Originally Posted by oceanMDX

When I as a kid my grandmother used to tell me how they would make blood sausage on the farm - including what they would do to the pig to get its blood. Now that was disgusting, and I never ate any of that stuff.

Originally Posted by oceanMDX

My father liked to have pickled pig feet in the fidge - and it helped me stay slim by suppressing my appetite.

Originally Posted by Glaswegian

I always liked black pudding (the UK version of blood sausage, it's great if you're feeling a bit run downoffer as Dim Sum.

Originally Posted by oceanMDX

No, the Mennonite connection was only on my mother's side of the family. Her father was a very "progressive" Mennonite. Even he didn't have a horse and buggy when I was a kid - he had a car that was painted black. My mother and all her siblings moved to the city as soon as they were adults. It wasn't until I was around 10 years old that I realized my mother had been raised as a Mennonite - this after years of telling her how weird I thought they were. When I finally asked her if she had been raised as a Mennonite, she admitted it and blushed. She shouldn't have been embarrassed, Mennonites are some of the best people - salt of the earth.

Mennonites make the best food and desserts. They are really the "salt of the earth" - I can remember at least 2 times that I had car trouble and they stopped on a vey cold wintery day and helped me.....took me to their home until my car was taken care of.....neve thought twice about it..... Oh, I remember now, I've been racking my brain.....it's called a "hitching post".....what they tie their horses to when they go shopping.....it was driving me crazy!!!!

My father had more of an ethnic German heritage. He was raised on a farm not far from the covered bridge near West Montrose.

A bit of trivia - the covered bridge near West Montrose in the oldest one in North America - people come to the area to see it.



Yes, Waterloo is really changing. You're a scientist, so you may be interested in the Perimeter Institute:
http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/

Select "future facilities" to see the new building, then click on the pics to enlarge them. This will also give you a view through a webcam of the rec center (left) to silver lake (right), with UW in the background. By the way, Perimeter Institute will soon be the largest institute of theoretical physics in the world.

I used to play hockey as a kid on that site. Remember the old Waterloo Memorial Arena?

Yes, I sure do remember the arena. My brother use to practice and play hockey there. Funny how my parents built us rink in Winnipeg to skate and practice hockey, but thought it was too cold in KW so made him practice in an indoor rink - very strange for him coming from Manitoba.

I don't know what I think of the new arena....a little too modern for me....and hard to find parking.

This is excellent for a "virtual tour" of Waterloo:
http://www.garywill.com/waterloo/tour.htm

http://www.garywill.com/waterloo/history.htm

http://www.garywill.com/waterloo/orientation.htm

Waterloo's tech companies:
http://www.garywill.com/digest/companies.htm

They call downtown Waterloo "uptown" Waterloo now. "Downtown" only refers to downtown Kitchener now. Did you know that UW is about to build a School of Pharmacy in downtown Kitchener?

Originally Posted by CDNReturner

Just want to report that I was in a place called St. Jacob's this weekend which is well worth a visit. It is outside of Guelph/Cambridge, Ontario in Mennonite country. It has a terrific flea market and the fruit and vegetables at this time of year were stunning. However, by the flea market (within 5 min walking distance) are factory outlet stores and there is a Cadbury's factory store in there. Most chocolate is Canadian made but they also have UK imports such as Fruit'n'Nut, flakes and Double Deckers (the latter $1.49).

Originally Posted by willmore

Great place - and wonderful bargins. My husband/I visited the area at xmas and went to the factory outline place and I was able to buy a new sachuony running shoes for much less than the retail price in Victoria.

Funny, but usually when it comes to chocolate my radar is right on....but I must have missed it completely.....I can't believe it!!!!! Must be my husband's fault. Well, I'll check it out for sure at xmas this year.

But when in the area - try the german food - spare ribs, sauerkraut, pig tails, bread, desserts - out of this world.

There was a dessert shop in Kitchener going towards Fairview Plaza that catered only to German desserts - we dropped in many times after a show or whatever for dessert and coffee - THE BEST IN THE WORD!!!!!

Originally Posted by squarepants

Are you talking about Williams coffee house, next to the fairway cinema? Note that kitchener waterloo is German country, this area use to be known as Berlin in the past.

No, the place I'm talking about had a german name and use to be on Queen Street, across the street from the Walper Hotel, but just before King Street.
It eventually moved down on King Street towards Fairway Plaza, but before that great fish and chip place and the park (which I can't remember the name of)....Do you remember the place - had great german desserts.


CNDReturner: St Jacobs is a menonite town, and the market is pretty busy during the weekend, but you have to get there early. I know the cadbury store you are talking about, it's right inside the outlet, right by the corner to an exit door, they let you know it's from England, and am like is it?

Best place to buy bread, sausages, etc - love it - especially the outdoor stalls where people sell their wares in rain, sleet or snow!!!!! Brave people

Well, we're going back at xmas again to see family and friends....plan on going to the mall to get another pair of running shoes.....so I will definitely check out the place!!!!

How about the smell round there eh, of horse dung? Been down to the stampede ranch yet?