Snacking Squirrel

Final Semester

2013-04-27T09:05:00.001-07:00

"What happened to Snacking Squirrel?"

Camille has wondered the same, but alas I'm here, popping

my head back into the blogosphere to connect back in a little

School is still continuing to eat up most of my time. I'm

entering my final semester next week and will be a certified

Education Assistant/Special Needs Assistant at the end of May

I still follow a gluten-free and lactose-free diet, learning to stay on

track and not slip up being broke at college: I want to address how

frustrating it is to not find food for me in the cafeteria, I am always the

odd duck heading to the nearest health food store to grab take-out

So to counteract this, I try to make sandwiches in the morning to

have for lunch, and this one right here is pretty much the usual for me

Poached egg, marble cheese, deli meat (when available), tomato, red onion, spinach

and arugula, mustard, and black pepper, tucked between toasted gluten-free bread

I am trying to get some things together to do a giveaway

soon, as well as posting more frequently than once a month,

and getting some more personal photos and adventures

Question: What was the first course you took in college?

Or what course would you like to take if you had the chance?

Bacon, Eggs and Toast

2012-12-26T11:11:00.001-08:00

Here's a new feature to Snacking Squirrel: Bacon!

I've been eating more traditional-styled breakfasts while staying in Sicamous,

whereas I'm normally partial to sweeter breakfast options like parfaits and muffins

But bacon, eggs, and toast are much more filling and

energizing, and optimal for the cooler winter weather

2 sunny-side eggs with salt and pepper, a few

strips of crispy bacon, and 2 slices of buttered toast

Questions: Are you a bacon fan? What is your

favourite way to eat it, or best foods to pair it with?

Snowboarding and Sledding

2012-12-25T09:06:00.001-08:00

Reece decided to take me back out to

Sicamous, B.C. to spend Christmas with his family

The other day we drove out to his brothers'

place a few minutes away in Malakwa, B.C.

I'm not accustomed to so much snow, so his brother made sure to give

me a true "Canadian Christmas" by taking us sledding and snowmobiling

Reece was excited to "show me the ropes"

and take me on my first snowmobile ride :)

Teaching me before we take off

"Weeeeee!"

Now it's my turn to ride solo

Getting the hang of it...

Cutting through the fresh snow...

I definitely never thought I would ever

get the opportunity to ride a snowmobile!

~~Pretending~~ I'm sooooo cool haha

Heading back in...

Feeling TOO happy with a cheesy grin plastered on my face :)

Question: What are your favourite

winter sports, past-times and activities?

Crafty Santa Clause

2012-12-16T15:13:00.001-08:00

I have to admit that I live for Christmas crafting. You may remember

this post from last year when I crafted a set of reindeer ornaments

This year I chose to craft Santa Clause with Camille

I used sheets of multi-coloured craft paper, scissors, wet glue,

metallic silver glitter glue, cotton pads, foam fabric, and a pencil

I bought everything for under $10 at the Dollar Store

Constructing Santa Clause

Black boots and mittens? Check...almost done

My final Santa Clause...ready to hang on the front door :)

Questions: Are you crafting for

Christmas? What are you making?

Charlie Brown Christmas

2012-12-15T14:50:00.001-08:00

This year we decided to forgo a traditional

Christmas for a Charlie Brown Christmas instead

Reece picked up the cutest Dwarf Alberta

Spruce Christmas tree for our living room

"His little tree that no one had wanted, and he could hardly believe his

eyes. His friends’ efforts had transformed it into something truly special"

Gifts flown out from my family back in Victoria, B.C.

"Surrounded by his friends, Charlie Brown realized Linus had been

right about the true meaning of Christmas. This was the Christmas spirit

he had been looking for all along. At last, the season seemed 100 times

brighter. And for Charlie Brown, it was truly the merriest Christmas ever"

"...and that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

Question: Do you usually buy a

living Christmas tree or plastic one?

Belgian Dark Chocolate

2012-11-27T16:16:00.000-08:00

It is often said that the best chocolate in the world comes from Belgium

...but I'd say imported is better ;)

Waterbridge Belgian Dark Chocolate with Almonds 400g Bar

Containing only 54% cacao, this bar is in the

lower percentile of the "dark chocolate scale"

Made with roasted California almonds

In the small Belgian town of Tienen, confectionery artisans known for producing perhaps the finest chocolate

in the world, create these delicious bars exclusively for Waterbridge. Our Waterbridge Belgian Dark Chocolate

Almond Bar 54%, combines our full flavoured, smooth extra dark chocolate with the finest Californian almonds

roasted to perfection. This perfect marriage gives chocolate lovers the best combination of delicious taste. The

good for you Dark Chocolate contains antioxidants and the Almonds are often claimed to lower cholesterol

Nutrition Facts (Per 3 Squares):

170 calories, 10 g fat, 3 g fibre, 11 g sugar, 2 g protein

Beautifully lined squares of dark brown chocolate with an elegant sheen

With crunchy almonds loaded throughout

Questions: What dark chocolate percentage do you prefer?

Which country or countries make your favourite chocolate?

Sand Witch

2012-10-28T08:57:00.003-07:00

Can you believe Halloween is in less than three days?!

I haven't prepared any Halloween decorations or

baking projects like I did last year here and here

Other than buying a pumpkin that needs

to be carved, I just haven't had the time to

~~I will still be creating a Halloween-themed post this week though~~

But for now you'll just have to enjoy these pictures of my lunch...

Toasted Gluten Free Sandwich

With eggs, cheese, turkey slices, lettuce, onion, mustard and black pepper

Questions: What are you dressing up as for this

Halloween? What do you wish you were going as?

Buttered Waffles and Maple Syrup

2012-10-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, long time no talk! I've missed you all like crazy

Going to school full-time has absorbed every minute

of my life. All I do is wake up, eat, go to school, eat, spend

all day in classes, come home, do assignments, write essays,

take notes, study for exams, eat, shower, sleep, and repeat.

I'm lucky if I find time to go for a quick jog or, as I am doing now, blogging!

Although it would've been nice to take photos of our Thanksgiving

dinner, I chose to post pictures of my ridiculously yummy breakfast

Gluten Free Buttered Waffles

Toasted and smothered in Light Maple Syrup

Made with these frozen waffles

Bento Express

2012-09-02T08:20:00.001-07:00

I don't think there's ever a time when I'm not in the mood to eat sushi

Sushi is one of the most versatile foods, a sufficient

alternative to any breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack

The Fuji Combo from Bento Express, purchased from Safeway

The Fuji Combo contains 10 pieces; 3 California Rolls, 3 Spicy

California Rolls, 2 Shrimp Nigiri and 2 Smoked Salmon Nigiri

The California Rolls contain avocado, imitation crab, cucumber,

mayonnaise, nori seaweed, white rice and black/white sesame seeds

And the Nigiri Rolls consist of packed cylinders of white

rice topped with either smoked salmon or cooked shrimp

I don't use the soy sauce but I love eating the

wasabi and pickled ginger slices with my sushi

Question: Which condiments do

you like to put on your sushi, if any?

Bunny Love

2012-09-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

It's obviously not Easter, so why is Mr. Bunny the main feature of today's post?

Remember when I told you here that I've been getting over a bad cold/flu recently?

Well my incredibly sweet and thoughtful boyfriend came home from

work the other evening with a special furry little friend to cheer me up :)

Little did he know that my childhood stuffed animal back

home on the island looks eerily similar to this plush rabbit

"I am Bashful Bunny. Please look after me."

Even Camille fell in love with our new guest,

gingerly sniffing, kissing, and checking him out

By Jellycat London

And if that wasn't generous enough, Reece went out and picked a few wild

flowers ~~which he stole from someone's garden~~ to cheer me up even more

Gorgeous pink, red and peach-coloured flowers

Needless to say his plan worked; I spent

the rest of the day smiling from ear to ear :)

Steak and Potatoes

2012-08-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

I won't deny that I'm a meat and potatoes kind of girl

And even though I ate a more plant-based diet when I first began

blogging here, I slowly transitioned back to my omnivorous roots

Roasted russet potato wedges seasoned with extra

virgin olive oil, sage, chili powder, salt and pepper

Buttered corn on the cob

Lightly sprinkled with salt and pepper

4 oz sirloin steak, cooked medium-well, and garnished

with chopped red onion, chili powder, salt and pepper

Finished with steamed broccoli spears

Questions: Do you classify yourself as a meat

and potatoes person too? If not, which two foods

would you consider staples on your dinner plate?

The Coup Restaurant

2012-08-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I met up with one of my best friends back

home who happened to be in Calgary this week visiting

She took me to The Coup + Meet Restaurant &

Lounge, a popular vegetarian eatery on 17th Ave

The menu: Small Bites and Appetizers

Salads

The Coup is dedicated to providing customers with quality organic and

local food, all made from scratch. They compost, minimally use recycled

paper products, and features plenty of gluten-free and/or vegan options

We decided to share a couple dishes that our lovely waitress suggested for us

Starting with their full-sized Organic Rainbow Greens Salad

Shredded carrots, beets, pea shoots, rainbow greens

and seeds with a light Tomato, Leek & Herb Dressing

It was so refreshing and crisp

After tasting a couple different organic wines from their menu we

decided to order a glass of our favourites; Forbidden Fruit Pearsuasion

Dry White Wine for my friend and Castelmaure Red Wine for myself

Our shared entree was the Dragon Bowl with a Green Curry and Coconut Sauce

Steamed and fresh seasonal veggies with stir-fried tofu on quinoa,

topped with cilantro, seeds/nuts, with a Green Curry and Coconut Sauce

And after our incredibly scrumptious and healthy dinner, we

headed to the mall to take silly photo booth pictures together

Jess and myself (on the left)

Sandwiches For Sickness

2012-08-24T11:36:00.002-07:00

The most deliciously ugly sandwich I have ever made

I've neglected to inform you that I am just getting over a horrible

week long flu/fever. But what does that have to do with this sandwich?

Well it was the first thing all week that

triggered back my appetite and taste buds

Anyone whose been sick for awhile knows what a relief it is

to feel hungry and actually taste the flavours in food again

All to be enjoyed with gorgeous sunny views from the patio

where our lovely potted plant/vine is growing and flowering

Now lets break down the components of this messy sandwich...

I began with 2 toasted slices of gluten free bread, which on I spread

1 tsp yellow mustard on one slice and 1 tsp regular mayo on the other

Then I placed 3 slices marble cheese on top of the mustard-covered piece of toast, to

which I made 1 large fried egg in a skillet with 1/3 cup liquid egg whites poured in...

The fried egg/egg whites were placed on top of the cheese with a pinch

of salt and pepper, 3 slices turkey deli meat, red onion, spinach and

tomato, then topped with the mayo-covered piece of toast. The reason it

got messy was because I proceeded to flip the sandwich ~~for whatever reason~~

Question: When you first get over a cold and

your appetite returns, what foods do you crave?

College Student

2012-08-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

After 5 years of roaming around, working, teaching
yoga and enjoying life, I am finally back to school

As of this coming Monday, I will officially be a full-time college student;

I am taking the Education Assistant Program at Bow Valley College

I just got back from the bookstore to pick up my textbooks:

Cites & Sources; An APA Documentation Guide and HDEV

Exceptional Learners; an introduction to special education

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers and The Art of Assisting in the Classroom

Everyday Encounters; An Introduction to Interpersonal

Communication and The Bare Essentials Plus

Question: If you had to go back to

college, what would you like to study?

Catwich

2012-08-20T13:35:00.001-07:00

Camille decided to join me this morning as

she was so enthused by my breakfast sandwich

Ham-Egg-Cheese-Veggie Breakfast Sandwich

Gluten free toast, deli ham slices, marbled cheese,

poached egg, spinach, red onion, tomato and pepper

The egg exploded into a delicious mess, unfairly teasing the kitty's taste buds

The cheese I use is one of my favourites, Cracker Barrel Marble Cheese from Kraft

So healthy and balanced, I could eat these sandwiches all day long :)

And poor Camille didn't even get a taste!