The "benefits" of working with your goofy partner

I stepped 10 paces away from my desk, for less than 3 minutes, and came back to find Photoshop open and this on my computer screen.

A focus on the positive.

This week, several good things happened that I'd like to share and take joy in.

1. I was accepted for a volunteer position on the newly formed Communications Committee at the Toronto Vegetarian Association. I will be part of a 6 person team that reports to the Board of Directors, making recommendations and implementing ideas for upcoming advertising, marketing, branding and general communications of the Association. Yay!
   
2. On Monday I attended, with a good friend, a How To Start a Food Business workshop. Because I am always thinking about opening a vegan café.
3. The workshop also helped me think a bit more about another side project I've been planning. A small business, not related to food.
4. I got to hang out for a few hours with my good friend, her husband and their incredibly cute and intense 4 month old son.
5. Also on Monday, the same friend gave me belated birthday gifts - two of which will, coincidentally and unintentionally, help greatly with the small business idea mentioned above.
6. I bought a great pair of non-leather shoes, second-hand, for half price at Value Village. They are in really good condition so I'm not worried about contracting any weird foot diseases.
7. 2 large rush projects have been almost completed at work. We are just waiting on production, which we have no control over, and we'll ship next week. The client is extremely happy with the pieces and our work.

What got me thinking about and appreciating these good things is one big awful thing that happened to two people I adore. Their mother was just devastatingly diagnosed with incurable blood cancer. I can't imagine what they are going through, emotionally. My thoughts and heart are with them.

As petty as it is to consider a great bargain on thrifted shoes a good thing in light of my friends' mother being sick, I am reminding myself to take joy in what I have. Because at least I am here to enjoy it.

Avoiding numerous things

1. finishing hair colour
2. making 2 1 batches of vegan cupcakes for party tonight (gingerbread, and peanut butter)
   
3. washing dishes
4. making hummus for party tonight (chickpeas are still cooking anyway)
   
5. cleaning bathroom
   
6. washing clothes, and bedding for possible overnight guests
7. work that must be done and sent to client before Monday

In the spirit of the day...

... here are some of my favourite photos of my boy and me.


sick boy having a sicky day on the couch.


after a photoshoot at work, I put this INFINITY piece together with the images that weren't used by the client.


taken on our first trip together, 4 months into the relationship. We were on a cenote and Chichen Itza day trip in Mexico.


more selfies, taken on a cliff near our boss's cottage during a team-building weekend.


shot during a camping trip this past summer.

It's been just over two years and I can't imagine life without you, David.

Happy Bloody Valentine's Day, 2007!

As I mentioned last year, the boy and I do not really celebrate Valentine's Day in the traditional way. We do not buy gifts or cards or have a romantic dinner or anything like that. We celebrate by having a more anti-Valentine's Day - dinner (we're having stir-fry again! with peanut sauce!), wine and a horror movie. Last year, it was Saw II, which was aaaaawful. But we've heard that Saw III is a lot better, so we're thinking of celebrating with this third installment. If anyone has seen Saw III and hated it, please let me know so I can think of a new idea quick!

Mittens? check!

Last night during a tense 2 hours of 24, I finished my first pair of mittens! They are a bit tight on my wide hands (damn my gauge!) and they didn't really pass the cold test in -26 C weather this morning, but I figure I can give it another go soon. The peekaboo hole is super convenient, and even came in handy at work where the heat had gone all screwy and I needed to keep my fingers warm while I moused and typed.

Food Log | February 13, 2007

breakfast:

• Mishka Müsli:
• 1/2 cup large flake rolled oats - not instant!
  
• 1/2 handful dried cranberries
• 1/2 handful nuts (this morning it was raw almonds)
• 2 tbsp ground flax
• cinnamon and cardamom
• 1/3 cup soy creamer, plus a little water
  
• coffee (at home*)
  

lunch, part 1:

• bowl filled with:
• chopped savoy cabbage
• carrots*
• radishes
• green onion
• romaine lettuce
• chickpeas*
• tahini dressing (mostly*)
  
• water

lunch, part 2:

• same as lunch, part 1
  

dinner:

• tbd. I was hoping to do up a samosa calzone, but I forgot to take the pizza dough out of the freezer. boo.
• 2 bowls of chili - with lots of beans, tomatoes, garlic, and other stuff
  
• beer
  

Vitamins:

• sublingual B12
  

*organic

i hart YouTube

My brother and sister-in-law came over this weekend, and Saturday night we spent too much time on YouTube looking up old TV shows that we watched as kids. I just found this!




Other shows we looked up:
The World of Oz
Hilarious House of Frightenstein
Classic Sesame Street
Davey and Goliath

ah, good times.

Food Log | February 12, 2007

breakfast:

• 4 slices of leftover vegan pizza (no cheese, sundried tomatoes, garlic, green olives, mushroms)
• coffee (at home*)
  

lunch:

• large bowl of leftover indian food:
• basmati rice mixed with various little curries

• 1 really greasy samosa (thanks for forgetting it in the fridge, little brother! *wink*)

dinner:

• salad:
• romaine
• savoy cabbage
• radishes
• green onion
• green pepper
• celery
• raw beet
  
• carrot*
• canned chickpeas
• choco rice pudding
• beer
  

Vitamins:

• sublingual B12, iron, calcium
  

*organic

My Canada's Food Guide

So, there's been all this buzz about the updated Canada's Food Guide since this is the first time it's been updated since before my mom was born. There's some good stuff, I have to admit, but I still dislike the reliance on a dairy category. I do like, however, that they've changed the name to "Milk and Alternatives". Thing is, it's pretty apparent to vegans and people with dairy allergies that you can get the same nutrients - including calcium! - from the other 3 categories*. A lot of what you find in milk is fortified anyway - so why place such importance on dairy? *squints at the powerful Dairy Council*

I also love how much they're pushing fresh vegetables and whole grains!

Being easily amused, and a lover of all things customizable, I created my own food guide from the website. It is based on my age, gender, and the types of stuff I eat. Give it a try! I created one for me and the boy, and I'm going to start using it as a guide for my meals - both ingredients and serving sizes.

* have a peek at the Vegan Food Guide developed by EarthSave for some great dairy alternatives!

Dangerous relationship questions.

It is not in my personality to ask "Does this make me look fat?". I know how tricky that is to answer. Secondly, I can pretty much tell if I look fat in something or not. And finally, I often do not care if I look fat.

But I discovered that I have my own version of a tricky question:

"Do I look like a clown?"

The boy answered "No."

But I knew I kinda did. And I was okay with that.



Me, wearing a black dress under my winter coat, green bloomers, black tights, winter boots, stripey socks, red hoodie, red+cream scarf, red+black head thingy and messy ponytails.

Sharing the Love

This Friday, is the official opening of my friend Vanessa's show, titled Share the Love. If you're kickin' around the city, why don't you stop by...

SHARE THE LOVE
A collection of modern expressions
with comic & grafitti styles on canvas

Vanessa Storoniak

JETFUEL
519 Parliament St.
(1/2 blk North of Carlton St.)

Feb 6 - Feb 28
daily 7am - 8pm

OPENING RECEPTION
Friday February 9
8pm-12pm

Food Log | February 6, 2007

breakfast:

• a bowl of about 1/2 cup of rolled oats moistened with hot water, mixed with
• 2 tbsp ground flax
• 1/2 handful of dried cranberries
• small handful of walnuts
• coffee*
• lots of unsweetened cranberry juice throughout the day to get rid of a UTI
  

lunch:

• 1 microwaved potato
• 4 romaine lettuce leaves*
• 2 T lime-sesame dressing
• high-fibre whole wheat pita for stuffing
• 1 can of club soda
  

dinner:

• cranberry juice, 1 beer
  
• 4 slices of fried Yves Veggie Canadian Bacon on 2 slices of whole wheat toast, with vegenaise
  
• 1 big salad of:
• lettuce, radishes, celery, green pepper, walnuts, red onion, carrot and a homemade sesame-lemon vinaigrette

snack:

• handful of raw almonds
  

*organic

Sometimes you just gotta get it out of your head

This post is dedicated to my awesome cousin Jamie who, at brunch this past Saturday, turned to the veg*n section of the menu at Maggie's on College and Bathurst and ordered himself a vegan brunch combo. (I'm ignoring the fact that he had one of his partner's sausages...)

Warning: if you are sensitive to hokiness, navigate away from the page now!


Potato Frittata
--------------------

Potato Frittata
What a wonderful choice!

Potato Frittata
Makin' animals rejoice!

It means no critters
are sitting on your plate.

It's an animal-free potato patty.
Potato Frittata!

Food Log | February 2, 2007

breakfast (I cut down on my morning fibre intake - I think I eated too much of it):

• a bowl of about 1/2 cup of rolled oats* moistened with hot water, mixed with
  
• 2 tbsp ground flax
• 1/2 handful of dried cranberries
  
• 1/4 cup granola
  
• coffee* (not mixed with the above :) )
  

lunch:

• 2 bean burritos - beans, white tortillas, sauce
  
• about 8 of the boy's french fries

snack:

• 1 cup of sliced cucumbers mixed with
  
• 1/4 of a beet (sliced)
• 3 radishes
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• sesame oil and lemon juice
  

dinner:

• 4 slices of cheeseless pizza
• 1 glass of wine
• 1 can of diet pepsi
• large handful of BBQ peanuts
  

Vitamins:

• sublingual B12
  

*organic

Peekaboo!

The February issue of Magknits is up. I swear, for the past 2 weeks I've been thinking about knitting myself a pair of mittens similar to convertibles, but have been waiting to finish my arm warmers. Which, at this rate, will be another 2 weeks. Originally, I was thinking about extending the arm warmers past my fingers and creating a closure at the top that would keep the cold out when I was outside but would also let my fingers escape so I could grab my keys, maneuver my Metro Pass, poke someone in the eye, etc. But then I found these:


Mittens with a Peekaboo hole! Perfect! My one addition will be to make a pocket (that subway knitter is brilliant) to hold my Metro Pass so I don't have to fumble for the card with my bag and wallet at the turnstile anymore. Of course, by the time I get around to finishing these the snow will probably be melted...