This is going to be the Winter of Capebretoner, this last few months have been the “Fall of Capebretoner”, and not in a good way.  Broke my hand, broke my glasses, gained weight, etc. So this is going to be the Winter and the year of Capebretoner.

First I am starting a new job, in a new country, on the other side of the continent.  I am heading to Spokane, Washington and loving it, in a nervous excitement kind of way.  I have been there a couple of times since August to visit and the area seemed like an interesting place to be.

On the suggestion from @VelvetCyclone I am going to document a “Capebretoner in Spokane” and why not do it on this very blog, its not like I was doing much else with it.  Along with that I have added a couple of new categories Hoser Music and Hoser Fitness where I am going to document all of the local Spokanish music that I find and my progress on getting rid of those pounds that I added to my frame this fall.

The music category is pretty self-explanatory, Halifax has an amazing music scene with Cousins, Room Doom, Mardeen, Superfantastics, Joel, Wintersleep, and I could go on and on (Check out The Coast’s Best of Music). So my goal is to find some great local acts in Spokane and get to some amazing live shows.  I know they have to be there somewhere.

Regarding the fitness category I am going to write a detailed post with my plans but it will mostly revolve around NOT EATING CRAP, and getting back to the gym.  I might even borrow @mysteriouswayz’s Nike+ and do some running.  The company that I am going to has a deal with a local fitness centre with a pool and gymnasium so maybe I can get a couple of basketball games in there too.  I will be checking out @untitleddesign‘s newish blog Your Inner Skinny (also on twitter @yourinnerskinny)

So if you are from Spokane and you are reading this blog, post a comment and let me know where I can find your music scene, or better yet is there any Pick-up Hockey that a guy can get into.  I had to fight to get my skates in my bag so I better find a game.

Cheers,

Jeff M

Hmmm, Mexican

I was just reading this story on CBC about how healthy food has risen 13% since 2002 and that it would cost over $600 to feed a family of 4 nutritiously.

As many as 120,000 Nova Scotians do not have the money for healthy foods on a regular basis, according to a new study.

The 2007 food costing report, released Tuesday, puts the average monthly cost of a nutritious, no-frills diet for a family of four at $648.33, up 13 per cent since 2002.

I say bullshit. If you try you can eat well and for much less. Some tips can be found at this page or even this page. One of the best tips from these two pages is…

Dont waste food. This will drive up a budget like crazy. Label foods in the fridge with dates, learn when to toss things (hint: its not usually the sell by date). If fruits and veggies are getting mushy and no one wants to eat them but theyre still okay to eat, use them in salads and soups.

This wasn’t even from the blogger themself, but from a comment.

Another good resource is Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals, a US government website.

The fact that certain food is expensive is a reality of life. I get all the vegetables that I can eat for $25 a week through the HGOF in Halifax, and on top of that most of it is local. I am sure that there are similar businesses elsewhere.

Then I have a slowcooker and freeze food. So you make more than you need, and buy when on sale. You can get cheap cuts of meat and put them in the slow cooker and you are set. Or you buy chicken when it is on sale and freeze it. The best thing that I have found is to cut down on the amount of meat that you eat and stock up on more alternative protein sources. These alternatives, like beans, are usually cheaper. And if you are worried then you can always buy Whey protein for the days that you don’t think that you have eaten enough. This is $40 and will last a month at a scoop a day, which is NOT what you will need.

The point is that $600 is VERY HIGH. Read around and you will find some great tips on how to reduce the amount that you spend on food and still be healthy.

Some other good links are:

• Eating Organic on Food Stamps
• Eating Healthy on a Student’s Budget
• Student Cooking