Day 96: Shoppers Beware of Packaged Produce

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 96: Shoppers Beware of Packaged Produce

Every Saturday morning, I walk past a supermarket. Most of the time I don’t have money or any other means of payment on me, so I just look and keep walking. Well, strictly speaking, I don’t keep walking, I stop and admire all the fruit and veggies that are on display in outside bins and crates. All at unbelievable prices.

Last Saturday I came prepared. I had my debit card with me and I was going to do some serious fruit and veggie shopping. As I walked along I picked up a tray of nine neatly wrapped tomatoes, a tray of kiwis, a tray of Brussels sprouts, a box of strawberries, a bunch of bananas, a bag of mandarins, a bunch of leeks, and a bag of green beans.

Back home I stuffed everything in the fridge and felt every so pleased with my shopping. That good feeling didn’t last long. When dinner time came around and I wanted to prepare a tomato salad, I noticed that every single one of the nine wrapped tomatoes were rotten. Whoever had packaged the tomatoes had placed the rotten spot face down and once packaged nobody would be the wiser. The same with the Brussels sprouts and the kiwis, some of them were in good condition, but the rotten ones were strategically placed so no one would notice.

I feared the worst as I reached for the mandarins and the strawberries, would it be the same? Yep, as I rolled the tiny fruits out of their container most of them showed black marks covered with grey fuzz.

The first time I wanted to unwrap a banana I got another bad surprise there. The first one was rotten, so was the second and the third. I found it unbelievable. On the outside, the bananas looked perfectly normal, but on the inside the fruit was black.

Now I understood why the fruit and veggies had been packaged … once wrapped in cellophane, nobody could check the condition of the produce. As for the price … yeah, it was cheap, but who wants rotten produce? Now I had to go to my regular supermarket and buy everything again. So, what started out as cheap actually turned out to be expensive.

For me, it’s a lesson learned. Even though my regular supermarket charges considerably more for their goods, I’m willing to pay those extra dollars.

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/toronto-cat-rescue-bowl-a-thon-9/

Day 24: The 8 best beauty investments of all time

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 24: Give advice

The 8 best beauty investments of all time

Even though everybody agrees that real beauty comes from the inside, looking good on the outside is important too.  If it wasn’t, the cosmetics companies wouldn’t be a multi-million dollar industry.  Some visit a spa every so often, others make regular visits to the beauty salon, while others still try every miracle product that comes on the market.  Just what are the 10 best beauty investments of all time?

1. Moisturizer

If you want to keep your skin soft and supple and keep wrinkles at bay, a moisturizer suitable for your skin type is imperative.  A moisturizer will feed your skin the nutrients it needs and slow down the aging process.

2. Sunscreen

Nothing ages you faster than the sun, so you should make sure to wear this all year long.  Look for one that provides broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays.

3. Dermatological check-Up

Any untreated condition is only going to get worse, especially acne, varicose veins, or in the worst case scenario, early signs of skin cancer. Invest in regular checkups to stay ahead of any potential problems.

4. Good haircut

A good haircut makes hair easier to maintain and won't require as many damaging styling products to make it look good.

5. Hand lotion and cuticle cream

You don't need a specially formulated cream for your hands - any rich body lotion will work -- but you do need to make sure to moisturize your hands and cuticles often. Your hands give away even more about your age than your face.

6. Fresh fruit & vegetables

No matter how many vitamins and supplements you may take, nothing can replace the nutrients you can get from food. Try organic produce to ensure you're not eating additives you're not expecting. Plus, seasonal produce will not only taste better but will ensure you're eating food at its height of freshness and nutritional value.

7. Gym membership, bicycle, or fitness equipment

Exercise not only keeps you fit and healthy but relieves stress, the effects of which can take a huge toll on your skin and cause premature aging.  The Mayo Clinic recommends 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity a few times a week.

8. Comfortable mattress and pillow

The old adage about getting your beauty sleep is true; you should strive to get at least 7 hours each night. Since many of us have crazy schedules that make it hard to get your hours in, wasting an hour tossing and turning on an uncomfortable bed will only set you back.

Invest in yourself. It won’t be long before you’ll experience the benefits.

www.connymanero.weebly.com

How to effectively get rid of weeds

Summer has arrived in Toronto. Finally. There is some confusion about the temperatures though. While the weather channel on TV predicts 34 degrees C (93.2 degrees F), according to my phone, the maximum temperature for today will be 30 degrees. Either way, it’s hot.

The 2016/2017 winter wasn’t a bad one. It was cold, but the temperature rarely dipped below -15 degrees C, (5 degrees F), and we only had a couple of inches of snow. All in all, a nice, mild winter.

Nevertheless, Torontonians were happy when spring arrived, looking forward to green grass, leafy trees, and colorful flowers.

It was a cool spring though. While other years we moan and groan about the heat by the third week of May, and can’t wait for the air-conditioning to be switched on in our condo building, this year we needed heating rather than cooling.

If you think I’m kidding … I’m not. Last week it was 9 degrees C, (48.2 degrees F). Does that seem like spring to you?

From what I heard Calgary had 30 degrees C, (86 degrees F), so did New York and Chicago. A friend in Chicago was actually complaining about the heat. I wasn’t sure if I should pity or envy her.

To make matters worse, it was overcast in Toronto and raining. Not buckets of water, but a steady drizzle. Combine the cold with the wet and you get miserable days.

While I like dark, rainy days, I wasn’t in my element last week. My hands were cold, my nose and ears were cold, I was wearing a woolen jacket, and my legs and feet were covered with a blanket. If anyone had seen me, they would have thought it was February instead of June.

The flowers on my balcony looked equally miserable, but now, after just one weekend of sunshine and a bit of heat, they seem happier.

The petunias especially seem to thrive. In previous years, I had them up on the ledge, where they got full sun, but they didn’t seem to like that. Now that they are on the floor, where they get no sun at all they seem to do better.

In addition to flowers, I also bought a basil plant. I love basil, but the local supermarket constantly is sold out of this herb. So I got my own. Now when I make a salad I can just step outside, snip some leaves off the plant and I’m all set.

(Basil plant in background)

I was just thinking yesterday how wonderful it would be if I could grow other things like potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, strawberries, etc. Unfortunately, living in a condo with just a balcony, that’s not possible.

Many years ago, we moved into a house with a rather large garden. The garden was overrun with weeds though. My dad told me there were two ways to effectively get rid of weeds … plant potatoes or plant green string beans. We opted for string beans.

Before long it was time to harvest. I filled a few buckets with beans, blanched them and put them in the freezer. After 50 packets I was done, but my string beans were not, they kept on producing and producing. After harvesting some more I gave string beans to my family, friends, and neighbors.

When they too let me know that they had enough string beans in their freezer I put the veggies out in buckets on the street with a sign “FREE – PLEASE TAKE”.

I can’t remember just how many families I fed that year but eventually, the string beans stopped producing and when the plants were removed there’s wasn’t a weed in sight.

So if your garden is plagued with weeds, plants some potatoes or string beans. After the final harvest not only will your garden be weed-free, you’ll have food in your freezer (and in that of your family, friends, neighbors and who knows who else) in the process.

www.connymanero.weebly.com