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The winner is...
2008-04-22 14:30:00
Here are the answers for last week's movie contest:1. Terms of Endearment (1983)Jack Nicholson, Debra Winger, Shirley MacLaine2. Beaches (1988)Barbara Hershey, Bette Midler3. Love Story (1970)Ryan O?Neil, Ali MacGraw4. The Way We Were (1973)Barbara Streisand, Robert Redford5. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Justin HenrySix of you got the correct answers.Since more than one person got the correct answers, your names were put into a hat and Hubby picked the name at random.The winner is...Congrats, Canine! I'll be sending you your prize later on this week.VE, Deb, Karen, Uncivil, and Starshine, if you e-mail me your details, I'll send you a little something too as a consolation prize. LOL! ;)
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Thought this would make you laugh :)
2008-04-19 23:17:00
This is one of the funniest videos ever :) It's Valentina Hasan, one of the contestants on Bulgarian Idol and her rendition of Mariah Carey's "Without You".I'll be back on Monday. Hope this video gives you a good chuckle!
More About: Thought , Make , Laugh

Random Thoughts
2008-04-16 22:02:00
1. I just realized that I'm not as daring as I used to be. Now that I'm in my thirties, I feel more cautious. It's hard to explain. When I was younger, I'd just do things on a whim. I'd fly by the seat of my pants, I'd be really spontaneous and I'd do crazy things. A girlfriend of mine would call me up and ask what I was doing and we'd decide right then and there that we were going to drive to New York for the weekend...or drive from Toronto to Montreal just to have breakfast at Chez Cora's! There were other crazy things I'd do, but I won't mention them here! ;)*sigh*Now, even with little things like getting my hair cut, I feel more 'prudent'. I always get just a little trim...nothing drastic. I got my hair cut last month and to me it was a big adjustment from having long-ish hair. Today, I felt like being a little more daring. My mom, a girlfriend of mine and I went to get our hair done and this is what I got:It's a little fun and light. Perfect for getting ready for ...
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A Movie Contest!!!
2008-04-15 00:19:00
Some of my fondest childhood memories are of curling up on the couch with my mom and a box of Kleenex, bawling our eyes out as we watched the most poignant, memorable tearjerkers on TV. My mom and I would just sob and sob! My dad used to ask us why we even bothered watching movies if we were going to cry like that.I just treasured those moments with mom. Tears and all. Even after all these years, I will never be able to forget those wonderful movies we watched together.Here is my list for the "Top 5 Saddest Movie s Ever Made":I'm a huge believer in "what goes around, comes around" and "you get from the universe what you put out". Having had the recent good fortune of winning an amazing prize, I would like to pass on a little good fortune to someone else.If you can name all of these movies, the year these movies came out and the main actors in each, then you will win a neat little prize. What's this prize, you ask? As you know, I love promoting my friends and their businesses. The w...
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Lost and Found
2008-04-13 02:43:00
I was looking for a particular grammar usage book when I came across a box filled with memories. There were CDs in there that I had been searching all over for. There were presents from students I had forgotten about. There was a Japanese wooden toy, a traditional Mexican calendar (I think that's what it is!), several Korean magnets and bookmarks, as well as a glass portrait of the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus (with a wooden stand) given to me by my Mexican students. At first, I wasn't sure if my Mexican students were kidding me when they gave it to me, but they were serious :) Being an ESL teacher, I get some pretty interesting presents!What surprised me the most was unearthing these next few oldies! It was a bittersweet moment. I found oodles and oodles of art work that I had done. Funny... I noticed how I only feel inspired to draw, sketch or paint when I'm experiencing conflict in my life. I haven't doodled, scribbled, painted, drawn or sketched since I left the city. Odd.P...
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Oh! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
2008-04-11 21:00:00
This post is for Jeanna. I LOVE YOU!!! ;)A few weeks ago, Jeanna was hosting a contest on her blog. She asked readers to look at a photo that she posted and name at least thirty candies from when we were kids. Do you remember any of those classic nostalgic candies from the 60's, 70's and even 80's? I remember them! There's nothing like old time candy to remind you of your childhood!To my surprise, I actually won. Today, my parcel arrived! Going to the post office, I felt like a kid in a candy shop! I love getting stuff in the mail! It was lunch time, so I decided to tear it up and get to the post office. Upon arrival at the post office, I jumped out of the truck and dashed up the stairs. I felt as though I my feet couldn't carry me fast enough! Almost tripping over my laces, I made it to the door. A box from the U.S. sat on the counter waiting for me.Woo hooo! I almost burst out into song (but I refrained, lest people discover that I really am kooky). Trying to tame the urge to...
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Great new find in Toronto
2008-04-10 01:24:00
Not too long ago, Hubby and I had the opportunity to eat at Issmi, a Japanese restaurant in Toronto . Though I am a fan of Sushi Inn in Yorkville, and tend to stick with sushi places that I know and love, we gave Issmi a try. I'm sure glad we did!One of my former students recommended the restaurant, so we decided to make that our meeting place. Hubby and I dined with my former students and just drooled over all the delectable dishes.The restaurant is a quaint little place and the service is excellent. Our waitress (in the photo above, posing with the owner of the restaurant) was friendly and helpful. She was also very knowledgeable with regard to the menu.Green tea and a few dishes of edamame were brought to us while we waited for our meal.The avocado salad was very impressive. I had never had anything like it before. The avocado had a very light, buttery flavour and the dressing was lovely. It was that special dressing that comes with "Japanese" salads, which is really funny becaus...
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It's Just Another Manic Monday
2008-04-08 20:57:00
Oh, wait! It's Tuesday! *sigh*What does one do when one has an entire "day off" to play with?If you're crazy like I am, you do this:1. Make a huge batch of curried butternut squash soup2. Keep an eye on the next batch of maple syrup while Hubby is doing farm chores3. Do Turbo Jam4. Mop floors5. Vacuum entire house6. Compost in the garden7. Clean dining room8. Clean living room9. Clean games room10. Clean guest room11. Clean greenhouse12. Groom Chance (that dog is crazy looking! He's got burrs in his thick coat! Arrrgh!)13. Cat litter14. Make supper15. Clear old raspberry canes so the new ones can come in (This took me over an hour and a half and I'm only half done!)16. Laundry (3 loads)Man! It feels like I did a lot today, but looking at the list, I only got seven things scratched off! Argh. Imagine what it's like when it's not a day off?Since I'm in the sharing mood, I thought I'd post my Curried Butternut Squash Soup recipe with you.Flipping through my vegetarian bible fro...
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Not Your Grandma's Leche Flan
2008-04-06 19:00:00
Growing up, I loved lingering about the kitchen while my grandparents cooked up the most delectable traditional Filipino dishes. My grandfather's Kaldereta was always a popular dish! No one in our family has been able to make it the way he used to make it!I loved listening to my grandparents talk about life in the Philippines and moving to Canada almost forty years ago. I often wished I could capture all their stories on paper and keep them for posterity. There's just so much material that I wouldn't even know where to begin!Though my brothers, cousins and I never learned to speak, read or write in Tagalog, we are able to understand most of what is spoken to us. I wish we were taught the language because now that I'm in my thirties, I'd love to pass more of my Filipino heritage onto my kids when Hubby and I start our own family.Growing up in Montreal, Canada, I feel like I don't really know my Chinese and Filipino background. I know this phrase sounds horrible, but I kind of f...

Aren't they cute???
2008-04-06 15:48:00
Here are our girls and their babies!!!Play dateSocial gatheringMother and child
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Wish You Were Here
2008-04-03 02:18:00
...so you could smell the hint of wonderful sweetness in the air! We started boiling our maple sap today. When you step outside the house, it smells like pancakes and maple syrup!!Since we're only making maple syrup for ourselves (as well as friends, family and students), we only do small batches of maple syrup. Last year, since we were just experimenting with making maple syrup, we just put the syrup in mason jars.This year, we got these cute little jugs!

Farmer Wants a Wife
2008-04-01 17:45:00
It seems in the past few years, our culture has become one that embraces 'Reality TV'. With shows like Survivor, The Apprentice, The Bachelor, Hell's Kitchen, Beauty and the Geek, The Biggest Loser, America's Next Top Model and Big Brother, one can't help but wonder what new shows creators will come up with next.I have a love-hate relationship with some of these types of shows. Though one part of me is adamantly against the entire premise of some of the shows, part of me feels drawn to them and wants to know what will happen next.With the emergence of these new shows, the wheels started turning in my head. I recall having a conversation with Hubby last year about how it would be funny if someone would create a show about a farmer trying to find a wife. Lo and behold, last week we saw a commercial for a new TV show called "Farmer Wants a Wife ". Isn't that funny?Having lived in the country for nearly four years now, I can see how it may be difficult for a farmer to find a wife. ...

Reflections
2008-04-01 02:05:00
More than four years ago I would have never imagined that I'd be living on an island. I didn't know I'd be living in the countryside! A lot of things can change in the span of a few years.For example:I didn't know that this is what I would see when I step outside of our house.I didn't expect to be married to such a hardworking, smart, fun, funny, all around great guy. Of course, a girl always hopes and wishes to find such a person, but Hubby surpassed all my hopes and expectations :)I didn't think I'd see the day that my mom would take a walk (a real walk...not the kind you do in the shopping malls!) with me. She was so intrigued to see how we make maple syrup. I never imagined we'd be making our own maple syrup!Hubby calls this the "holy" tree. Get it?I didn't realize how happy my pooch would be living in the country. Having him in my Toronto apartment really wasn't fair to him. Now he enjoys running all over the property.I didn't realize my father could walk on water. ...
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Earth Hour
2008-03-29 18:56:00
Don't forget! Turn off your lights March 29, from 8 to 9 p.m. "Unplug your TV, your computer, your DVD player - or if you?ve been following these tips, just flick off the power bar you have them all plugged into. Head outside and check out the skyline, by foot - not car."Earth Hour 2008

I'm Minty
2008-03-28 04:42:00
You Are Mint GreenBalanced and calm, you have mastered the philosophy of living well.Your friends seek you out for support, and you are able to bring stability to chaotic situations.You're very open and cheerful - and you feel like you have a lot of freedom in life.Your future may hold any number of exciting things, and you're ready for all of them!What Color Green Are You?Speaking of things that are green, I was just wondering if anyone out there reads Green Is Her New Blog. Anyone? Just wondering :) Don't worry. I won't be upset if you don't. This said, I really hope that you do! The blog is the brainchild of the one and only Curiosity Killer. She's enlisted the help of Fancy Pantsy, Farmer John (my husband) and yours truly to collaborate and share our ideas on everything green. *Ahem* Hubby, you need to post something new soon! CK and Fancy are two of the coolest gals ever (in person and in the blog world)!Finally, and on an entirely different subject, this photo is for Sa...
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I said I wouldn't, but I did
2008-03-26 20:35:00
Years ago, I made a promise that I would never stop loving you. I turned to you when I was blue. I shared my giddy high school days with you. Together, you and I went on many a road trip. Our summers were seemingly endless and so carefree. Oh, to be young and full of life...and to share all the excitement with you!Your beautiful blue eyes and exquisite blond hair just mesmerized me. I'd close my eyes and listen to your voice and let myself be carried away by your music.I said I'd always love you. What was I thinking?Bret, oh, Bret! How did you go from thisto this?What's this about Rock of Love? I loved you when you were singing with Poison. You were the epitome of coolness...at least in the mind of many lovestruck teenage girls. High school boys wanted to be like you. They even dressed like you!I said I wouldn't succumb to the temptation of viewing Rock of Love, but I did! You know I'm a glam rock/glam metal girl, but even I have moved on. Though I still love and cherish the ...

Stolen from J
2008-03-26 03:52:00
You've visited her blog countless times. You're wowed by her incredible taste in literature and films, and are dazzled by her ability to cook the most delectable meals for her family. She's the one, the only, the incredible, intelligent, cool...J at Thinking About...I nabbed these Blogthings from her because they're cool, fun, and I didn't know what else to blog about!Your Spelling is PerfectYou got 10/10 correct.Your spelling is excellent. You also have a great memory and eye for detail.How's Your Spelling?You Are a Good Friend Because You're LoyalYou stick with your friends no matter what, even if you feel like they're doing the wrong thing.You believe in letting people figure out their own path in life. It's not your place to interfere.And part of your loyalty means that you'll do a lot for your friends. You definitely go the extra mile.You'll even do great things for friends without them asking. After all, that's what friendship is all about.You are truly a friend fo...
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Don't Hate Me
2008-03-25 00:30:00
...because I'm opinionated.On the plane ride back from the Dominican Republic, we watched Enchanted. I had heard wonderful reviews from friends. Many said that Enchanted was cute, entertaining, and charming. You know the story, right? Classic animated fairytale meets live-action comedy.I'm the first person to admit that I am a hopeless romantic and I love all that sappy, feel good, Disney movie/fairytale/princess stuff. I really do. I also love musicals and many movies that most people would think are overly saccharin.This said, please don't hate me for what I am about to say. Yes, the premise of the movie was cute, but I really couldn't handle Enchanted. It gave me a headache. Perhaps it was the flight that made me ill. Scratch that. The flight was fine. It was the movie that wasn't!Giselle, the beautiful princess (who was banished from her perfect, animated, musical world by an evil queen) soon ends up facing the reality of the face paced, modern world of New York City. It r...
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Stop!!! Don't Throw That Away!!!
2008-03-23 16:47:00
A few years ago, I was reading an article in a green magazine (the name now escapes me) that the average North American household should have very little garbage due to recycling and composting. Since many cities have recycling, most of our glass, plastics, papers and tins can be recycled. Since organic matter can be composted, that leaves very little "actual" garbage to fill the landfills. Right?Most people I know have been quite diligent about their recycling habits. Some cities even have "wet garbage" collection and when I lived in Toronto, our municipality also offered composters to its residents! They were these big drum-like contraptions where you put all your organic waste in and it turned it into rich, healthy compost for your garden.When I lived in Montreal, I practiced vermicomomposting. It wasn't too difficult to do and the worms were surprisingly not icky at all! I'm a big wuss when it comes to creepy crawly things, but I had no problems with these wormies! The worms I...
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Spring
2008-03-22 15:41:00
Spring has sprung. I can feel it in the air. The snow is melting. The grass is beginning to poke through the thin layer of ice on the ground. Everything smells fresh and new. The sun shines and warms our greenhouse. The sweet songs of the birds sitting in the trees can be heard. Our maple trees are tapped and the sap is being collected. Yes, it is definitely Spring.With Spring comes new life and changes. There's a sense of excitement about all things new. In a week, our calving season begins. Life on the farm will be very busy in a week (as if it isn't already busy all the time)!Something about Spring always makes me feel like I need some kind of change. Something new or uplifting. Spring usually gets my creative juices flowing. I also go on mad cleaning sprees around this time. One of the things I felt compelled to do a few days ago was to get my hair cut. I was getting tired of my hairstyle. It was getting too long and scraggly.This is what it looked like last Saturday...This is...
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Absolute Perfection
2008-03-18 19:01:00
It's been a while since I've posted on a regular basis. I can't believe it's been over two weeks since I had last checked my e-mail, Facebook or the blog! Hubby and I returned from the Dominican Republic last Tuesday, and the next morning I was on the road to K-town for my little nephew's 1st birthday. I didn't even have time to unpack my suitcase!It's hard to believe that this time last year, a perfect little angel came into this world. I am constantly shocked at how quickly time passes.Here's a photo of the cutest little Habs fan!Tiny hands! My hands look so old and wrinkly next to his soft little baby hands!Sunshine in the morning while we play with his toys.Looking up at his Auntie C while he has his milk after breakfast. The boy loves his Cheerios!He's absolutely perfect! His eyes are so round and big! Check out how long his eyelashes are! Women pay lots of money on mascara and falsies to get eyelashes that long!Kenny and Auntie C.Kenny and Auntie C without her make-up...
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The Dominican Republic 2008
2008-03-12 20:22:00
We're back!!! Brace yourselves. This is going to be a long post since we've been away for a while! Our vacation in the Dominican Republic was FANTASTIC! I have absolutely zero complaints about our trip or the resort! Our resort (Paraiso Tropical in Puerto Plata) was amazing. The rooms were very clean and comfortable. The food was good and there was a lot of variety. The staff was amazing, friendly and helpful and the entertainment and activities were great.I suppose the only complaint I have is having to be back home! When we got to Toronto, it was cold and there was A LOT of snow! Surprisingly, the Island is much milder and has less snow than T.O.!This is the smaller of the two pools on the resort. Our villa overlooks this pool.Our villa is on the left of this one. It was a great spot! It was close to the pool and to one of the restaurants and bars, as well as a few steps from the lobby, gift shop and front desk.This is the lobby of the Paraiso Tropical.View of the pool and some ...
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Going...Going...Gone!!!
2008-02-25 22:43:00
This will probably be my last blog post for a while (for at least two weeks). It has been a crazy few weeks and hopefully little by little I will be able to share with you tiny tidbits of news when the time is right. I am of the belief that if I talk about things before they happen, I'll jinx myself. I don't want to jinx myself, people!I will divulge just a wee bit of good news at the end of this post. You'll have to read through until you get to the end to find out though. But, first...Deb, you will be super proud of me. I don't know what happened, but Hubby was laughing because I've been in turbo mode for the past two days. I took on "Project Organize Bedroom" and worked tirelessly at organizing our master bedroom! Thank you, thank you! You are amazing!Beach Mama participated in the "What's on your fridge?" meme and in turn, she asked other bloggers what was on their fridges. Here's what our fridge looks like. My mom always makes fun of me and says it looks like Hubby and I...

Tap that fine piece of...
2008-02-24 21:21:00
Maple, of course!!!It's time to tap those beautiful trees and make some of that wonderful liquid gold!We've got acres upon acres of beautiful land. Fortunately, we've got some maple trees amongst the birch, cedar, walnut, and other varieties of trees. Since it's a gorgeous and mild day with blue skies and lots of sunshine, it's the perfect day for tapping!If you've been reading my blog since last year, you may remember Hubby's first time making maple syrup! What fun! This year we are going to try to double or even triple the amount we made last year because we only had one bottle to ourselves! Everyone kept asking for some and we obliged, of course! For our first time trying to make maple syrup, we only made about fifteen bottles. We would have had more had we not scorched the first batch! Practice makes perfect! This homemade maple syrup is deeeeeelish!!!Sunny days like these always make me want to sing this Bob Marley tune! Sun is shining, the weather is sweet Make you want...
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I'm back!!!!
2008-02-24 02:20:00
Yes, I'm back. I thought I'd be away from the blog indefinitely. But, alas! I have returned to the blog world with lots and lots of good news. Happy! Happy! Things have been very busy with a bunch of different projects on the go. Unfortunately, I cannot report any details...yet!!!Until then, I can share some other things that I find wonderful!My Dad's delicious homemade Wonton Soup! Dad made Wontons the other day and decided to bring some over for his favourite daughter and his favourite son-in-law! Haha! He only has one daughter, and therefore only one son-in-law! Unfortunately, I can't give out his recipe because if I did, I'd have to kill you. You know...Ancient Chinese secret. Just kidding :) It is a family recipe, so I am not at liberty to dish it out. You can use this recipe, as it is similar to the Wonton Soup my Dad makes. See? I'm not that mean, am I?Please excuse my messy kitchen. It's the painting that I am directing your attention to. Baby Bro is moving from th...
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Throwback Thursday #25
2008-02-21 06:41:00
I've been feeling quite uninspired lately. I sometimes go through phases when I just don't feel in the mood to blog. Hopefully soon I'll come up with something newsworthy or even witty to write. For now, at least I still have Throwback Thursday s (thanks to the Throwback originators at Pinks & Blues)!In this first photo, I was three months old. I had already relocated three times! I was born in Toronto, and Dad decided to move us to Trinidad and Tobago. We didn't last too long since Mom got homesick for her family. We then moved to Montreal, where I spent twenty three years of my life. Though I moved a lot after that, Montreal has always been 'home' for me.I just love this photo of Dad and me. Check out the funky glasses! The 1970's = wacky fashion. When I was a teenager in the 1980's-1990's, I remember rifling through Mom's old clothes. She had platform shoes, hot pants, bell bottoms, tight jeans, jean jackets with peace signs and 'flower power' all over them and the...

Mac and Cheese Two Ways
2008-02-19 12:53:00
Inspired by a wonderful recent post by Dina, a fellow blogger and close personal friend in real life, I decided to share two super easy mac and cheese recipes.(Image from Google Images)Homemade Macaroni and Cheese - the perfect comfort food. It's not the most figure friendly dish, but man, is it yummy! I serve it with a mixed green salad.Ingredients: about 2 cups of elbow macaroni2 cups shredded of sharp Cheddar cheese1/2 cup grated of Parmesan cheese3 cups of milk1/4 cup of butter2 1/2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour2 tablespoons of butter (optional)1/2 cup bread crumbs (optional)1 pinch paprika (optional)1 pinch of oregano (optional)Directions: Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain. In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowl...

It's Been 7 Hours and 15 Days...
2008-02-19 01:53:00
Not quite, but I have been MIA for a few days. It's been really crazy busy lately and BabyBro and his girlfriend drove up to the Island from K-town on Friday. They left five hours ago and I already miss them. I really miss my BabyBro. His visits are always too short.He makes me so proud. Not only is he finishing up university (only to further his university career even more), he works at one of K-town's busiest eateries (to help pay for his school, rent, living expenses)and is involved in a lot of extra-curricular activities.BabyBro was telling me about his university's TV program (run entirely by the students). There's a student at the university (Meagan Taylor) whose father had given her a million dollars to make her own music video, Rojo Caliente. Now, a lot of people (mostly her peers) have criticized her, so I checked out her music video on YouTube to see what all the fuss was about. BabyBro says that she's Queen's TV's most popular hit (Most popular hit as in generati...
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My heart belongs to two men...
2008-02-14 16:52:00
It belongs to him...and also to him!Poor Chance. I don't know if you can see it in this photo, but his bottom lip was bleeding. I think he was playing with the snow and ice and got a little frozen :(These are from Hubby. Though I love lilies, orchids and other flowers that are not so easy to find on the Island, I'm also quite traditional when it comes to flowers. I know roses and carnations are very cliché, but there's something so refreshing about the simplicity of the carnation. The carnation has become to me, a symbol of something that is not pretentious and a reminder of Hubby's love. It's simple (as in uncomplicated), strong, reliable, and sincere. The pretty purple and white carnations are for me from Hubby. Hubby also got a bouquet of red ones for his mom and a bouquet of red for my mom :)Happy Valentine's Day!!!
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What do you eat in a week?
2008-02-13 23:01:00
Photo from Google ImagesI saw this on Jimmy's blog a few weeks ago and thought it was so interesting. I ended up e-mailing it to friends and family. It's amazing to actually see what we consume each week and how much we consume! What's also pretty sobering is how much (or how little) people in other countries eat in a week.I wanted to take a picture of what our grocery haul looks like, but I kept forgetting about it. Curiosity Killer beat me to the punch and posted her one week grocery expenditure for a family of two in Hong Kong.Since today was grocery day (and I remembered to take a photo for you), here it is! We just got the essentials this time. Today we got baby spinach for $5/ 2 packages. We usually get Clementines, cantaloupe, kiwis, bananas, berries, etc. I wanted strawberries and pineapple, but they were expensive this week. We've got raspberries from our farm in our freezer. We need to top up our calcium and vitamin D intake (hence all the dairy products and the vit-...
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