Wake Up the Right Way!

Oatmeal is about the only thing exciting enough to wake K up in the morning. He has potential grumble qualities effective only for about 30 minutes after getting up, but since the appearance of one particular little vegan, he has gone out of his way to check that. I have found that one excellent way to assuage him of any grumpy potential is to have a yummy breakfast waiting for him - it almost always works, and the preparation of breakfast seems to be a great outlet for the bundles of energy I seem to possess first thing in the morning (this is quite a mystery given my family's adoration for sleeping). It is fair to guarantee that every single morning in the Healey/Daniel home there will be a hairy boy eating some oatmeal with bananas and dried fruit; this boy can also be found drinking a glass of juice and sipping on some tea. There is also, very often, a vegan girl, chattering away over a bowl of puffed rice or soy yogurt.

I decided to be daring this morning, and went against all odds and all sense of probability, and subtracted the oatmeal from the mornings menu and replaced it with some fresh fruit, whole wheat toast and a little bit of rhubarb jam.

Kevin seemed to cope well with the change. And didn't even seem to notice that I forgot to turn on BBC 4 this morning. Ooops.

My Monastic Rice Pudding Party

While penning (or keying rather) this post I am enjoying the second podcast in the Medieval Studies Series - which is researched, written and read by some fellow who has the most excellent medieval-my-real-name-is-Beuwolf kind of voice. It is excellent. A great friend to the delightful desert I managed to portage all the way home from the Carrot Common.

The Carrot Common, which use to be known more simply as "The Big Carrot" has gone (in my opinion) from being a homey, authentic-like healthy/organic/Earth-minded shop to a scrubby version of Whole Foods. Gone are the dreadlocks, gone are the millet crusted cookies, and welcomed are the gentrified yuppie-puppies who are scanning through my bulk raisins wearing their LL Bean Hemp shirt with their eyes plastered with a fake smile that shines through their 240 dollar Alfred Sung specs. I know this is a cynical review. I know. I am just finding myself frustrated with the commercialization of a lifestyle that I think is important and essential to the world we are destroying. Organic, wellness, health, yoga, digestive enzymes - all of these things have become buzz words that sit next to latte, apple, lulu lemon and Volkswagen. Being well, being vegan, 'going' organic has all become precious and elevated. I want the healthiest and most organic to be available to everyone or none. Damn it.

Health and wellness should not be a pop label. Rather, more like a Gregorian chat - deep and pervasive and lasting and, in a most monastic way, available to the lay, to the most indigent to the most feeble.

Let's get on this.

After my rant:
Let me say that the Carrot's own brand of vegan rice pudding is quite good. Although, personally, I would have gone without the maple syrup and apple juice. I might just have to try this weekend and see what I can whip up for myself.

Yummmmmm