May 1st Race Day

Hey all,

I can’t believe that tomorrow is already May 1st and Race Day.  It’s also 4 days before my birthday.  This time last year I celebrated the end of my 20’s with a leap…I literally jumped off of a 150’ bridge and plunged into my 30’s.  It was such a thrill to bungee jump. 

Bungee Jumping from a 150 foot bridge.

As for this year, I’m getting ready to compete in an adventure relay race. 

So this week I’ve been busily trying to get ready for my race this Sunday.  I’m definitely getting excited because I’ve never competed in an actual ‘race’, but the butterflies are beginning to multiply and are fluttering around in my tummy now.  I also found out that they changed my route, which kind of sucks. 

For the past months I’ve been training on trails as my leg involves trail running, but since the mountain still has too much snow, I am now going to be running about 8km on the road, downhill.  I’m just going to take it as it comes and go with the flow.  I will be taking some Ibuprofen before hand to control possible knee inflammation. 

As for the weather, it looks as if it will be sunny and warm.  I was actually hoping for an overcast and cool day because I get hot when I run, but I packed up my hat, water belt, sunscreen and sunglasses.  I think I’m ready. 

My team and I are spending the night on the mountain at my friend/teammates family’s cabin so that we don’t have to get up extra early and drive the distance.   

That’s all folks…wish me luck and will let you know my results soon.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Bea

xoxo

Long Weekend Bliss

Hopety Hop Hop…it’s Easter Weekend time.  I’m sure happy it’s a long weekend..and the weather man is calling for a bright weekend of sunshine and warmth…finally

It seems that everyone is packing up their cars and trailers and are heading camping..this seems to be tradition around here.  I, on the other hand, have plans to use my weekend to my fullest advantage. 

Not only will I attend my bootcamp classes Friday and Monday, but I’m planning on getting in some more training sessions for my Relay Race taking place May 1st.  In case you didn’t read my post about this race, here is the video to give you an idea.  I am competing in cross country running leg. 

Taking place May 1st, 2011

I’m also going to do some spring cleaning.  I have a deck that is in need of a serious clean and de-cluttering. My BBQ also needs some attention…it’s a bit rusty.  I’ve been hearing the HUMMINGBIRDS a lot too, so I’m going to go out and buy another feeder, since mine keeps leaking. I haven’t been having a lot of luck in past years with these little birds coming to feed, although I am surrounded by trees and bush.  But I will try again and see what happens. 

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I also cooked up a batch of BROWNIES.  I usually make mine from scratch, but I LOVE this brand and they were on sale.  I just have to make sure that I ration them so that all my hard work at Bootcamp isn’t undone.  I forgot to take a picture of them when they came out of the oven..but they were very gooey and chewy.

Since it was such a beautiful evening, I decided to fire up the BBQ again.  On the menu tonight……

Grilled veggies drizzled with Truffle infused Olive Oil and Tuscan Sea salt.

Bison T-Bone Steaks with a Jerk Rub

My plate of yummy goodness.

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What are you planning on doing this long weekend? 

No excuses

So I really have no excuses for not posting more frequently.  So much going on, I lose track of time and then it’s off to bed.  I will try to get better, so please bare with me.  So for this post, I’ll try to not bore you too much… how about a quick recap of what’s new and the food I’ve eaten.

Food pics first…..

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Chicken tomato bake

First I cooked some boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  Then in a casserole dish, layer together:  chicken thighs, onions, spinach, garlic.  Then I added a jar of tomato sauce.  Top off with some grated cheese and stick in a 350F oven for about 35 minutes.  Serve with whole-grain pasta or rice.

Turkey 6 bean spaghetti

Another quick and easy weekday meal.  In a large pot, sauté onions, garlic and carrots.  Then golden in color, add ground turkey.  Cook until no longer pink.  Add a can of beans of your choice (I used a 6 bean mix), a can of diced tomatoes and a jar of tomato sauce (about 475mL).  Cook for about 20 minutes or until sauce has thickened a bit. 

Asian-inspired Stirfry

Slice thinly some pork tenderloin.  In a wok, sauté the pork with 2 Tbsp  green curry and some grated ginger.  Then add stir-fry veggies of your choice.  I used baby bok choy, broccoli, red peppers and mushrooms.  After about 5 minutes, add some fish sauce, 1 Tbsp peanut butter, worstershire sauce and reduced sodium chicken broth.  Allow to simmer for a few minutes.  Then add your pre-soaked rice noodles and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, or until the noodles are al dente.  Sprinkle with some peanuts before serving.

BBQ Salmon with Mushroom Risotto and garlic veggies

I used my BBQ for the first time this spring to whip up this awesome goodness.  For the salmon, I made a rub of brown sugar, dill, cumin, salt and pepper.  I mixed the rub a bit with some olive oil and then basted the salmon fillet.  It took about 15 minutes on the BBQ, skin side down over low heat.  (The skin was burnt, but the salmon juicy and nice and firm). 

For the Risotto…it actually contains mushrooms, but they were underneath, so you can’t see them.  I added saffron to my risotto to make it nice and yellow. 

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And some other stuff…..

1. I had a follow up appointment with my doctor a little while back and found out I am pretty anaemic, even after taking an iron supplement every day. I eat a lot of iron-rich foods too, so this is a mystery to me and my doctor.  I’m tired of always feeling easily exhausted.  So I was given several referrals, one of which was for a surgeon.  I had an appointment last week and he’s scheduled me for a colonoscopy and gastroscopy.  Not fun, but I do want to get to the bottom of this anaemia.
2. I’ve been training for my 8km adventure relay race. It’s less than 2 weeks away now…May 1st is the big day…eek   I just got the trail route today and am hoping to be able to run/walk it next week to familiarize myself with the route before the event.
3. I won a free week of bootcamp and loved it, so I joined for month.  This is now the second week and I can already feel it.  After the first week, I could barely sit down on the toilet or walk the stairs as my legs were shot.  It hurt to sneeze too… we worked out abs.  Classes are Mon/Wed/Fri.
4. I went to a concert Friday night…. Fefe Dobson came to town and put on an awesome concert. 

Hope everyone is having a great start to their spring.  I’m really looking forward to seeing more sunshine and warmer weather soon. 

With love

Beaglebea

xoxo

Weekend funnies

First of all…what do you think about my new header picture?  I took this one last summer…it’s Myra Falls.  Quite magnificent in real life.  Here is another picture of the wonderful beauty right in my backyard.

Lower Myra Falls is one of the few waterfalls in the Northwest that drops straight into a lake and can easily be reached. This is probably one of the most popular waterfalls in Strathcona Provincial Park. The formation of Lower Myra Falls, also known just as Myra Falls, is interesting as well. All along the west side of Buttle Lake is a fault, which has repeatedly dropped during several earthquakes of the past, causing a sudden change in the elevation of the bedrock. So, with a series of 6-8 drops, Myra Creek plunges down the resulting wall, straight into aqua-blue Buttle Lake. The trail to the falls leads to the large pool in between the two major parts of the falls. Above the pool, you'll have the view pictured here, but to see the remaining 100 feet of the falls, you'll have to scramble down narrow paths to the lakeshore, then, if the water level isn't too high, walk around to a gravel bar jutting out in front of the falls, allowing a look back up the small gorge. Don't forget to bring your bathing suit, the pool at the trail's end is a great dipping hole (just stay well out of the main current).

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Instead of a food post this weekend, how about a cute post for all of you animal lovers?  The kids and I were browsing around YouTube this morning while cuddling on the couch and we found this cute video.  I think my favourite part is the dog in the bubble bath..we laughed so hard. 

AFV Funniest animals

And a bonus clip for you…one of my dog Buster and Bonnie the puppy playing together during my visit to Vancouver a few weeks ago.

Buster and Bonnie

Enjoy and have a great weekend.

Bea

xoxo

My bad

I’m still here.  It’s been a crazy week and I haven’t had ANY time to update my blog.  Every night I kept thinking that I should be adding more entries, but by the time my day came to an end, it was 9:30pm and I was not in the mood.  And as far as food goes, I didn’t do any interesting cooking either.  But I promise that it will get better as of next week. 

The last time I posted I mentioned a hockey tournament.  That was last weekend..and it started last Friday.  I rushed out of work that afternoon, had a doctor’s appointment and then was off to the rink for a 4:30pm game.  We lost that one , but it was really close (2-1).  I ended up staying at the rink because I was scheduled to work from 7:30 to 9:30pm selling bar tickets and raffle table tickets.  Would you believe me if I told you we cashed out with just over $3000.00 in drink tickets alone?  Crazy, I know. 

I was back at the rink Saturday morning for an 8am game.  This one was a 2-2 game.  Unfortunately the other team scored the tying goal with only a few seconds of the game…ah..so close, but not enough.  But it was an awesome game..great scoring chances from all of us on our team.  We had our third game of the tournament Saturday at 4pm, so I was only at home for a short period before having to go back to play.  After dinner I went back one last time to sell more bar tickets and raffle tickets.  Unfortunately, we lost our 3rd game and didn’t make it to the playoffs. 

On an unfortunate note, one of our players from another team went down and slid into the board’s feet first.  She ended up breaking her leg and needed surgery to repair her femur.  She is going to be in a cast for the next 2 months while she heals up.  There has been a lot of support from our league, from donating money to making meals.  I jumped right in and volunteered to help with some meals.  The first batch was delivered yesterday, so I cooked up some of this:

Once the weekend came to an end, I was exhausted and sore.  I’m going to miss the games and the wonderful ladies.  But I’m sure that September will be here quicker than we think, so I will enjoy the spring and summer months to their fullest. 

This week I also started riding my bike to work.  It’s been a cold commute every morning (below freezing). Not complaining though…it could be raining.  On top of biking, I started up the running club at my school again this week and am happy to report that about 16 kids (grades 4 to 6) have been coming out to run during their recess time.   Way to go kids… I’m so proud of them.  I will keep you posted on their progress.

Well, time for me to log off and say good night.  Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and see you all early next week.

With love,

Bea

Snippety Snap

Today was a great day because the sun was shining when I woke up this morning.  It’s about time that we see nice warm Spring weather. The nice weather also meant that I can start riding my bike to work. 

I took my bike to the shop Tuesday afternoon and picked it up again Wednesday.  The mystery of my rear tire was solved…. a staple.  I must have picked that one up when I rode last.  At least everything is functional again and I rode to work this morning.  It was nice breathing in the crisp ocean air on my morning commute. 

For dinner was some yummy seafood tonight.  I picked up some Red Snapper fillets on my Costco trip last weekend and decided to cook up a couple and freeze the rest. 

Pesto crusted Red Snapper

This Red Snapper was so tasty and juicy.  I decided to dip each fillet in some egg mixed with pesto and then rolled it in some Gluten-Free crumbs and pan fried it in a little bit of olive oil. 

I served it with some pesto pasta as well.  I finally got down to trying these new pasta spirals.  I really enjoyed them..they were actually nice and soft. 

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This weekend is going to be crazy busy.  My hockey league is hosting our annual hockey tournament.  Everyone plays 3 games and if we make it to the finals, we’ll have one more game to play Sunday afternoon. I’ll be heading straight to the rink after work Friday afternoon and I will definitely not have the time to blog this weekend as I’ll be spending my weekend at the rink, playing and working at the tournament. 

Wish us luck…I’m going to miss the hockey season when it’s done.  But I have new adventures coming up over the next couple of months, so all is good. 

Hope everyone has a great Friday and weekend.  Take advantage of the sunshine if it makes an appearance where you live. 

Cheers,

Bea

xoxo

Wii Zumba and more

I did it!  I finally got my hands on it……..

I’ve taken a few classes and absolutely love it.  Who wouldn’t want to dance and exercise at the same time.  When I was in twenties and still living at home (this was while I was still going to University) my favourite night club was a Latin club called “Mesa Luna”.  They’ve shut down in the meantime, but nevertheless, I will always love all Latin dancing. I even joined UBC’s Latin Dance club…fun times. 

I tried it out as soon as I got home and I think I’m going to be sore in the morning.  I shook my bootie Latin-style.

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On to other things….

It was back to work today after a week-long break from my class of 20 rug rats.  But I was happy to be back to my classroom and see the kids and listen to all of their spring break stories.  Some went to Florida, Arizona, Disneyland…others just stayed local.  It was an exciting day at school, but definitely tough to get up at 6:30am after a week of sleeping in. 

I also took my mountain bike in to the local shop this afternoon to have it tuned up and to see if they can figure out why my rear tire keeps going flat on me.  Will pick it up tomorrow afternoon and then looking forward to riding my bike to work again.  After all, it’s only a 10 minute ride, so I have no complaints.  And now that I have a great new backpack with a laptop compartment, I really don’t have any more excuses.   

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Hope everyone had a great day.  Will be back tomorrow with something new (and exciting, I hope). 

Bea

xoxo

Spring Break Part 3

After all of the fun and games I’ve had this week, it’s time to pack up and go home again.  Tomorrow morning I will pack up the car, grab the dog and cat, and drive back to the island.  After all, it’s back to work Tuesday morning.  I had a great time visiting with family and friends this week and it’s also been an exhausting few days at the pool recertifying for my various courses.  I had my last course this afternoon and am very happy to report that I passed them all and am once again a certified Lifeguard and Lifesaving Instructor.  Now I just need to get hired on at our local outdoor pool for the summer and/or in the Fall for the Indoor Pool.  I am scheduled to take my last course back home mid-April, which will then recertify me to instruct the Red Cross Aquatics program.

Other than spending many hours at the pool over the last few days, I also went out for dinner a couple of times.

Wednesday evening, my friend Rebecca and I got together and went out for Indian food.  There is an awesome restaurant on the beach… a little mom and pop restaurant with maybe 8 tables, but the food is all homemade and oh so good.  We order a couple of dishes and shared it between the two of us…Butter Chicken and Paneer Goa.  The butter chicken was mild and the paneer we ordered with a little bit of heat.  Or course some Garlic Naan to go with it all.

Friday night, my grandparents took me out for an early birthday dinner.  My birthday is in May, but I won’t make it home to visit before at least July, so they wanted to take me out while I was still in town.  We went to an amazing restaurant called “Seahorse Grill” in a small community close-by called Crescent Beach.  The food is always spectacular here…perfect portion sizes, all made from scratch, a lot of variety, and fancy but simple.  This is on their website:

Seahorse Grill is not concept dining and it's not a concept menu. It's a blend of international flavours, 23 years experience and enthusiasm, prepared and served in a casual "feels like home" atmosphere.

Scrumptious pate .. Crispy, house-made taro chips .. Garlic pesto goat cheese crostini's drizzled with infused oils. Sunday night prime rib is a standout event, with seafood, salads, pasta and pizzas rounding out this eclectic menu. Near the beach, this bistro style restaurant offers intimate, outdoor dining during the warmer months and a fireplace indoors when the temperatures outside are cooler.

The appetizer I chose Friday night was of course the Garlic Pesto Goat Cheese crostini’s …. ( I took a bite until I realised I hadn’t taken a picture yet)and for dinner I selected the evening special….. a pan-seared Duck Breast with a Lentil Ragout.  To finish off my meal, I chose a Profiterole and a coffee with a splash of Kahluah. 

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That’s about it for tonight.  Going to pack up in the morning, head to the ferry and begin my travels back home.  Also planning on stopping off at Costco on the way home…what should I buy?  The possibilities are endless…..what are your favourites at Costco?  Would love some ideas or recommendations….

Have a great night y’all and a great start to your week. 

Bea

xoxo

What I bought Wednesday

In my last post I showed you a picture of what I bought while on my food adventures in Vancouver…so here is more of that…..

This cocoa powder is DA BOMB…it’s something I grew up on… has a perfect sweetness and dissolves amazingly well in cold milk…not like that Nesquick cocoa powder stuff that is all grainy in cold milk. 

I decided to try out a couple of new Truffle infused olive oils… one with Black Truffles and one with White Truffles…so excited to start using them.

These goat cheeses come from a beautiful island here on the West Coast called Salt Spring Island.  I can get these cheeses back home too, but they are quite a bit cheeper over here.  Can you notice a common theme of mine today?  More truffle infused foods..but how could I resist?  The one with the purple flower is just a regular goat’s cheese.

Some fresh mozzarella…hmm.

Vega Chocolate Smoothie mix..can’t wait to try it.  Anybody else enjoy Brendan Brazier’s products?  I love that they are plant based and focus on whole foods.

I thought this product was Gluten-Free, but when I got home I noticed it wasn’t. Oh well… still looks interesting and can’t wait to try this too.

Another truffle product…I bought a couple of these last year when I was visiting and it was AMAZING.

Pecorino and Truffle Sauce….more droooollllssss

Bosa Foods carries a wonderful selection of fresh pastas… I usually buy a couple of flavours when I go there and then freeze them in ziplock bags for when I go home. 

These cute orange Sacchetti’s are filled with a Smoked Gouda…one of my all-time favorites… I love how they look like little bags of money.

Don’t these remind you of pillows?  Striped Porcini Ravioli.

I only ever usually buy sausages when I visit Bosa… these are fresh Honey Garlic Sausages… my mom vacuum sealed them for me when we got home in bags of 2. 

I was so stoked to find this at Whole Foods…. I can’t find it anywhere else.  Any Canadian bloggers know of where we can get this north of the border? 

And Bosa also sells really cool plates and bowls and mugs… I really liked these bowls, so I bought two It’s been a really long time since I’ve bought any thing to do with dishes for the house.

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What do you look forward to buying when you go to Whole Foods Market? 

Anybody know where to buy So Delicious Milk in Canada? 

With Love

Bea

xoxo

Spring Break Part 2

What do you get when you combine some sunshine, blue skies, an adorable puppy, family and time?  A great day in Vancouver to shop at my favourite stores…and any foodie blogger’s dream destinations. 

So for this post, I’ll let the pictures do the talking.  Enjoy

Bonnie excited to go on a trip.

Golden Ear’s Bridge – the newest bridge in Vancouver.

The beautiful north shore mountains.

The sails at Canada Place….Vancouver’s Cruise ship terminal.

2010 Olympic Games Cauldron….I never did see it all lit up, but still pretty sweet to see.

Food Stop #1 – North Vancouver location… droooooollllllll

BOSA FOODS – for any Italian food lover…more drooooolllll

One tired puppy on the ride home.

My food buys… see next post for more details.

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Hope you enjoyed my adventures…it was a little tough taking pictures from the backseat of the car, but I did what I could.

With love,

Bea

xoxo