I touched base on Friday with a dear friend I’ve been missing. As we connected I discovered she’s been suffering from Ulcerative Colitis for some years now. I had no idea she was battling this, or that it was so extreme, painful and often debilitating. I thought that she was one of the strongest people I’ve ever known to get out of bed and continue to go through each day living with this disease. She opened my eyes to what ulcerative colitis is, what triggers it, how it affects her life and how it can even go into remission. As we talked she let me in on a little additive the food industry uses ALOT and how she feels it’s a trigger for her colitis. She discovered through her own research, and trial and error, that this ingredient can cause a serious flare up.

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.

I have no excuses to NOT exercise and to not have these extra pounds come off. Ideally I’d love to drop the weight before My Guy and I go to the UK in September. That’s my goal and since it’s not a huge amount of weight, I feel it’s a realistic and attainable goal. You know, even when it’s not alot of weight, it’s enough that clothes don’t feel right on my body, my self esteem is lower and overall I don’t feel very positive. I try not to let it bother me and just let my mind settle on it late at night; usually when I’m in bed. I promise myself to be more comfortable in my own skin and to lose these extra pounds safely and intelligently. If you have a goal you can set, and join me in the journey, all the better! This is one task that’s better done with someone for sure…

Clockwise top left: Potato & Cauliflower Curry, Chana Masala, Mango Chutney, Roti, Vegetarian Tofu Chili and Rice with Cumin Seeds

Today My Guy dished up an amazing vegetarian meal before we headed to (how appropriate) VegFest!  He started this food last night because curries and chili get better with time and he wanted them to sit. This my readers, is how I eat. My Guy is a genius with East Indian food which is fabulous because it happens to be MY COMFORT FOOD. I find Indian food soothing, warming, satisfying and the fact it’s mostly vegetarian makes my soul happy. I know the chili isn’t Indian but it happens to be something Moops thoroughly enjoys (as do I of course) so it was a welcome addition. All this food was completely vegan and cruelty free- and how good does that taste! The curry was thickened with coconut milk if you’re wondering why it’s so light coloured. All I can say is WOW. I am one lucky girl.

Once we stuffed our bellies we wandered over 2 blocks to VegFest and the Car Free Days on Main Street. Now I love the idea of car free days and letting people take over the streets….what I don’t love however is how 4 neighborhoods have them ON THE SAME DAY. What if I, who live in Mount Pleasant, want to take in Car Free Days in Kitsilano and maybe explore a new side of my city? I can’t unless I rush from one event across town to the other! It’s Sunday…it’s a car free day, I don’t want to rush. I also don’t want to be deprived of checking out the other local neighborhoods and what they have to offer. I’m sure there is a valid reason why they all occur on the same day; probably city permits, logistics and public transit play a role in the decision, but I don’t like. Not one bit.

My Guy and one of his bands (he’s in a few), called The Singles, performed at the Main Street Car Free Days. They are a Motown/Swing/Funk/Rock cover band with My Guy on the drums. They had people grooving and tapping thier toes all the while munching on top-notch vegetarian fare. The only thing that would have made it even better was if the sun made an appearance, but we saw not even the slightest glimpse all day. (If the link for The Singles doesn’t work, please let me know- here is the MySpace link…)

Of course today was Fathers Day. Moops and I took out My Guy for breakfast at dinner time, and now we’re just chilling out. As My Guy sat down on the couch he sighed and said, “Ah this is what it’s all about. Just relaxing at home with the people I love…” I couldn’t agree more! They’re watching a movie on Netflix while I try to write something that may appeal to some readers out there…My father lives far away so while I can’t spend time with him on this day, we have the phone and the computer. Unfortunately due to the damn postal strike my lovely hand made card is sitting God-knows-where waiting to be delivered…

Sleep well tonight my friends, hug your loved ones and be thankful for all you DO have. Happy Fathers Day to all the fathers!

Keep me updated if you’re joining me on shedding a few unwanted pounds…

 My Guy just asked me, “Bloggin’ babe?” to which I replied, “Ummm, I got nothing to say…”

He then countered with, “What about our trip to Kelowna? Maybe a picture? What about the loss of your favourite restaurant there and if anyone knows what happened? Happy memories and sad losses…write about that.” Boom. An idea was formed. He’s right. I do have *something* to say. It may not be super interesting or appeal to everyone, but I do have some words to write down at least. Writing is usually relaxing for me because I get so excited when ideas form and I can’t seem to get them down fast enough…I want to share. But lately I have been feeling as if I have nothing ‘interesting’ to say so therefore I shouldn’t say anything at all. My faithful readers reassure me this isn’t so, but one is allowed to have self-doubt and worry at times and this is my time…perhaps if my hockey team brought home the Cup my mood might be somewhat lightened.

This past Saturday we all got up fairly early and as we were enjoying a leisurely breakfast and wondering when summer would come, it hit me: road trip. I suggested we get ready and be on the road within the hour with a destination of Kelowna, B.C.

The view from Knox Mountain, Kelowna BC

It’s always warm in Kelowna in the summer and the city is surrounded by a huge lake and sandy beaches. I figured it was the perfect place to spend a Saturday with the people I love. We piled in the car, told Moops to bring at least 4 books for the drive, and headed off into the mountains! Aside from the one teeny issue of forgetting my CD’s in the house, the trip went off without a hitch. We stopped for breakfast in Hope at My Guy’s fave truck stop diner and then drove in earnest totally enjoying the scenery and playing silly word games. Once upon a time I lived in Kelowna and have always liked the city; it’s not too big and not too small. It’s known for it’s wineries and diverse landscape that goes from tumbleweeds in the summer to dry snow in the winter.

We window shopped up Bernard Street and I recognized maybe 2 shops in all the ones we saw! So much change…so much time has passed really. Moops wanted a playground so we walked to the City Park where it seems time stood still. Jewellery vendors, craftsman and henna artists lined the pathway selling what looked like the same wares of years ago. The sun was shining, everyone was smiling and the lake was dotted with lucky boaters. We then headed up to Knox Mountain for views that literally left My Guy and Moops speechless. Knox Mountain is the PERFECT place to sit and reflect on life…the view is never tiring and there are no sounds of the city to be heard. We came face to face with a deer and only had the music of thousands of crickets to keep us company. Life was good.

Then it shattered. In a million little pieces. My favourite Vegetarian restaurant Lake Thai was gone- vanished without a trace. We drove into the Mission area to go to Lake Thai; I’d long since told My Guy and Moops endless stories of this tiny restaurant known for it’s vegan and vegetarian fare unlike anything I’d ever had before. I had planned to treat them to the BEST sweet and sour ‘pork’ in the world. My eyes couldn’t comprehend that the restaurant was gone. I was unwilling to believe and had to call 411 for information. When the operator told me there was no Lake Thai in Kelowna I said he was a liar. OK not to his face…to My Guy. I insisted he MUST BE WRONG. I didn’t bother checking before we left because Lake Thai was always there…I’m still shaken by it. I researched it more when we got home and of course, same old story you hear everywhere nowadays- lease runs out on a small business, condo developers sweep in and buy out the block so they can build more 500 square foot tiny little apartments to sell for half a million dollars. If anyone in Kelowna knows where the folks went who owned Lake Thai, or if they plan in re-opening somewhere else please let me know.

I have some good info ready for another ‘Things I’m Excited About’ post so I hope you check back soon.

Our Boys have one more chance on Wednesday to bring it home- GO CANUCKS GO.

I’ve decided it’s time. I will re-start the Colonix Cleansing program. Part of me regrets quitting after 1 month but I didn’t see or feel these dramatic results so many people have told me they experienced. No doubt I gave up too easily. My tummy hurts with it’s bloating. I feel lethargic and tired and never really satisfied with how things are ‘moving’ along, you know? So what do I have to lose? The kind folks at Dr. Natura were gracious enough to send me samples and I foolishly gave up…so with what I have left I’m embarking on this journey again. This time I’m determined to give my body a chance to cleanse and heal…stay tuned.

I figure enough time has gone by since my last ‘Stuff I’m Excited About’ post and I can safely write another one without the fear of boring (or pissing off) some readers! Sometimes I need direction with my blog posts; I often just ramble and blab so feel free to shoot me an email and tell me to find a thought and stick with it.

Today has been a glorious day so far. I just got in from a bike ride and as I contemplated what to write I thought about the simpler things in my life that bring me such pleasure. Like the first bite of a cracker topped with olive tapenade, or a perfectly brewed and sweetened cup of Earl Grey tea. These 2 things are pure heaven to me. In fact I just had a sip of tea and it’s GORGEOUS.

So some things I’m excited about? Well first things first, my dear Mom has finally been exposed to Kicking Horse Coffee at a little cafe on the Island where she lives. She was so impressed she emailed me about how good it was and no word of a lie, she must have used at least a dozen exclamation marks. She has no idea what they were brewing there, only that it was indeed Kicking Horse. She went to her local Thrifty’s and looked at the selection available…and can’t wait to try it again. Ah my Mom, she’s the best. (Speaking of mothers- did you call yours?? It is Mothers Day after all…)

Something else crossed my path today…a new soy milk has entered the market. Or, quite possibly it’s been out for awhile and I have either been living under a rock or it’s not in Canada yet. It’s Earth Balance Soymilk. This is the company that makes a delectable vegan ‘margarine’ that is excellent for baking, and I had no idea they had milk too! I’m curious about it since I am a die-hard Silk fan, and it would have to be really, really good for me to switch. Maybe it’s not available in Canada…or maybe it is and I just need to make a trip to Whole Foods to wander through the aisles and drool.

My Guy picked up one of gardein’s complete meals: called a Trio. I think he got the Sicilian, but I’m too lazy at the moment to actually get up and go check in the fridge. It’s toted as a ‘complete meal ready in minutes’ and consists of their delectable ‘chickn’ with sauce, over top of brown basmati rice. We are going to try it together and I’ll have a review shortly. I imagine it’s going to be fantastic and this means another solid and satisfying (healthy) lunch time option for Veggies alike or those just trying to go a little Meatless these days.

I have a bell on my bike shaped like a little red bell pepper with a fist beside it. You pull the fist back when you want to ring the bell. Genius. My Guy and Moops got it for me for my birthday and I absolutely fell in love with it at first sight. A bell pepper for a bell! I am going somewhere with this…HUGE PET PEEVE…is cyclists who don’t use a bell when they’re on a crowded area such as the Seawall or not-so-wide bike paths. I think it’s courteous to give a heads up and let another cyclist (or a jogger, pedestrians etc) know that you are coming up behind them, and are about to pass them. In the same vein, if you’re one of those pedestrians and you are on a shared pathway with bikers, please be alert for the sound of a bell…we ring them for a reason. That’s it, that’s all today- enjoy your day! And Happy Mothers Day!

The coolest bike bell ever



For dinner the other night, My Guy cooked us up some Gardein Dijon Chick’n Breasts. He found them at Superstore and thought it would make a satisfying meal; something different we could ‘sink our teeth into’. Upon opening the package I was amazed at how much like a chicken breast this product actually resembled! My Guy and I agree that as Veggies, we’re not looking for a substitute for meat necessarily, but rather something substantial we can dig into and that would provide a little variety to our meal plan. The package offers up a few ways to cook them and we opted to pan fry with a smidgen of olive oil for flavour. They come with a tasty sauce and My Guy cooked up some basmati rice and broccoli to round out the meal…THE VERDICT? Delicious. Very hearty and filling for one, but also just damned tasty all around. My taste-buds were singing! I would definitely eat these again and more of the Gardein products. The only negative in this whole thing? Price. A package of 2 breasts cost My Guy $5.49 plus taxes. That’s expensive compared to the All-Mighty-Tofu. **COMING SOON: REVIEW OF THE PETE’S TOFU TO GO BY SUNRISE SOYA FOODS. GINGER SESAME FLAVOUR!**

So My Guy made this soup last week…or was it 2 weeks ago now? Regardless of when it was, it was freaking delish! Even 7-year old Moops gobbled it up and proclaimed, after nodding vigorously, it was EXCELLENT. My 2 cents? Make it the day before you plan on eating it so the flavors, particularly the roasted garlic, have time to mellow and blend. Oh yeah the recipe was taken from an amazing book called ‘A Beautiful Bowl of Soup: The Best Vegetarian Recipes” by Paulette Mitchell.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (with toasted walnuts) –> we used pecans….

1 butternut squash, quartered lengthwise and seeded

1 large yellow onion (prefer the sweet ones)

2 carrots, halved horizontally

Olive oil for brushing over the veggies

1 whole garlic bulb

3 cups Vegetable stock

1 tsp curry powder

1/4 cup dry sherry (we had to omit this due to fact we had NONE!)

1 tbsp packed light brown sugar

pepper to taste

2 tsps minced fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp dried

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup milk or half and half (we cut the calories and used milk)

salt to taste

How to prepare:

-Preheat Oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with foil

-Place squash segments skin side up, onion and carrots on foil. Brush all surfaces with olive oil.

-Remove papery skin from garlic bulb, trim stem, cut 1/4inch of bulb to expose the cloves – but leave them intact- brush with oil and wrap in foil. Place alongside the veggies.

-Roast in oven for about 40 minutes or until VERY tender. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

-Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the bulb and scrape the flesh from the squash.

-Add equal amounts of roasted vegs/garlic and stock to blender and puree until smooth (this may take several batches to get right consistency. Of course use a food processor if you have….we don’t)

-Heat 1 tbsp of oil in saucepan and add curry powder; stir for about 30 seconds. Pour pureed soup into the pan and stir in any remaining stock, sherry (if you use), brown sugar, pepper, oregano and cinnamon. Cover and simmer, stirring every once in awhile for about 10-15 minutes.

-Add the milk and stir until heated through. (may need to use hand processor at this point if you want smoother! We did….)

-Garnish with walnuts. The actual recipe calls for a garnish with creme fraiche but we’re saving the calories…

Let this sit overnight and holy man IT IS GOOOOOOD.

Enjoy….

Here's one guy who deserves HIS label!

I get this all the time…I ask servers in restaurants if they have any vegetarian specials (usually after they spend 2 minutes telling me about the fantastic steak deal that’s on…) and they point to the menu and say, “Of course! We have chicken and fish and…” At this point they usually stop in mid-sentence because I’m banging my head against the table muttering something like, “Vegetarians do not eat fish or chicken! Vegetarians do not eat fish or chicken!” I look up from the table to see the innocent, wide-eyed look of a deer caught in the headlights. The poor souls haven’t a clue.

I don’t eat fish or chicken. I do however partake in the occasional dairy product and I say ‘occasionally’ because to do so more, hurts my tummy. Alot. I don’t call myself a Vegan because I eat eggs, and I eat cheese (sure one could say Lacto-Ovo)…a Vegan eats NO ANIMAL PRODUCTS WHATSOEVER. Being a Vegan is a very strict practice and it’s one I tried to stick to, but alas, I didn’t make it. I’m happy with my choices now…I’m just not happy with all these silly labels floating around out there.

If you are eating LESS meat than you used to, fabulous. I’m ecstatic for you that you’ve made that decision, but do you really need to call yourself a Flexitarian of all things? So this would mean practicing Catholics, who have long since abstained from eating meat on Fridays, are Flexitarians too? Hmmm. Opens up a whole other chapter doesn’t it? I love that people are practicing eating less meat, but does there have to be a name for it?

I have even heard this gem thrown around: West Coast Vegetarian (they eat fish). Call me crazy but in my dictionary, that type of person is usually referred to as a Pescatarian. I’m not sure if it’s cool to have a label to identify what you eat or if people think maybe we Vegetarians are lonely and need the company?

I’m usually not this rigid….but lately this one has been really, really bugging me. I’m trying to relax about it…in the meantime, go see what all the fuss is about over Meatless Mondays and see if you can incorporate it into YOUR lifestyle.

But for heavens sake, don’t make up some loony label for it!