Orange Chicken

Chicken drumsticks, thighs or leg quarters salt pepper
Minute Maid Orange Juice Concentrate
Mexican seasoning blend
Rice

Chicken drumsticks, thighs or leg quarters ina baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350°F for30 to 40 minutes or until cooked through, brushing with undilutedMinute Maid Orange Juice Concentrate occasionally. Sprinklewith a prepared Mexican seasoning blend and cook for 5 minutesmore. Serve over hot cooked can Rice.

Makes 4 dinner servings.

Eskimo Legend

Perhaps they are not the stars,

but rather openings in heaven

where the love of our lost ones pours through

and shines down upon us

to let us know they are happy.

~Inspired by an Eskimo Legend

Time with Friends

We started out as co-workers so to speak. I was her contact for HR stuff and she was my contact for the Fire Centre and the Fire Base in LaRonge. It didn't take long and Michelle and I developed a friendship with each other. Now when we get the chance to spend a bit of time together we do so. Today Michelle was coming through PA on her way to Saskatoon for the Keith Urban concert this evening. We had a wonderful visit over lunch today, a bit about work but mostly just 2 friends having a nice visit together.

Fresh Spring Rolls & Dipping Sauce

2 cups water
8 large shrimp (prawns), peeled and deveined
1 ounce cellophane noodles
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup peeled, seeded and julienne cucumber
1/2 cup thinly sliced Napa cabbage
1/2 cup bean sprouts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or fresh coriander
4 rice-paper rounds, 8 inches in diameter
4 large fresh basil leaves, halved lengthwise

Dipping Sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 green (spring) onion, including tender green top, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted natural peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pinch of brown sugar

In a saucepan, bring the 2 cups water to a boil. Add the shrimp and immediately remove the saucepan from the heat. Cover and poach until pink and opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 3 minutes. Drain and cut each shrimp in half lengthwise. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a heatproof bowl, combine the noodles and boiling water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain and return the noodles to the bowl. Add the carrot, cucumber, cabbage, bean spouts and cilantro. Toss gently to mix.

Place a double thickness of paper towels on a work surface. Fill a large, shallow baking dish with water. Place 1 rice-paper round in the water and soak until pliable, about 30 seconds. Carefully transfer the wrapper to the paper towels and turn once to blot dry. Arrange 1/2 cup of the noodle mixture on the bottom half of the wrapper.

Fold the bottom edge toward the center and roll up the wrapper halfway, making sure to wrap tightly around the filling. Tuck 2 basil leaf halves along the inside crease of the half-rolled wrapper. Arrange 4 pieces of the shrimp, cut sides up, along the crease. Fold the right and left edges of the wrapper over the filling and finish rolling up. Repeat with the remaining wrappers, filling, basil and shrimp. Transfer the rolls to a plate and cover with dampened paper towels.
To make the sauce, combine the hoisin sauce, green onion, lime juice, fish sauce, peanut butter, red pepper flakes and brown sugar in a small bowl. Stir until well blended.

To serve, cut the rolls in half on the diagonal and place on small individual plates.
Pool the sauce alongside each roll.

Serves 2

Nutritional Analysis(per serving)
Serving size: 2 spring rolls
Calories 198
Monounsaturated fat 2 g
Protein 10 g
Cholesterol 44 mg
Carbohydrate 34 g
Sodium 512 mg
Total fat 4 g
Fiber 4 g
Saturated fat 0 g

Feeling Better

I have been going to physio since August 5th for bursitis in my left hip. After yesterday's treatment I think I might be done. Definitely felt better after the treatment than when I went in. No pain in my hip which is something that I haven't had since October 2008. What a wonderful feeling. I have an appointment booked for tomorrow which I am going to change to next week. I feel that will give me enough time to determine if I need any more physio treatments.

So far things are going good at the gym. I am booked in with the trainer for next week for 4 days to get set up on a program using weights, the treadmill, the elliptical etc. I did strain a muscle in my right leg from my hip down past my knee, so I have been taking it easy on the leg exercises giving the muscle time to heal and so far so good.

I did brave the scale the other day so now I have a starting weight to work with. I haven't done my measurements yet, maybe this weekend sometime.

A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world.

It knows no law, no pity,

it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.

~Agatha Christie

I Did It!!!!

I did it....I joined the gym today! I took out a 1 year membership at Bravo For Women Fitness. I feel so good about it too......wondering why it took me so long to do this. I guess that is where you have to be in the right mind set and ready to make the commitment to change. My goal is to go to work out at the gym 3 days a week and strive to make it 5 days a week. I am also setting a goal to drink 8 glasses of water a day and cut out the amount of junk food and pop that I consume. I am actually going to try and not drink any pop for the next 2 weeks, keep your fingers crossed for me. Pepsi is a weakness of mine, I've done it before I am sure I can do it again.

I want to loose enough weight to reach a healthy weight, be physically active on a daily basis, live a healthier life style -- they all tie into each other.

Next year come the Relay For Life I want to be able to jog a few laps around that track as well.

My ultimate goal is to get that bikini body and keep it. Don't think I will ever put a bikini on but want to get to a weight I will be happy with.

Creamy Pesto Shrimp with Linguini

1 tbsp butter (15 mL)
1 tbsp olive oil (15 mL)
2 tbsp flour (30 mL)
2 cups 1% milk (500 mL)
1/2 tsp pepper (2.5 mL)
375 g linguini (11 oz)
2/3 cup grated low-fat Parmesan cheese (7 mL)
1/4 cup pesto (60 mL)
Large shrimp, cooked peeled and deveined (454g or 1 lb)
Chili flakes (optional)
Salt to taste

Boil water for pasta.
Melt butter and olive oil in a nonstick fry pan. Stir in flour until pasty, then add milk, stirring constantly.
Season with pepper.
Add linguini to boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes or follow package directions.
Stir Parmesan cheese into cream sauce.
Blend in pesto and cook for a few minutes on low until thickened. If the sauce gets too thick it’s ok to keep adding milk a little bit at a time.
Stir in shrimp to heat through. Serve over hot linguini.

Creamy Carrot Muffins

In a bowl mix
½ cup softened cream cheese
3 Tbls. sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
3 Tbls. chopped nuts or raisins

Beat 2 eggs, then add:
½ cup sugar
1 cup grated carrots
Add
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
Mix 1/3 cup oil 3 – Tbls yogurt.

Grease muffin tins. Or line with paper
Pour some batter in bottom
Add 1 tsp. of cream cheese mixture
Then add more batter , making sure to cover cream cheese.

Bake 375 for 15 minutes..
When cooked these muffins will have cream cheese in middle…

Bravo for Women

Tuesday myself and 3 of my co-workers started our 3 day free trial of Bravo for Women Fitness. They have circuit training as well as weights, treadmills etc...and specialized classes. We go at noon hours and get a good work out in. Next week on Tuesday will be our last free trial day. I am going to take out a year membership. With the year membership a trainer will work with me 4 hrs per month, track my progress, develop a fitness plan as well as help me plan my meals. I have felt so good after my work outs that I look forward to the next one. One of the trainers does a 2 week challenge where if you follow everything she puts into the challenge we should loose 10 lbs. I like that I have someone behind me pushing me to work harder when I need it and to help me chart my progress along the way and develop plans to keep me going. So I am hoping that with in a month I am down about 10 lbs from the date that I start my year membership.

Stay tuned for fitness updates.

Skunked at Sturgeon Lake

Last night my husband Al, our son Michael, the dog Rocco and myself went to up to Sturgeon Lake for the evening fishing. It was a beautiful day to go to the lake. We got on the water just before 6pm. The race was on between me and Michael as to who would catch the first fish. We were both using the same type of hook. The one that I caught 4 fish on on Sunday - a Rattlin' Rapala Fire Tiger.

As we trolled up and down our favorite spots not a bite or a nibble. The odd fish would jump up in front of the boat but never behind us. It was almost like they were taunting us to try and catch them.

It is the first time in a long time that we have been skunked on Sturgeon Lake.

The greatest thing about getting older

Is that you don't loose all the other ages you've been

Madeline L'engle

When we were children,

we used to think that when we were grown-up

we would no longer be vulnerable.

But to grow up is to accept vulnerability...

To be alive is to be vulnerable.

Madeline L'engle

More Reno Update

Well Saturday evening my husband and Danny (a friend of ours) finished putting up the soffit and fascia boards. Wow does my house look different. Amazing what siding, new windows, new doors, soffit and fascia can do to a house. I think it actually looks bigger, now only if it was.

Next comes the parging and the deck off the dining room and we'll be done the outside of the house. Plans are to have both the parging and the deck done by the end of September. I am really looking forward to having the deck off the dining room. The past 2 weekends we have sat outside at our patio table enjoying the nice summer evenings (which are finally here) but as the evening wears on it gets cool fast and the grass gets really damp.

Monday afternoon they came and put up the new eavestroughs. There were done within a hour of getting started. I was so impressed at how quick they were and the wonderful job they did. Really looks nice.

Over the next couple of evenings I have to take some more pictures of the house and start posting them so you can see what I have been talking about.