Good Food Box April 2011

Yes - that time again. This month (all for the incredible low price of $10) I received the following:

• 10 lb bag white potatoes


• 1 head romaine lettuce


• 1 bag red seedless grapes


• 2 lbs onions


• 2 lbs carrots


• 1 small zucchini


• 2 sweet potatoes


• 3 bananas


• 1 green pepper


• 1 head garlic


• 2 beets* we were actually able to grab a few extra if we wanted so I did

It does change the way we prepare meals. Instead of choosing recipes and going shopping for the ingredients I'm finding that I have to go shopping for the recipes instead. Trying out new recipes is one of my Gotta Do items though...

Memory Monday - candy candy candy

Again prompted by Katie the Scrapbook Lady, I am reminded to think of the candy from my childhood. While my parents weren't strictly against sugar, I don't recall them being too too generous or open to it either. If I recall correctly, my dad actually had a fairly long stint of limited sugar after a bout with cancer. For holidays and special celebrations we got the typical sweets that prevailed at the time. At Easter we got the large chocolate bunny and jelly beans. At Christmas our stockings were filled with a mixture of chocolates, hard candies and fruit as well.

Random candy that I recall:

• black bart gum



• thrills gum (tasted like soap but we ate it anyway)



• popeye cigarettes (we still have them but it isn't politically correct to call them that)



• bottlecaps (especcially the root beer ones)



• gobstoppers (they seem so much smaller now!)



• astropops!



• popsicles - especially banana ones!

Random candy memories:

• getting black licorice balls from the store in Cookstown



• [gasp] I stole a package of lifesavers from the local IGA and my mom made me take them back (embarrassing but I learned my lesson!)



• mojos from the store on the way to the cottage - espeically banana ones (and now we can get them at the Superstore!



• getting our penny candy and going to the store up the street to spend it



• finding "cats tongues's" at a store in Guelph and buying them out

And what candy do I like now?

• sour soothers (as long as they are the right kind, preferably stale)



• wine gums (the right kind and preferably stale)



• Hot Tamales



• Mike and Ikes



• Sweedish Berries



• Cadbury Easter Creme eggs



• chocolate covered almonds



• caramels - chewy or hard



• hard candy - the kind that comes at Christmas



• Runts - or similar theme-type



• Jelly bellies



• solid chocolate - mini easter eggs,



• chocolate bars - Dairy Milk, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey milk chocolate with almonds, skor bar, kit kat - it all depends on the mood

And candy I don't like?

• candies with malt inside



• candies with cherries inside



• most of the chocolates in boxes of assorted chocolate



• Turkish Delight or similar, Coffee Crisp, Mars Bars,

It appears that the list of likes is much longer than the list of those I don't like. That could be part of an even bigger problem if you know what I mean...

Grateful for eight on the eighth...

I was inspired by a layout by Ali Edwards from her book Life Artist...

1. Today I am grateful...that my husband was able to hold down the fort and I could go out for a run first thing before everyone got up... 2. Today I am grateful... that my buddy slept until 12:52 which allowed me to tidy up, catch up on emails, look into True Scrap, do most of Cierra's monthly receipts, tidy up the office (majorly), and more... 3. Today I am grateful... that I can have a peanut butter and banana sandwich (and that I am not allergic like one of the kids in my care)...

4. Today I am grateful... that we got the sand toys out and could enjoy the sunshine and the sand and friends at the park...

5. Today I am grateful... that spring has sprung and the sun is shining...

6. Today I am grateful...that Cierra was able to go to a birthday party for a classmate and she was so excited about it all week. She had a total blast and it was neat to see her in her element...

7. Today I am grateful...that Marlee had a playdate over. They tested out new bikes together, got giddy on lollipops and giggled and giggled and talked about snoogers and their siblings and being BFF's...

8. Today I am grateful...that our kids love each other and enjoy playing with each other...

We are so blessed.

PS This was more difficult then I thought - there is so much more to be grateful for!

March 2011 Recap

It’s that time again. Time to recap. So why do I do this? First of all my memory is terrible and often find myself wondering when such and such happened. Second of all I love lists and information. Third of all I believe I am a type A personality. Enough said.

Here's a look at March 2011:

Books, Magazines, Blogs read:

• I survived the sinking of the Titanic; 1912 (book)(kids book - trying to get Matt to read it but I love anything about the Titanic anyway);


• Blessing in Disguise (book) (Great easy read introduced by Kelly on the ski trip - sort of a Little House on the Prairie Christian-style);


• No Impact Man (book) (excellent book - lots of info on being environmentally aware - remember - you may not be able to do everything but you can at least try)

• Creating Keepsakes; Scrapbooks Etc.; Us

• Top 10 blogs as well as a few new ones through links

TV, Movies, Live Entertainment: Parenthood (internet); Being Erica (Netflix); Marmaduke (Netflix); Executive Decision (tv); Running Shoes 16th (live); Steven Curtis Chapman 26th (live at the Church on the Queensway)

Special Events: Matt’s hockey wrap up dinner and party (5th)

Skiing at Owl’s Head with H’s (10th – 14th), Vermont (ECHO center), New York, Kingston (water park);

SC Museum with the kids (15th)

Running Shoes in Minesing (16th)

Mitchell’s 1st Birthday (25th) and party (27th)

Steven Curtis Chapman (26th) Loss of PB (29th) and visitation (31st)

Travel: Owl’s Head, Vermont, New York

Financial/ changes to the house etc.: Drew purchased an expedit shelf from IKEA for his closet. It is still in the garage.

Health/ Exercise:

Drew: running and basketball, skiing

Alison: running, elliptical; skiing, wart gone! *

Cierra: Dr appt *

Matt: power skating, skiing, hockey, baseball, ball hockey

Marlee: skiing, karate

Mitchell: n/a

Accomplishments/ Disappointments (Goals): 1 scrapbook page (Go Green!); Finished Y&T class (not the layouts but the class ended); see Gotta Do’s and Wanna Do’s

All Around Us/ Other (News, Trends Etc): Tsunami in Japan (11th); Church vote *