The Earth + Plastic

A clever man died this week. I heart "The Planet is Fine".

My Search for Dark Chocolate Continues...

Organic apples taste better than regular apples ergo... (or so I assumed)


Organics from President's Choice, European - 70%
1st taste: Bitter. Some kind of tang.
2nd taste: A bit waxy. Strange tang.

Green & Black's Organic - 70%
1st taste: Something tangy. Gritty texture
2nd taste: Texture is sticky or chewy. Not a great flavour.

Cocoa Camino, Bittersweet - 70%
1st taste: Strange but not bad. Definitely "bittersweet". Different texture from all others.
2nd taste: Not a bad flavour but too crumbly.


Following these with the Poulain makes me say, "That's how chocolate should taste!" Guess I prefer my chocolate with a little chemical aftertaste.

Delicious Darkness

A coffee and a piece of dark chocolate is my favourite way to end a meal. Dark chocolate is a sexy and satisfying treat. Unfortunately, I'm sick of the waxy "dark" chocolate available in the check-out line without having found a really great alternative. Lindt is too chalky for me. Some of the fair trade brands I've tried taste a bit sour. So I've decided to start keeping track of which ones I like, and which ones I don't. (I wish this were a wine list, but that'll have to wait until my boobs are my own again)

Note: This isn't a blind test, and it doesn't take into account cost; I might be influenced by the fact that Scharffen Berger has the classiest packaging and my favourite might change if it is also the most expensive.


Poulain - 76%
1st taste: Dark. Lovely cocoa flavour, but still smooth.
2nd taste: mm. What is that? Orange? Hm. Sweet but not too sweet. Creamy.

Scharffen Berger, Semisweet - 62%
1st taste: Tastes sweetened. Lovely smooth texture.
2nd taste: Good. Creamy. Tastes a little - oh! it is semi-sweet. I think I will try a different variety of this one - something more purely chocolate (there's vanilla flavour added).

Ghirardelli, Twilight Delight - 72%
1st taste: Woody. Nutty. Strange, but not bad.
2nd taste: Chalky. Not sweet enough. Don't love it.


Out of these three, I completely prefer the Poulain.

To be continued...

Tip: To keep fresh, wrap chocolate in foil and store in an airtight container.
Keep in a cool dark cupboard.

My New Favourite Saying - Thank you 30 Rock!

Tracy Jordan: Dr. Spaceman. When they check my DNA will it tell me what diseases I might get or help me to remember my ATM pin code?

Dr. Spaceman: Absolutely. Science is whatever we want it to be.

Change is Good

When I began this blog, I had no expectation that I would still be posting two years later. It started as a way for me to digitally archive things of interest and to get down thoughts I felt worthy of recording. In the "real world", I would have written and glued things in a journal. At the time I was taking History of the English Language so phonetic spelling interested me; punching up "journal" with graphics made it more appealing.

The blog has evolved, but not strayed from "the collection of a generalist." I remain a generalist and this blog is still a repository for stuffs that cross my path. I have however lost my connection with phonemes so it seems time for a shift.

Notice. Announcement. Information or intelligence. To take notice of. To mark. To comment on. To review. Notice boards. The word is derived from Latin words meaning "known" and "awareness". On the prairies (and elsewhere I'm sure), a friendly way to greet someone is "What do you know?" Basically, I'm archiving what I know and I want to share it with you.

Gift Ideas for New Mothers

Cleanliness is Decadence
The only time I have consistently taken for myself since my daughter was born is in the shower. No. Not a bath. No loofahs or bubbles are present. A short, hot, steamy shower. So, to pamper a new mother, I would turn her shower into a transcendent experience. Super plush towels and a sensual massaging shower head at the high end. Delicious smelling soaps and shampoos (some relaxing and some revitalizing) at the low end. Ahhh.



















Find Me Somebody to...
As you may gather, no new mother has time for anything except her baby. Offer to take something off her hands and you bring her great peace. Whether it's your time or a professional's, help with cooking and cleaning is extremely valuable. I recently met a woman whose sister gifted her 2 free months of diaper service - great idea! I also like the idea of in-home massage or hair services.

The List I Would Have Liked as a New Mother - Part II

Trial and error baby;
at least I only have to do this for the first time once!
Three months of learning later,
I will augment my post on items for new parents.



















8. Change Pad - I should have had this from the start, but I was bound and determined to minimize the stuff we accumulated. Unfortunately, a stack of blankets on a hard wood surface is not enough; I finally got this when Maggie started to slam her heels into the table. One of these big fat change pads is the way to go. I haven't bothered with the covers - just throw a receiving blanket down so she doesn't lay on cold vinyl. And I recommend cutting off the useless strap so you aren't tempted to trust it with your baby's safety.

















9. Diaper Wipes - Save hundreds of dollars and baby's sensitive bottom; skip the store-bought wipes. Use baby wash cloths or serge the edges of 6"x 6" squares of flannel/cotton/terry to make your own. If (like me) you aren't crafty and you don't know someone who is, check out Hankettes (pictured above) or do a search on Etsy and you'll find a variety of cloth wipes to choose from. Some people use a homemade solution with the wipes, but I just use warm water. I'm sure this is the reason Maggie hasn't suffered from diaper rash.

Aside: For convenience I use bought wipes while on the road. I've found the most gentle product to be Seventh Generation Wipes (as compared to Huggies Natural Care and TenderCare Flushable Wipes).




















10. Baby Monitor - Though we live in an 800 sqft apartment, this thing keeps me sane. I can go about my business without feeling compelled to check her breathing every 10 minutes. We bought the First Years Ultra Range Monitor because it was affordable, compact and 2.4 GHz (less interference with our phone and wireless network). It did disable the wireless while we were visiting a friend, but luckily ours remains unharmed. The constant static is a minor irritant, but I assume all monitors produce some amount of white noise. I love that both units run on batteries and I love more that the batteries charge whenever the units are plugged in (why don't more electronics operate this way??). Most importantly, I can hear Maggie fart - it's a very trustworthy monitoring device.



















11. Born Free Glass Bottle - Plastic + warmed liquid + babies = sketchy, so we're happy to go with glass. We found that Maggie latches to this nipple almost like she would to a real breast - potentially minimizing the dreaded nipple confusion.























12. Soothers - I was adamant that Maggie would not need a soother and now I'm so grateful that she takes them (it was a lifesaver when we flew home to Manitoba last month - no ear difficulties at all). I've prevented at least a few clogged milk ducts by sticking a soother in Maggie's mouth instead of letting her suck on my nipple until the break of dawn.

Caveat: Our soothers have BPA in the handles, so I'm going to try Natursutten's natural rubber soothers. Will post Maggie's verdict.



















13. Formula - Our ideals came shattering down around us the morning Chris ran to the all-night pharmacy to buy a pack of Similac for our raging and hungry baby girl. She's been happily on the boob for months now; the formula was just a temporary (but incredibly necessary) supplement. I wish we'd had at least one "just in case" can in the house, and I wish we'd trusted the doctor who said, "formula isn't poison." I've truly learned my lesson: always, always, always have a back-up.

Strawberries are in Season!

Gramma's Strawberry Muffins

We couldn't get enough of these when we were back in Manitoba so I can't wait to make my first batch - thanks for the recipe Mom!

4 medium eggs, beaten
3 cups of all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups of fresh strawberries rinsed, hulled and sliced
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts
1 cup of oil
1 T. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Preheat to 400 degrees F.
Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
In another bowl, combine the eggs, strawberries and the vegetable oil.
Mix the contents of the two bowls. Gently fold in the nuts.
Fill the muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes.
ENJOY!

I haven't enjoyed muffins as much as these. I cut the sugar in half as it called for 2 cups and they are good!!!!!!!!!!!
Love you lots, Mom