Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Sadly, I am not doing anything at all for Halloween this year. I have to work both jobs, and one jobs forbids dressing up, so I'm not dressing up for either. Because I have to work all day, I won't be handing out any candy, or going to any parties. My hubby isn't much for dressing up, so although I'm sure we could find a party to go to on the weekend, I won't even bother. I'm just going to let this one pass without any fanfare at all. And that is totally okay with me.

I think.

La Bamba Cafe in Saskatoon

On Sunday, my husband, best friend and I had dinner at La Bamba Cafe. It's another one of those hidden gems. It's just off of 8th St, which is a busy thoroughfare, but the restaraunt is in a strip mall that includes a dry cleaner, a pet groomer, a confectionery, a dentist, and a Christian Science bookstore. It looks a little sketchy, and I questioned that I was in the right place, and then I wondered what I was about to walk into.

The Hollows in Saskatoon

The Hollows is this little gem of a restaurant, buried in an iffy area of Saskatoon. Driving by, it looks like a run-down Chinese restaurant. A out-dated neon sign reads The Golden Dragon. Underneath, broken neon lights list typical Chinese dishes this restaurant once served. The large window nearest the door has a new, white window decal that reads The Hollows.

My Trip to Saskatoon

I got back pretty late last night, after a full and emotional weekend.

We drove up to Saskatoon on Saturday, but we didn't leave until after six, so we got there pretty late. I dropped M off at the apartment he'll be staying at, and then went to my friend's house. She had a pretty rough weekend, family-wise, so I stopped at a gelato place on the way. Gelato is way better than ice cream at fixing problems.

We stayed up late, talking, and then driving around, and I slept in her bed and she slept on the couch. She insisted. I was totally okay with the couch.

We went to her church in the morning, went out for lunch, met up with some of her friends who were in town for something else, and then went shopping. After that, around four, I met back up with my husband, spent some time with him, then went for dinner with my friend and husband. After dinner, I dropped M off, said goodbye and drove home.

It was a whirlwind of a weekend, and a blistering mix of happy and sad.

Here We Go Again...

Pros of my husband being in a trade:

1. He loves what he does
2. He makes physical things every day, and feels accomplished
3. He works approx. 10 months of every year, instead of going to school for 8 and only working for 4
4. Every time he goes to school, his apprenticeship level increases, and he earns more money

Cons of my husband being in a trade:

1. Once a year, he leaves me for two months

Do I think the cons outweigh the pros? No. Do I think that is a really sucky con? Yes.

Annie's Pasta and Cheese

I got around to making my little box of Annie's Rice Pasta Shells & White Cheddar. Let me just say, I will definitely be buying more of this. It is quick, convenient, cheesey, and most importantly, gluten-free. Now, I know I threw my whole dairy-free thing in the can with this, but I so don't care. 

Catelli Gluten Free Pasta

Catelli came out with a GF pasta! I'm not sure when this development took place, but I love it. All of the gluten-free pasta I've bought so far has been brands I'd never heard of before, which isn't a problem, but it certainly is nice when you can buy something made by someone you've enjoyed before.

What I really like about Catelli's pastas are that they are made with four grains. White and brown rice, corn and quinoa. Most GF pastas are either rice, or corn. If I only bake with a blend of flours, why would my pasta be made with only one?

Nail Polish Strips

Let me do a review on something completely unrelated to gluten: Nail polish.

I've bought gluten-free pretty much everything else. If it soaks into my skin, scalp, or hair, it has to be gluten-free. However, nail polish is just something I'm not worried about. Mind you, a few months ago, I wasn't worried about anything other than lotion, so that might change. If you can prove I should be worried about it, I might be.

In the meantime, I will buy whatever nail polish, and happily paint my nails a million colours. I've always loved painting my nails. I find it relaxing. I tend to chip it off within the day or two, but the more complex it is, the longer it tends to last.

So when I stumbled across the idea of nail strips, I thought it was brilliant.

Finally! A GF Pasta in a Box!

My best friend has long since raved about her favourite boxed pasta and cheese. I'm not really sure what makes it so special, but it's probably more wholesome and less processed than Kraft Dinner. I mean, I love me some KD, but I have always avoided reading the ingredients. Ah, this is Old Me talking. Old Me loved KD. I would eat it every once a month, maybe two months, but when I did, I ate a whole box by myself.

I never bought a case, and I hardly ever had a box on hand, but suddenly, out of nowhere, a craving for some bright orange super-processed cheesey pasta would hit, and it would all I could think about eating until I ate it. M hates it, always has, always will. Partly because he doesn't like pasta, partly because processed cheese makes him sick.

Soy Pudding

When I found this soy pudding for just a little bit more money than normal pudding, I was sold. First of all, it says Gluten Free. The normal pudding doesn't, but it doesn't directly contain gluten, so it's a bit of a risk. Second, this stuff is lactose free. Not dairy-free, per se, but lactose is close enough for me. It's not like I have a casein allergy.

I was, admittedly, a little bit skeptical, but I love pudding, so I just dove right in.