About Me

Who am I?

I’m a thirty-something woman living in Ottawa with my wonderful husband and cool cat.

I have many loves in my life, of course the two above, that I centre my life around, plus my sometimes seemingly crazy family. I also have many passions. I love to cook – I love trying new things and different flavours. I love to eat out – trying new places and relaxing in those where I know I enjoy the food and company. I love to read – not just the classics, but those I can either get lost in or learn from. I love to travel – seeing new places, things and food. When I travel, there’s no time to relax; I want to see and do it all. I love gardening –spending time in the sun, digging in the dirt, and seeing things grow. And believe it or not, I love my job – I teach English as a Second Language (ESL) and I thoroughly enjoy it!

Why a blog?
Good question, because if you had met me before, you’d be surprised. Ironically, I’m quite the private person. As a result, you won’t see really personal stuff here – including my name. In my own search I’ve found it difficult to find information that was relevant or applicable. There are many great websites and blogs out there, but none that fit me. I guess being in Ottawa has presented some challenges for finding Canadian content and/or perspectives. It’s a big city, but not that big (both a positive and a negative).


Here I’ll be mainly writing about two of my passions: food and work. I first learned to cook when I went vegetarian 15 years ago when I realized that vegetables can’t taste the same all the time if that was all I would be eating. As I learn more about cooking the things that are unknown, especially gluten-free items, there will be trials and tribulations. I’m not a foodie, I just enjoy myself. I also came to realize that I meet so many wonderful people and encounter fabulous situations that I need to share them. It has been said that teaching can be lonely, and that is quite true for ESL teachers. Most often we go to class, teach our private students, and then leave. Unlike office environments, there aren’t many opportunities to socialize or spend time with colleagues. In searching for like-minded people, I realized that there is more to ESL than grammar and the applicable (or not so applicable) websites that accompany it.


What’s with the name?
Believe it or not, in university my husband used it as a term of endearment. I love dill pickles; I mean really good dill pickles. I wouldn’t eat them all the time, but I would eat them a lot.


Do you do product endorsements?
No, not really. The products and places you see here is because I tried them and liked them and want to tell you about them. And usually, it will be because I saw them myself or heard about them. And just because I like them, doesn’t mean you will like them. Maybe you will, maybe you won’t. If you’re from a company and want me to endorse a product, sorry, I don’t do that.


Contact Info
You can contact me if you like, but save the spam (the junk, not the meat). My email is: mail4pickles [at] gmail [dot] com . If you email me, be patient as I don’t check it every day.