Monthly Archives: September 2011

Real Housewives

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My girlfriend Serena and I share a dream of joining a Real Housewives cast. She wants to join New Jersey, but my heart belongs to Orange County. Although we’ve mastered the art of drinking cocktails and shopping, we still need more experience before applying for the job. On Friday night we added “Charity Event Attendaees” to our Real Housewife resumes. Next weekend we’re going to create a clothing line.

Serena and Big Poppa.

“It looks JUST like the Cosmopolitan!”

We won prizes too!  Serena won a huge gift basket filled with random stuff (jellybeans and towels), and I got a gift certificate to a restaurant. We drank too much wine and I woke up on Saturday morning feeling gross. (Real Housewife Problems)

On Saturday afternoon Court and I went for a walk along the river bottom to look for signs of fall. The fall foliage is short lived in Southern Alberta – it seems like it only lasts for a couple weeks!  The leaves turn yellow and blow off the trees practically the next day.  Our trees don’t have much colour variation either – mostly yellow and some orange. A few years ago, I got to see the beginning of fall foliage in the Laurentians (Mont Tremblant), and I can only imagine how beautiful it must look once the forest completely transforms.  I’d love to experience an east coast fall sometime. One day!

After our walk, we headed over to a Creative Cleaver, a specialty butcher shop near our house. They sell local, organic meat, goat milk, yogurt, baked goods, vegetarian and vegan food (which I find hilarious) and more. Court and I try to ‘learn the story behind our food’ as often as possible, along with supporting local farmers.  I like feeling good about where my food comes from.

We bought a package of “Oktoberfest” sausages for tonights dinner and got to work creating a crockpot meal.
After browning the sausages for a couple minutes, we placed them into the crockpot set on high and added:

1/4 cup water
1 red onion, chopped
2 sliced apples
1/2 cup sauerkraut
drizzle of honey
salt and pepper
pinch of rosemary

Two hours later, dinner was ready!  I arranged the sliced sausage on top a bed of zucchini ribbons and some extra veggies from our garden.  The icing on the cake was an ice cold Rickards dark we shared. Heaven.

One of the last outdoor meals of the year… I love our backyard. We’re spending the rest of the evening out here!

A New Leaf

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(A few weekends ago)

I was standing on a dock preparing to jump into the lake. I was excited and nervous, but I kept hesitating. I walked towards the end of the dock and peered over the edge into water. Blackness.

Not being able to see what I was about to jump into freaked me out a little. Knowing the water temperature would be cold and uncomfortable made me anxious. After a short battle in my mind, I gave myself five seconds to pull myself together and jump. No regrets. 
Later in the day, I was laughing to myself about how scared I’d been to jump off the dock. The worst part hadn’t been the icy water, but rather making myself leap.  I began thinking about how I’d been dealing with the the same situation in my professional life, but on a bigger scale.  For the past while, I’d been feeling like my job was steering me away from my true path.  During family dinner the following evening, I brought up my concerns: “What if I regret leaving my job? It seems silly to just walk away; It doesn’t make me happy, but I feel like I should be loyal.”  After an assuring conversation with Courts (super supportive) Mom and Aunt Pam, I knew what I had to do.
On Monday morning, I gave my notice. A huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I felt free and happy.

And I didn’t have any regrets.

I quit my job to pursue my dreams.

There’s a few things I’m going to be working on over the next few months, from school to freelance projects. But what I’m most excited about is this crazy plan.

Court and I are heading over to Hawaii to volunteer at an organic farm.  We both share a dream of one day owning our own acreage/farm (in Hawaii!), and this is a perfect opportunity. In exchange for five hours of work per day, we’ll be provided with a cabin and food allowance. Not only that, we’ll be adding to our photography and writing portfolios.

Good things are happening and I know I’m back on track. All thanks to having the courage to jump off the dock.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Bread

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A simple yet delicious weeknight meal option – packed full of nutrients and high in protein. Husband-friendly.

In the mix: greens, zucchini ribbons, edamame and coconut curry tempeh. I JUST discovered goat milk yogurt – I don’t know how I used to live without it! I used it as salad dressing and seasoned it with salt & pepper.

Served with a side of sweet Taber corn.
For dessert, pumpkin spice loaf, still warm from the oven.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Loaf

Preheat oven to 350F
Lightly grease a loaf pan (I use butter)
2 cups whole wheat  flour
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
In a separate bowl mix:
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup pumpkin
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
Slowly add dry ingredients. Add a little extra applesauce to thin out mixture, if needed.
Bake for 25-35 mins until golden.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Brownies

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Rich, fudgey brownies topped with a sweet raspberry buttercream. I made these for my Dad’s birthday recently- no one noticed they were (mostly) healthy!
Preheat oven to 350F
Lightly coat a 9×9 baking pan with butter  (or cooking spray of choice)
Combine the following dry ingredients:
  • 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup baking cocoa, sifted
  • 2 T fresh ground coffee <- don’t skip this ingredient, it intensifies the chocolate flavour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
In a separate bowl, mix
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
Add wet ingredients to the dry mixture, stir until well combined. Bake for 25-30 mins.
Frosting:
Combine 2 cups confectioners sugar & 1/3 cup softened butter. Slowly add 2-3 T milk & 1 tsp vanilla until desired consistency is reached. Stir in 1/4 cup fresh, mashed raspberries.  Spread onto slightly cooled brownies, then quick! – Grab a fork & enjoy them while they’re warm.

Indian Summer

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View from the Prince of Wales

The view that breaks my heart. So beautiful.

Last weekend it was +30C in the mountains, and that automatically calls for a beach day…  at Bertha bay, that is.

To get to the calm, secluded cove, it’s a short (30 min) hike from the townsite. First, find this trailhead: (it’s near Cameron Falls). To ward off bears, dress like a hippie mountain climber. Bears hate that kind of thing.

The hike itself is a little steep and rocky in some parts, but the effort is worth it. See for yourself:

We had the beach to ourselves for the entire day!

By the time we reached Bertha bay, it was sweltering, humid and smoky from multiple Montana forest fires.  We decided to brave the icy waters and take a quick dip. The anticipation leading up to jumping in was terrifying – it’s that cold! Court was angry with me because I kept running up and down the dock instead of jumping in. After convincing myself I wasn’t going to die from hypothermia, I went for it!

Glacier lakes are so cold they burn! If that makes any sense? Court made me jump three times because he didn’t get a good shot the first two times. In return, I made him jump nineteen times. Jerk.

After I was airlifted by Stars air ambulance back to the shore to dry off, we had lunch, dozed and took a few more mini-dips in the late afternoon sun.

This squirrel made me laugh – he seems like an old soul. It sat there for the longest time watching the sun  set behind the mountains.

If you don’t feel like walking back to the townsite, convince your spouse to walk back along the beach. There are plenty of cliffs, but don’t worry, while your spouse is trying not to fall to their death, a boat will come along and pick you up. Court thought he could walk along the shoreline, (now it was my turn to be angry) and while I was standing on the shore like a helpless female, a guy in a speedboat picked me up! Yes!  We decided to be good samaritans and pick Court up.

After nearly being stranded like castaways, we were hungry. Court and I agreed we needed (gourmet) hot dogs from Wieners of Waterton.  I asked for the ‘healthiest’ hot dog on the menu – a locally made lean beef dog on a fresh baked bun, loaded with toppings. I ruined my hot dog with too many toppings: stone ground mustard, red onions, jalapeños, sauerkraut, relish and a giant pickle. They even have potato chip toppings!
The best part of WOW are the sweet potato fries, seasoned with coarse sea salt and served fresh out of the fryer. Plus your choice of dipping sauce. (Rosemary parmesan is my favourite)

We felt a little guilty for not eating any veggies (first world problems) so we headed over to Trappers and ordered ONE side salad and two beers.  I think they were furious with us. I blamed it on Court and told the server he’s on a strict diet.

A Princess Afternoon

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A few weeks ago I channeled my inner Kate Middleton by treating myself to afternoon tea at the Prince of Wales hotel.  When I tried to persuade Court into joining me, he looked at me like I’d lost my mind. He hates tea, British people, the hotel and Waterton. Allright, I over-exaggerated the tea part. Ok, fine, all of it. Court said he’d rather stay home and clean the driveway. Actually, I don’t remember what he said, but it was a definite No Way. Never. Suit yourself then. See if I ask him to join me on my next pedicure appointment….

Afternoon tea is held in the lobby, beginning with a tea selection…

I chose caffeine free citrus mint, which I mixed with a splash of milk.

After time to savour my tea, I was served with three tiers of treats! Since I was solo, they portioned out one serving size; the amount of food is variant, depending on the party.

Bottom layer- princess sandwiches: smoked salmon, cucumber and open faced roast beef.
Middle layer – plain, coconut and chocolate chip scones with devonshire cream and strawberry jam.
Top: butter tart, chocolate biscotti, cream puff and carrot cake.

The scones were my favourite part  - they reminded me of my Mom’s homemade biscuits. But better. (Sorry, Mom! {No I’m not!})

Thank goodness Court didn’t come, I don’t like sharing my desserts with him. He always eats  the good stuff – ie. the frosting, the middle layer of an ice cream cake. Actually I do that. So yes, good thing he wasn’t there.

I felt very princess-like, with my miniature sandwiches, desserts and in-my-mind pretend British accent. It was interesting to watch foreign tourists bustling around the lobby taking photos of me the hotel. But at $30/table I won’t be back in the near future, unless Court is paying.

Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

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I’ve held off on enjoying pumpkin treats, but caved this morning. I attempted d.i.y pumpkin spice coffee (I’m not a fan of flavoured syrups) with success! I actually like this waaaaaay better than coffee shop versions.

I set my coffee pot to make 6 cups, and into the coffee grounds I mixed:

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves

Yum!

Later on, I was still in a pumpkin-y mood and came up with a pumpkin pie milkshake for lunch.

Pumpkin Pie Shake
Serves 1


In a blender, combine:

1/4 cup pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 frozen banana
2 T almond butter
1 T chia seeds
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (I prefer Silk, as its thicker)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves

Blend until creamy.

It really does taste like pumpkin pie – in milkshake form, of course. This is going to be an autumn treat staple in the Gregson home!

Rowe Lakes – In Pictures

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Court and I took my Dad for a half day (easy-moderate) stroll through the forest to celebrate his birthday. The adventure: Rowe Lakes
Time: 6 hrs in and out – but that included lunch and plenty of photo breaks.

lower Rowe lake
the meadow – right before the final ascent to upper Rowe lake

goodbye, meadow

upper Rowe lake

middle lake

whitebark pine trees
standing in a dried up waterfall

the waterfall – overlooking lower Rowe lake

We all agreed our favourite part of the hike was standing in the dry creek bed overlooking the valley. The landscape in that particular area seemed prehistoric; everything from the layers upon layers of exposed rock to the whitebark pine forest. I was hoping to find wooly mammoth remains, with no such luck.

One thing to note  is the fork in the meadow that leads along the Akamina ridge. (I’m going to do that one next summer).  That trail has a bit of scrambling and I need to buy a new pair of mountain boots before doing anything too intense.

The new Larabar?

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Finding a relatively healthy “clean” snack bar can be quite the dilemma for a health enthusiast like myself. They’re typically expensive and full of sugar, chemicals and cheap fillers. And they don’t even taste that great. The most ‘edible’ bar I’ve found on the market are Larabars, and even those are just ok (flavour-wise)  I think they all taste the same. Dates. Chopped nuts. Maybe some cocoa or extra fruit. Booooring.

While I was out grocery shopping with my Mom today I came across a Canadian made snack bar called a “Super Bar”. At first I was a little put off by the comic sans font (first world problems), but once I read the nutritional breakdown, I was sold.  At only 120 cals per bar, they have 5g protein, 6g of fiber and 15g sugar (from fruit, honey and molasses).
I was expecting a Larabar really moist date flavoured bar, but it turned out to be slightly crisp, with only a mild date flavour. Yay!
The company who makes them is Francine’s Finest Food Products, which is located in Kelowna. Super Bars, you have my heart. I tried the Cranberry Raisin Crisp, and now I need to go back and buy the chocolate peanut butter version. By the case.

What I’ve been doing (outside of Waterton)

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“It’s like you’ve just discovered Waterton or something?” My Dad remarked over dinner (in Waterton!) on Sunday.
It’s true, I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately but it’s the only place I want to be right now. Maybe it’s because summer is almost over and I’m trying to squeeze in as much mountain time as possible.

Aside from walking around in forests, here’s what I’ve been up to over the past week:

I ate Afghan cuisine at Parsa with my girlfriend Bryde. We both ordered chicken skewers that were mildly spicy and served with clove spiced rice and pizza dough-like bread.

It was a simple yet flavourful meal and I really enjoyed the cozy atmosphere. I felt like we were in someone’s home, rather than a bustling restaurant.

What I’ve been eating:  TONS of salads and veggies – all homegrown.

It’s officially harvesting season. Our garden has been pumping out loads of cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, beets and zucchini.

To balance out all those healthy veggies, Court and I visited Lethbridge’s Whoop Up Days to scope out  local food vendors. My favourite (local) fair treat has always been elephant ears: deep fried dough sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. *swoon*  I only ate about 1/4 because I needed to save room for ice cream.

We found a truck serving homemade root beer and lemonade…

Plus this bizarre truck selling poutine and pickles on a stick. I got in line to order a pickle, but then  I remembered my last sickening food binge (short rib pasta, eiffel tower margaritas and fro-yo in Vegas.. ugh) I decided against gluttony.
I sampled vanilla toffee gelato, while Court ordered a poutine (fries topped with gravy + cheese, in case you’re not Canadian) and we watched a dog agility show. Court found a couple Weimy’s to play with – aren’t they cute?  

We also celebrated my Dad’s birthday with banana bread beer. I was blown away by how good it was, I thought for sure it would be disgusting.

I got a tattoo – a little affirmation on my wrist that says, “look to the mountains”.

Court and I have a new favourite weekday breakfast- oat pancakes, all thanks to Katie!

I’ve been trying out a bunch of flavour combos – today I made blueberry cinnamon cakes with a light drizzle of honey. This breakfast has some actual staying power, it keeps me full until lunchtime. Court loves it too, it’s the only way I can get him to eat oats for breakfast.