Fat and Fortune

Sous Vide, anyone? My experience with the Anova Precision Cooker

2017-03-06T12:42:00.002-07:00

Right before Christmas, I treated myself to a new kitchen gadget - the Anova Precision Cooker. It was on sale, and I was intrigued by the concept of sous vide cooking. I love spending time in the kitchen and trying out new techniques, so I just had to splurge on this contraption. Plus - I didn't know a single person who cooked suis vide, so I wanted to be an early adopter, and kick some ass in the culinary department. I knew my loved ones were skeptical that meat could be cooked in a plastic bag sitting in warm water... but after reading the Anova blog and seeing so many pics of perfectly cooked steak, I just had to try.

So - you may be asking, what is sous vide cooking? Well, sous vide is French for "under vacuum" and it is a method of cooking in which food is placed in a plastic pouch and then placed in a water bath for quite a long time. It can be vacuum sealed, but that's not a necessity. I did splurge and buy fancy bags on Amazon that are specific to sous vide cooking. They are free of harmful chemicals and food safe for heating. They are not vacuum sealed bags, but that's OK. I just need to make sure that all of the meat is submerged under water, which means getting the air out of the bag manually.

I made my first roast while at home for Christmas. My mom donated the first hunk of beef - a nice top sirloin roast. I cooked the roast for 27 hours! I like to think of this method of cooking as similar to a slow cooker... but rather than providing direct heat from the bottom of the cooker, the Anova swirls the water around, and it is kept at a precise temperature. Sous vide cooking is generally done at a lower temperature than other cooking methods. For instance, I did my first roast at 131 F. It's not very hot, you can easily put your hand in the water. The roast came out super tender and perfectly medium rare. I've also tried 134 F and 137 F... personally, I like my meat bloody, and so 131 F was amazing. However, if I am cooking for guests who may be queasy about bloody beef, I try and go for a little closer to medium (137 F).

Now - when the meat is cooking, it doesn't look that great. But - there's a searing step at the end, and once the meat is browned - it looks awesome.

One thing I love about sous vide cooking is that I just need to set it and forget it. I can throw a roast in a plastic bag... add some spices or marinade, seal the bag, hang it over the side of any pot, put in on my counter, set the Anova for the temperature I want, and then leave it alone till the next night when I pop it out, sear it quick, use the juices to make gravy, and BAM, dinner is done!

You can use almost anything as a container! A pot, a cooler... a giant bowl. As long as it is deep enough to submerge the meat, you are good to go. And I usually set my pot on the counter, with a towel underneath. If you have stone counters, be careful. You may want to place on the stove top, or on a thick cutting board.

You can leave the pot open and exposed, but to be really careful and avoid water loss, you can cover the pot loosely with a towel. I notice that water does evaporate overnight, but nothing too drastic.

With sous vide cooking, you can ensure perfect "doneness" every single time. Placing food in a water bath, set at an exact temperature, avoids overcooking, because the food cannot get hotter than the bath. This was a food science "knowledge bomb" that took me awhile to wrap my head around. So - let's say that 131 F is the temp that makes food perfectly medium rare. The way that suis vide works, is that whether you leave the roast in for 8 hours or 28 hours, as long as the temperature is set at 131 F, it can never go beyond medium rare. It will come out perfectly medium rare, from one end to the other. The only thing that changes over time is the texture. I cooked my first roast 27 hours, which was probably too long. It was still perfectly medium rare, but the texture was extremely soft. It just fell apart. It almost lost its meat consistency. The nice thing though, is that if you leave your food in the water bath for only an hour or two extra, it's not a big deal. It's a very stress free type of cooking.

Here are some pics that show the difference between sous vide cooking and traditional cooking, from the Anova website:

With sous vide cooking - perfectly even!

With traditional cooking - there are gradients

Check out the difference! The sous vide method looks so much better!

Due to the fact that sous vide temperatures are much lower than for conventional cooking, the result is much higher succulence: at these lower temperatures, cell walls do not burst. With cheap roasts, tough collagen in connective tissue can be hydrolysed into gelatin, without heating the meat’s proteins high enough that they denature. This keeps the meat moist! I definitely noticed that all of my roasts were very tender, almost "melt in your mouth." Another bonus over conventional cooking is the consistency of the beef, from edge to edge. When a steak is grilled, there are temperature gradients in the meat. Food cooks from the outside in, which means the outer layers are hotter than the centre. Most traditionally cooked foods have a bulls-eye pattern. Perfectly cooked in the very centre, and increasingly overcooked as you move to the edge. I love the idea of perfectly cooked meat, from edge to edge!

Sous vide cooking takes a lot of experimentation. There are a million blogs and recipes on the internet, and everyone has a different method. Some will say minimum 130 F for medium rare, but you can go up to 139 F and still be in the medium rare range. It's hard to know what to do unless you experiment. Same thing with timing. Some recipes will say 8 hours, some 28 hours. It all depends on the cut of the beef, the size... the desired texture. In addition, some recipes say to brown the meat before placing it in the bag, some say to brown after, and some do both! I prefer to do it after cooking in the bag, so that the browning is the last step, but really, it's up to you! It is fun to try different techniques, as you get to play with food and find what's best for your unique taste buds.

Check out this perfectly medium rare roast Chad and I made! Just a slight sear at the end to brown the beef and give it flavour.

I think this roast looks absolutely perfect!

So far, every single batch of gravy made from the juices in the bag has been AMAZING! Below is a dinner Chad made using suis vide roast, with some rice and salad. An unusual take on a beef dinner, but absolutely delicious.

I've also done six chicken breasts at once with the Anova, and it took less than two hours! The chicken was extremely tender and delicious. It was awesome, as I had chicken salads all week, and the tender chicken wasn't dry at all!

Anova has a great food blog with all sorts of recipes. You can do veggies, bacon, dessert, you name it!

Just remember - often there is a finishing step. For instance, with roast or chicken, a quick sear in a frying pan will improve the taste and the appearance. It must be quick though - you don't want to actually cook the food, just brown the outside and ensure the Maillard reaction takes place. The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food its distinctive flavor. It also gives food the type of appearance we are used to! Nice and brown!

I can't wait to try sous vide lobster and fish! I bet it will be sooo tender and juicy! So far, I highly recommend this type of cooking, and I am enjoying my new device!

The Flying Canoe Festival

2017-02-10T22:05:00.001-07:00

The Flying Canoe Festival last weekend at Millcreek Ravine and La Cite Francophone was AMAZING! It was seriously so awesome that I went both nights! In fact, I am kicking myself for not knowing about this festival sooner in my Edmonton life.

As the website states, the Flying Canoe festival is a creative and interactive cultural event designed to celebrate local history and everything that is great about a long winter’s night. It is inspired by the legend of The Flying Canoe and French Canadian, First Nations and Métis traditions. This event celebrates Edmonton's beautiful Mill Creek Ravine and I definitely agree that the gorgeous landscape is on display and makes the festival feel like an outdoor adventure! As well, the lanterns from Dylan Toymaker are mindbogglingly beautiful! I want one of his lanterns so bad! In fact, when walking from the school to the ravine, individual houses even had lanterns up, which they had made at a workshop a week earlier! Talk about community spirit!!!

One other cool thing about the festival is that there are story tellers throughout the spaces, and not only do you learn about the legend of the Flying Canoe, but you can see people in canoes, and evil wolves with red eyes, stalking the canoes! The energy was electric, and even though the weather was freezing cold, if you dressed warm and stayed active, it was totally worth it!

I also really appreciated the celebration of First Nations and Métis culture. The tepees and drumming circles were amazing, and I enjoyed not only the hauntingly beautiful singing, but the free tea and bannock too!

My pictures of the event did not turn out, but luckily I have tons of good ones from my amazing friend Trae Duh! Thanks girlfriend!

Here are pictures taken at the school, which was lit up wonderfully, with constantly changing colors!

Wee! Slides!

La Cite Francophone had live DJs outside! And so many awesome colors!

These lanterns lit the pathway to the Millcreek ravine!

The flying canoes!

First Nations Camp

Millcreek Ravine, in all of its natural glory, and illuminated by Dylan Toymaker's gorgeous lanterns!

Father Winter!

We also flew a canoe!

The next night I attended with Chad and his son, and so we had another amazing night, this time with more children's activities.

Some of Chad's awesome shots are below. As you can see, lots of kids being kids and jumping in snow!

Community lanterns!

Free horse drawn wagon rides!

Why can't city parks always look like this?

Some good ole' fashioned dancing fun!

Cool illuminated dresses!

While this year's event is over - in the future, make sure to hit up this festival filled with lights, music, winter magic and more.

Art Gallery of Alberta

2017-02-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

After the Chinese New Years Festival, Chad and I headed to the Art Gallery of Alberta to check out some new exhibitions. I was amazed at how much things had changed since we were last there, probably about 7 months earlier when they had "The Indian Group of Seven." And, in fact, I think many of the exhibitions have changed since we were there only a couple weeks ago! Turnover is great! That means you can visit more often and never get bored :)

By far the most stunning and fantastical exhibit was The Vessel by David Altmedj. I'm pretty sure that hanging and assembling the strings would have taken the patience of a saint and a ton of time! I loved the molded body parts including hands and noses, and there were lots of stones and gems too. The way the body transformed into a moving swan was quite stunning. The exhibit was huge too! It took up an entire room, and so pictures can't really capture the entire scene. The piece looked very different depending on the angle.

When I studied the exhibit, I could actually see what the artist was talking about in terms of energy:

“What inspired The Vessel was a movement. The movement of something that retracts a little, to gain energy just before throwing itself forward. Like a wave that draws back and swells with water and energy, and is about to crash; or the movement of an arm that is about to throw an object.”

Photos by Chad Baba

The artwork below was interactive and collaborative. Visitors were allowed to move the strings and add new ones, to create an original mural inspired by the Vessel.

Sadly, I did not capture the names of all of the exhibits and artists, but Chad did capture some wonderful photos. This sculpture has amazing angles:

The painting below is from Edmonton artist Paul Freeman, who is the artistic director at the Nina Haggerty. I loved the vibrant and vivid colors! The piece really popped!

I also found a "self portrait." When I saw the painting below, it totally reminded me of myself. The blond hair and corn husk body! Even red wine stained teeth! A true Redcliff girl! Thank you Patrick Cruz for discovering my essence.

The artist featured above and below had an enormous exhibit, which took up two huge walls and reminded me of how I used to decorate as a teenager when I covered every single inch of space in my room. I LOVED it! I am obsessed with all of the colors, and there was so much to see in each individual painting! I created a collage using some of my fave pics in the piece, and assembled it below:

Right now admission to the art gallery is less than ten bucks as there are some exhibition closures on the first floor. It's truly a nice place to visit while downtown. In addition, the art galley is always hosting cool events, such as yoga and art classes for kids. Not to mention - even the architecture of the art gallery is amazing! Appreciate art folks, it's there to be admired!

The Year of the Fire Cock!

2017-02-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Chinese New Year Everyone!

This was my first year getting out to Chinatown and celebrating the New Year first-hand! And - in case you don't know - 2017 is the Year of the Rooster! The "Fire" Rooster in fact! And I sure did see lots of sparks :)

What I did not know about the Chinese New Year is that firecrackers are EVERYWHERE! I was imagining a parade in my head, but instead, I was able to see dragons and lions dancing around and performing rituals, and tons of firecrackers being set off in front of all of the wonderful businesses.

I was amazed at the noise! It was so exciting!!!

Photo credits: Chad Baba

Not only were firecrackers being lit on long strings all over the place (often with balloons and confetti attached for extra pop and crackle), but participants were able to light little ones too!

Here I am, about to blast-off my first firecracker!

It's amazing how loud and scary they can be! And when the hit your shins - they hurt!

But totally worth it!

Chad's celebratory dance after lighting a whole strong of firecrackers!

We were lucky enough to see a dragon dance!

And there were lions too! They would enter the stores to bring good luck, and jump for lettuce!

See the lettuce hanging above!

I had to use Wikipedia to find out the reason why the lions jump for lettuce!

During the Chinese New Year, lion dance troupes from the Chinese martial art schools or Chinese guild and associations will visit the houses and shops of the Chinese community to perform the traditional custom of "cai qing" (採青), literally meaning "plucking the greens", whereby the lion plucks the auspicious green vegetables like lettuce either hung on a pole or placed on a table in front of the premises. The "greens" (qing) is tied together with a "red envelope" containing money and may also include auspicious fruit like oranges. In Chinese cǎi (採, pluck) also sounds like cài (菜, meaning vegetable) and cái (财, meaning fortune). The "lion" will dance and approach the "green" and "red envelope" like a curious cat, to "eat the green" and "spit" it out but keep the "red envelope" which is the reward for the lion troupe. The lion dance is believed to bring good luck and fortune to the business.

In the old days, the lettuce was hung 5 to 6 metres above ground and only a well-trained martial artist could reach the money while dancing with a heavy lion head. These events became a public challenge. A large sum of money was rewarded, and the audience expected a good show. Sometimes, if lions from multiple martial arts schools approached the lettuce at the same time, the lions are supposed to fight to decide a winner. The lions had to fight with stylistic lion moves instead of chaotic street fighting styles. The audience would judge the quality of the martial art schools according to how the lions fought. Since the schools' reputation were at stake, the fights were usually fierce but civilized. The winner lion would then use creative methods and martial art skills to reach the high-hanging reward.

It was very cool to see the lions jump up for the lettuce, and then throw the leaves around!

I encourage everyone to check out the Chinese New Year festivities at some point! They are a "BLAST!"

And make sure to eat some dumplings and noodles afterward, as we did! You know, for luck! The dumplings at Urban China were outstanding!

Million Dollar Quartet will Make you Miss the Tunes of the 50's!

2016-11-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

I was very lucky to attend the AMAZING production of Million Dollar Quartet at the Citadel on Wednesday night. I thought it was going to be good, but it exceeded all expectations. It was exactly what I needed after all of the US election drama - pure entertainment and damn good music. And I'll tell ya - all of those actors could sing. So what's the premise of Million Dollar Quartet? According to the Director's Notes, the show has a simple premise: on December 4, 1956, before they were forever to become icons of American music, these "boys" - Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley - shared some time together, in Sam Phillips' soon to be iconic Sun Records studio.

Can you imagine? All of that talent in one studio! It is truly amazing to hear hit after hit and realize the depth of the talent these "boys" had, and how skilled Sam Phillips was to be able to detect and hone that talent. And let's not forget, there was also a kick-ass performance by a "girl" too. Vanessa Sears played Dyanne, Elvis' girlfriend at the time, and wowzers - that girl can wail! This show will make you yearn for the music of the past! I recognized and could sing along with almost every song. Some of the hits included: Blue Suede Shoes, Real Wild Child, Folsom Prison Blues, Fever, That's All Right, I Walk the Line, Great Balls of Fire, and See You Later Alligator. In total, 23 songs were covered - all hip-shaking soul-stirring epic tunes! The music was good in the 50's, and I swear it sounds even better today.

The performers were all strong. Each managed to capture the essence of their character. Christopher Fordinal plays Elvis and has killer moves, Greg Gale plays Johnny Cash and has that deep voice and similar mannerisms, Kale Penny plays Carl Perkins and sounded amazing both vocally and on guitar, and well, my fave performer of the night was Christo Graham as Jerry Lee Lewis. His mastery of the piano was top-notch, as was his acting (he got to play the cocky new kid in town and provided lots of humour to the show). And as previously stated, Vanessa Sears as Dyanne was a force to be reckoned with and had major charisma and a voice that easily rivaled "the boys." I dare you not to melt when you hear her rendition of "Fever."

I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention the awesome performance put on by Ryan Parker who played Sam Phillips. He was extremely charismatic with his booming voice and engaging smile. He was a lovable character who truly appreciated good music and fostering the talents of his "boys." Heck, even the back-up musicians were wonderful, with Nelson Collins-Lee playing the drummer and Paul Cournoyer playing the bass (he has an entertaining scene at the end where he plays his base while laying down on it!).

The set was made to look just like the Sun Records Studio, and I enjoyed the little details such as the "recording" light coming on whenever they played a new track. It truly looked like a 50's studio and that added to the authenticity of the show. The dress was on point as well, although I must admit - I think I prefer the music of the 50's to the fashion :)

Huge shout out to Ted Dykstra as well, for directing such an excellent production. I only became familiar with his work with last year's Evangeline, and with this follow-up, I am pretty sure everything he touches turns to musical gold.

Edmontonians - if you love the tunes of the 50's, hurry hard and score tickets. They are holding over the show and tickets have been released for Nov 17, 18 and 19!

How can you miss out on this goodness?

Photo Credit: David Cooper Photography

If you are an Albertan, you better visit the Mountains!

2016-11-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

I feel the need to give special recognition to the mountains in this blog post. I was just in Banff from Oct 12-16, and it was an amazing time. I was also in Banff in April, and in Jasper in November. The nice thing about living in Edmonton is that it is reasonable and affordable to take three mountain trips in a year, as all you really need is a long weekend. I am a deal-hunter, so I tend to use Groupon, Travelzoo or Hotwire to try and score good deals. I've never been disappointed with any of my accommodations, and most have been around the $125 night price point, which I feel is super-reasonable for the views and ambiance! My fave so far was the Banff Park Lodge, which had a wonderful Travelzoo deal. Our view was the Bow River and the mountains, and we just loved our room!

Don't get me wrong, if I was rich I would definitely splurge on the Fairmont Banff Springs from time to time, but the thing I've realized is that one can walk around the Fairmonts, indulge in a cocktail in the lounge, and almost have the "Fairmont Experience" but for much less. I always love looking in the art galleries in the Fairmonts, and seeing the mostly Canadian artists.

I also like to go on a day hiking adventure every time I go to the mountains, whether it is Maligne Canyon in Jasper (so beautiful in winter when the icicles hang off of it), or the Bow River in Banff. Heck, I just realized there were hoodoos in the mountains on my last trip to Banff. I grew up a southern Alberta girl and was under the impression hoodoos only existed in the badlands. Wrong!

I often hear that people in Alberta don't go to the mountains as often as they want... maybe because Banff and Jasper are so close and it seems like one can go anytime. My plea to you all is - get out there, go! The mountains are magical! When you are there, you can't help but be happy and feel awestruck. You can literally get there in less than half a day from most parts of Alberta, and once there - you are in world class tourist spot, filled with fresh air and beauty! Skiing and snowboarding season is just around the corner, if that's what floats your boat. I personally tend to eat, drink and walk around, ha, but that's the beauty - there is something there for everyone!

Get your Canada Park Pass while you can - it will be good for an extra year since 2017 is free for the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation!

Can you spot the mountain hoodoos in Banff?

The Bow River in Banff - two views

Jasper's Maligne Canyon

Mountain critters

On the grounds of the Jasper Park Lodge, and in their art gallery!

Bronze by Camie, below

Wish I knew the two artists below, but I do not.

Ignite Festival 2015 - A Lesson in How to Hold a Conference

2016-11-06T18:43:00.001-07:00

My last post about the 2016 Launch Party made me want to travel back in time for a little bit and write about the Ignite Edmonton Festival. I know it was over a year ago, but it remains to this day the best damn festival/conference/event or whatever you want to call it, in terms of organization, inspiration and beauty. Ignite was held Sept 9-10, 2015 and it brought together entrepreneurs, thought leaders, creative types, and change-makers from across Edmonton. Edmonton Economic Development put it on, and they did a mighty fine job!

There were main stage sessions with some big names like Nir Eyal who talked about how to "hook" people on a product, and Jane McGonigal who talked about the importance of games. There were also lots of workshops on everything from community building to crowdfunding, and it was super cool to listen to people like Andrew Ference and Karen Unland, who both work hard to make Edmonton a better place.

Before it was called Ignite, the same festival existed as E-town, and it was super cool as well, with lots of interesting speakers (my life was changed by listening to Peter Diamandis talk about the future and abundance) and dynamic musicians. The E-Town version of the event had live music in the evening (Barenaked Ladies one year and Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk the next), while the Ignite version had networking and drinks instead. Although I love a live musical performance, the networking was actually better, as I made tons of connections, including meeting my boyfriend. It's too hard to talk to strangers with a band playing, and so some drinks and lounge music is better suited to encouraging people to meet one another.

The sad news is that this event has ended, likely due to the economic downturn. I do hope that organizers realize how valuable and wonderful it was. Heck, even the "break out rooms" were carefully designed by locals, and the results were fabulous. Take a look at these gems, and you will see the Shaw Conference Centre looking the best I've ever seen it!

I truly hope that if the economy picks up, this fabulous conference re-IGNITEs itself, as it was my fave festival and I've learned so much from it. I still follow Peter Diamandis, Tom Peters, Bruce Croxon, and Chris Hadfield (they even had Canada's most famous astronaut here!) on Twitter. I think thought stimulating and inspiring conferences with an inter-disciplinary twist are exactly what Edmonton needs. I never really expressed my gratitude for these three events, and then they were gone. So while it's a bit late - I just want to say, "I love you E-town and Ignite." Thanks EEDC!

Entrepreneurs are Cool. So is Launch Party and Startup Edmonton.

2016-11-06T17:57:00.003-07:00

I am a public servant who has a secure job and I work best when I have a defined task. Despite that, or maybe because of that, I've always been obsessed with entrepreneurs and innovation. Once Startup Edmonton hit town, working alongside the Edmonton Economic Development Incorporation, tons of super fun entrepreneurial events have hit Etown. One of these is Launch Party, which takes place during Startup Week (which was Oct 19-23 this year). I was lucky that Chad and I managed to attend this event for the second year, and it was even bigger and better than last time. It was held high up in the Epcor Tower, with amazing views of City Hall and downtown Edmonton:

Launch Party describes itself as "a party designed to celebrate and showcase rockstar entrepreneurs in our community." All of the entrepreneurs launching their businesses get to have a space where they demo their products or ideas, and they also get a few minutes to present to the entire crowd and explain their business innovation. Launch Party alumni include: Mover, Granify, Yardstick, LoginRadius, Poppy Barley, Jobber, Mailout Interactive, and Showbie.

This year there were seven local companies that launched their products, and all of them fill a much-needed niche. For instance, I had already read about Taproot Edmonton, but it was cool to hear about it first-hand. It's a new way to do journalism, where paying members can actually suggest the stories they want to read about. The old model of journalism appears to be collapsing, especially when you consider the massive layoffs at the Journal and elsewhere this year. I think it's brilliant local entrepreneurs are trying to innovate in this realm.

Some of the more fun and interactive businesses involved games and virtual reality experiences. RunGunJumpGun was a super simple but tricky game that I was able to pick up in only minutes. I could see myself playing this on my cell on the bus!

vrCAVE was my fave new business though, as it was the first time I got to experience virtual reality!!! They created a Hospital of Horror for Halloween, and attendees were able to play a few minutes for free. It was so cool! Two people play at once and can interact with each other. I actually felt like I was in a different world, and I could move chairs and interact with objects. I can't wait to see what else they do with this technology!

Other great launches included TradePros, Run-WithIT, FilmReel by Fava, and Dealcloser. You can read about them all using the recap link from Launch Party.

If you like Design and Pretty Things, You'll Love Vignettes

2016-11-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

I am extremely lucky that my boyfriend makes beautiful things and I get to attend cool design and art events with him. For the second year in a row, I was invited to go to the Vignettes Showcase VIP Gala held on Sept. 15 and see the lovely rooms designed by multi-disciplinary teams consisting of designers, craftsmen/women, artists, woodworkers, and contractors. It was held in the old Sobey's building on Jasper and 104 street, and it was amazing! There were ten teams who each designed their own space, which they had freedom to choose. There were bathrooms, living rooms, whisky lounges - you name it! The space itself was also transformed with giant trees and greenery, delicious cocktail stations, and some snacks from Evoolution and Get Cooking. The space was absolutely gorgeous and I was impressed with the level of design talent in Edmonton.

I am extremely proud to say that my boyfriend Chad Baba from MK Baba designs was on the winning team - Beauty in Ruins. Their vignette was breathtaking - it looked like a bathroom hidden in a secret garden paradise. Their own description said it best:

"Imagine you are in the hills of Tuscany and you come across these ruins. There once stood a structure with four walls and a roof but now hardly resembles a structure at all. Two of the walls are amazingly still standing, made from brick but weathered by the elements and overgrown with foliage. The floor is a rustic hardwood, obviously many years old and extremely weathered as well.

However this space has been transformed into something beautiful. A serene outdoor bathing space. This once simple building turned to ruins has been re-purposed and turned into a secret oasis that is peaceful and calm."

One of my favorite details was the bust turned into a faucet and named Farrah Faucet! HAHA.

You can learn more about this year's Vignettes winners in the December issue of Avenue magazine. I can't wait to see teh write-up! Yeahhh!

As well, check out the Vignettes website and/or search #vignettesyeg on instagram.

Of course, I'd be remiss if I also didn't encourage you to check out the MK Baba instagram to see what Chad is up to!

I also have some cool pics from last year, when Vignettes was in a smaller space but still awesome! I'll include a few just because they are so pretty! The first pic is from Chad group's space last year called the Porch.

There is so much talent in Edmonton! If you can afford it, shop local and employ a local designer, craftsperson, woodworker etc.

Check out Alberta Ballet - It is 50!!!

2016-11-06T13:21:00.002-07:00

Last year was my first time getting into theatre in a serious way. I bought season tickets for the Citadel and Theatre Network and went hard at the Fringe. What really stuck with me though was the absolutely excellent season the Citadel had - I can clearly remember being blown away by Boom, falling in love with the music and costumes and sheer epic-ness of Evangeline, feeling the visceral anger in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and being utterly entertained by West Side Story. Every single play that season was a knock-out, and it was a no-brainer for me to renew my season tickets this year.

I then noticed that the Alberta Ballet was celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year! I figured if the Citadel killed it in its 50th year, the ballet probably would too. I didn't splurge quite as much, as I was less familiar with the ballet, and so I bought a three-pack subscription to get my feet wet. I chose Shadowland by Pilobus, Life by BalletBoyz, and Romeo and Juliet. So far I've seen Pilobus, and wow - it was quite the show!

Photo by Ian Douglas

The ballet was non-traditional and involved the Pilobus Dance troupe, who used shadows and light to play with the size and depth of objects and characters, which made me feel like I was in a dream. The ballet was whimsical, uber-creative, and had a soundtrack full of great tunes. The ballet felt like a magic show, full of illusions. The performers would contort their bodies to create new objects, and I would wonder how they did it. It was both sad and uplifting, and by the end I think the whole audience was swept up in a "dreamlike land of darkness, light, and adventure." The ending was particularly heart-warming, as they tailored it to the Edmonton audience by creating the Muttart pyramids with their bodies, referencing the Oilers, and of course, signalling their appreciation for Canada with a beaver.

Here's a YouTube video that gives you a glimpse into Shadowland!

Now, I know the whole point of blogging is to be timely, so that if I love something, I can encourage you to go. But - like I said, I took a five year hiatus and I am just practicing and catching up. And - while you may have missed this show, there are at least five more to go! I highly encourage everyone in Edmonton to visit the Alberta Ballet website and choose one that appeals to you. I will admit that I can't wait to see Life - a ballet comprised of male dancers. I saw the pics - those BalletBoyz are cute!

As well, if you like contributing to a community with feedback and the opportunity to ask questions, it is interesting to note that Talk Alberta Ballet was also established this year, and it is a website that allows ballet patrons to comment on the shows, brainstorm what they want to see in the future, and ask questions such as "What does a dancer's week look like?" There are members of the Alberta Ballet participating on the site, and so you can get a behind-the-scenes look at what the ballet is like from their perspective. I've enjoyed participating so far, and I think it is a great innovation for their 50th year!

A new twist on Fat and Fortune

2016-11-05T20:45:00.001-06:00

Sooo... it's been a very long time since I've written a blog. And I've been craving an opportunity to write for fun rather than work. But the thing is - my blog was focused on selling Visalus in order to lose fat and make a fortune. At the time I thought I could possibly achieve these goals by selling and drinking nutritional shakes. How naive I was. I realize now that it was silly to think I could keep up a blog on such a narrow topic, and one of interest to so few people. I also became disillusioned with Visalus and direct selling, and gave up writing the blog. But lately I've been craving a return to blogging, so I need to transform this space into something new.

I think Fat and Fortune can still be an appropriate title though. The thing is... I love food! I love cooking, taking classes and going to Edmonton's fine foodie events. In the last few years I've been in a garlic cooking competition, taken classes on everything from Thai to Turkish cooking, and mastered the art of buns. I've studied Ayruvedic cooking and learned to make ghee. In fact, I love healthy fats, from ghee to coconut oil to the delicious olive oil at Evoolution (they put on great classes as well). So rather than aim only to lose fat, I've embraced food and learned to honour it. Now don't get me wrong, I still want to loose weight, haha, but as I get older I realize there's a lot more to life.

That's where the fortune part comes into play. I am very fortunate to live in the city of Edmonton where I can partake in numerous festivals (the Fringe, Taste of Edmonton, and Heritage Days are my faves!), attend amazing theater productions at the Citadel, listen to sweet sounds at the Winspear and marvel at the skill of ballet dancers at the Jubilee, not to mention the free fun of walking around the Leg grounds or strolling down Whyte. I also have the most caring family, an amazing job, wonderful friends, a talented boyfriend ... I am very grateful. All in all, I am a fortunate soul surrounded by beautiful people who make life a joy.

My goal is to write about and highlight some of these people and events. I'll start by going back in time, since I slacked off and skipped so many amazing things I really wanted to write about. I want to post some old photos and let you know some of the things in this city that have inspired me. Kinda cheesy to go back in time... but it will give me a chance to practice how the heck one is supposed to add photos, change text, create hyperlinks and all that jazz. It's been years! And then - from this time onward - I will be in the groove to write about current events. So please join me in my adventures to enjoy fat and celebrate the fortunate life we live in this great city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Thai people - True Entrepreneurs!!!!

2011-12-31T19:38:00.002-07:00

You know what I actually thought about in the shower this morning??? I reflected on the fact that Thai people are amazing entrepreneurs! When I was at the market yesterday, I saw so many people running their own mini-businesses. They sell water and amazing juice drinks, little sausages, tasty curries, tons of clothes and jewelry, and offer services such as massages. It's amazing what people here do. I also notice that in the area by my hotel, there are tons of street vendors selling food everywhere I look. Out of carts, out of shops, you name it. They will even use little pots on single burners. Amazing smells fill the street, people eat up, and the Thai entrepreneur makes a bhat!!!

I love the spirit of the people here in Thailand. So friendly and entrepreneurial!!! I love spending my money here!

Happy NYE everyone. XOXO

I am in Thailand!!!!

2011-12-31T03:50:00.002-07:00

Wow, have I ever been a blog slacker. I had so much awesome stuff to report, and due to Xmas and vacation, I failed to actually sit down and write. John did my final weigh in and measurements right before Christmas, and I lost 10 pounds of fat and lotsa inches!!!! I decreased my metabolic age, and everything has improved. I have exact numbers in a fancy excel spreadsheet he gave me, and I will input them after my holiday.

I went home for Christmas. I had such a lovely time, ate lots of great food, and saw so many lovely faces. Oh, and I got lotsa kick ass presents too! I also held a shake party at my sisters! It was so fun to have one in Redcliff with people I've known forever. Stacey was soooo kind to let me have it at her house, and it was lots of fun! The ladies were laughing up a storm!

And now, I am in Bangkok Thailand. Just arrived late last night. It is amazing here. I love it. So far (in only 8 hours today) I've visited a huge weekend market, received a Thai massage (awesome) and explored the area by my hotel. I've also eaten tons of juicy delicious fruit. That's all I've eaten so far... gotta find some real food! No Visalus for three weeks - what will I do??!!!!

I wish you all a happy New Year!!!! May all of your dreams come true!!! XOXO

Make your New Year's Dreams Come True

2011-12-04T14:19:00.003-07:00

Wow. It is already December 4th. Before I know it, I'll be taking the mighty Greyhound home for Christmas, and then blasting off to Thailand for a three week vacation. There's so much excitement coming up in the future, I am pumped! I can't wait to lay on a tropical beach, after having a lovely Xmas with the fam.

My New Year's resolution is to achieve my fat and fortune goals. I want to continue to work out and eat healthy (with the occasional delicious treat - in moderation) so that I can enter my 30th year with the best bod ever! In addition, I want to grow my Visalus business and find a few partners to act as distributors. I also want to learn more about social media tools, and figure out how I can generate new business leads. I figure this should keep me busy for a year. It's always good to set goals and try to achieve them :)

I know that many people's New Year's resolutions involve weight loss. If you have a feeling that your resolution will be focused on diet and nutrition, now is a great time to order a Visalus Challenge Kit! Your products will arrive in about a week, and when January 1st hits, you will be ready to rumble!!!! I can guarantee you that if you start drinking two shakes a day, the pounds will drop off, your energy will increase, and you will feel amazing. The shake mix is that good!!!

Please visit my website to get started - just click "Join the Challenge!" http://jodiebakker.myvi.net/

I would also like to add that I have now been blogging for a little over a month! YAY! It's been such a great experience and it's fun to write down everything I've learned about improving my health while learning business skills. In the one month I've been blogging, this site has received over 1000 visits!!! Wow! I think that's fantastic. Thank you so much to everyone who reads this - I really appreciate it. Please leave feedback or questions if there's anything you want to know or would like me to talk about.

I also have to mention that I just got my first ever Visalus cheque in the mail! Woot woot. This shit is for real, ha. It's my first ever commission cheque, and it is for the first week of November (payments come weekly, with a bonus cheque at the end of the month). My cheque for my first week was $37.70! Not bad! I'll attach a pic. Get ahold of me if you want to become a distributor and earn some cash from home.

What are you New Year's resolutions? Do you have any? Or, do you think they are just stupid?

Success = Intelligence + Self-Control

2011-12-01T20:37:00.004-07:00

This week has been incredibly busy, inspiring and challenging in so many ways. My roomies left today for Ireland, and so we did our Christmas evening together on Monday (yah for fish tacos and good friends). I also booked my ticket to Thailand on Monday, and I've been hunting for hotels. I hit the gym Monday and Wednesday night, attended a self-defence class Tuesday night, busted my ass at work, and even got up Tuesday morning at 5:00 a.m. so that I could attend "Breakfast with the Guys," a fundraiser to support women's shelters and to help stop violence against women. It's a cool event because it's aimed at men, and it encourages them to help combat domestic violence.

The speaker at Breakfast with the Guys was Arlene Dickinson, an investor from Dragon's Den. She spoke about her personal experiences with domestic violence, and how one can never pre-judge what the face of domestic violence looks like. She also spoke briefly about the determinants of success. The one piece of business knowledge that she shared that resonated with me was that two things consistently predict success: intelligence and self-control. Of these two things, we have the most influence over our self-control, (also called self-discipline or willpower). Personal success hinges on exercising self-control and motivating ourselves to work hard, be persistent and achieve our dreams through sheer determination.

Losing weight is not easy. Going to the gym and working one's ass off costs money, it takes time, and it hurts. The thing is though - it pays dividends. After a few months, the results are phenomenal. You can see muscles. You feel energetic. You can breathe easier. Run faster. Become stronger.

Your body is your temple and you have it for life. It's easy to give in to treats and to become lazy, and everyone does it at some point. What's important is to exercise self-control most of the time, and eat things that are clean, nutritious and good for you. Feed your body the fuel it needs to thrive! Willpower is important because it allows us to forgo immediate gratification for long term benefit. The gym might not feel good for the first few months, but eventually, it will reap rewards.

Achieving success at work and business is also not easy. It takes hard work, courage and determination. You have to be passionate and resourceful and creative. By forgoing some fun now, however, great success can be found in the future. In my life right now, I am willing to put in extra time and effort every evening after work, in the belief that it will pay off in the future. I want to be a successful business owner and entrepreneur. I want to make a residual income, and earn money from home.

I think that it's really cool that children's self-control predicts future success. I am looking for all those people who could resist temptation as a kid. Those people who had self-discipline from a young age. If you are out there and reading this and want to join a company that's all about helping people get healthy and wealthy, give me a shout!

I believe in Visalus because I think it is in line with current trends. Obesity is a major epidemic in our society. The Body by Vi Challenge targets this problem. Visalus also encourages people to become entrepreneurs, learn business skills and build residual income. This is what people want - financial freedom, and freedom to manage their time. Considering that we are coming out a recession, people want to find a way to control their financial future and earn extra money. Vislaus provides solutions to health AND wealth issues.

It only costs $500 to become a Visalus distributor, which includes all of the start-up products. This is a small amount of money to forgo to become a small business owner. So what do you think? Do you have the self-control and motivation to give up $500 of your money now, so that you can put in some hard work and earn more later?

To learn more about earning money in Visalus, check this out: http://jodiebakker.myvi.net/recessionproof

Giant Challenge Party!!! Whoaaa whoaaa.

2011-11-27T22:54:00.004-07:00

So today I bravely took the bus to a part of Edmonton I had never even heard of, to gather with my Visalus team members at PHAT Training, to hold a giant challenge party. A one-star ambassador on our team, Jeni Briscoe, was in town to provide training and to help us give this event some pizazz. I really wanted to make an effort to attend, even though I did not have any potential customers to bring with me. I think that watching how these things are done is important, as one day I will have to lead a Challenge Party on my own.

I also wanted to meet a few team members who I've talked to a million times through e-mail, but never met in person - Shandrie and Jamie. Both girls are in my upline, and they've answered a million questions for me. Shandrie is always super helpful and I love writing her, as she is funny and has the best advice. I also love her facebook status updates as she's a huge Oilers fan, which of course melts my heart :) Jamie Senuk is a Presidential Director at Visalus and she's kick-ass at breaking lots of records on our team. She is also a nutritionist, and so she provides free nutrition advice to anyone who joins our team. And if you are wondering, both Jeni and Jamie are pro IFBB competitors, and they are super successful using Visalus to achieve rock hard bodies. In fact, Jamie personally tested the ingredients in the Visalus shake mix in independent laboratories, and she was blown away with the high quality of the product!!!

Shandrie provided me with lots of great advice tonight. First, I wondered what I could do to get more people out the Challenge parties. I've been trying to invite friends, but a lot aren't that interested. Her advice was that I should ask my friends to see if they know anyone that might be interested. Getting specific names and contact information is important. As such, I am going to start asking my friends if they know anyone who wants to improve their health, increase their nutrition, and/or lose weight.

And for all you readers out there - please, send me a comment and let me know if you know anyone who is struggling with weight loss, diabetes, or nutrition issues!!!! I really want to succeed in this business and I need your help.

Besides learning, I also wanted to attend the challenge party to get inspired and energized. Jeni rose to the rank of Ambassador in Visalus in 6 months! She makes a great income and has tons of fun, and it's cool to see how nice and easy going she is. She also mentioned that she's shy and afraid of public speaking. It's heartening to know that people can succeed in this business, even if they aren't natural extroverts or business professionals!

I heard many inspiring real-life stories tonight. A couple of these revolved around diabetes. It's apparently very common for insulin dependent diabetics to be able to reduce or eliminate their insulin after starting the Visalus shakes. The shakes contain sucralose and not sugar, and they are packed with nutrients that keep you full, and so they really help diabetics manage the disease.

One guy working out in Fort Mac at a work camp spoke about how he lost over 30 pounds in the 90 day challenge by drinking two shakes a day. He still ate a huge camp dinner, but the two shakes was enough to drastically improve his diet and help him lose weight.

It was mentioned that a lot of guys are concerned there is not enough protein in the shakes. The thing to remember is that the protein in the Visalus shakes is of a very high quality, and all of it is properly absorbed by the body. As such, it is probably equivalent to the crap that people buy in Popeye's that's loaded with filler.

It was cool that two of the guys at the party were from Fort Mac and dug the shakes!!! I need to find me some Fort Mac boys who wanna supplement their camp food with a kick-ass healthy shake that will give them extra energy and help them stay in shape. Lee, my dear, bring me some boy referrals!!!! (Lee is my bf who works in Fort Mac!!!)

Wow... I learned so much today and I can't even remember it all. It's after 11 (almost 12!) and I am thinking about Visalus and Thailand and Christmas... so much exciting stuff is going on. The girl who is my direct sponsor, Dawn, gave me a ride home, and she has been to Thailand twice, and so she gave me some hotel and site seeing tips. I am super pumped to go on vacation in January!!! And it's gonna be sweet rockin' a bikini after this November from Hell. It's getting harder every day to not drink red wine. I miss it so bad. But I gotta keep my eye on the prize. My weight today was the lowest it's been since I moved back to Edmonton after grad school!!! I guess that two shakes a day and no alcohol works wonders!!!! So, if any of you folks out there are looking to get yr bikini bod back in action, trust me - if I can do it - you can too!!!!

The Table Set-Up at the Challenge Party

2011-11-27T22:50:00.001-07:00

Vislaus Cookie Tasting - They are Yummy and Packed with Veggies and Fiber

2011-11-27T22:49:00.004-07:00

The Shake Station - Yum Yum

2011-11-27T22:49:00.002-07:00

Energy Drinks. Pro and Go give you POWER!

2011-11-27T22:48:00.001-07:00

Jeni's big Cheque. I want one too!!!!!!

2011-11-27T22:41:00.001-07:00

The Challenge Party in Action! Go Jeni and Jamie!

2011-11-27T22:39:00.001-07:00

So awesome!

2011-11-25T21:58:00.001-07:00

Lazy Marketing Kills Kittens

2011-11-25T21:43:00.003-07:00

Wow! Today was awesome. First off, I pretty much have the best job ever, as all of my bosses encourage education and life-long learning, and they allow staff to attend seminars and conferences and all that jazz. So today I asked permission to attend the Edmonton Social Media Breakfast. The speaker, Dana DiTomaso, sounded amazing - and the topic, "Local + Social = Better Together" - sounded interesting.

Dana's presentation did not disappoint. Her style was interesting, funny, direct, and informative. She used practical examples and explained the concepts she was using. It was perfect for noobies (like me!) and experts. I learned so much today, and I feel highly motivated to apply these lessons in work and life.

I'll list some highlights of the talk:

Stop being lazy, you can kick ass online... if you put in a good effort. Dana pointed out that so many people do a bad job of utilizing social media that if you can figure out how to do it well - you'll be ahead of the competition. Dana's most hated lazy manoeuvre was updating all yr social networks at once - don't use the same post for facebook, twitter, myspace, etc.
Make sure to tell a story online, and the story shouldn't read, "buy my crap." People want content and knowledge, and they want to get to know you as a person. Yes, you can sell stuff, but that's not why they are checking you out.
Make sure your business is ready to rock n roll when you start using social media, or you will get slaughtered with bad online reviews.
Find potential customers using social media tools - look for the right kind of people. Pay attention to their interests, hobbies, and the places they visit.
Use topsy.com to keep track of industry news (it searches certain key words that you select, every day, so you keep up on the latest happenings). Get results delivered to your RSS feed (like Google Reader), so that you can read juicy gossip on your fave stuff every day and keep on top of trends

Check out Dana's complete presentation at: www.tinyurl.com/nov2011smbyeg.

On top of all that awesomeness, I am pleased to report that two new customers have joined the Body by Vi Challenge in the last two days.

Yesterday was super trippy, because I saw that I had a new customer from Medicine Hat named Jodi Baker. My name is Jodie Bakker, and I grew up 10 minutes from Medicine Hat. At first I thought it was a joke or a mistake or a scam. Something seemed fishy. But, I wrote Jodi, and sure enough - she's a real person and she's awesome. She had tried Visalus awhile back, liked it, wanted to buy some in preparation for a Mexican vacation, and saw that I was selling it on a mutual friend's facebook. Social media brought us together!!! And how perfect is it that we have almost identical names!

Then today, a long-time friend of mine named Jesse also joined the Challenge. She recently had twins, which as you can imagine, is tough to manage (although she's kicking butt at motherhood, cuz she's so positive and amazing). Jesse is finding it hard to eat lunch on a regular basis, and Visalus will provide her with a quick and nutritious way to get some yummy in her belly.

Jesse has an awesome blog that explores her journey of first-time motherhood and the joys of having twins. I highly recommend that you check it out: http://www.growingcampbells.blogspot.com/.

Well, now that I am almost done this blog entry, I gotta go and practice all the stuff I learned today. Someone invite me to join google + (I am not a member yet!). And I'll get started on socialbro, topsy, linkedin and foursquare!!!

Back on Track, and Getting Experimental

2011-11-23T21:10:00.003-07:00

Today was one of those days where things just work out and feel good, and it seems like I am functioning at a higher level. I kicked butt at work and finished a report I had been working on for awhile. That felt good! My new Visalus order also arrived - and it was a huge one. Not only did I order the Transformation Kit for myself, but I also ordered some new products: Visalus Pro (a pre-workout energy drink), 15 shake samples so that potential customers can try the product first, chocolate chip cookies (they are healthy - full of veggies and protein!), and a pack of chocolate favour mix-ins. Yay!

I tried a cookie and Pro prior to my workout - and I really liked both. I must say, however, I just learned that Visalus is taking away Neuro in Canada and replacing it with Pro, because Canadian regulations don't let them market it as an energy drink (the caffeine is too low!!!). That's crazy. It gives a natural energy, and clarity of mind. Who cares if it is low in caffeine???!!! I love the flavor of Neuro, and I am addicted to it, and so I am sad to see it go. I might go through withdrawal.

My experiments today included two new shakes, one for breakfast and one for dinner. Breakfast was a strawberry cheesecake shake - it had frozen strawberries, low fat cream cheese, one graham cracker, almond milk and Vi-Shape. It was pretty tasty! It would be good if I was craving dessert or sweets. And for dinner - I had a pumpkin pie shake - some canned pumpkin with nutmeg and cinnamon and vanilla, with the Vi-Shape and almond milk. Yummy! And very healthy.

Today the gym went good as well - I did my whole workout, plus added three reps to all my muscle activities. So I guess I could say it was my hardest work out ever!!!! Woot woot. I really like my current program and it's going awesome.

There's a big Visalus promo coming up tomorrow, so stay tuned. I've heard a rumor it involves free shipping for Thursday and Friday!!!

Have a great sleep y'all!!! And I hope my kick-butt day is contagious :)