"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" ~ Seneca

Friday, August 31, 2012

Training Run 1

Well- since I'm actually running my first 'official' timed 10k in less than a month- I figure I better start training.
The race course has been posted.
Now when I've run my virtual 10K's, I didn't really train- just went out and ran them.
Maybe with a few runs before the race, I just might run a little faster on race day & feel stronger.



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Foodie Pen Pals August Reveal Day

I received an awesome box of goodies from Amanda in Ontario. There was something for everyone in this box that was filled with all sorts of snack foods. We'll start with the healthy items and then descend to the not so healthy (but oh so tasty) ones.

Did I mention that the box was HUGE?
Straight from the tomato capital of Canada- Leamington Sweet, juicy & delicious. How did she know that it's near impossible to grow tomatoes here in Calgary? I had to fight my daughters for these.

 Who knew you could mail tomatoes and that they would survive?

Next up, not one but 2 bags of Old Dutch Corn Twists. I like these as a snack because they don't have a huge amount of calories and they have a lot of crunch, which triggers my satisfaction. Amanda recommends making the caramel corn recipe on the back, which is on the agenda for this holiday weekend.


The next tasty item was cinnamon sugar pita chips that were baked. So tasty. I've been nibbling on these when I get home from work to take care of any hunger pangs. These hit the spot.



And last, but not least, a pair of chocolate mice. They didn't look like mice when they arrived, but they sure were darn tasty. A shortbread style cookie topped with peanut butter mousse and covered in chocolate- YUM!  I shared this with my hubby.
















 Thanks again Amanda for all the tasty treats.

I was paired with Sharana. If you want to see what I sent her visit her blog Living the Sweet Life.

If you are interested in participating on Foodie Pen Pals- please read on...

What is Foodie Pen Pals?

If you want to join the new food revolution of Foodie Pen Pals- visit Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean or read below for some details about Foodie Penpals. Here is what the program is all about:
-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.

If you’re interested in participating for September, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions.

You must submit your information by September 4th as pairings will be emailed on September 5th!

*If you're from somewhere besides the US, Canada or Europe and want to participate, send me an email and I'll see if we get enough interest this month


Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Knitting doh

I was excited to ride the bus into work, as that meant I get some time to knit. I brought my sweater along that is in the early stages.  I was happily knitting along until I realized one of my markers (and maybe two!) had fallen off.




Now I am in the stages of doing math to try & place the marker in the correct spot.  not sure if this is the smartest thing to, but since this is my first attempt at a sweater (and since it's for me) I will accept it with all it's idiosyncrasies.






Sunday, August 19, 2012

Socks are finished

Yes they are done. They have their quirks (pattern not matching, a few ladders or holes here & there) but they fit like a glove and are awesome.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Various Knitting Projects

I work a lot on my iPad and I haven't figured out how to upload photos to my blog from the iPad itself.

But here a few pictures of my recent knitting projects which can also be seen/found on Ravelry ( a cool knitting site)
Circle baby blanket

Basket weave baby blanket



My first pair of socks- This is the first sock which is now finished & I've started on the second sock.  No second sock syndrome for me!

Yesterday I stopped by my LYS (local yarn store) The Knitting Room and splurged on some Cascade Heritage Hand Painted Yarn in Tropical Seas.



I'm going to use this to do a pair of socks- two at a time following Wise Hilda's pattern.  I'm using her pattern as I'm using her Wise Hilda Basic Ribbed Sock pattern which I am finding easy to follow and the first sock fits like a dream!


Thursday, August 9, 2012

Big Island Love

Got a mention from Kona Boys today on Twitter, along with this great photo.


Can't you just feel the love?
Must get back to Hawaii, soon.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Guest Post from my July Foodie Pen Pal- Andrea C


I just received the following email from my foodie Pen Pal Andrea C.- here's her take on what I sent her.

In Mel’s blog post “July Foodie Pen Pal Reveal” she writes “I mailed my goodies to Andrea C. She doesn’t have a blog currently … but I hope she like what I sent her.”

Hello everyone! I’m Andrea C., and yes, my blog is currently in development. Did I enjoy the goodies Mel sent me? ABSOLUTELY!!!
I was really excited when Mel reached out to me in early July to get a feel for my food preferences. She asked me to answer a few questions such as what’s my favourite kitchen gadget to if I prefer salty or sweet food items. I told Mel that although I eat just about everything, I do prefer gluten-free treats/snacks but told her not to worry if she couldn’t find anything – my love for gf foods is just a preference.
I was so touched when I discovered that the box she sent me contained so many delicious gf snacks … all of which I’ve never tried before. 

The first item I ripped open was the Yum nuts. Who can resist chocolate covered cashews? They were amazing … not too salty or too sweet.
I have the box of lentil crackers at my desk at work. They’re a crunchy version of one of my favourite soups – lentil!
The Turbana plantain chips have a hint of garlic and are simply delicious! I haven’t tried the sesame crepes yet. I’m saving that goodie for the upcoming long weekend. I’m thinking of making banana foster to put inside those tasty crepes! What do you think?
One of my favourite items is the Kona Bar. In Mel’s handwritten note, she mentioned that she picked some up during her trip to Hawaii. One of her friends has a coffee plantation and supplies the coffee that goes into the Kona chocolate bar. Very cool!!  (if you are interested, Kona Bars can be purchased here)
Mel also included lavender face/hand wipes (to wipe away the chocolate from my mouth, perhaps J) and a recipe for chocolate hummus. I’m in heaven! I’ve never made chocolate hummus before … I didn’t even know there was such a thing.
Thanks again, Mel, for putting together an amazing package and for allowing me to be a guest blogger. As I mentioned to you in my email, you made a girl from Ontario very happy!!
 Andrea