wanderlust vegan

green speckled sweet potato

2012-03-07T19:50:00.000-05:00

mmm I just made a lazy, easy dinner with the contents I have remaining in my freezer...kale, corn, and peas
I really need to be studying for my mid term tomorrow, but alas here I am writing about my dinner...anyways here it is...

sweet potatoes mashed
corn (i used frozen)
peas (i used frozen)
kale (i used frozen)
garlic
coconut oil
almond milk

cook sweet potato till mashable state...add some garlic and almond milk till desired consistancy
saute kale, corn, and peas in coconut oil and garlic till done.
add the kale, corn, and peas to mashed sweet potato and serve as a side or by itself...like I did tonight

I didn't measure anything, so really its just however much you want.

Happy Eating
xo

mystery vegetable and leek soup

2012-02-25T21:07:00.000-05:00

So, I am on a soup binge lately. I can make a lot of it for cheap! YAY college student budget...more money for shoes perhaps?? Anyways, it is a mystery vegetable because I thought I was buying sweet potato, but it ended up that what I have been buying as "sweet potato" as clearly been sweet potato all along, so I possibly a yam? but I googled yam and it didn't look like what I had...soooo i'm not quite sure. You can laugh, I don't mind. I'll ask next time i'm in the market :P

I put a thai twist on the soup this time.

Mystery vegetable soup with a thai twist

3-4 small-med size sweet potato (or any potato)
3 leeks
1 brown onion
1 clove garlic
8c veg broth (i used enough broth for 1L (4c))
chili flakes (i didnt measure)
1 can coconut milk
1 tbsp coconut oil

Add coconut oil and onion to pot. Cook until translucent.
Add everything, but the coconut milk. Cook on med-high heat, until potatoes are super soft. Turn off element.
Add coconut milk, and stir.
Blend altogether (I used a hand blender)

Enjoy.

February = Pancake month

2012-02-25T20:57:00.000-05:00

Well, I made pancakes three times this month. It doesn't seem like a lot, but it is three times more then last month, or the month before that, or even the month before that...and to top it its national pancake month (so I hear).

I made some yummy pancakes and had many delicious toppings. They are probably ones you already use, or know about, or just think I am crazy...either way i'll share what I topped my pancakes with.

Favourite pancake mix - one of the days I added some cocoa powder for a chocolate twist...mmm
Toppings included:
kiwi, banana, strawberries, and homemade maple syrup
rawtella (similar to nutella, but vegan and raw), and banana
butter, and homemade maple syrup
almond butter, banana, and homemade maple syrup

I most definitely licked my plate clean too :)

"lack of" veggie soup

2012-02-06T21:36:00.000-05:00

I don't have many groceries these days. Partly needing to save money, and partly starting a cleanse in a few days. Rummaging through my fridge I decided to make some soup. Quick and easy. It isn't filled with a ton of things, but I used what I had and it was pretty tasty.

"Lack of "Veggie Soup
2 carrots
3 sticks celery
1can kidney beans
1c noodles of choice
8c veggie stock or add more veggies and things to make the stock.

As you can see its pretty empty and not full of nutrients, but it does the trick for now.

more chia goodness

2012-02-04T23:48:00.000-05:00

Well, I am finally gracing my presence once again to the blog. College is busy and I haven't reallllllllly been cooking/baking/creating delicious meals and snacks since i just munch on raw veggies.

Anyways, i made some chocolate chia pudding and realized 2 posts ago is more chia pudding. Well, you can never have too many options.

Chocolate Chia Pudding (really from oh she glows)

1/4c chia seeds
1 and 1/4c milk (i used almond)
1tbsp cocoa powder
1tbsp maple syrup (i had the homemade yummy stuff)

mix altogether and put in fridge 1-2 hrs or overnight

i would use more chia or less milk (however you want to look at it) so it would be a bit more thicker. i also just put it in the fridge overnight.

great for brekky, snack, and pre/post run.

ps. if you dont like the texture of tapioca pudding you probably wont like this.
pps. for benefits of chia go HERE

Extra for you

2011-10-26T13:21:00.000-04:00

I haven't done indieink for a while. I wanted to focus on college. I decided it was time to do another just after midterms.

For the indieink writing challenge this week, Transplantedx3 challenged me with "My favorite Halloween costume as a child was the sparkly gypsy costume my grandmother sewed for me. What's your favorite childhood Halloween memory?" and I challenged michael with "He has brought me this far, he won’t leave me hanging." Be sure to check these two out as well!!

Wow Halloween, not a lot of memories but now that I think back more are coming to the forefront of my memory. My fondest one wasn’t when I was three or six or even eight I believe I was around 11 (still not too old but getting there?). I was a bag of jelly beans. Wore black clothes, made arm and leg holes in a clear garbage bag with the cinch top and filled it up with colorful balloons. I remember kneeling on the truck seat looking at the back because I couldn’t sit without popping any “jelly beans”. It was awkward to walk, especially up stairs but I toughed it out for the candy. Waiting for the door to open and seeing that elderly lady look at me, call her husband over saying “oh Bill, YOU just have to see this one!” after putting a generous handful of candy in my sack she looks and sayd “oh I just HAVE to give you one more handful for such a unique costume”, I smile and say thank you, stoked I get extra candy just for a costume...AWESOME! This particular halloween is my fondest memory because I vividly remember MULTIPLE homes giving me an extra handful of candy because my costume was so unique. SCORE!!!!

guiltless pudding...SERIOUSLY!

2011-09-13T19:21:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I went to a vegetarian festival which was fantastic. I tried the quickest, healthiest pudding you will ever have! Did I mention delicious? It has TWO ingredients and it is full of healthy things ...3x more antioxidants than blueberries, 1.1x more fibre than bran, 2.5x more protein than beans, 8x more omega 3 than salmon, 3x more iron than spinach, 2x more potassium than bananas, 6x more calcium than milk...I could go on!! They aren't fancy ingredients either..ready?!

chia seeds

chocolate rice milk (vanilla if you want more a vanilla pudding...i made it with soy but tried it with rice both DELICIOUS)

Add chia seeds to milk and let sit for 30min. Fridge no fridge up to you. The chia seeds will expand and soften. The ratio is really whatever you want. About 1L of milk to 1/4c chia seeds you can add more chia or less chia. Ground up the chia seeds or leave them whole. One snack/dessert you will NOT feel guilty about. Goodness i'd have it for breakfast!!

Now excuse me while I go indulge in some PUDDING!

Happy Eating

ps on a side note. chia seeds can be found at health food stores or your local department store. They are black or white or come mixed.

Never know now

2011-09-06T19:19:00.000-04:00

Join the fun at indie ink This weeks challenge came from Janey while I challenged Drake Be sure to check them out too!!

this week my prompt is at the end.

My answer was flying behind the plane. I thought it would be the perfect way to answer him. We both love traveling and flying but he didn’t see it. He will never know how I truly felt for him, for us.

I know he didn’t see it because he never showed. If he would have looked up, he would have arrived 4months ago. I waited on the steps, where I always said I'd wait for him. Day in and day out I went to the very steps we met. I would wait until the sun went down and again till the sun came up. I went there everyday for 100days. That may seem crazy to some but not to me. He was the one, he was my love, he was everything to me. He will never know that because his mind was occupied.

We first met when my parents moved to town. I was sitting on the steps by the fountain in town. He walked up to me and introduced himself to me. He did make a good impression on me. A few weeks later my parents and I moved into his neighborhood. He was riding his bike down the road and I immediately recognized him. I hopped on my bike and joined him. He was the only other kid on the block. We did everything together. He taught me how to climb trees and enjoy books, especially poetry while I taught him about simple pleasures like laying on the grass and hearing the crickets chirping or watching for shooting stars. We became really close like brother and sister. He did have an older brother but he was eight years older then us and I was an only child.

We attended the same middle school so we walked everyday together, he even carried my bag for me. We were in all the same classes so we studied together, did homework together and tried to partner up for group assignments. Girls were envious of me because I was so close to the blonde hair, blue eyed, handsome boy in class. Every girl had a crush on him. I certainly did not, that I was unaware of at the time, he was like my brother!

Graduation happened and we went together. How could we not? We were best friends. I got accepted into the University on the other end of town while he got accepted to the one on the other side of the state. We had a very tearful goodbye as we went our separate ways. It was then, I realized, I had deeper feelings then I thought for him. We talked daily and when we both got super busy with work, uni, homework, studying and social life it became less and less. We would always end up missing each others phone calls. We did see each other at Christmas time and boy, what a joyous reunion that was! We spent every waking moment with each other.

I so badly wanted to tell him how I felt for him but I thought he wouldn’t feel the same. So I kept my emotions to myself, not telling a soul. It soon led me to do something crazy and outrageous. I called an airplane advertising company and inquired about getting them to fly a banner across the sky. They were willing to do so. I called him and told him I had a surprise for him. He had to be sitting at the park on his campus at a certain time. He agreed. I told him that when he saw it he needed to respond by meeting me on the steps where we first met. Again, being a little confused, he agreed.

The day came and boy was I a nervous wreck. I had my cellphone on hand at all times that day. It was also the day I started to wait on the stairs. After he didn’t call or show up. I knew deep down in my heart his head was buried in a book. He always carried with him. He read it while in the car, bus, train, plane, even on his bike (he was amazing at riding and reading at the same time). He had always told me to get into poetry more. What is more important, I want to know why didn’t he just put the book down and look in the sky?

why didn’t he just put the book down and look in the sky?

mexico in a bowl

2011-09-06T18:28:00.000-04:00

Having had a busy week (not really busy but bus and subway transportation takes a LONG time) I havent had time to find a grocery store to get some simple everyday things like canned goods and brown sugar. So with what food i have in my cupboards I had to improvise. I took a bag of noodles, a can of crushed tomatoes, a can of black beans and a can of japlenos. I pretty much tossed it all into a pot and voila there was dinner for two night. I also added some cheese that I had in the fridge..at this point, why not? I say down and scarfed it down (was STARVINGGGGGGG). As I thought what I actually had put in it, it felt a little mexican to me. Black beans, japlenos, tomatoes, cheese, sounds like a burrito to me. It was tasty, for me. I probably wouldn't serve that dish to someone but maybe if I made it all fancy? Anyways, fast paced college student trying to make decent dinners.

Mexico in a bowl

Noodles (i chose penne)
Crushed tomatoes
Black beans
Japlenos
Cheese
Pepper to taste (i'm bit into pepper these days)

Cook noodles as directed. Add everything else. Let it warm up and serve.

Happy Eating
xo

its killing us

2011-09-01T09:44:00.000-04:00

check out the fun at indie ink. This week my challenge came from carrie, while I challenged jason hughes. Be sure to check them out too!! I guess I now know what writers block is. I couldn't come up with anything. So running out of time I wrote this. Hopefully it can be encouraging. Tell me what you think!

the anticipation is killing me

Sipping my steamed soy milk with a shot of maple I contemplate life. What I have done, accomplished, achieved, seen, been and everything in between. What the future holds, what this new season of college will bring me and make me. Like anyone, anxious for whats to come. But why can’t we just live in the moment? Why do we always look forward to tomorrow or whats to come? Why can’t we just live today?

When I was little and would play “house” with my friends I always wanted to be 21. Then, I thought that was the PERFECT age. Your legal everywhere, not that I really understood what being “legal” meant. Twenty-one has come and gone, don’t get me wrong it was a fantastic year! I celebrated it in Australia, a place I dreamed of going since I was a tot. I skydived. Had my first love and first heartbreak. The good did out way the bad. But if I knew what was to come for me in that 21st year when I was five, I’m sure I wouldn’t have wanted to be twenty-one. I would have sticked with being five.

As humans we are always rushing to go somewhere, get onto the next day, excited for the weekend when it’s only Monday but never excited for the exact moment we are in. I admit I look forward to the weekend on Monday’s, I look forward for something exciting like going on a trip or seeing an old friend. I, we, will never have this moment back. I personally think I, we, need to take a breath and enjoy today. Maybe it was a rough day at work, maybe you were told terrible news, maybe it was the best day of your life so far. Whatever the day, be thankful for it, learn from it, grow, relish the moment. Stop being anxious to get on with life. I, we, started dying the moment we were born and I think the anticipation for tomorrow is killing me, us, faster then we know.

tempah-tation

2011-08-24T13:20:00.000-04:00

I never loved bacon growing up. I would only eat it in BLT's, teen burgers from A&W and bacon wrapped scallops. I had seen the smoky tempah bacon replacement and was skeptical to try it but I decided I would try a TLT. I brought out the pan and was still sketched out while cooking the tempah. (I bought tofurky brand). I got my bread ready covered in nayonaise, avocado, tomato and hot banana peppers..no lettuce on hand. Ones the strips were done I put on top of the hot peppers but the other piece of bread on top, looked at it, took a breath and took a bite of the sandwich. I was pleasantly surprised at how it did take on the bacon taste (not so much texture). I scarfed it down only wanting more. I made another one today with the leftovers and mmm tasty as can be!

Smoky tempah - cook as directed
nayonaise
hot banana peppers
avocado
tomato

Use your own condiments and ingredients but the hot peppers were a nice addition since I love spicy food!

Happy eating
xo

dimples

2011-08-20T01:56:00.000-04:00

to join the fun check out indieink. My challenge came from flamingnyx while I challenged the drama mama Be sure to check out there amazing stories too!!

Now that brings back memories ;)

Dimples.

To some people it may not mean much but it first reminds me of one of my best friends in grade 4. She told me, her dad told her, when she was born he put his finger in her cheeks/side of her mouth when she was born and thats how she got her dimples. Now, we all know that’s not how it happens but children are soo gullible. Whenever I see people with dimples it takes me back.

jack on left judah on right

in the cutest bonds outfit

the only thing that fit them at one month old

It also reminds me of my sweet, sweet nephew. The first time I met him and his twin they were 6months old (technically only 3 since they were born 3months early...but thats besides the point). I spent the entire day with my best friend and the new loves in her life. It was the best day I've ever had. I hadn’t seen her since her wedding in November 2009 and now it was January 2011 (I was in Australia for a year). I couldn’t wait to spend that day with her and her boys. We watched our favorite movie - sisterhood of the traveling pants - had lots of junk food and of course the main attraction...her sweet twin boys.

best day of my life. judah on left jack on right

I was holding sweet little Judah. Looking at him, smiling at him, taking pictures of him and then I saw them. Those sweet little indents in his cheeks that made me squeal with delight. I told his mama and she hadn’t ever noticed. I loved them, I couldn’t get enough of them. It again reminded me of the story my best friend in grade 4 told me and I went back to my childhood thinking and thought his daddio pushed his finger into his sweet little cheeks when he was born and BAM dimples.

sweet little judah

38 days later after meeting my sweet nephews for the first time, tiny little Judah went to be with Jesus in heaven. Sudden and heartbreaking. I was immediately taken back to that wonderful cold day in January. Wishing to go back when I saw his dimples. Now when I see dimples I'm reminded of Judah. So delicate, sweet and precious.

auntie misses you and loves you Judah!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoox

to the moon and back again

Saturday's goodness

2011-08-15T20:37:00.000-04:00

This past saturday I had the day off. The only day off before I move to Toronto so I really needed to make some meals. I made a HUGE pot of "chili". I love it! Its soo easy, hearty and yummmmmy!! I also made pizza YUM! I finally have pictures too which is fun and exciting!! Im no photographer but i try hehe...

The chili is really just whatever vegetables you want or have to put in. I also add some T.V.P for the meaty-ness of it. I also added a lot of chili flakes...i love spicy food!

The pizza is simple as well. I used a thin crust, not homemade. I did use fresh basil from our garden...bonus points? There was also spinach, black olives, pineapple, mushrooms and daiya cheese

Happy eating
xo

Cheyenne

2011-08-13T22:23:00.000-04:00

Check out indieink to join the fun. I was challenged by Alison Newton and I challenged Amy LaBonte. Be sure to check there great stories out as well.

her name was Cheyenne and she was a woman scorned.

Maybe it was the way she smiled at everybody walking down the street or the way she danced in the streets, especially in the rain. It could be because she wore eccentric clothes, you know, bright colors and patterns that just clashed making you think, “What on earth was she thinking when she got dressed?”. Her hair always messy, looking like she just woke up, got dressed and left. No one knew where she lived or if she had any family in this town. Sometimes you wondered if she was related or ‘with’ Willie, the towns drunkard who made home under seventh street bridge.

Whenever she came close to anyone you could see them turn their heads so she wouldn’t strike up a conversation, but most of the time she did. Whether she noticed the ignoring of her presence or not it didn’t seem to affect her. She was outgoing and super bubbly, much to the point of annoying. If you even made an ounce of eye contact with her she would take that as an invite to talk your ears off. The people who “knew” her well would just keep walking because if you didn’t, you would be there for who knows how long, plus everyone has places to go people to see ya know? Oh, did I mention the smell? It was awful, some days were worse then others, it’s like she wouldn’t shower for weeks, possibly months. Did she not know proper hygiene?

Sometimes she would be sitting on a bench and would be talking to “someone”, but she was always alone. I would look around and nope, no one in the vicinity. But she laughed and joked as if she was talking to her best friend. It was moments like this I felt embarrassed for her. I guess we all talk to ourselves but 98% of the population does so in their head. Did she even have friends? Maybe she was one of those ladies with 50 cats in her house. That didn’t seem right though. I always picture those “cat ladies” in there 60’s or 70‘s, she was probably in her early to mid 20’s. I guess its possible but it just didn’t fit. Sometimes she would hide behind buildings and jump out and scare people, once satisfied with scaring someone she would laugh and skip down the road as if she just won a million dollars and fulfilled her lifelong dream.

Everyone, that is, if you weren’t passing through town or visiting, knew who she was. You could hear the chatter about her when someone noticed her around in the grocery store or sitting at a cafe table outside, “quick, look away, crazy girl is coming...”. Strangers in the grocery store lineup would start a conversation with each other as if they were the best of friends just to avoid her. Again it seemed she didn’t notice or if she did she didn’t care. One quality I wish I was stronger in. Not caring what people thought.

Every Saturday I went to a cafe got my regular chai, made with soy, extra hot, no foam and put in an extra large cup even though I got the regular size. I would also get the coconut square, it was AH.MAY.ZING and to D.I.E for. I am a sucker for coconut though. Most Saturdays she would walk by and every time I would bury my head into the weekend paper even more, lift it a little higher avoiding that eye contact and holding my breath so the trail of that awful smell would not enter my nostrils. I would let out a big gasp for air when I thought the smell would be gone or I just needed to breathe, hoping no one noticed. Sometimes there would be a few others doing the same thing, you could just tell.

This Saturday was different. I didn’t have to be anywhere, not that I did any other Saturday though. I still got my regular with the coconut square but I got a second one to go. I didn’t look at the paper though. I sat there on the sidewalk at the little table for two, staring at people passing by. Couples hand in hand, screaming kids running up and down giving their parents heart attacks since the road was fairly busy and some really sweet elderly couples that I hope to one day be like, so in love after all those years. There she was walking down the sidewalk not her outgoing, bubbly self though. I purposely didn’t take a paper today because I thought that today would be the day I break out of my comfort zone and if she made eye contact and strike up a conversation I would join in.

She walked with confidence as she approached me, I gave a slight smile and she smiled and assumed that was my “yes you can sit here and chat to me all day since I was curious if you would come by today and talk my ear off”. She asked how I was enjoying my fine Saturday morning and what I was drinking. She nodded and smiled at my answer. So far she seemed normal, but like I mentioned she wasn’t herself walking down that sidewalk, something was wrong. I couldn’t smell any awfulness although sometimes when the wind would pick up I would get a whiff but she probably took her monthly shower that morning, thank goodness. She still looked liked she closed her eyes and picked out her clothes for the day.

She started telling me her life story and it kind of took me off guard but I listened and nodded pretending that I cared about what she had to say for the first time...ever. There was something about that, people just start blabbing about their life stories to me, maybe because I was actually a good listener or I had a big sign on my forehead that said “please tell me your life story I am a good listener, really” either way deep down I didn’t mind.

I learnt that she grew up an only child, with wealthy parents who could have cared less if she was around or not. She always had to wear dull dresses that her mother set out the night before. Her mother would get cross if she laughed or danced about while there friends were over for she had to be prim and proper always. She hated that, she didn’t get why. She wanted to get out when she was old enough. I also learnt that at age 16 she snuck out with one bag packed with some food, a few dull dresses, the elephant she received for her fourth birthday, a generous amount of money she took from her fathers stash and the one and only picture she had of her and her parents. The only picture where they looked like a happy family. She was 2yrs old in the picture with the biggest smile plastered across her face.

She hopped on a train and took it all night long. She got off in this town and stayed at the motel on main street. Since she always hated the dresses her mother picked out she bought some bright colored skirts and dresses because she could. She also started dancing down the streets because no one was there to tell her no. She had found freedom and loved it. It was like she could be whoever she wanted to be and no one was there to judge her or tell her the proper way to act. It’s as if she could get her childhood back. I learnt she was 22 and still living in the motel room on main street. But since it was so dingy and no one really ever stayed there the owners wouldn’t pay the bills some months, hence she couldn’t shower regularly. I also learnt she had just found out her parents passed away on Wednesday in a car accident. She still loved them even though they weren’t loving towards her or gave her the attention she needed in those precious young years. That is why she looked different today. As she kept rambling on she became her more happy, outgoing self. She told me she loved talking to people and making them smile since she couldn’t do that growing up. She loved dancing in the streets because she felt free and young, she especially loved it in the rain because she wouldn’t dare step foot in the rain with her parents around. They always told her to stay in that she would get dirty and girls don’t get dirty.

I realized that she was embracing her new found free life and just like any other young person, had her own sense of style, if you will. She was actually a good story teller too. Used lots of hands and really got into it. Made me laugh a few times, which she would pause for a split second and soak it in, so it seemed. Maybe since her parents would just hush her once she opened her mouth she liked the fact I cared, at least seemed like I cared. I secretly thought of what people would think when they would walk past us on the sidewalk. Hoping none of my friends would drive by or see me sitting with her. We would all make fun of her all the time. But after talking to her I realized she was no different then anyone else. Yes, she was a bit out there, yes, she smelt bad, wouldn’t we all though if we couldn’t shower, yes, she was super outgoing and bubbly but I started to like that about her. She was confident and didn’t care if people judged her, something more of us need to strive for, really who sets the standards for what hot or not?

She got up to leave and I asked her if she liked coconut, she nodded as I handed her the coconut square I got to go. She smiled the biggest smile and said thank you. Who knows when her last meal was, she was fairly thin. You could tell after talking to her that she grew up with great manners which was nice to see since the most “proper” speaking people I knew didn’t speak with elegance as she did. As she walked away I sat there thinking about what just had happened and wondered how long she was there. I glanced at my watch to notice it was 2.5hrs. I was shocked it had only felt like minutes.

She might not know it but she challenged me that day to not judge people before talking to them and hearing their story. I know, its so cliche and what every parent teaches there children but I truly felt challenged. A changed me. I also wanted to be bolder and not care what people thought of me. I knew it was going to take some time but I was ready. Finally, I learned her name. So I could say hi to her whenever I would see her. So she felt like someone actually cared. To show others that she has a friend and maybe to not be so judgmental about her. Her name was Cheyenne and she was a woman scorned.

take me back

2011-08-07T18:29:00.003-04:00

I know, this isn't a food post but I wanted the challenge. I've never considered myself a writer so why not try and have fun doing it. You can join the fun too! check out indie ink to see what it is all about. My challenge came from Billy Flynn while I challenged Alison Newton. Be sure to check them out too!!

You’re in another city/town/country, a scent in the air takes you back instantly and clearly to an event in the past, tell us the story.

March 11th, 2010 at four in the morning.

I was walking George St on my way to the Sydney Opera House. The streets were relatively quiet but still pacing with cars. Every now and then I would get a whiff of fresh baked goods from the cafes that were open or close to opening. I love mornings like this, a bit early but beautiful none-the-less.

Flash

August 16th, 2003 at eleven in the morning.

I was walking along the beach in Birch Bay, Washington. The beach was fairly empty although people slowly arrived to spend the day with their families. The sun was shining brightly and pouring its rays down. Every now and then I would hear a child squeal with excitement as they unpacked their toys and headed for the water. So free with no cares of this world.

Flash

As I neared the Opera House I slowed my pace to enjoy the stillness of Circular Quay. Knowing in a few short hours it would be hustling and bustling with tourists, people going to work, and everyone in between. I walked the steps up to the top of the Opera House, slowly, savoring this moment as it was my first time. Mesmerized with the view of the botanical gardens on one side and the harbor bridge on the other. A moment that is etched in my brain forever.

Flash

Boy, it was getting hot. Jeans and a baggy sweater were not the smartest choice of clothing to wear for this walk. I debated about going back to the campsite to change but I was too far out already. I was alone with my thoughts and I didn’t want to disrupt them. I enjoy making conversations in my head, talking about the future, saying how lovely the scenery was and how stinking hot it was...YIKES.

Flash

I walked from one side to the other, taking in as much as I could. The sun was beginning to rise while it painted a new portrait in the sky every couple of minutes. I couldn’t believe it, watching one of my favorite things in a place I have dreamed of going since I was a tot. Thanking God for blessing me with so much.

Flash

I found a quiet spot to sit and stare out at the vastness of the sea. No boundary, you could travel it forever, so it seemed. I closed my eyes and instantly smelt the saltiness of the sea, the fresh clean air and a smell I’ve never smelt before. It wasn’t a bakery nearby nor was it a hot-dog stand down the road. It was a smell of peace and serenity. A smell of everlasting love. A smell of being free for that split second.

Flash

I sat down against the Opera House facing the Harbor Bridge as the sun shone on it. Smiling because I was captivated by the site but also I had closed my eyes and for the first time in seven years I smelt the smell. It was a smell of peace and serenity. A smell of everlasting love. A smell of being free for that split second.

stewp

2011-08-04T22:08:00.000-04:00

My oh my...I cook everyday for a week then dont want to cook at all for 3weeks. I decided i needed to cook some meals again if i wanted to eat more then just cereal and beans from the can. I went to my favorite vegan blog, to date, for some inspiration (check here). I had some main staples and was looking for some new ideas, as my creativity folder in my brain was/is running low. I came across some stewp...yes STEWP...stew and soup together. Frankly, soup is more runny and stew is thick and this is well neither so its stewp. I also had some tofu on hand which i have had for a while so i made an"agave mustard glazed tofu" If you loved honey glazed ham this is for youuuu. I even remembered i had some pineapple and added some.

"STEWP"

1/4c olive oil
1 tomato, diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 tsp pepper
1tsp garlic powder
2 bay leaves
4c veggie broth
1c water
2tbsp italian herbs
1 potato, diced
1/3c nutrional yeast or 1/4c vegan cheese
1c pasta noodles
2tbsp apple cider vinegar
1can beans (i used black)
6oz greens (spinach, kale, bok choy etc)
i also added some carrot, diced

Add the olive oil, tomato, onion, garlic powder and cook about 5min. Add the rest except the beans and greens. simmer or low/med heat until everything is cooked then add the beans and greens for the last few minutes. Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy :)

without the beans and greens and carrot(i added it a bit late)

almost ready

mmmm ready to try...it was delish!

"agave mustard glazed tofu"

2tbsp lemon juice
2tbsp water
1tsp soy sauce (i use bragg)
1/4c agave nectar
2tbsp prepared mustard
1/2tsp garlic powder
1/2tsp sugar
3/4tsp curry powder (optional, and i didnt have 3/4tsp so i put in two scoops of 1/8tsp)
1 block firm or extra firm tofu, chopped into 1inch cubes.

Whisk all ingrediants in a shallow pan and then add tofu. Let sit for 1hr scooping the marinade over the tofu every now and then.
Preheat oven to 400
Transfer tofu to casserole dish or baking sheet (i just put it all in a casserole dish from the start) and bake for 20-25min , turning over once and spooning the marinade over tofu.
I also added pineapple after the fact.

letting it marinade for an hr

hot out of the oven..YUM

Happy eating
xo

I win!

2011-07-25T16:04:00.000-04:00

Sooooo my favorite "cheese" has a facebook group. Every friday they pick someones post on their wall to win a free bag of daiya cheese. Well i wrote on their wall to show some love and of course to see if my post could win a free bag of daiya!!! Well last friday (22 july) i signed onto facebook and daiya vegan cheese showed up on my newsfeed. They had posted the winner and I had to re-read it to realize I WON!! WOOHOO!! I was stoked. Now just waiting for the wonderful parcel in the mail!

Join daiya vegan cheese on facebook

Antipasto

2011-07-16T17:52:00.001-04:00

Antipasto. When spoken or eaten or even see it on the shelves of the grocery store it reminds me of christmas and new years when I was younger. Found memories. I loved it and being my mothers daughter I was always found at the food tables on those occasions. Now as I was strolling the store this afternoon I saw some and noticed it was 50% off BOOYAA!! Of course I got the 12-veggie cause the other stuff have yucky stuff in it I don't eat. Now I had already picked up some mushrooms. Nice and big, perfect for stuffing! (not to do with antipasto but ill get there).
Stuffed mushrooms. Again something that reminds me of my childhood. Ordering them at bozini's when I would go with my grandparents and parents. YUM. yes I was a strange kid...who likes antipasto and stuffed mushrooms and hates cake and pop when they are 8? Oh well. Anyway I got home and decided I wanted stuffed mushrooms. Not having cream cheese (of course vegan kind by tofutti) or a "base" for them. I decided to collaborate and hope for the best. They are currently in the oven and I cannot wait to taste them! Childhood here I come with an "adult" twist!

Stuffed mushrooms

3 (or however many you want) nice and big mushrooms
some shredded cheese
some antipasto

make a centre in the mushroom (pretty much by taking the stem out), put a little cheese on bottom, fill the rest with antipasto right to the top and top with some more cheese. Broil till done.

happy eating
xo

one, two, beans

2011-07-13T10:44:00.000-04:00

I went shopping the other night as I, once again, had no food in the house. There were beans on sale and I reckon its a good staple to have so I bought a few cans. I come to put the grocery's away and find out that I already have A TON of beans. I now have 7 cans of black beans, 4 cans kidney beans, a can of fava beans, a can of yellow beans, a few cans of navy beans, a can of refried beans and about 7 cans of diced/crushed/stewed tomatoes. Wow what can one girl do with 16 cans of beans and 7 cans of tomatoes? Well, I also have 4 cans of pineapple so I made pineapple TVP baked beans. It was my second time making them and they are scrumptious. I've been on a bean kick lately...but really, can you blame me?

Pineapple TVP baked beans

2 15oz cans pinto or navy beans, partially drained (the first time i used these the second i used kidney and was just as good)
1 onion diced
2/3 C barbecue sauce (i love dianes bbq sauce)
2 tbls prepared mustard
2 tbls brown sugar
1C TVP (textured vegetable protein)
1C hot water
1 8oz can diced pineapple, drained
3/4 teas salt
1/2 teas pepper

In a large pot combine beans and about half there liquid, onion, bbq sauce, mustard and brown sugar...bring to a slow simmer. Cover and allow to cook for at least 10min...stir occasionally
Combine TVP with hot water and sit for 6-8min to rehydrate tvp
Add TVP, pineapple, salt and pepper to beans, cover and slowly simmer another 10-12min.

Enjoy!!

happy eating
xo

iced tea

2011-07-06T14:25:00.000-04:00

Iced tea (the sweetened version) was my favorite drink growing up. As i have gotten older im not soo much a fan of it anymore. I wanted some tea the other day but thought it was tooo hot outside. I made homemade lemon green tea which i turned into a iced tea...back to my childhood in a grown up kinda way.

Iced lemon green tea

1.5L water
2 green tea bags
Half a lemon sliced

add to jug and let it steep. I don't squeeze the lemon nor do i use hot water. I did tap water and put it in the fridge to steep. It is light and refreshing...soooo good!!

happy eating
xo

keen for keen-wah

2011-05-29T14:21:00.000-04:00

I was having one of those days where i wanted to cook, i wanted to read, i wanted to finish my report cards, i wanted to eat, i wanted to watch tv, i wanted to do everything all at once and didn't know where to start. So i took all the veggies and fruit i bought the day before out of the fridge and put them onto the counter. I then went on the computer and got distracted by facebook with chatting to friends (dang you facebook...its a love/hate relationship able to keep me connected to my friends far away but you know how it is). I originally wanted to look for some recipes, but i was hungry so i heated some soup up. It was then i remembered the reason i went to the computer...i searched zucchini recipes and came across a Quinoa casserole one containing zucchini. I was content with the choice and printed it off, ate my soup and SLOWLY started getting everything prepped - in between this all im holding three different conversations via text - I said goodbye to facebook, hunger was at ease and i was starting to pick up speed. In total this should have only taken 20min but of course it look me closer to an hour. Oh well, good thing i had all day to do nothing!

I haven't cooked much with quinoa, this is actually only my second time. I am very happy with the recipe and its sooo yummy!! Its great as a meal or a side to something else. For me i just ate it as a meal.

Qunioa Casserole

1c quinoa
1/4c dried currants (i used dried cranberries...YUM)
1/4c sunflower seeds
1or2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
2tbls olive oil (i use coconut oil for heating as it better for you when using higher heat)
1c chopped celery, small
2med carrots, peel and chop 1/2"dice
2 small zucchini in 1"dice
1tsp ground coriander

1/2tsp paprika
pinch cayenne
1/2tsp dried ginger
1/2tsp ground cumin (i omit cause A) i HATE the taste and B) i believe im allergic to it ...long story)
1/2tsp rock salt
1 1/2-1 3/4c boiling water or stock (i used veggie broth)
NOTE: use smaller amount of H20 for slow cooker or crockpot
1/4c minced parsley or cilantro (i used cilantro)
fresh ground pepper to taste

Soak quinoa 15min -an hr, rinse three times through a fine metal strainer, leave to drain
heat olive oil on medium in large pan
stir fry celery till transparent
add carrots, stir fry 5min
add zucchini, stir fry 1min
add the spices, except for the fresh herb and salt, lower heat and stir until the start to brown
preheat oven to 350degrees. use a 3-4qt oven proof casserole dish with lid. add all ingredients except fresh herb and pepper
stir in 1 3/4c boiling h2o or stock, cover and bake 20min or until all water is absorbed (i used 2c veggie broth ooops and cooked it for 40ish min)
before serving remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick
stir in minced herb add fresh ground pepper and serve

SOOOO YUMMY!!!

happy eating
xo

pleasantly surprised

2011-05-21T12:06:00.000-04:00

I have realized that when i cook, i make 500 different things all in one day. (ok, so maybe not 500 but a lot). The other day was one of those days! I also wanted to make some blueberry muffins, looking for ingredients we were short on a few things, soy milk being the most important one. I went to google (as i often to do to get some recipe ideas) and googled "vegan blueberry muffin without soy milk recipe" i came across one and it had almond or cashew milk, well, didn't have that either and did not feel like making it but there was a banana muffin recipe so i decided to take a leap and make it into blueberry muffins (as we didn't have any super ripe bananas). As i started out it wasn't going so well...the blueberries were frozen and "creme-ing" the sugar, vegan marg and the berries was impossible (obviously!) so i just made sure the sugar and marg were mixed as i had blueberries flying everywhere. (im not the brightest sometimes) i proceeded to add the flour, baking soda and flax eggs (i had to add this in since the bananas would have been the binder, but alas, i wasn't using bananas now was i?!) i continued to mix it together and it wasn't working at all..nothing staying together...so i put the mixer down and started mixing it with my hands..it was like magic. In a few turns of the dough it started to stay together and actually resemble dough...i got my muffin tin out and filled them up, popped them in the oven and 30-40min later i had blueberry muffins! Now i wouldn't recommend this but they actually did turn out. I was pleasantly surprised. A bit hard (not rock solid) on the outside and soft on the inside...YUM!

Maybe ill actually try the original recipe when i have the ingredients, until then ill leave you with the original and my take.

Basic Vegan Banana Muffins

3 very ripe bananas
1/4c oil OR vegan marg, softened
1c sugar
2c flour
1tsp salt
1tsp baking soda
1c chopped walnuts (optional)

preheat oven to 360 in large bowl, mash bananas with fork till soft. add oil or marg and sugar and cream together in a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. combine with banana mix and stir to gently combine grease or line muffin tin and fill 2/3 full bake for 25min or until toothpick inserted comes clean

My experimental blueberry muffins

2c frozen blueberries (fresh im sure would be easier)
1/4c oil OR vegan marg, softened
1c sugar
2c flour (i did 1c white, 1c whole wheat)
1tsp salt (i didn't use)
1tsp baking soda
1c chopped walnuts (optional, i didn't use either)
replacement for 2 eggs (i use flax eggs, 1tbls ground flax and 2tbls water = 1egg)

preheat oven to 360 (i did 350, default in my mind/lack of reading recipe)
in large bowl, creme blueberries, marg and sugar together
in a separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda. combine with blueberry mix and combine with hands or spoon if that works grease or line muffin tin and fill 2/3 full bake for 25min or until toothpick inserted comes clean i think they were in for 30-40min

happy eating
xoxo

cheesy goodness

2011-05-16T13:54:00.000-04:00

I haven't made much food in the past while due to lack of time and laziness by the time i get home from work. One thing is for sure is that i LOVE my cheese. Before becoming vegan one thing i knew is that i didn't want to give up cheese. What about pizza, lasagna, cheesy toast, mac n cheese?? Well after some thinking and some reading, i bit the bullet and became vegan slightly forgetting about the fight i had in my head about cheese. At the beginning i ate lots of couscous salads, raw vegan pizza (totally forgetting it didn't have cheese on it), Indian vegan dishes, smoothies, oatmeal and i was loving it! The time came where i wanted some cheese i just had NO idea what to kind to get. There are cheeses that are rice based (YUCK), soy based (one of my favorites) and nut based (haven't tried yet). The soy based ones didn't melt like regular dairy cheese can. But it helped fill my void for melting cheese.

I forget where i first heard about Daiya cheese but boy am i glad it came along! When i found out it "melts and stretches" like cheese should my heart did a flip. I went out and bought some right away, what was there to lose except $5? My first test was a quesadilla simply because we had some wraps. I popped it in the microwave (I'm not a fan of microwaves but i couldn't wait any longer) and put it on for 1min. When it beeped i flung the door open happy to see the cheese had melted! I ripped the quesadilla apart and it stretched like cheese should. I took a bite and was sooo pleasantly surprised that i couldn't taste a difference (possibly because i haven't had any dairy/animal products in the past 9months). It was the BEST cheese. I knew from then on i would be enjoying pizza, lasagna, cheesy toast and all other things cheese from now on. At first it came in mozzarella and cheddar shreds. Just recently (past 3ish weeks) they have put out a new flavor, pepperjack! Oh boy i couldn't wait to try and again it didn't disappoint.

Daiya cheese is free of many common allergens including, dairy (casein and lactose), gluten, egg, peanuts and tree nuts (excluding coconut) and so good!! Even if you aren't allergic to anything of the above mentioned or vegan you gotta try it!

Thank you daiya for making a cheese fanatic super happy :D

www.daiyafoods.com

happy eating
xo

brain "chili"

2011-04-24T19:36:00.001-04:00

Before i went grocery shopping the other day i had 1/4 of a cucumber, 3 wilted mushrooms, jar of hot banana peppers, jar of pickled beets, fresh dill, fresh chives, a cupboard exploding with cans of beans (never can have enough), some really soft-need-to-use-NOW-tomatoes...well you get the point i basically had nothing proper to eat! I went to Muskoka Veggies (local, Ontario produce) a bit more expensive then your local grocery store but i was willing to pay the difference...so much better. Anyways, i have had chili on my mind for a while so i made a huge pot of it and it turned out GREAT! so yummy! I didn't measure any of the ingredients but when do i??

brain "chili"

carrots
celery
diced tomatoes (1can not drained)
kidney beans (1can drained)
black beans (1can drained)
corn niblets (1can drained)
2.5c veggie broth
simmer

when it was pretty much done i added about 3c tvp (textured vegetable protein) so it soaked the broth
added
a generous amount of Diane's BBQ sauce (my new best friend!)
a few grinds of black pepper
about a tablespoon of dried oregano
a bit of sweet chili sauce
a generous amount of chipotle chili powder
a few dashes of herb de Provence
let simmer for another 10min so tvp can rehydrate and enjoy!

happy eating
xo

FEISTA!!

2011-04-15T18:08:00.000-04:00

I have loving black beans and sweet potato lately. Not together but just in general. As i was flipping through a cookbook for some ideas i saw one that had black beans AND sweet potato in it, i was hooked. Checked my cupboards for the ingredients (surprisingly i had most of them) and put the ones i needed on my list.
Today was the day that i made them! and they look realllllllly yummyyyy. Cant wait till im done writing this to have one.

Southwest Sweet Potato Enchiladas

2 medium sweet potatoes, baked and diced (i diced then the baked, if theres a difference)
1/2 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15oz can black beans, drained
2 teas lime juice (i didn't measure)
2 tbs sliced green chilies (optional) (i put these in but i used a can 127ml)
2 teas chili powder (again i didn't measure)
1 teas cumin (i omit cumin because i don't like it and last time got really sick)
1 15oz can green chili enchilada sauce (i didn't have green chili just used regular enchilada sauce)
1/2C water
10-12 tortillas, warmed ( i used larger ones and used a package of 6, i also forgot to warm them oops)

In large bowl combine sweet potato, onion, garlic, beans, lime juice, chilies, chili powder and cumin mix well.
In separate bowl combine enchilada sauce and water, mix.
Spread 1/4C on bottom of casserole dish/baking dish
Use 1/3c of the bean potato mixture into tortilla repeat until filling is used
Spread remaining sauce over enchiladas covering all corners and edges
I used some daiya cheese and put it on top and also put foil over the dish to keep moisture in.
Bake at 350F 25-30min

Happy eating
xoxo

guilt free

2011-04-09T11:47:00.000-04:00

i bought some dried cranberries the other day and was pleasantly surprised at how much i like them. they are delicious!! but im sure you all knew that already. i made a little mixture of yummyness as i was heading to work.

cashews
almonds
brazilnuts
dried cranberries
dried blueberries
raisins
carob chips

so good and dont need to feel guilty even with the carob chips!

happy eating
xo

my favorite type of sauce??.....versatile sauce!

2011-04-06T14:46:00.000-04:00

when i cook i normally dont follow a recipe, i think its more fun creating, experimenting and discovering new things. i may look at different recipes for some ideas but in the end i make my own creation. a few weeks ago i needed to use up most of my vegtables so i decided to make a sauce. it turned out GREAT! (recipe to follow). i made some pasta and used the freshly homemade sauce and it was soo yummy!! the next night as i was making pizza i realized i didnt have any pizza sauce. so i used my homemade sauce and it worked great! a few nights later i made lasagna and used the same sauce (i made HEAPS!) versatile sauce is what i like to call it!

now you may thinking "well, duh! it can work for both" but hey just go with me :) ..anyways there is no method of madness to the recipe and you can add however much, of any of the ingredients. this is what i used and did

spinach
1can crushed tomato
tomato (real ones not canned ones)
carrot
celery
mushroom
orange pepper
chilli flakes (i put lots since i love spicy food and it adds a nice touch)
dianes bbq sauce (i know may be weird but didnt add a whole bunch)
oregano
basil
pepper

now i just peeled and cut what needed to be done and they were large chunks. put it on simmer (i was going to work..and im sure a crock pot would do the job even better). once the veggies were soft enough, i used my handy hand blender and blended it all up!

happy eating
xo

hello internet world

2011-04-04T23:20:00.001-04:00

i love cooking, i love food and i love talking about cooking and food. im always sending a text to my friends, calling them and even sending pictures of the finished product. at work im known for always talking about my latest creation. im sure my friends/co-workers are tired of my rants and raves so i decided to start a blog. where i can rant and rave about my latest creation to the internet world and i wont even know if you just move on after the first sentance...

so today i woke up to a rainy type day. it wasnt raining but it sure was cloudy and blah looking, perfect for a most-of-the-day-off day. i had some leeks in the fridge that needed to be used up, thats when it dawned on me that leek and rainy type days go together like: pb to the j, star to the burst, pillow to the bed, syrup to the waffles...well, you get the idea

i had made leek and poato soup a while back so i wanted to try something different, i googled "vegan recipes with leek" and combined 3 into one and it looks something like this...

leek, carrot, sweet potato and coconut milk soup

2 sweet potato
3 carrot
3 leek
4.5c veg broth
1can coconut milk
few twists of pepper
large pinch of chilli flakes

peel and cut sweet potato and carrot. add it to the veg broth and simmer until soft. cut and wash the leek, add to sweet potato and carrot also add a few twists of pepper and a large pinch of chilli flakes (i LOVE things spicy) in the last 10-15min of cooking. once soft a)blend with a hand blender in the pot (which i use) or b) let it cool and put in blender. after blending stir in the coconut milk and enjoy

its also yummy with a slice of bread (homemade is the best and the way i go) with some butter and dip it in!
happy eating
xo