Spice It Up With Altius Spices & Seasonings Inc.

It all started when I finished my last batch of cinnamon. Usually I could just mosey to the grocery or bulk food store to buy it, but welcome to 2020, where even the most common used spices are out of stock! I love sprinkling cinnamon on oatmeal for breakfast, making pancakes, baking cookies and even a dash with a cup of tea. 

So after some sleuthing on the Internet, I found a Canadian company called Altius Spices & Seasonings Inc. They are a full service spice house and so whether you're a regular home-cook like me, part of the food service industry and buy in bulk or even want to take things a step further to create your own label with expertise from their in-house R&D team, check them out!

Here is an example of some of the spices from the Encore Gourmet section that we have used at home and love so far!  Note these are small sizes, but you have options to get larger bottles too!

There is a HUGE inventory to choose from, so you can mix and match your favourites and since they are reasonably priced, you can even go ahead and try out new spices to experiment with. 

They are also committed to food safety and you can read more about steps are taken to assure safe quality products: https://altiusspice.com/food-safety/

I am very excited to try more spices from Altius. I hope you'll give them a try for all your flavourful adventures!

High Quality Spices ✔

Budget-friendly ✔

Variety  ✔

Safety ✔

and a Canadian Company! ✔

💜

Shop directly online: https://altiusspice.com/shop/  (FREE shipping is available too!)

For tasty recipes, gift ideas and more, visit them on Facebook

Fangs For the Memories: Halloween Favourites!

From the vampiric Nosferatu and the blood-lusting Lost Boys from Santa Carla, to the pun-filled Young Frankenstein and gender-bending cult classic like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Halloween is always full of surprises.  

Back in the day, I remember my first costume going trick or treating was this enormous inflatable plastic neon blue witchy get-up.  I could barely get out the door, let alone up and down the stairs to get candy. However, it was still fun and I came home with enough candy to make any dentist cringe! 

Although I tread carefully with watching films on the paranormal side (Poltergeist gives me shivers and I didn’t sleep for a month after watching The Exorcism of Emily Rose), I have so many other favourites to enjoy. I’m definitely more into campy, cheesy and of course the classics. I don’t mind  many of the Nightmare on Elm Street  series (my orthodontic surgeon looked identical to Robert Englund - true story!) Halloween - Michael Myers series and some creepier films but it just depends on my state of mind. 

I wanted to mention some movies that many have probably seen and then a few others you may want to add to your Halloween watch-list.  I also included my 2 favourite tv series and to keep things on the strange side, I tossed in a made-for-tv adventure from the "Wonderful World of Disney!" that even got its second life!

💜 My Halloween Favs 💜

Corpse Bride – Although everyone raves over Tim Burton’s, Nightmare Before Christmas, which is a great film, I found myself really tuned into the gothic stop-motion animated and romantic tale of Corpse Bride. I loved the characters, the story, and of course the entire soundtrack from Danny Elfman.

Witches of Eastwick –  Power, love/lust and loneliness have a reoccurring theme here. Great cast, especially with the one and only Jack Nicholson wooing the ladies.  Definitely a dark one, but plenty of comedic fun.

Shaun of the Dead – Another gem, also a bit of a rom-zom (yes I said rom-zom) with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. It’s a zombie apocalypse that’s never been funnier. 

Clue - All the characters bring their own charm to this unforgettable dinner party. It’s a murder mystery of “who-done-it” with some of the best deadpan humour.

Silver Bullet - 80’s horror cheese? This one has it. Corey Haim is an endearing character though, and sure the werewolf was coined as looking more like Smokey Bear with a hangover, but it’s still great. 

My Mom’s a Werewolf  - Another comedy/horror that I watched so many times back in the day that my VHS tape broke. John Saxton is the most handsome yet creepiest in this film. 

Haunted Honeymoon  -  Gene Wilder’s best playing the neurotic, wee hypochondriac groom-to-be who starts suffering from panic attacks after proposing. Shock therapy is on the menu for the cure, but comes at a price. If you thought your family was a bit weird, this eccentric bunch will have you thinking otherwise. 

The Monster Squad –  When some of your favourite classic Universal monsters come together on screen in the 1980’s and try to invade your town to get the elusive amulet to rule the world, you’ll get your buddies together and fight tooth and nail so that doesn’t happen. “Wolfman’s got nards!”

TV

Mr Boogedy/Bride of Boogedy – These were made-for-television short films.  The weirdness factor coming from Disney is pretty much off the charts, but it has a cool nostalgia factor.

Hilarious House of Frightenstein – An incredibly creative, funny, and a little morbid Canadian television series. Billy Van played nine characters and Vincent Price’s eerie narration was the joy of waking up on Saturday mornings to sit in front of the tv.  The Oracle tells me that you must watch this

The Little Vampire – A very special 13 part Canadian-German children's television series that melted my heart about a young boy named Anton, who befriends a family of vampires. Yes you can see the strings of them flying, but they can see in the dark. :)

Clearly there are so many more amazing Halloween films so I will have another fun list up for next year! What are some of your favourites? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Sampler Box Review: Tilda Rice & RX Protein Bars

I just got my Sampler box today and so I thought I would review the 2 items I received! 

I am loving the Tilda Steamed Coconut Basmati Rice. The pouch takes only 2 minutes in the microwave or if you want you can cook on the stove too. The rice comes out nice and fluffy - no hard bits! It has a hint of coconut flavour, but nothing too strong. I added in some canned Cloverleaf  Flaked Light Tuna in Water (I bought this new canned tuna for quick healthy lunches and what a great way to try it out!) and chopped up some sweet bread & butter pickles.  

Then for dessert, I ate half of the RX bar - in the flavour Chocolate Sea Salt. I've been so curious to try this brand of protein bars. This one is pretty dense and chewy, as you can see in the photo of my half eaten one. lol  It has big chunks of almonds and cashews, as well as flecks of sea salt. It is on the sweeter side (they use dates as opposed to any refined sugars) but it does have a tasty combo of sweet & salty with the rich chocolate cocoa. It also has a good amount of protein to curb the hangry moments.

They do run a bit on the pricier side. However, the ingredients are great: Dates, Dried Egg Whites, Cashews, Almonds, Chocolate, Cocoa, Natural Flavours and Sea Salt. 

There are a lot of bogus marketing claims on the shelves, but RX does a pretty good job at just keeping things simple. I just wish they would nix the "clean" ingredient mantra because to me, it promotes a disordered way of looking at food and nutrition overall and if it's not clean then it must be "dirty" - nope.

I look forward to trying more products from these brands and enjoying my 50 cent coupon to purchase more basmati rice for other dishes to make!

Have you tried any of these brands before, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Leave comments below or shoot me a private message on my contact form.

💜

💜  Be part of the Sampler community here: Sampler

💜  Check out RX and Tilda on their Facebook pages for more info and new and exciting product launches!

https://www.facebook.com/RXBAR

https://www.facebook.com/tildanorthamerica/

Trauma Beyond the Trenches: Q&A with Author Aaron Lee Marshall

There’s no better time like the present to connect with people, to share stories and to find strength and hope.  Let me introduce you to Aaron Lee Marshall, a Purple Heart war veteran who served 452 days on Active Duty during Operation Iraqi Freedom II as a Military Police Officer in Baqubah, Iraq. 

Aaron’s book Baqubah: Bones & Blood is a vast collection of recordings, notes, emails, letters, memories and dreams. It is a compelling look at what trauma looks like through the eyes of a modern-day soldier. 

Below is a Q&A that I did with Aaron, talking about his journey before, during and after his time served.

Aaron and  his adorable rescue dog from Louisiana, King Peter

1. What made you enter the military life and as some would say “serve your country”?

I wanted to be a Marine when I was a kid. I even still have a picture in crayon from when I was 5 that says “to be Marine” under a crudely drawn picture of a marine saluting in dress blues. I had asthma though, so to get into any branch, I had to hide that fact which was something I really had to practice at trying to control. When I was finally old enough to join, I did some research into the running requirements of each branch and the marines had a faster run requirement. I needed as much time as possible, in case I had an asthma attack and needed to stop running. I ended up joining the army instead. I also was in college majoring in philosophy when the twin towers came down. That had a profound effect on me.

💠

2. We watch heart-breaking tv/movies on the topic of war, where the director will put their own spin on it. Can you think of any shows or films that really encapsulate the true reality of war?

I think Saving Private Ryan is the gold standard but there are so many more now. I don’t watch war movies anymore though so I’m not the best authority on that. From tv and movies, the most real ones are usually the moments that they do get right and remind you of something that happens. It’s the strangest thing. 

💠

3. In military, and please correct me if I’m wrong, it is often a necessity to “break” a soldier down at the beginning so they will become fully compliant to their troop leaders. Did you experience or witness any of these tactics?

Absolutely, but there is a lot of wiggle room in what that looks like and what actually works. Love works I can tell you that. The drill instructors that really cared and took the time to show me the smaller details of being a soldier has been one of the things that has always stuck with me. No matter where you go in life, people are going to break down. Sometimes all around you. In the army, it’s just a threshold you have to cross on your own. I joined a military fraternity Phi Beta Upsilon, before I joined the army, so boot camp was honestly a breeze. Being hazed was far worse. 

💠

4. After surviving what you went through, tell me some things now in everyday life that brings you joy?

Oh man, where to start! My kids, my wife, Red Bull, autumn in New England, poetry, Ralph Waldo Emerson, music, movies and books. The list is infinitely long now that I’m sober and in long term recovery. I play guitar and sing some days. Other times, I paint. Life is good. There is always something that I’m passionate about to look forward to. 

💠

5. Here in Canada, mental health is a topic that still holds some stigma, but we have a lot of great organizations that help support a wide demographic. I know that in the United States things are different especially with the complexity of your healthcare system, but what kind of supports are in place for you now? Also, what changes do you want to see?

Our biggest support in the United States is each other. And by that I mean every veteran of any branch can lean on one another for support and in my experience, it’s the most fulfilling brotherhood that exists. There are so many changes that need to happen. A good start is giving out information and classes to new recruits in boot camp instead of having them be blindsided by the truth after it’s too late.

💠

6. Do you have any future book endeavours in mind? If so, what subjects will you be delving into?

I’m constantly working on projects. I am redoing two poetry books with updated editions and more bonus content. I’m still playing guitar everyday and working on music, so maybe a book about music at some point. But right now it’s poetry I’m focusing on and learning Latin. Plutarch didn’t learn how to read and write in Latin until he was 40. I’m 38 ,so that gives me a lot of motivation. He’s one of my hero’s. I also collect old dictionaries Ainsworth, Johnson, Hooper, Worcester, and Webster, of course. I love finding old, cool and interesting words and I’d love to make my own dictionary some day.

💠

Thanks so much Aaron for taking time to share a bit more of your history with me and your book. As a PTSD’er myself (though non-war related), sometimes just getting through those tough days make us a hero in our own stories.

While overseas, Marshall earned the Purple Heart for wounds received in battle and the ARCOM with Valor.

💜You can find Aaron's book at Barnes & Noble or Lulu. 

💜Follow him on Instagram and Facebook

Whether you or a loved one is dealing with a crisis or on-going mental health condition, additional support is available at the following links below:

USA:  https://nami.org/

Canada https://cmha.ca/

Worldwide: https://www.ispn-psych.org/mental-health-links