Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Hidden Garden Cookie Review

Our kids are great eaters.  Fruit, veggies, curry, sushi, thai, anything...they are good, well, as long as it does not involve mushrooms.   What if your kids didn't love eating vegetables?  Catherine Anderson, the founder of Hidden Garden, had this problem with her daughters.  She was a corporate lawyer from Horseshoe Bay, B.C. who ended up leaving her law practice to start her gluten-free cookie company just 10 months later. 

The Hidden Garden Gluten Free Cookies come in three flavours; Red Velvet Bites (with beets), Chocolate Chip Cookies (with pumpkin)  and Ginger Snaps (with squash).  The vegetable are dehydrated and then ground into the flour so that no nutrients are lost.   Baking gluten free can be tricky as I've found over the past few months.   These cookies use rice flour and potato starch and are crisp and delicious.  Gluten free AND filled with veggies, now that has to appeal to quite a few people!


Nya chose the Red Velvet Bites as her favourite which may have been due to them being the colour purple (from the beets).  I asked her what she would give them and she said `Four thumbs up!'.   Koen also declared them his top choice.


Can I tell you my favourite thing about them?  They are made in B.C!  I love supporting local businesses.  Also, when you look through the short and simple ingredient list, there isn't anything you wouldn't recognize in there.  Sodium bicarbonate is just baking soda :)


Gary's favourite cookie was the Chocolate Chip Cookie.   I have been eating very little sugar over the last few months so these seemed pretty sweet to me.   I think they could have less sugar in them and still taste awesome as it is the third ingredient for all three cookies.  


Kai's favourite cookie were the `Ginger Snaps'.   Koen loved checking out the packaging and I have to agree.  So simple and yet all the information you need is so easy to find.  


I'm definitely a fan of these cookies.  I would say that if we were required to eat gluten free, I would buy them for sure.  We are not a gluten free family so it will be more as a treat because of the cost of each bag.  They are $5.99 and there are about 18 cookies in each bag.

If  you are interested in purchasing them, you can buy them at Save-On Foods, Urban Fare, Nature's Fare, Safeway, Price Smart, London Drugs and Overwaitea.

Have you tried them? Would you buy them?

Love,
Louise

PS Did I mention my favourite?!  I can't pick.  Seriously.  Three way tie. Might be the Ginger Snaps if you made me choose.

**Disclaimer: We were provided with Hidden Garden cookies to sample.  These opinions are 100% our own.**


Sunday, September 28, 2014

Science World

This weekend was a free weekend at Science World.  We decided to go, even if it was super busy, because it's about a $75 savings for our family!  Fortunately, it wasn't as busy as I thought.  They must have made so many changes over the past couple of years because there was just soooooo much for the kids to do.  

We were there for two hours which was a good amount of time for Nya but the boys probably could have been there for two more hours.  They all loved it and so did Gary and I.



{Cool new section outside that demonstrates generating electricity and saving water}






{Koen tried so hard to generate 20 Watts that he lost both of his shoes in the process}


{No more plastic toys!!}




{They could have stayed at this ball and water station for an hour at least. All three of them...and Gary too.}



{Gorgeous view}



{Pulleys}




{Fulcrum}


{How long is your intestine?}


{The boys each participated in a study}

{The kids made DNA structures but Koen ate most of the bases/marshmallows before I could get a picture of it!}


{Everything is so hands on.  Everything.}


We had a great time at Science World.  So glad they had a free weekend and that I heard about it in time!  Would we pay $75?  No. Would we use a 2 for 1 coupon and pay $50? Yes :)

Did anyone else go?  

Love,
Louise

PS Here's a video of my grade 8 science teacher; Mr. Hamming.  I should also say that I'm sort of glad he retired because I ended up marrying the teacher that replaced him :)

Friday, September 26, 2014

Frugal Friday


Did you know that Surrey has free indoor family swim time each weekend?  You just need to find the pool and time which is listed here.  The regular cost for a family swim at the Surrey Sports & Leisure Center is $14.25 and now we can go for free!   Check out your own city to see if they offer free family swim times.

AND...a bonus tip specifically for this weekend in the Lower Mainland: Science World has free admission September 27 & 28! They are open 10 am to 5 pm.

Love, Louise

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Thankful Thursday


Did you know that I have been doing this for over ONE YEAR?!  That means I have listed over 500 things that I am thankful for already.  Wow.

This week I am thankful for:

1. Family photos.  My friend Anita and I do a swap each year, so great!  I was sent a few sneak peeks already.  Photos are a priority to me normally but with all 5 of us together it's one of my favourite things in the world.

 I should note that I am down 11 lbs total and feeling great.  I have added more exercise now (Woohoo!!  This is possible because I have JUST ONE KID AT HOME 3 DAYS A WEEK) as these last 7 lbs will definitely be taking their time coming off. If I'm `stuck' at this weight, I'm totally fine.  I don't want to have to buy new clothes!

{PS Found my dress at the GAP outlet for under $20 as I was looking for a navy blue dress! Perfect!}

2.  A great date.  I won tickets to the Cork & Keg festival and discovered two beers that I love.  Steamworks Pumpkin Ale (picked one up this week!) and Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout (must track that one down).  We also enjoyed crab mac and cheese from Match and a yummy treat by the Joseph Richard Group which was naan bread with guacamole and curried shrimp.  We have been on a low carb plan but indulged just a tad.


3.  Quiet.  Ah...bedtime for the kids.  Nya falls asleep with her light on.  When is it also quiet? On the three days that Koen goes to school!   Peace. Quiet. Relaxation.


4.  Another book to read and time to read it.  This is our newest book club book.  Have you read it? Is it good?


5.  Fall leaves.  Looking forward to the beauty emerging in a different form all around us!


6.  A son who wants to be a good husband.   When he learned that having a husband who can cook is a definite plus, Kai asked if he could help out more in the kitchen. On this day, he was in charge of barbequeing the burgers.

7.  The teacher's strike being over!  Happy for all of the parents and teachers that are sighing with relief!  There were a few days that I had 4 nieces to babysit instead of the usual 2! 


8. A daughter that can play well on her own.  Koen was very good at this too.   


9. Free evenings.  Now that we've taken a step back from photography I have time to do almost all of my errands during the day and then can use my evenings to read, watch tv, chat with Gary or work out.   I still have an average of one session per month (prebooked family sessions, engagement sessions or volunteer church/school sessions) so I won't get `rusty'.  Super thankful that I've been asked to sub even though they haven't always been full days.  Any money is better than none!

{Pretend there is a photo here of Gary and I chatting about our day}

10.  Gary's on the Trim Healthy mama (papa?) plan with me!  He will not be sharing how much he's losing but he's doing well :) I'm very proud of him for reducing his sugars/carbs and increasing his exercises.   I will not post a picture of his belly here but maybe after a few months I will!

I hope you are having a great week!!

Love,
Louise

Monday, September 22, 2014

Exploring Canada From the Sky: Circumnavigating Canada

Jack Dekens is a 60 year old retired father of 5 (girls!) with a heart for adventure. In July of 2014 he circumnavigated Canada solo in his Cessna 172 covering 16,300 km in about 30 days. He is a man who loves a good adventure and is not afraid to dream big and just go for it. He is also my father. Here is an interview that I had with him.

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.
{Between Cambridge Bay and Resolute Bay}

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.

Why did you decide to fly around Canada?

There are three reasons really. As a kid, I loved learning about the history of the Northwest Passage and the Franklin Expedition so I wanted to see it in person. Secondly,  I love adventure. It started with a 13' Zodiac trip around Vancouver Island in 1990 and then in 2010 I took a jet ski from Vancouver to Skagway, Alaska solo. I enjoyed it so much I ended by circumnavigating Vancouver Island which was about 4300 km total. The third reason is that I wanted to see if it would be possible to eventually use a jet ski to do the Northwest Passage so I would first do it from the sky.

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.
{You can see the route he took clockwise around Canada starting in Vancouver}

What sort of preparation did you need?

There were many different steps that needed to be taken to prepare for a trip like this. First, I had to get my private pilot's license through Principal Air. Their inclusion of grass and gravel landing strips was invaluable. Then, once I knew the trip up north was in the plans I had to take `over the top training' which is above the clouds, instrument and night training. I also did underwater egress training at the pool because I would have to fly above a large body of water. Due to the polar bears up north, a friend who had already lost a researcher friend,  insisted I accept his gift of a 12 gauge Defender shotgun. Therefore, I had to get my hunting and gun safety license.

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.
{Masset, Haidi Gwaii}

When I bought my plane I had to find one that had a long range tank. There is no aviation gas for non turbine planes in the arctic circle which is a huge area.  With help from others, including Kenn Borek Air,  I made a connection to a private stash in Resolute Bay. I also had to order a special funnel to remove impurities and plan to have oil sent up to Iqaluit. The plane needed some updates on it to make it safe for a trip like this. I had a new factory motor, propeller and batteries put in. A new exhaust system increased power and cruise range. I upgraded my electrical system to facilitate running the iPhone, iPad, and charge the cameras. 

My wife, Joanne, made bright yellow wing covers for the low temperatures up north. This colour would also be easier for Search and Rescue to find me in the event that I was forced down.

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.
{Pond Inlet}

I had to call each airport that was supposed to have gas available and confirmed that with them. I ordered maps to work alongside my ForeFlight program and rented a satellite phone (a necessity along with my SPOT device) for filing flight plans as the arctic is a military zone.  

Finally, I needed to decide what to take along. The plane had to be as light as possible so I removed all of the seats except for one. I had five Jerry cans of gas, two sheepskin rugs (for comfort during the flights and then to sleep on at night), freeze dried food, canned fish and a stove.  Instead of a sleeping bag, I just brought a very warm down jacket.  By the way, freeze dried breakfasts are better than the dinners.

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.

What are a few of the most interesting things you learned along the way?

I learned about the Canadian Rangers program which is part of the Canadian Armed Forces and is a volunteer force made up of Inuit, First Nations and Metis. They work as Search and Rescue and are very proud of what they do including teaching the Armed Forces personal survival and stealth skills, and in turn, the Armed Forces provide them with weapons and electronics like GPS's.  

The term `Flow Edge' now conjures up images of narwhals, seals, and bears rather than just a bit of water between the shore and the ice.

I found it interesting that the government invested a lot of money to install an underground water line up in Pond Inlet, Baffin Island, for it to just freeze the first winter. Water and septic are delivered by truck weekly and also removed the same way (separate trucks!). Nothing underground. 

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.
{Pond Inlet}

I realized that the aviation world is small,  not only up north, but throughout Canada.  They all know and help each other. Borek Air and Nunavut Air engineers assisted with information and helping to 'dress up' the propeller which was pitted by the 20 or more gravel runways. Pilots invited me into their homes. Airport managers in Nova Scotia knew my aviation friends back home from their days of early arctic aviation's Bradley Airlines. The stories flowed.

Finally, I was very surprised to see that new cell phones don't work up north. No 3G or LTE. The compass does swing wildly the further north you go so reliance on GPS becomes the primary navigational tool.

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.
{Cumberland Sound near Baffin Island}

What was the scariest moment?

There were a few moments that made me nervous. First, I had a notification that they ran out of fuel in Frobisher Bay. It was my next stop and I needed to top up all of my tanks there in order to make it to Quebec. I didn't want to wait several weeks for the ice breakers to bring in the gas. I ordered a barrel of gas ($1300!) to be flown in. Once I arrived, I found out that the regular fueler, whom I had been speaking with prior to my starting my trip, had set one tank aside for me. I didn't need to pay for that expensive barrel of fuel and it was just $350.00 instead.

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.
{Resolute Bay where the Franklin Expedition spent their winter}

Another moment, gas related, was that I had punched in the wrong airport code before taking off and so my GPS showed that I was heading in the wrong direction. You can't waste gas going in the wrong direction so I'm glad I figured it out relatively fast.

Weather is obviously a big concern up there and as I was coming into Resolute Bay, and past the point of no return (not enough gas to return!), I was notified that the weather deteriorated and the cloud dropped to 400 feet. It was recommended not to land but I had no choice. I had to land using technical skills and not on sight as it was almost all white (the clouds and ice).

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.
{Cambridge Bay}

What would you do differently if you did it over again?

If I did it again, I would plan to have more fuel caches up north so that I could do a little bit more exploring. Once I was up in Resolute Bay there were many recommendations of where to go which included further north.  

Also, some smaller changes would be; go in August as it's warmer, bring an older cell phone, try out the opposite direction, use a shelf rather than a hammock to store things in the back of the plane, and find something other than Garmin for tracking. 

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.
{Northern BC area}
What was your favourite place?

I can't choose one but I especially loved; Northwestern BC (Atlin),  Whitehorse, Alaska, Pond Inlet/Baffin Island and the Maritimes. I sure love Canada and we are so blessed.

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.
{West coast of BC}

How much does someone spend on gas for a trip like this?

About $6,000.

What is next for you?

I would like to volunteer for Hope Air. They provide flights to those in tough financial situations in order to get the health care they need. Another organization would be Angel Flight. They provide free of charge transportation for cancer patients in areas from Port McNeil to Hope, B.C.  If anyone needs a break from cancer treatment, let me know. Nothing takes your mind off of reality like a flight through the mountains.
Other thoughts include snowmobiling from Cambridge Bay near where Franklin's Ships are to Resolute and Iqaluit. Or, maybe a trip around South America. Or...I just want to remain healthy enough to continue to fly. If anyone has any other ideas, I look forward to hearing them.

And now, after all of those miles, gravel strip landings, fuel burn calculations and flight plan filings, maybe my kids will fly with me! I want them to see what I saw and maybe catch the flying bug.

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.

What advice would you give to others?

Dream. Plan. Plan some more. Ask around.  Listen. Do it. We're not getting any younger or healthier with age. Just make sure that you don't put anyone else at an unnecessary risk like Search and Rescue having to go get you.

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.
{Atlin, BC}

If anyone is interested, Jack is preparing a Power Point presentation for ground school classes and any other interested groups. You can also see some blog posts from his trip here. You can also reach him at cessnajack@gmail.com.  I should mention that I have finally flown with him and although I felt safe, I definitely did not catch that flying bug. For now, keep dreaming and doing! 

Do you have adventure in your genes? This pilot planned and succeeded in flying his Cessna 172 around Canada.