Cheap Food

My daughter told me about an app that offers cheap food - no choice, however! Just bags of food that won't keep, so it's offered at discounted prices. Both supermarkets and restaurants have signed up.

The app is called "Too Good To Go"... (Not sure exactly what that means... Too good to go to waste?)

I'm tempted to try some of their offerings... 

One place I'm curious to try is a downtown buffet restaurant that Terry and I used to frequent before COVID. It shut down for several years, then reopened in a new location.

They rank high in the app's feedback. 

But there are also deals closer to home - bakeries and supermarket deli bars that offer bags of discounted food.

Maybe it's time to be adventuresome...

Two slight problems - for people with food sensitivities, like Terry, who is allergic to fish and seafood, there is no way of knowing what the mystery bag will hold. There's also no indication of quantity: Will it feed one or more?!

But I'm ready for some food adventure - so it's only a matter of time before I try! I just need the right deal!

Morning Walk

A few days ago, I slept over at my grandkids' house. 

It was a fun, busy time.

After they had caught the morning school bus - at 7:15 AM - my son asked if I wanted to join him for a walk...

He didn't have to start work until 9.

Great idea! 

So off we went around Almonte.

There was less water running over the falls than I expected.

Not long afterwords, Terry arrived to pick me up...

What a peaceful way to start our day!

Learning About Kangaroos

On my virtual walk along a coastal road in eastern Australia, I've reached the natural habitat of kangaroos ...

I was surprised to learn several facts about these animals. First, that there are different kinds of kangaroos - different sizes. 

(Much like we here in eastern Canada have different kinds if squirrels... Sitting on a Montreal park bench one day, I noticed that the brown and white squirrels in the park were about 30% larger than the squirrels in our neighbourhood. That's a significant difference!)

The second surprising fact was that kangaroos can swim - in fact, they are surprisingly good swimmers.

The third surprising fact was that, if threatened in the water by an animal like a dog, they use their upper limbs to push the animal's head under water to drown it! 

Wow! I had never heard that before!

(Makes me realize how little I know!)

Trees Fall...

Recently arborists removed a large tree branch that had snapped and fallen onto college property near our house. Arborists came to remove the fallen branches.

I took a few pictures and posted them on the blog...

Last week the rest of the tree toppled over - landing in the opposite direction! 

I don't think anyone expected that to happen!

Luckily no one was harmed either time - though the fence will need to be repaired.

Interesting Oatmeal Recipe

I prefer written recipes - but I recently came across a "reel" - a quick video - of an oatmeal-cottage cheese recipe I thought looked interesting. 

I had to watch the reel half a dozen times to catch the last ingredient - which I didn't get in the end. I assume it was a spice - so I used 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. (I omitted the nutmeg.)

It is supposed to be a mug cake, cooked for 1-2 minutes on high in the microwave.

I mixed the ingredients, then divided it into 3 custard cups - which I cooked together in the microwave. I didn't want it to overflow.

Mine was not brown on top but it didn't overflow either...

I enjoyed it - appreciating that, with cottage cheese in it, it was high in protein. I also like the tangy taste of cranberries (or rhubarb).

Another time, I would add one chopped apple and an egg - instead of honey. I'd probably have to use 4 small custard cups to cook it in.

I enjoy experimenting with food! Figuring out how to omit sweetener is my current cooking challenge. I find that adding a chopped apple - and/or chopped dates to most recipes adds sweetening...

But maybe that could be another blog!

Cat Feeder

We have this large plastic cat head in our basement storage room. I'd like it to find a new home for it - if it still works.

It's a food dispenser once used to feed one of my daughter's cats - the one who always seemed to be hungry. He would wake her up several times during the night wanting to be fed.

To dis-associate herself from food, in her hungry pet's mind, she purchased this feeder - which we affectionately called "cat mom." It was programmed to portion out dry kibble at set times during the day (and night)!

It worked well for years, until one day the cat got angry at "cat mom" - and knocked off her head, spilling a large quantity of kibble on the floor!

The dispenser was never used again!

Now I'm hunting for instructions - to test the feeder. If it still works, I'd like to include the instructions with the feeder when I pass it on.

Shopping Centre Fan Zone

When I first noticed this World Cup "fan zone" in the shopping centre where I walk, I wondered if anyone would use it...

A larger TV was added - and they are! Yes, they are!