past week while we were in Alberta at our other son's home I thought of that song and how it "clicked" that was what I was going to try and live my life by this coming year..by letting things go....<br />
<br />
"Don't let them in, don't let them see<br />
Be the good girl you always have to be<br />
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know"<br />
<br />
I will let go of the feelings of always having to be in control and not letting anyone see (other than a VERY VERY few) the real me, the me that hurts, that suffers<br />
<br />
"My power flurries through the air into the ground<br />
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around<br />
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast<br />
I'm never going back,<br />
The past is in the past!"<br />
<br />
I am going to let go of the grief that has been holding me prisoner for a long time. I will never be able to bring them back. They would not want me or anyone else feeling like this. I will let it go. I will remember the good parts of their lives that I shared with them. I will laugh at the memories and smile at the silliness of things we did. I will still miss them But I need to let it go. By being so wrapped up in it, I have let my sisters in law and other brother down by not being more involved with helping them with their grief. I was being so selfish.But no more. I will miss them all very much but will let go of the grief.<br />
<br />
"Let it go, let it go<br />
And I'll rise like the break of dawn<br />
Let it go, let it go<br />
That perfect girl is gone!"<br />
<br />
I will let go of the need to be perfect all the time..in my personal life, in my career, in my projects etc.. all of it.. I don't need to be perfect in any aspect of my life. Too much energy and focus has been spent trying to always be perfect. It has affected my body and my health greatly.<br />
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The snow glows white on the mountain tonight<br />
Not a footprint to be seen<br />
A kingdom of isolation,<br />
And it looks like I'm the queen."<br />
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Having a snowfall makes everything white outside before cars and people traipse all over. I see this as a rebirth.. a newness where I can start over.<br />
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I am so thankful for the years I have spent with my family. The good parts and the not so good parts; for everything we have shared for every chance we had to grow; I will take the best of them with me and take them wherever I go; Keith told me to always be honest so here it goes. This isn't what I want but I will take the high road..maybe it is because I always look at things as lessons, or because I don't want to walk around angry anymore or maybe it's because I finally understand. There are things that have happened that we did not want to have happened but have to accept. Things we don't want to know but have to learn. And people we can't live without but have to let go.<br />
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It will be a very difficult year working on letting it go.. it has been my security blanket for many years; but I will continue to take baby steps each and every day. May 2015 be YLUR year to be the person YOU want it to be. May all wishes come true and dreams come alive<br />
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Let it go!!<br />
<br />
Sally<br />
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<br />Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-32591874493044361912014-10-28T01:03:00.003-07:002014-10-28T01:03:48.522-07:00Slowing DownFor a very long time, but more so more now than ever, I am being told basically the same thing... that I need to slow down.... slow down from what? Slow down and do what? Lay around on the couch watching tv all day??? I also have had a couple of conversations from well meaning people telling me that the reason I do not have another calling at church is because I "am too busy". Really? I thought callings were given by the Lord not from local leaders. If that was the case I would not be getting the thought from the Lord that there is a different job waiting for me and that perhaps I should be asking for it (even though I do not know what it is) because it is obvious the calling will not come otherwise.<br />
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I keep busy for several reasons and I thought I would try and explain it to all of you so that perhaps you can understand where I am coming from. And why it upsets me when I hear this. Compared to the life I lived in Sask right up to the time I move here over 25 years ago, I was in the Ward AND Stake Primary Presidency (which encompassed the entire province), I worked full time as a nurse at one of our hospitals and also worked at 3 different part time jobs to put Keith through school all the while raising 5 teens. I also was a visiting teacher and trying to work my schedule along my companion and the women we visited was a feat deserving medals but I never missed. Once. So compared to that I HAVE slowed down a lot.<br />
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Another reason I do what I do with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation is because they saved me after my bilateral mastectomies from my breast cancer. If it had not been for my familial support and the CBCF and my family I would have had a nervous breakdown. I am as sure of that as if I was standing here breathing. They were there for my first run with my family. They have been there every year since when I did my run. Two years ago I knew I could no longer do the actual run physically so started being on the executive planning committee to plan the Run for the Cure Surrey location.<br />
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Seeing the looks on the faces of the survivors, the hugs from their families thanking us for doing this event for them makes all the lack of sleep worth every minute. While I am busy helping other survivors regain their equilibrium I can forget that I still have cancer cells floating around in my body. In the middle of the night when all is quiet for me and everything that needed to be done that day is done my mind takes over and then all my fears come to the front of my brain and all of the negative aspect of cancer and my other health issues comes out of hiding to freak me out.<br />
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I REFUSE to give in to my fears. I REFUSE to ever give up. I REFUSE to ever stop trying to better myself. It is interesting that my Lord was also focused on compassionate service as he neared his mortal ministry. At one point he even took off his garment to wash the feet of his servants rather than the other way around. It was a natural thing and appropriate that his last instructions to his disciples was to love and serve one another. This was a task for the servants He a Lord but He went about this task.<br />
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In John 13:12-17 it states:<br />
<span class="verse">12 </span>So
after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set
down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? <br />
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<a class="bookmark-anchor dontHighlight" href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="13"> </a><span class="verse">13 </span>Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for <span class="clarityWord">so</span> I am.</div>
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<a class="bookmark-anchor dontHighlight" href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="14"> </a><span class="verse">14 </span>If I then, <span class="clarityWord">your</span> Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.</div>
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<a class="bookmark-anchor dontHighlight" href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="15"> </a><span class="verse">15 </span>For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.</div>
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<a class="bookmark-anchor dontHighlight" href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="16"> </a><span class="verse">16 </span>Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him..</div>
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<a class="bookmark-anchor dontHighlight" href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="17"> </a><span class="verse">17 </span>If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.</div>
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I can't help to think that if this service task was important for the Lord to do then who on earth am I to not help others? The Lord taught that if He could spend His last precious moments teaching compassionate service to this disciples then it must be of equal importance for us to continue serving Him. </div>
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I have a degenerative spine which 10 years ago had me in a wheelchair. I knew I had to lose weight before I was permanently paralyzed. Which I did to the tune of 150 pounds in two years. People kept telling me then as well to slow down that I did not have to walk 5K every day. But it was being fit healthily and it saved me when I was diagnosed with cancer. Had I not done all that work I would not have survived 10 surgeries in 4 years. </div>
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So the next time you think of telling me to slow down or to not do so much please do not. The Lord and I are in tune. When the pain gets too much Keith and other Priesthood holders in my family and circle come and help Keith give me a blessing with the laying on of hands and I am instantly better. Whenever I have a huge project coming up I break down all my tasks so there is no procrastination and I am not left at the end with so much work to do. I know my limits. I know I do not sleep for more than 3 hours in any given night. I have learned to lay down a couple of times a day for 15 minute catnaps. I have learned to stop when the pain gets too strained and I am unable to handle. You just never see me like that. Ever. Very few people ever get to outside of my family. But I do know my limits.</div>
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So please believe me when I say I have my life under control and that I wished people would just let me live it. I would also wish people would stop NOT asking me to do things because they think they know whats better for me than I do. If I know I can't do it I will tell you I cannot. I promise. </div>
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Ok off my soapbox now. Just wanted to let you know what was going on with me</div>
Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-26226710754261209962013-10-13T09:21:00.000-07:002013-10-13T09:37:40.491-07:00Being thankful<span style="font-size: large;">As we go about our preparations for our Thanksgiving weekend celebrations it has made me think of this past year, all the things I wished I had changed, the things I did change and the things I let go completely. 17 months ago one of my brothers who is just barely a year older then me was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer that had metastases to his brain.</span> <span style="font-size: large;">I was with them the day the oncologist came to his room and told him he had about 2 weeks with no treatment or 2 months with treatment. I watched this man fight for his every breath and has never given up. It has been a year since I went back home for Thanksgiving and now here we are still watching him keep on going!! It has given me great courage. Courage to fight my own battles</span>, <span style="font-size: large;">. So today I thought I would </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">write down what I was thankful this year:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1.The Kids table</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Movies on demand</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Instagram</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4.Someone else putting food away with clean up instead of having every one trying to get out the door</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5.girls night out</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">6.sleeping in</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">7-3 day weekends</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">8.free refills</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">9.an empty airline overhead compartment just above me </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">10.Family Photo albums</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">11.I am thankful for brothers who take such good care of my mom while I am out here</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I2. am thankful for their attention that they give to each other.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">13. Last but not least Keith who never stops loving me unconditionally</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some of our grandchildren apparently do not feel the need
to come visit or spend time with us according to a little birdie and I
so miss seeing them nearly every day. But each family has to do what is
right for their own just as I am doing what is right for Keith and I</span> We both had strong bonding relationships with our grandparents till the day they both died of old age. You never ever forget those memories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am thankful to having the Lord in my life, for prayer and for the Priesthood in my home. I am thankful for my friends who drop their lives at the drop of their hat to come help me when needed. I am thankful for our Home Teacher who is in constant contact with us to touch base on how we are doing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And so for all of you that are such an intricate part of my life and are there for me when I need you thank you. This is for you </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxy0uBbHLCw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxy0uBbHLCw</a></span><br />
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<br />Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-9676405791030191022013-09-30T00:55:00.001-07:002013-09-30T00:55:40.186-07:00Flat land versus mountain viewTonight I sit in a hotel room for my last night of a crazy emotionally charged 10 day trip back home to Sask and Alberta. Three airports, 5 cities, 3 towns, 3 hotels, too numerous to count hugs and it is almost time to go home. This trip in a way was no different then the many others I have taken in the last 23 years since I moved to BC. When I get driving on the prairies I always always comment on how flat the land is and how much I miss my mountains. I miss everything about the mountains. I never get sick of seeing them, going to the tops of them, climbing them in some way, just stare at them. Whenever we come back here to the prairies when we head back on our return trip the second I see my BC mountains I smile and get so excited!<br />
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I don't know why things were different this trip. But it was. As I was driving from Regina to my mom's the one day I was watching the combines in the fields working overtime as the farmers desperately tried getting their crops in before the first frost hit. If you are not a farmer you have no idea how hard they work, how an entire year's work can be lost simply by a single frost, grasshoppers, gophers, drought etc. Most people think that farmers are rich people living in these huge Sough Fork ranches and drive trucks that cost the same as small countries. And there very well could be some farmers like that. But none that I know. The ones that I know are very hard workers, literally from sun up to sun down and every thing in between. Calves don't get to pick when they are born; sloughs don't get filled by magic rain that falls every other day; crops don't get seeded or harvested by the farm elves. It is a hard life. A life that both sides of my family has worked at since both sets of my great grandparents came across from Quebec.<br />
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But as I drove past fields and fields of combines, hay stacks, trucks being filled, and elevators I found a beauty, a new beauty that had escaped me in 57 years. I was determined at that point that I would search every single day to find something positive (besides my family) about how flat the prairies are. As I went from point a to point b, I would stop and take pictures of different things that caught my eye. So I would like to share my discovery adventure here and perhaps explain even to myself why this change.<br />
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If this land was covered in mountains I would not be able to see my hometown from the highway<br />
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If this land was covered by mountain range I would not know when I was this close to my hometown<br />
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Nor would I be able to see the church where my family has been baptized, married and been buried <br />
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These farm buildings have been sitting like this for YEARS!!! Now they usually make me think of eyesores but this trip what I saw was a foundation that is securely rooted in the ground. No matter how strong the winds are, and trust me you don't know blowing wind unless you live on the prairies, these buildings have remained standing. It reminded me of my great grandparents and how they came to this land with nothing, finding nothing but rocks and dirt, having to dig and claw their way into the land that lays there now. These buildings remind me of how strong my family's roots are, that like these buildings, they will remain deeply rooted<br />
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If this land was covered with mountains I would not have seen this small grove of trees in the middle of prairie land, trees that were determined to grow and push their way through rocks and dirt <br />
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I had been driving for a long time at this particular instant. I was tired and hurting. A three hour trip had turned into almost 5 by this point with all the frequent stops to ease my back. I was standing there on the side of the road by my car just walking back and forth trying to remain positive trying to find something great about this spot. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a small light. I thought it was a car coming around but then realized it couldn't have been as there are no curves on that stretch. I stood there and stood there for the longest time trying to figure out what the heck it was when all of a sudden my face turned into a huge grin as I recognized the light!!! I knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was the light that stands on the top of one of my cousin's barn. Whenever I have driven home for years and years I know that when I see that farm I am only 5 miles away from home. Whenever I see that light in the past the strain on my shoulders would always ease up almost as if to say it's ok life is good here. This farm has been in our family since my great grandfather came there from Quebec. My cousin is the 4th generation on that farm, he and his wife and three little boys<br />
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As I stood there with my backside on the top of the hood I watched the sunlight disappear. But no matter how I turned around I could still see that light, that beacon letting me know I was almost home. Home where I am always safe, always surrounded by family and with love<br />
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If this land was surrounded by mountains I would not have seen these rows of bales of grain.. this was certainly a year;s worth of work well done<br />
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If this land was covered in mountain ranges I would not have seen field and fields of combines working hard at bringing home the bread<br />
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As I came into my hometown the last day before I left I sat at this spot for awhile thinking of all the memories that have made me who I am, all the memories that came from this small farm town, living in small town farm life. I will always be a city girl in love with her mountains but this trip has made me appreciate the flat lands with a new appreciation for those that toil their lives here each and every day. It has been an emotional journey to say the least. Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-22654155176650476862013-04-27T17:05:00.003-07:002013-04-27T17:05:34.552-07:00Story Tellers of old and newI can hardly believe I have not posted in here since end of December!! Oh my goodness where have I been??? Will have to catch up later but for now I wanted to talk about the art of story telling in our families. No matter what happens in our family-our lineage continues to live on. We have hope. A story needs to be told by everyone. The only part of history that is for certainty is that small part we own for ourselves. We can't forget...we are like a wagon wheel - the hub, the spokes, the rim - you break one part of that and you break the entire wheel.<br />
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When you tell your stories of your life to your children, your grandchildren and so on, you tell the grandmothers and the grandfathers and all of your ancestors who walked before them and when others ask where you know these things from you can say from their spirits so I can tell you their story.<br />
<br />Remember the stories so when your time comes you can tell them It's important for people to know where they came from and what others have been through. Be proud of who you are. Your story belongs to you. Share it.Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-2145896266799215272012-12-23T19:08:00.001-08:002012-12-23T19:08:16.217-08:00Letter To JesusAs I wind down in my preparations for Christmas I thought I would take a moment to reflect on my year. It has been a rough one in many ways...new firsts that I do not want to ever go through again. But through all the rough stuff I knew that I was never alone. And because at this time we are celebrating the birth of Christ, I thought I would put my thoughts into a letter to Him. I certainly do not mean any disrespect in my letter or what I say. These are just my thoughts.<br />
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Christ, you look different now then in the way I normally see you or think of you as being. This is Sally...but you already knew that. I guess no one can really hear me in my prayers except you and that is ok by me. Thank you for everything you have done for me this year. As long as I can remember you have been by my side. I will never forget how you stood by me this year when we thought we had lost Keith three times.<br />
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I have always been able to count on you when I have felt so dark inside you were there with me every time - even when I didn't feel good about myself I knew that you cared enough for me that you made me feel better. Like that time I got so mad at the world when my brother was diagnosed with cancer. I hollered, I hollered really loud in my head but then I got to thinking you love my brother just as much as I do.<br />
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I know I have talked to you about this many times this year - about losing my father in law, about Keith being so sick, being in and out of the hospitals, my brother so ill with his cancer - I continued to talk to you honestly - the way it seemed at times that I couldn't talk to anyone else. All our middle of the nights ramblings when no one else was around to talk to, you were always there willing and able to listen. I always came to you with a problem even sometimes knowing the answer, I still asked the questions just in case you had a different answer for me.<br />
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I love you - you are my closest and finest friend and that means I can always hold my head up high wherever I go and whatever I will need to face in the coming year. I may not like the circumstances that I will be in but I know that if I keep my faith in You and continue to believe in You that I will truly never be alone.<br />
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I cannot even begin to imagine what my life would be like without You by my side and I am so thankful each and every day to have that fulness inside of me. I know it may sound weird but I am thankful for the trials I face because it means I am growing even if no one else sees it. My prayer this Christmas is not for all the gifts I can hold, or for trips, vacations, new grandchildren etc. It is that each member of my family immediate and extended, know that you are there for them as well, that no matter what anyone has done with their lives or what trials they may face, that they may know that you died for us that we might live. I pray that we all remember why we celebrate this holiday and that through it all - you are never more then a prayer or a thought away.<br />
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<br />Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-20544325647186310302012-10-16T13:03:00.001-07:002012-10-16T16:31:36.407-07:00Easy as Epicure!BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!!!!<br />
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I have re-entered the work field...but on my terms. I have been away from work for about 12 or so years because of my health but it has always been niggling at the back of my head that I could find a way to go back. I miss working. Well ok I miss money hehehe. I knew if I was patient I would be able to find a way to do both, work, make money yet take care of my health so I didn't over extend.<br />
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So I did find it or rather it found me. About 4 years ago on one of my many trips back home I was visiting with one of my cousins and noticed this beautiful spice shelf on her wall with these very unique spice jars that I had never seen before. I asked her about it and she was surprised I had never heard of the company as it is based out here. She opened up the spice jars so I could smell them.....oh man...you know when you first smell tomatoes you just picked from the garden? Or when you shell fresh peas and eat them before they even hit the pot, eat the first crop of corn on the cob with butter dripping down your chin and you think "oh yahhh this is what food IS supposed to taste like. These spice jars I was smelling had the same effect. The jar of basil smelled like my pot of basil on my window sill for example.<br />
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She talked to me about them about how there are no fillers, the products are all grown locally, no preservatives, no chemicals added, just the herb period. I came home, contacted the company and said I want to hold a show. I don't think they get too many calls like this hehehe. That same day a woman called me to say the company called her about me. We met, I booked a show in my home, held it, got all this product for free, got to taste all these new ideas (now where else do you actually get to taste the stuff that has just been demonstrated??) and started my love with my purchases. My consultant moved away after a bit then found the wife of one of my old school friends sold it so I stocked up again but then after a while she had to leave the company so I was out of luck again.<br />
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Then my cousin comes to my rescue once again as she had become a consultant by this time so every time I went back home I would stock up. This past May when I went back she talked to me about being a consultant and it grew from a planted seed in my brain (no pun intended) into a reality. As all of my friends and family know I work really hard at eating only healthy foods for the most part since I had lost all my weight and survived cancer. They also know I am a fanatic of sorts about the farm to table idea....buying foods locally as much as possible or at least within the 100 mile mark (except for bananas and avocadoes because you know there is always ONE exception to every rule hehehe) so for me this was a no brainer. What is the point of using fresh foods and then ruining it by using seasonings that are mostly filler and really have no taste?<br />
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I have 2 gardens that I stock with vegetables that I grow all year even in the dead of winter (one of the advantages of living on the west coast) and I love to be able to season these vegetables and the food that makes up the rest of the meal. I cannot even begin to describe the difference in taste when you use fresh products and seasonings.<br />
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But it took me several months after I had told my cousin I wanted to sign up till I actually signed up. I wanted this to be different.. I wanted to revolutionize the concept of "home shows". First of all I don't want to do these unless it is going to be very beneficial for me and for the people that would become my customers. I always feel that when a friend/family get that call of "Hey I booked a show with.... and would love for you to come. Don't worry about buying anything just come for a night of visiting". Yes I can see you nodding your head on that one! So you go over because you really do need something from them and then at the end of the evening when you hear the sales person say " Ok I am just going to go over to the table so anyone that is ready to order you can come on by." You just know you are going to get hit with" so when can I mark you down for your show?" ughhh I hated that part. I just hate doing shows in my home... I just hate having to call people and start the whole process all over again. And I know I am not alone in this.<br />
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Thus putting me in my dilemma. Until I came across a unique way of bypassing all that!! I am going to NOT do home shows, I will be doing my business almost completely online and once every quarter or so I will be doing my OWN home show to showcase the new products coming up for that next season. In my own life I like cooking by the seasons. We all know that you eat a lot of basic salads in the summer accompanied with whatever meat you happen to be barbecuing.. But what do you do with produce the rest of the year that are in season. Cabbage adds to coleslaw or cabbage rolls..but what else can you do with the cabbage...how do you benefit with fresh green beans or asparagus in the spring? I could go on for pages on this topic. Well now I can show you how.<br />
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We are linked to food much like our DNA. When we come together with family and friends we share not only conversation over the table but an enjoyment of the food that is before us. How many of our fond memories are tied to occasions where food was involved and are of helping put a meal together? To me what has made eating together even more special is the journey from idea to reality. It isn't about opening the fridge door and wondering for the bazillionth time what you are going to make for supper although I do have those days as well...but it is also the process of getting delicious creations to the table. I get very excited about planning a meal for guests that I know they will love and spending the time in my kitchen creating and cooking.<br />
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I try and capture that magic by using what is available that season. It is about cooking with fresh ingredients. It is the way our parents and grandparents before us cooked before modern conveniences made supper come from cartons and cans To cook with the seasons makes menu building simple since food that grows together goes together. When you buy food that is grown locally means buying food at its best meant to be eating right away without the need to add preservatives to keep it "fresh" while trucks drive thousands of miles at times to get it to you.<br />
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Where ever you live there are opportunities to source out local and seasonal ingredients. It isn't just about farmers markets. I hope to teach you how to use this knowledge of farm to table along with using the right seasonings to make. This is my "new" concept of home shows. It will take something I love to do, cooking, with something I am good at, talking, and combining them with a FANTASTIC product, Epicure Seasonings and together we will make it happen for each and everyone of you.<br />
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You can check out my website at http://sallyhaysom.myepicure.com/. Now this is a new venture for me so you will have to forgive me as I work with the website to make it better and easier for you to maneuver through it. If you have any questions please just ask away. I will be starting a new blog about my new venture so you can ask me questions about me, get recipe ideas, suggestions etc. I will be placing an order at the beginning of each month and will give everyone a heads up of when it is so if there is anything you are wanting to get you can let me know.<br />
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I also will let everyone know when I do my first big WELCOME TO MY WORLD show that you will all be invited to. And again you have no worry about being cornered at the sales table to be asked when you would like to book your show :)<br />
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If you live out of town you will still have the opportunity to "attend" each of these shows that I host and I will give you more information about that at a later date. Unfortunately though the people in actual attendance will have to eat your share of the food!!! Sorry :)<br />
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Enjoy yourselves and thank you very much for being a part of this new chapter in my life.<br />
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SallyEasy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-67898847317911067182012-08-30T11:35:00.002-07:002012-08-30T11:35:25.128-07:00Canning TomatoesI have been canning fruits and vegetables as long as I can remember.
Even before I left home I worked at it side by side with my mom. People
always tell me it is too hard and too time consuming. I don't think it
is hard at all. And the joy you get when you open up a jar of garden
tomatoes that you canned over the summer... well your palate and your
family will love you!. I have given a step by step direction that anyone
can follow :) Ready? Let's go can some tomatoes!<br />
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<b>First you get your tomatoes and make sure they are free from blemishes. And even if you got them from a herbal market still wash them in cold water.</b><br />
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Next get your station ready so everything is in it's place. Once you get started is not the time to go running around looking for your tomato knife!! You will need a large canner or pot to boil water in. No we are not delivering any babies! You will then need another large pot or bowl and fill it with ice water. Last you will need a bowl or container for your skins that you will peel off. Have your jars open, clean and ready to fill<br />
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Make sure you pick tomatoes that are still a bit orangey red. If too red they are too ripe and will turn into mush in the jars. Keep the soft over ripe ones for the tomato sauce. <br />
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Get your first pot boiling<br />
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Add only a few tomatoes at a time otherwise the tomatoes will start the cooking process! Leave them in the boiling water for a count of 60...<br />
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Then immediately plunge them in the ice water to prevent them from continuing to cook. The skins will come off very easily. If they do not it is because they did not stay in the boiling water long enough. <br />
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Start people those babies!!<br />
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Who says you can't have fun canning? it is easier then peeling an orange!Make sure you take the stem part out of the tomatoes<br />
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This is a canning funnel!. No you cannot just use your husband's funnel that he uses in the shop. You can get this particular set at Zellers, Walmart and most department stores. It is made for canning jars and fits all of them<br />
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1/2 tsp salt in each jar then boiling water up to 1/2" from the top Wipe the lid off then place the ring and sealer on each jar and almost on the home stretch now!<br />
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Here is the 2nd of the 3 doodads that I was telling you that come in the set. The top one is a air releaser. You place it in the side of the jar to release bubbles :)<br />
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Last of the 3 items.. this is a jar lifter out of the canner. And kudos to you if you can lift the jars out without using it and without burning your fingers on the boiling water!!!<br />
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Get the canner going as soon as you can enjoy dinner! You want to can in the water boil method which is to make sure they jars are covered with boiling water.<br />
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Place jars on lifter. All canners come equipped with one. You do not want to put the jars directly on the bottom of the pot as they will break. It also helps when you want to get the jars out. <br />
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10 little jars sitting in a row, all canned stewed tomatoes!Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944314.post-60543712490814268982012-08-28T10:06:00.000-07:002012-08-28T10:06:14.861-07:00Canning and GardeningLately I have getting a lot of "flack" (although most were done with love).. there were some that came my way that when I post my accomplishments online it is to toot my own horn and to make others feel bad that I do more then they do and that I am making them feel quilt. Well first of all no one can make anyone else feel anything else. We are all in control of our own emotions and can change them at our will. No one can make you FEEL guilty. You and you alone are in control of how you feel.<br />
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Having said that, I just want to go onto my defense. There are three things that I love to do in my role as a homemaker. These things calm me, they zen me, when I do these things I go to a calm place in my mind... when I am stressed I will go to one or more of these three things to calm down.<br />
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These three things are ironing clothes, sewing clothes, canning and gardening. I love going into my closet and seeing our clothes all nicely ironed and hanging neatly, seeing things I have made; I love going into our pantry and seeing jars and jars of preserved foods. Our church leaders have always encouraged us to have a year's food storage in place for times of needs. I have been doing this since I can remember. and believe me when I tell you...in over 30 years of being together we have had those time of need several times!<br />
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Most people do things that love when they want to relax....read a book...have a bubblebath, watch tv, sit in their hot tub, play games, etc etc..for me when I want to relax I iron, or I garden or I deal with the stuff from my garden and if it is in mid season, I work on planning my garden as I companion plant so I know which vegetables grow best with what vegetable.<br />
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When I can or preserve my food it gives me a sense of peace, a sense that I am helping provide for my family even if it is just Keith and I here. It gives me a great sense of pride when I see our pantry shelves filled with food I grew. Is it a lot of work right now? Yup of course it is. That is because food grown all tend to be ready to be picked at the same time. Because of all the rain we had this spring the fruit is really late in being harvested so fruit I normally would have canned in July I am having to do now with the vegetables. But I don't care. When it is January and everyone is having to pay an arm and a leg to eat peaches I can open a jar and just sail away in the aroma of fresh Okanagan peaches.<br />
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I have been canning so long that I can do it in my sleep. I can do it with one hand tied behind my back. When I work on it I don't think of how tired I am, I don't think of how sore my back or my hips are, I don't think of Keith and his claim with the government or the fact that he has been off of work for over 2 years. I can vegetate (no pun intended) on what I am doing. I can't be worrying about what is going on in our lives because I have to concentrate on that I am doing...each canner has to be timed, jars have to come out at the exact moment or the food gets processed too long....if I am multitasking such as doing cucumbers in the sink and have peaches on the stove, and beets in the pressure canner I have to be able to concentrate on what I am doing so nothing gets wasted.<br />
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So you see....doing this really does relax me, it has a calming effect on me. If after reading my explanations here and still feel I am posting my accomplishments to show you how much more I do with my day then you do and you still feel guilty please feel free to take me off your friends list so I no longer have the power to annoy you. Easy as Epicurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493102174224882451noreply@blogger.com0