Short Blog Break

I'll be taking a short blog break to enjoy some family time. Have a Happy New Year when it comes!

One thing I learned yesterday from a friend whose wife is a nurse is that women with tattoos on their back cannot have epidurals (used for childbirth)  because the ink might cause an infection wherever the needle has to go (spine?)  Well, that is the belief in Canada anyway.  I went on snopes to investigate this and it seems some radiologists are refusing to perform MRI's on people with tattoos as certain inks may be harmful to the skin.  I'm glad I don't have any tattoos.

Anyway, enjoy these photos I took when M and I lunched recently at a new Panera Bread cafe.  Their food is fresh, healthy and absolutely delicious!  Their bread is unquestionably fresh-baked.  We really enjoyed their caffe latte.

bacon turkey sandwich and caffe latte

spinach bacon souffle and caffe latte

Boxing Day

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! M brought this nice bottle of red wine home from work last week. It was a gift from his boss, a nice thought.   It's been really busy around here, almost overwhelming, as I like it more quiet and prefer to be on a regular routine.

As we approach the New Year, I'm reading of all these cancer breakthroughs in the news.  It seems they have cured prostate cancer in mice and are making new discoveries about how normal cells help cancer cells spread.  This is great news going forward.

Light vs White Tuna

I picked up an information flyer at the grocery store concerning methylmercury in fish.  We are being cautioned to reduce our exposure to mercury in fish.  So we are to beware of King Mackerel, Shark, Swordish, Tilefish and white albacore tuna.  Canned light tuna from smaller fish such as skipjack is advised.  Fish considered low in mercury are: catfish, clams, cod, crab, flounder/sole, haddock, herring,ocean perch, oysters, rainbow trout, farmed salmon,wild salmon,sardines,scallops,shrimp,spiny lobster,tilapia,farmed trout.

I've heard about this before, but it was good to refresh my mind with this list.  I always buy canned light tuna.  Were you aware of this issue?

At any rate, have a wonderful Christmas Day, I won't post tomorrow!  We plan to go over to my mom and sister's place this evening,  my kids will celebrate with their cousins and we will exchange gifts.  Christmas Day will be spent with M's extended family.

our fresh wreath

Sunday Sketches - Deer

Just a quick sketch based on a photo I saw on a Tumbler blog. I grabbed a nearby post-it note and used a fine point marker and some watercolour pencils when inspiration hit!  It's a busy time of year that's for sure!  Have a great Sunday.

Linking to Sunday Sketches.

Visiting world sites remotely

The January 2013 of  'Good Times' magazine says we can now google our way around the world.  Just google World Wonders Project to see things like the treasures of Versailles from our computers. This project developed from Google Street View.

In other news, I got a free sample of Donna Karan's 'Cashmere Mist' eau de toilette, you know the scented papers stuck inside magazines, and I quite like this fragrance!  What's your favourite fragrance?  My regular fragrance is Nina Ricci's L'air Du Temps.

Paint Party Friday - Sailboat

I just did a quick sailboat sketch today for Paint Party Friday. It's done using a fine point marker on cardstock and watercolour crayons(8.5" x 11").

Have a great weekend!

Healthy eating tips

Browsing a flyer I picked up at the supermarket concerning healthy eating, here are some ways it recommends to add flavour to foods naturally:

Savoury:
stocks, broths, herbs, vinegars, ginger, garlic, onions

Spicy:
chili, mustard, curry, cumin, cardamom, coriander,peppercorns,horseradish, wasabi

Sweet:
fruit, coconut water, applesauce

Neat tips, I thought!

And look what we found at our front door when we got home the other evening!  This is the fun part of Christmas!

Godiva Chocolates