makino81
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Country: Canada
State: Ontario
Metro: Toronto
Birthday: 8/24/1981
Gender: Female


Interests: Not Everyone Gets To Be An Astronaut When They Grow Up.
Expertise: Hard Work Often Pays Off After Time, But Laziness Always Pays Off Now. (Note: Many drawings were taken from http://www.kurthalsey.com)
Occupation: Student
Industry: Business


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Member Since: 1/8/2003

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Thursday, August 09, 2007

Wondering where I went?

Does anyone still exist here? 

I'm still around Xanga....but using Xanga for something else....

A food diary.  O_o 

Yes...you heard right.  Hahaha...for over the last 7 months.

http://www.xanga.com/myskinnyfiles

I hope everyone is well and having a great summer!  

xoxo,

Makino81


Saturday, March 17, 2007

Wow...I haven't been here in awhile...

How have you all been doing?


Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Chocolate Overload part 2...

So by now everyone knows I've a thing for good dark chocolate....so I started getting a lot of chocolate this winter from everyone.  AND I LOVE THAT!    THANK YOU!    I thought I would list them...even though there are still lots that I haven't tried out yet....so... people can get me NEW kinds of dark chocolate to try.     I'm not like most girls....I LOVE getting good chocolate.  I don't want truffles or cute boxes and I don't care about the presentation, I just like NICE dark bar chocolate so I can carry them around with me wherever I go.  Get me a nice bar of chocolate instead, especially if it's something rare and new, and then you've pretty much made my day. 

So here's where I left off since last time...

Green & Blacks's Maya Gold - Dark chocolate with orange & spices

% Cocoa solids:  55%

Cost:  $2.50 for 35grams

Where did I get it?  This global trade speciality shop in Hamilton from my Bro. Thx!

Website:  http://www.greenandblacks.com

More info:  Organic and Fairtrade.  Great flavour infused chocolate.

 

 

 

Dogoba Organic Chocolate

% Cocoa solids: 73%

Cost: $3.75 per 56.7g (2 oz)

Where did I get it? This global trade speciality shop in Hamilton from my Bro.  Thx!

Website:  http://www.dagobachocolate.com/

More info: Organic and Fairtrade.  I like it, but I prefer Equita over Dogoba.

 

Equita Bittersweet Chocolate

% Cocoa solids: 70%

Cost: $4.25 per 100 gms

Where did I get it? This global trade speciality shop in Hamilton from my Bro.  Thx!

Website:  http://www.equita.qc.ca/engl/products/chocolate.htm

More info: Organic and Fairtrade.  I actually really like this one…tastes distinctly different then Dogoba.  Less cocoa butter mass, almost crunchy when you bite into it, but if you give it time, it melts really well and leaves a pleasant aftertaste. 

 

 

 

Sharffen Berger Bittersweet

% Cocoa solids: 70%

Cost: $2.25 USD per 28g (1 ounce) bar

Where did I get it? In San Francisco! From Spreadsheet!

Website:  http://www.scharffenberger.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1+OZ

More info:  So yummy.  Rich and flavourful…I really enjoyed this one.  Thanks!

 

 

Domori Cacao Cult Sur del lago Clasificado

% Cocoa solids: 70%

Cost: $8.80 per 75g

Where did I get it? From a coworker that knows I love good chocolate.

Website:  (I can’t read French but here it is) http://belges.ca/ici/Euro_Excellence.html

More info: This is one of the smoothest chocolate I’ve ever tasted.  Rich strong flavour and a great clean lasting aftertaste.  It comes in a whole bar chocolate form (no grooves to mark out the pieces). 

 

 

 

 

Sharffen Berger Mocha

% Cocoa solids: 63%

Cost: $4.50 USD per 85g (3 ounce) bar

Where did I get it? In San Francisco! From Spreadsheet!

Website:  http://www.scharffenberger.com/prodinfo.asp?number=3+OZ

More info:  Haven’t tried it yet.  Will do so next!  Thank you!

 

Bloomsberry & Co.  --  Instant Gratification (dark chocolate)

% Cocoa solids: I’ve no idea. 

Cost: $6 per 100gm (3.5 oz)

Where did I get it? In San Francisco! From Spreadsheet!  Hahaha.

Website:  http://www.bloomsberry.com/collections.php?Collection=all

More info:  Haven’t tried it yet.  Will do so soon!  Thank you!  The company is in New Zealand.  They have the funniest writing and description on the box.  This one is called “Instant Gratification”.  Description inside says “As you will soon discover, this is no ordinary chocolate bar.  The whole experience has been created to tantalize your tastebuds, seduce your senses, and satisfy your cravings.”  The other bars have wonderful sayings too…just take a look at the website. 

 

 

 

Sarotti No.1 Santo Domingo

% Cocoa solids: 85%

Cost: $4 per 100g

Where did I get it? Gift from Mel!  Thanks Melly!

Website:  http://www.sarotti.de

More info: Haven’t tried it yet.  German Chocolate  Will do so soon!  Looks good.

 

 

Flagrants Desirs Dark Chocolate

% Cocoa solids: 70%

Cost: $4 per 100g

Where did I get it? Gift from Mel!  Thanks Melly!

Website:  (I can’t read French but here it is) http://belges.ca/ici/Euro_Excellence.html

More info: Haven’t tried it yet.  Will do so soon!  Looks good.

 

 

 

Ghirardelli Chocolate – Intense Dark Twilight Delight

% Cocoa solids: 72%

Cost: $3.50 per 100g

Where did I get it? Shoppers Drug Mart  

Website:  http://www.ghirardelli.com/products/chocbars_intense_twilight.aspx

More info: Haven’t tried it yet.  Will do so soon!  Looks good.

 

Thanks to everyone who got me amazing dark chocolate to try out.    I'm pretty stocked up on great dark chocolate for awhile!   I have 5 unopened bars of chocolate that are 100 grams each and I have 2 bars open at the moment.    

 

Also I've this box of chocolates open:

 

 

Droste Holland Selection

% Cocoa solids: This assorted Droste Holland Gold Selection assorment of milk chocolate, buttersweet chocolate and white pastilles.

Cost: $10.00 per 300g box (After xmas Sale, got it for $5)

Where did I get it? The Bay 

Website:  http://www.droste.nl/data/content/engels/index.php

More info: I like the variety and the small pastilles size.    Yummy. 

 

Lindt Surfin Bittersweet

% Cocoa solids: I'm not sure.

Cost: $6.50 per 300g bar (After xmas Sale, got it for 25% off)

Where did I get it? The Bay 

Website:  http://www.lindtusa.com

More info: I use this for baking.  It's perfect in large chopped up chunks in biscottis. 

 
If you're a dark chocolate lover and there's any something out there that I've yet to try out, please let me know. 
 
 

Do you love chocolate?

What's your favourite? 

 

 


Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Awesome end and start of a New year!

Other than playing mahjong, gambling, baking up over 150 biscottis, and playing SOO much Nintendo Wii that my arms still hurt since Saturday... I also saw an amazing foreign film on New Years Eve ...currently only playing at Varsity Cinemas Downtown.

http://www.panslabyrinth.com/

Pan's Labyrinth

A gothic fairy tale set against the postwar repression of Franco's Spain, Pan's Labyrinth unfolds through the eyes of Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), a dreamy little girl who is uprooted to a rural military outpost commanded by her new stepfather. Powerless and lonely in a place of unfathomable cruelty, Ofelia lives out her own dark fable as she confronts monsters both otherworldly and human.

It's a fairytale for adults....definitely worth seeing, NOT for the weak as it's pretty graphic.  Before I saw this movie, I was thinking "Gee...fairytale...it's going to be happy and cute".  Oh...it's sooo NOT.  It's a nice heavy movie...  It was amazing.  I still have it in my mind and I'll go to the website to listen to the soundtrack too. 

 

 

 

I found this quote...

The future has many names: for the fearful it's the unknown,for the reckless it's the adventure, for the pessimists it'sthe unattainable. For the brave, it is opportunity.

What do you call your future?


Monday, January 01, 2007

Happy New Year!

 

2006 has been a good year.  Work has been pretty good.  I've been to a lot of theatre, opera, musicals, galas, and other events.  I've gained an appreciation for dark chocolate like one does for wine.    I've cooked up a storm, from pies, to biscotti, to realizing that making a turkey dinner isn't difficult at all to the point where I can do it twice in a month.

Best Highlights of 2006:

- LAS VEGAS <-- went there for work, yes, for work....and partied like never before for a week and learned something too.  Also did TONS of shopping at my favourite store, Banana Republic.   

- Volunteered for Dragonball Gala 2006.  http://www.yeehong.com/dragonball/  Dressed to the 9's and helped usher in the chinese new year and raised lots of money to support the senior community. 

- Montreal long weekend trips with my very best friends.  Amazing fondue dinner (with the cutest waiters on this planet...somehow the people there are just so good looking).    And a ton of shopping. 

- I finally went backpacking through Europe in the summer of 2006, with a 4 of my best friends in North America, 25 days, 8 countries, 13 cities.  I went from doing no exercise to walking about 8-10 hours a day, sometimes with a 40 pound backpack.  It was intense, I loved it.  I used up all my vacation days in 1 shot, and I never regretted it

- Bell Citychase in Toronto with one of my best friends 2 weeks after Europe.  Out of shape, didn't train...but I did it anyways.  http://www.bellcitychase.com/    We came in #62 out of 460 teams, and finished the race in 3hours and 59mins and it was the fastest 3 hours and 59 minutes of our lives.  I'm so proud of us.  I ran like I've never run before...and I paid for it (I could hardly move for the next week), but it was totally worth it.

- Run for the Cure: https://www.cibcrunforthecure.com for the canadian breast cancer association.  I've never done one of these runs before, and it was amazing to run 5k downtown on the empty streets of toronto with 5000 other people to raise a lot of money and support an amazing cause.  Thank you to my friends for your donations for this cause.

- Highlights of the Best theatre/live shows that I've been to this year (and I've been to a lot):  The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Blueman's Group, Lord of the Rings Musical, A Comedy Of Errors, Reefer Madness, Pippin, Chicago, Little Shop of Horrors.

- My family is happy and healthy this year.  It's the greatest gift of all.  Never thought it would happen....but my the single same birthday wish that I kept asking for before I blew out the candles on the cake for the past 10 years finally came true.  Thank you.

- Regrets:  None.  I never regret.

I hope 2007 brings the same or even more happiness, excitement and adventure.    I wish everyone good health, happiness, and peace within themselves.  Never regret, just look back and learn, and never take anything you have for granted.  Best wishes to you and yours for 2007!

Cheers! 

~ Cindy



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