Orange Loaf

Yesterday, I tried this recipe from the Food section of last week's Vancouver Sun. It is very tasty.

While I used the same ingredients, I followed my usual loaf routine, to make this.

I grated the zest from an orange and then squeezed the juice.

The zest went into the sugar which was then creamed with the butter. I then broke the eggs into the creamed mixture and combined them well. (Next time I will use an electric mixer.) I then added the water and the juice.

In a separate bowl, I sifted the flour, baking powder and salt. I then combined the wet and dry ingredients and mixed them well before filling the loaf pan. This went into a 350 degree oven for one hour.

The nice thing about this recipe is that you often have all of the ingredients on hand.

The Orange cookies might be worth a try one day. I just wonder what parts of the orange are used.

http://digital.vancouversun.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

Tea with Mitts

I have been trying to find out if Ami McKay created the expression "Tea with Mitts" or if it is an old Nova Scotian expression. I love the idea of this expression and all of its ramifications.

http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780676977738&view=auqa

Above is an interview with Ami. She actually lives in the Birth House in Scots Bay now and has continued the tradition by having her own home birth there.

Ami doesn't talk about it in the interview but I wonder if she thinks that houses can tell their own story. Have you ever lain awake at night and thought about the people who might have lived in the house before you. I have often made up stories about them in order to fall asleep. And, then in the morning, wondered where those ideas may have originated.

Interesting to Read

Dora, the main character in this book, like one of the main characters in the last book I read, (The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society), is an unlikely connoisseur of literature. Both of these people were born and live in a back water and were discouraged by education, economics and lifestyle to appreciate good writing. Yet, both quickly acquired a taste for reading and literature. Both books have a back drop of a war - WW1/WW2. Both characters exhibit quiet, inner strength and tenacity in the face of adversity.



This, however, is the only similarity between these books. Set on the Bay of Fundy during the First World War, The Birth House captures the touch and feel of the early twentieth century in the Maritimes. One example of this is when Dora's aunt tells her mother to take away the books Dora was reading because they would drive her crazy. (I was told in my time that too much reading would lead to blindness.)



Besides being a very interesting story - although I am not quite finished reading it- there is the push and pull of herbs and folk medicine versus science and modern medicine. It reminds us of how much traditional cures are an integral part of our culture.

Most of all, though, this book allows us to understand how our mothers and grandmothers coped with all of the limitations they encountered.

Fun to Read

If you need a nice light diversion that is fun to read and hard to put down, may I suggest

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Like Housewife 49, it takes place around WW2. It is written as a series of letters to and from the writer. Slowly the stories of life changes during the war on the Island of Guernsey are revealed.

You can get it at your local library. First you may want to watch the video about it at Amazon.com ....

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/mpd/permalink/m11VE8SJPO1SPZ/ref=flash_player_2_preplay

VANCOUVER AS A DESTINATION

KEY QUOTES FROM 2010 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES MEDIA COVERAGE

"You're gorgeous, baby, you're sophisticated, you live well... Vancouver is Manhattan with mountains. It's a liquid city, a tomorrow city, equal parts India , China , England, France and the Pacific Northwest . It's the cool North American sibling." - The New York Times

"You may have heard that Vancouver is a great city, but it's better than that. On a good weather day - and we had a spectacular five-day run in the middle of the Games - it is stunningly beautiful, and it is an excellent eating, drinking and shopping city ." - The Boston Globe

" Vancouver looked gorgeous on TV ... NBC's shots of Vancouver 's downtown and waterfront, and aerial views of Whistler ski areas, provided a media boost no marketing campaign could have delivered ." - The Seattle Times

" Vancouver is a city unlike any other. Wherever I look, I see water or mountains -- or both. And everyone looks so healthy ." - The Daily Telegraph( UK )

"A remarkable environment. The license plates read 'Beautiful British Columbia' for a reason. The Sea-to-Sky Highway carries travelers on a jaw-dropping journey from the serenity of Vancouver 's waterfront to the majesty of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains." - The Buffalo News

"In winter, the heart of downtown [ Vancouver ] is 30 minutes from the ski slopes. In summer, sun seekers crowd its beaches and seaside promenades. And despite a rain-prone climate, it displays a perpetually sunny disposition. Consider it the supermodel of North American cities." - USA Today

" Vancouver is one of North America 's most under-rated tourist destinations. It is a modern, travel-friendly city with a unique mix of cultures. The relatively mild Pacific Northwest climate and an energetic restaurant and nightlife scene are other features that make this such an attractive city ."- LowFares.com

"[Visitors] will find the streets of Vancouver , a city of 2 million, so spotless they'll think Mr. Clean is the mayor." - The Miami Herald

"By the end of the 17 days that featured unseasonably warm temperatures and more than a week of brilliant sunshine, the cherry blossoms were blooming and a few fans had been spotted wearing shorts in the street while raucously celebrating Team Canada 's dramatic overtime victory over the Americans in the hockey final." - The Salt Lake Tribune

"Olympics visitors have become a travel marketer's dream as they bask in the Vancouver sun, flock to competitions and pour into downtown venues. The throngs of Games guests are magnets that should pull even more tourists to B.C. in the coming months and years." - The Montreal Gazette

"The city of Vancouver and the ski village of Whistler are terrific hosts for these Olympic Games. The air is clean, the public transit is scarily efficient, and the harbors, with snowcapped mountains for a backdrop, are picturesque. Whistler, two hours to the north and home to the skiing, sliding and Nordic events, is a winter wonderland."
- Time


THE FRIENDLINESS OF CANADIANS

" Thank you , Canada . For being such good hosts. For your unfailing courtesy... For reminding some of us we used to be a more civilized society. Mostly, for welcoming the world with such ease and making lasting friends with all of us." - Brian Williams, NBC News

"Along the way, there was plenty to like in Vancouver , if not always the weather. The people were generous and spirited, the volunteers cheery. Once,I saw a guy fail to smile; I think he was sentenced to 10 years of hard labor ." - Boston.com

"Before the closing ceremony begins, let me just take the time to thank the people of Vancouver for a wonderful 19 days. The people here couldn't be nicer, from the volunteers who make sure the buses run on time, to the citizens walking the streets, to the athletes and people from around the world who were here." - The LA Times

"The Olympics went into overtime Sunday. It was perfect. No one wanted the Warmest Games to end. Warmest weather. Warmest hosts ." - The Miami Herald

"Make no mistake, Canada 's people were the stars of these Games. They jammed the streets of Vancouver, cheered the most obscure sports as long as a Canadian was competing and all but drowned themselves in a sea of red. These are not folks normally given to outbursts of patriotism, but they found their voice here ." - Chicago Sun Times

"Why can't we be more like Canada ? They host the Olympics like they mean it. They smile ... and they have the Canadian Mounties. But most of all what they have is a kick-ass national anthem, a tune that says everything about who they are - and about what we, as Americans, are not."- The Huffington Post

"Graciousness is their default mode here. For the last two weeks, beaming has been a way of life. In a nod to the local vernacular, let me just saythis is the nicest city I've ever been in." - The Los Angeles Times

"No question the biggest winners of the 2010 Winter Olympics were the Canadian people, who were unfailingly polite, passionately patriotic, and self-deprecating enough to poke fun at themselves in the Closing Ceremonies." - The Miami Herald.com


CANADIAN PATRIOTISM

"For Canada , I'd call it a 'coming of age' moment. The country, all 35 million of us, were able to bare our patriotic souls in an outburst of unbridled patriotism not seen before." - The Toronto Star

"...the Games are a remarkable success. Millions of us are watching, and Vancouver is a giant block party. We know Canada is a small country in a big world, and most of us seem thrilled with what our athletes have achieved. Per capita, our medal count is second only to Norway 's." - The Globe & Mail

"Canadians used to think of themselves as being quiet, modest and unassertive. No longer. After their athletes topped the medals table with 14 golds at the winter Olympic games, some 100,000 flag-waving locals took to the streets of Vancouver and the nearby ski resort of Whistler, deliriously singing the national anthem." - The Economist

"This quiet city with such beautiful scenery made all of Canada proud ... In a nightly transformation, as many as 150,000 people flooded the closed-off downtown streets to savor the Olympic experience. Mostly mild instead of wild, the crowds whooped, hollered, danced and shouted 'Go Canada Go!' well into the morning." - The Houston Chronicle

"The bright-eyed exuberance can be a little overwhelming to someone who has spent many years absorbing cynicism in the Middle East, but the sheer earnestness helps temper what could elsewhere be an aggressive nationalism. Instead, it seems a pure expression of civic boosterism, no more, no less."- The Jerusalem Post


QUALITY OF THE GAMES EXPERIENCE

" These were the best Winter Games ever ." - Salon.com

"The venues here and the streets of Vancouver and Whistler are joyful places to be." - The Times London ( UK )

"So there was no shortage of Olympic spirit in BC and Vancouver became an amazing party town day and night." - Inside the Games

"...you can't stage a better Olympics. The city is beautiful. The venues are modern. The transportation is efficient. But this wasn't about logistics. In the end, it's the people that power the movement. The Canadian people pushed these games back from the brink of disaster and right off into history." -Yahoo.com

"The stadiums are full, the seats are full of passionate fans, the streets are busy and there's a lot going on ... Whether it is ice hockey, curling or speed skating, I haven't seen an empty seat in the house." - The Guardian

"The sporting venues were built on time and on budget. A new subway line links the airport to the city centre. The athlete's village, with a view over one of Vancouver 's many picturesque waterways, sets high standards in energy-efficient construction." - The Financial Times

"Top that if you can. Amid the tragedy, the medals race and the hockey frenzy, the Vancouver Olympics will be remembered above all for the fervor and ebullience of its Canadian hosts." - The Associated Press

"What Vancouver did show London was how to stage a Games to be enjoyed by everyone, from athletes to spectators to the general public, who embraced the Olympics with hands uniformly clad in red Olympic mittens." - Reuters

"There comes a time to tip your toque, and our good friends in Canada deserve our respect for hosting, and excelling in, a memorable Winter Olympics." - Philly.com

"Known better for their hospitality than their military, Canada mustered a small army of volunteers to pull off these Olympic Games with unfailing patience and cheerfulness." - The Christian Science Monitor

"In the end, these games became a testament to the resilience of both the Canadian and the Olympic spirit ." - The Australian

"The people of Vancouver embraced their Games as no other citizenry has in recent memory, not even Sydney. They packed the stadiums, thronged in the streets, made the cauldron their mecca." - The Sydney Morning Herald

"But the Games recovered in a spirited, determined and optimistic fashion, and most of the operation visible to me has been difficult to fault ...London faces a big challenge to generate the same level of enthusiasm for the Games." - BBC

"Seoul 's citizens were wonderfully fanatical in 1988 and Sydneysiders were pretty hyped up in 2000 but the Vancouverites who teemed downtown in their maple leafed garb have surely now set the standard for Londoners for 2012."- The Daily London Telegraph

"And overall, for athletes, fans, the media and the host nation especially, the Games were a triumph." - The Independent

"Bottle that Vancouver enthusiasm and London 2012 will really hit the spot. The London Olympics can take their cue from Vancouver, its organizers and its volunteers." - The Guardian

"I think it's always obvious at the end of any of these global spectacles whether a particular event was a success, or fell short of the mark. I have no doubt that history will recall these Olympic Winter Games falling into the former category." - The Daily Mail


VIEW FROM THE TOP

"The Games, suggested Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Monday, have elevated Canada on the world stage. 'Mark my words, some day historians will look back at Canada 's growing strength in the 21st century and they will say that it all began right here, on the West Coast, with the best Winter Olympic Games the world has ever seen." - Prime Minister Stephen Harper, CBC.ca

"Most importantly, the Olympics have provided a chance for international investors to get to know us and explore business opportunities." - BC Premier Gordon Campbell, Forbes

"We hosted the biggest event in our country's history and it was a huge success.' The mayor also took time to praise everyone involved in the Games, from the athletes to visitors, the police and finally, residents, for their consideration, co-operation and kindness. 'The people of Vancouver made the whole country proud." - Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, The Province

"Furlong, in Sunday's touching farewell speech, may have said it best: 'I believe we Canadians tonight are stronger, more united, more in love with our country and more connected with each other than ever before. These Olympic Games have lifted us up. If the Canada that came together on opening night was a little mysterious to some, it no longer is. Now you know us, eh." - VANOC Chief John Furlong, The Vancouver Sun

"Expo 67 was a moment of coming of age for Canada ," said Michele McKenzie, president of the [Canadian Tourism] commission. "One of the things it did in young people was inspire interest in our country. What this Olympics has done is expose younger generations to what Canada is as a country. . . . I think the world has a much deeper understanding of the country after this. It's magic." - CTC President Michele McKenzie, The Vancouver Sun

"US Vice-President Joe Biden complimented Canadians Saturday on what he called an 'incredible' Olympic opening ceremony. 'You guys put on one heck of a show,' Biden said Saturday afternoon, speaking briefly with reporters. 'Last night was incredible, absolutely incredible,' he added." - USVice-President Joe Biden, Canada.com

More on Placebos

Placebos Are Getting More Effective. Drugmakers Are Desperate to Know Why.

Click on the line above. This is a really good, interesting article on Placebos.

Oh, to find something like this that could apply to weight loss!

The Placebo Effect

I have just discovered that placebos are not actually inert substances which can fool people who think they need something. They can actually trick your brain into releasing chemicals which can alleviate pain.

I have always thought that the placebo effect was just something that skewed scientific studies. The placebo effect meant that scientists never quite knew the real effect of drugs or treatments they were testing due to the placebo effect.

However, studies have found that placebos are one-half to two-thirds as powerful as morphine in relieving severe pain of any kind because they can produce real physiological changes in the brain. If you believe you have ingested a pain killer, your brain will release pain-relieving chemicals which reduces pain. This was proven in a dental study in California in 1978 where researchers gave patients who were given placebos for pain, a drug, naloxone, which neutralizes the effects of morphine. The naloxone worked in the same way on the placebo effect as it did with morphine.

A placebo is defined as an inert substance that has no physiological effect on a problem - it comes from Latin for "I shall please". This may have to be renamed or redefined or both.

Ethics aside, cases could be made for prescribing placebos to people with allergies or weakened immune systems or who are pregnant or nursing. Any one who shouldn't or can't deal with the side effects of other medication, would benefit from placebos.

If this were the case, I wonder if they would still work on skeptics?

Parallel Olympics

I wonder if London will decide to have the Paralympic Games before the main event as we maybe should have done. Just think of the benefits if these games had been scheduled for January 12 instead of March 12.

Vanoc would have had a practice run to work out some of the bugs before the big event and more importantly some world class athletes may have received the attention they deserve. If they had won their medals before the big event, they could have been acknowledged while all of the world's media was still in Vancouver. And, the winter games wouldn't be ending on the first day of Spring. (Yes, I think the timing of the Stanley Cup is absurd as well.)

Lauren Woolstencroft for instance should be a household name, especially in British Columbia. She made history in 2002 by becoming the first disabled performer to be named Victoria female athlete of the year as she joined a list that includes past winners such as Olympic-medallist rower Silken Laumann, Ironman Hawaii champion Lori Bowden and Olympic runner Debbie Bowker. Now, she has won five gold medals at the Paralympic Games!

At least some one at BC Hydro had the foresight to install a beautifully large photo of her in the foyer of the downtown building a few months ago.