I have a craving for GMO-free snacks

I have had a craving for GMO-free foods for quite some time now. Or at least a few specific genetically modified organism (GMO)-free foods. I recently received a generous gift from Toronto’s Daniel Clarke from Bare Foods - an online store selling 22 products from six brands. All Bare Foods do not have GMOs, artificial flavours, high fructose corn syrup, harmful preservatives, hydrogenated oils and bleached or enriched flour. The are all nature and all delicious. Well, except for the mocha dark chocolate bar, which was too dark for me, and the chilli protein chips, which were too spicy. Right now, I have a serious craving for Sommersaults, little sunflower bites of deliciousness, that come in cinnamon, where you don’t taste the sunflower seeds, and sea salt, where the seed taste is quite strong. I wouldn’t say no to the dark chocolate and peanut butter bar, nor a chocolate quinoa bar. I would also say yes to the Taste of Nature bars. Who know GMO-free would be so addictive.

Happiness Is…

• Little boy giggles.
• Little boy ‘sad’ face.
• Little boy hugs.
• Little boy talk.
• Little girls’ games.
• Little girls’ conversations.
• Peanut butter and honey sandwiches.
• Lilacs.
• Weekends.
• Baked goods.
• Laughter.
• Heated seats.
• Family fun.
• Sunshine with heat.
• Puddle jumping.
• Baby animals.
• Nature.
• Lakeside views.
• Painted bedrooms.

Missing Nut

At a recent Day family function, I told our cousin the kind of peanut butter she buys is inferior to the kind I buy.

Skippy peanut butter is more creamy than Kraft, which is dry and sticks to your mouth. Having said that, I did enjoy Kraft on toast both mornings we stayed at our cousins’ home.

ND asked me what kind of peanut butter we grew up on and I confessed it was indeed Skippy that we consumed as children.

Not only did we enjoy the taste of Skippy, we always loved the fact that it was “the only one with the peanut on top.”

We were not allowed to open the new peanut butter jar until the old one was finished. As kids, we always planned our peanut butter eating so we could be the one to open the new jar and enjoy the whole peanut that was waiting for you when you cracked the seal.

There was nothing worse than finishing the old jar, opening the lid of the new jar and discovering that one of your siblings didn’t play by the rules and had already eaten the peanut.

When I moved in with my now-husband, I grudgingly offered to share the peanut. But then something happened.

The “one with the peanut on top” became the one with no peanut on top.

Skippy, where did the peanut go?

Missing Our Sylvester

We put our cat, Sylvester, down yesterday. He had congenital heart failure.

Being a cat, Sylvester hid his pain and suffering for what was likely months, which makes me feel just dreadful. The poor guy’s lungs were filled with fluid so he felt like he was drowning.

At around 3 p.m. yesterday, we noticed Sylvester’s breathing was funny and by 6 p.m., he was no longer with us.

While I feel badly that we didn’t have a lot of time cuddling, I think he had a good last day. The night before he had steak for dinner and he spent part of the night cuddling under the covers with me, his chin tucked under mine, purring away. In the morning, my son and I scratched his ears and pet him for a while before our day began. He had a lick of peanut butter and a lick of Cheese Whiz for a snack after his breakfast of soft and hard food. Our son leaped over my legs to get at Sylvester, giving him a big sloppy kiss and a couple of pets, along with some yanking.


Unfortunately, I did sit on Sylvester in order to get his flea medication on, but he did get four treats and then spent some time outside before being brought in. We had some more petting time before he was forced into the car, his least favourite place, before being brought to the vet.


I really miss him today but feel most badly that our son will not grow up as planned with his furry brother, who was like a dog, child and cat to us.