A Berry Delicious (and Nutritious) Reminder

A few years ago, I discovered the secret to Track and Field success! Well, to be more accurate, my grandma told me about it. I've talked about it before, but when Mom went to the grocery store this week, she brought back a ton of berries. And of course, that got me thinking about smoothies...

And that reminded me about my conversation with Grandma a few years back. 

We'd just finished a heart-to-heart, where I'd told her I was cutting out sweets, and all fats. She seemed okay with it, until I suggested (carefully) that she use less canola oil.

Whoops! My bad.

I know now that canola oil is one of the healthiest oils out there. It’s low in saturated fat and has NO trans fat or cholesterol. I know, I should have known this—my grandparents are canola farmers.

And then, Grandma told me that adding just two teaspoons of canola oil to something as simple as a breakfast smoothie can boost its vitamin E and omega-3 fat content—the stuff I need to run faster, like Superman. Grandma found a recipe from a former Olympic champion – Janet Evans – for a Berry Smoothie that is OUT OF THIS WORLD. I dug it out again, and starting today, it's back to smoothies for me. 

Grandmas are so smart, aren't they?

Gotta jet! I’m slamming my smoothie and then heading out for my morning run—even if the rain is trickling down. It's supposed to be a gorgeous weekend!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

P.S. I’ve included that recipe I was talking about below. If you’re Gordon “Lightening” Smith, or any of my other competitors, close your eyes!

BERRY DELICIOUS SMOOTHIE

Ingredients

1 medium banana

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 cup green tea, cooled

1/2 cup cranberry juice,

4 ice cubes

2 teaspoons canola oil

Blend it all until it's smooth.

Weathering the weather

I don't know about you, but when I woke up this morning and looked outside, I just about crawled back into bed. It's SNOWING.

Snowing. In May.

I know, I know—it's not the first time. And in fact, Mom reminded me that one year, it snowed at the end of June. It's just that, I really need some nice weather right now. I don't mind staying safe at home—I know it's the right thing to do during this pandemic—but being stuck in the house with my sister all the time is hard sometimes.

And it's not just me that's not happy about the weather, either. I overheard Mom talking to Grandma while I was having breakfast, and this "wet snow" isn't necessarily good for farmers still trying to get their crop in the ground.

To give you some perspective, farmers need 14 weeks to grow a crop. Seeding can’t begin until all of the snow melts (we had snow in some parts of the province a couple of weeks ago) and the moisture-saturated land dries—which, if it's raining or sleeting, like it is today, makes it even more challenging.

Grandpa always says he needs to take advantage of EVERY dry day if he’s going to get his crop in—and then, we all need to hope for great growing weather to ensure the seeds have enough time to grow. We live in Alberta though, so we probably shouldn't hold our breath. (Which seems like good advice, anyway!)

A quick look at my weather app tells me it's going to be a couple of wet days—which means I probably won't be outside much. So what am I going to do with my time? Well, I'll start by going through all of the fun learning activities I wrote about last month for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Maybe there's one I want to try again.

If that doesn't keep me busy, I might bake cookies. Or read a new book—the new Hunger Games story is out! There's a cartoon I wouldn't mind binge watching...and of course, it's family movie night, so I know there will be popcorn in my near future.

What are your ideas for a rainy day?

Gotta jet! Have a great weekend, whatever the weather.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Obeying the new rules of the road

Even though the weather these past few days has felt more like fall than spring (brrr), it is bike season—and in these times of "staying safe at home" it's one of the activities you can do by yourself, or with your entire family. (As long as you already have bikes. Dad went to buy Mom a new one for Mother's Day and they're sold out everywhere.)

I'm well versed in bike safety—these six rules are pretty standard:

1. Before you head out, check your tire pressure, brakes, gears, lights, horns and reflective devices to make sure everything works—or ask an adult to help you with all those details.
2. Check your helmet to make sure it still fits. Wear a helmet—with the straps done up and everything. It could save your life!
3. Know your hand signals, and use them.
4. Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, not against it.
5. If you’re heading out in the early morning, or coming home at dusk, wear bright clothing.
6. Map out your route and look for side streets or designated bike paths where possible.

You probably know all of that stuff already, but this year, there are two additional rules to consider: 

1. Keep your distance. The six-foot / two meter rule still applies, so make sure you give others a wide birth. Avoid busy paths at busy times of the day, and use your bell to let people know you're coming so they can step out of the way to let you pass. 
2. Keep it in the family. Now is not the time to be out riding with your friends—we're not quite there yet. I know it's hard, but the safer we are now, the sooner we can back to normal, right?

Gotta jet! Happy riding—and have a great long weekend. The weather is supposed to be great.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

A Different Kind of Mother's Day

It’s Mother’s Day weekend and you know what that means? Great food!

Well, traditionally it does. But this year, things aren't going to be quite the same because we usually get together with my grandparents to celebrate the day—and that's not quite allowed yet with physical distancing measures still in place.

And usually Amelia and I make something for Mom in school, and Dad goes out and gets flowers for all of the "Moms" in his life. But yeah, not sure that's happening either, since Amelia and I aren't actually in school and a lot of stores are closed.

But there are some ways we can celebrate. Dad and I plan to tackle Grandma's infamous Mother's Day lunch crepes—wish us luck, they're not easy!—and tomorrow, Amelia and I are going to make hand-made Mother's Day cards and a "spa" product of some kind. In the past, we've made bath salts. Dad says this year we should try Foaming Vanilla Bath.

Pretty, right? Here's the recipe and instructions, so you can make it too:

FOAMING VANILLA BATH
(Remember to ask an adult for help!)

Stuff You Need

Blender—preferably one with a feeder tube in the top and a low-speed setting.

Measuring cups and measuring spoon.

Container(s)—these should be able to hold about 425 mL or 1 3/4 cup. You can either use one large container or several smaller ones.

Ingredients You Need

125 mL liquid hand soap 1/2 cup
15 mL  vanilla extract  1 Tbsp.
50 mL honey  1/4 cup
250 mL canola oil 1 cup

Make It!

1. Pour liquid hand soap, vanilla and honey into a blender.

2. With the lid on and the feeder tube open, turn on the blender at low speed.  Mix the first three ingredients.

3. Slowly drizzle the canola oil through the feeder tube as the blender is running. This will create a creamy blend.

4. Turn off the blender. Remove the lid and pour mixture into container(s).

Use it!

Add about 50mL (1/4 cup) to your bath. If the mixture separates, shake well before using.

Okay, time to get making! I plan to make an extra batch of Foaming Vanilla Bath and another card, so we can drop them off on Grandma's doorstep. I don't think Dad will be able to find blue roses this year (they're her favourite), but he'll find something to help make her day special.

Gotta jet!  I hope you have a great weekend celebrating with the special “moms” in your life.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

The Importance of Routine

Whew! That was a busy month of blogging, right?

Don't get me wrong, I love the Blogging From A to Z Challenge—and this year's theme was fun, even with all of the educational stuff. (It's okay to admit it—you miss school. Me too!) But I can also admit, I'm happy to not be thinking about a blog every day throughout May.

The thing is, doing the challenge forced me to create a routine. The blog posts were published by 9 a.m. MST on most days (I was late once or twice), and posted on social media at specific times. I had to schedule in time to plan, research, and write each post. It was a big job, but by the end, I had a system. A routine.

Things are less structured this month—and that might be a bit of a problem.

I woke up late, even though I know the sun is out. And I lounged around in my pyjamas for an hour while watering the plants my sister and I are growing in the living room. I read a comic. Ate some cereal....and then it hit me. Today is Friday and my blog post is due.

Mom's been up working since 7 am. Dad too. Even my sister had started on her school work. But I don't even have a calendar in my bedroom—I've completely lost track of the days, and it's only the first of the month.

That stops today. First things first, I'm going to hang a calendar in my room—and if I can't find one, then I'm going to make one, or print off a template. On that calendar, I'm going to schedule things—like homework, running, blogging, writing, reading... All of the things I need to make time for. It might feel like summer vacation, but it's not.

What does your routine look like?

On that note...gotta jet! I'm already late.

See you next Friday, bright and early, for a special Mother's Day post. Yup, that's right, Mother's Day is coming fast. What ideas do you have?

~ Chase Superman Duffy