Tag: saskatchewan

Daily Food Diary – Day 267 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 267 of my Daily Food Diary! 💝

This is starting out to be a good day.  Dan is off golfing so Molly and I went solo on our walk.  We both went the distance without any issues whatsoever. 😀

Yesterday did not go as planned.  I did walk Molly and I got my workouts in.  My baking date with Jen fell apart.  She had errands to run and work to do on her truck..plus a bit of a vehicle tuneup demo that she gave to Maddy and her friends who are all working on their Drivers Training this year.  (If you are going to drive, you should know the basics of vehicle maintenance. 👍)

It was one of the warmest days of our year so far, so baking wasn’t looking like a great idea.  I was happy to water our garden and do a bit of reading.  

First published December 24th, 2024.

I am not too deep into this book, but I am thoroughly enjoying it.   I highly recommend it.  In fact, I think it should be required reading in highschool, recommended reading before getting married, and an absolute necessity before having children and/or grandchildren.

Since I began my health and fitness journey, one unexpected benefit that I have enjoyed is that I worry less about what others are doing, eating, thinking, or saying while being more focused on working on myself.  

This book is next level and well worth the modest price and time it takes to read it. 

Today I have my regular aerobics workout and treadmill time.  I am going to do more baking – alone as Jennifer is at work, and hopefully get more reading time.

Daily Food Diary – Day 267

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) paratha (240)

(1) tbsp peanut butter (105)

(1) tbsp jam (50)

Lunch:

(1) cheese tortilla wrap (170)

(1 1/2) oz sliced chicken (70)

(2) slices bacon (87)

(1) tomato (22)

(1/4) c white onion (5)

(1) c lettuce (8)

(1) tbsp peppercorn ranch dressing (30)

(60) oz water

Supper:

(1) sourdough bun (259)

(1) tsp butter (34)

(5) oz lean ground beef burger (304)

(1) slice havarti (180)

(1) tomato (22)

(1/4) c white onion (5)

(1/2) c spinach (2)

(20) lightly salted ripple chips (160)

(1/2) oz Philidelphia Cheese onion dip (20)

Total consumed calories: 1694

Total used calories: 302

(30) min. Aerobics (176)

(30) min. Walking (53)

(30) min weights (73)

Total net calories: 1392

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1392 = 163 over 👎

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 😊💞

Daily Food Diary – Day 235 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 235 of my Daily Food Diary! 😀

We are having a fairly uneventful weekend.  Our air is (thankfully) smoke free.  Our temperatures are mild  and we have limited wind.

Yesterday, I took advantage of our pleasant weather to do some work in the garden.  Dan drove granddaughter Maddy to work and went driving with her after she was off.

Every once in a while I would check my phone (Life 360) to see where they were and make sure they were still on the road.  Dan had her drive for quite a while – in the city, far from country ditches. 😂

Apparently, she did quite well.  Our Jeep came close to losing a side mirror but no actual harm done.

I’m glad we have Life 360 – but seriously Maddy.  Using a photo from your first ever Annual Boxing Day Sleepover for your profile picture?  You should be driving a pedal car. 😳

This morning we went for an early morning walk, had our typical Sunday morning, breakfast and tidied up a bit.   Dan and his cousin from BC (who dropped in for a short visit) are outside in the gazebo.

Outside this morning – feeding the squirrels peanuts and cleaning up after Molly.

Daily Food Diary – Day 235

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) plain paratha (240)

(1) tbsp peanut butter (105)

(1) tbsp jam (50)

Snacks:

(1/3) c mixed nuts (238)

(1) Mott’s Clamato Caesar – red (168)

(4) asparagus spears – green (20)

Supper:

(4) c nachos: tortilla chips, ground beef w/ taco seasoning, onion, peppers, & olives  – green, peppers – red, shredded cheese (650)

(3) tbsp salsa – red (15)

Total net calories: 1128

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1128 = 101 under 👍

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💖☺️

Daily Food Diary – Day 224 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 224 days since I started posting my Daily Food Diary. That is a full 32 WEEKS! 🌹

You would think for such a notable day, that I would have done better for my diet yesterday. 

Net calorie wise, I actually did.  When I subtract the calories used I only use exercise – walking, aerobics, weights and cardio.  Yesterday, I walked with Molly and Dan and I did my aerobics.  It wasn’t a weight/cardio day, but I used a LOT of calories cleaning house.  Our house wasn’t that dirty, but I was clearing out our spare room and one thing led to another. (Including but not limited to: laundry – several trips up and down the basement stairs, dusting living room shelves and  rearranging  elephants, repacking Dan’s Mother’s china, hanging a couple of paintings, and cleaning out, sorting, and rearranging one kitchen drawer). 

Totally off topic here: Pet peeve time – This morning I caught a news blurb about how extreme heat is detrimental to one’s mental health.  After noting a couple of  ways that one can  help themselves, family, or neighbours during a heal spell, the experts have decided that our provincial and federal governments should be held accountable for providing extensive mental healthcare for people during such times. 

I agree that mental healthcare should be available and accessible to people when they need it.  Absolutely! 

But I am really tired of hearing how we as Canadians are too pathetic to deal with any and every challenge in our lives without government intervention.

On another topic (sort of), it reminds me of my son Dan’s Two Year checkup with the health nurse.   She was asking him a few random questions,  for whatever reason.   A couple of questions in, she asked him what his mother would tell him to do if he was cold.  Without hesitation, he said “She would tell me to put on my damn sweater”.   The nurse laughed and then she asked “What would your Mother tell you to do if you were hungry?”

In retrospect maybe I have never been into coddling people,  but I can’t imagine what good can come of constantly being told that our physical, mental, emotional, and  financial well-being should be the responsibility of our various levels of government.  🤦

Mark, Genie, and Dan – red pj’s (Does it look like I  ever starved him?)

* And for the record, all three of my kids have turned out relatively responsible and self sufficient.

Daily Food Diary – Day 224

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) sausage patty (150)

(1) cheese biscuit (151)

(1) egg (72)

(1) oz marble cheese (113)

(2) tsp butter (68)

Lunch:

(1) c homemade soup – white, red, green orange  (125)

Supper:

(1) Taco Time Mexi-fries (265)

(2) hard shell tacos – green, red, white (520)

(1) crisp meat burrito (428)

Total net calories: 1624

Net calorie goal: 1222 – 1624 = 403 over 👎

That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 💖😊

Genie taking a break at Waterfall Park (old pic/young Genie)

Daily Food Diary – Day 215 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is Day 215 of my Daily Food Diary and it’s another late day – 2nd in a row.

Yesterday morning we headed to Gravelbourg to put new flowers on my parents and grandparents graves and to freshen up my uncle’s gravestone.

Dan cleaned up the headstone and painted the base yesterday.
I went to paint the letters and the rosary trim this morning.

The original plan was to work together, but one of us had to stay focused on Molly.

We tried having her loose, thinking she would stay close to us.  She didn’t.  We didn’t have the place to tie her down on a comfortably long leash.  Shade was hard to come by…. unlike crickets!   The entire graveyard was covered in little crickets! 

Fortunately, the crickets backed off while I was painting this morning.  I had a bit of an opportunity to empathize with my Dad as he originally carved the headstone. “In the memory of Herman…” must have been heartbreaking so soon after losing his little (younger) brother.    A year later, he would be carving his Mother’s name and date of death on the right side of Herman’s monument.  Thirteen years later, he would add his Father’s to the right.

When my parents bought their own headstone,  they bought one to match for Grandma and Grandpa Martel and placed one on either side of Herman’s. 

Last night I had a nice  visit with my Aunt Lil.   She is doing amazing.  At 91, she is still in her beautiful home, she reads and does puzzles, she has a small garden, she drives to do her own errands, and she BAKES – including her own bread – totally by hand.

I don’t have to look far to find women to admire and inspire in my family.

We drove home earlier today.   Tomorrow, I will be back to posting at my regular mid morning time.

Daily Food Diary – Day 215

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) c Cheerios (147)

(1/4) c 2 % milk (28)

Lunch:

(3/4) Lg taco salad (green, yellow, red, white)  w/ fried bowl (645)

Snacks:

(1) Smirnoff Ice (114)

(1) Bottle Pepsi (200)

(30) g Caramel Corn (140)

(1/4) c mixed nuts (180)

(24) oz water

Supper:

(1/4) Lg taco salad (green, yellow, red, white)  w/ fried bowl (645)

Total net calories: 1567

Net calorie goal: 1222 – 1567 = 345

That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 🙂🌹

Daily Food Diary – Day 214 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is Day 214 of my Daily Food Diary. 🙂💓

It was a busy day yesterday and today isn’t much better.  I am checking in late, but better late than never. It still counts!

Saturday is my serious house clean of the week.  After I got my aerobic workout done, I scrubbed down the kitchen, vacuumed, and moved furniture to do a thorough sweeping of the living room and the kitchen.  I also washed clothes and bedding, and we gave  Molly a thorough brushing.   And,  I fed the squirrels TWICE.

I also did a bit of garden/yard  work.  A BIG bit.  I watered EVERYTHING, fertilized the flowers and vegetables, and sprayed the tomatoes cucumbers, and peppers.  My ailing tomato plant is still alive, but hanging by a thread.   Most of the tomatoes are suddenly thriving, but the San Marzano are still fighting the rust fungus. 

By suppertime, I was ready for something  simple supper.  

It wasn’t our most colorful meal but there was yellow corn, white mashed potatoes, and dark brown brownies (which probably doesn’t count as a healthy colour). 

Daily Food Diary – Day 214

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) plain paratha (240)

(1) tbsp peanut butter (105)

(1) tbsp jam (90)

Snacks:

(60) oz water

Supper:

(1) Hungry Man Fried Chicken (520)

(1) Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie (50)

Total Net Calories: 793

Net calorie goal: 1222 – 793 = 429 under

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💗 😊

A touch of colour for Mom & Dad’s graves when we go to Gravelbourg.  Always red carnations for Dad and yellow flowers for Mom.

Daily Food Diary – Day 188 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

This is Day 188 of my Daily Food Diary. 

This month I am focusing on collagen.  Collagen is important to everyone, but particularly so if one is born with genetic collagen issues and/or as we age.    By our mid twenties collagen production begins to decline.  😮

Since collagen affects every function in our bodies, it is important to be as proactive as possible in maintaining our collagen production and metabolism.

There are few foods that are actually a source of collagen for us – meat, fish, and poultry.   Each of these contains specific sources of collagen – generally organs, tendons, skin, and cartilage.  Bone broth and gelatin, made from these sources, are often used to access this collagen.

Our bodies produce most of the collagen we need, but we require specific nutrients to do so.

Some minerals (copper, zinc, and manganese) are an important part of collagen production.  Other minerals (iron and selenium) are required for collagen metabolism.

Amino acids (proline, lysine, and glycine) are also necessary for collagen production.

And finally, vitamins C, E, B12, and Biotin (B7) are required.

Every day this month, I am highlighting the foods I consume that contain collagen – or the minerals, amino acids, and/or vitamins that are needed for the production and metabolism of collagen. 

In the next few weeks, I will source out these different foods and note what they specifically contribute to the process.  (So far, I know that egg whites are a good source of proline. 👍)

The San Marzano tomatoes from our  patio planter will be a good source of Vitamin C and Lycopene (which protects our skin from sun damage and ultimately collagen breakdown).
Our parsley will be another source of Vitamin C plus iron

Daily Food Diary – Day 188

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(3) Eggo waffles (270)

(2) tsp butter (69)

(1 1/2) tbsp Maple Syrup

Snacks:

(1) Mott’s Clamato Caesar (168)

Supper:

(1 1/2) serving nachos – Tortilla chips, ground turkey, red peppers, hot peppers, green onions, green olives, shredded marble cheese, salsa (875)

Total net calories: 1270

Net calorie goal: 1229 – 1270 = 41 over 👎

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💓🌞

Daily Food Diary – Day 166 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 166 Days since I began my Daily Food Diary and we are home!

Yesterday was our busiest and most intense day with the family.  

Activity wise, I took Molly for a walk.  She couldn’t make it around the subdivision without some drama, so true to form she had a traumatizing run in with two wooden deer at the entrance to one of the neighbours driveways.  🤦 Fortunately, Dan came around with the Jeep to check on us.  Molly climbed in with him, while I finished our walk.

Not the greatest pics, but it you an idea of the area. 

When I  got back from our walk, I had my first ever experience on a trampoline.  Gabby, Lucas, and Cason all joined me to show me how it was done.   It was pretty awkward, but I think having (and using) a trampoline regularly would be good for developing balance and core muscles.

After the trampoline, son Dan sent me on a run on the kids’ zipline.  Again, it was a bit awkward and  it was more intense than I expected but I can now say that I have done it.  I actually enjoyed it.  I could see myself taking on a more challenging one if I had the opportunity.

Late in the afternoon, Amanda returned from her trip with her friends.  Their husbands and kids arrived and the evening was an abundance of fun and food.

Dan & son Dan smoked/barbecued Prime rib roasts and the other husband’s brought twice baked potatoes and a salad.  The potatoes were excellent and the salad was amazing.  I will find and share the recipe for the salad tomorrow.   I made an oriental ramen salad using rice noodles (to make it gluten free for Amanda).  It worked out better than expected.  I couldn’t even tell it wasn’t regular ramen noodles. One of the husbands grilled the asparagus and someone set out olives and pickles.  For dessert we had the apple strawberry crisp that I had made earlier (again, better than I expected).  Amanda and her friends served it with gluten free ice cream.  

Once again I failed to meet my diet goals, but as I have said before … life is all about balance!  We are back home now so I will soon be back on track – or at least making an effort to get on track. 😊

Daily Food Diary – Day 166

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) c Cheerios (147)

(1/4) c 2 % milk (32)

Lunch:

(1/2) c baked beans (300) (1 SVG)

(1) BBQ spare rib (81)

(32) oz water

Supper:

(4) oz prime rib roast (340)

(1) tbsp horseradish (7)

(6) oz double baked potato (180)

(1) c Gluten free Rice noodle/cabbage salad (169) (2 SVG)

(8) grilled asparagus spears (26) (1 SVG)

(1) tsp butter (34)

(1) c romaine salad (140) (1 SVG)

(1) serving Apple strawberry crisp (248) (1 serving)

(1) serving Gluten Free ice cream (98)

(2) Gin & tonics (220)

Total net Calories: 1937

Total calorie goal: 1238 – 1937 = 699 over 👎

Total fruit & vegetables: 6 servings

Fruit & vegetable goal: 7 servings 👎

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great (rest of) your day!

Lucas and Molly saying their goodbyes this morning. 💞

Daily Food Diary – Day 146 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

This is my 146th consecutive day since I began posting my Daily Food Diary! 🎉😳

Molly is waiting at the back door for our morning walk so I have to make this one really quick!

I lost some time this morning making pancakes and sausages for breakfast.  It isn’t the healthiest breakfast, especially for someone who is working to be mindful of what I am eating.  But… I used vegetable oil in and to cook the pancakes in, rather than melted butter.  I used one tablespoon of sugar  rather than two in the pancake batter.  I went very light on the butter on the pancakes I had, and we used Pure Maple Syrup – which is supposedly the least unhealthy option for processed sugar.

Yesterday, we spent much of the day outside working in the yard and garden and enjoying the beautiful weather.

That Tiny Tim Tomato plant looks pretty tiny, but it is double the size it was when I planted it in this grow bag.
And the flowers seem to be happy in their new flower bed.  This little petunia burst into bloom overnight. 

I have to run or Molly might leave without me.  I’m pretty sure she could scale our chain link fence if she wanted to.  So far we have been lucky that she hasn’t been that motivated.

But she could be – motivated that is!

Daily Food Diary – Day 146

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) plain paratha (240) (1 gram)

(1) tbsp peanut butter (90) (1 gram)

(1) tbsp raspberry jam (50)

Lunch:

(2) chicken drumsticks (160) (3 grams)

(6) Hint of Lime tortilla chips (150) (1 gram)

Snack:

(1) peach (51)

(20) raspberries (20)

Supper:

(3) oz BBQ pork tenderloin (125) (1.1 grams)

(1) garden salad with lettuce, tomato, green onion, red pepper, radishes, sunflower seeds, olives, dried fried onions, and Vidalia Onion salad dressing (168) (4.2 grams)

Total net calories: 1000

Net calorie goal: 1243 – 1000 = 243 under 👍

Total Saturated Fats: 10.3

Saturated fats goal: 13.75 👍

Weekly Avg Roundup :

Saturated fats: 18.6 grams

Sodium: 2639 mg

Processed sugar: 25 grams

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💖☺️

Daily Food Diary – Day 113 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 113 Days since I began posting my Daily Food Diary. 

We are starting this day off with warm temps,  sunshine,  and  NO wind!  Yay for April in Saskatchewan.  This will be a great day for a walk with Dan and Molly!

Molly checked out the channel on our walk yesterday. It will be more picturesque once our grass starts turning green. 

There wasn’t much happening around here yesterday but there are always noteworthy moments.

Yesterday, when we went for our walk Dan ran into our pharmacy to pick up a couple of prescriptions for me.  It was just my regular inhalers.  Total price $245.00 CDN.  Total cost to us? $52.00 CDN.   Yay for the Saskatchewan Seniors Drug Plan! 

Also yesterday… was Dan’s dart night.  Dart night means a quick and early supper.  As I was cooking it last night, our granddaughter Maddy called to ask if we could give her a ride home from her friend’s.  It would be within walking distance – less than 4 miles.  She has biked it for sure and those girls are pretty independent.   She could have waited a few minutes and I would have gone for her.  But nope..  not on Grandpa’s watch.  Dan went to pick her up, no questions asked.  That is what Grandpa does and as much as the girls appreciate it, I do as well.  Every time!

Grandpa’s Girls

And finally yesterday… Dan went to his dart night and I was left with Molly and a serious case of the munchies.  I did have a few tortilla chips with salsa, but seriously I wanted something more, preferably something sweet.  I went through the pantry, thought about posting another loss on my Daily Food Diary blog – or worse yet ‘forgetting to post’ my unhealthy choice. I considered what a few grams of processed sugar would do to my lungs.  Ultimately.. I had a glass of water and called it a night! That was a win.

* For the record.. I have never ‘forgotten‘ to post a poor food choice – deliberately or otherwise.   I wouldn’t waste your time or mine posting a fake win. 

Food Diary – Day 113 of 365

Breakfast:

(1) cup coffee (2) (4.7 mg)

(3) crumpets (240) (205 mg) (3 grams)

(2) tsp butter (69) (63.3 mg)

(1 1/2) tsp jam (25) (5 grams)

Snacks:

(36) oz water

(1) c Licorice tea

(6) strawberries (23) (.7 mg)

(1/4) c snack Mix (231) (300 mg)

(11) Hint of Lime chips (275) (229 mg)

(3) tbsp salsa (8) (300 mg)

Supper:

(1/3) pkg Creamy parmesan sidekicks (132) (360 mg) (1.2 grams)

(4) oz boneless porkchops (130) (55 mg)

(1) tsp olive oil (40)

(15) asparagus spears (49) (31.5 mg)

(3) tsp butter (103) (31.2 mg)

Total Net Calories: 1110

Net calorie goal: 1255 – 1110 = 145 under 👍

Total Processed Sugar: 9.2 grams

Processed sugar goal: < 25 grams 👍

Total Sodium:   1580.3 mg

Sodium goal: 1500 to 2309 mg 👍

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 🤗💞

Daily Food Diary – Day 86 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It’s been 86 days since I started posting my Daily Food Diary – FOUR DAYS in a row that I have met my calorie goal.  I am committed to meeting my goal SEVEN DAYS in a row.

I am concerned about how well I will stick to the plan on Saturday.  We are hosting a birthday supper for granddaughters Prim and Maddy who had birthdays this week and for Dan whose birthday is in early April. 

Yesterday, Dan and I went shopping for gifts for the girls and for the birthday supper, plus a number of odds and ends that we happened to  need.   We  got  the girls’ gifts, cards AND wrapping paper.  We got the pork for the pulled pork plus a few of the extras we needed.   Dan is going back today for everything I forgot – including the three stores that I totally missed.

I am not, and have never been, a great shopper.   I’ve always wondered why ‘shopping’ is supposedly a predominantly female pursuit?  The tide seems to be turning, at least 9 to 5 midweek.  Dan blends right in with all the other retired men cruising the aisles with their  shopping carts.  They all seem to know what they are doing – unlike the handful of women (like me) who are wandering around trying to find their husbands. 

Food Diary – Day 86

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2) (.3)

(2) eggs (160) (14)

(2) oz ham (73) (13)

(1/4) c green onions (10) (1)

(1) tsp olive oil (40)

(2) potato patties (240) (2)

Snacks:

(1) c Hibiscus Tea

(40) oz water

Supper:

Beef Stir Fry:

(6) oz eye of round steak (264) (50.8)

(1/2) pkg ramen noodles (190) (5)

(1) tsp olive oil (40)

(1) tsp butter (34)

(1/2) red onion (23) (.9)

(1/2) c mushrooms (22) (1.7)

(1/2) c red pepper (23) (.7)

(1/2) c cabbage (17) (1)

(3) cloves garlic (13) (.6)

(3) tbsp stir fry sauce (60) (.3)

(1/2) c celery (8) (.2)

(1) carrot (25) (.6)

Total calories: 1253

Less 161 (walking 41 & aerobics 106)

Net Calories: 1092

Daily calorie goal: 1269 – 1092 = 177 under

Protein: 94.9 grams

Daily Protein Goal: 46 to 58.5 grams

That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 💖☺️

RIP Kat – It’s been 3 years since we had to let you go. We will never forget you, our sweet little girl. 💞