The first couple of nights that Bowser’s parents were on vacation, he would not sleep in my bed. I think because he was waiting for them to come over from their place and take him home. He slept on either the couch or the daybed, or in his doggy bed. The 3rd night (and every night thereafter) he decided finally, that it was OK to sleep on my bed.
Yes, he had to bring a squeaky ball to bed with him.
Then, in the morning the snugglefest began.
Eventually, I had to drag myself away from all the cuteness and start the day.
I found out when caring for Bowser full-time just how much of a snugglebug he is in the mornings. I’d be at the computer and he would beg to be picked up and held. Of course – your wish is my command! 🤣
Note to self: run a damn comb through your hair first next time, OK?
Wait, says Bowser. Let me answer one more email!
I decided to mimic his yawn AND take this picture. Not sure why.
Heavy is the head that wears the doggy crown.
So many cute closeups of my pal! Makes my blogger’s heart very happy.
After spending last year enjoying my Universal Yums snack box gift subscription (and blogging about it), Donna and I were inspired to dream up a Canadian version.
We started with this list and then added some items of our own. I present to you, dear reader, our Canadian snack box:
From top left: All-Dressed chips, Hickory Sticks, Ketchup chips, Kinder Surprise Egg, Crispy Crunch bar, Kraft peanut butter, Butter tarts. Missing: Macintosh’s toffee (chilling in the fridge).
Donna created a score card for us too (isn’t she talented?!)
Beauty, eh? 😉
But first, we sat down to a lovely Canadian lunch, lovingly prepared by Donna:
Every bit as delicious as it looks!
Now for the contents of our Canadian “Yum Box”:
Firstly, I retrieved the chilled toffee bar from the fridge and gave it the de rigueur “whack” across the counter’s edge to break it into pieces. Way to be bilingual, eh? 😉Now this is how I serve a MacIntosh’s toffee bar!
Next up was the beloved (by Canadians, anyways) Crispy Crunch. I think the American equivalent is called a Butterfinger bar.
Mmmmm…I had forgotten how good these were.
I was surprised to learn about the Kinder Surprise Egg being banned in the US because the toy within is thought to present a danger to children. Insert snarky comment about assault rifles and school shootings here.
The danger involved makes it all the more appealing 😉.Inside the egg. Note the few escaped hickory sticks on the board as I forgot to take a picture of them outside of the bag.Inside the capsule were these adorable spinning tops, that actually did spin very well!
Next up: the infamous Ketchup flavoured chips! I remember this flavour being introduced when I was a schoolgirl. Oh, the excitement of a new flavour of chips!!!!
Now as an adult, I feel kinda “meh” about ketchup chips. Pretty much the last flavour I would pick.The former It chip, known as ketchup-flavoured.
Mover over Ketchup, there’s a new sheriff in town: All-Dressed chips! Side note: I had thought these were also known as “storm chips” but apparently storm chips are something unique to the east coast*.
I always thought these chips came about as a happy accident when someone at the factory decided to use up all the leftover bits of various seasonings on a batch. But I can’t find anything to support that notion, so I must have just dreamed it up.They are pretty tasty, but no exploding tastebuds were sacrificed by either Donna or myself. I think I speak for both of us when I say we prefer a perfectly salted, kettle-cooked plain chip.
Working steadily down the list, we come upon the Hickory Stick. I have not tasted a hickory stick since I was a child, and I remember not liking the hickory smoke flavour very much back then.
These are really good! Why have I been depriving myself of their tastiness all these years?!?!
Would it be a Canadian Yum Box without the Butter Tart? We think not!
These grocery store “buttery” tarts can’t hold a candle to a real bakery or homemade butter tart BUT they taste very much like the butter tarts of my childhood (my mom was not into baking) so the nostalgia factor wins these for me. There is a great Canadian debate on which is best: a runny butter tart or a solid-centred one? Solid ones are definitely easier to eat but there is something about a runny one…I dunno. My all-time favourite butter tart comes from a bakery in my former home town – Dee’s peanut butter butter tart is the perfect combination of salty and sweet (and runny to boot) – butter tart perfection! Argh, I just found out Dee’s is no more 😫…RIP, Queen of Tarts Dee Miller.
Speaking of peanut butter (of which I love all things made of and associated with this product), Donna informed me that Kraft Peanut Butter is uniquely Canadian, so of course it was added to our list!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_QnNAncVw8
Dark roasted is my favourite, but Donna’s choice is tasty too. My question is: what did they replace the fat with? I suspect carbs.
Our finished scorecard.
Just 2 Canadian hosers, standing outside in their toques and flannels…😂 (Donna is wearing a toque in the colours of the Newfoundland flag…before they joined Canada).
We hope you enjoyed this Canadian snack box post as much as we did creating it.
Now take off, eh! Good day!
Rock on,
The WB
* actual photo of storm chip run on the east coast 😉
My lovely co-host – Donna – has abandoned me taken a short blogging break so it’s just me this month running this show. It’s spring on Vancouver Island and I am out of doors as much as possible, gardening and walking/playing with my granddog, Bowser. This means I need a quick and hearty breakfast to power me through till lunch. Steel-cut oats to the rescue!
I came across an online recipe years ago for cooking steel-cut oats in the pressure cooker. I know the recipe by heart now, so forgive me please: I’ve forgotten the source.
I apologize in advance for how boring this post will be, photographically-speaking (if not in its entirety).
Here goes (serves 5):
1.25 cups steel-cut oats
3.75 cups water
Pinch of salt
Place in electric pressure cooker. Stir to mix. Close lid. Cook on high for 13 minutes. Let the pressure come down naturally. Open lid. Stir and serve.
That’s it.
JUST KIDDING. Of course I add all kinds of stuff to this recipe!
Oats plus embellishments before adding the water.
This time I added raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg. In past versions I have added embellishments such as dates, apricots, apples, nuts, tumeric (thank you Jonathan for that tip!)…you are only limited by your imagination! Ooooh – what about shredded carrots for a carrot cake oatmeal?!?!
Just finished.I scoop out one serving for the day’s breakfast into my bowl, and put the rest into a container and then into the fridge for future breakfasts.Breakfast is served! With even more embellishments: fresh berries and peanut butter. You can add whatever you like to your bowl – in the past I’ve added other items such as Greek yogurt, milk, maple syrup, honey, fresh fruits in season, protein powder, that almond butter that you are so over etc., etc.
And the next day, when you are in a hurry to get outside?
Easy to cut and serve the next dayJust pop into the microwave to heat up
Now, doesn’t that look better than ripping open a packet of instant oatmeal? I think so. And it tastes better too. Dare I say it’s better for you?
Well, dear readers – I look forward to your comments and seeing what’s on your plate this month. Before she went on break (literally seconds before), Donna did the InLinkz thingy for me as I am so over it refuse to fight with it any longer. Fingers crossed (as usual), that it works for you.
Oma said I could write this post as she is busy with “the garden”, whatever that means. I want to help in the garden too.
I saw this toy that Oma and Mommy were gonna play with, so I want to join in the fun too.Oma and Mommy were beckoning me to come over so I did.Whatcha guys doin’?Oh, you want me to drop it here?I don’t think so. I think you should chase me. That is the best game we can play in the garden, doncha think?
I think I was a good garden helper. Mommy and Oma were laughing a lot. That’s helping, right?
There is something new just past the entrance to the trail.
Bowser noticed right away. What are those?!?!
People tend to throw their yard waste into this area as it looks untended and abandoned. (Actually it is owned and/or managed by a logging company.) This means that any bulbs that are discarded in the waste have a good chance of coming up…blooming where they are “planted”, as it were!
I happened to catch Bowser mid-nose lick. No, he wasn’t thinking of eating them but we both enjoyed looking at the flowers and also, being out in the bright sunshine!
Hoping the weather is bright and warm wherever you are this weekend.
Bowser’s momma took him to the “spa” recently. And then snapped this shot.
Looking jaunty, with a stick from the yard. Snow is basically all gone.Trimmed up nicely, yet still retaining that ragamuffin charm (post-walk, hence the wet legs).
Note: I did not pose him for the 2nd photo. He did that all by himself, and luckily my phone was close to hand.
Have a lovely weekend (what’s left of it), and don’t forget to “spring forward” with your clocks.
The day after the big snow dump, the sun came out and so did we!
Let’s go, Oma!Got leash; will travel!A lot of snow fell, but it’s still snow problem for the Bowz.Will nothing stop this pupper? 🤣Apparently he is unstoppable.Oh, Bowser! Never change.Another beautiful walk in the snowy woods.
All of this snow is not typical for where I live but I have to say I am enjoying it.
We hope you are having an enjoyable weekend where you are.
