Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Update

They gave our apartment to somebody else. Wankers. Ah well, we've just decided to be dangerous and throw our cares to the wind - we're giving our notice to move out on June 30, and working our asses off to find a place before then. Worst comes to worst, we can always store our stuff and either move back in with my parents for July (they're be so releived) or into Adam's place, where they have an extra bedroom. Only stipulation is, apparently his roomate says I have to defeat the Weapons in FFVII before he'll deem me cool enough to reside in their apartment for a month. He hasn't really respected me since finding out that I was a fan of the OC...

Anyway, I've been making lots of scrumptious things with green stuff, including breaded tofu nuggests with baby spinach salad and cumin-lime vinaigrette; fiddleheads and chickpeas with Greek seasonings (lemon, garlic and oregano) on brown rice; and baby bok choi stir-fry with a ginger-sesame sauce. No photos yet, because I've been both busy and lazy. I also made a delicious but very unattractive eggplant curry (one of my favorite recipes), and buckwheat pancakes to try and use up some of the random flours I have hanging around. Buckwheat pancakes are about the yummiest and heartiest breakfast you can have, and they're great with bananas, or blueberries, or both.

Now, I ask you: why do people think that vegans have boring diets, when no other group of people seems to get nearly as excited about the food they eat?

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Reasons why I love Spring

...include warm wather, change and lotsa green stuff.



My market haul today includes the habitual apples, tofu, samosas and oatcakes, plus fiddleheads (of course!), baby spinach, baby bok choi and a bunch of fresh-cut lilac to celebrate the season. I also followed a series of signs to a vegan bakery booth and got a yummy piece of carob-dipped sponge toffee (think Crunchie bars) for a quarter. It feels good to buy food that hasn't been shipped across the continent and back, and to deal directly with the people who grow and make what you're eating. Nobody knows produce like the people who select, cultivate, market and sell their own and I always get great advice from one dude whose family runs a stall at the Brewery.

Then I walked partway home and enjoyed the weather and the scenery, making it a near-perfect day even though it's not even 12:45 yet. I'm one of those weirdos who actually enjoy gray, cloudy skies. it's calming, helps melt away the stress in your life.

I've been inspired by Vegan Lunch Box to share my delicious-and-nutritious hipster culinary goodness. Not copying, exactly. I have a different cooking style due to my different lifestyle - i.e., she's a stay-at-home mom with the means to buy vegan imitation anything and the time to cook stuff, whereas I'm a cash-strapped recent grad who's almost never home and who prefers to eat local, seasonal produce and non-fake food. So there are very different demographics in question here. I think it would be fun!

Wait for the first recipe...this weeks' theme will probably be along the lines of "10 things to do with green stuff" because holy crap, that's pretty much all that's in my fridge right now. Along with Jenn's leftover KD(shudder). Sorry, food snobbery here.

Anyway, we applied for a new apartment and should hear back either Monday or Tuesday. We'd be moving at the end of June if we get it (and oh wow, do we ever want it) so if anybody wants to help us move it would be greatly appreciated. There will also be some free stuff up for grabs, since we're trying to move as little stuff as possible. So friends can stop by any time and see what's available.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Domestic Goddessosity

It's housework day, and this place has needed it. I have six loads of laundry on the go (relax, I don't have that many clothes...there's bedding and gads of towels in there), a sin full of dishes and crackers in the oven. Yes, homemade crackers! The feminist in me (ooh, she used the f-word) is sobbing hysterically.

I just got it into my head that while I'm spring cleaning, I may as well use up some of the flour, seeds, legumes and assorted hippiness that have been clogging up my cupboards since before I left Sackville in October. So I started by cleaning out the fridge - not nearly as gross as one might expect. After all, the roomie and I do like to eat. Interesting trivia, though: after sitting in an open can in the fridge for a month, Orangina turns to jello. Ditto for fiesta vegetable soup after 2 weeks or so.

I made olivada and oatmeal bread, two recipes from the lovely Garden of Vegan, and I've been snacking on them all afternoon. I'll soon be off to make some iced tea. Somebody save me from myself!

Anyway - end of boring, self-absorbed post. I hate those and am now filled with self-loathing for making anybody read this. Well, not real self-loathing. Just the hyperbolic kind, the kind you have when you don't really have it but you want to say something impressive.

Out.

Friday, May 19, 2006

No house cleaning for this tortuga

After looking at Adele's gorgeous old apartment (which we hill hopefully be moving into in July - hope, hope!) Jenn and i looked around our own and kind of went, ugh. So we've been tidying. It also has something to do with the fact that her dad is stopping by tomorrow and we couldn't have him seeing it in the state that it was in!

However, I loathe cleaning and am procrastinating the kitchen in a big bad way while Jenn is too enthralled with her new fish tank to care.

Guess what else? I have pictures! Check it out:











There's propaganda EVERYWHERE








Yeah, he's anatomically correct...and well-endowed to boot.


This guy, on the other hand...well, he was kinda vandalized.


When you sign up to kiss the dolphins, this is what you get...



Havana: black flags to mark the years of the continuing US embargo


Possibly the former Presidential Palace?



Thursday, May 18, 2006

Nerdy girl

Gross early day on campus...I was told that Darrel Dexter might be here at 10am so I showed up...there seems to be something a-brewing at the pub right now, albeit half an hour late, so it might not have all been for naught.

There was a time when I would only get up earlier than necessary for, say, the Backstreet Boys. Now it's provincial politicians. I'm an adult now!

Hopwever, if this whole thing doesn't work out then I'll have plenty of time to work on those wretched LSAT practice tests, maybe read some John Ralston Saul or a newspaper. The nerdiness is becoming harder and harder to shut off.

Anyway dudes, this post is little more than procrastination and wasting time...now you're free to go on with your lives. Peace out!

Update: No Darrel Dexter. The university didn't want to appear partisan. Wankers.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Ew.

According to the Nova Scotia election site, the Tories are currently projected to win a majority this time around, with 31 seats. Now, there's a danger in investing too much confidence in polls and I'm not going to give this prediction too much weight (especially with a month of campaigning ahead of us) but wold we be looking at another four years of the PCs taking credit for Darrel Dexter's ideas? (Oh my, how very partisan of me!)

On a less-partisan note, I've been interested in the discussions of eliminating the provincial tax on home-heating fuel, which of course was on the now-never-to-be-voted-on provincial budget that was recently tabled. As an ecologically-minded left-winger I'm a little iffy on that one - isn't there a more sustainable approach? The provincial Liberals are talking about conservation measures instead of removing the tax. Of course the details of their ideas don't make it into the papers, so I think after I'm done writing this I'll do a little research on how they propose dealing with this issue. I'm also curious to find out exactly what the failings of the "Keep the Heat" program are - targeted spending seems a better idea in this case, get the benefit to the people who most need the relief, rather than encouraging increased fuel consumption across the board.

Anyway, it is a very early 6:30 in the morning and I'm BLOGGING, of all things, but you see I suddenly got really tired yesterday around 5 or 6 and went to bedultra-early because I'm a wanker like that. So, while some of you are just getting to bed I'm awake and (surprisingly) alert.

In other news, I am now a university graduate. How exciting! Now that I have BA and lots of academic awards, I shall be working in the convenience-store industry for the summer (let's hear it for that Arts degree!) and looking for something more, um, MEANINGFUL for the Fall. And by meaningful I also mean better-paying. jenn and I celebrated by eating lots of junk food and watching Buffy when I was supposed to be doing LSAT prep. Clap if you love your roommate! (clap, clap!)

Yesterday I dragged Nocturnal Boy to the Brewery Market and he kindly pretended that it interested him. It was nice to get back there after something like 3 weeks' absence - the spring vegetables are coming out, and - yes! - we got fiddleheads to have for supper tonight. I luuuurrrv fiddleheads! I plan to make a feast out of 2 pounds of steamed fiddleheads, sauteed in olive oil and garlic, and served with herb bread. Oh baby yeah - nothing says lovin' (or spring!) like roughage.

Jenn and I also went and bought some supplies for her fish tank. We also got Rufus, a very hip plecko, and Ivana, a female gourami to replace Isabelle, may she rest in peace. Johnny Money seemes to be leaving Ivana alone for the most part. She is quite young, so maybe he feels like a cradlerobber. Incidentally, Jenn rejected "Jem" as a female rockstar name - she said it was too girly. Now THERE's a switch.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

This one's from Julie

Put your music player on shuffle. Press forward for each question. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn't make sense. You'll be surprised though. NO CHEATING

How am I feeling today?
The Crusher - The Ramones
"I'm over my head - I ain't gonna hide under my bed!"

Will I get far in life?
Two Suns in the Sunset - Pink Floyd
"You'll have no recourse to the law anymore" - uh oh, so much for my legal career...

How do my friends see me?
Happy Birthday Mr. Burns - The Ramones
"Go to hell, you old bastard!"

Where will I get married?
We're Not Gonna Take It - Bif Naked
Nope, this one definitely doesn't make sense...

What is my best friend's theme song?
Wild Honey - Us
"I was a monkey..."

What is the story of my life?
Por Mujeres Como Tu - Tito Rojas
Not gonna touch this one - the lyrics indirectly sum up my love life..!

What's high school like?
Peligro - Gilbert Santarosa
Danger. Oh yes.

How can I get ahead in life?
Cheap Transistor Radio - SNFU
Ummm...k.

What is the best thing about me?
Unchained Melody - U2
Hey, I like that.

What is today going to be like?
Malague a Salerosa - Salsa Ley Alejandro
Your guess is as good as mine...

What is in store for this weekend?
Island in the Sun - Weezer
Score.

What song describes my parents?
Dream On - Aerosmith

To describe my grandparents?
Simarik - Tarkan
My grandparents are Turkish pop? That's a new one...

How is my life going?
Bad Reputation - Joan Jett
Hehehehehe

What song will they play at my funeral?
Let Go - FrouFrou

How does the world see me?
Every Other Time - LFO
Now THAT'S embarassing.

Will I have a happy life?
Paper Shoes - Hawksley Workman
"You may think that you may want to try, you may want to try, try, try, try to fence me in, but I don't recommend - I'll blow the roof right off this place."

What do my friends really think of me?
Matrix Theme - Crystal Method

Do people secretly lust after me?
Love Machine - The Miracles
Apparently my reputation isn't so bad after all... ;)

How can I make myself happy?
Molly - Sponge
By watching 16 Candles?

What should I do with my life?
Blue Eyes - Cary Brothers
Sorry, not so into cosmetic surgery.

Will I ever have children?
Mia - Eddie Santiago
At first glance this seems like a yes, but the line "que nunca te hable de fracasos" makes me think differently - with children there are ALWAYS fracasos.

What will you name them?
Common Cold - Hawksley Workman
That's what I'll name my dog.

Who will you marry?
Whole Lotta Love - Led Zepelin

Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?
Solo Con Ella - Puerto Rican Power
Yes, but apprently of the wrong gender...

Monday, May 08, 2006

Gah

Photos still not uploaded - I've been working nearly every day since I got home and I need Jenn to show me how (shame) - so let's talk about politics and ecology and (a few of the reasons) why I'm not so enamoured with Stephen Harper.

To boil it down to the basics: our beloved Prime Minister always went on the record stating that he preferred a "Made-in-Canada" approach to combatting climate change. Well, see, here's the thing. The Kyoto Protocol is basically a target for how much Canada agreed to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions, with a few mechanisms available for countries to work together, should they so choose, to reach their targets. Not exactly a fascist system there, Steve. Which led me to believe from the start that "a Made-in-Canada approach" was just a euphemism for "wimpier reductions targets."



Lo and behold, what has the new government done? Apparently, they have given the slice-and-dice treatment to a bunch of Environment Canada climate change programs, including the One-Tonne Challenge, and, in the new budget, replaced previous climate change funding with a tax rebate for public transit users. Unless that comes with increased funding for municipalities to improve their transit systems (ahem, the colossally dysfunctional Metro Transit), then "tax refund for public transit users" is clearly a euphemism for "impotent cop-out." Now, I'm excited to get a tax deduction for my bus passes, but consider this: a large portion of public transit users are university students and low-income workers, people who generally make so little as to be paying paying little if any income taxes in the first place. methinks that this is going to be a cheap program for the federal Conservatives, and one that helps to mask the fact that they're letting the big culprits off the hook for their contribution to our air quality.

Gah!

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Fluffy

Well, Matthew blogged about the new Conservative budget, which makes me feel like a very bad poli sci nerd. Oh well, I'm going to talk about my vacation.

My sister chose to get married at the lovely Iberostar Varadero and I commend the choice. It's a five-star all-inclusive, which of course means that my little brother was falling-on-his-ass drunk within about 16 hours of getting there and missed supper on our first actual day there because he was sunburnt, probably had heatsroke and couldn't walk properly or drink water without spilling it all over himself. Amateur. Anyway, once that was over with we had a really great time.

I peronally refrained from drinking anything alcoholic before supper time, and I'm glad I did. I actually remember the week and didn't get all dehydrated and yucky at any point.

The ocean was that gorgeous turquoise colour you see in the brochures, and it looked great against my cancer-bed tan and overpriced swimsuit. (Sorry that was just a momentary lapse into girliness. I'm over it now.) I spent most of my time with the guys in my group and with a few more that I met there...I tend to get along better with dudes because they're so much more fun. Guys in this instance, for example, are like "let's play water basketball and then go drink some beer" whereas girls are more like "I just want to remain immobile by the pool all day to work on my tan...I can't go in the water because it will mess up my hair." Mom was awesome and did lots of water sports and everything with us, so i don't like to stereotype too much. But in general girls pretty much just suck when they're on vacation. I got a great tan and I barely sat still all week.

I drank lots of mojitos in the evenings. My new favourite drink - it's so refreshing, and not too sweet like a lot of tropical drinks. Really sugary alcoholic drinks make this lady gag. Mojitos are PERFECT. I drank so many of them that the bartender in the lobby knew exactly what I was going to order the second I walked up to the bar. It probably also didn't hurt to be young, female and cute, and a decent tipper.

Another vice I picked up - and this is a shame of shames for me - is cigars. I've always been against smoking (cigarettes, at least) but I tried a couple of cigars that the men in our group offered me, and I liked it. I really liked it. I brought back two for Adam and one for myself. It'll be a special-occasion thing.

I also learned that ovo-lacto vegetarians have it SO DAMN EASY. I want to slap every ovo-lacto I know for having it so easy. Okay, maybe I'd slap all the meaters first, but my point is that giving up just meat is pretty much the easiest thing ever. See, I've been gradually moving away from strict veganism, occasionally indulging in stuff that I really really wanted. So when I got to the resort and realized that they offered absolutely no bean-type dishes most days, and no peanut butter, I knew that it was a matter of either eating the occasional egg or piece of cheese, or be constantly hungry and tired from lack of a balanced diet. I mean, I'm not a big person, folks. If I tried to live off salads and fruit (as amazing as the fruit was) and pasta for a week it would be a very scary thing. So I figured hey, I'm on vacation, I'll be as good as I can and not sweat the occasional cheat. My parents said it was the most distracting thing ever the first morning, seeing me eat an egg after six years. P.S. I never really liked eggs, and it turns out that I still don't.

So I'm back to my usual eating habits again, but holy crap - regular vegetarians have it so easy! Anyone who thinks it would be hard to be a vegetarian is pretty much just a pussy. So easy.

Anyway, I'll give a more detailed account of my trip once I get my pictures downloaded. Good night everybody!

Who Should Paint You: Andy Warhol

You've got an interested edge that would be reflected in any portrait
You don't need any fancy paint techniques to stand out from the crowd!