Icicles at Peppercorn Park, Gold River BC

It’s been a long time since my last post, or so it feels anyway! My Guy and I went away last weekend to visit my Folks for a little visit. I guess we should have paid closer attention to the weather forecasts instead of thinking “Oh it will pass…” The visit was great; we even made it out on a snowy walk down to Peppercorn Park where I spent countless hours of childhood sunning on the rocks and swimming in crystal clear waters. What greeted us this time was a Winter Wonderland. Icicles hung from the cliffs, the huge rocks that seem so hard to walk over on First Beach in the warmer months were covered in a carpet of soft snow. We had no trouble moving fast across them…to the waters edge. Not yet frozen and still as clear as I remember.

It wasn’t until the drive home, in a snowstorm, 22 km out of the nearest town where there is NO cell service did we decide to get in a little ‘accident.’ The rest is as you can imagine. Standing in the driving wind and snow, our car completely vertical down an embankment and our only hope in help is dependant on the kindness of strangers. Without cell service we needed a Good Samaritan to call a tow truck for us once they reached a phone…

And then the ferries back to mainland were cancelled…so an impromptu night at the Ramada in Nanaimo was where we spent the night.

Bottom line? We are both fine, damage to car is minimal we think and My Guy said to me at the time, “There’s nobody else I would rather be stranded with.”

So what cool things have I found this week that I’m either excited about or just has my interested piqued? Read on my friends!

I’m not sure I believe this article entitled, “Girl Eats Nothing But Chicken McNuggets for 15 years“. I first read about it earlier today on my iPhone and thought it was pure crap, and wanted to research it more when I got home. I’ve read the article again and some parts just don’t ‘click’. I’m wondering first off, why this girl isn’t overweight? Also secondly, why is her skin so good? She LOOKS happy and healthy. I’m sure the article is grossly exaggerated; maybe she just really likes them and ate them frequently. It just brings to mind though how fast food is EVERYWHERE and the earlier we teach our young people about moderation and what to consume to fuel their body properly, then think of how that would decrease diseases like diabetes and heart attacks. We love to eat in our house and I can’t personally imagine why anyone would want McDonalds food over My Guy’s stir fry, or my amazing baked Mac & Cheese with buttered cracker crumb topping.

Now something I’m truly excited about is Fairy Cakes WILL be opening next month here in Vancouver. It’s been delayed and set back due to some unforeseen problems arising with the building location….but the company has recently posted that they are opening! The website isn’t up and running yet but keep checking or keep reading my blog for more details. I’ve been lucky enough to try these cupcakes several times and I’ve never been disappointed, well except for the fact one isn’t ever enough. I always want more. Dairy free, egg free, organic, nut free and peanut free are just some of the reasons to get excited about Fairy Cakes. Store front opening soon at 3586 Fraser St or call 604-442-YUMM (9866) for more info!! Can’t wait till next month? Go to Nice Shoes (3568 Fraser St) on January 29th from 12:30-4 pm to check out the cities coolest selection of Vegan footwear and try a Fairy Cake! What else you doing this weekend anyway?

Avon was recently caught in a little lie. Uncaged, one the leading experts in animal experimentation in the UK, got the company to finally retract the statement on their site and advertising claiming they don’t test on animals. In fact Avon has made NO secret they do toxicity testing on animals but maybe they figured having that claim there for all to see would ease their conscience? Or sell more product?

I’m sure there is more stuff to tell you all, but this will have to do for now! Stay tuned…

New snack you will love! popchips

Ever lost your digital camera? Or found one maybe and checked out the pics taken? Thanks to my bro for sending me the link to a site that posts pics from ‘found’ cameras all over the world in the hopes SOMEBODY will recognize them. The site doesn’t really have a name except ifoundyourcamera.net and that’s about it…it tells it like it is. I’m super proud to report the site is based in Canada and I think they’re doing a great job. We all know how important our photo’s are to us, so if you can help in identifying some pics or have some of your own to post- please do! Help these lost pics find the way home…

I blogged a little while back about the distressing fact My Guy and I could no longer find the PC Blue Label Meatless Beef Strips anymore.  They appear to be gone from the coolers and the label has vanished…BUT there was a new product to be seen in the frozen section. I’d love to provide a link to it, but alas I can’t find it in the PC Blue Menu vegetarian (meatless) line up on the site. The product is called “Vegetarian Tips” and look like ‘beef tips’ or chunks. In my excitement of spotting this product I must not have read the packaging completely; I swear it said meatless beef on it…not just vegetarian tips. No worries because there is no meat in it, and it’s a combo of wheat gluten, soy protein and ancient grains. Really. I didn’t make that last part up, it truly says ancient grains. The taste was not identical to the meatless beef strips and now that I’ve looked at the actual packaging I can see why; it’s not the same product. I chose to brown it and then use in a stew and it was flavourful and tasty, the stew was a success, but I’m honestly not sure how it will stand up in one of my My Guy’s legendary stir-fry’s. Stay tuned.

Last weekend I tried a ‘new to me’ snack. I think the product itself is relatively new however and it’s called popchips. The tag line states, ‘think popped. Never fried. Never baked.’ The website states fried is fattening and baked is tasteless. How true. Anyway I scored a sample of the plain popchips and have to admit I was very impressed, and very intrigued to try more. A regular potato chip it’s not and I don’t think it will really satisfy that craving we sometimes desire….BUT it did satisfy my need to snack. It was a new sensation and not at all a bad one! The chips were light, really crunchy and airy (without being fluffy and empty!). I only had a tiny bag and was sad when it came to the end. I easily could have eaten more. I know what you’re thinking- what about the label?? I had the single serving packet and that came in at just 100 calories! I’m always looking for 100 calorie snacks because it’s a nice round number to track calories by. If you have snacks that equal 100 calories each, you can easily monitor what you’re eating between meals. The flavours available are amazing too! Chili Lime, Parmesan & Garlic and Cheddar to name a few. Check out popchips for your next snack.

Alongside the beautiful country were of course, the beautiful people. I was lucky enough to meet and hang out with several of My Guys treasured and dearest friends from when he was younger. I met some fantastic individuals that I’m looking forward to learning more about over the years to come. It was a time of self discovery, learning, acceptance and love. I had an amazing time and it was with a somewhat heavy heart we boarded the place at Gatwick to come “home.”

But now to answer the question on everyone’s mind: What is the food like? Is it true the Brits deep fry EVERYTHING? I don’t know about that personally because I didn’t have alot of deep fried things regularly, but did ingest a helluva lot of carbs and processed food. Much more than I would normally! I didn’t have as much fresh veggies as I do here at home, but that was probably just because there was a fair amount of ‘eating out’. Supermarkets however, don’t have the abundance or array of produce that North American chains offer; and display it in plastic crates. From what I saw and tasted though, the quality and freshness was not lacking! I think it comes down to differences in packaging and displaying…

We had a disastrous introduction to Quorn that some of my readers may already know about. I don’t care if I NEVER see this product again. It was nasty. Pure nasty. I feel a bit of sorrow for UK Newbie Vegetarians who may try this product thinking it’s their only choice and be totally and completely turned off. One of the local grocer chains, Morrisons, offered up their own version of some veggie delights such as “Chicken Kiev” that was incredibly delicious. My Guy and I tried several of their entrees for vegetarians and were quite impressed. Way to go Morrisons!

A major food highlight was a trip to Hendersons of Edinburgh- Vegetarian Restaurant and Arts Venue. My Guy had told me how he used to have lunches there and was always amazed with the selection and quality available to Vegetarians. I had read through the website before our trip so I was familiar with the history and how much the business had grown over the years. I was thrilled to see a thriving family business amongst so many chain-type eateries pumping out the same crap day after day. Hendersons did NOT disappoint in the slightest. We ate there 2 times and both were absolutely delicious and not overpriced! I found the counter help friendly and didn’t mind my endless questions about the items offered. All in all it was an experience and one I recommend highly to anyone, vegetarian or omni, travelling to Edinburgh to try out!

Now to end this post I want to mention a little something I fell in love with, called a Chip Buttie. It’s far from healthy, it’s loaded with calories and fat and it’s sinfully delectable. Since I don’t eat fish, there isn’t much I can have at the local fish ‘n chip shops…but My Guy introduced me to the almighty Chip Buttie and I haven’t been the same since. The magic though, is in the Scottish Morning Roll…I have to admit I didn’t enjoy the English ones so much…

The Almighty Chip Buttie (ok yes it's a glorified french-fry sandwich but really its so much more!)

First bite? NASTY. I got a very enthusiastic thumbs down from My Guy upon his first taste. He proclaimed they needed more seasoning salt. I countered with, ‘I didn’t use any seasoning salt! We don’t have any!’ But I highly doubt seasoning salt would have made that much of a difference. I had about 5 ‘chips’ in total before I gave up and near my last one, I did sort of see the possibility when I got a completely crunchy one…but with it I got a mouthful of disintegrated kale-dust coating my gums and a bitter flavour. What did I do wrong my faithful readers?? Does anyone know why kale chips get all these amazing reviews online? Are these reviews planted by fakes? Someone tell me! We want to eat more kale, we know we should eat more kale…but I don’t see it happening in the form of ‘chips’ again anytime soon.

Second thing I want to talk about is Holy Crap Cereal. For the umpteenth time I HAVE NOT TRIED THIS STUFF! I simply can’t justify paying over $10 for what looks like maybe 2 cups of product in an inflated bag. If I was to be sent some, I’d surely try it because I’m curious, just like the people writing to me asking me about the cereal! But folks it’s simply not in my budget at this time, and I’m not sure it ever will be. I’ve looked at the ingredient list and think I can maybe come up with something similar on my own…Alas, I’m proud of their story and proud they’re Canadian but unless it comes down about 50% in cost, it won’t be on my breakfast menu.

We’ve been partaking in a few cold brews this summer in the back yard. To shake things up a bit, I started buying mingler or sampler packs. Some have been great and others, well, have been forgettable. I want to give a shout to a local tried-and-true-never-disappointed brew made right here in my little ‘ol town. Granville Island Brewery is a treasured establishment here in Van City that continuously produces top-notch ales that make the craft brewing industry proud. My current fave is the Brockton IPA.

I also want to make sure I give a proper shout out as well to the other hometown brew of choice hailing from the Okanagan: Okanagan Spring Brewery. I’m currently digging the 1516 Lager. There are alot of choices when it comes to craft beers and sometimes it can be overwhelming. If you want something great, want something local…for a reasonable price, then don’t overlook these 2 breweries! Trust me. I’m thirsty just thinking about it…

A little birdie (OK a co-worker…) told me the price of Genuine Health Greens + has gone up in price- significantly! We already pay $59.99 a tub here in Vancouver and if you’re lucky you can find it on sale somewhere for maybe $5 cheaper. My co-worker told me she paid up to $10 more recently! I haven’t had to purchase a new tub yet but I will have to soon, and can I afford to fork out almost $70 for my Greens? I honestly don’t know but it isn’t looking all that possible right now. I’ll be cutting the amount I use in half in hopes I can stretch the container and still have the benefits I’ve come to love from the product. I find it helps my tummy dramatically and if I lose this little bit of peace for my guts, I’m not sure what I’ll do.

The regular readers to this blog know I rave on and on about the PC Blue Label Worlds Best Meatless products…and other meat subs that use gardein. I’ve always been able to buy these products at Superstore here on the West Coast since they are Presidents Choice items…until recently. It started out innocently enough: we couldn’t find the Worlds Best Meatless Meatballs ANYWHERE. I thought, ‘OK they are popular, they’re just out of stock…’ and I held on to this belief for a month or so while I ran around the city checking out No Frills and Superstore for the balls. I could never find them and eventually the label disappeared from the freezer shelf where it had always been….it was replaced with Angus Beef Meatballs. Two rows of them! Why?? Why would Presidents Choice do this? These meatballs are a superior product. I know meat-eaters who love them! We have spaghetti and meatball night in our house that is now ruined and has become Taco Tuesday much to Moops chagrin…tacos sometimes just don’t cut it. I’m wondering if the Worlds Best Meatless Burger will be next? I love being a Vegetarian but too often we get these cool new products, they grab and hook us in…and then the product disappears…like the stuffed “chicken” breasts from Schneider’s. Remember those fellow Veggies?

I’ve got a bone to pick with the PC people and I’m looking for ways to get hold of Galen Weston Jr so I can REALLY vent how I feel! I could go on because there is ANOTHER product we can’t find….*sigh* It’s just simply gone from Superstore. The Meatless Beef Strips. But alas, I’ll leave this for now until I speak to Mr. Weston. Inquiring Veggie minds (and those who simply want to eat more healthy) want to know…stay tuned.

My dear friend M has been experimenting with spaghetti squash. To be specific, she is looking to use it as a traditional wheat spaghetti substitute due to gastrointestinal issues. She has tried the oven and microwave methods and says it always comes out crunchy. It seems like it’s a really sore spot with M, because she wants her dishes to turn out, but wants a spaghetti like texture. I personally have zero experience with this squash; it’s always freaked me out to be honest. I think I will expand my horizons however and experiment with this…I found some amazing recipes online today. I also found this informative article about how to best prepare the squash…it certainly looks appealing! And easy. I like that.

I’m still plagued by a stalker of YEARS ago. I know that person is reading this very post, because I can see all the various places they access my website from in the city they live in. As each new one appears, I flag it and block the access thinking surely they will get the hint. Sadly, their life must be so empty (and lonely) that to dwell on the past and re-live the hurt and anguish they put me through, is the only way to get some sort of satisfaction each day. I was really bothered at first because I’d been left alone for years and knew that once I did put a blog and website up, that I would become vulnerable in a sense…but now I feel sadness for this person. I haven’t forgiven and don’t know that I ever will…and I haven’t forgotten either because my life WAS hell during that time. I would appreciate it from the bottom of my heart if I could just be left alone by this person and nothing would bring me more peace than to know they had moved on…I certainly did and with thanks.

Always go with your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, someone seems too possessive…too weird…go with your gut. I wish I had.

I’m in a better place obviously now and LOVE the people in my life. With all my heart.

“Sing as if nobody can hear you…live like there is no tomorrow.”

PC Blue Menu The Worlds Best Seasoned Meatless Chicken Breasts: I was desperately looking through the frozen section at Superstore YET AGAIN, for the Worlds Best Meatless Meatballs and stumbled across these beauties. Imagine my total surprise. Here was what we’d been waiting for….gardein “chickn” breasts in a bulk package in the frozen section for a reasonable price! Now the stuff I saw wasn’t seasoned…and it was made with gardein…so I’m not sure if this is the exact product but you get the idea. I love the idea of buying these, but as much as I love the gardein brand on it’s own, it’s simply out of my price range unless a HUGE sale is on. The fact PC Blue Menu uses gardein (obviously through some private agreement) is amazing because its makes this versatile protein choice for vegetarians very affordable. Now if only I could find out what happened the meatless meatballs……..

Raising Money for a Good Cause: Last weekend Moops set up shop outside the front of the house here in Mount Pleasant and sold chocolate brownies, iced tea and various household items we didn’t need….and it was all to raise money for a good cause. In case you didn’t know, Moops is 8 years old and came up with this idea on her own. She raised $64 which she will be presenting to the BCSPCA later this week. She was thrilled when her 1st customer climbed the steps and saddened when the last walked away. We couldn’t be more proud.

Possibly the Cutest Idea for Sandals…EVER: I’m in love with these adorable sandals with animal prints ON THE BOTTOM! How cool is this??  There are 5 styles to choose from and include birds too! I just love the idea and think they look so whimsical in the sand. Now I can’t say for sure how comfy square sandals would truly be; I would no doubt be tripping over my own feet but then again, I’d be so tickled with my footprints I wouldn’t notice…I hope.

New Body Butter at The Body Shop: I was getting my Body Butter fix last weekend and noticed some new scents at The Body Shop. I picked up my usual Shea Butter and had a Coconut Butter in hand but then saw a new line called Dreams Unlimited. It smelled really damn fresh…uplifting even….but fresh and clean. Personally I’m always looking for those clean scents that are subtle but feminine and this seemed to be it. I bought it and I’ve not used it on my entire body yet, just a few places to ‘test drive’ the scent if you will, and fear it may be overpowering. I’ll try my whole body and get back to you. I want to love this body butter so I hope I’m not disappointed!

Fairy Cakes Now has a HOME on Fraser Street in Vancouver! OPENING SOON at 3586 Fraser Street… Website coming soon I’m told.

That additive is called carageenan and she first noticed it in her soy milk (I ran home and checked my beloved Silk Soy Milk and sure enough, it’s listed as an ingredient). Carageenan comes from algae or seaweed and is often used as a thickener in place of an animal product, such as gelatin. Its found in most soy milks to thicken and allow for a more “cow’s milk” like texture and mouth feel. I decided to do some of my own research and found this ingredient in the following items: beer, toothpaste, 4 brands of soy milk at the grocery store, pet food and diet soda. I realized at this point, I could probably look at almost every item in the grocery store and find carageenan.

So what’s the big deal you ask? So what if there is a natural additive in our food? When I think “natural” I think of MSG which is extracted from rice or good ‘ol asparatame from decayed plant matter…all natural baby!

When carageenan gets singled out in numerous articles and studies online, as well as from some personal sources, it makes me wonder. Digging a little deeper I found that since the 1940′s when it was discovered, carageenan has been used frequently in lab tests to produce inflammatory tumors and immunodeficiency related conditions. It has long been written about as a ‘toxin’ or ‘allergen’ and those with forms of colitis should steer clear of foods that contain it.

I feel I’ve only hit the tip of the iceberg here and want to explore the world of carageenan further. I wanted to get the word out now and hope that my readers may want to share their experiences. I’ve only found 2 soymilks that do NOT use this additive so far: 8th Continent and Vitasoy and neither of these I personally drink.

Since I’m on a quest to find out as many triggers I can for my own tummy and bowel issues, I thought this was a topic worth mentioning. Stay tuned.

If there was one negative with greens+ it would just be the cost. It’s alot of money to fork out at once, but the tub really does last a long time. The pros far outweigh the cons with this product. Sometimes I’m stumped with all the greens products Genuine Health offers…and although I want to try others, I am absolutely happy with the daily detox and extra energy. I figure why mess with a good thing…If you’re feeling sluggish, tired or got the blahs I recommend trying the greens+ extra energy. What have you got to lose? Kudos to the company for a healthy and ‘good for you’ daily supplement!

My Guy and I have recently discovered we love playing Frisbee together…and although I was sadly out of practice our first night out, I am happy to report I’ve improved drastically. It took me several tries to ‘remember’ how I used to throw…and get back in the groove. Sure I still send a crazy-off-the-wall-totally-crooked-where-the-hell-did-that-come-from kind of throw every once in a while, but I truly think those are happening less and less (My Guy won’t say different….) It’s a great work out because Frisbee is non-stop cardio and lots of bending, jumping and lunging. We both feel it in our legs and arms the next day. When was the last time you threw a Frisbee around? I think it’s a good thing to re-visit this summer to get your heart rate RACING…

We would love to play more Frisbee but alas, we’re still waiting for summer to begin…it was nice a few days ago…and it promises to be nice this weekend. At the moment however I’m staring out the window at a sheet of rain falling from the dull grey sky. I shouldn’t be surprised though because it DOES rain alot here but this much?? For this long?

It’s so dreary and fall-like outside, My Guy whipped us up a batch of veggie chili, my garlic bread is waiting to go in the oven…it’s comfort food time.

I hope where you are it’s warm. Enjoy.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Muffin

I was wandering around the house tonight wanting to snack and/or bake…but also so aware NONE of my summer clothes fit me properly. I pulled out my faithful recipe book and turned to all my muffin recipes. There was one in there, probably about 6 or 7 years old and I’ve never made it but the ingredient list always intrigued me. I thought “there is way too much stuff in this recipe for it to cook properly!” I simply ignored the recipe until tonight. Tonight it spoke to me. I didn’t have all the ingredients, as usual; I always tend to ‘tweak’ a recipe and put my own touch on it. It’s a chunky muffin to say the least, jam-packed with good ‘stuff’ and it may seem like not alot of batter. Throw common sense out the window for this one folks and try it. Oh and they’re practically fat free too.

For those recipe-purists out there I will post the recipe as it was given to me, but I’ll put my changes in parentheses beside.

1 cup grated zucchini or a mix of carrot and zucchini (I opted for the mix)

1/2 cup Applesauce

1/4 cup raisins

1 14 oz tin of mandarin oranges, drained and cut finely (I had none, so used pineapple tidbits!)

1 cup of a flaked cereal (author used Special K, I used bran flakes)

1/4 cup oil (I chose NOT to use this, subbed applesauce instead for all but 2 tbsp and that I did use oil for)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup sugar (*UPDATE: Just had a 2nd one and very sweet. I would say you don’t need a full 1/3 cup. I’m just sayin’…)

3/4 cup WW flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp cinnamon

dash nutmeg

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 chopped walnuts (I didn’t have any so I used pecans instead)

1/4 soy milk or regular milk (I didn’t even need this!)

3 tbsp coconut for topping (I didn’t have any so used pumpkin seeds!)

- PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES F

-I used 12 regular sized muffin cups, or could use 6 large if you had them. Will need to be greased or non-stick paper liners used.

-In large bowl mix zucchini (and carrot), raisins, oranges, applesauce and cereal. Set aside.

-Stir in oil if using and vanilla

-In separate bowl add dry: flours, sugar, spices, BP, BS and salt

-Add dry to the wet and fold in nuts. This would be when you would add in the milk if the batter is not moist enough but I found I didn’t need it.

-Divide evenly into muffin cups and top with coconut (or pumpkin seeds in my case)

-Bake 20 mins or until toothpick comes out clean. I had to do 30 minutes…oh and just because I always need a little chocolate a threw in a few chocolate chips too!

 I know this seems a little un-traditional in the mixing and not at all like a normal muffin recipe…I thought so too and perhaps that’s why I ignored it for so long. I’m not disappointed though. I find them sweet, hearty and healthy.

We had a wolf drop by the clinic today. No, not a “pet” wolf- it was a wild one from the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife  who needed some medical attention. He came heavily sedated with his OWN Veterinarian and several others standing guard. I have to admit I was expecting this lithe grey coloured wolf like the ones recently featured in a National Geographic article I read…not the HUGE furry white beast that was carried in. His sheer size surprised me- he was massive. Had I familiarized myself with the Grouse Mountain website, I would have known what to expect! Weighing in at only 100 lbs though, it was pretty clear his coat was quite thick and dense thus attributing to that weight. For a ‘small animal practice’ it was pretty exciting to have a wild animal of that kind in our humble little clinic!

Last night, as My Guy and I sat through the most intense, nail-biter of a hockey game he said, “I can’t wait for hockey to be over so we can go for a bike ride again.” As much as we love our dear Canucks and the fact we’re in the Stanley Cup Finals, I don’t think we’ve even so much as glanced at our bikes for the past 3 weeks. Some may say it’s a sad excuse for hockey isn’t on EVERY night after all…but it’s our story and we’re sticking with it. We do have several days ahead of us however before the next game…so really there isn’t a valid reason I can’t get out and ride. Oh wait, yeah I forgot: IT’S POURING RAIN OUTSIDE!! Summer is creeping up on us and I’m not bikini-ready…

 I bought a big jug of OJ at my last grocery shop with the intent of getting back into taking my Greens. I used to take this stuff faithfully and felt great while doing it…and then I let life get in the way and I stopped. I started out using the Greens + Extra Energy and then with all the bowel and intestinal issues I had, I thought perhaps the Greens + Daily Detox might be a better product. I really did notice a difference on the Extra Energy but I got lazy. That’s all there is to it. This product doesn’t come super cheap but I truly feel like it’s money well spent because it’s so good for my body. I had some last night and will again tonight. If you haven’t tried the Greens products from Genuine Health I suggest you look into them and give them a try. Plus the website is jam-packed with info so that alone is a great place to start! Personally I’m happy and I’ve only tried 2 of them! Oh if only I could afford more! 

Coming soon will be some new recipes and reviews so check back often!