Sundays are usually days when we go out to eat as a family – but like most restaurants in Canada – the portions are really huge – we never ever managed to finish our food.   So what do we do?  we doggy bag the leftover and eat them for dinner (most times) or the next day.  We’ve always taught Chloe from young that food must not be wasted – so we always finish our leftovers – what about you guys?  what is your take with leftover food from restaurants and at home?  do you eat them all another day – or do you not doggy bag them for fear of looking cheap?

Many years ago before coming to Canada – I would never dream of packing up leftovers at the restaurants.  When I eat with my bosses or travel for work with them – I always felt like it’s so cheap to wanna doggy bag the food home – so why the 360 degree change?  Firstly, my current food is not paid by my bosses – who always eat extravagantly and being expatriates – they never like to pack food back to the hotel but now that I have a kid – I have to teach her good values and because of all the charitable organization I’ve joined after coming to Canada  – I’m made aware of the many people who are less fortunate than us  – therefore, I try never to waste food.

Ever since coming to Canada – I’ve to learned to cook for myself – but one thing awesome about cooking here is I never have to cook for PB – why?  because he likes his own kinda food – like potatoes, carrots, some chicken – not a lot of beef or sandwiches.  So I never have to worry about cooking for him – he can eat a sandwich in the morning, sandwich for lunch and another sandwich for dinner.  Yup!  he isn’t adventurous at all with his food – but every Sunday – he will cook potatoes, carrots – some sort of meat for supper – for the entire family – so I can’t really complained right?  Sure it is monotonous but better than my dad – having only cooked for his children once in our entire life – so I count my blessings.

I loved a good garlic bread – and found one that I liked very much here – so sometimes we also have garlic bread but not every weekend.  And for lunch we dine out on Sundays – although PB doesn’t really like eating out either.   So yes, for someone who lovesssssssssssss food like myself and being with a man who eats to live – well -  quite bizarre right?  but he has improved over the years – and he makes it a point to bring me and Chloe out to eat every week – although there are limited restaurants that he likes.

We had bought some Christmas cookies to be baked at home on Christmas eve – but alas – as you can see here – it was left too long in the oven.   What a bummer!  PB and Chloe was disappointed because they were the ones who wanted the cookies.

They were so burnt they can’t even be saved!  guess our oven is hotter than we thought it was. While chloe was whining about it and PB ranting about the oven – what did mama do?  just ignored the burnt cookies and showed everyone to the tv room. muahahhah!  that’s what mummy’s are good for right?

We are truly blessed by good and true friends from around here – not only does Chloe and I get gifts all the time – we also get specially made cookies from Kim every year.  I think it is a priceless gesture and wished I had the time to do the same for all my friends too – alas, being so busy with my own work and work at the store – and of course Chloe – it doesn’t leave me a lot of time.  But my friends are steadfast and they understand it and never hold it against me.

And every year we received fruit baskets from friends as well – this one is from Lynette and Josh.  They are so thoughtful – even when they were just getting over their illness – they came by with gifts for Chloe for her birthday and Christmas and a fruit basket for us.  In everyone’s life – we have  lots of friends but those who are with you throughout the good and the bad times and never jealous of your achievements – those are hard to come by.  I’m glad I have friends who are never envy or jealous of our successes and celebrate them with us.  Thank you for your friendship Kim and Lynette.

A gourmet fruit basket from a customer.

And another 3 more from friends of the store too.

For those who’ve supported Chloe in raising funds for her school – thru’ the lobster tickets sale – I’m sorry to say that no one from our group won the 25lbs of lobsters – it was someone else in town that we didn’t the name at all.  But since Chloe won for bringing in the most money for the school – a total of $725  – Chloe won 5 lbs of lobsters that was delivered by her principal to our store.

The zhu’s cooked the lobster for me – and I’m forever grateful because I wouldn’t know how to cook them or how to break them into pieces.   And the Zhu’s stirred fried them with ginger and spring onions for me – it was very yummy!

I haven’t had lobsters for a long time – whole lobsters like that and I’ve almost forgotten how whole lobsters tasted like.  I wished I had some sambal to stir fried it with – but the ginger and spring onion was just as good – yummy!!  thanks to everyone once again!  We are forever grateful!

For those of you who are not aware of this – we’ve put Chloe into horse riding classes since last year – and we get all her equestrian apparel online but when it comes to getting the saddle and tack, we are always try and get them locally if the price is right.  So a few weeks ago, we headed to Shelburne to look for this. This is a FQHB 16 inch Stallion Tack – I loved that it has lots of silver it  – they were asking for $650 and it was a very good price – but alas, it was a little too big for Chloe – so we didn’t end up getting it.  Guess we will continue to look for it online.

It was an hour drive back, so we stopped at Austrain Inn to eat – and it always makes us hungry after sending her for horse riding classes but we get to go out and eat – which is our favorite.

The Austrain Inn looked small from the outside but it has a huge capacity inside as you can see.

It was very spacious and we went late for lunch – therefore, you don’t see many customers at this time.

The service was good and the food was good too.  We had a hard time deciding on what we wanted.

The soup that came with my meal wasn’t something i liked too much – so I didn’t drink it.

Chloe as you can see loved this place a lot.

Her chocolate milk came first.

Chloe had fish and chips – they dont have this in the kid’s menu – I think they don’t have a kid’s menu to be honest. But the next time I have to remember to ask them not to put the green stuff.  I think it was basil if I am not wrong.

I had the most wonderful BBQ schnitzel chicken with some buttered rice and carrots – they were such a healthy combination if you asked me.  By far the best meal I had here in Canada.

PB had the chicken cordon bleu – he likes it  – the chicken is good – but the ham and cheese inside were different from what he likes – but he said the chicken was really tender.  We always have a hearty meal after Chloe horse – riding and she enjoys it so much – we really want to get her the right apparel for classes next year.

So tell me what food would you order if you don’t know what to eat ?  or when you are not too full nor too hungry for you just had breakfast not too, too long ago.  My recommendation is omelet  – you cannot go wrong with that  – and when I am not too hungry I order some omelet – but of course I asked for only 2 omelet instead of 3 and I don’t eat the potatoes they offer and very little bread.  What about you ?  what do you eat when you are out in a restaurant with family and friends but don’t know what to order or too full to eat too much.  Pray tell.

And here we have chloe – her only food when she eats out is fish and chips – as long as they have fish and chips – we are all safe.

We’ve been invited to several Christmas parties this year and Chloe and PB baked some sugar cookies to bring to our hosts – we thought it would be a nice gesture since most of our friends have everything and insist that we don’t bring anything except ourselves.  We had to turn down some parties because we were afraid that the weather may not permit us to travel to and fro for the parties – plus in previous years we’ve seen many accidents on the highway – even when the snow wasn’t so bad – it’s the ice on the road that causes these accidents.   Of course,  medical help would be there when the need arises but why court trouble when you don’t have to right – so we only attend parties right in town and the time has to be right too – because of Chloe’s food – she is a fussy eater.

PB always insist that he is a careful driver – and I always remind him that it’s not him I’m worried about on the road – it’s those that are drinking during their parties or those who’ve ate too much – and falling asleep on the road.  You can never be too careful – so this Christmas season – for those who drink – don’t drive and if the weather is bad – don’t go out – because you may be a cautious driver – but the person riding down the highway – may not be – or the road conditions just may not be the best.  Be safe this Christmas and always have an emergency kit with you in the car and a number to call for Medical Emergency Assistance.

Thanks to Jenn from Toronto – I’m having some food from home – a huge box came in for me and Chloe last week.  Jenn – who blogs like I do – had been sending me lots of food and gifts  – and even though she is pregnant, she is still taking care of us.  Thank you so much Jenn and Chapman!

I bet you want to know what is in the huge box that arrived right?  well, here is a glimpse of what is inside.

From jewelry to angpow and of course lots of food that I liked from home.

Wedding favors from her wedding earlier this year – so thoughtful right?

How cute right?  Chloe had one too – that she carries with her to school everyday.

Pork floss to go with my pineapple rice.

Cute ang pows for Chinese New Year in January 2012

Lychee jello that chloe loved.

Yummy Taro Mochi!!  I loved it so much!

Red bean mochi  – yummy to the max.

Pickled mustard aka hum choi for my soup.

A lovely Christmas card – really thoughtful.

And laksa!!  what i was waiting for !  i want to cook this for Chloe’s teachers.

Yummy spicy cuttlefish !! it was so yummy!! i finished it in 2 days. Thank you so much Jenn – i truly appreciate all your effort and thoughtfulness.  God bless you and Chapman!  both of you got a heart of gold! and thank you for donating to Chloe’s lobster fund!

We always celebrate Chloe’s birthday early – to avoid the bad weather, so after that year – we always do it earlier – so the kid won’t be disappointed if her friends don’t show up due to bad weather.  But this year, we decided to let Grammie do the birthday party – afterall, she is the only grand daughter right?

So Chloe is turning 8 yrs old in another 10 days – we cannot be more proud of her – and yeas! grammie made the cake and we had bought her a toy – to make it look like a real birthday cake.

Chloe being silly for her birthday party – which consisted all her aunts and uncles – we didn’t invite any children because I just want her to be with family and loved.

I’m very happy to see Marco’s Pasta  & Grill move to town – because I’ve always liked Marco since it’s previous owners but they were all the way out in Tusket.  Sure, it really isn’t that far – but when you are hungry – you just want to go where it is the nearest – and the trouble with us is – we only eat when we are hungry.

So having Marco’s in town is definitely a plus for people like me who loved food and different kind of food everyday if possible.

Marco’s is all decked up for Christmas as you can see here.

We didn’t have to wait long for our seats – there were like 6 – 8 tables filled when we arrived – and only 2 waitresses that Sunday.  So it is considered busy by my standard.

The restaurant’s decor is pretty – and as you can see here – can seat quite a number of tables and people.

We were given a seat near the entrance – one side is bench like seats and the other side with regular wooden seats.

We didn’t have to wait long for our menu to come – but the waitress didn’t give us a children’s menu – we had to ask for it.  But that’s alright – she is busy and I can see that there were a number of regular guests during lunch that Sunday.

We started with an appetizer of bruschetta  – although I know I’m going to be the one eating most of it.  PB had one – I think because it had cheese on it – haha!

The waitress freshly grated the cheese in front of us – and that was a very nice touch.  Unfortunately, chloe doesn’t like the smell of the cheese and as for the bruschetta – it was delicious but a wee bit soggy for my liking.

Chloe had the fish and chips from the children’s menu – and there were a lot of fish – she couldn’t finish all of it of course.

PB had a bowl of seafood soup because he had a late breakfast – he said the fish was really fresh and tender.

And I had the lasagna with meat sauce but had I known that there was going to be more garlic bread – I wouldn’t have ordered bruschetta and would have ordered some mushroom or even a plate of oysters if they had any. But the lasagna was good and some tabasco sauce would have been great to have without me asking again.

Overall, the food was very delicious, but the seat wasn’t the most comfy – and the service was good but definitely needed some more attention to the small details.  But having said that – they are just newly relocated – so I have to give them some time to warm up to the new customers I guess, so I will definitely go back and dine at Marco’s Pasta and Grill  – and will recommend others to give Marco’s a try for sure.

Yes! it’s that time of year again – Christmas presents and ginger bread making and cookies and other treats for Christmas.  Have you put up your Christmas decoration yet?  or are you waiting for the eve of Christmas?   We’ve already started shopping for Christmas presents already – especially those we need to send overseas.  I bought some black & mild cigars that my ex-boss likes online and will be mailing it directly to him by the end of the month.   I also ordered popcorn for my favorite advertisers for Christmas – and of course presents for my princess but I don’t know what to get for her teachers.  Should I get spa tickets or a ticket for lunch?   I wished they were as easy to buy for as my ex-boss – for Mr Hernandez – he loves his cigars every year – and no matter what kind of cigar – he enjoys them as much – I’m just lucky with him.   But yes!  Christmas goodies are all over the place – and this year they have GingerBread Tree – something different but definitely just as good.

Now why didn’t they have food like that when Chloe was a baby?????  it certainly would have made it easier for us when we had to travel – because Chloe was very fussy about her food even when she was a baby.  She would even eat the congee I made – and I even double blended them – and still she wouldn’t eat them *slap forehead* – so most times we had to rely on Heinz.  You wouldn’t believed how much Heinz that kid ate, so it would have been nice to have a choice.

Babies are so lucky these days – but is it healthy to eat stuff like that?  I think they should be – because Chloe didn’t have any problems with the corn, carrots and squash she had from Heinz.  It was milk and Heinz food most times – until she was about 2 years old –  but then she still didn’t want to take a lot of solid food – so we had to give everything to her very slowly.   There were some sweet potato pie as well – and lots of fruits, of course I didn’t buy any – but it would definitely be something mothers to be can look into – if you have a fussy kid like mine.

Hidden Treasure’s is located in South Ohio – about 15 minutes from the town – thru’ Highway 101 – in fact – this place was the first place that PB had his store – way back 12 yrs ago – before I came to Canada – and now it has turned into a restaurant.  Because it is out of town – it mostly cater to those living around South Ohio – Port Maitland and Lake George.

They do have an extensive menu – but I wasn’t very hungry as I had a late breakfast.  So I ordered a seafood  chowder soup – a bowl instead of a cup  but it was  alot of soup – so the next time – I will order a cup instead.  The soup was good – and a lot of fresh seafood in it.

I also ordered an egg wrapped to go with my soup.

Chloe had her hotdog and fries – since they didn’t have fish that she liked in the children’s menu.

PB had a chicken burger and some mashed potatoes.

The restaurant can easily seat about 100 pax and it’s a family restaurant – and the service was pretty good as well.

They had quite a few tables filled when we were there for a Sunday lunch – and yes – we will visit again – to try out the entire menu.  Afterall, this restaurant is very near to Chloe’s grandparents place – maybe – one day they will dine with us.

Happy Halloween to everyone from Chloe!  but today Chloe has a special assignment – besides giving out cookies to her friends in school.   Halloween is a big thing for some people and to one couple – this Halloween will mark a really special day for them – because both of them met at a Halloween party – so Chloe’s cousin – is asking the hand of his girlfriend tonight and Chloe has a  diamond ring in one of the cookie treat bags.   Chloe’s cousin was looking at diamond engagement rings from Reeds for a long time now and finally bought one that is within his budget and since Chloe is so cute and adorable – his girlfriend is not going suspect anything when Chloe gives her a treat bag tonight.  Pretty cool if you asked me – so tonight – we are all going to gather at the cousin’s house where the Halloween party will be – and his girlfirend won’t suspect a thing – hahhaa!!  i’m so excited!   Happy Halloween everyone!

Well, it was also Thanksgiving day last weekend – but Aunt Helena was doing all the cooking to celebrate PB’s parents 40th wedding anniversary.  40 years in marriage – now that is definitely something one has to celebrate right?  Not easy to stay married for 40 years and i am sure you will agree with me.

While the rest of the folks had turkey – I wanted to have some ham for the dinner – so we bought some from the grocery store.  Chloe loves turkey and the ham was super yummy!

Condiments to go with the turkey, cranberry jelly, pickled beets and potatoes, carrots and cucumber.

And for dessert there was a pumpkin pie, some nainamo cubes  and PB’s aunt had bought a cake too for the anniversary and joined us later for dessert.  We had a really good meal and Chloe had roasted marshmallows as well.

Keeps the kids happy and healthy !  a bag of apple for Chloe’s class .

But because Chloe needs to give out the apples – we bought a basket – so that she can be little red riding hood – hahah!  But the kids loved the apples and were all very happy.  We are glad to do our bit.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  this year we are thankful for a lot of things!   I’m sure you are too – and here’s Chloe having a rainbow cupcake from Goodies – I think she was fascinated with the color of the frosting – that’s why she wanted to buy it so bad – hahah!

But yes, we are thankful for Chloe’s good health – and that she is a happy kid, that her dad loves here and would do just about anything for her.  She is loved by many people including all our customers.  And she has good teachers for the last 2 years – we are really thankful for that – because they make her feel special and confident.

We are thankful that the store/business is doing well – and that we are getting a lot of good customers at the store and for me  a lot of good private advertisers and a long standing one – that I can count on.  Thankful for family, friends and loved ones – because they enriched my life and make me a better person.   Thankful for a spouse who never complains about me – and is long suffering towards my craziness.

Thankful for all my friends from here – you know who you are – who brings me food from Halifax and thankful for those of you who sends me food from home – you too know who you are.   Here’s wishing everyone a happy thanksgiving day this weekend – and may we all be thankful and gracious about the things we have and not the things we do not have.

A few weeks ago – we went back to Rudders for brunch after doing our morning errands – I ordered the steak and eggs because it was pretty cheap – $13.99 I think – but don’t quote me – I can’t remember – it’s been a few weeks like I said.  The sunny side up eggs were perfect – but my medium well steak was pretty charred and tough – hahhaa!! mannnn!! i had a hard time chewing them.

PB had the chicken and mashed potatoes – and he said the chicken was a bit dry too.

Chloe had hotdog and fries – she only had half the hotdog – because she had too much fries.

Chloe had her face painted that day.

Playing with her daddy’s iPhone while waiting for food.  Food that Sunday wasn’t the best – but that won’t deter us from going back to Rudders and trying different things – probably the cook was tired that Sunday.

Well, this is the 4th Annual Incredible Picnic happening province wide – but Yarmouth is only having this picnic for the first time – but I could be wrong – because this was the first – I’ve heard in my many years in Canada.  So a few weeks ago – we had the Incredible picnic at Beacon church – a lot of people showed up – but I think there were a lack of games for the kids – wished they planned some prices for the kids – or even balloons would be nice.  I saw some people with  metal detectors searching for treasures I think – maybe a game planned by a few families but we were not invited for the games

There were entertainment by a few group of musicians and they were all pretty good.

Lots of vendors cooking and showing off their delicious food.  Unfortunately, for us – we just had breakfast – so we didn’t get anything.

Of course, Chloe found some friends in the park and started playing with them – as PB and I watched her.

There were wine too – I was hoping to see Ironworks Distillery  from Lunenburg here – but alas, I have yet to see them in Yarmouth – I would love to get a bottle or two of the cranberry liqueur and apple brandy as well.

And they had some locally made pork hot dogs – I wished I could have tried some – but there was a line up – so I didn’t.

Yummy looking right?

Wished we didn’t have a late breakfast – they look so yummilicious!

Yummy soup from Red Cap Restaurant – a place I planned to visit soon in the near future.

The owner and chef of the restaurant – they were so friendly – I definitely have to go try their food out.

There were farmers selling fruits and veggies as well – but we already bought some the day before at the Farmer’s market.

Chloe playing more games with her friend.

Skipping some ropes before we went home.  It was a good picnic – but I wished they had some people to gather people together and make everyone play together – now that would have been a lot more fun.  Maybe a clown or two – or a magician would be great for the kids.