Happy Halloween! Simple, Creamy Pumpkin Soup Recipe

I am not a big fan of Halloween, the novelty wore off a few years ago.  Plus, I can buy candy at the store any time of year and if I want to see dressed up freaks all I have to do is visit the local bar any time of the year.  But Halloween does bring some joy...in the form of pumpkins!  Every year I look forward to buying fresh pumpkin and adding it to a variety of recipes as canned pumpkin just isn't as good.

About 10 years ago I made a trip to Sylvan Lake, AB and stopped in at a restaurant and ordered the pumpkin soup around Halloween.  It was likely the best soup I have ever tasted (and I'm not much for soup in the first place).  I knew I had to replicate it!  So for the last 10 years I've been buying a pumpkin just so I can make this delicious soup.  Because I made it from scratch and came up with my own recipe, I've never had any formal directions.  Today I decided to measure everything and come up with a formal recipe.  The recipe serves ~8 people.

Preparations:

This recipe requires 1/2 of a medium sized pumpkin hollowed, skinned and cut up into cubes.  The remaining half of the pumpkin can be frozen to make another batch of soup at a later time or can be used in other recipes such as pancakes and cookies. 

Ingredients:

- 1/2 a pumpkin cubed, skinned and hollowed
- 1/4 of a large white onion
- 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth
- 3 Tbsp of vegetable broth (for onion puree)
- 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Directions:

Start by boiling water in a pot large enough for all of the cubed pumpkin pieces.  Once water is boiling, add the pumpkin and reduce heat to medium.  Cook pumpkin until extremely tender, around 20-25 minutes.

While the pumpkin is cooking, dice up 1/4 of a large white onion and place it in a food processor with 3 Tbsp of the vegetable broth.  Blend until the mixture is a puree with no chunks.  This should yield around 3/4 cup of onion puree.

After pumpkin is done cooking, pour through a strainer and place in a large bowl to cool for 5 minutes.  Because my food processor is not large enough to puree everything at once, I split the pumpkin into 2 batches to puree.  Add half of the cooked pumpkin in a food processor along with half of the broth and half of the onion puree.  Once mixture is smooth, pour into a large pot and puree the remaining half of the pumpkin, broth and onion puree and add to pot.

Turn the oven on low and slowly whisk in the 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and garlic salt.  It may take a few minutes to fully whisk in the mayonnaise.  Cook soup over low for 10 minutes stirring often.  Best served fresh but can be refrigerated and reheated on the stove.  If the soup is too creamy for your taste, more broth can be added.

Happy Halloween!!

I can't help but to smile when I see pets dressed up for Halloween.  The best one I have seen this year is the greyhound dressed up as a Greyhound bus.  Enjoy!

Hot S**t of the Day: The Sloth! (with video)

I have a strong love for nature documentaries and David Attenborough.  Attenborough is likely the best narrator/host for nature documentaries and his patience and knowledge have helped him to capture some of natures rarest and most exquisite moments.

I saw this clip a few years back and stumbled upon it again recently.  In the video Attenborough introduces the viewer to a sloth.  I really had no idea what a sloth was until I watched the video.  An inhabitant of Central and South America, the sloth moves incredibly slow mainly due to the fact that their nutrition is primarily leaves which produces very little reserve energy.  The sloth is hideous yet elegant being partially deaf and partially blind.

You learn something new everyday!

Greatest Scientific Discoveries - Documentaries hosted by Bill Nye (full documentaries)

In one of my earlier posts, I wrote about how influential Bill Nye was in my early childhood.  His show "Bill Nye the Science Guy" brought a love for science into my life.  Eventually I went on and pursued a science degree and I attribute much of my passion for science to Bill Nye. 

A few years ago on the Discovery Channel, there was a short series in which Bill Nye hosted a show called 100 Greatest Discoveries.  Each show that aired was about the greatest scientific discoveries and theories found in physics, astronomy, chemistry, medicine, evolution and genetics.  I recently stumbled upon these videos on youtube and watched them again.  The shows are fantastic and educational, plus, you don't need to have a science degree to understand and appreciate just how far humans have come.  Bill Nye has a brilliant way of explaining complex topics in somewhat laymen terms for the everyday person.  Here are the videos in all of their glory:

1.  Greatest Discoveries in Physics

2.  Greatest Discoveries in Chemistry

3.  Greatest Discoveries in Medicine

4.  Greatest Discoveries in Astronomy

5.  Greatest Discoveries in Genetics

6.  Greatest Discoveries in Evolution

Hope you enjoyed them as much as I did!

Hot S**t of the Day: POGS!

Last night I decided I was in much need of a few drinks....its been awhile.  As the social night turned into a full blown drink fest, one person in our group started recalling moments of his childhood days and the conversation quickly turned into a reminiscence of childhood toys and candy of the 80's and 90's.

I soon remembered my long forgotten love of POGS!  My first experience with POGS was in grade 5.  I went outside for recess one afternoon and noticed a few of the kids playing with this stack of chips.  I quickly learned that one must possess a number of POGS in order to play the game.  I knew my family would never buy me a set so the next day I went to one a geeky classmate and asked him if I could borrow a POG.  Knowing nothing about the game, he managed to separate from one of his most worn out, ugliest POGS.  He noted to me that I would need a slammer in order to play.  With one POG and slammer in hand, I made my way outside at recess to find someone who wanted to play.  By the end of the day I managed to earn more POGS than I could count and I returned the slammer and original POG to my classmate.  A new love soon developed!

Only two items were required to participate in a game of POGS; a POG and a Slammer (shown below).  The POGS were simple heavy cardboard playing chips with cartoonish designs on the front which were often laminated.  The Slammer was used to toss at the stack of POGS and were often comprised of heavy plastic or metal sometimes (metal slammers were the best for flipping the most POGS and winning!).

The rules of POGS were extremely simple.  2 players were required to contribute an equal number of POGS to a pile that were stacked vertically face down.  Usually a best of three rock, paper, scissors determined who would go first.  Each player then took took a turn throwing or "slamming" the stack of face down POGS.  Any POGS that you managed to flip over face up were yours to keep and the person who collected the most POGS after they had all been flipped up won the game.

This became almost a sport in my school, with almost everyone gambling for POGS at recess.  I remember one day I missed the bus because I was determined to be the POG champion at our school.  Eventually I collected so many POGS that my mom questioned where I had gotten all of them.  Soon after the teachers at our school banned POGS because it promoted gambling.  My love for POGS all began with one borrowed POG and Slammer.  Soon I had hundreds of them and eventually sold them all in a garage sale because POGS were banned in most schools in various countries and parents weren't too thrilled with the idea of their children gambling to add to their collection.

Nonetheless POGS taught children the importance of gambling at an early age and this makes it Hot S**t of the Day!

Beer Mishaps, Symptoms and Solutions: What to do in Beer Situations

Cheers!

Hot S**t of the Day: The Many faces of Gary Bettman

For those of you who look forward to winter only for the love of hockey, it's going to be a long one.  With owners, players and, of course, Gary Bettman trying to hash out a deal before the winter classics is cancelled, I thought it would be appropriate to take a look at the many faces of Bettman!





Even though most of the November games have been cancelled, I am hopeful that half of the season shall be saved...as long as the weasel gets what he wants.

The Best and Healthiest Smoothie and Juice Recipes

The last year of travel and eating somewhat unhealthy has caused a notable depletion of energy for me.  Although vitamins are a regular part of my life, the decrease in energy led me to seek an alternative way to help me get through the day.  Looking online for smoothie and juice recipes led to some disappointment.  Many of the recipes are the same and many contained ingredients that were difficult to find.  So I decided to test and taste recipes I had come up with, and I'd have to say I'm hooked!  Here are a few of my favorites (minus the protein powders I hate so much):

1.  Protein Smoothie

Although this recipe has many ingredients, making it is definitely worth the fuss and can be used to replace a meal.

1/2 frozen banana
10 blueberries
3-5 blackberries
1 1/2 cups of vanilla or plain soy milk
3 Tbsp of plain medium tofu
1 tsp of almond paste (grind almonds and a bit of olive oil until a paste is formed)
3 Tbsp of honey or vanilla flavored 0% fat greek yogurt
1/2 tsp of flax seed

Directions:  Place the frozen banana and soy milk in a blender.  Blend until banana is pureed.  Add all other ingredients and blend until smooth.  Garnish with berries and enjoy!  This is the drink I usually replace supper with.  It is thick, a bit sweet and very filling!

2.  Juice for Breakfast

One of the easiest juice drinks I make for breakfast only contains 3 ingredients.  Its simple and great for people who don't generally eat breakfast.

2 green apples
2 oranges peeled
1/2 tsp of fresh ginger

Directions:  Place the apples (with skins) in the juicer along with the oranges and ginger.  Enjoy!

3.  Delicious Veggie/Fruit Juice

This recipe is one of my favorites because it really doesn't taste like you drinking straight vegetables.  It's refreshing and easy to make!

Half an unpeeled cucumber
2 cups of baby spinach
3 celery stalks
2 unpeeled green apples
1 tsp ginger

Directions:  Place all ingredients in a juicer.  Serve over ice and enjoy!

4.  Avocado Smoothie

I love avocados and was looking for a way to incorporate them in a juice/smoothie form.  Although the thought of drinking an avocado sounds odd, the smoothie is surprisingly good.

1 ripe avocado
1 cup of sugar free pear nectar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:  Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Serve and enjoy!

5.  Oatmeal Smoothie

This recipe is definitely odd.  While the rest of the recipes I listed I came up with on my own from trial and error, this recipe I stumbled upon on the internet and I just had to try it!  The smoothie is great for breakfast and satisfies that sweet tooth.

2/3 cup of instant oats
2 bananas
1 3/4 cup of skim or soy milk
1 cup of low fat buttermilk
1/3 cup of ice cubes
3 1/2 Tbsp of pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp of almond butter
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:  Cook oats as directed, then let cool for 5 minutes.  Place all ingredients in a processor and blend until smooth.  Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon, serve and enjoy!

6.  Peanut Butter-Banana Smoothie

This recipe is great for adults and children alike!  It's simple and quick to make plus very filling.

1 banana
1/2 cup of skim or soy milk
1 Tbsp smooth peanut butter
3 large ice cubes

Directions:  Place all ingredients in a processor, serve and enjoy!


These are just a few of my favorite recipes.  Later I will be publishing more recipes!  Although juicing and smoothie making can be messy and require a wide variety of ingredients, the payoff is definitely worth the effort!

LG Elevator Scare...Hilarious Reactions!

Hilarious>>>

Hilarious New Payment Method....For Men and Men Only!

A new payment method is being intergrated into stores world wide....

Finally, The Male Brain Explained!

Now women have no excuse.  We have unlocked one of the worlds largest mysteries, knowing how the male brain works.  It's a breakthrough!

Hot S**t of the Day: Gnesa! (full video)

I have seen a few posts about this video over the past few days.  I thought I would share with you what true beauty looks and sounds like!  If you thought Rebecca Black's "Friday" song was a hit, then your ears are in for a treat this fine afternoon.  Gnesa is the new internet sensation with her ridiculously amazing song "Wilder".  If your ears need a bit of love today, watch the video below and fall in love with Gnesa's monotone singing and hypnotically challenging dance moves!

With all of the auto-tuned artists out there, it is a pleasure to hear someone sing with such talent and passion.  Don't blame me if this song becomes stuck in your head or if one of you co-workers catches you revelling in delight as you play this video!  Gnesa is crowned Hot S**t of the Day for here undeniable beauty and sensual voice.  Enjoy!

My Favorite (and most unique) Places to Visit on Earth!

I began travelling beyond the bounds of Canada in my early 20's.  Although I haven't been to as many places as I'd like to, some of the places I have visited have been thrilling and rare in some cases.  Being a science student for five years, then graduating with student debt has made travel difficult, but I have been fortunate to see many specialised places which haven't been seen by many.  Here are my favorite places around the world!

1.  Jamaica's Bioluminescent Lagoon

Many people usually associate Jamaica with one of 3 things; lots of pot, expensive flights and Margaritaville.  Yes, Jamaica has an abundance of pot and pot plants everywhere!  The flights are darn expensive and Margaritaville is a nightclub dream for tourists.  After visiting Jamaica on a 2 week tour of the entire country, my perceptions changed quite a bit.  If one is lucky enough to check out the entirety of this country, you may come across this beautiful lagoon very near the town of Falmouth.  Jamaica is only one of five places in the world that supports bioluminescent organisms.

What is bioluminescence?  It is the emission of light an organism produces when it is disturbed (oxygen enables this chemical reaction).  Enough science, onto the cool stuff!  A large group of my friends paid this lagoon a visit at around 11pm -- perfect to see this amazing spectacle.  We hopped into several rowing boats which took us to the middle of the lagoon and were a bit hesitant to jump in the ocean during the dark of night.  But this is the best time to see these organisms in action!  We all hopped off the boats into the water and were immediately taken by what we saw.  When moving/swimming, the water all around each person's body lit up with this strong blue/green glow.  Suddenly we were no longer swimming in dark, but swimming in this beautiful array of light.  But I think that perhaps the most amazing thing was that the water surrounding your body instantly becomes as warm as bath water.  The organisms are microscopic but in such high abundance that the light energy they gave off produces a heating effect.  This was one of the most amazing things I had ever seen in my life!  Even after getting into the vehicle and driving the organisms on my bathing suit were still producing light the entire drive back to Montego Bay.

Although all of us had taken a million pictures at night, the bioluminescence did not show up in the pictures despite the strong illumination.  The picture above is part of the lagoon during the day and down below was after getting out of the lagoon (I'm in the middle).

If you ever get a chance to tour Jamaica, make sure to stop at this amazing lagoon outside of Falmouth!


2.  The Grand Canyon

During a recent drive down to the United States, I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to visit the Grand Canyon.  I thought, well...I've seen so many pictures of the Grand Canyon on tv and the internet that I probably wouldn't be shocked by its awe and beauty.  Oh was I wrong!  The vastness and sheer size of the canyon is far more than one can even comprehend.  The history and creation of the canyon is spectacular.  We decided to walk along the geological timeline trail and were taken by the size of the canyon.  The Grand Canyon was carved out by the Colorado River and is approximately 450 km long situated in Arizona.

The Grand Canyon is astonishingly busy for most of the year.  The best time to visit is either in spring or fall when the temperatures are slightly cooler thus less tourists.


3.  Sunset Crater, Arizona

Back in March I toured quite a few states in the US.  At the time, I was fortunate to have a boyfriend who was somewhat of a United States loving traveller.  Although his love for the outdoors and US was perhaps a bit extreme, I was thrilled when he took me to Sunset Crater in Arizona.

Sunset Crater is located a few miles out of Flagstaff, Arizona and last erupted somewhere around 1050 AD and is part of the San Francisco Volcanic Field..  Me being the all knowing science queen, was floored to learn that Arizona was host to many cinder cone volcanoes.  To my delight, there was a small trail which we were able to follow and see the extent of the lava flow.  The views were spectacular! 

Unfortunately, the National Park Service closed the trail that leads visitors to the summit due to extensive and rapid erosion in an effort to preserve the cinder cone.  Sunset Crater also has a large visitors center run by the National Parks Service and is extremely interesting and informative --Violators caught taking volcanic rock face a $350 fine...so be careful!  Although I have only had the chance to visit 9 states in the US, I would have to say my favorite state is Arizona because of its beautiful weather and amazingly diverse landscape and geologic features!


4.  Paradise Island, Dominican Republic

I have only done the all-inclusive trip once and it was over Christmas in 2010.  Being able to drink, eat and sun yourself all day was a much needed getaway for myself.  Although all-inclusive trips are a blast, it makes it difficult to see the country in its full form.  Fortunately my family, all 12 of us, planned an excursion to Paradise Island.  After a short bus ride we were loaded into several speed boats with other tourists and whisked away to a large yacht.  Humorously, on our yacht ride, there were a couple older German women arguing on the boat.  The only picture I happened to catch of them was this:

After a long boat ride, a swim in the ocean and several drinks later, we arrived at Paradise Island!  The island was extremely small and isolated and could only be inhabited until around supper time when the high tide would come in and cover the island until the next morning.  The island (which I would call more of a sandbar) was at sea level but is a popular spot to go snorkeling and escape the ever so crowded resort.



I had purchased an underwater camera for the long snorkeling trip and it was a must-have!  The clear waters made for a great opportunity to take aquatic pictures.  Even though I am a very strong swimmer, I must admit I was nervous to snorkel in coral quite some distance from the island.  Our guides gave us sandwiches before we went into the water so that we could feed the fish....feed the fish???  Yes, there were thousands of fish waiting for this food as we entered the water.  The frenzy of people feeding the fish freaked me out so I tossed my entire sandwich and began to swim.  Although the swim is not for beginner swimmers (the ocean currents were strong), Paradise Island was a beautiful day trip and is recommended if staying near Puerto Plata. 

There are so many other places I've visited, it was difficult to chose a few of the best places I've been.  Muir Woods (San Francisco) and Montego Bay (Jamaica) were also amazing places to visit.  Next year I hope to visit a place I've wanted to see as a child, Yellowstone.  I'd love to hear about more interesting places from around the world!

Hot S**t of the Day: Pocky! (Delicious Chocolate Snacks You've Probably Never Heard of)

Pocky is a delicious Japanese snack produced by Glico and has been around since 1966.  Since then, Pocky has developed more flavors and varieties than one could possibly imagine!  Pocky is a simple yet delicious snack, being comprised of a cookie/biscuit type stick that is dipped in chocolate.  Although I have tried many flavors, my two favorites are chocolate mint and milk chocolate. 

I first fell in love when an ex boyfriend gave me Pocky to try, which was sold in his store.  A new love immediately blossomed...not for my ex, but for Pocky!  I knew I had to try as many flavors as I could, but a recent search on the internet proved that Pocky comes in almost any flavor, from coffee to strawberry, Pocky's wide range of flavors are bound to capture many peoples love for chocolate.

However, Pocky can be somewhat difficult to find especially if looking for those more unique flavors.  The best selection of Pocky I have seen was on a trip to Edmonton last year.  In the West Edmonton Mall there is a large Japanese grocery store at one end.  Here I walked out with a full grocery bag of the good stuff.  I'd have to admit, the Pocky didn't last very long!

Glico also makes giant Pocky (see below) which usually retails for around $20 a box.  In the box you will fin giant Pocky sticks fatter than your finger and at least a foot long!  I was fortunate to get my hands on a box of giant Pocky but was disappointed when the cookie stick was more overpowering than the chocolate.  It was definitely good but left me with a dry cookie mouth.

If you have had the pleasure of trying Pocky, you can also try Yan Yan's.  They are similar to Pocky but produced by Meiji.  There are far fewer flavors but the concept is similar.  The consumer dips the cookie stick into a soft chocolate and sprinkles themselves.  Delicious! 

So if you haven't tried Pocky and stumble across it in a store, it is an absolute must try!  Because of Pocky's deliciousness and wide variety of flavors, I dedicate today to Pocky -- crowned hot s**t of the day!



Flashback: Favorite TV shows of the 80's and 90's (with full episode videos)

So I've decided to share my weird taste favorite things.  Every day I will share one of my favorite things...from drinks to television, food, travel and more!  It'll be like Oprah's Favorite Things except I have no free things to give away to you and many of the posts will have a flashback from the 80's theme.  Oh childhood memories...

With that being said, it's flashback time!  Here are my top 5 favorite television shows of my past:

5.  Where In the World is Carmen Sandiego?

This show started airing on PBS in 1991 and continued until its demise in 1995.  The show was made possible by viewers like you!  The gameshow for young children featured Carmen Sandiego, a villain and former ACME agent gone bad.  3 children (gumshoes) on the show were chosen to unravel a series of geographic clues from around the world in order to capture Carmen Sandiego.  In 2001, TV Guide ranked this show as being #47 out 50 for the greatest game shows of all time.  And who could forget that amazing theme song and the high quality sound effects provided by the band Rockapella!  Here is an episode from the early 90's:

The contestant with the most points was given the chance to participate in the final round which consisted of placing markers on counties shouted out by the host.  Only 45 seconds is allotted to correctly place 8 markers, and if done before the buzzer the contestant wins a trip to anywhere in North America.  The funny trend in this show is that no matter how smart the child is (see video), 45 seconds is clearly only enough time to place 7 markers.  Bummer.

4.  Supermarket Sweep

Since we are on the gameshow theme, I recalled my days yelling at the tv over supermarket brands and items as a child.  This show was originally broadcast in 1965 and through several breaks, aired into the early 2000's.  Supermarket sweep was a game of product knowledge and a keen sense of where these products would be located in a supermarket.  Each player had a partner where they would answer questions about products to earn extra time to race around the store with shopping carts.  The cameras followed the chaos in the supermarket and always kept me yelling, 'go faster'!

Supermarket Sweep is a classic.  Whenever I watched this show, I always thought I could toss more items into the cart than the contestants.  This often left me screaming at the tv for their fat-asses to run faster!  Classic.

3.  Ducktales

Ducktales was probably one of the shows I enjoyed the most growing up.  Last year I had an ex-boyfriend who was into comics and was kind enough to bring me home a few Ducktales comics.  They were great to read but nothing compares to the show!  Scrooge's greed and constant threat from the Beagle Boys taught me the value of money at an early age.  The series first aired in 1987 and was based on the original comics produced by Carl Barks.  The show contained numerous characters including Scrooge's 3 nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie.  If you grew up watching this show you'll soon have the theme song stuck in your head for days on end!

My favorite characters were always Launchpad McQuack and the Beadle Boys.  I still cherish my VHS tape of 6 Ducktales shows my uncle taped for me when I was young.  He even sat through every episode, pressing the record button when commercials came on so I wouldn't have to watch commercials.  The good old days of the VCR and Walt Disney cartoons.

2.  Gummi Bears

Here is another great Walt Disney cartoon which aired in 1985.  Although this cartoon doesn't seem to be well known by friends my age, this show ran for several years, finally ending in 1991.  When I watch old episodes of Gummi Bears, I swear the writers of this show were on high on acid every time they wrote an episode.  The Gummi Bears had gummi juice which they drank.  This potion gave the bears great powers which were used against their enemies.  One of the most memorable attacks gained by drinking gummi juice was the bears ability to jump and bounce ridiculously high and knock out their foes.

Cubbi, Sunni, Gruffi, Zummi, Tummi, and Grammi all lived in a tree called Gummi-Glen.  I don't recall a childhood show being so tripped out with potions and magic. 

1.  Bill Nye the Science Guy

This show was by far my favorite and was probably the most influential on me.  I grew up watching this show and eventually fell in love with science, which was so minimally exposed during my childhood in school.  My love for science began with Bill Nye the Science Guy and I eventually ended up obtaining a degree in science.  Bill Nye combined the detailed complexity of science with simple experiments a child could do at home.  He made science interesting, fun and simple for young people to learn.  I learned more about science from Bill than I did from my teachers or parents.

In 2005, Bill Nye came out with an adult-based science show which tackled complex topics.  Unfortunately I haven't had the pleasure of watching many episodes of The Eyes of Nye as there are very few online episodes and when it aired, I believe it only aired in the United States.  Either way, Bill Nye was the ultimate television show for children!

And there you have it...my top 5 childhood shows.  Whenever I watch episodes of these shows, I can't help but to bask in a warm, fuzzy happiness...with the occasional yelling at the tv.