Anyone feel like they've made a huge mistake?

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I would like a recipe for yogourt and panir.

Although I am thrilled that my local Blooms has my favourite Greek yogourt. yum

Speaking of missing foods..... I wish wish wish I could find a local butcher or baker or fishmonger. I really do miss those.

Whole Foods Bakery isn't too bad Krikit....now the butcher I ahve not found around here yet...

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Don't get me started on most American cheeses - they don't qualify for the name . I LOVE a good, old cheddar but here old means it is aged between 3 to 6 months - that isn't old, that barely qualifies as new - more like raw! Old starts at 3 years and gets better the more years you add to it. There are some nice Wisconsin cheeses available in some of the specialty cheese selections, and Costco sometimes has this absolutely wonderful old cheddar from Australia -(Box Cheddar) the kind that breaks apart and crumbles because it has aged properly. I get my fixes occasionally, but oh, I miss a good old Canadian cheddar bought from the cheese factory!

The clothing issue - heck, yeah! What is it with all of these pants, jeans, capris and shorts having the same sized waist as hips? I have a nice womanly shape with round hips and a small waist. It is next to impossible to find clothes that fit properly. It was difficult at times in Canada but not to the extreme it is here (Oh, how I miss Northern Reflections!). I have become expert with needle and thread to take things in, but sometimes the cut has just too much extra fabric all over that outside of re-cutting (and sometimes not even then), there really isn't a way to alter the clothes to fit. I have found a few manufacturers who understand woman are not straight up and down with the same size waist as hips, the most available being Liz Claiborne, especially Liz Claiborne Sport. They are almost always a good fit - enough room at the hips and nicely fitted to the waist so that I don't need to alter them. Those of you who have waists might want to check them out.

I mainly shop in thrift stores and second hand clothing stores so I've had some good success at getting some nice clothes relatively inexpensively - it is also a good way to try on different brands and see what do and don't fit. (My bargain today - a bone coloured silk knit t-shirt with some nice detail at the neckline, brand new with the original sale tag still attached showing $58 - for $3.49 at Value Village).

I've become an inveterate label reader in the grocery stores - if it has HFCS in it, I don't buy it. So many things here do taste sweeter and fatter - it's as if the food's natural flavour has to be 'enhanced' with sweet and fat additives instead of enhanced with herbs and spices. It's no wonder so many people in the US have a weight problem. I gained 15 pounds after I moved up here. I've now lost it again but it was by eliminating everything made with HFCS. I couldn't believe it when I found a brand of milk with HFCS! Geeze!

Edited September 24, 2010 by Kathryn41

[Krikit 1,164]

Whole Foods Bakery isn't too bad Krikit....now the butcher I ahve not found around here yet...

I found a real bread which comes pretty close to rivaling Ace Bakery breads in the Wegmans bakery! It's a new product to them. It's a start!

The clothing issue - heck, yeah! What is it with all of these pants, jeans, capris and shorts having the same sized waist as hips? [snip] Those of you who have waists might want to check them out.

Thanks for the tip.

I've become an inveterate label reader in the grocery stores - if it has HFCS in it, I don't buy it. So many things here do taste sweeter and fatter - it's as if the food's natural flavour has to be 'enhanced' with sweet and fat additives instead of enhanced with herbs and spices. It's no wonder so many people in the US have a weight problem. I gained 15 pounds after I moved up here. I've now lost it again but it was by eliminating everything made with HFCS. I couldn't believe it when I found a brand of milk with HFCS! Geeze!

No. Flipping. Kidding. I still get ticked at this. You know, I was shocked when it finally dawned on me to check the label on my non-fat half-and-half. It was full of HFCS!!!!! Never in a million years did it dawn on me that I would have to check that my cream only contained cream.

[~Nini~ 2]

I've become an inveterate label reader in the grocery stores - if it has HFCS in it, I don't buy it. So many things here do taste sweeter and fatter - it's as if the food's natural flavour has to be 'enhanced' with sweet and fat additives instead of enhanced with herbs and spices. It's no wonder so many people in the US have a weight problem. I gained 15 pounds after I moved up here. I've now lost it again but it was by eliminating everything made with HFCS. I couldn't believe it when I found a brand of milk with HFCS! Geeze!

Me toooooo... we should have prizes for speed-reading in the grocery aisles. Though HFCS in milk is new to me O.o

[Danu 19]

for me the miracle whip thing wasnt compairing to mayo, its compairing it to itself (but the canadian version) It doesnt taste the same, and I find mayo gross. I really dislike the flavor of hellmans or any other mayo's, they aren't how I'm use to the stuff tasting when I make it. I did a dip with it and took 2 bites and decided I'd rather not eat it.

[OBX 51]

For some reason just the mention of Hal Johnson made me laugh.

Do you know Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod from those Bodybreak (http://www.bodybreak.com/) commercials? For years, I've heard rumours about their relationship -- apparent fodder for bored Canadians. In the past few months, I'd heard the fitness pundits had divorced, since neither seemed to appear in the same scene in recent commercials. With each new Bodybreak commercial, I -- and apparently many other Canadian viewers -- wondered about the secret of this couple. Today, CBC Radio's DNTO interviewed Johnson and McLeod, revealing that, in addition to being business partners, the duo married five years ago. Why the 16-year secret? Apparently early TV execs felt that the 1988 public was not yet ready for an integrated relationship -- 40 agencies rejected the show, before the Canadian government picked up Bodybreak for its Participaction promotions. Although the public has "overwhelmingly" accepted the couple, Johnson and McLeod have been subject to slurs and death threats (http://www.bodybreak.com/fitiseverything.html). Nevertheless, the Bodybreak brand has expanded over the years to include fitness products, books, videos and even a restaurant. Johnson and McLeod have also gradually introduced persons with disabilities, persons of colour, and other under-represented groups to their shows.

They're interracial? I just thought he had a nice tan. lol

Now I'm hungry for Montreal bagels with pimento cream cheese!!

Welcome back Nina and Stacey. We've missed you.

They are still around? Funny, I always thought they were a couple.

[TimandJoyce 1]

Me toooooo... we should have prizes for speed-reading in the grocery aisles. Though HFCS in milk is new to me O.o

Wow...never thought to look for that in milk! What brands? Anyone know?

I agree about all the HFCS is in so much! Enough already...sheesh. I know I've gained, (too much) since moving here...maybe another reason why I feel so depressed. Well, there are lots of other reasons too...but I won't go into all that......

[nab 74]

I would like a recipe for yogourt and panir.

Although I am thrilled that my local Blooms has my favourite Greek yogourt. yum

Speaking of missing foods..... I wish wish wish I could find a local butcher or baker or fishmonger. I really do miss those.

YOGURT MAKING 101

yogurt making does not require special equipment... i use an approx. 8" square cardboard box, heating pad, small thin bath towel (or thick hand towel), grocery pickle jar (quart = 32oz) (make certain you clean and air out well before using! jelly jar works too, i just prefer the short, fat, wide mouth jar of pickles... also, does not HAVE to be 32oz, can be whatever size you have on hand - 28oz i've used as well), whisk, and a candy thermometer. whenever you buy something for kitchen, buy nice quality that will be with you for many years.

to begin yogurt you need to buy one of those little 6oz Dannon yogurt (or any brand that reads 'live cultures') this will start several batches, approx $.05 a batch, and if you are 'chain yogurting' as low as $.01 a batch. if you do not make yogurt often and do not want to keep in fridge, freeze them in ice cube trays: 1 cube = 2TBLS

important: buy PLAIN yogurt, no flavors, not 'lite' or anything else... just plain yogurt! once you have made your own yogurt you can use your own (if you do NOT do as i do and add honey, i love the sweetness for breakfast so i rarely make plain). you can 'chain yogurt' up to 4x but batches will get more runny the more you chain. also, you need to make new batches within 5 days if using your own yogurt but if you are making like eveyr other or 3 days this shouldnt be a problem.

put 2TBLS yogurt in jar and bring to room temp.

heat milk on stove to 180F ("measure" it by pouring milk into jar and leave headroom, any type milk works: skim, 2%, whole milk, and even if you use non-fat instant powdered milk)

add 1/2cup instant milk powder, dry if you want thick yogurt (i prefer that).

stir in 2Tbls honey if you want mildly sweet yogurt, leave out if you want plain.

cool to 115F (about 1/2hr but check your time, batches after that you will know approx for how long to set timer, set it few minutes early... pans conduct heat different so a thinner pan will cool more quickly than a heavy weight pan). you can also just do small things around kitchen while you wait for cooling.

pour approx. 1/2 cup warm milk (115F) into jar and whisk so yogurt mixes well with milk, then add that back to the rest of milk and whisk well, it is IMPORTANT the milk and yogurt be mixed well!.

put lid on jar, not too tight but finger tight.

put heating pad (turned on medium/middle setting) over box opening, set jar in center and push down into box so that heating pad surrounds sides of jar. cover with folded towel (that's your insulation).

set in a warm, draft-free area where it will not be disturbed and do NOT open for at least 4hrs. NO PEEKING. it's like rice, you open and peek you will ruin it.

after 4hrs take towel off and GENTLY tilt box so you can see thru the top/side of jar if yogurt looks stiff but do not remove if it looks runny, leave it another couple hours. if stiff turn off heat, put jar in fridge (LOL i can NEVER resist and always eat a custard dish of it while it's warm). i usually do mine in evening so i can put in fridge overnight so it's nice and firm next morning for breakfast with a little crumbled cereal on it.

it wont hurt it if you need to leave house and come back with more time than 4hrs (up to 12hrs), it's like a slow cooker, it wont ruin the yogurt to leave extra time BUT it will make the yogurt more tart and since i like mine sweet i remove right at 4hrs. even if you make this plain, it will be a little more sweet than store bought... not "sweet" but "less tart".

the key to good yogurt is consistent heat. there are many cheaper ways to make (example: put in a pot of hot water and set inside a preheated to lowest setting then turned off oven with light on for heat, dont open oven till time is up) but the way i do has been perfect yogurt every time except the very first time, when i couldnt resist peeking so i added some blueberries, blended, and put into popsicle molds into the freezer YUMMY! so even a failed batch isnt wasted. oh, and if you find you do not eat all the yogurt within 5 days you can still do like that - freeze it, fruit/yogurt popsicles are delicious!

i know this is terribly wordy so i tried to bold the important things... feel free to message me if you have questions. It looks very long but that is only because i wanted not to leave out any detail. once you make this you will be like OMG i cant believe how easy this is!!!

big tip: lay out all your ingredients and kitchen utensils BEFORE you begin

oh, and you can make "yogurt cheese" by putting a cloth in a colander, put it over a bowl, and set in fridge overnight.

I will post recipe for panir as well, a little later.

as for baking... IMHO bread maker bread is disgusting... use your own recipes and bake in oven!! BUT, the bread maker is WONDERFUL for use in kneading and rising your bread for you... about 1/2hr hands on time for delicious bread is nothing! but total time is about 3hrs. because of time in bread maker and oven: put ingredients in maker and set to "dough" setting, in mine it is 1hr 20min time. come back and shape the dough (for me this is where most of the 1/2hr comes in becasue i make a lot of crossaints and specialty rolls instead of bread loaves) and then bake (my rolls are 5min each sheet, i usually make about 3). cool on racks.

it's surprising more people dont utilize those bread makers sitting around... you can find a used one for under $20 at salvation army or goodwill stores (around here they go for about $7-9). i bought mine new at a black friday sale maybe 6-7yrs ago for $20 or $25 so definitely i've got my money back out of it!

-----

Krikit - be careful on creamers that have hydrogenated oils... MANY do!!! creamer should be CREAM/MILK ONLY but not here

avoid all foods with hydrogenated oils, very bad stuff! if you are not used to eatng it you will know when you do becasue it tastes like soemthing that belongs in the motor of a car got added to your food. yuck yuck yuck!! it used to only be added to dairy products so i checked all those, then it crept into snack foods which isnt too much of an issue to me as we make our own, but now you have to watch for it EVERYWHERE! i've found it added to MEAT! so we eat our own chickens, wild game, and occasionally meat (only from 2 stores).

food safety scares me now so i really wish people would go back to trying to produce as much as they can for themselves and know how to be self-sustaining.

Edited September 25, 2010 by nab

[sleepy in Seattle 3]

Hehe yeah exactly! And when I make something and the flavor is just a touch off I'm like "I wish I could get X down here, it would taste the same" (the mayo thing was cuz I tried to make my mom's tatar sauce and her egg salad, and neither of them taste right. Its just a wierd feeling lol.

Once you figure where to shop and not too things tend to fall into place, its just very painful until than. I am not living there yet but at least I had the experience first hand and now I am good to go

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Wow...never thought to look for that in milk! What brands? Anyone know?

I agree about all the HFCS is in so much! Enough already...sheesh. I know I've gained, (too much) since moving here...maybe another reason why I feel so depressed. Well, there are lots of other reasons too...but I won't go into all that......

I was in Kroger's and at the milk fridge. Two women were next to me and one said to the other " Oh, don't get that brand, get this brand - it tastes so much better. I never get anything else now". So, when they left I went and took a look at it. It was twice the price of the milk I was going to buy and when I looked at the label thinking it might be organic or something, I saw it had HFCS listed on it. I don't recall the brand name - I don't think I ever really looked at the brand name. I just shuddered and put the jug back on the shelf. It was whole milk as well, not skim or 1% or 2%. (And yes, the woman involved was carrying more than a few extra pounds).

[Inky 1,110]

The milk I get is "Smart Milk" in the blue box. I dont think it has HFCS in it? Checked the lable and couldnt find it. I quite like the taste of it a lot like the milk I bought back in ottawa.

[nab 74]

Don't get me started on most American cheeses - they don't qualify for the name . I LOVE a good, old cheddar but here old means it is aged between 3 to 6 months - that isn't old, that barely qualifies as new - more like raw! Old starts at 3 years and gets better the more years you add to it. There are some nice Wisconsin cheeses available in some of the specialty cheese selections, and Costco sometimes has this absolutely wonderful old cheddar from Australia -(Box Cheddar) the kind that breaks apart and crumbles because it has aged properly. I get my fixes occasionally, but oh, I miss a good old Canadian cheddar bought from the cheese factory!

The clothing issue - heck, yeah! What is it with all of these pants, jeans, capris and shorts having the same sized waist as hips? I have a nice womanly shape with round hips and a small waist. It is next to impossible to find clothes that fit properly. It was difficult at times in Canada but not to the extreme it is here (Oh, how I miss Northern Reflections!). I have become expert with needle and thread to take things in, but sometimes the cut has just too much extra fabric all over that outside of re-cutting (and sometimes not even then), there really isn't a way to alter the clothes to fit. I have found a few manufacturers who understand woman are not straight up and down with the same size waist as hips, the most available being Liz Claiborne, especially Liz Claiborne Sport. They are almost always a good fit - enough room at the hips and nicely fitted to the waist so that I don't need to alter them. Those of you who have waists might want to check them out.

I mainly shop in thrift stores and second hand clothing stores so I've had some good success at getting some nice clothes relatively inexpensively - it is also a good way to try on different brands and see what do and don't fit. (My bargain today - a bone coloured silk knit t-shirt with some nice detail at the neckline, brand new with the original sale tag still attached showing $58 - for $3.49 at Value Village).

I've become an inveterate label reader in the grocery stores - if it has HFCS in it, I don't buy it. So many things here do taste sweeter and fatter - it's as if the food's natural flavour has to be 'enhanced' with sweet and fat additives instead of enhanced with herbs and spices. It's no wonder so many people in the US have a weight problem. I gained 15 pounds after I moved up here. I've now lost it again but it was by eliminating everything made with HFCS. I couldn't believe it when I found a brand of milk with HFCS! Geeze!

on the cheddar cheese, try Black Diamond white cheddar... it is sooooo good! but the price will give you sticker shock! it is my splurge

the thrift store thing, my favorite finds were two silk button up blouses that are so lovely and comfy, i love silk!! and an awesome leather jacket for my son - had just seen soemthing very similar to it at the store the prior week for over $100 and no way I'll pay that for a child's jacket... then i found this one for $8! i had just got him a dirtbike so he thought he was the coolest on his bike with leather jacket

choices are very limited at thrift store though, people get rid of their 'fat clothes' as soon as they arent needed but tend to hang on to smaller things. the limited supply of average sizes would be picked over very quickly (check to see if they give employees first dibs, also ask when they put new things out on floor - daily/weekly/etc). depending on the answers to these (look around to see if employees are about your size ), you may not have a shot at ever getting much at that location - so check for other locations. also, consignment shops will take the smaller clothes, IDK if they will take larger clothing. so everything is workign against you if you are shopping thrift store for smaller sizes.

children's clothes are same way depending on size... if you're looking for boys jeans you wont find 8-10 sizes, seems like this is the size when they begin ruining their clothing so they ruin their own and it's next to impossible to find hand-me-downs, or in thrift store and consignment shop.

just have to balance WHAT you are looking for and WHERE you are looking... nice business clothes = consignment shop; jeans, sweatshirts, casual stuff, kids clothes, jackets = thift store; also try to find buyout type stores like marshall's, and other places like that which are only local... for that type of thing you may have to ask around because places like that dont usually advertise to keep costs down, word of mouth is their advertising.

consignment shops, check to see if they have a certain amount of days they hold things before they drop prices down (1 week, month, seasonal).

good luck!

[Krikit 1,164]

on the cheddar cheese, try Black Diamond white cheddar... it is sooooo good! but the price will give you sticker shock! it is my splurge

Black Diamond is Canadian cheese.

[nab 74]

Black Diamond is Canadian cheese.

sorry, was just trying to help.... it is readily available in the stores here in US.

Edited September 26, 2010 by nab

[Krikit 1,164]

YOGURT MAKING 101

[snip]

Oh. I don't know how I missed this post! Thank you so much, Nab. I will give that a try sometime!

sorry, was just trying to help.... it is readily available in the stores here in US.

Nothing to be sorry about. Your posts are appreciated. I was just happy that you preferred Canadian cheese! lol