Words of Wisdom

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. ~Plato

This philosopher hit the nail on the head. We all need exercise for healthy living. The trouble with us human beings is that we are too lazy to get up and get out for a workout. Ever since we got Kess, our beagle, we walk twice a day, no excuses. It's a commitment we've made to Kess and ourselves. So, we get at least 30 mins - 1 hour walk a day. So, if you need a reason to go for a walk, get a dog!



If your dog is fat, you're not getting enough exercise. ~Author Unknown

Adirondack - Back to Nature

The Adirondack, located north of New York State is an outdoor lover's playground. You can go hiking, moutain biking, boating (of all shapes and sizes), fishing in this 600 million acre forest filled with peaks, lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. Given our limited time on our New York trip, we could only spend 3 days. So we focused on the Southern Adirondack towns of Old Forge and Lake George.

In summer, Old Forge is extremely popular with families simply because there is so much to do. Bear that in mind when you choose your accomodation. We stayed at the Water's Edge Inn, which is located opposite the Enchanted Forest/Water Inn. So, there were lots of teenagers and children, which also translates to little peace and quiet.

We rented some mountain bikes and armed with a map of the area, set off on a bike ride around Inlet. It was a sunny day and once we were off the highway and in the trails, it was beautiful. We were disappointed that we were not able to cycle by the lakes as these were private property. So, we had to content ourselves sticking to the forest trails.

J, being the more adventurous type decided to attempt the uphill narrow track Vista Trail.




I was happy to stick with my wide and flat trail.


That night, we both agreed that we should treat ourselves to a nice dinner after our 20 miles ride. Based on Frommer's recommendation, we headed to the Seventh Lake House. If it weren't for our travel guide book, we would have driven past the restaurant located between Inlet and Raquette Lake and missed it altogether. As you can see by the number of cars parked outside, this was a popular dinner venue because the food is fantastic.


After burning all that calories earlier that day, we loaded up on protein with our orders of steak and lamb chop. Both meals were cooked to perfection. We couldn't ask for more.


After dinner, we caught a beautiful sunset at Raquette Lake. Now this is what life is about!

Niagara Falls - Romantic getaway

Niagara Falls - Close up view from Maid of the Mist
Did you know that Napoleon Bonaparte's younger brother, Jerome had his honeymoon in Niagara Falls in the early 19th century? Since then, this magnificent falls remains a favourite wedding and honeymoon spot.

J & I were thrilled that we would finally get a chance to visit this magnificent falls. My New York friend said that Niagara Falls was too commercialized. I suppose it's true to a certain extent. However, I felt that one person's experience very much depends on where one stays. And I couldn't have picked a better spot than Hillcrest Inn. It is located on a quiet street, far enough from the "commercial" activities, yet, close enough to walk to the Falls. The hosts are friendly and down-to-earth and really made us feel like home, going the extra mile to provide little touches to make our stay memorable. My only regret is that we only stayed 1 night at this beautiful home.

The living room done in sophisticated grey and white

The cosy sun room

The romantic Hillcrest Suite


It was hard to tear ourselves from our gorgeous room but we only had 2 days and we did come to see the Niagara Falls. So, we took a leisurely walk by the Niagara River and headed downtown towards the Falls. It was amazing to see how fast the river flowed and hear the sound of the river as it rushed down to the Falls.
But nothing could prepare us for the sight at the end. We went up on the Observation Deck to get a full view of the mighty Niagara Falls,in all its glory and splendour - it took my breath away.


I wanted to get a close-up view of the Falls and the best way to do it is to go on the Maid of the Mist boat ride. It is incredible to experience the Falls so close. The boat took us the base of the American Falls and then to the basin of Horsehoe Falls. Bring along a waterproof camera, a sense of adventure and be prepared to get wet on this amazing boat ride. Don't worry, they provide a blue raincoat!

Little blue people queueing up in an orderly fashion to board the boat.

Can you spot the rainbow on the left?

We somehow managed to find a clear view for a couple shot (which is amazing considering the boat was full!)

The Observation Deck, the Canadian Maid of the Mist and a rainbow.

We couldn't get enough of the Falls so we headed to the Cave of the Winds for Round 2. We took a 175 feet elevator ride down to the Niagara Gorge. It was cold and damp. We then walked on the wooden walkway to the Hurricane Deck.

Hmm...seems mild enough from here. I wonder why they provided us sandals on top of the yellow raincoat?

Now I know why...The strong gusts of wind and wild sprays of water is enough to make a grown man shiver!

J standing bravely next to the Bridal Veil Falls


We had enough of drenching but still not enough of the Falls. So we headed to the Horseshoe Falls on Goat Island.


We also managed to see a fat beaver, totally oblivious to the Falls and the crowd.


And to top off a perfect day, we had dinner at the Top of the Falls Restaurant, enjoying the view of the Horseshoe Falls whilst having a delicious dinner of pork chop and New York Steak.

Words of wisdom

Life is fragile. No one know what's round the corner. All you can do is to live each day and take it as it comes along. As the former president of the United States once said "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." ~Theodore Roosevelt

Amazing Love

Today is Easter Sunday. The day Christians rejoice that Jesus who was crucified on Good Friday for our sins was resurrected - defeating Satan and death once and for all. It's the day that I am reminded of God's amazing love for us, His children. The song below by Graham Kendrick describes it so perfectly.

Amazing Love by Graham Kendrick
My Lord what love is this?
That paid so dearly
That I, the guilty one, may go free.

Chorus:
Amazing love, oh what sacrifice
The Son of God, given for me
My dept He paid, and my death He died
That I, might live.
That I, might live.

And so, they watched Him die
Despised and rejected
But oh, the blood He shed, flowed for me.

And now, this love of Christ
Will flow, like rivers
Come wash, your guilt away,
And live again.

Pork chops with apples recipe

One of my greatest passion in life, apart from travel is food. Now that I work from home, a big advantage is that I now have more time to experiment with different cooking styles and recipes. I have always wondered about the technique used by chefs in almost every cooking show I've seen - Chef at Home, Restaurant Makeover, Jamie Oliver, etc., of pan-frying the meat and then roasting it in the oven. I always thought it seemed like a lot of work and more cleaning up to do! But I figured I should give it a try to see what all the fuss is about.

I dug up my "Cook with Jamie" cookbook and tried out Jamie Oliver's Old-school pork chops with apple and sage. I have to admit that pan frying the pork chops and then roasting it in the oven does make a difference in the taste! I think that searing it for a couple of minutes seal the juices in the meat and then roasting it in the oven which uses undirect heat cooks the meat beautifully. I definitely will try it again.


Here's the pork chop recipe:
4 x 250 gm pork chops with bone
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil
2 apples - unpeeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each
A knob of butter
A handful of fresh sage leaves (I substituted with basil as I didn't have sage available - the best part of cooking is using what you have and not worry about following the recipe to a T)

Preheat the oven to 200C. Make deep cuts on the fatty side of the pork chop and tenderize the meat with a kitchen hammer or blunt object. Season the chops with salt and pepper. Pour the olive oil into a hot pan. Carefully place your chops in the pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes each side. Place the chops into an oiled baking tray. Then, add the apple wedges and the butter into the pan and fry until lightly golden. Lay 4 wedges of apple on top of each pork chop. Top up with herb (sage or in my case, basil) and drizzle olive oil on top. Bake the pork chops in the oven for about 5-10 minutes. Serve with your favourite potato dish and vegetables.

If like me, you would like additional apple sauce to accompany your pork chops, here's a simple recipe for the apple sauce.

Apple sauce recipe:
3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced (if you like a little tartness, use green apples. Otherwise, any type of apple will do)1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons soft brown sugar

Put the apples into a small saucepan with the water, allspice, cinnamon and sugar. Cover and cook on low to medium heat for about 15 - 20 minutes until soft and pulpy.

Enjoy!

Words of Wisdom

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu

How true it is. Sometimes we forget that families are God's gift to us. And sometimes, like God's other gifts we tend to neglect this gift. Let's make time with our families. Have a meal together. Go for an outing. Let's not have any regrets when it comes to one of the most important things in our lives.