Vacation

Hey guys and ladies.. I'll be on vacation for 2 weeks... have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

Shamrock Shake

St. Patrick’s Day comes but once a year, and for a limited time McDonalds releases its Shamrock shake. I like to describe it as a Frankenstein mixture between vanilla shake, mint syrup, and deliciousness. Most people think it tastes nasty, but I friggin’ love this shake. I’m glad it’s back, and that I’m not sick (finally) so I am able to enjoy it. For those connoisseurs of mint I must also recommend you try the Mint Cookies and Cream Blizzard from Dairy Queen, it simply is delightful.

Shamrock Shake Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamrock_Shake

Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

I love Christmas.  I dive in deep into the whole spirit of the season, and make the most of the holiday.  I enjoy the snow (from inside), the food, the lights and decorations, the music, and especially the TV shows and movies.  I make it a tradition each year to watch certain TV shows and movies about Christmas.  High on that list each year is a Charlie Brown Christmas special.  I have been watching it since I was a child, and continue to watch it.  For me, it just isn’t Christmas without these shows.  They bring me comfort by bringing back a lot of old memories.  Needless to say I am a fan of the Peanuts cartoons.

Earlier this month I was walking through my local mall and I was fortunate enough to find this amazing Charlie Brown Christmas tree.  It is an exact replica of the tree shown in the cartoon.  I was excited because I always felt sad for the weakling.  A good TV show or movie has this power to get you emotionally attached to its characters.  They can make you cry, smile or even hate certain characters.  Charles M. Schulz made me feel sorry for the tree, and yes, even cry joyfully when in the end all the children gather around Charlie Brown and start singing Christmas carols.

The tree comes packaged in a triangular prism box, and includes; the tree, a wooden stand, a blanket, red ornamental bulb, and batteries.  The wooden stand blew me away because it includes a music box that plays the Charlie Brown theme.  The stand also has a very cute Snoopy drawing that is stamped on.    With the memories that I share with this cartoon, this tree is a welcomed addition to my Christmas collection.

Peanuts:

http://www.peanuts.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSXDc5OQw3U

Top favourite Christmas Movies

Well what can I say it’s December and unlike most adults I actually really love Christmas time. Sure the malls are packed, its cold outside, and having to spend money on presents for others instead of yourself really stinks. But luckily there are ways to help you get through the season without having to stab someone in the gall bladder.  Besides the snow, what I really love the most about this time of year is all the comfort food you can enjoy without having to measure your waistline because it’ll be covered up by sweaters.

Nothing beats a snowy night of junk food gluttony that’s accompanied by a good ol’ Christmas movie. So I’ve decided to name my favourite get-you-in-the-mood couch potato Christmas movies. Sure most of these films will have suffering and misfortune in them but like I always say, there’s nothing like other peoples miseries to make you feel good about yourself.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: This one stars Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid; not only is it funny, but it also has a sexy model working at a mall. Bonus points for being made in Chicago.

A Christmas Story: I love this movie because a ginger bully gets his ass kicked.

The Ref: An awesome Denis Leary movie before he became a commercial sell-out.

Friday After Next: Worth it just to look at the hot chick working at the lingerie store, plus Terry Crews is in it.

Bad Santa: 2 words; Fat kid (LOL).

Scrooged: Such a great film, with Bill Murray at his best. Bonus points for Santa fighting off terrorists.

Die Hard 2: Though I loved the 1st Die Hard, number 2 was my favourite because I love airports; plus Bruce Willis had hair.

Christmas Ornaments: Eric Cartman

I have to be honest I’m not a big South Park fan.  I mean I started watching it in the beginning, and was only able to compare it to the Simpsons.  Naturally I didn’t like it, I hated the art work, I hated the storylines, and I hated how offensive it could be.  However I started watching it again a few years ago, when there was nothing else on.  A lot of the stuff that I used to hate about the show were upgraded, the artwork, the storylines, and although they were still very offensive, I found them to be more driven to have a message.

One character from the show which I love and I absolutely hate is Eric Cartman.  He’s racist, sexist, homophobic, mean, and very selfish.  Yet I can’t help but laugh whenever he’s on the show, pair him up with Butters and I’m crying in laughter.  Last year for Christmas I went to my local drug store and noticed they had a Christmas ornament of him.  I didn’t think anyone would buy him, so I waited until after Christmas to buy him when I knew he would be on sale.  Fortunately this decision paid off and I was able to buy him at half price.  The ornament was made in 2009 by American Greetings.  It is a Christmas version of Eric, and he is wearing a blue sweater that features a Christmas tree and some snowflakes.  He also doesn’t have on his beanie which makes him a rare collectable.  From the looks of it, I assume it is made from vinyl.  The paint job isn’t that great, but it still looks amazing on my Christmas tree.  Here’s hoping Eric will make Santa’s ‘nice’ list this year.

American Greetings:

www.americangreetings.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uoO_e0vb7w

Tim Hortons Christmas Ornaments 2010

If there’s one place I can’t live without it is Tim Hortons. For anyone that doesn’t know, Tim Hortons is a coffee shop franchise that is very popular in Canada. In fact everyone always laughs that you can find one on every block, seriously. I wouldn’t say they make the best coffee or the best donuts in the world, but it’s how they provide it that makes them the best. For instance their coffee is always fresh, and their donuts are also baked daily (from frozen, lol). They also provide a sort of home comfort feeling whenever you go there, all nice and warm.

This year, same as the previous year, they are releasing some collectable Christmas ornaments so people can take some of that Tim Hortons comfort home for the holidays. Last year they released a take-out cup ornament, which again is being released this year. It is made out of ceramic, painted in the same colours as a real cup, and comes with red string so you can hang it up on the tree. What’s new for this year is a coffee pot, which is made out of plastic and glass. Prices vary from region to region, but I was able to buy my set for $4.49 each. The quality for them is amazing, and I hope Timmies will be able to give us a new batch every year. I'm thinking a tim-bits box, donuts, bagels, etc…

Tim Hortons:

www.timhortons.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNvX55Y66rw

Taste of the Danforth

This weekend Toronto celebrated its annual Taste of the Danforth, a Greek themed festival that is on the Danforth (a street that is mostly populated by the Greek community).  This year the Taste of the Danforth was sponsored by Pilaros and ran from August 6^th to 8th 2010.  Every year this festival attracts thousands of people to come and enjoy Greek culture by listening to live music and enjoying delicious food.  With every year this festival has grown and has become more diverse by including other cultures as well such Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Americana (hamburgers), Italian, and others.

My favorite part of the Taste of the Danforth with no surprise is the food.  My mouth always waters when I think of the day I will finally be able to eat a chicken souvlaki on a pita with tomatoes, onions, and extra tzatziki (you lika da juice?).  Other delicious foods to try out as well are the gyros, calamari, Spanish paella, fresh oysters, and ribs (the list can go on and on).  For desert you must try the baklava, Galactoboureko, Karidopitta, and then wash it all down with freshly made lemonade.

As for the price of most foods, they’re pretty average not too expensive but also not a great deal.  Almost all souvlaki pitas were around $5, meat on a stick was $3, pop cans a $1, and corn on the cob $3.  A couple of hours roaming around the Danforth and eating can really burn a hole in your wallet.  Still the chance to enjoy a beautiful summer’s day in Toronto while eating amazing food and enjoying such a peaceful and friendly atmosphere is worth every penny.  This is the reason why I keep coming back every year.

The Taste of the Danforth:
http://www.tasteofthedanforth.com/tasteofthedanforth.php