Week 14: I Baked Muffins!

With the highly successful cookie baking endeavor, I was totally ready to bake something else that's new.  So last night I baked low fat oatmeal muffins.  No, they weren't frozen or ready-made in a package like the cookies so I didn't cheat as much this time.  I'm starting to realize how easy they make it for you to bake things.  This muffin mix I bought had everything already in there.  All you have to do is add water, mix, pour, and bake.  I admit I had to do my research before all this easy stuff went down.  In order to make muffins I had to buy muffin tins and the infamous mixing bowl (which you can get at the Dollarama for $1.25).  The only issue I had this time was the fact that I ran out of muffin mix; it was supposed to make 12 muffins but all I could manage were ten and a half.  Anyway, they turned out just fine and were as tasty as low fat muffins can be.  Another star for me!

Week 13 Continued: Butterflies & Edible Insects

BUTTERFLIES

This weekend I went to the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory.  I thought it would be interesting to compare it to the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory that I've been to several times.  I actually preferred the Cambridge Conservatory because it wasn't very busy and had other pretty living things such as birds, fish, turtles, and a waterfall, pond, and stream.  I think the price was a bit cheaper too; parking is free.  It's so neat to walk around and have butterflies land on you.  I have to admit the first time it happened to me I kinda freaked out with a scream and almost fell over.  Now I'm a pro.  It's also noteworthy to mention that if you want to attract the butterflies you should wear bright colours.  Here are some pics:

EDIBLE INSECTS

I always check out the gift shop at every place I go to because I love to shop.  I was very surprised and intrigued to find various edible insects for sale in the Conservatory's gift shop.  They had chocolate covered insects, sour cream & onion crickets, salt & vinegar crickets, hard candied bugs, and cheddar cheese flavoured larvae.  I thought it would be a neat blogging idea to try some of these bugs.  It's definitely new and adventurous.  I have a picture of the 3 different kinds of bugs I bought and videos of me eating each.  Bon appetit!

Hungry, anyone?

Week 13: I Can Bake Cookies... Sort Of

I actually have baked something before.  Several years ago I baked a cake for a colleague for her birthday.  I remember it quite vividly because I didn't have a mixing bowl so I was forced to use a juice pitcher instead.  It worked fine.  The cake was a bit lopsided and sunken in but it was completely edible and even tasted quite good.  It wasn't from scratch because I used one of those Betty Crocker cake mixes.  But it counts, right?  Since I had already made a cake this time I wanted to bake something completely new to me, and something that didn't require special tools like mixing bowls (I still don't have any).  So, I chose to bake some cookies.  To set myself up for success, I thought it would be a good idea to get the easiest option out there:  President's Choice Baked By You Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie dough.  I figured I couldn't go wrong with that.  All you have to do is cut the dough and put it on the cookie sheet (I actually have one).  The hardest part of this entire process was getting the damn dough out of the packaging.  I tried cutting with one knife and cutting with another knife, slicing in one direction, slicing in another direction, rolling the packaging, you name it.  What a fiasco that was.  However, after I finally put all my 6 years of post secondary education to work I got the dough out! 

You are probably wondering how they turned out.  Well, let's just say they were DELICIOUS.  They were so good I ate 3 of them... and then I felt sick:(

It's like my mother said, "Watch out Martha Stewart."

Week 12: A Rockstar, A Fetish Club & Some Baby Food

Don't be frightened by the title.  Remember what your elders always say, "Don't judge a book by its cover." 

Let's begin with the Rockstar.

Most people have probably tried an energy drink at one point or another.  However, have you ever tried the alcoholic version of one?  That's what I had Friday night.  I'm not a big fan of wine much anymore so my beverage of choice lately has been lite beer and fruity coolers.  I guess that's what I thought this ROCKSTAR VODKA drink would be like, a cooler.  Let me tell you that this drink most certainly does not taste anything like a cooler.  In fact, to best describe its taste I would compare it to cold & flu medicine, and not the warm lemony soothing type.  After every sip of this drink you could hear me say, "Yuck!  Disgusting!" followed by an expletive or two.  It has to go down as one of the most horrible alcoholic drinks I've ever had.  Never again.








Now on to the fetish club.  I had heard of this unique club or lounge called "Oasis" and happened to be walking by its location on Saturday afternoon.  I stopped for kicks to check out their posted advertisements not thinking of course that it might be open at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.  That's when a gentleman walked up to the door and asked if I'd like a free tour.  I was like, "Are you serious???  Um, OK."  I had no idea what to expect and was immediately startled with the nudists sitting at the bar directly inside the doors and then more nudists in the pool on the patio.  I was trying to act all cool and nonchalant when meanwhile I was freaking out and had no idea where to look.  I wanted to capture the place in its entirety because I knew I would never come back.  The first floor was nothing compared to the second and third which included X-rated videos, wall to wall leather sofas, two-way mirror windows, and an S&M room with swings, chains, and something that resembled a Bowflex machine.  I'm still in a state of shock to be perfectly honest.  I'm not going to judge anyone but this place is not for me.  Here's the pics of what I saw outside the club.

Last but not least, the baby food.  I was invited to a baby shower on Sunday.  When the host asked for volunteers with the games I jumped at the new opportunity.  I don't have kids and I know nothing about babies.  So, of course I went to the Internet for game ideas.  I really wanted something interactive so I chose a baby food identification game.  Players had to smell and taste samples of baby food (the best Walmart has be offer) and guess the main ingredients.  I don't think the ladies were much on board with the idea but some gave it their best.  At least it gave them something to talk about.  Here's a sample of one baby food jar and all the labels used.  Hey, if it's good enough for a baby...

Week 11: Cruising Lake Ontario on a Tall Ship

Ahoy Matey!  This week I tried a Toronto boat cruise on a tall ship called "Kajama".  It's a 165' three-masted schooner that sails on Lake Ontario and Toronto Harbour.  You begin at Queens Quay and sail along the Toronto skyline to about the beginning of Etobicoke and then return.  You even have the option to volunteer with the raising of the sails if you'd like.  I didn't take the year off work to "volunteer" on a boat I paid to get on, so no I didn't play pirate.  They have a licensed bar and hot food menu which we took advantage of.  It's a good job because otherwise I would've been bored out of my mind.  At one point a party boat passed us and I considered walking the plank to join their fun.  In our crew's defense they did sing a nifty song while preparing the sails.  I think they took a wrong turn somewhere though because they kept singing they were bound for Australia.  Overall, this boat cruise was a bit boring for my liking.  Thank God for potato skins and lite beer!

Week 10: Farewell CNE - From Parking to Food

This weekend was the grand finale to the Canadian National Exhibition featuring Elvis Stojko and the Air Show, not together of course.  I should have known that it would be extremely busy.  I waited in a traffic line up for about 30 min. to find parking and got scammed into paying, wait for it, $30 at Fort York.  Last week they were charging $20 at the same lot which was actually $5 cheaper than what we paid.  The real kicker is that they used their sign to hide the Green P parking sign charging $20 right beside them.  I took photos like a crazy person to show my proof.

I nearly had a mental breakdown after discovering that we could have parked right beside this lot for $10 less!  What a scam.  Fort York should be ashamed of themselves.  A charity, eh?  Here's some charity for you:  DON'T SUPPORT FORT YORK! 

It took me a while to shake off my anger and frustration from the parking fiasco.  But, in some time I got hungry and felt like getting my freaky taste buds on.  Last week I was disappointed by the fish tacos so this time I was ready to try tacos with a Korean twist from "FAREAST TACO".  One taco had beef and the other was pork, both with kimchi and the works.  However, once again I was disappointed.  The pork was better than the beef but neither were anything worth writing home about.  To me mediocre is unworthy.

After the tacos it was dessert time.  Remember how delicious the deep fried Mars bar was?  Well, how about a bacon wrapped deep fried Mars bar?  Yep.  I did it.  If you thought the pics of the fried Mars bar was gross then look away from this one.

This is how I describe the bacon wrapped deep fried Mars bar...  imagine a perfectly accessorized model (that's the deep fried Mars bar) who puts a big ol' sombrero on (that's the bacon wrapped deep fried Mars bar).  It was just too much. 

All in all, from parking to food the weekend to end the CNE was kind of a disappointment.  Good job I don't have to go to work on Tuesday:)