Urban Vancouver

Stolen Truck

By Turtlepace on January 19, 2007 - 2:58pm

Stolen Truck, originally uploaded by Turtlepace.

This just in from my friend Gary in Squamish:

Hi everyone,

Not all of you know Adam Protter, but I am passing this along just in case any of you see his truck.

His daughter is severely handicapped and the equipment she needs to be able to ride in a vehicle was in that truck.
Read below for more info and to see a picture.

Maybe people with blogs and websites could help pass this along as well?

Thanks,
GR

Hello
Someone stole our truck tonight. Out of our driveway while we were eating dinner. No kidding!
The real problem is that Mary’s Van was at Barney’s for a repair, so
Morgan’s Easy-On Vest, her ONLY car harness, was in the truck and
stolen with it, along with my�aluminum wheelchair ramp.
Morgan is grounded. She cannot travel unless it’s by cab. She’s a prisoner.
We are a minimum of 4 months away from a wheelchair van, and only if
funding is approved. It took a year and a half for Transport Canada to
Approve her Easy-On Vest/Harness and 4 months for it to be custom made
in Florida and shipped here.
No school bus will take her to school, so she doesn’t go unless we cab it, 11 KM each way.
Talk about a mobility issue.
Spread the word. If you see it, in a ditch, a field or lane, call the police! Please!
Thank you
Adam

What's Cooking? Eggplants with Cheese

By Turtlepace on October 5, 2005 - 12:44pm

Here is an easy way (you notice the focus is on easy in my kitchen) to pep up your standby spaghetti dish. My children are no big fans of pasta, but they love the eggplants bake with cheese. Again, this is really a non-recipe. I don't think you can do much wrong apart from under cooking, so start prep early and then relax.

Ingredients (for two baking pans)

• 2 eggplants (I buy the long thin Chinese kind, they fit better on my pans)
• grated cheese
• olive oil
• spices
• pasta sauce (optional)

Grease the pans with olive oil. Cut the eggplant in 1cm thick slices and arrange eggplants on the greased pans. Top each eggplant with a dollop of tomato sauce (optional). I bet instead of tomato sauce, tomato slices would taste yummy as well. Alas, husband does not eat tomatoes. Sprinkle each eggplant slice with grated cheese and spices. Bake in oven at 200C for 60min or until crisp.

Serve with spaghetti and pasta sauce

What's Cooking Tonight? Marinated Grilled Vegetables

By Turtlepace on October 2, 2005 - 3:27pm

Tonight we are having pork satays and grilled vegetables. Husband is doing the satay. I already marinaded pork cubes in orange juice and peanut butter. Up to him to turn the BBQ on and cook'em.

The grilled vegetable recipe is originally from my sisters kitchen. It's an easy, yummy way to prepare vegetables. The dish can be eaten hot as side dish, or prepared ahead and eaten cold as an appetizer. All amounts are approximate (sorry, not much measuring happening in my kitchen) and you can change the ratio of vegetables or the marinating ingredients:
Ingredients:

• 2 zucchini
• 3 red peppers
• 2 green peppers
• 1 bulb garlic
• 2 onions
• hot peppers (optional)
• mushrooms
• olive oil
• orange juice
• soy sauce
• spices

Cut vegetables into chunky bits. Don't make the mistake to dice them, like I did when I was helping my sister prepare dinner... Drizzle some olive oil into deep baking dish, add vegetables, drizzle with oil, soy sauce, juice and spices. Bake at 150-180C for 60 min.

What's Cooking Tonight?

By Turtlepace on October 2, 2005 - 2:47pm

Planning
the family dinner menu can be challenging , frustrating, joyful,
relaxing, harried...The "what's cooking tonight" blogs will document
what we are eating for dinner. Sometimes it will be junk, other
time gourmet, catering to the under 10 crowd in the house, our home
stay student's preferences, or our need for comfort foods.  I will
serve family classics, old familiy recipes, whim of the moment
creations - yummy or yucky, holiday food, elaborate dinner party menus
and Kraft Dinner.   See for yourself.

Saturday Morning Runs

By Turtlepace on October 1, 2005 - 12:14pm

I can't remember how many years Pat and I have been running together on Saturday mornings. It probably started with a marathon clinic after my son Erik was born 7 years ago.

The clinic day and time didn't fit our schedules. Pat attends mass Sunday mornings and I would like to have my run done and over with by 10:00am to be able to spend the day with my family. The clinic was Sunday morning at 9:00am... needless to say, after the 18 week clinic and finishing the marathon (Pat's first and my first AC - after children) we started meeting on our own terms, usually Saturday morning, as early as possible, depending on the daylight hours, the distance we were training for and our general energy level.
Locations vary. First we'd alternate between Stanley Park, Pacific Spirit Park, Southland and the beaches. Eventually, my family moved to the North Vancouver and now it seems we almost exclusively run on the rugged trails of the North Shore mountains.

Pat and I are slow runners. We have done a number of marathons and a few ultras, but we are end of the pack slowpokes taking in the scenery, stopping to look at a woodpecker, an owl, wildflowers, the rushing waters below a canyon bridge, helping lost hikers, collecting trash...you get the picture. Our runs are relaxing, no stress, no pressure. If one of us has a bad day, the other sticks with her and adjust the pace. We are however religious in keeping our planned runs. If we plan a run, you can count on us being there. Torrential rains, snow, ice, no sleep - it doesn't matter. We are committed!