A book recommendation and manners

Hiya - it's been a while since I've done a personal post. I have actually been racking my brain trying to think of what to write about. It seems like life is pretty quiet these days and I mainly spend my time waiting. Waiting for my husband's next visit home. Waiting for the next ultrasound (on the 10th! We'll find out the gender!!). Waiting for the dog's ear infection to clear up. Nothing too exciting to write about.

But I realized last night, 4 hours into a "20 minute" reading session before bed, that I should share about the book I'm reading. I came to this book a little late; it's been out for a while. A friend of mine recommended it to me years ago when she was reading it for book club, and I picked it up to look at but never did read it. Now my book club is reading it (yeah, I'm sticking with the book club) and I have been gobbling it.

The book is The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver. Now here's why I didn't read it years ago. I'm not a particularly religious person, and it seems at first glance to be all about religion. Not that I don't respect other people's religions, it just isn't an interest of mine. Also, I had never read any of Kingsolver's books, and had an assumption, based on nothing substantial, that they were chick lit.

So now that I am reading the book that I made so many judgments on, I am so glad I was 'forced' to read it for my book club! The book IS about religion, but it's not at all proselytizing; it's really about a clash of religions, and how fanatics can go too far and be too closed-minded. And while it is primarily about women, it's by no means light and fluffy chick lit. It is totally captivating.

Just to give my review some cred, I read about 4 books a week, and have gone through thousands in my life so far. There are certain books that stand out for me among those thousands, and this is going to be one of them, I can tell. Give it a chance and you will be hooked!

My other topic for today is a little rant about manners.

We posted an ad on Kijiji because, in the process of emptying the office to become nursery and tidying things up around here (did I mention we got hardwood put in upstairs? Chaos ensued! But it's nice now), we have an office chair to get rid of and one of those floor mats that protects carpet. The chair is a few years old but in perfect condition and has all the adjustments and ergonomic qualities you'd ever want. We're asking $65 for the pair which is a pretty good deal for someone, I think. Anyway, what's making me growl is that we've gotten a few emails about it that are completely lacking in any kind of social decorum. Here's the sum content of the first email I got:

35???

That's it. How many things are wrong with that? Way. Too. Many. Grr. The next email I received (from a different person) reads:

when can i come see it call me (phone #)

Arghhhh! Really. How hard is it to add a greeting, for goodness' sake? Or to sign a missive with your name? To use at least some punctuation, make some effort towards grammar or politeness? I'm just waiting for the number to be long distance, and then I'm really going to lose it. ;)

Am I asking too much of the standard Kijiji user? Is this listing somehow a magnet for the uncouth?

Sigh. I was one of the many who read Miss Manners and Ann Landers daily as I grew up. My parents instilled a strong belief in courtesy and respect for others in me. I know I'm not a perfect writer, but I do make an effort to use English with some regard to the rules of spelling, grammar and punctuation.

And I'm feeling like a dying breed here.

Pitbull Clothing Winner!

Random.org has picked a winner for the $50 gift certificate to Pitbull Athletic Clothing:
Which is...
Congratulations! $50 goes far at this store! I'll be emailing you shortly to confirm.

Didn't win this time? Well, there are two other giveaways on now, why not try your luck in those? And I have a couple more coming up soon as well! Check out the top left sidebar for details :)

A little heads up

Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique is having a giveaway when they reach 2000 fans on Facebook (they're really close!). Check out the prizes:

*Winner’s choice of ANY BABY CARRIER we carry (more selection coming soon!)
*$50 gift certificate to our store
*BumGenius 4.0 Pocket Diaper
*Sophie the Giraffe Teether

Um, yes please!

Tropical Traditions Natural Household Cleaner - Review and Giveaway!

***This giveaway is closed***
Winner: Renee

There are few things guaranteed to drive me directly up the bend. Dirty counters are very high up on the list! Luckily, my husband feels the same way, so we manage to keep our counters clutter-free and, best of all, clean.

I've tried quite a number of natural cleaners, from the high-end to the no-name store brands and homemade. I have found a lot of them to be lacking - either they don't cut grease or they leave smeary streaks rather than clean surfaces. Sometimes they smell wonderful but don't do a thing; sometimes they smell too strong or even nasty but they work. I am not a huge fan of trade-offs and have been looking for a good quality natural cleaner that I can count on to do a good job (and not make my house smell like a fish and chip stand!).

Finally, I think I have found The One. I received a spray bottle of Tropical Traditions All-Purpose Cleaner to try out, and as you can see, I've already used a ton of it - not because you need a lot to do the job, but because it's become my go-to product for cleaning.

It doesn't smell like anything (thank you, thank you - heaven sent for super-smelling pregnant women!) and it does a great job. Our black kitchen counters really show any smears or smudges left by cleaners and this one leaves them perfectly clean.

The cleaner is made entirely of botanical ingredients - no harmful chemicals (you can even use it to wash fruit and veggies), and can be used for everything: carpets, counters, glass, appliances, cars, even for laundry and hand soap (and yes, you can get it in a 1 gallon jug for cost saving and refill convenience!).

Usually I find something I am not crazy about with a product. This time, I honestly can say I am 100% happy with it. The size is generous, the price is comparable to other cleaners - especially when you consider the size of the bottle: 32 oz of Tropical Traditions Cleaner is $7 compared to, for example, 12 oz of Method cleaner for $4 (prices in US dollars for comparison). I love that it's scent-free (although I imagine if you wanted to, you could simply add a couple of drops of your favourite essential oil for fragrance). I don't have to worry about getting harmful chemicals on my skin while cleaning, or near my food, or adding to environmental toxins. And the best part, it seriously does the job.

So there you go. Whole-hearted endorsement from me. I really think if you try it, you will agree.

Tropical Traditions has generously offered one of my readers the chance to try a bottle of the All Purpose Nontoxic Household Cleaner for free!

The giveaway:
A 32 oz. spray bottle of Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner!

How to enter: Head over to Tropical Traditions and let me know one other thing you'd like to try, OR one thing that you learned there. Make sure I've got a way to contact you if you're the winner!

Extra entries (please leave an extra comment for each. If you already do any of these things, leave the comment - you do get the entry for it!):

• Subscribe via email to the Tropical Traditions newsletter
  
• Follow @troptraditions on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Tweet about this giveaway for ONE entry, this is not a daily! You can use this if you like:

  Win non-toxic, natural Household Cleaner from @TropTraditions at Emily's Latest @emilyisland http://bit.ly/8ZDooL US/CAN 9/8
  

• Follow my blog (publicly) – 2 entries, leave 2 comments
• Add my blog button to your blog– 2 entries, leave 2 comments (please leave a link to your blog)
• Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post and to Tropical Traditions – 2 entries, leave 2 comments and please include a link to your post
  

I will be verifying comments so please actually do the things you say you do ☺ If you already do any of these things, it still counts for entries!

Please be sure to include your email address if it’s not public in your blogger profile! Anonymous comments without a way to contact you will be rejected. Canadian or US mailing addresses only, please. Giveaway ends September 8th at 11:59 EST. A winner will be drawn the next day, announced here, in a separate post and emailed!

Prize will be shipped by sponsor. Note for Canadian entrants: Tropical Traditions is not responsible for customs or duties that Canada may charge if you decide to participate in this Tropical Traditions sponsored blog giveaway. (FYI - it's unlikely to have a charge, being well under the $60 that incurs duty charges! There was no extra charge on my bottle, which came to Canada quickly and packaged well!)

Our little family

I love this picture :)It was taken a few weeks ago, at just over 13 weeks. I'm telling myself this is not really a pregnancy post!

Bumblewee! You need to know...

If you are looking for maternity or nursing clothing, check out Bumblewee Nursing Wear! Bumblewee is a Canadian company that stocks the big names in maternity and nursing clothing, like Japanese Weekend, Mamajamas and 1 in the Oven. Plus... FREE shipping to Canada AND the US! Seriously. Love it.

Right now they're having an amazing contest too - every day until September 15th, they are selecting a winner for a free top. You even get to choose from their big Sweepstakes collection. I love how many of the tops are transitional, so they'll work during and after pregnancy.

When you enter, please let them know I referred you (Emily B. or Emily's Latest)! Thanks, girls!

Head on over here to enter (you can enter each day for that day's draw). Oh, and when you enter, you get a 50% off coupon for anything in their Sweepstakes category!

AND as if that weren't enough Bumblewee goodness, I'll be reviewing a top from them soon. UPDATE: - it will come with a giveaway for my readers!

Random stuff.

I'm exhausted. All the time. And also hungry all the time. I know I said I wasn't going to be doing "ooh, I'm all pregnant" posts, but - wow, it's hard to concentrate these days.

I've started entering some giveaways again for baby stuff... if you follow me on twitter, I'm probably driving you nuts with the "Win a..." tweets. Honestly, giveaways with daily entry tweets drive me nuts too (and that's why my giveaways are single tweet entry only). Sorry about that. On the other hand, if you follow me on twitter, you probably like to win stuff too, so maybe you'll see a couple new giveaways to enter that way.

Speaking of, I have a giveaway coming up for Tropical Traditions - their household cleaner is the product up for review and for grabs for one lucky winner. I'll tell you more about it when I do the review but for now I'll say I'm 100% happy with it and you will be too if you win. So, wait for it. It's coming this week.

Meanwhile if you haven't entered my two giveaways that are on now, check them out! Top left is the list with links.

Lastly, this is super cute and ends today:


Baby Steps Blog is giving away a MoMoPics hand-stenciled onesie!
Click to Enter.

The Belly.

It's big and strange to me. My clothes don't fit. I don't recognize my body when I look in the mirror. And I'm only 15 weeks along! Good grief.

Sibu Beauty - Review and Giveaway!

Sibu Beauty is a remarkable company with products focused around the sea buckthorn berry. I hadn't heard of this superfruit before so I was intrigued. The sea buckthorn berry is an orange berry that is rich in Omega (3, 6, and the rare 7) fatty acids, which are beneficial to our health and protect against free-radical damage. It is harvested in Tibet and Sibu makes a point of ensuring fair wages and safe working conditions for the people who harvest the berries.

I've had the opportunity to try a few of Sibu Beauty's products. I've tried the revitalize and renew liquid supplement, which is a juice primarily made from the sea buckthorn berry. It tastes like a yummy fruit juice, kind of exotic, and is a beautiful orange colour. The juice promotes healthy hair, nails and skin, and is a great source of those Omega fatty acids.

The repair and protect sea buckthorn facial cream is fabulous. I love the smell and the light consistency and the subtle citrusy scent of this cream. I also love the packaging - it comes in a glass bottle with a pump, very high-end in style and looks great on my counter! The Omega 7 in the cream helps boost collagen production.

I also tried the cleanse and detox sea buckthorn facial soap. I liked the smell initially, it is (to my nose) kind of like a mix between orange and jojoba, but now that my high-intensity pregnancy smelling superpower has kicked in I find the scent too strong. But while I was using it, before I became a bloodhound, I liked the way it left my skin feeling soft and clean, and I did not feel that my skin was dried out or screaming for moisturizer. The soap is all natural and lathers up really nicely.

The last item I got to review was the sea buckthorn seed oil. This oil is used as a topical treatment for skin problems (and I'm, unfortunately, like a poster child for skin conditions). I really was looking forward to testing this one out. It is 100% therapeutic grade organic sea buckthorn seed oil. Very intriguing. BUT... sadly for me, the package insert instructs to consult your health care practitioner if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and because my doctor has never heard of it, I decided to live on the cautious side and haven't tried it. It's probably fine but with my history, I'm not taking any chances. So this one I can't weigh in on, but would love to hear if anyone has!

My photo doesn't really do the products justice, but here it is (and please excuse my freak show of an orchid):
Sibu Beauty has VERY generously offered not one, but two fantastic packages, so two of my lucky readers will have a chance to try their natural products:

Package #1: Sibu Beauty’s Beauty & Wellness Package (ARV $55.85 US):

• Cleanse & Detox Facial Soap,
  
• Revitalize & Renew Liquid Supplement,
  
• Repair & Protect Facial Cream.

Package #2: Sibu Beauty Anti-Aging Package (ARV $69.95 US):

• Cellular Support Gel Caps (note to my vegetarian friends: these do contain gelatin),
  
• Age Defying Eye Cream,
  
• Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil.

The giveaway: One winner will receive the Beauty and Wellness Package, and one winner will receive the Anti-Aging Package!

How to enter: Head over to Sibu Beauty and let me know what product intrigues you, OR one thing that you learned there. Make sure I've got a way to contact you if you're the winner! Also (and this is mandatory!) - please leave in your first comment WHICH of the two packages you would like to win!

Extra entries (please leave an extra comment for each. If you already do any of these things, leave the comment - you do get the entry for it!):

• Visit the Sibu Beauty Blog and tell me something you learned there.
  
• Follow Sibu Beauty on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Tweet about this giveaway for ONE entry, this is not a daily! You can use this if you like:

  Win 1 of 2 @Sibu_Beauty prizes at Emily's Latest. Natural, Organic and Gorgeous! @emilyisland http://bit.ly/dbgvwX US/CAN 8/26
  

• Like Sibu Beauty on Facebook (leave your first name and last inital for verification)
  
• Follow my blog (publicly) – 2 entries, leave 2 comments
• Add my blog button to your blog– 2 entries, leave 2 comments (please leave a link to your blog)

I will be verifying comments so please actually do the things you say you do ☺

Please be sure to include your email address if it’s not public in your blogger profile! Anonymous comments without a way to contact you will be rejected. Canadian or US mailing addresses only, please. Giveaway ends August 26th at 11:59 EST. A winner will be drawn the next day, announced here, in a separate post and emailed!

Prize will be shipped by sponsor. Note for Canadian entrants: Sibu Beauty is not responsible for customs or duties that Canada may charge. For what it's worth, I was not charged any additional fees at the border on my order.

Fear

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. A tragedy in my friends' life has had me reflecting on the nature of parenthood and what a giant precipice we stand on, those of us who undertake to be parents.

After my first pregnancy, I changed. I lost not only my first baby but my innocence. (Just for the record, I'm speaking only for myself here - of course my husband went through all this with me). My naive expectation that "it couldn't happen to me" was shattered.

My second pregnancy came and went so fast that I didn't really have a chance to feel anything but a dull ache where the hope that should have come with a BFP was missing. Pretty much the moment I learned I was pregnant, was the moment I learned that it was ectopic. I knew it couldn't possibly end well, so all I wanted was for it to end quickly (that didn't really happen either, but that's another story).

This time around... I've passed some milestones, important ones for me. I passed the first ultrasound appointment without hearing the worst news. I passed the point where my first baby died and instead had the joy of seeing my first fetal heartbeat on the ultrasound (you bet I cried). I passed the point where I lost that first pregnancy. We survived weeks and weeks of spotting and even some full out bleeding - all is still okay. I've seen baby's heart beating three times now, and heard it on the fetal doppler at my OB's office. I've made it through the scary first trimester, dealt with morning sickness, slept more hours than I thought I could. I've made it to here and now.

And each day I am celebrating the fact that "Today, I am Still Pregnant." It's my mantra for this pregnancy. It is enough to calm me when I feel anxious.

With all that has been going on around us lately, I realize now that this capital-F Fear is not going anywhere. For the rest of my life.

Parenthood has been something I dreamed of, expected, longed for, and am hopefully in the throes of achieving. I honestly can't wait to be a mother. I have big plans for this little one. But with all the happiness, discoveries and pleasures of parenthood comes the price - Fear. I can't imagine there is ever a moment when you don't know as a parent, in the back of your mind, that it could all come crashing down.

Sometimes it's a news story that reminds us how fragile life is. This summer, I keep hearing about drowning deaths of children. Sometimes it's our own losses that come back to haunt us - knowing that anyone, at any time, can be gone, just like that. I've lost family that way; here one moment, and gone the next, no warning. Sometimes it's the slice-your-heart-open kind of unexpected tragedy that hits someone you know and care for, throwing any belief that things happen for a reason out the window.

I admit it - I'm afraid. I'm afraid of bad things happening. I'm not a pessimist, and I don't mean I'm spending my days shaking in a blanket, but I'm definitely no longer the woman I was ten years ago, or even a year and a half ago. Things have changed. I've seen bad things happen. It's not logical, it's not predictable, it's not fair.

I keep my fear in a small box, lid on - and do my best to make each day a happy one. Sometimes, though, life shakes that box a little and some seeps out. I wish I could be just "optimistic" without "cautiously" to qualify it. Rewind, and somehow undo. I guess that's life, though.

Parenthood is going to be scary. I am wholeheartedly signing up, but don't think for a moment that I'm not on to the bad monsters under the bed.

Un-wired

I'm having an internet-free weekend, so if you don't see your comment moderated for a while, that's why! Will catch up Sunday or Monday.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Pitbull Clothing - Review and Giveaway!

***This giveaway is now closed***
Winner: Amanda

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming!

My husband had the opportunity to try out some athletic wear from Pitbull Clothing. After browsing the many options on the site, the items he chose to review were the Crosstrainer Fit Short and the Performance Mesh Cut Sleeve shirt. This isn't the greatest photo - I took it while lying in bed so excuse the weird angle! He gets up earlier than I do! - but you can see how the clothes fit.

The shorts are made of some wonderful fabric that is super stretchy, thick enough to maintain a tailored look while conforming to the body in a flattering way. I'm going to be honest - I tried them on myself just to see if I could 'borrow' them! Of course, they are cut for a man so didn't fit me right even though I loved the fabric and how comfortable they were. Darn it. But they look great on my husband. They also have a built in lining that provides... er... manly support, which I would imagine makes workouts more comfortable for the guys.

The shirt is sleeveless, with a really light and fast drying mesh fabric. It has a looser fit which is nice and cool. And it comes out of the washer and dryer looking exactly the same as it went in - no pilling and no shrinking (same goes for the shorts)!

Overall, Pitbull Clothing offers impressive quality. They have some great athletic clothing (aka lounge wear for those of us who like super comfy clothing to settle down in in the evening) for women as well - for example, check out the Combed Cotton Basics Scoop Camisole (which has an inner bra) and the Lily Lotus Roll-Over Waist Pant (which is on sale at $24.95 down from $60!).

And guess what?

Pitbull Clothing has generously offered one of my readers a $50 gift certificate towards anything on the site!

The giveaway: A $50 gift certificate to Pitbull Clothing!

How to enter: Head over to Pitbull Clothing and let me know what you'd put this towards, OR one thing that you learned there. Make sure I've got a way to contact you if you're the winner!

Extra entries (please leave an extra comment for each. If you already do any of these things, leave the comment - you do get the entry for it!):

• Subscribe via email to the Pitbull Clothing newsletter (bottom right of their website) - 2 entries
  
• Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Tweet about this giveaway for ONE entry, this is not a daily! You can use this if you like:

  Win a $50 GC to Pitbull Clothing at Emily's Latest. Yoga, casual & sportswear! @emilyisland http://bit.ly/cRnZtJ US/CAN 8/20
  

• Follow my blog (publicly) – 2 entries, leave 2 comments
• Add my blog button to your blog– 2 entries, leave 2 comments (please leave a link to your blog)
• Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post and to Pitbull Clothing – 2 entries, leave 2 comments and please include a link to your post
  

I will be verifying comments so please actually do the things you say you do ☺

Please be sure to include your email address if it’s not public in your blogger profile! Anonymous comments without a way to contact you will be rejected. Canadian or US mailing addresses only, please. Giveaway ends August 20th at 11:59 EST. A winner will be drawn the next day, announced here, in a separate post and emailed!

Prize will be shipped by sponsor. Note for Canadian entrants: Pitbull Clothing is not responsible for customs or duties that Canada may charge. For what it's worth, I was not charged any additional fees at the border on my order.

The deets

After so long in the TTC (trying to conceive) category, I don't want to be one of those women who are all shouty about being pregnant. I'm thrilled to be, thrilled it's come this far (13 weeks and 3 days today!), thrilled that so far everything looks good for a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby. (So far... I'm still coming to terms with letting the anxiety of loss go.)

But I have felt the pain of hearing and reading about other women's pregnancies when we were trying and losing our own. Twice. So keep in mind with every happy post there is still fear and a lot of understanding for those of you who have experienced loss or are still trying to conceive. It has been a long road for us.

What has kept me hopeful with this one is just celebrating each day and trying not to focus on what could happen. Thinking to myself, "Today, I am Still Pregnant" has gotten me through a lot of scary moments this time around.

So here is what happened.

I'd been on FertilAid for women for about three months, and FertilCM for about one month. My husband was taking a reduced dose of FertilAid for men. I'd also been charting my basal body temperature on Fertility Friend, so I knew exactly when I ovulated and when to expect my period or take a test. I have to say, if you are TTC, charting is a hassle but totally worth it. While we were trying, it took the pressure off for much of the month. And since we got pregnant, it's been helpful in dating because I have a long cycle - knowing exactly when I ovulated means I know exactly how many weeks along I am. Based on my LMP (last monthly period) alone, my doctor would be looking for a baby with development a week ahead of where mine is, and I'd be scared things weren't progressing properly.

We had a BFP (Big Fat Positive on a pregnancy test) the week before my husband found out he was being transferred to Calgary for six months. At first the transfer was a shock, but really it has been perfect timing. He has avoided my morning sickness days and exhaustion, I've had the chance to get a ridiculous amount of sleep. He's working hard and I'm working hard, and at the end of his time out there, I'll have a month left to go. He'll be home when I need him. And with him coming home every second weekend, he's been able to come with me to the ultrasounds, which has been great.

The first ultrasound I had was really early, at six weeks. I was a mess of worry, with my history. So seeing that heartbeat at six weeks and two days was an incredible relief.

The second ultrasound was at eight weeks and two days. I'd had a lot of spotting and even some bleeds - talk about scary - so I was sent for another ultrasound. But the little heart was still going strong!

The most recent was on Friday, for the NT/IPS scan. This is the one where there is an integrated ultrasound scan and blood testing, screening for problems like Down's Syndrome. The ultrasound showed that we are at low risk for Down's, and the baby moved around for us. Still a good strong heartbeat. The baby even measured a day ahead. We were hoping for a guess at the gender, but this little one was uncooperative! All our reading about the nub and the 'angle of the dangle' was for naught. We will find out at the anatomy scan in about 6 weeks.

Every single time I have had tears in my eyes lying there on the ultrasound table. I am still nervous, half expecting bad news, since I've had so many ultrasounds where the tech goes all silent and you just know something's wrong. But so far, so good. I can hardly believe it.

I'm showing now - no hiding the baby bump. I've borrowed a bunch of maternity clothes from my friends, who all had their babies last year. That has been great. It's really weird not to recognize my own body when I look down or see myself in the mirror.

We shared the news with the family this past weekend. We sent out the ultrasound picture and had everyone over for a big party. It was chaos, exhausting, and wonderful to be surrounded by happy family.

My due date is February 4th (or 3rd if you go by my last ultrasound instead of my O date). And we don't have a cute name for the baby - I know a lot of couples have an in-the-womb nickname, but it just doesn't feel right. We do, however, have names picked out for a boy or a girl. In fact, we picked the girl name about six years ago, on something like our third date!

So there you go. Thank you all so much for the support and congratulatory comments! I was so happy to finally be able to share the news.
:)

Well.....

:)

Saucy Szechuan Eggplant (or not eggplant, as you like!)

So, no luck finding a recipe like the delicious Graceful Vegetarian eggplant hot pot.. yet.. I won't give up! It's too yummy to only be able to have it when I go out to eat, which is rarely!

I did come up with a recipe that is similarly saucy, and although it doesn't come anywhere near replicating the one I was looking for, it satisfied my eggplant craving for now. I'll share it with you - let me know if you try it out!
Saucy Szechuan Eggplant (any way you like it)

• 1 large eggplant (or 2 baby eggplants, or 3 Japanese eggplants (the long skinny ones) - about 2 cups), quartered lengthwise and sliced to 1/2" thick
• 1 red pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup green beans, topped, tailed and cut to 2"
  
• cooking oil
• 1 1/4 cup boiling water
• 1 bouillon cube (I used vegetable, you could use chicken or beef)
• 2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp tamari (or add an extra Tbsp of soy sauce)
• 1 tsp chili-garlic paste (or 1 tsp hot sauce, or more, or less to your taste)
• 1 Tbsp minced ginger (or 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger in desperate times)
  
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp corn starch
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
  

First, add the boiling water to your bouillon cube in a medium bowl to give it a chance to dissolve. You can add the wet sauce ingredients (soy sauce, tamari, chili-garlic paste, minced ginger if using) to this as well. Combine the dry sauce ingredients in a small bowl (brown sugar, corn starch, ground ginger if using). Set both bowls aside.

Heat about 1 Tbsp oil at medium heat in a skillet (or wok) and add the eggplant, cooking on both sides until golden (I did this in batches, adding more oil as needed). Set aside on paper towels. Toss the red pepper and green beans in and quickly saute for a couple minutes until the red peppers have softened slightly. Set aside with the eggplant.

Stir your bouillon mixture, and add it to your skillet. Add the dry sauce ingredients and whisk to combine. Stir constantly over medium heat until the sauce begins to boil and thickens. Add in the cooked vegetables and heat through.

Serve over rice and garnish with chopped green onion. Yum!

Options (always options!):

• Add in or substitute any other vegetables you like, eg broccoli florets, zucchini, baby corn, baby bok choi, etc.
  
• If you have a Chinese grocery store near you, you can pick up prepared deep-fried tofu in the refrigerator aisle. Give it a quick saute before the eggplant, drain on paper towels, and add in with the vegetables. I have been trying to cut back on soy (phytoestrogens), but I confess an abiding love for deep-fried tofu. That combination of chewy/crispy outside with the soft and juicy inside just makes me swoon.
• Carnivorous? Stir-fried chicken or beef strips would be nice in this.
• This would be great on noodles, too, instead of rice. Ramen style noodles are super quick to make, and you can throw them in the pan with the sauce and veg for a mixed dish, or serve over top of these or cooked soba noodles, for example. Even spaghetti noodles would do in a pinch.
  

Looking for a recipe...

...for eggplant hot pot. We recently ate at one of my all-time favourite restaurants, the Graceful Vegetarian in Markham. If you are ever near the Pacific Mall, make SURE to stop in at the Graceful Vegetarian right there in the plaza by Curry's for a meal - they have the most amazing, guilt-free food. Lots of 'mock' meats (duck, chicken, ham & pork, beef, even shark!) if you're craving protein (or traveling with carnivores).

We shared fried vegetable dumplings, veggie tempura, rice, and an eggplant hot pot that was to die for. I could have eaten the whole thing myself (and it's a big dish!). I would LOVE to figure out how to cook eggplant like that. It's not peanutty, or sesame-y. I can't even begin to guess what's in there. It's so delicious. Can anyone help me out with a fantastic saucy Chinese eggplant recipe?

I am a fan of eggplant in any form, but I think the Chinese have it down. Of course, Babu (also in Markham, on Weldon north of 16th, I think) does a fantastic Tamil version of eggplant that is sweet and so spicy you'll cry (but you won't want to stop eating it).

Can anyone tell I'm hungry and I have two baby eggplants in the fridge waiting for a recipe?

Reunion Island Coffee Review!

This has been a long time coming, sorry for the wait!

Reunion Island Coffee is a Canadian company that is founded on admirable principles. It's not just about high-quality coffee - they really are committed to sustainability, from supporting co-op farmers and fair trade to promoting responsible farm management. They support the Rainforest Alliance, and use Bullfrog Power in their Canadian roasting operations (Bullfrog sells power exclusively from wind and low-impact water power generators who meet or exceed the federal government’s EcoLogo standard for renewable electricity). With fair trade and organic certified coffees, Reunion Island is bringing us amazing brews with zero guilt factor.

I recently had the opportunity to try out a bag of Reunion Island Coffee, and let me tell you, it was a tricky decision on which variety to choose. They have everything from the more standard to the exotic - I tried to count the available varieties and came up with ninety-six (!!!), plus twenty-six kinds of pods! Um, wow. Check out the crazy long list here!

Although tempted by the flavoured varieties (Maple Cream, French Caramel, and the limited edition Toasted Marshmallow (yum!!) were calling my name), I went with the Siesta Decaf. It's a nice, bright, medium-light roast that is a perfect contrast to the dark and bold roast that is my regular brew. I'm a serious coffee lover - I grind fresh beans and make a cappuccino every morning with my beloved espresso machine, so I feel qualified to say that the Siesta Decaf is a lovely bean. It doesn't have the 'flat' flavour that is often found in a lighter roast; instead it has a robust flavour, just lighter. It is decaffeinated with the Swiss Water process (in British Columbia!), which uses no chemicals to remove the caffeine and also ensures the flavour stays at its fullest (some other decaffeinating methods which use chemicals also alter the flavour of the bean).
The quality of the coffee is a major selling point, but what tips the balance with Reunion Island Coffee for me is their commitment to better lives and a better world. I was thrilled to work with such an impressive Canadian company, and pleased that I can honestly recommend their product.

Reunion Island provided me a bag of coffee and a travel mug (which is awesome, by the way) to review. I was not paid for this article and it contains my honest opinions. You can find Reunion Island Coffee at specialty retailers, hotels and cafes in Canada and the US.

Winner - Misikko Corioliss Classic Flat Iron! AND some scary strawberry news.

And we have a winner for the flat iron!
A big congratulations to Jenn, and a hint to my readers to check out her blog, Beautiful Calling - she has a giveaway on now and looks like some awesome ones coming up!

Hope you had fun with this one - stick around, I've got good stuff coming up. I know I've been a little off radar for the last little bit, but I'm coming back around. A lot of stuff's been happening around here and it's a whole new ball game taking care of a house and a dog without my husband around.

OH, and I recommend reading this article about strawberries - scary stuff. I'm all about buying local when I can, but those lovely strawberries from California are so enticing in the middle of a Canadian winter. I know now I'll be looking for the organic label or passing them by. If strawberries equal miscarriages, thyroid disease, neurotoxins and cancer, no thanks.

This summer we got a number of strawberries from our 18 organic plants (they're currently flowering towards a second crop - love everbearing!). I had intended to buy some at the local farm, but they were going for $25 a flat! Pricey! Usually we will buy a ton, wash and top them then freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and bag them once frozen. Frozen strawberries are pretty and delicious instead of ice cubes in summer drinks, perfect in smoothies, or thawed over ice cream.

Winner - Tropical Traditions Organic Raw Honey!

Finally, finally... the winner for this yummy honey! Congratulations!! I'm emailing the winner now.

Delay...

Sorry for the delay in picking the winner for the Tropical Traditions Organic Raw Honey - it'll be a little longer. My husband's home for a few more hours before he gets on a plane again, and we're going to the local Strawberry Festival! See you tomorrow :)

Misikko: Corioliss Classic Pro Flat Iron - Review and Giveaway!

***This giveaway is closed***
Winner: Jenn

I have a confession to make. I am not a hair person. Not that I don't appreciate good hair - I do - it's just that I have no skills. I go to a stylist (not a junior one, either) at a fairly pricey salon, and the day she cuts and styles my hair, it looks great. Then, every day after that until I visit her again, it's a hair disaster. That profile pic over there? Taken immediately after a salon visit.

It's not that I don't try. I do! Honest. (I mean, sometimes I do. Sometimes I just stick it in a pony tail and be done with it.) But no amount of blow-drying with a vented round brush will convince my hair to curl under on both sides instead of in on one and out on the other. No curlers will leave my locks in pretty ringlets - it reverts to a strange wave in the back and random flips at the front.

It's a problem. Okay, not a huge one (I do have a global frame of reference here), but really... there are times when I'd actually like to look put together. I'd love to look like I took control of this crazy hair and it submitted to my whims.

Now I have a new tool in my arsenal. Misikko has sent me a Corioliss Classic Pro Flat Iron (1") to review. Misikko, if you haven't heard of it already, is the site for professional hair straighteners. These are the brands that the salons use. I don't know if you've noticed, but when they straighten my hair at the salon, the iron gets hot faster, and works better, than the one I had at home. Ha! No more.

They also carry some of the best hair dryers out there. I personally love travel hair dryers for how little space they take up in my bathroom cabinet. I mean, who has room to store a giant hair dryer with all its accessories? This one's cute - the T3 Tourmaline Overnight Hair Dryer. And it has a pile of 5-star reviews from customers! Always a good sign.

And of course, they have curling irons too. Check out the HAI Digital Ceramic Styling Rod - it's pretty cool. I've seen stylists use these tools on tv. They don't have the spring arm like regular curling irons, they're just a heated rod (please don't let me end up in some weird google category because I just wrote "heated rod"...) that you wrap the hair around for more natural looking curls.

Okay, back to the Corioliss Classic Pro. I did before and after pics so you can imagine me on some awesome makeover show on tv. Of course, nobody fixed my makeup or wardrobe, or gave me a free shopping spree in New York City (sigh). So here is the before...As you can tell, I didn't have a professional photographer with flattering lighting, either. Anyway, you can see what I mean... Random waves. And I look kind of resigned and sad. That's how I usually feel about my hair. Like, "come ON! really? do you have to look like that, hair?" Now on to the after, once I'd spent some time with the Corioliss Classic Pro.Now I'm going to be honest - it took me a while. Like, maybe, 40 minutes. It heated up fast but I'm slow and despite having fine hair, I have a lot of it so it took a while to do all the sections of hair. That said, I only had to do each section ONCE, not twice like my old hair iron. And the result is nice straight hair with a slight curve under, just like my stylist does it. No, really! Compare this to my profile pic! YAY! See, I look happy! And I swear it made me look skinnier (and bustier!). Straight hair gives me cheekbones and boobs! (disclaimer: YMMV) Okay, it's not plastic surgery. But it was good times at our house when I saw the results.

And it will be good times at one of my lucky readers' houses when one of you wins the same awesome flat iron that I reviewed! Eeeeks! Let me just share a photo of the package I received - check the extra touches - packed with pretty lightly scented roses AND a pouch to store it in! And ps, it has a really long cord which I love!
The giveaway:
The Corioliss Classic Pro Flat Iron 1" from Misikko!

How to enter: Head over to Misikko and let me know one other thing you'd like to try, OR one thing that you learned there. Make sure I've got a way to contact you if you're the winner!

Extra entries (please leave an extra comment for each. If you already do any of these things, leave the comment - you do get the entry for it!):

• Subscribe via email to the Misikko newsletter (on the left sidebar of their page) for 3 entries, leave 3 comments!
  
• Follow @misikko on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Tweet about this giveaway for ONE entry, this is not a daily! You can use this if you like:

  Win the awesome Corioliss Classic Pro Hair Iron from @Misikko at Emily's Latest @emilyisland http://bit.ly/b7EqAo US/CAN 7/10
  

• Follow my blog (publicly) – 2 entries, leave 2 comments
• Add my blog button to your blog– 2 entries, leave 2 comments (please leave a link to your blog)
• Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post and to Misikko – 2 entries, leave 2 comments and please include a link to your post
  

I will be verifying comments so please actually do the things you say you do ☺ If you already do any of these things, it still counts for entries!

Please be sure to include your email address if it’s not public in your blogger profile! Anonymous comments without a way to contact you will be rejected. Canadian or US mailing addresses only, please (this iron is not dual voltage!). Giveaway ends July 10th at 11:59 EST. A winner will be drawn the next day, announced here, in a separate post and emailed!

Prize will be shipped by sponsor. Note for Canadian entrants: Misikko is not responsible for customs or duties that Canada may charge if you decide to participate in this sponsored blog giveaway. (FYI - there was no extra charge on my iron, which came to Canada quickly and packaged most beautifully!)

EcoMom Winner!

The EcoMom gift certificate giveaway has come to an end. Here's who won the $20 gift certificate:- who got her entries in just under the wire! Congratulations and enjoy - they really do have something for everyone, and it's all eco-friendly. Our family has loved everything we've tried from there so far!

If you didn't win this time, keep in mind the coupon code they have offered - use SBBL220 to get 15% off your first order. This code expires July 30, 2010.

A big thanks to EcoMom for sponsoring the giveaway!

Fish drama and tea (not together)

It's the last day to enter the EcoMom giveaway, BTW!

Two things.

Remember how my husband has gone to Calgary for six months? He left last Sunday. (Luckily, he's home again for the next two weekends in a row, and we video chat every day.)

Anyway, before he headed off, he gave the fish tank a really good, thorough cleaning. I mean, he took everything out, pulled up, trimmed, and replanted the plants, changed out the water, flushed the filter - the works. And it looked great. Nice and clear, the plants were pearling (this means they give off bubbles of oxygen that look like a string of pearls, because they are happy), fish seemed alright...

Until yesterday. When I noticed the fish were all gathered at the top of the aquarium, not swimming about. Then on a closer look, one of the shrimp was lying dead on the bottom of the tank. At another glance I saw that one of the diamond tetras had suffered the same fate, and the remaining fish were gasping, with red gills and lethargic movements. Uh oh.

The fish tank is my husband's project. I like the fish alright and it's pretty, but I wouldn't be a person that would have a tank, because I'm not interested in maintaining one. I don't like icky fish water, I don't like icky dried brine shrimp fish food, I don't like dealing with dead things. And I don't like the idea of a tank failing and 40 gallons of water flowing across and through our hardwood floors, into the finished basement (my painting studio). (This would not have occurred to me as a possibility if it hadn't happened once while we were living in an apartment - luckily a basement one with tile floors, so it didn't do too much damage. But let me tell you, it's a shock to come home to an inch of water on the floor and an inch of water left in the tank with desperate looking fish wondering where their home has gone!)

I gritted my teeth, bared my arm and fished out the corpses. Not the highlight of my day.

Later in the evening, I saw another fish had gone floaters. And another. Two more tiny fish bodies to remove. Finally, I got my husband on video chat and we talked about what was happening. I told him I didn't think the fish would last the night. He did some research after we hung up, and learned that he'd just given the tank too good of a cleaning. The bacteria that are necessary to deal with the fish waste had died or been cleaned away. The poor fish were dying of ammonia poisoning from their own waste.

I was already in bed when he rang me up and told me that if I got the fish out of the tank and put them in a bucket of conditioned water, they might make it. So at 10:30 at night (yes, I go to bed early), I'm downstairs in my bathrobe, catching fish and shrimp in the net and transferring them to a bucket on the floor. All of the fish were pretty sad looking at this point. Most were lethargic. Some were lying on their sides at the top of the water, gasping. One shrimp was lying on his back, flailing sporadically. The other shrimp had turned red (usually they're grey). The Siamese algae eater (very 'cute' fish that are long and gold with a black stripe) didn't make it. She (?) died within a few minutes of transfer.

I put the tank cover on the bucket so they wouldn't jump out, carefully washed my wet fishy arm off, and went upstairs, back to bed. I tossed and turned all night long. This morning the first thing I did was go down and check the bucket. I expected to find one or two survivors.

To my surprise, all of the fish and both remaining shrimp are swimming about in the bucket. They're not thrilled to be in there (the last diamond tetra was freaking out, actually) but they're alive.

Today I'll pick up some bacteria and ammonia reducer to replenish the tank and deal with the poisonous waste that remains. So it's a happy ending for some... a much less populated tank... a sad, awful death for some.

Lesson learned.
________

The other thing I wanted to share is a great recipe. Just clear your mind of fish now, and think about vanilla tea lattes. We love tea lattes over here. This recipe is so simple, and makes a jug of concentrate that you can keep in the fridge for up to a week for practically instant tea lattes whenever you want.

Tea Latte Concentrate

For this recipe I use Rooibos tea, but you can use any tea you love - an Earl Grey, English Breakfast, or Orange Pekoe would be good.

6 cups boiling water
12 tea bags
2 Tbsp sugar*
1 tsp vanilla extract

Add the boiling water to the tea bags (I do this in a pot, so as not to release any chemicals from the plastic jug I later put it in when it's cool). Let steep for 3-5 minutes, then remove the tea bags, stir in the sugar and vanilla.

For a quick hot latte, add about 1/3 to 2/3 cup concentrate to a mug (depending how strong and sweet you like it), and fill the mug up with milk. Pop it in the microwave for a minute or more, depending on how hot you want it.

For an iced latte, pour the concentrate over ice cubes and top with milk.

For a coffeehouse style latte, heat the milk first on the stovetop and use a frother to get some foam. Or if you have an espresso machine, steam the milk until foamy. Add the hot milk and a dollop of foam to concentrate that has been warmed in the microwave.

*You could leave out the sugar and vanilla and add maple syrup instead. Or use agave syrup or brown sugar.

I'd love to hear if you make this. It takes less than 10 minutes and makes about 10-12 delicious drinks. We make it all the time - there's a jug full in the fridge now and I had a mug with my breakfast. Yum!

I'm looking for...

A recipe for eggless french toast. I've tried several (mostly banana* based), and haven't been really satisfied yet. The trouble is, bananas are so sweet that the sugars in them cause the bread to stick to the pan. So all the goodness gets stuck to the pan (even my ceramic non-stick GreenPan) and the bread just stays kinda soggy. It's yummy, but not the golden crispy morsel I'm looking for. So if you know of a good egg-free french toast recipe, please let me know. Meanwhile, I'll be experimenting in the kitchen. I do still eat dairy, but eggs are out.

A DHA supplement (Omega-3) from an algae source. Most Omega-3 supplements contain fish oil (ew!) which is obviously not compatible with my vegetarian diet! Also, many in pill form contain gelatin (made from boiling animal skin and bones), also a no-no for me. So I'm seeking a good DHA supplement (as opposed to ELA or ALA which are related, but must be converted by the body into DHA). I want to take about 600mg daily so I want one that has a fairly high mg-per-tablet (I don't really want to be taking 6 extra pills every day!).

I went to our very small local health food store yesterday to check for the supplement, and after half an hour of searching, they came up with:

• a bottle of oil (about 700 mL, of which I'd need to take 6 tablespoons a day (ugh), so it's about 8 day's worth at a cost of $24. Too icky to take 6 Tbsp of oil a day - and too expensive!
  
• a bottle of tablets that only had 100mg each (so I'd need to take 6 a day), had 30 tablets in the bottle, and cost $17 - and that was on sale at half price! Five days' worth for $17? Regularly $35? That's madness.

I wonder if I'm way out to lunch looking for this product for a reasonable price. I think an online source has got to be the solution - if anyone can help me out, let me know!

*fyi, bananas are one of the worst crops for pesticide use, that puts workers at risk, kills songbirds, and persists in the environment, affecting sensitive coastal wetland areas. Apparently there are 286 different pesticides approved for use in banana farming in one of the biggest production areas, Costa Rica. That's 286 poisons applied to fruit, just to keep it pretty. Please, if you buy bananas, spend the extra 20 cents per pound and buy organic!

So this is it...

It's just me and the dog.

My husband flew out today for his stint in Calgary. We get to ease into it a little, as he's coming home on Friday night so that we can go to that wedding on Saturday (with a little family visit thrown in as well over the weekend), and back again to Calgary for him.

We have video chatted already, and he said it's about 7.5 hours of travel time to get from one place to the other. Poor guy will be doing that a lot over the next six months.

All this is just in time to see the end of our major backyard project which we started in May (click for 'before' pictures!). Here's a view from the top of the hill (with that hammock I was talking about): We also finally finished the shed yesterday -We re-used the windows from our old front doors (you may remember this picture from when I blogged about the new glass we had installed. The transom, of course, has since been finished with the new design as well). I love having the windows in the shed. The siding matches our house siding as well.

The whole thing was a huge project but my husband's planning and design skills really shone. Most of it went very smoothly, with only a few minor hiccups along the way.

So, for the next while, we're in a different kind of upheaval with him living halfway across the country. It will be a big adjustment. I'm so glad he'll be back for frequent weekends - I miss him already and he's only been gone for 10 hours! I can't imagine what it must be like for military families or people in other jobs (fishing comes to mind) where one spouse is gone for much of the time. That would be tough.