Spent

It's finally time to say goodbye to this blog.  I mean, it's not much of  a tragedy, as I hardly ever post on it.  The original idea was to look at the way I spend money, but that got boring to me.

Since I do like posting, I came up with a new blog, that I hope will keep my (and at least a few other people's) interest.  It's called Briland Girl, in honour of my favourite place on earth.  Hope to see you there!

Laid Up and Laughing

Well, I have spent most of this week lying in bed.  I injured my left foot while extreme rock climbing. Or so I should be telling people, as the truth is just sad.  I tripped at the very core of downtown, 5 PM Monday night, while walking on a sidewalk in Cole Haan ballet flats.  How a person trips under these circumstances, I am not sure.  When I told my doctor what happened, she raised an eyebrow and said "Oh."

Anyway, I am immobile.  This has never happened to me before, despite my incredible klutziness.  My main foot concerns lately have been having soft heels and nice nail polish.  I had just done my toes with Essie Smokin' Hot. Now, I just want to be able to walk.

Since I can't move, I have been lying in bed watching TV, trolling the internet, and reading magazines. The September Vanity Fair had an article about Martha Stewart, which lead me to what someone who can't move really needs- the Celebrity Trash Memoir. (This is not the time for War and Peace!)

I fired up my Kindle and downloaded The Best of Friends: Martha and Me  by Mariana Pasternak.  I was initially interested, then I laughed a lot, but ultimately I was angry.  This book is utterly ridiculous.  Janet Maslin at the New York Times says it so much better than I could.


The book is supposed to be a chronicle of a female friendship but, honestly, with a friend like Mariana Pasternak, you might want to consider becoming a hermit.  Every embarrassing moment in Martha Stewart's life that the author witnessed, no matter how trivial, is laid bare in this book, and usually juxtaposed against one of Ms, Pasternak's perfection.  It's nauseating, nd after just a few pages, practically unreadable.  

Ms. Pasternak is the sort of person who would compliment you thusly: "Sure, you'll never be as stylish and alluring as I, but I could never clean a toilet like you!"  Doesn't that make you feel great?  Mariana said something nice about you!

Literally everything that has gone wrong in her life is Martha Stewart's fault.  Her marriage break up, the end of another romance, the failure of her realty business (though MS receives scant credit for the connections that no doubt helped it soar in the first place).

I laughed out loud as she reminisced about the trunks her grandparents had, with the Ls and Vs on them.  We get it, dear.  You want us to think you were "high born", or something. I haven't seen that sort of label obsession since I left high school.  The author also can't seem to decide if she's flush or poor.  She digs at Ms. Stewart for apparently expecting her, though she says she's earning high six figures and has several houses, to contribute to the cost of their mutual vacations.  She takes the time to tell us about a wonderful Hermes coat she bought, then cries poor a few pages later. 

All in all, the book has some dirt, and it fulfilled it's role as a trash read to take my mind off of my sore foot, but mostly it's a laughable look at an outsized ego.  And it's not Martha Stewart's.

Ballin'

I love sugar. I mean, I love sugar.  I have a capacity to consume sweets that is fairly remarkable.  I have eaten icing for dinner.  I have consumed an entire can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk in a day.  Once, on a cottage weekend, I put so much brown sugar on my Shreddies at breakfast that a diabetic guy couldn't stand to eat at the table with me. There's hardly anything I couldn't improve with a bit of maple syrup.  But, eventually, things need to change.

Sugar isn't making me feel all that great anymore.  Not that it ever did, it's just that I feel the effects more now.  Because of that, I have been looking for some alternatives that will still give me the taste and sensation of sugar, but without the crash after.  And I am off to a great start!

These Rice Krispie Almond Balls are amazing!  I take absolutely no credit whatsoever for them, other than finding the web site Oh She Glows, and all the great recipes on it.

My stellar food photography continues...

Five ingredients, no cooking, gluten free, and totally delicious.  In place of sugar, they use brown rice syrup, which is sweet, but apparently causes less of a blood sugar spike than most other sweeteners.  The recipe is here.  Trust me, if I love these, any sugar fanatic will.  

Comfort Table

Celebrated Mother's Day yesterday, so today I was able to spend some time hanging around in the kitchen. A strange weather day, so I thought I'd make some cold weather comfort food, specifically a sort-of healthy mac and cheese.  By sort-of healthy, I mean slightly less deadly than normal. Used whole wheat pasta, 1% milk, and strong cheddar, which meant I could use less. Some Worcester sauce, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, and there you go! Recipe to follow (amazingly, it's not online!)

Friendly People

We just got back from our annual trip to Eleuthera, Bahamas.  This year we spent the entire week on Harbour Island, in a beautiful house we rented, Chatterbox. I love HI  more each time, because I learn a little bit more, and I meet new people each time we go.

Home of Friendly People. This sign didn't survive last year's hurricane :(

Welcoming pineapples

We had the good fortune of bringing several friends with us this time.  I feel privileged to be able to show a place I love to fresh eyes, and I think I can report that everyone had a great time. Steve, our frustrated chef, made sure we ate well even when we weren't eating conch from the shacks by the water, or in sophisticated  restaurants like Rock House or The Landing. He bonded with the fisherman, who hooked us up with fresh trigger fish and snapper. The local grocery depot, the Pigly Wigly, supplied the rest.

Not affiliated with the chain stores...

View to the harbour from next to the house

We hired a boat, and a wonderful captain, Duke, to take us on a ride around the island, and to the neighbouring settlement of Spanish Wells.  First off, Duke took us to see amazing starfish and turtles, which swim much faster than I would have imagined!  Duke is a Brilander, and had lots of inside information on where to go, and even gave us a tour of some billionaires' houses at the north of the island (well, from the water).

Duke, our captain and guide

Entrance to Chatterbox

Chatterbox was a really lovely house, and ridiculously well situated.  Literally 10 seconds from the porch to the Pigly Wigly.  Go the other way, and we were 30 seconds from the Harbour.  It was a whole 6 minute walk to the Pink Sand Beach, however ;)

And a word about the Bahamas:  Some ignorant types seem to think the entire place is one big Atlantis resort.  Well, it's not.  The Bahamas is made up of 700 islands.  The Out Islands are known as the Family Islands, and it's easy to see why.  Bahamians live there, raise families, and entertain visitors. If you think the Bahamas are "white bread", and you're too cool to step foot there, that's fine.  The Friendly People on Harbour Island and elsewhere won't miss you or your negativity, and the rest of us will have a much better time without the sneering posers anyway.  Friendly people rule, whether in the Bahamas or at home.

Thankful...

... for friends, always. And for the fun I have had traveling with various friends.  It's not always easy (for the other people), but it always ends up being loads of fun.

Around a table in Piegaro, Umbria, Italy Seriously good times.

My Whiteness, Explained.

Meet archaeologist Neil Oliver.  I know nothing about him beyond the great accent and the oddly enticing long hair, but for some reason, I'm intrigued in a way I am not when, say, David Starkey is blathering on about Henry VIII...

Yeah, he wears a kilt in one episode.

TVO just finished airing his series A History of Scotland, which I found truly fascinating- I love history, and I am amazed at how much I didn't know about Scotland.  There were 10 episodes in the series; the first 8 were about the English invading and the tough Scots battling them back, but on the bright side, the armies had different outfits each century, so there's that.

I am fascinated on a personal note, as well.  My pallor was  destined by the collection of European immigrants that showed up in Canada and intermarried. My mother's grandparents were from Scotland and Denmark. The other side of my family was no help in adding some tone to my skin; I'm a Bruce on my father's side- his first two names were Robert Bruce, if that helps paint the picture.

Could have been a picture of sheep!

Anyway, this series makes me want to visit the land of my ancestors.  It would be fun to spend some time around other people who are also the colour of Liquid Paper.