A heart healthy meal inspired by a local London doctor

 

Today's post was inspired by Dr. David Spence at SPARC (Stroke Prevention and Atherosclerosis Research Centre) in London and located at Western University. When Dr. Spence wrote a book on how to deal with stroke prevention, a big part of the fight to remain healthy is eating right. The last part of his book was dedicated to heart-healthy recipes. 

 

I try to follow Dr. Spence's guidance and last night I discovered I had a fridge full of leftovers. Oh well, when life hands you lemons, make lemon sole, I say. I'm now out of sole, breading, sweet peppers and mushrooms but I do still have lemons. Can't get rid of the damn things. Oh well . . .

 

Dinners like this, very light on the saturated fats and low in cholesterol are an important weapon in the fight against heart disease. Cheers! (Sorry about the yellow tint but photo taken under warm, indoor lighting.)

Almost 150 years old, spinner's home a heritage property

 

Alexander Murdoch built a simple home for a young, working, family man. The 29-year-old was a spinner at a local mill when he built his home in Stratford. What was a spinner? A spinner was the operator of a spinning jenny or spinning mule used in the local mills to make yarn and other textile products. Some of the larger mills had upwards of 200 employees. The mills were the third most important business in Stratford at that time after the furniture factories and railways.

Bungalows common in Southwestern Ontario

According to the Ontario Architecture site, the bungalow style is an American invention, popularized in California in the early 20th century. It was brought to Canada in the early 1910s. The Americans got the idea from the British who built small homes, bungalows, that imitated the style of home the Brits had lived in while stationed in India. The North American version is very different than the British style.

Bungalows are generally one or one-and-a-half storey homes with broad, low-pitched, roofs and generous, large porches. Bungalows are almost exclusively residential and are often made of materials such as stone and brick.

Another gingerbread home

If you are getting the idea that the homes in the downtown Stratford heritage neighbourhood are more varied than one often finds in similar aged neighbourhoods, you're right. This home does not have a plaque but I think it is safe to say it was not one of the most upscale homes in the area when it was built more than a century ago. Today the gingerbread treatment gives it a little extra visual sparkle.

A hotel keeper's home

 

This Stratford home was built by James Rankin in 1880. Rankin was a hotel keeper in Stratford. He didn't live in the home for long. He moved out after about five years. The next owner was a long-time member of Parliament for the area. The story of the somewhat unique looking home can be found HERE.

Not as original as once thought

I was back in Stratford and strolling about the core heritage neighbourhood. Many of the homes are small, compact may be a better word, and were built a little more than a century ago for a mix of clients. A surprising number of the now valuable properties were built for simple working-class families.

I don't know the history of this home but I did chat with the present owner. He told me how two of the nicest features of the heritage property, features that drew him to the home, are relatively new: The half circle stained glass windows above the front windows only date to the late 1960s.

Now, I wish I'd asked if the home has also had an addition or two to enlarge the place over the intervening years. My guess, the roof visible behind the front peak is relatively new. This might have been a much simpler home when first built.

It's March!

 

"I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!" No, this time these are not the words of The White Rabbit but of Frosty the Snowman. 

It's March. Sunday the clocks are jumping forward with the arrival of daylight saving time. Sorry Frosty, your time has passed. It is too late to leave gracefully. It is time to just leave. 

Bye!