Our Ketchup Challenge

Canadians enjoy our ketchup.  For years Heinz purchased their tomatoes from local farmers and manufactured ketchup in a nearby town.  All of that changed a while ago when Heinz pulled out and left many famers and factory workers wondering where to turn next.

Enter…French’s!

French’s has moved into the same factory, hired staff and are once again purchasing their tomatoes from local, Canadian farmers.  This has led Canadians to stand up and take notice.  A ketchup challenge is taking place across the country!

I will admit that I’ve been a Heinz ketchup girl since I was a child and only once did I make the mistake of buying a different ketchup.  Oh boy was I sorry when I did!

But now…all that is changing! 

Like many Canadians, once we finally got our hands on a bottle of French’s ketchup (thanks to my friend Gord who found them at his local store, as they’re disappearing off the store shelves as quickly as they are stocked) we set up a family taste challenge!

We quickly realized that they looked different so it needed to be a blind taste test.  Enter the official blindfold – my nephew’s dinosaur sleepers. 

My brother David was first up. 

Next, Trish.

I was the third victim to go and lol….check out my dear SIL!

As you can see we had a lot of fun with this!

In the end 5 of us took the Heinz vs. French’s ketchup challenge.  All 3 adults were surprised that we would happily eat either ketchup as that wasn’t expected!

When encouraged to make a decision the final was:

Heinz:  1

French’s:  4

French’s was chosen by all 4 girls and I know that it will now become the ketchup of choice at our house! 

Lest We Forget...

Today as we pause and take time to remember those who have fought for, and sometimes given their lives for the freedoms we too often take for granted, I wanted to commend a wonderful group of women I work with who are, in a very loving way, thanking those heros of the heart.

I've shared with you in the past about my wonderfully crafty co-workers. This time their gift was a precious gift of love!

A few years ago some of the girls started meeting for lunch together with the goal of learning to quilt. Quickly they were fashioning beautiful blocks for quilts and also 3 wall hanging quilts that were raffled off with the proceeds being donated to the United Way.

This year they chose another project which to me stands out above them all. This year they created a beautiful quilt that today, Remembrance Day 2007, was given to the mother or spouse of a Canadian soldier who has given his/her life in overseas operations. The design consist of 24 maple leafs with a heart in the centre of each of them.

The quilt was finished and delivered to the Canadian Comfort and Remembrance Project who passed it on to the Canadian Dept. of National Defence, where the back was signed by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Rick Hillier, as a gesture of his support for the families who have lost a loved one.

Friends, thank you so much for taking the time to create this beautiful gift from the heart! I, on behalf of Canadians am so thankful for your gift of love.

On a similar note I wanted to share a wonderful new tradition that has happened near my home over the past couple of years. My home is located between the city where fallen soldiers are brought to when their bodies are returned to Canada and Toronto. Each of the men and women who have given their lives for our freedom are driven from Trenton to Toronto. Recently the section of highway where these soldiers pass has been renamed the, 'Highway of Heros.' I'm not sure when or how this tradition began but now, each time that the body of a fallen soldier travels along this stretch of highway, each and every overpass is lined with Canadians who take time out of their daily lives to say 'Thank you.' Flags are draped, fire trucks with uniformed fire fighters standing at attention and others wanting to do something to say thank you. On a recent trip to Toronto I was brought to tears as I drove this stretch of highway as people were preparing to say their thank yous. What an amazing sight to see! Someday I hope to not drive along the highway but to take time to stop, stand at attention and say thank you out of respect for a life that was lost too soon.

If you're a quilter and would be interested in finding out how your group might participate in this project, or a similar one, you can find more details here:

Canadians:
Canadian Comfort and Remembrance Project

Americans:
Quilts of Valor
Operation Homefront Quilt

Canada's Newest National Holiday?

Canadians have long said that we need a National Holiday between New Year's Day and Easter. In years like 2007 it's a long 3+ month wait for a holiday. Many have had great suggestions. What about a flag day? February 15th is the day the Canadian's were introduced to our beautiful flag. Sounds like a great day for a holiday! Is it a holiday? No.

Second great idea: Family Day! Saskatchewan and Alberta recognize the third Monday of February as 'Family Day!' A day intended to celebrate families. What a great idea! Is it a holiday for the rest of Canada? No.

I have now come up with a solution as to what our new national holiday should be since neither of the above very worthy causes have seemed important enough to deem them as national holidays. When would this holiday fall? TOMORROW! More importantly, what monumental achievement is being celebrated tomorrow?

Tomorrow is the first day of Rrroll Up the Rim to Win!! Wahoo! What's more Canadian than Tim Horton's I ask you? When you think of returning home from a trip abroad, what is one thing many of us think about? Our first trip to Tim Horton's! Many I dare say don't even exit the airport before indulging in their first cup 'o Timmy's coffee!

Knowing that this very important day was coming up, it was the talk of the office on Friday! In preparation for the many (extra) trips we'll be taking across the street over the next 6 weeks (give or take a few), people could be seen stretching at their desks, polishing their running shoes and most importantly, practicing their rrroll up techniques (on just regular ole Timmy's cups!) Here Randy demonstrates the 'squeeze and roll' technique which works well for him. I often forget about this tried and true method and use the (don't tell my mom) rrroll up with the teeth technique. (Not recommended by the Canadian Dental Association...or moms!)

So tomorrow is a proud day in Canada. It's a day when once again we stand in unbelievably long lines to indulge in a Canadian tradition....Rrroll Up the Rim to Win! Good Luck everyone! Sadly I'm only hoping to improve on my embarassing 4/91 record from last year. LOL! (Yes sadly 4/91 means I won only 4 measly cups of coffee or cookies from the 91 cups of coffee/tea/hot chocolate I boughght during last year's contest. Yes, I have a problem! :o)

So raise a cup of coffee with me and proudly say, 'I am Canadian....let's Rrroll up the Rim!'