So today was the first day I actually used my new (and I say ‘new’ because I haven’t used them since I purchased them 2 months ago) inline skates on the lovely paths of Wilmot Creek Park in uptown Toronto. The weather was great, the paths weren’t that occupied–so they’d be less of a chance of strangers laughing at me if I fell–and I had my all-important wrist guards for safety.
Now I don’t know if it’s because I didn’t fasten my skates up correctly or if I’m just a big cry baby, but my calves and arch of my feet were aching after going up and down a couple of paths. I haven’t ‘skated’ since I was in grade school… and even then, I was used to ice skating. I didn’t do too bad. I need to work on my stopping technique though. 10 minutes into the blading I couldn’t slow down after a mini hill and I tried to use those flimsy orange construction fences to brace my fall. I stayed upright though! I’m proud to say that I only fell once, and it was about 4 metres from the car on my way back home. :D It was a graceful fall, if I do say so myself: I did a sort of 1/2 split in mid-turn in my descent and landed on my bum.
I guess I should’ve listened to my friend and not try to use my brake like I did on some of the gravel that was in the parking lot. Ah, well… practice makes perfect! :D I think I got a much needed workout today after eating all those Tiny Tom donuts at The Ex last night. I made some yummy guacamole as a post-workout snack when I got home (recipe coming up next).
I’m never in so much anticipation for a mini donut than I am come mid-August. That’s right, The Ex is in town once again, and yours truly had the joy of heading down for the opening festivities today.
Now in it’s 129th year, the Canadian National Exhibition once again brings loads of fun, food and entertainment to the entire family. Ferris wheels, midway games and roller coasters have kicked off at the Exhibition grounds in Toronto and will be there until September 3rd (Labour Day).
With over a million visitors each year, The Ex is sure to provide a wide selection of events for everyone. My visit today consisted of a trip to the Food Building (first and foremost of course). This large establishment is definitely not for the calorie-conscious… so make sure you eat a large, healthy breakfast before you leave your house, so you won’t be tempted to gorge out on fair food the entire day. I had myself a nice mixed veggie roti from one of the Caribbean booths in the multicultural Food Building and a mango bubble tea to wash it down. My cousin, who’s up visiting from Jamaica, got some tasty Chinese food. The Food Building is certainly one of a kind with over 90 vendors.
Of course I had to stop at the infamous Tiny Tom Donuts on the way out of the building. $4 for a dozen of the most delectable morsels of dough… you can’t go wrong! Then it was off to the Warehouse Outlet in the Direct Energy Centre to tackle some shopping. Boy was I glad that I went… I picked up the Scene It DVD game that I was looking for–70% less than the regular price! I also scored some nice deals on summer clothes from BlueNotes and Sirens (Bikini bottoms, 3 for $5!).
Nearby was The Farm which houses every farm animal imaginable, including some adorable piglets and chicks. Watching street performers the Aquarêves walk down Princes’ Boulevard was cool (I wish I knew how to skip and bounce with giant pogo sticks attached to my feet). The Canadian Forces Display was very interesting. I got a chance to put my head through an army tank and sit in the cockpit of a fighter plane! We passed through the midway, being very good not to spend our hard-earned dollars trying to win a 5″ tall stuffed animal. I was tempted to purchase a deep-fried chocolate bar, but then I remembered how many calories and saturated fat I’d be consuming so I passed (and the fact that it cost $6). Also walked by the corndog stand, as much as I wanted one.
I wish I had more time (and energy) to visit the rest of the grounds, but there’s so much to see and do. Perhaps, next time I visit I’ll tackle climbing the rock wall they have up, or try my luck at the Casino. I’d also like to see the International Air Show. I’ll be back for sure before Summer comes to an end. After all I have to meet the stars from The Young and the Restless. ;)
Make sure you visit on one of the 17 remaining days left this year. You won’t be disappointed. Tickets can be purchased online at the official site of The Ex, or on site for $14 (adult) $10 (children/senior). The gates are open from 10am to 10pm daily, with the exception of labour day (10am-7pm).
Ever since I got my Magic Bullet, I’ve been using it to make delicious, fruit-filled smoothies. Since this is one of the few weekdays I have off from work (and I’m up before 9am), I decided to try a healthy breakfast smoothie to start off my day.
Place all the ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth.
Pour into a tall glass and enjoy!
It’s so important that you don’t skip breakfast in the AM, especially if you want to keep fit and healthy. I’ve been guilty of rushing off to work sans breakfast, but now that I’ve started a routine, I’m being careful to make sure that I get some energy in the morning by either making a quick smoothie or having a couple slices of peanut-buttered toast. :)
I’d like to thank everyone who nominated my blog for the 2007 Black Weblog Awards. Guess what? I’m a finalist (as if you couldn’t tell from the title of this post)!
A Lot About Nothing is a finalist in the Best International Blog and Best Food Blog. The latter came to a great surprise to me, because I didn’t think of ALAN as a food blog, but then I went through my archive and noticed that I sure have a lot of posts about food! :D I’ve actually been meaning to put more recipes up that I’ve used in the past couple of weeks, but my digital camera takes crappy close-up shots. :P
Back to the matter at hand, I’m begging–err… asking for you to head over to the 2007 Black Weblog Awards website and vote for my blog (http://alotaboutnothing.com) in the Best International Blog (yay, Canada!), and the Best Food Blog categories. Make sure you check out some of the blogs in the other categories as well, since you have to make one selection for each category in order to send in the ballot. Hurry… voting ends August 31st!
One of my favourite breakfast foods to make is French Toast. This is the way I always used to make it: with sugar in the egg mixture so I don’t have to worry about pouring syrup over the toast after it’s none (after all, if I wanted to do that, I’d just make pancakes!). I like to use Villaggio Italian Style White Bread or Dempster’s Thick Slice White Bread. Taste great served with a side of beans (fiber!) and bacon.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 slices
Ingredients:
6 slices of bread
4 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and gradually add the sugar until blended.
Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine in a frying pan.
Soak the sliced bread in the egg mixture until both sides are coated.
Place the saturated slices of bread onto the frying pan, cooking for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden-brown.
