My Avocado Chocolate Surprise

Nursing a supposed pulmonary embalism (never will I go to a walk in clinic again), I settled into my long weekend with a couple of movies. The most startling and well done was by the director of Hoop Dreams - Steve James. Check out Stevie if you are in for an evening of depressing and frightening nature of the human condition. Oh, and keep your eye on the puppy at the beginning of the film - he is the most light hearted aspect of the doc.

Anyhow, the other pick was Go Further, a documentary that followed the west coast (really bad) speaking 'mission' taken-on, and completed, by Woody Harrelson. The film wasn't that fantastic, a little self-congratulatory, though I was impressed with how little WH was actually in the movie - and he is one of the only guys to ever pull off hemp pants. Anyhow, one of the entourage that was traveling with Woody and his gang of do-gooders was a raw food chef. And low and behold she blew my mind by making (ahhh...NOT baking) an avocado-chocolate pie.

Although the credits didn't include the recipe, I was on a mission. I used a compilation from a couple of recipes that I found on vegweb.com, and before meeting Miss. Rankin for a nice little Monday afternoon tea (not green) I shopped myself silly in Kensington (you would be surprised how few shops were open on the holiday).....and I turned out a pretty amazing pie (Okay - I ate so much last night while watching The Name of the Rose that I was sick all day today).
Here is my recipe - give it a try and let me know. I still have half a pie left in the freezer, so be sure to stop by the Gladstone pad for taste testing.

Crust:
1 cup of walnuts (soaked)
1 cup of walnuts (chopped up in your food processor)
1/2 cup of cashews (chopped up in your food processor)
1/2 cup of dates
1/2 cup of raisins
1 tablespoon of cocoa
1 tablespoon of vanilla (I grabbed some authentic stuff from a Latin American shop)

Filling:
2 avocados
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
4 tablespoons of cocoa
1 banana
1/3 cup of dates

Okay - here we go:

Set aside the 1 cup of soaking walnut crumbles - let them be for about 1/2 hour. It makes them nice and sticky.
Add in your food processor your cashews and other cup of walnuts, whir the heck out of these until you are left with a mealie mush. Add to the mush your dates and raisins and whir her up. Add the cocoa, and remaining nuts and...whir. You should end up with a 'crust' that will lay nice and flat in your pie dish. Press the dough down firmly, and throw it in the freezer while you are getting the filling ready.
This is the easy part - throw EVERYTHING, except the dates, into the food processor and whip it up. I left mine while I was doing the dishes - The last thing I wanted was any avocado lumpies in the pie. While doing the dishes let the dates and about 1/2 a cup of water come to boil (see....mine isn't totally raw)...and let the dates boil down into an almost chutney consistency. Add this into your filling and whir again. If you feel the need to add some more sweetness you can add some chocolate via more cocoa or melt down some vegan chocolate chips.
All you have to do is add the filling to the crust and throw it back in the freezer.
I recommend leaving it for about 2 hours and then enjoying!!!


Avocados for ALL!!!!

Ohhh...and last night I added some Quinoa to a whack of left over chickpea curry and I managed to impress a certain boy......

Soya Sad

Spending time with my grade seven girl's club group has made me sad.
We met today during their lunch hour and of course with the pretense of the hour at hand it was easy for me to openly inquire about the whereabouts of some of the girls' lunches.
"I am fat. I don't eat"
"I never eat lunch...or breakfast"
"I'm hungry, but I am fat, so I don't eat lunch"
These three separate, and yet equally disturbing comments came from three separate and yet equally NON fat girls (women).
It was hard for me to hide my 28 year-old concern (you know the kind that makes a teenager want to throw up all over you), and instead I turned it into a lesson about metabolism, and that by not eating they are actually putting themselves at risk to gain UNHEALTHY weight - not too mention the liver failure, the hair loss and the ceasation of mesnses that likes to disturb the unhappy life of most anorexics. I also talked about how some very thin girls are as unhappy with their bodies as those with the inverse concern - the girls not eating their lunches seemed to find this hard to believe, and who, when exposed to our thin=happy culture could blame them.
I didn't want to talk about metabolism and teach them about how they can NOT slow down their metabolism. I wanted to scream at them and tell them that they are beautiful, and that they should eat if it feels good, and exercise when it feels good, and rest when they want to, and eat fruit, nuts and peanut butter when they want to (all items they were discussing and labeling as 'make you fat' foods), but of course I couldn't. At 12 and 13 these girls are looking for my affirmation, love or concern. They aren't even looking for their parents' love or support (something that I realized later in the session when we were doing a quick activity) - nope. They want to be loved by their friends - and many of them by male 'friends' and bound up in this notion of friendship and self (via peer) admiration is the concept of thin=beauty. And this is ugly and totally wrong. Totally wrong.
I feel sad. Sad for them, sad for me as a 12 year old - I remember being caught up in that, and really believing that only if I was thin would I really be good enough. I also feel sad for 28 year old me who is still haunted by old thoughts and fears.
This world is so unhealthy, so dissatisfied with itself and it is turning in on who we naturally are - and, well, that just sucks a rusty chickpea.

Like Aged Tofu

It has been ages since I have been blogging. Life has really taken me by the head and given me a good knock about. In the process, with a sick tummy, my experiments into the wide world of vegan cooking has slipped into the abibsmal state of rice, seaweed, soup and mushy brussell sprouts.
I headed to Urban Herbivore today with the intent of enjoying something that wasn't on the 'safe' list of happy tummy foods, and ended up with the DARING sweet potato muffin and curried cauliflower soup. Sore tummy followed and my day dragged along like the phantom stump of a wounded war veteran.
But...I have had a couple of clandestine meetings the last couple of days - and they have outshone the cloudiness that accompanies my sore tummy.
On the train last night - being rushed home through tunnels and over tracks - I was disturbed from my Neko Case ear-injection by the voice of a stranger "do they just give those away?" he was referring of course to my snazzy eco-chic Toronto Public Library cloth bag that was draped over my shoulder and filled to bursting with end of term Communications papers. We had a great conversation about tai chi and some interesting Korean Martial Art that I can't recall.
And than, this morning, over a cup of silk road chai tea, stepped in Soy Milk and sprinkled with cocoa, I met this amazing woman who is doing her PhD at York. We chatted for quite a bit about teaching, academics and jerk boys who live in the city and like to pose as scruffy 'cool' guys when they are 35.......anyway, great woman, great guy, great conversations. Makes a belly happy!

I plan to return here. I like it here.

Christmas Eve Cereal

Puffed Wheat and a sprig of mistletoe.

It was late, I was teary-eyed and what lay before my eyes? The ultimate Christmas treat. Okay, so it isn't your conventional Christmas treat, but it did the job.
Puffed Wheat, Unsweetened Soy Milk, a banana and a handful of walnuts (grieving doesn't mean missing out on one's EFAs).
I am a bit of a mess this festive holiday season. A mess to be sure.
Missing Wayne is a bit larger of a parcel than I had been anticipating. It has been under the tree all week, and I have been trying to avoid tearing it open. But I have it now and it fits like the pink sweater I got in 2004 - perfectly, but with a couple of itchies. Where is that pink sweater? Damn to hell all of this moving.

I am reading the most ridiculous novel, an 'alternate history' by H. Turtledove (I think this fellow missed the class on 'creating a pseudonym' in his writing workshop). This novel sees Queen Elizabeth the first imprisoned in the Tower of London; the Spanish Inquisition is in full swing and Catholicism is returned to the people of England. The BEST part of the book is that William Shakespeare is charged with saving the English people via a play. I love it. The language is so silly (as though the entire 'groundling' populace of early modern England spoke with the tongue of Spencer) and I can't get through more than 20 pages without coming across some overdone sex scene. Oh, and the best!!! The gay jokes that Shakespeare keeps hurling at Kit Marlowe...hilarious....the one about Kit being 'yolked' to one of his friends (Kit is enraged when Wil supposes he is a front man) is by far my favourite.

My sister told me a story the other day about the kindest thought ever directed my way ---- I was stupid and missed the entire moment......thank goodness I have my sister around to remind me of what I am missing in life.

To all a good day - Stacey: what are you doing for C dinner???? Please share!!! Oh, and no...there is no one.

Happy Tofu everyone!

Holidays Holidays and The Scandal in Bohemia

I have just had the most ridiculous argument with someone about real irish people having to be under 5 foot 3. Please.

Can amazing nights come from investigating health foods store again for the first time; playing a piano with your feet, all whilst being suspected for shoplifting from a toy store and navigating through a new space with a most interesting person?

I don't have any recipes today. Only recommendations.

1. Eat good food all of the time.
2. Do not eat before cyclefit class when you want to show someone what you are capable of. (barfing will ensue)
3. Leave yourself open to new experiences, even if they may potentially get you fired.
4. Celebrate holiday because you are on holiday, not because the potential for receiving new lu lu lemon outfits go up by about 100%.

5. (and the most important) write at least one love poem in your life, and be sure to receive as many as possible.

I must return to my research. I adore reading all of this sherlock holmes. And I am most excited to report my discovery of the Toronto Public Library's Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Special Collection. It must be christmas.

Oh wait, one more recommendation - check out The Merchantile - a great little gourmet shop on College between grace and...which ever street is the next east. Fantastic treats and great service. Nice little gift baskets and loads of vegan treats.

One more thought - I finally wore the boots. Although they looked much better in C's rendition of Miss Duke a la boots, shorts (can you call fabric that small shorts?) and tank, I think I managed to pull them off.....not bad for a Monday night dinner out.

Ewan and Nicole.....so dreamy.....

I can hear the tinklings of THE best movie of all time...okay, maybe not THE best movie, but pretty close to the highest peak of my stars and moon list of things that make me feel all girlie, silly and bursting with potential tears and other emotional consequences....get ready -

that's right Emily, you guessed: Moulin Rouge.

I don't know what it is. A more cerebral and grad-school part of me knows that they might revoke my degrees if I fess up to being enamored with this film...but honestly, maybe it is the sequins in nicole's dress or the look of longing in good ol' ewan's eyes. Or perhaps it is the medley of madonna, U2 and David Bowie that does it to me. An answer is not what I seek - but to be left to enjoy!!! The entire soundtrack is also a good accompaniment for a long run.

So in honour of Moulin Rogue let's have a little red in tonight's menu.

My cabbage soup will do. I went through it quite quickly - it is so nice and warm, the little hint of curry adds a great depth to the flavour that is often missing with cabbage. Not to mention the kick it gives to the otherwise boring aesthetic.

1/2 of a green cabbage (you can use the red cabbage, but look out -- you end of with a soup that looks like an alien cocktail)
1 large onion (diced)
1 large head of garlic (maybe too much for you? these should be peeled and sliced)
2 zucchini (cut up in 1 inch pieces)
1/2 of a cauliflower (pulled apart into little trees)
1 green pepper (cut and diced)
1 large carrot (shredded)

2 can of tomatoes
3 - 6 cups of water (your choice)
2 tablespoons of curry power
2 tablespoons of black pepper
1 tablespoon of mustard seeds
3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

I prefer to avoid the oil in this recipe and I sweat the onions with a little bit of water and some of the juice from the tomatoes. Add the mustard seed once the onion becomes translucent. The mustard seeds will start to pop and you can start to either 1. add the vegetables and let them fry themselves up a bit or 2. add the tomatoes, vinegar and the spices. Let this mixture warm up a wee bit and than feel free to add all of your veggies into the pot. Stir and begin to add the water until you are left with nothing but a pot of simmering soup and a couple of dirty dishes.

The longer you leave this soup the yummier it gets.

The vegan cookie gifts I received yesterday at the end of characters and culture went ever so nicely with my warm before-bed soy milk. All three varieties!!!

Keeping it simple

I just had the most amazing meal I have had in a long time.
I don't know if it is the glow I have in my cheeks; a stain left by notes and wonderfully thoughtful flowers - or, it my belly and my mind happened to combine in a moment of totally uninspired genius. Perhaps both?

Even though Chris is having a hard time reading the recipes (stacey seems to have no problem) I am going to continue to post my goodies in my own deliciously saucy way.

So, here is all you need for a yummy night of satisfaction (well, maybe not ALL you need...)

5 mushrooms (any variety will do - though, avoid portobello for this dish)
2 tomatoes
1 lemon
1 tspn of soy sauce

Heat a small pot on a medium burner and add the tomatoes - diced.
Squeeze the entire lemon over the t's, and splash in your soysauce.
Add your diced mushrooms and just let it simmer in its own yummy goodness for about 10 minutes.
Oh my......enjoy!

I promise you will.

You know what...sometimes even when it is pouring rain one can still be head over heels in love with the world...even when you are wearing woolie shoes.
ahhh woolie shoes.

Not in a Million Years

I haven't posted in a million years. So sorry.
There is so much to share and so many brilliant pictures to post. Let's see what we can get through in this limited time between writing the last few questions for my students' exam tomorrow and continuing to mark my papers (argh, there are so many this year....why oh why do they have to write papers? Can they not act out their understanding? Can they not write me fiction? Can they not sing me sweet songs about Hills Like White Elephants? It isn't that I don't want to mark them, I just feel that they don't want to do them any more than I want to spend the rest of my days drawing animation (because I can't) so why put them through this...I don't agree).

I have made some final decisions about next year. Toronto - look out.

The recipes I have been dying to add are from a couple of weekends ago actually. The darling Brenda and her love Mike found themselves in Toronto for a dinner with The Sultan - giving me the chance to spend the entire evening with my two favourite ladies: KATE AND SARAH! We started the afternoon with a bowl of fruit left out by their dynamite mom/vet extraordinaire. While enjoying fruit, which was complete with tooth picks, we managed to get through a couple of short stories. The girls have been writing like crazy...and it was great fun. Some about monsters and boys from Kate (I understand that connection) and a great one about Odysseia (a relative of our famous not-so-hero) that Sarah and I have been working on for about a year now....

We than decided that we needed to make some dinner to be followed by cookie baking! Dinner was Frogs and Snakes in Sauce and the cookies were just hilarious. No other word fits them best - they were hilarious. We took a really basic cookie recipe and the girls just 'added'. I managed to find a wet/dry balance but it was mostly them digging through the fridge/cupboards and finding the things that they liked to eat and throwing it all together into one tasty mess of a batter. We even managed to personalize a couple of cookies for their dog Ryker - adding dog food to the top right before the baking.

You will find the recipes below, but the fun and laughter was all ours - we would love to share!!! You will have to join us sometime.

Kids are really the most amazing version of the human species. Their belief in goodness and their cuddle capabilities can make even the worst year in one's life seem filled with a load of sunshine and cookies....After baking we headed for the HUGE bed in M and B's room, where we huddled under the covers and enjoyed Harry Potter (you know Kev, it really wasn't as bad as we had thought...remember that trip home from the theatre last december...it was so cold....thank god for TTC), and the girls past out - one on each side.
Auntie Lyndsay tucked them into bed and headed for the hot tub.

Frogs and Snakes in Sauce

1 box of whole wheat pasta
1 cup of veggie ground round (italian)
1 onion
1 green pepper
tomato sauce (canned if you like - the girls prefer it to my 'fru fru' fancy homemade sauce)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Green food colouring


Add your oil to a warmed up pot (medium sized), and add your onion. The girls aren't crazy about garlic so the onion was just fine. Add your green pepper as soon as the onions are translucent. Give it a stir and let it sit for about three minutes, stirring occasionally. Add your tomato sauce, ground round and a wee bit of pepper. Simmer.

While you are making your sauce be sure to start the pasta water. When you have a rolling bubble going on throw in your noodles. I love my noodles over done - so go to town if you like, otherwise about 7 minutes should do it.
Strain, rinse and add the sauce to the larger noodle pot.
Ask the kids to add the food colouring and you have yourself some snakes/frogs in sauce. They loved it! Screams abounding.

The cookies are another story. Which I might get to tonight, but these exams may just be the death of me. We will see.

Not Impressed with Blogger....

Can we NOT have a shrimp advert on a vegan site PLEASE?

Just to make up for that I am posting my clandestine pea and lentil curry that just 'sort of happened' on my stove top last night.

1/2 bag of frozen peas
1 cup of lentils
1/2 a red onion
4 little brocoli trees (I know there is a more 'grown up' name...but come on)
2 large tomatoes
raisins and walnuts at your discretion

1 tablespoon of chili and garlic curry paste
1 tablespoon of crushed garlic and ginger paste
2 cups of water to start and than as needed
1 tablespoon of tahina (I just can't stop using this stuff)

Add water, peas and lentils to large pot (I made the mistake of using a medium sized pot)
Let these guys hang out for at least 10 minutes on their own and then add your additional ingredients (with the exception of the walnuts).
The peas will become quite mushy...which is what I was looking for.
Let this simmer for another 10 minutes and than plate a top a bed of rice. I actually added rice to the dish while simmering....but it might look a bit more presentable if the curry is added to a bed of, let's say....jasmine scented rice...or brown basmatti.

This is the time to add your walnuts, tamirand chutney and perhaps a sprig of cilantro.

Enjoy!!!

Totally Funky Site - and THEY came

Fantastic Site! The Animal Friendly Life.

I was poking around looking for information on the Foie Gras ban, and I found this excellent site. I was impressed with the amount of research and top notch writing that went into these pages. The links and podcasts are also quite useful - I found a whack of stuff that didn't make it through a 'Google' Search.

Well, with the rainy weather here (sorry about that BC) and the temperature almost acting normal I am happy to announce that VeganEssentials came through on their delivery promise. On Tuesday afternoon, with much fan fare (and an EXTRA 20 dollar COD charge...not from VE, but from CANADA POST) my heart shaped cowgirl boots arrived.

I felt like Cinderella. Wait - where is my prince? Can I be my own prince? Well, that will have to suffice for the moment. Anyhow, they are, admittedly, a wee bit eccentric and SUPER nerdie. But, hey, if you need to find a reason for working for a pittance as a College Professor, it might as well be the certain amount of permission that is afforded to you in the realms of acting and dressing rather odd.

I can also happily report that I found a pair of flats...thank you Transit - you have come through yet again. And....okay, I also bought a pair of knee high black boots....yikes. No more shoe shopping until after Christmas.

GOLDEN!


Now try this one Stacey!!!!!

I just made what may-potentially-quite possibly be the best curry I have yet to make.
It was the unique ingredients that made a surprisingly delicious taste party in my mouth - give it up for tahina and apricots.

Most curries that are made in the Daniel house are of two varieties:
1. The fruit curry (preferred by Keith, and accepted by me - though to be honest, I am not so hot on the pineapple-banana-apple with curry paste combo)
2. The spicy veggie-fu curry (adored by me, loved by russell)

Being out of Tofu, and not wanting to face a round at Whole Foods for the sake of some organic tofu, I decided to go sans protein and just experiment with some of the ingredients I had procured earlier in the day at The Bulk Barn - which I raided in pursuit of bread/cookie components.

So here is our ingredient list:

1 can of tomatos ( I used whole, but diced would be fine)
4 fresh tomatos - just added some nice texture
1 head of broccoli
1/2 head of cauliflower
1 red bell pepper
1 red onion (this was unusual for me - I am more of a spanish/cooking onion for my curries)
1 garlic clove
1 zucchini

1 heaping tablespoon of cinnamon and tamarind flavoured curry paste
1 heaping tablespoon of crushed ginger and garlic
2 tablespoons of tahini sauce (this was unexpected, but oh-so-delightful)
a handful of mustard seeds
whole cardamon pods (crushed yourself)
1 cup of apricots

Start with a spray of canola on the bottom of a LARGE pot, let this heat up and through in your mustard seeds - let these guys heat up until they start to pop, at this point toss in your onion with a splash of the tomato liquid. This this cook until your onions are see-through; add your garlic and garlic/ginger paste.

From here I added pretty much everything else and than let it simmer for 3 hours.
The vegetables melted in my mouth and the tahini thickened the curry without making it too sweet (a la coconut milk).
This was delightful. I served it with a whole wheat, raisin cinnamon bread that I made while the curry was a'cookin.

I also made a wonderful bunt-banana-raisin bread (that my students will be the recipients of tomorrow morning), and a nice little apricot and raisin bread.

What a yummy way to spend my day. It doesn't always have to be marking and working out now does it. I might need some additional workouts after the pig outs I had this weekend - however, it was the ONLY remedy for my 'didn't get the job' blues.
After a big tear-festival and with the kind words of mr. mcneilly I managed to realize that hey! at 28 to be interviewing for a permanent/tenure track professorship is pretty bloody amazing all on its own. So yah me!
I have already started to line things up for the next term, but it was really the work of the sushi I ate on Thursday AND Friday that made me feel better.....Check out Bento Box in Burlington - they will make you a vegan miso soup if you ask nicely. And oh my goodness...the avocado roll is to die for, not to be outdone by the sweet potato roll though.

What a wonderfully foodie-esque weekend.

Ride Em'

Well, I did it. I finally purchased a pair of vegan cowgirl boots that I have been coveting for some time.....I just couldn't think of a reason to NOT get them anymore. I am waiting for them to come via UPS...and I am getting a little antsy. But, they are worth this anxiety; they are worth the trouble. The daintily stitched little hearts that float up the leg of the boot, and the veganacity of the whole purchase just make me shake with glee.

Now, I just need new pairs of flats and runners. The runners - no problem. I love Saucony! Many of the company's products are vegan AND it is managed by a woman....fantastic. Vegan AND they give me some of the best 10kms I could ever ask for. So the runners: I am thinking The Running Room. A bit more expensive, but I get to feel like I could do the Toronto Marathon in 2 hours when I am in there....positive folks and Canadian-run....just the way I like it.
But, the bane of my existence has been finding a pair of flats this year. All I need is Vegan, flat, black, and cute...is that too much to ask for it? Well, this season it is! It is the year of the heel, and being a lady-of-the-little-people I do feel the need to attach extensions to my legs on occasion. However, I am not one to 'flamingo' it on a daily basis - making me a not-so-ideal consumer during this recent invasion of the spike. Transit usually satisfies my need for dress shoes...not so much right now....

Shoes, shoes, shoes.....I can't help this fetish, I can't put them down, I can't stop, I can't hold back. But all of this purchasing does have a non-obsessive reality behind it....the buggers at GreyHound who lost my stock of vegan footwear....and want to offer me a measly 100 dollars...Imagine. Imagine. I am fighting; fighting with all the energy in this little vegan body of mine. But until I get the funds deserved to me I will keep coughing up in the attempt to restock my limited supplies....oh, shoes. Lost on the highway between oakville and calgary....you must be so scared, so alone, so very unsure of where I have gone to. I might be able to replace you, but I will go on loving you (no matter how many pink hearts they stitch on my shiny new pair of vegan cowgirl boots).


Here is a nice little breakfast whenever you feel like having a raw week (which I am having):

1 Banana (sliced)
1/2 cup of blueberries
1/4 cup of walnuts
1 teaspoon of flax
2 dashes of cinnamon

Mix them together in a cute little glass bowl and there you have it - an energy packed breakfast. It is wicked tasty too!!!
Yummmy

Zinetastic -
I have been inspired to create a zine version of vegancowgirl! A rather wonderful girl-student in my Wednesday morning-impressed-anyone-makes-it-because-it-is-so-darn-early is a zinestress (in addition to a number of other superhuman talents), and her dedication to craft and indie art projects has struck a cord with me.
I have been looking for something to do, something a little bigger and requiring more responsibility than this little blog here...and to be honest, I can't quite handle my cats yet, so I don't think a child is the appropriate answer. So let's see if I can't birth myself a zine.

As noted, the zine will be a print version of VeganCowGirl, with the inclusion of reviews and submissions from other folkies (of the vegan and non-vegan persuassion).
Let's see how this goes.
Any thoughts or ideas are totally encouraged and will be lovingly applied to what ever is about to happen on my apple.

Ten Cent Magnificent!
Now there is a title for an email.
Actually it is a title for an email.
The email is in my inbox. Thanks Crackerjack.

Well, my fate is to be decided tomorrow. I just wish that it was over and I had the burn of too much interview chatter already spread across my cheeks.

Okay - I think I need to dedicate my next few postings to one of my favourite meals of the day -
Breakfast. I love you breakfast.

Having had my allotment of sleep (sometimes 10 - 5 30, sometimes 12 - 6 - really depends on the amount of BattleStar Gallactica I had access to), I love love love to wake up and feel the hungries exploding in my tummy. One of the really wonderful realities of being vegan is just how hungry sleeping can make me. When I was still dinning on milk, butter and every bite of cheese I could score I would wake up and often still feel full from the night before. Granted, this is more a sign of eating too late, too much and too gross - but none the less, this is a feeling that (for the most part - see any night that involves popcorn) has left me since giving up dairy and eggers.
So - I wake up with the power-hungries having taken over my gut and I find myself rushing through the VERY necessary first step of putting on the kettle. I want and need my breakfast, but I want and REALLY need my tea. But after the tea activation comes the anticipation...ohhh...what is it going to be......what will I do? what will I create? what will I bring to a slow simmer while adding a touch of vanilla?
Here are some of my breakfast favourites. Pictures to follow tomorrow morning -

1. Irish/Scottish or Conventional Oatmeal. Oh my god, this is the best. Just the best.
1/4 cup of oats, 1 cup of water, some vanilla, some cocoa, a tablespoon of flaxseeds and if you have it, a decadent addition of any (or all) of the following - banana, blueberries, figs (this morning) or dates.
The prep is soooo simple - throw oats and water in a small pot (the red non-stick from Ikea is fashionable and functional), bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and add all of your extra love and goodness. At this point you might also want to add soya, rice or almond milk - it adds sweetness and smoothies it out a wee bit.

2. Pants not done up smoothie - this is for the mornings when I have only just managed to jump from the bed, into the shower, into a pair of pants, and into the kitchen with oh...tee minus 30 minutes until class.....
All you need is: 1 cup of soya or rice milk, vanilla, strawberries and a banana.....hello mr. handblender. DO it ---- you know what I am talking about. All the way! Whir that puppy up and there you have it....you can drink your smoothie with one hand and finish pulling up your stockings with the other!

3. Scramble Me Tender: Okay - no eggs. just fu!
1/2 block of medium or extra firm tofu, some tumeric, some onion, some garlic and any other ingredient you would like to add to this little masterpiece.
Start with some olive oil in a non-stick pan and add your chopped onion. When the room is fragrant with the promises of your fresh breath, add the tofu and the rest of your ingredients. Move it all around in the pan until you have something that looks like tofu scramble. Done! Yum.

4, Don't forget Buckwheat. I think the big B will be my preinterview energy for tomorrow morning - with a touch of hempseed protein.

Let's give it up for some of the really amazing vegan websites that are out there.
A web-savvy girl could feed herself for at least a billion years with the plethora of information that is available at your vegan-friendly-polished finger tips.

Some of my favourites include:
The Post Punk Kitchen - you can even down load some of the show (which is the egg and sperm of this website child) and cook away to some tunes.

Then there is VegWeb. I have to admit that this pretty little site (with its consistent vomiting of advertisements) has helped me out in a pinch....on a few occasions. Recipes are neatly indexed and there is even a 'meet a vegan friend' post board. This site started as a very 'animal friendly not totally vegan' site, however, over the last five years I have noted its slide on over to most things vegan.

The Vegan Chef is a GREAT site. Although the recipe portioning has been a bit off (and whose recipes haven't????), it is a fantastic place for inspiration.

Okay - I think that is a pretty fair helping...(okay, it is NOT a fair helping, but I am in the middle of moving and my big papa is a great papa and I don't want to keep him waiting)

carrots and peas for everyone! i promise more sites and links in the next few days.....althought with all this marking....who knows.

Calling All Vegan Shoppers!!!

Looking for a vegan-commuter bag...one that will fit my books, loads of (un) marked essays/tests, lecuture notes, my gym shoes, gym clothes, lunch, ipod, iBook, a rash of books that I carry for some sense of comfort.....ahhhh...help.
Due to a recent 'incident' I will not be purchasing anymore Mat and Nat, nor do I dig the new 'lug' bags...they don't fit my ibook.

Any thoughts would be wonderful...I think maybe, maybe MEC might have something for me. But I would prefer something more unique - any sewers out there???

Thanks!
LV

Two essentials - an oldie and a newbie.

Just discovered this new site. Great vegan bags.
http://www.cosmosveganshoppe.com/

And...listening to the all time sexiest and heart squeezing song of all time:
Hallelujah - lyrics by Leonard Cohen, sung by J. Buckley. (come on, just READ the lyrics...and than listen to the song)

Damn it. I will have to knit faster to deal with all of these emotions.

Sweaters abounding,
littlevegan

PS. the buckley would have to be followed by the second most heart-harrowing sound:
P. Gabriel's sound track for Last Temptation of Christ. Thank you Mr. M for my copy, I cherish it and all the memories. I can't wait to rescue it from my moving boxes and turn off the lights. Give it up for OISE and Parr Street.

Tea and....anything you WANT!

In an attempt to reduce the now steeped and simmering feelings of frustration and disappointment (mom's can't always be relied on) I ventured outdoors for a quick stroll. In search of a source of protein for this evening I found myself at the not so wonderful world of sobeys. Looking for Quinoa, I settled for fava beans. Hoping for avocado I settled for Kale (and still the bewildered look by the cashier. The look that pleads with me to just tell her what it is so that she can stop spinning the produce wheel of fortune that is perched above her register).
So before launching off for a run which will see me returning to an exciting evening of making some sort of kale-cucumber-tomato-onion-garlic-bean extravaganza I am settling in for a nice little cup of tea.
Funny that I have yet to mention much of anything about this little (read as: BIG) habit of mine (read as: addiction).
I started out with the extra large orange pekoe (with milk) back in the non-vegan days of undergraduate youth. I had never delved into the world of the coffee bean, but thought (oh so naively) that I would be safe with the pretty little tea bag. The innocent orange pekoe has morphed into a morning, mid morning, late morning, early afternoon, late afternoon MUST HAVE kind of ritual that if not performed leaves me grumpy and with hands slightly trembling.

I still cling to the regular tim horton's cup of tea - but my tastes have been refined to indulging on the Green Tea. My orders drive the cashiers crazy...and most male horton accompaniments refuse to order for me....(except you Mr. McNeilly). Ready: "I will have an extra large green tea black, one bag in and one on the side, and can you please put some cold water in it to cool it down" They want to kill me. Fair enough.

In addition to my desire for the antioxidant rich Green Tea blends I have also enjoyed the fantastic stylings of more precious brews, such as:

Roobios: Thank you Connell - I reach for a cup of this ruby red delight and think of you.
Chai Tea: Oh,yes...this is good. Take one tea bag (I like the PC Chai) and steep it with some soya or rice milk that you have warmed...add some cinnamon and some cocoa...and then froth 'er up.
Mango: Ohhhh..I love you mango goddess
White: They are claiming more antis than the greeners...but the flavour is too subtle for me...I need more.
Chamomile and Sleepy Time: Ohhhh...so nice when the sleep demons have run off with my good nights.

Okay...so that is about all....
I plan on taking my feet out doors now and hitting play on my ipod...a good collection of the decemberists and the hip should get me through a chilly 7 km.

The following soup recipe and this posting are for Kevin (who by virtue of living in the UAE can't read this- but that's okay).

Oh my goodness - let me write that again: GOODNESS. That is the word I would use to describe the delicious, nutritious, olfactory pleasing soupie goodness that came splashing out of my pot yesterday afternoon (note: do NOT turn your handblender on to puree unless you have installed some type of guard around the blender or wear body-rubber).

The weather is on the lovely side of stormy and my toes are almost chilly - this weather calls for nothing other than soup (it isn't quite time for the stick to your insides stylings of vegan chili).
I had a couple of misfit squash hanging around the house yesterday, and the sweet potato was looking at me a little funny, so I did what any self-respecting vegan would do and brought them (and some garlic) together for a good old conversation that saw at least one of us in a pot later that same day.
Here is the recipe:
1 butternut squash (peel the mother and than chunk it up nice and big)
2 sweet tatters (cut into cubes)
1 onion (diced)
4 cloves of garlic
1 yellow zucchini
2 cups of lentils
2 apples (just NOT fujis...fuji apples MUST be eaten in great abundance right about...NOW!)
1 can of fava beans
3 sprigs of rosemary
Fresh basil leaf rippings
Dried oregano
Cracked pepper
Sea salt (only if you want...I actually decided against it)
8 cups of water (or veggie stock)

Okay - so simple. And no oil - which means no fat...I was just being lazy and didn't want to bother with the frying/sauteing of the veggies.....
1. Cut your squash, tatters and apples up - and throw them into a nice big pot, add 1.5 cups of water, your spices/herbs and get a nice simmer going.
Let the water reduce down a wee bit (I would give it a good 10 mins) and than add the rest of your other 6.5 cups of water and your zuch.
Leave to simmer for 30 minutes (go and take a nice warm shower - but please, learning from my fire alarm inducing lesson, turn the burner down to 'min')

Now you can puree - remember - watch the splash factor.

Add the beans and the lentils and let simmer another 25 minutes.
Don't puree again (ie. leave the lentils alone!)

Serve with a sprinkle of crushed peanuts!
I enjoyed a second helping avec cabbage for my dinner tonight...couldn't beat the bread and roses party I should have been attending but it will have to do.

Here is a photo of tonight's reheat spectacular:
(Sorry about the lack o' focus).

My brain must be still stuck on my Tuesday and Wednesday lecture where I bored my students with my rant on parenthetical referencing styles (MLA) because I have used an abundance of parenthesis in this posting...wow.


Enjoy the soup! I did. Three times.

Macrobiotics and other zennish delights.

In my search for calm and order (a good balance to the furry of confusion that has left me feeling like that little twig in the old idiom. Not sure how much more I can bend though) I have been looking into the world of Macrobiotics. Mb sounds a bit "Gwyneth Paltrow hollywood romance" for me upon first listen, however, I think that there is some merit to be had from spending more time thinking about, and deeply considering, the relationship your food has to your life and vice versa. Having been given permission to eat wheat once again (thank you oh mighty digestive enzyme/probiotic goddess - you can also call her angelique) I think that the world of macrobiotics is one I might take a bit of a swim in. I have on my goggles and my swim fins (otherwise known as critical reading skills and bullshit detectors) and find myself wadding through a murky mire of internet information (read as sales pitches).

I have a bit of the basics:
Avoid Red meat, dairy, eggs (this vegan is already on that train) - allowing for the body to be free of any 'ying' or 'yang' intensities. Sounds a bit 'smoke another' but let's keep going.
Ingest 50-60% whole grains (daily) and then mix in loads of veggies (they seem to adore the world of sea vegetables) and then add a weekly sprinkle of seeds and nuts.
Avoid caffeine, sugar and refined anything (that would be nice) and also attempt to go organic whenever possible.
So far this is sounding quite healthy but a wee bit expensive. I have really serious issues with the marketing of 'healthy' and organic lifestyles as the answer to so many of our consumer driven problems. Not to mention the fact that the whole idea has a thesis that reads like this:
Only the rich are permitted to be well and healthy.
That is terrifying - one could argue that we are finding a way to engineer the poor and unhealthy right off this planet (okay, sorry, I watched battle star galactica last night and I think my brain is a little too heavy on the world conspiracy theory....)

So....let me read a bit more about this macrobiotic world and see what my thoughts are......

For lunch I am thinking Quinoa, tomato, some broccoli and maybe a couple of handfuls of cabbage.....
let's check it out.

New Protein Product!

I procured from the local Fortinos (by the way, can I please celebrate the glory of being back in the belly of Ontario with its bevy of fruit stands, excellent grocery stores and all around incredible foodie options)...so, anyway, I procured from the local fortinos a really wonderful product that I want to recommend to any muscle building (or protein craving) vegans.

The product is:
Hemp Protein Powder, (made by North Coast and ringing in at 19.99) and it comes in this fantastic little recycled-paper paper bag. I was concerned that it might be a bit grainy or chalky, but when I whizzed it with a frozen (half) banana and some fresh strawberries, some flax powder, a touch of cocoa and a tiny bit of water it was a little pudding treat to start my day! I threw on a handful of walnuts to capture a whole lot of EFA's for my day of lecture writing....just what my brain needed.

Oh - the recommended serving was 2 table spoons - I cut that in half and added all of the above ingredients to enhance the EFA quotient I was getting this morning.

I must admit that my tummy has never been happier. Lately my steady commitment (which is saying a lot for me) to Dr. Udo and his handy little bottles of Digestive Enzymes and Probiotics (which you can get totally veganized) I am feeling in tip top tummy shape. Never better in fact. I find that salads, raw foods and legumes don't cause me half the tummy woes that I had experienced in the past. They all get my recommendation.

Had a long chat with my bro last night about the situation with my uncle. My brother is a real stoic, a missing link in today's society of fast ipod, blogging mania, mass this and mass that....he is a buddha I think. Which would be great for me - I could use some help with my tree pose. Anyhow, he has a really fundamental way of looking at things: What is the point of being angry. This sentiment seems to be the ground in everything that he does, says and exudes. He is my little brother, but sometimes I have a sneaking suspicions that my mother has inverted the years we showed up on this fantastic little planet. He has wisdom - I think he may have gotten a good allotment of that from the mighty emperor penguins he met while traveling through south america.

Have a protein shake and dance until you can remember your name!

Back to my soya-stomping grounds.

I have had the time I need to heal from the situation that took me out of my blogging frenzy of the mid to late summer.

I am back and soy free!
That's right. Soy Free.
Most wouldn't have thought it possible. What, with my soy binging on those little and wonderful Edamames, and of course my countless feats on tofu delights. And who can imagine that I would have the gumption (or the desire) to give up on my steamed soy milks....(and Second Cup could we PLEASE stop calling them steamers??? It just doesn't make me feel good while ordering).

So what has prompted me to do such a silly thing like put down the soy fork?
Well...to be honest the words of a cappaccino bar maid is what did it. Sharing her story about the 56 pound goiter that had burst out of her throat as a result of too much Soy...that is what did it. Well, that is what at least got the party started. I did some more research into the mysterious world of our favourite little bean and noted that vegans (and the like) have developed a dependency on soya that is similar to the dependency that others have on cow, chicken and corn products (now, to avoid being called a generalist, I realize that there are many vegans who are much more diverse in their culinary habits than this little missy - not to mention a bit more up and up on the discourse of dining). Soooo...long story short: Soya beans (esp. those that are processed) introduce too many isoflavones into the bodies of those of us who drink it like the holy water that it is. These little isobuddies can suppress thyroid production - causing some metabolic disasters (hello goiter) for some and too much estrogen production for others.
I have decided to take a wee break, but will re-introduce after having had a break.

The following news is not quite as exciting as the above:
I have given up on my alberta adventures. I hummed and hawed about continuing this vegan cowgirl world. But you know what? I don't need to be living in Alberta to be a cowgirl. No way! I can ride all the bulls I want right there on Bloor street, and I can check out all of the mocksteak options that continue to grow in the wild world of toronto.

This is by far the best decision. I need to be here for my family, and to be honest, it is amazing being back at my old job. I love working at this particular college. They are wonderful and my students are superb.

Here is a text message that I received from a student on Thanksgiving:
Happy Thanksgiving. Hope you are having a great tofurkey of a day!

Now that is impressive! Who needs apples when you get text messages like that!

So here is a little recipe that I have concocted in my non-soy loving days. I call it

Pass the Pickles

1 tsp of olive oil

2 roma tomatos

1/3 cup of canned 'matos

5 cloves of garlic (this is my recommendation, but do as you like)

1 chopped onion (either coarse or fine)

6 fat pickles: chopped into just a bit smaller than bite size

raisins

chili powder

1 cup of black beans

Warm up your pan (i used a deep frying/simmering pan) and make it nice and wet with the olive oil (if you don't want to use oil - I find that having the burner on med and starting out with some liquid will get you the same effect)

Add your onions and wait for them to get a little translucent. (maybe 2 mins)

Add your chili powder, rosemary and a some fresh oregano (can you smell it??)

Add your little pickle slices and your black beans. You will at this point want to add some liquid so throw in your canned 'matos.

Let this simmer for about 10 mins and then you can pitch in the raisins, a wee bit more chili powder and your roma tomatos (which should be a bit chunky).

cook for five minutes more and than enjoy. It is pretty yummmmtastic.

Best,
your cowgirl

Well -
It wasn't the poor food choice, nor was it the aggressive driving.
But,
I am headed home.

I need to be home with my famiy, and I need to be away from here.

vegancowgirl will live on.

Argh,
Today is like one of those fancy olive oil decanters that hold a plethora of surprises inside - you know, roasted red peppers, basil, garlic, and other preserved goodies. My olive oil is decanting a mixture of aged goods - feelings about my dad, feelings about myself, some great and ancient pain about my grandmother's death. I can't wait to make a sauce from this.
Last night my phone rang....hmmm...312...who is that? Ms. Never-answer-the-phone picked it up and it was my uncle.
His voice has been quieted by a second tumor that has rendered one of his vocal cords paralyzed. He is hoarse, but he yelled over the silence of his throat to speak to me. I felt like a pile of shit right there, rotting in my big dumb ikea chair. I felt like a giant asshole on display at the international asshole show. Number One Jerk in any contest for sure. I hadn't called him....why not? Well, I couldn't stand to go back there. Step wholeheartedly into the pain that I knew was waiting for me. I kept justifying it with sentences like "Everyone is busy trying to get him settled..."
But, he didn't seem to hold anything against me. He chatted about tracking the avian flu; he asked me about school and how I was feeling. He did all the things that my uncle would usually do - making me feel special and important. A feeling that was mostly lost for me when I was little - notable exceptions coming from my uncle and my nana. Why is someone's death always such a selfish batch of emotions for other people? Is it me?
I wanted to yell into the phone that I loved him and that I think so much of him, that I didn't want him to die, that I wished I was there and not here, that I wanted to quit my job and come home to be there for my mom and him; for my little brother and sister. That I wanted to swoop in and scope out all of the stupid tumors that are eating him inside and out.
I wanted to - but I didn't. I told him about my trip to greece and my trip to italy. I told him about my students and tried hard not to cry.

The olive oil is going to taste a bit peppery tonight - my pain feels like pepper - there is the potential to sting and leave sores if rubbed too hard.

The world I am living in is too much a paradox. The death of him, the birth of this new life. The sorrow of my family, the joy of my new work mates. The clarity and certainty of his coming absence and the total confusion and disorganization of the approaching year.

I want to trade. I want to trade this situation for something else. I want him to live and be happy and I can take Atlas' burden or something like that. I will fight the snake at Hera's tree for Hercules - he is the hero - he can save my uncle. Come on. Please.
Pleas mean nothing sometimes. Especially not in death. I have to stop using them in other situations. I have to live more clean.

I have been just crazy for corn these last few days of summer (oh, did I say summer? I actually meant 'autumn'. It was a sweltering 15 degrees here today. I actually saw people wearing fall jackets this morning! Fall Jackets! Crazy. But crazy good for my jogging obsession - nice and cool.
Anyway - back to corn.
Here is a neat little yummy treat that was just about perfect for my post-meal delight. I must admit that the corn was frozen!!! oh my! Frozen corn. But I had to put something in my frezzer - I hadn't used it and I felt sad for such a small little frozen space.

Okay - this is a mostly raw deal, (hah) but the warmed up 'fu and corn give depth to the other flavours - don't skimp on the cilantro.

1/4 jicima
1 red pepper
1 cup of bean sprouts
1 cup of snap peas
2 cups of shredded cabbage
1/4 cup of tofu
1 cup of corn
soy sauce
rice vinegar
flax oil

slice the jicima (peel the root first - yes! It is a root - I just found that out this evening)
slice the pepper - nice and thin - really pretty.
Lay to pepper and the big 'j' on a plate (I did this dish up on a really nice cobalt blue plate)
break up the tofu into a small pot with the corn and a teeeeny tinnnnnny bit of water - simmer until nice and warm.
mix together the soya sauce, vinegar and flax oil - that's your darling dressing.
add the cabbage, peas and sprouts.
I laid the corn and fu all around the outside of the plate and then mixed it all up nice and pretty-like. You could for sure do it all in a large metal bowl - would be better for mixing, but I was starving so I wasn't thinking straight.

I am thinking of running a marathon.
I am thinking that I would be crazy for running a marathon - my knees will be dust and my feet will need some major rubbin'.
I am thinking that I would be crazy for NOT running a marathon - I have legs, I can do a pretty darn good 10km time, and I have loads of gumption (there's a word that needs more air time) - I am sure it can happen.

The next race I am for sure running is the Banff Winterstart 5 miler...get free glow sticks. I am there.

Let's get these saucony's a trainning!!! 1, 2, 3 RUN.
More running = more eating!! yes, yes, yes, yes.

The grocery shops in Calgary are for the most part atrocious (and I am not just talking about the prices - hi....can you say 14% inflation - I picked THE best city to start paying off student loans in!) - the grocery shops are....well, nothing compared to:
a) Fortinos
b) the wonderful little markets and fresh foodies stores I became accustom to in Toronto.
We have - COOP - the shop that lets you think you are saving money by letting you buy a 1$ stock in the company and then allows you to show your coop pride by hanging your swipe card on your keys. The produce is shitty and they canned goods are out of this world costly (and limited in selection: "sorry miss I don't think we carry artichoke hearts")
We also have - SAFEWAY - I met many a safeway employee during my shotgun drive out here. They started in and around the Manitoba border. They are 'okay' I suppose. They are trying so hard to be a PCish type store. They have bulk goods in some (small) amounts, and they have at least a smattering of organics/'international' and soya products. However, (again) their produce sucks and they are wickedly expensive (I just sound cheap and cranky don't I?)
The only possibility out here (if you want the big, corporate shopping experience) is Canada's Superstore - see trafalgar and highway five in Oakville. It is a PC store, and the canned goods are a bit cheaper and you can buy underwear, car oil and cabbage all at the same time - however, due to this walmart-style approach I feel overwhelmed and a bit skittish when I pull into my parking spot. But, they have quinoa in bulk so I do what I have to do.
The only non-corporate shopping option is the aforementioned Pacific Place with its TT grocery store...which I am sure is owned by some chinese conglomerate - but it will have to do.
There are no tiny markets to be found, and the farmer markets are so out of the way.

HOWEVER - this weekend will see me arriving at Heritage Park bright and early for the annual produce sale.....I am hoping for loads of fresh berries and lots of corn (TABER STYLE).

I have a yummy dish that is worthy of publishing - Enjoy!

(I think I need to start taking photos of these masterpieces)

Creamy Chicken-peas and Apple Curry

1 cup of basmati rice
1 apple (any ol' variety will do)
2 cups of spinach
1/2 a large spanish onion
2 carrots, peeled and cut up in chunks
1 bulb of garlic
1/2 block of tofu
1 can of chicken peas (or garbonzo beans as they are known in some circles)
curry (season as you like)
black pepper
salt (sea salt)
Olive oil
can of coconut milk

In a large skillet (on medium), pour your o.oil and let it heat up a wee bit.
Add your diced onion and some of your curry - I would also throw in some tumeric at this point
Add your carrots and a bit of water - cover and let those puppies simmer for a bit.
When carrots and onions are tender throw in the rice and a bit more water, stir and let sit for five minutes, adding your garlic after two minutes.
Add the chick peas and tofu; stir in coconut milk and season.
Let this mixture sit on medium heat simmering away for about 15 minutes.
Add some iron with that spinach party and let the dish cook until your rice is tender (I added water on occasion - you can decide how dry/wet you want this curry).

Now...you could also add some sweet potato and okra....and a can of tomatos (or fresh if you don't live in calgary).

Yummy - serve with vegan nan or pita...or do what I did and have it with some gluten free rice cakers!

Enjoy and be happy.

oh - just to report on what I am reading at the moment.
Finishing David Starkley's (crappy and pompous) biography on my lady queen elizabeth.
Just finished Sarah Dressen's The Meaning of Forever - a teen book that I was screening for my students - really good!
I got a load of really really really cheap books from the library yesterday including a book by Katherine Glovier - I read her Angel's Walk in 1998 and really enjoyed it..made me want to move to Point Au Barrel and take up a job in a munitions factory. The other day the fellow who gave me that book as a gift reminded me that rear view mirrors only show us where we have already been...but what if you like where you have been and enjoy visiting on occasion? Some people are way to fatalistic for moi - have fun!

Well the diagnosis is final: lung cancer with a side order of brain lesions and liver tumors.
He is being treated with a palliative regiment - though, 'regiment' seems the wrong word for anything palliative. I am still feeling the shock in places that I can't manage to still; heart strings are made out of some tough animal skin because the vibrations last long and bounce off all other organs.
All I could do today was go shopping at Pacific Place Mall - way on the other side of town - up and over. I needed to drown this feeling of loss and sadness with something quite opposite - a little bit of consumerism goes a long way. But at least it wasn't filthy consumerism - that comes tomorrow. Food and school supplies; plastic baskets and a fish bell (I will have a picture for you soon I promise).
Let's swim further out from this feeling of 'water dark' because I don't have the vocabulary to discuss the wave that is again preparing itself to swallow my family. Out to sea for too long it has decided to take out our whole village. Nothing of this proportion has been seen since the summer of 2000.

So, swimming further, to safe cool waters of food and walking for hours. No muddy sea weed or rocks to slice the smooth cool pads of my feet. Just water to bounce in and out of my shorts which have ballooned around my big thighs. (My body is magic - big thighs no matter what I do).

What have I eaten?
Well community foods is a great little place, with a yummy (if not expensive and unrevolving repitoire of salad greens, cucumber, mango chutney, chick peas and soups/chillis). I am curious to try the vegan carrot cake - it looks as though I may have a place to run when the weather darkens out in Hamilton.
What else have I eaten? - I have been juicing like crazy - lots of carrot/apple/ginger combos, and eating fresh salads and fruit. Mostly homemade stuff to be honest. And avocados....I have been crazy for those butterish green buggers. Don't know what has gotten into me of late -but I want a million of them most of the time.
Today's meal (which I allowed myself to purchase out of the house, despite my tight budget until my first pay cheque) was rather disappointing.
Pacific Place seemed in my dreams to be a great choice for sushi....but alas, the not-so-japanesse, tupai wearing man wasn't the iron chef I needed him to be (esp. tonight...I had planned on drowning my sorrows in wasabi and rice wine).
The SMALL avocado roll and vegetarian rolls were just that - small. Small in taste, size and aesthetic appeal. The styrofoam take away containers did even less in the fight to save this place in my eyes. Nothing doing - down for the count. Yuck. and more yuck.
The cereal and cherries I enjoyed whilst typing up my unit plans were much more satisfying fare.

Headed to the university today to check out the library - oh oise friends...how we complained about our seemingly homely library - we had it wrong...dead wrong (sing the last part of that sentence to the music of joan jett's I love Rock and Roll) this library was A ROOM...just one wee room. Unreal. But their overall digs were much cooler than the hellish structure of windowless u of t. But so are the bathrooms in most Chinese rail stations. Most.

I also have to take the time to give it up to two really cool people.

1. the girl in starbucks who asked me if I wanted my soya milk warmed up before adding it to my chai tea. thanks!

2. KATHY MCKALE - this woman is a really cool principal who chatted with me for about 20 minutes in chapters. She gave me some great ideas, some wonderful resources to hunt down and a really positive affirmation about my career choices.

Well that is about all for me.

I feel like a highway that was built in Calgary: full of confusing signs, hectic, filled with lulls and surprise stop lights. Is this the city or the cross canada throughway?
My uncle, a man who stepped up and took on the role of father when there wasn't any lineup for the position, is dying. I saw him a month ago - flitting around his front yard trying to give me the casserole dish that he used to make his bean dish in - those were great beans. This meeting wasn't an example of him breaking with reality - the flitting and offering had purpose - he was in the middle of a garage sale.
I can still feel his hand on my head. I can still hear his words of incrimination as I had been dawdling outside chatting with Terry rather then following him in the house to look at a condo they were thinking of buying. I want that moment back because I think I would like to stay there a little longer.
He is dying.
He is dying of cancer that seems to be as prolific as Stephen King, and almost as detailed - it is everywhere and yet managed to hang out and expand itself undetected.
I still haven't decided how I feel, outside of extreme sadness for him. He has lived a life that was filled with giant sores and losses of parents, dignity, friends, job, health. And now - and now he is being pillaged in a different way - body taken bit by bit, nerve by nerve.
He is young and still in love with redecorating houses and finding new ways to invent spaghetti sauce. He is the son of the mother he never really had, and the child of the sister who, before him, stepped up in the role of parent.
And now she will wail.
And what can I do?

This is in my backyard.
Okay - so not my literal backyard....but close enough.

some things to make my missin' some loved ones heart feel a bit better!

I got a place! I love a place! I am a place!

Okay - get ready because I am in love. I am smitten. I am intoxicated. I am fully and whole heartedly (the only way this little vegan ever is about anything she loves) in mad passionate love with Calgary.

I have my first report:

Great people, expensive food, deals on gas (yuck), really f'ed up streets (can we have some names please?), awesome shops, amazinglytastic neighbourhoods (HOW CAN EVERY COMMUNITY WEST OF CENTRE STREET BE SO FANTASTIC?), and a most excellent dog population.

One yucky observation: noooooo recycling...you CAN recycle but you have to take your sorted goods to a municipal box (not so wonderfully located) and deposit your odds and sods in papers, plastics and glass...poop.

I have a great condo, I have a great little hood (give it up for bankview) and I have already made some yummy friends!!!
yah!

Everytime a cow moos a vegan is getting her cowgirl hat....
yes it is so...jimmy stewart I love you.


Went to work today - saw my new world...so perfect....
shite, all this happiness...is that the other shoe around the corner stomping and gripping about my smile? shoot, darn, oh no! I won't let my anxious tummy stomp out this excitment...onward into soyagood happiness and fluffy tarts made without eggs.

Check out the new hood: http://www.calgaryarea.com/sw/bankview/bankview.htm

Will have the keys and some photos tomorrow....

*Stolen goods*

A night out with some special ladies was an excellent way to spend my last night out East.
However, I stole a mug.
The older woman sitting to my right was disgusted in my vigilanty behaviour and was on the verge of telephoning the Hamilton authorities (i don't blame her - you have to do something with the youth these days).

I have some excellent photos of Emily (aka best sister on the planet) Brittany (best laugh EVER) and myself.

I am exhausted and totally ready to hit the road!!
Giant goose here I come.




this is a side shot of some last minute toe art and Emily on the phone with Andrew.....
"don't take my picture, don't take my picture" (pose).

As far as vegan food reports go, the winner of the last week of noshing goes to MY MOM!!!
She made THE BEST broiled veggies and fu...way to go mom! You are the best vegan mom on the planet.

I had a little creation of my own tonight.

Here is the receipe - enjoy!!!
Leaving the Hammer Jimica (pronouched Heemeeeeeca or something along those lines) and Mango Salad

1 massive Jimica (I think this might be the wrong spelling)

3 mangos

Slice it all up and slam it in a bowl

Throw it in the fridge while the rest of dinner is cooking and you have yourself a kickin and cool appie or main.

You could throw some lemon or lime in this baby and it would be delightful.

BEST NEWS ---- RICK LOVED IT......

Headed out.....
I swear I was going to get the plane....but see, I was watching TV and there was the goose, and some other big items that I knew I just had to see along the way - and hey! I am a teacher after all - what is the summer for if not for a little holiday? Right? Right!
So tomorrow at 4 am - I start my journey towards the west, towards the tofu rodeos and seitan stampedes. Can't wait.
Taking a place on a phone call is not advised, but it will do, it will do (Updates and photos to follow).
So, I have my first Calgary observations -
The folks are so very friendly - so friendly and helpful.

This vegan cowgirl has started to get a little choked up about things; saying goodbye is a little more difficult than I had imagined. Sarah, Kate and Emily by the far the most difficult. However, haven't tried (or even thought of) saying goodbye to my mom yet. Cowgirls are allowed to cry though right? That is a part of what makes them so cool right? That and their rabbit shirts? My mom is taking me out for my goodbye/happy birthday shopping spree and lunch (hopefully I can eat). This time next week I should be in my school setting things up and getting down to the scratchy of it all.
Speaking of scratchy - I was in a Chinese Grocery shop yesterday and one of the products they were selling was called:
Men's Pocky - now, 'pocky' is a most excellent desert (thank you mike and louise for my first pocky experience) but, I wasn't so aware of it being seperated by gender...interesting. It was quite neat to be at that shop yesterday and see SO many items from the grocery stores in China - very surreal.
Oh, one more foodie/out west item to relay - had a really wonderful lunch with mamere and jim yesterday - la luna's on brant. The food was great (fatoosh salad and a falafel for 9.95), but the company was amazing. I doubt I will be able to write from the road - and it might be a while before I get settled enough in my new Renfrew neighbourhood to find the time to write - so this will likely be it for a wee bit (not that anyone is reading this puppy). My last post as an ontario cowpoke......here I go....

Birthdays, Updates and Delicious Deserts!

So much to talk about, so much to write....where to begin? Where? Where? There have been a lot of 'where' questions in this world - one of my favourites would have to be the Sharon, Lois and Bram query:
"Where oh Where is sweet little Mary?"
But enough about Mary and her escapades......the second part of my last post is still owing.
I have made a decision about a new 'leaf', a new sprig of soya if you will, that I want to turn over, and it goes a little something like this:
I want my body to be really clean, really pure (a word that if used too much can smell as funky as a face cloth that was once wet that is now dry and hard, curling itself into a fetal-like position next to some equally as funky soap on the rim of my wash basin - yuck). What I mean, is that in a manner that is as far away as possible from a "dolphin songs heal the ozone layer and I want another pair of hemp underpants" kind of way, I want to be good to my body; I want to put only yummy things into this body (or this temple as one shitty jerk once refered to my body as), and I want to rid myself (body, mind, and heart) of as many impurities as I can without moving to a diet of strict air and sunshine.
SOOOO, part of my move to cow country will include a step up in my already trying-hard-to-love-my-bod lifestyle. I also need to learn to relax...this is being screamed at me by those lovelies in my life that have conquered their own stress demons and see me turning myself into a hot, steamy ball of stress lines and ugly energy.
yoga, organic, local, sleep, happy-work, focus, peace - those are the words I am going to make my students make a word wall for. yeah right.

Okay - food. Yummy food.
Many reports, many yummies.
Thursday night saw the kick off of my 28 years of livin' it up birthday rompus - and it is all about Affinity Vegetarian Restaurant on John Street in the Hammer. The juxta-position between the vibrant mural of an Eastern European pastiche that is a vestige of the previous (and well established) Budapest, and the delicate Chinese wall art (traditional paintings, calligraphy and some ornate carvings) sets the tone for this deliciously tossed up restaurant whose menu has a little bit of this and a little bit of that (what song is that from)
There is a hint of Toronto's famous veggie hut - Vegetarian Haven (please bow down) - but done positively Hammer style (enter the wacky mural that, rather, then being surplanted to complete a Toronto-acceptable decor, is actually the focal point for any dinner who sits facing North in the large dining room).
On the first visit to Affinity (and yes, there were two visits this birthday weekend - hey! its my birthday, I get to pick!): I enjoyed the crystal wraps (rice paper wrapped around a massive portion (maybe a bit too much) lettuce, soy-ham and carrots), complete with a sauce that smacked of coming out of a bottle and a bit on the too sweet side for me - but yummy none the less. My fine, fine dinner companion enjoyed two ordered-appetizers (bbque buns and curry pastry) and one that accompanied his main entree (soya nuggets). One thing is for sure - the portions are as large as the mural (relative folks, relative) - the bbque buns looked awesome, and the curry pastries were reportedly not only hot, but satisfying.
My main was the sweet and sour soup - perfect! Go and taste it. (I had it both evenings - sometimes too much choice can be overwhelming for me .....)
Almost the entire menu is presented as vegan - and I can't think of one dish that couldn't have been made vegan!!!! Feast your hearts out.

Oh, the owners are from Taiwan and the tea is excellent!!!


Tonight I dined like a duchess on a homemade meal of roasted veggies, grilled fu, Whole Foods Guaach, WF vegan birthday cake (chocolate), hemp ice cream (fantastically nutty/earthy taste) and berries that were organic and ever so nice!!!

The meal was made with love, which just made it that much more wonderful. Thank you Anne, Jim and Russell.

Watched The Aristrocrats last night - whoah. First time in my life I actually managed to watch gilbert gottfried for more then ten consecutive seconds and not contemplate suicide.

I am loving red house painters and everything neko case. I think they will travel well to the west.
SPEAKING OF THE WEST ---- drum roll please. Heck, wait...I should make this a new entry.
wait maybe I will.......you are to wait with baited breath for the next entry.

Yummy in my Tummy!

Just wanted to share two things:

1. A really great recipe that I am calling Orange Feet Delight (please ask me why)

2. A recent new lifestyle choice that I am adding to my already 'freakish nature' (thank you mom).

1. Okay, so house sitting is always full of interesting opportunities in the world of food. You are left with a foreign kitchen, any variety of condiments, some rotting produce and, depending on whose house you are sitting, a HUGE motherload of dried goods (so my current summation is that housesitting for vets/doctors/dentists seems to be the way to go).

So you have this mismash of 'stuff' at your finger tips - and in my case you have a wack of time. This translates into going to the gym for long periods of time and working out so much that the car barely makes it into the drive way free from bite marks (I admit I was still killer hungry EVER AFTER stopping at the crappy Zehers for an apple and some FRESH dates). So hungry and equipped with a great kitchen, loads of food and a bunch of creativity I made a wicked little vittle that I want to share (or at least post so as not to forget).

Orange Feet Delight

4 carrots (peeled and chopped up however you like em')

1 or 2 sweetie pie tatters (peeled or unpeeled and diced up real good)

spinach

green onion

garlic

ginger (I used this fancy gourmet paste)

cilantro (see above)

curry paste (vegan)

hot sauce

soya sauce

I boiled the heck out of the potato and carrots and when I could pierce them with a fork and they had yet to dissolve overcooked goo I added the spinach and let it wilt.
I then drained the water, turned the burner to low and added all the rest of the yummy mess and let it cook for about 1 minute (remember how hungry I am here....) and man, oh, man - it was delicious! Just delicious.

Has any seen Ice Harvest with John Cussack? Awesome.

I will have to get back to the second part of this post tomorrow morning (when I leave one house sitting situation for another!!!!) Ohhhh...and I have a trip to the market tomorrow morning to look forward to!

With autumn leaves and gasoline.....says John-something-or-other from Spirit of the West.
Their album Open Heart Symphony is most excellent and is currently spinning with the hopes that their full and celtic sound with cure the head spins and stomach ache that is currently haunting my body.
Dating a psych PhD student in my own grad year lead me down a very seriously incorrect path - he told me that studies reveal humans to have deep affection and like for symmetrical faces, and that babies are considered more ugly if they have one eye larger or smaller then the other (imagine my discontent when considering my bodies tendency to produce a significant proportion of my many freckles on the right side of my body. Oh my!) However, spending the last five days with a one eyed cat has righted in me the falsehood that had kept me up nights on end dreading the day when I gave birth to a doomed to be unloved one legged girl named cynthia. This little fellow (who, like me, will be permanently a little fellow) has a side of his face in a perpetual squint. His left eye was born a little too early - premature I suppose for it was ever too small and needed to be closed for good. A loving human mother who also happens to be a loving vet removed the forever-infant eye and closed the lid with a stich or two.
I have loved many a kitten, but none this well. His cuddles and eye crusties have been equally as endearing and I will just hate to leave his side.
I think my mission of finding a location in the C-dot is closer then my worried stomach frets. I have had three really great contacts today and I feel much closer then I did this time a couple of days ago. It will all work out for this little cow poke and her wonderkat.

But for vegan fare fellows I have some wonderful news - though it isn't of the western canada variety. Rather, it is guelph ontario that satisfied my buds this afternoon (after a wonderful run). Oh, and I don't think that it is the food that has turned my head to the world of nausea - I think it is more from drinking only tomato juice yesterday.....
So, Wild Organic Way, is located on carton Street, just a ways up from the Carden Street Cafe and next to the old Aquarius Cafe (me thinks they are the same owners). WOW as it is otherwise and almost a bit too kitchily (is that a word) known is a small cafe, with an even smaller patio (two tables with a total of six chairs) and a cute little bar inside. The menu is inconveniently located on the wall, written in the hideously 80's style neon wipe off marker that is just as difficult to see when looking at it straight on as when trying to cran one's neck around to see it from any of the second hand tables scattered in the small space. Despite the menu and the decor this restaurant is redeemed by the most important elements of any dining experience - the wait staff and the food itself.
For dinner and lunch options patrons can choose from a raw/organic/vegan menu of about 6 options plus a daily special (which they didn't have available today). I enjoyed a combo platter of one falafel ball, 1/2 of a quesdilla and a lovely garden salad. I was amazed with the raw falafel -wonderful. The cashew inspired 'cheese' in the quesadilla wasn't really my cup of tea, but overall this was a great lunch (if not a bit too much moooola...but hey, its raw and vegan and organic..can't complain for all that health can i ?) But, the wonderball of the meal was the 'cheese cake' that I had for desert. The almond paste and oatmeal crust was awesome!!! and the raspberry culle that topped the cake was so organically-tasty that I licked the plate!! yes, I licked the plate....but what can I say? raspberries are THE worst for retaining the taste of pesty-pesticides and the like...so organic really makes a difference when it comes to raspberries. wow. Great meal, great service (the chef came out to say hey and ask about the lunch). It cost me about 20 dollars with tip.
I must mention that yesterday I enjoyed the banana-date-almond milk smoothie from WOW and it was WOOOOOOOOW. Great, not too much date, just enough nanner.

By the way - Spirit of the West is playing August 12th in Calgary....need to check that out!

Sure to be a stampede favourite!
Well, as I wallow in the new turn in my life: NOT FINDING A PLACE IN CALGARY, I have been experimenting with some new yummy-in-the-tummy sandwiches.
I would like to make the daring postulation that if eaten by a steak loving stampeder there would be a carrel of folks screaming for more!
Enjoy these bad girls with a healthy helping of garlic-laced guacamole and veggies (carrots, celery and you know what is great with guac?? APPLE slices)

Ingredients for Sizzling Tofu Stampeded sandwiches
1 loaf of crusty vegan bread
2 zucchini (sliced length wise)
1-2 tomatoes (sliced)
green or red pepper (cored and sliced)
lettuce
hummus or vegan dijon mustard
brick of extra firm tofu - cut the brick in half and then slice into 1 cm slices
olive oil, soya sauce, salt, pepper and ANY other spices that you dig (I did rosemary, basil, oregano)

Okay - so know you have all the goodies and you are ready to impress the mouths of many -

dredge tofu, veggies and bread (easy with the bread, and don't bother with the lettuce)
through the olive oil, soya sauce and spices.
Slam the whole lot on a bbque or a george foremanesque grill (or the frying pan!)
Grill/fry until the veggies/fu is the way you would like for sandwich munching (I decided to go crispy)
Grill the bread for about 1 minute until crispy, spread with the hummus or mustard (or BOTH if you are feeling special)
Pile everything onto the bread (now let the lettuce play) and close that puppy right up!
Now - you can opt out of the bread option by taking all of these yummy ingredients and making them into a fantastic salad - saving some of the grilling sauce as a dressing.....yes!!!! for multitasking!

Enjoy! and hey, if anyone has any space to share with the cutest little vegancowgirl this side of the latest Chinook then give me a yodel.



Watch out! If you don't enjoy one of these stampede delights there is no guarentee that this bull over here isn't going to throw you right off your feet.