Blog Archive
Past posts, all categories
Happy Birthday to Me: A Gift from Mother Nature
I spent my birthday camping near Gull Lake with my sister, my friend and my daughter. The last time I camped was around 2003 when my common-law husband and I loaded up his kids and mine and hauled his father's trailer to Bield, Manitoba for my family reunion. I put my...
Drink Up: Beef Bone Broth FTW
In preparation of the impending side effects I knew would come from chemo, I ran myself ragged trying to keep on top of work deadlines and readying my kitchen to sustain me through the downtime. I was hoping to make a batch of bone broth but had run out of time. When...
Bald or Bust: Working through the psychological impact of hair loss
For weeks, I’ve been pep-talking myself into acceptance of the inevitable baldness that comes from (most) chemo treatments. Save for a couple of years of short styles during the early 90s and right around the time I had my babies, my hair has always been...
Mind over Matter. Hope over Fear. Cupcakes over Chemo.
When Dr. Olson told me that my breast cancer had a high rate of curability with chemo, my heart dropped. I should’ve felt joy or relief or gratitude…but all I felt was dread. “I know,” he said, “When you hear chemo, you think of sickly people with no hair.” Exactly....
Smiling on the Outside and the Soft, Slow Shattering of the Human Psyche
The wall I have around me isn’t new—the first row of "bricks" were set in place over a decade ago when my marriage was in trouble. The rows grew over the years to become an impenetrable shield that I used to keep people out and prevent them from knowing what was...
I Am One in Eight
When it comes to cancer, they say the time between diagnosis and treatment is one of the hardest parts to deal with. This is the dark hole where The Wild Thoughts live during the day and where the Night Terrors wake you and tell you that cancer is growing everywhere...
Two Sergeants – CBC Review
The first time I walked into this cavernous brewpub, I wasn't quite sure what to make of the decor. I've never been a fan of the primary colour scheme. It works for playgrounds and children's hospitals, but seldom for event spaces where adults convene for food and...
Chef Hung – CBC Review
Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle in Edmonton marks the 11th Chef Hung restaurant to open in the partnership between Hung Ching-Lung and the B.C.-based Fairchild Group. Ching-Lung is a three-time winner of the Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival Competition...
Artisti Pizza – CBC Review
A couple of Italian guys, each with their own dream to open a pizza shop once they got to Canada, have done just that. Artisti Pizza opened a few months back, in the Holland Plaza. The space is huge, the pies are tasty and the drinks are cheap. For all the details,...
Jang – CBC Review
Despite three unsatisfactory experiences (save for a couple of dishes being "okay"), I feel Jang has the potential to be so much better. The chef loves being creative, and that's good, but just like bigger is not always better, more steps/ingredients/manipulation in...
All that Glitters and More: Drags Benny at the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald
For those of you who sat on the fence wondering about ticket price for Drags Benny at the Fairmont in Edmonton, I think I can safely say on behalf of those of us who jumped over that fence for a seat, that watching six trussed and spackled drag queens whip their hair,...
Hot Chefs Cool Beats April 25, 2019
If you're itching to bust out of your winter cave and embrace Spring (and, really who isn't?), then Hot Chefs Cool Beats at the gorgeous priMED Mosaic Centre is where you need to be. The April 25, 2019 event is a fundraiser to benefit the High School Culinary...