Currency, Cauliflower, and Columnists

I'm not certain at what point cauliflower became the standard by which we judged the current state of the Canadian dollar. I just know that it happened.

"Did you see that cauliflower is almost $8 a head. Shocking!"

Not only that, but jokes have been made about the lowly cauliflower. I heard one from my painting instructor about a couple who went to visit their loan officer at the bank so that they could put a deposit on a cauliflower.

Even I have been culpable. As my cousin and I compared the state of the loonie to the Euro, I felt I had a greater right to complain. I texted ...."Blumenkohl kostet bei uns über sieben dollar!" The lack of whatsapp response showed me that I had clearly won this argument.

So why the sudden interest in cauliflower? I mentioned it to hubby today. 

"Have you noticed that people complain about the price of cauliflower a lot lately? Do people in general, other than me, even like cauliflower that much? "

This was met with the usual shrug and a look that told me I had once again said something unremarkable. 

So tonight, when I saw an article by Vinay Menon in the Toronto Star, I felt validated.
 http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2016/01/22/cauliflower-is-disgusting-at-any-price-menon.html

I also felt sad. My idea, as have so many before this, had been usurped yet again. Immediately, I snatched up the Entertainment section of the newspaper, and ran to show hubby. This was front page entertainment news! Not only that, I had just shared this thought with him earlier today. Surely, he would remember and be excited by my insight and knowledge of cauliflower. The highly anticipated response came. "Hmm".

Hadn't he been paying attention? Didn't he realize this was the exact point I had made this very afternoon? 

I read the article. I disagree with the article. Not only do I enjoy cauliflower, I find that there are many uses for cauliflower. It is not as Menon states, " a grotesque vegetable nobody cared about". I care. 

In fact, I care so much that you can only imagine my excitement when I saw half price cauliflower on the sale rack at No Frills this week. People were just strolling past with their carts, not even noticing this bargain. How could they not see it? Not only was cauliflower on sale for $2.97, but there was half price cauliflower to be had. I immediately grabbed two heads and smuggly walked past all the oblivous shoppers. What a score...two heads for under three dollars!

Now, I would be able to create some of my favourite recipes...cauliflower potato salad without potatoes (cooks.com); cauliflower hummus; cauliflower rice; cauliflorettes on pizza (or as the crust); cauliflower cheese biscuits; and my son's favourite, cauliflower pancakes. Recipe for the latter follows.

Cauliflower lovers of the world, unite with me and enjoy.

Cauliflower Pancakes

2 cups cauliflower, lightly cooked (not soft or mushy and chop it into bits after cooking)
1 egg
1 1/2 cps milk
1 1/2 cps flour (wheat flour is more nutritious)
3 tsp. baking powder
finely chopped onion (amount to your taste)
3 tsp. softened margarine  
a shake or two of cayenne, salt, pepper

Beat egg. Add milk and spices. Add dry ingredients with margarine and onion. When smooth, add cauliflower. It should all stick together. Drop by tablespoon onto an oiled (Pam type spray or canola preferred) frying pan. I usually brown on each side then microwave to make sure they're done through middle without using more oil.  One pancake = 50 calories

I Won A Real Prize

The phone rang. "Congratulations, this is the Toronto Star calling. You've won tickets to......."

Of course, since I've been receiving phone scam calls, I responded with "No I haven't. I didn't enter any contest."

Fortunately, I didn't slam down the receiver. The woman sounded excited for me and somehow had an air of legitimacy about her. It didn't take long before I tracked down the perpetrator. It was the alien life form that lives in my house aka child #1. She had entered a contest and wanted to increase her chances of winning by entering me as well.

Now, there are two problems. I will need to go to the Toronto Star building to pick up the winning tickets this week, and I will have Toronto Star suite seats at a concert which I'm not that interested in. I rarely even stay awake late enough to attend live shows and I've never heard of Darius Rucker. Do I look like a country and western fan?

"Darius used to be in Hootie and the Blowfish." my daughter announced.

Ah yes. It was all becoming clear to me now. Hootie and the Blowfish seem to be one of those recurring themes that I've had and we all have throughout our lives. In fact, they just came up in conversation the other day. I even knew the Hootie and the Blowfish answer on Jeopardy recently. But that's another story.

Sometimes, I'd swear they mixed up the children at birth, but I know for a fact that this is impossible. Besides being the spitting image of her Amish grandma Rose, child #1 was the only fair complexioned blonde baby in Toronto East General Hospital during the week I gave birth.

Apparently, I now have to pick up the tickets in person and provide evidence that I am in fact me prior to solving a complex, mathematical skill testing question. So there's trip one to Toronto next week. Fortunately, I get senior rates on the GO train now, and that's as good as free. Skill testing question??? Prodigy child #1 has offered to coach me all weekend. Sure, I have nothing else to do. Alternate suggestion and new plan was that she accompany me and solve the question herself. Is that likely to be allowed? Anyhow, a mother daughter day out. Sounds like fun.

Once we investigate said tickets, I'll know better whether I can give her both of them or whether I'll need to accompany her to the Molson Amphitheatre on Saturday night for this wonderful Star suite opportunity. Did I mention they also provide free food and drinks to the winners?

If I schedule my time carefully, take naps between all my errands next Saturday, sleep on the GO train on the way to the concert, I might be able to stay awake for the opening acts. On the other hand, I should think of this as an experience. It's an opportunity to do something new and potentially enjoyable. It's never too late to try something new. Besides...the Star suite? I'll report back.

As Darius would say......

I'm up for just about anything as long as it's almost legal
I can fit in with any old crowd, long as there's a part, they're my kind of people
If you're down with painting the town, I'll be around all night
You know I'm always good for a good time
When it comes to a good time, you know what they say
I'ts never too early, it's never too late.

Nope, I Didn't Write It

 On February 12th, hubby handed me a page from the Saturday newspaper and said, "This looks like something you wrote."  The article in The TorontoStar: "Women with children are not handicapped" by Lorraine Sommerfeld covers many but not quite all of my sentiments.                              
                               

 For some time, I have been bending hubby's ear about these particular signs ("Parking For Customer With Child" and "Expectant Mothers") which are sprouting in public parking areas everywhere. I have been reluctant to express my opinion in writing. At the risk of sounding like a bitter, older person, envious of opportunities which were not afforded my generation, I shall share my thoughts now.

Sommerfeld's article makes many good points. Pregnancy is neither an illness, nor a handicap and should not be treated as either when it comes to parking lots. Courtesy seating on buses and subways is another matter entirely. I too would expect people on public transit to give up seats not only to expectant women but also to the elderly. That's how I was raised.  Sommerfeld suggests that parking in specialized "customer with child" prime locations not only deprives parents and children of exercise, but also of a learning opportunity. As it is, children are chauffeured everywhere and fitness levels are steadily declining. I couldn't agree more.

Believe me, I've heard all the arguments. "What about the winter time, when they have strollers and there's snow?"

What about it?  If the weather is too inclement, is it really necessary to bundle up the kids, go out and risk your children's lives by driving to stores and shopping malls? Do parents bring strollers into every locale with them? Are retail store parking lots not cleared of snow even sooner than our own roads and driveways?   

I would like to ask those who feel the need for these signs, where are the parking spots for the elderly? Let's just say, those over 65 or 70 or 75 who wake up in the morning with aching, arthritic joints. With our aging population, the numbers who fall into this category are rapildy increasing. They don't necessarily qualify as handicapped and with all the megastores around nowadays, it's challenging enough for older people to comfortably negotiate these huge areas to make their purchases. Why should they also have to park further away and walk because of these spots which are reserved for the young and healthy? At least give them an equal opportunity to get one of the closer spots by removing these ridiculous signs.

This whole thing is folly. Studies have shown that the next generation is less healthy and will not live as long as ours. This coddling is part of the reason. What will happen to the youngsters produced by the current generation?  Are they already being taught inactivity before they're born and having that message reinforced during their formative years?

That's just my commentary on Lorraine Sommerfeld's article which in my opinion is receiving far too much criticism.