BVCE (Best Vegan Christmas Ever) Dinner

We hosted Christmas dinner again this year and since there were only 6 of us we did it on a smaller scale.  I was the only vegan and my wonderful step-MIL, Maris, went out of her way to help out and make her dishes vegan too!  Bryn decided to made his wonderful Roasted Goose for the omnivores, since there was no need for a giant turkey.  Amazingly everything was vegan except for the goose!

The menu: Roasted Goose stuffed with oranges and lemons, Festive Chickpea Tart, Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes, Baked Apple Stuffing, Miso Gravy, Whipped Potatoes, Broccoli, Carrots, Cranberry Sauce. 
Dessert: Ginger Cookies, Fruit, Chocolate Pumpkin Pie with Macadamia Maple Butter Cream.

I made some appies on Christmas Eve...

Walnut, White Bean & Spinach Phyllo Rolls 

(from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan)

Photo By Bryn

Photo by Bryn

photo by Bryn

Then I made the Festive Chickpea Tart (from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan Blog)

photo by Bryn

Photo by Bryn

The end result, delicious!

photo by Bryn

OK, I had to add at least add one picture of the goose.  Bryn did such a great job, as usual.

photo by Bryn

The table is almost ready...

Nom nom, My Vegan Holiday Feast! 

photo by Bryn

photo by Bryn

Sparkled Ginger Cookies

photo by Bryn

(from Vegan with a Vengeance)












Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
(from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan)

photo by Bryn

 Chocolate Pumpkin Pie with Macadamia Maple Butter Cream (both from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan).  I really wish you could taste this!

photo by Bryn

I hope you all enjoyed your festive holiday meal as much as I did!  I know I'm looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow!

White Bean Hummus

I was never a big fan of hummus, this is until I made it myself.  Prior to my epiphany I never understood what the all the fuss was about.  I loved all the ingredients that went into hummus: garlic, lemon, chickpeas and olive oil...but for some reason it just never tasted any good.  If I remember correctly most of the hummus I tried was probably store bought but even the odd homemade batch did nothing for me.  It didn't make any sense to me so one day I decided to try making my own.  I found a few recipes and from these made some adjustments according to my person preferences and came up with my hummus recipe.  This is when I fell in love with hummus and understood the attraction, I had been missing out!  I found out I prefer my hummus less garlicky and more lemony and now that I know, I can make it this way.

Once I had discovered a passion for hummus there really was no need to mess with perfection but I couldn't resist and I ask you, why can't there be room in one's heart for another hummus?  I remember two summers ago when Bryn and I went out for dinner on our anniversary we had a number of different tapas as an appetizer and one of them was a white bean hummus, it was amazing!  In one of my new cookbooks Eat, Drink & Be Vegan, Dreena Burton has a whole section dedicated to hummus and one of them happens to be for white bean hummus.  It was fate.  And I now have a second hummus love.  Dare I expand my hummus love even further with the black bean hummus?  (you bet I will)

White Bean Hummus with Fresh Thyme & Basil

*photo by Bryn*

If you're interested in trying it yourself, you can find the recipe here on Dreena's blog.

First Batch of Vegan Cookies

Since omitting sugar from my diet back in September I haven't been baking at all.  With the holidays fast approaching I have decided I would make an exception and bake my way through the holidays with some yummy treats.  I have always baked Christmas treats and some years up to 10 different things.  This year I will be doing it smaller scale and everything will be vegan!  I'm excited.  Last Sunday was my first attempt at vegan baking and I decided to go with a favourite standby of Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I used Isa Moskowitz's recipe from Vegan With A Vengeance.

Bryn got a new camera for Christmas, which means my blog pictures just got a lot better because he's insisting on taking all the pics...YAY!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies *photo by Bryn*

The cookies turned out great, the texture was perfectly chewy and I like them very much...there was just one flaw and it was completely my fault, the recipe called for 2.5 cups of all purpose flour and me being the healthifying nut that I am HAD to substitute 1 cup of the flour with spelt flour.  It wasn't a huge mistake, I had to add 2 tbsp of almond milk because the dough was too dry to hold together but the spelt flour took over and it wasn't all purpose spelt flour so it was a bit grainy.  Kaden wouldn't eat them even though they were loaded with tons of choco chips.   

Mental note for all future vegan baking endeavors:  

DO NOT HEALTHIFY INDULGENT BAKING TREATS!!!

Indulgent baking treats are meant to be just that, indulgent.  Just because they are vegan doesn't necessarily mean they are automatically healthy.  I want them to be sugary and "unhealthy" tasting.  That's why I'm making them to enjoy and indulge.  Alright, my commitment to delicious, not necessarily nutritious vegan baking has been made.  Enjoy the sweet feast for your eyes.

The Year of Cookbooks

I can barely contain my excitement!  I have the best "Mother Christmas" in my life and every year she pretty much gives me exactly what I have on my wishlist for Christmas.  Maris, my step mother in law, does everything in her power to spoil me and my family on Christmas, she is the best.  This year I asked for cookbooks and she had me order them online to make life easy.  I spent about 2 days perusing Chapters website, Amazon.com and various blogs to narrow down my selection, which I had to whittle down from about 20 books.  It was an overwhelming process and I hope I did ok, some I chose on intuition, some on rave reviews and others because I follow their blog.

Here's the list:

Eat, Drink & be Vegan by Dreena Burton.
I believe this is Dreena's 3rd vegan cookbook and she has a 4th one coming out soon.  She lives in the lower mainland and is very active in the online community, I have been following her blog for a while as well I am facebook "friends" with her.  She has a very approachable persona and I can't wait to try the cookbook, it's been at the top of my list ever since I came across it.

Get It Ripe by Jai Steele
Another Canadian Chick, if I remember correctly she resides in Toronto.  Her book also received great reviews.  She is a RHN and uses that to her advantage in the cookbook.  I have been to her website and blog but don't follow it.  I'm hoping to sign up for the RHN course in September so I was interested to see the cookbook of someone who is one and possibly how the training has influenced her lifestyle.

The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen
Tal Ronnen is a professionally trained chef who used his training to create delicious meatless dishes.  This cookbook is for rich and fatty cooking, not healthy!  I bought is specifically for this purpose, as a foodie I do enjoy a decadent meal once in a while and I'm prepared to put the work into it as long as the results deliver.

The Urban Vegan by Dynise Belcavage
This one I went out on a limb.  As the full title suggests, The Urban Vegan: 250 Simple, Sumptuous Recipes From Streetcar Favourites to Haute Cuisine, I feel like I can't go wrong as it's got 250 recipes.  I did check out her blog and some of the recipes looked good and she also has another cookbook deal in the works to come out next year.

Vegan Yum Yum by Lauren Ulm
This young lady is quite impressive, you gotta admit.  She's been on Martha Stewart, I've seen the clip but I have to say that I wasn't impressed with Martha's inattentive attitude toward Lolo (as she nicknames herself) regardless I thought Lolo did a great job in her 3 min spot to portray her "knitted marzipan".  Her cookbook received some conflicting reviews and it seems like she may or may not have a bad reputation in the vegan cookbook author's community.  Irregardless after reading the table of contents I was ready to order the book.  Fingers crossed!

100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes by Kris Holechek
This in another "went out on a limb" book.  I'm a sucker for great photographs of sugary treats, what can I say I'm a sugar addict through and through.  The book also got better reviews then The Joy of Vegan Baking so we'll see.

Kids Can Cook: Vegetarian Recipes
There aren't that many kids vegetarian cookbooks out there so it wasn't hard to decide which one.

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer (not a cookbook)
This one is a National Bestseller and it just looks like an interesting read.  I like that it's called "part memoir, part investigative report".  Memoirs are one of my favourite genres to read!

And that's all she wrote!  Now you can see why I'm so excited, I don't think I've ever gotten so many books at one time, other then school books.  I am so grateful and my tummy will be grateful too.

Vegetarian Challenge Interview

 I interviewed Bryn about his experiences during his 7-Day Vegetarian Challenge.  I found some of his answers very interesting and some surprising.  What surprised me the most was when he posted about it on facebook the response from his "friends" was overwhelmingly unsupportive of his efforts, even our family took joy in undermining him.  Bryn is amazing, he is like a rock that can only be eroded by my love! :)

YF: Is this the first time you've tried a vegetarian diet for any length of time?  If not, when and for how long.
BW: Honestly I don't think I've ever gone more than a day without eating meat.  It was a staple of my lunch/dinners growing up and I've never really thought about going veggie before.

YF: Why did you agree to do the 7-day veg challenge?
BW: I thought it would be an interesting challenge, and I wanted to see if I felt different/better after not eating meat for a week.

YF: What were you hoping to get out of the challenge?
BW: I was hoping that I wouldn't miss meat one bit and I would be able to join my wife full time on a vegetarian diet.  Unfortunately it didn't turn out that way.

YF: Did you notice any changes in you body, mood, appetite or?  If any, can you please explain.
BW: I found I was hungrier than normal, and I ended up eating more food than I usually would.  I did feel good on the diet, not a huge change from my "normal", except for the gas.

YF: Now having gone 7 days without meat, what are your thoughts or reflections on the experience?
BW: I'm glad I did it.  It was an interesting change for me, I gained a new respect for people who choose not to eat meat products and I also saw that many people view vegetarians with a certain amount of cynicism, I didn't expect that.

YF: Has this experience changed your views on vegetarianism or how society heavily relies on meat and meat by-products in their everyday living?
BW: Like I said above, I was amazed by the number of people that took pot-shots at my challenge and made derogatory comments about the vegetarian lifestyle.  I think that society should change the way we treat our animals, not necessarily stop eating meat.

YF: After having completed the 7-Day Challenge is there anything you would've done differently?
BW: I would have tried to have more variety of vegetarian dishes, I really enjoyed all the different beans, but maybe some raw food meals or some different cultural dishes (Indian, Thai, etc) would have been a better variety.

YF: Would you consider a 30-Day Vegetarian Challenge?
BW: I would have to take some time to consider that, 30 days is a long time.

YF: Would you consider a 7-Day or 30-Day Vegan Challenge?
BF: Yes I would consider a vegan challenge, perhaps in the summer?

YF: Would you consider a 30-Day Pop-less Challenge?
BW: No, never. Shut your mouth.

YF: Would you ever consider permanently becoming Vegetarian?
BW: No.  I enjoy meat too much to give it up. I'm willing to become more moderate in my meat-consumption but I don't think I'm ready to give it up all together.

YF: What is your favorite vegetarian meal?
BW: The vegetarian Ceasar salad with tofu was good.  I also really liked the baked beans.

YF: If you could choose any super power what would it be? Why?
BW: I would want to be able to fly.  No traffic, no airline fees, total freedom.

YF: What's your favorite song (right now)?
BW: Good Evening by Outasight

YF: What does BCE mean? And please explain.
BW: BCE stands for "Best Christmas Ever".  It's just a mantra that I've been using to try and build excitement for the holidays.  This summer we kept calling it the "Best Summer Ever", and it WAS.  So I was hoping that the same logic would apply to Christmas.  I've also been working really hard on a gift for my wife over the last few months and I was so excited about giving it to her that I let the cat out of the bag a little early.  I really wish I had waited to surprise her, because her expectations are so high now that it is going to pale in comparison to what she is expecting.  It's nothing fancy or extravagant, but it is from my heart and I hope she appreciates it even if it doesn't meet her expectations.  As a family we've had some trials and tribulations over the last year, and I just wanted to make our holidays fun, stress-free and memorable.

I hope you enjoyed Bryn's answers and perhaps find inspiration to make changes in your own kitchen.  Above all, be kind.  Thank you very much to Bryn for taking the time for my interview and I can't wait till our next challenge!

Now that the challenge is over...

For some reason last week seemed to be a really busy week for us and I felt that I didn't get the chance to elaborate on Bryn's 7-Day Vegetarian Challenge.  So I thought I would do a retrospective.

I believe it's easy to switch from a meat eater to a vegetarian cold turkey then it is from meat eater to vegan.  There is a big difference between vegetarian and vegan diets.  Vegans don't eat any flesh meat as well they omit all dairy products and eggs, strict vegans will also refrain from wearing or using leather products.  Vegetarians for the most part abstain from eating flesh meat, however I've heard that some still consider eating chicken and fish a vegetarian diet, I happen to disagree.  In the vegetarian philosophy meat industry by-products are still acceptable to consume because the animals don't have to be slaughtered for their milk or eggs.  Since starting my journey back in September I have slowly made the transition to vegan and through my experiences I have made the conclusion it's better and easier to ease into the vegan diet rather than trying cold turkey.  As for Bryn's challenge, we opted for the vegetarian diet, he likes his lattes and his high protein breakfasts!  He omitted all flesh meat and we substituted with beans, tofu and soy products.

Here's what a typical day looked like before:
Breakfast: Latte, 2 eggs, 6 chicken sausages.
Lunch: Chef's Salad
Dinner: Tossed salad, stir fried veggies, chicken breast

Typical Vegetarian day:
Breakfast: Latte, 2 eggs, 2 slices Yves vegan bacon, 1/2 cup vegan baked beans.
Lunch: Tossed Salad, 1 cup vegan baked beans or chili, 1/2 cup hummus and veggie sticks
Dinner: Tossed Salad, stir fried veggies, more beans and marinated grilled tofu.

I think the changes were really subtle and it made it easier that I had already gone through my own transition and with my experiences I could make dishes that I knew he would enjoy eating.  As I said before I'm really proud of him and I've gained a new respect for him too!  I hope our experience will challenge you and your family to try your own Vegetarian Challenge!  You can make up your own, maybe you go for a week or maybe 30-Days!  Or try 1 day a week for 3 months!  There are no rules or limits!  I guess there's one rule, you must have fun with it, oh, and send me your favourite recipes ;)

Bryn's 7-Day Vegetarian Challenge

Today marks the end of Bryn's 7-Day Vegetarian Challenge.  I am very proud of him for sticking to it.  I didn't have any doubt that he would finish.  He's a stick-to-it kind of guy and if he puts his mind to it, it shall be done!  Bryn had a great attitude going into the challenge and I believe that had a lot to do with it, mentally he was ready.  I was more worried about him physically not being able to function without the meat protein but the vegetarian diet proved itself again.  He's always eaten a lot of veggies throughout the day but breakfast was a concern which is 100% meat protein.  All of the food I prepared for him was vegan which means not only do they not contain flesh meat but they also don't contain any meat by-products (eggs, dairy, cheese, etc) but he was following a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet which means he ate eggs and dairy products.  This was very important for his breakfast meal so he could continue having eggs and I got him some fake bacon.  He started the challenge last Monday, Nov 29th.  I got a head start on Saturday to get the dry beans ready to make them into meals on Sunday.  By Saturday night I had a four different beans cooked and ready to be made into yumminess.

Beans, beans and more beans!

All the dishes I made were requested specifically by Bryn and they were hummus, baked beans and chili.

Here's the hummus, easy to make and so delicious.  We eat it with raw veggies but you can add it to sammiches or use pita bread or crackers to dip into it.

Hummus and chickpeas.

The baked beans are a huge hit with Bryn!  He ate them with his breakfast, eggs, baked beans and fake bacon!  Sounds good doesn't it...well, I know fake bacon doesn't sound to appetizing but he liked it.


Here are some pictures of the Baked Beans, I took pics before during and after cooking because I think it looks really cool lol.

This is the before, altho there is some pre-cooking.

This is after about 1 hour of baking.

This is after 2 hours, you can see it's boiling!

This is the after picture, 3.5 hours later!  Nom-nom!

I got busy and didn't get the chance to take pics of the chili but I assure you it was delicious too, I used both the black beans and kidney beans shown in the beans pic for the chili.


I would like to thank Bryn for doing the 7-Day vegetarian challenge.  I never dreamed it would be such a positive experience and I hope this little game has had a long term effect on you.  I'm not saying that I think you have to become a non-meat eater full time but it's nice to know that you could if you chose to.  Eating consciously and making a conscious decision to eat less meat is all that I ask.

Did the Earth Suddenly Stop?

     This Monday will be a monumental day, even if it's only in my world.  Bryn, yes the very one I married, is going vegetarian.  This may not seem like a big deal but in my reality it's a big deal!  It's only for one week but still a big deal.  Bryn has been on a high protein/low carb diet for over ten years, which means he eats a lot of meat.  I like to think the recent changes in my diet and overall health had something to do with him deciding to go vegetarian but in all honesty I believe it's because I told him that I thought there was no way he could do it (yes, I'm pretty proud of myself).  I never thought he'd actually take the bait.  But he did and now I must feed him delicious vegetarian dishes that meet his tastes and preferences, he's a bit of a picky eater.  So the challenge is set, I'll have my work cut out for me and I hope he realizes that the food I make will be for both of us!

New Favourite Soup #2

It seems that whenever I open a can of coconut milk I feel compelled to use every last drop and write 2 posts about it. My 3 favourite ways to use it are: smoothies, soups and curries. With this recipe I get to do all three, I know, I'm a culinary genius! I improvised a little with my previous New Favourite Soup, the Curried Coconut Butternut Squash Soup by adding yam and cranking the heat up a little. I love making soups, they are so easy and if you have some experience in the kitchen they can be a lot of fun playing with and changing to make your own. Truthfully, I rarely follow a soup recipe 100% and for that matter any recipe, I guess I have my own flare in the kitchen and I've been doing it for over 30 years so I'm confident in my abilities ;)

This soup is no exception, I had fun experimenting and loved the results!

Spicy Curry Butternut Squash and Yam* or Sweet Potato* Soup

*depending on what you call the orange ones.

1 sm-med butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 sm-med yam* or sweet potato*, peeled, chopped
1 lg carrot, peeled, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil -divided
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp curry powder
1/8-1/2 tsp cayenne
2-3 C veggie stock
1 C water (optional -depending on your consistency preference)
2/3-3/4 C coconut milk
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F and put the squash, yam, carrot on a large baking sheet, drizzle on half of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat veggies, you can add a little more olive oil if needed. spread evenly on baking sheet and roast about 30-40 mins stirring veggies every 15 mins or so. Test for doneness by piercing with a fork, set aside.

In large pot heat up rest of the olive oil and saute the onions until they start to turn golden, about 5-8 mins. Add curry powder and cayenne heat spices for 1 min and add the roasted veggies, stir well with onions and spices. Add stock to cover veggies, using water if more liquid is needed. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 mins, stirring occasionally. Turn heat off and with an immersion blender puree the soup to desired consistency (alternately you could do batches in a blender or food processor). Add coconut milk, stir until well blended and season with salt and pepper to taste. At this point you could add extra stock or water or coconut milk if it's too thick for you. Garnish with fresh lime juice and cilantro. Enjoy!

Not sure if I mentioned yesterday but the coconut milk I buy is Earth's Choice and it's the most delicious brand that I've tried.

drool

The Best Protein Shake

Tuesday is without a doubt my busiest day of the week! Just getting the kids ready in the morning used be such a big job but now add in all the other bits that need to be done and planned for (not including meals and healthy ones at that) and I'm exhausted by noon. Kaden has school and I have Brody registered in 2 classes at the rec centre in the morning (music & swimming) then Brody and I head home for lunch. After lunch I get myself ready for work, which includes putting together my dinner and the kids' stuff ready for karate. By now, it's time to go pick Kaden up from school. Some Tuesdays my friend Natasha is kind enough to take the boys with her after school, feed them dinner and take them to karate with her kids. Yay for Natasha!! On the other Tuesdays when that doesn't work out, I'm not without help, Bryn kicks in and makes dinner for the kids and makes sure they're ready when I get home from work. So once I'm done teaching at Children's I rush home, grab the kids and my already prepared dinner and run them to karate. While I'm waiting I get to eat my dinner and hopefully hang out with some of the other parents if they're there. And sadly all of this is going to change come the new year because I'll be teaching another class right after this one and won't be able to do the Tuesday run around.

Now, what does this all have to do with the best protein shake?
I make a protein shake for my afternoon snack, it has become part of my "get ready for work" routine. Tuesday is the only day of the week I have my protein shake and I love it! This is one of the smoothies I drink about an hour and half before I teach a yoga class.

The Best Protein Shake

handful of spinach
1 banana, broken into chunks
1 scoop vegetarian protein powder
1/2 C coconut milk (canned)
1/2 C almond milk (depending on how thick you want it)
2 tbsp Udo's oil

Put all ingredients in blender and blend to desired consistency adding more or less almond milk to your preference.

If I could get you to try this without knowing what's in it you would be surprised! I can't believe how good this combo is, it tastes like a real junk food style milkshake. I think it's the quality of the coconut milk, it tastes so authentic. The brand I used is Earth's Choice, I've tried a few others and this one is by far the best. It's high in fat and that's just the way I like it, if this is going to be one of my main fat sources I'm going to drink the whole can!

A Little Food Obsessed?

It may seem that I'm a little obsessed with food lately with 3 days worth of rapid fire food related posts, well what can I say, guilty! And today's post is no exception! Now that I have made changes in my own diet, we as a family have become the most difficult family to have over for dinner. Bryn with his carb-free diet and it's taken our family 10 years to get used to all the things he doesn't eat. Now here's me, practically the opposite as him, with an almost vegan diet (I say almost because there are times I occasionally eat cheese). One of my biggest challenges at the moment is that our family doesn't know the difference between vegetarian & vegan, as well, the misconception that if something pre-made is vegetarian then it must be healthy. I'm taking my time and exercising my patience as we all walk this uphill hike together. It's all good and the great positive thing about it is that I get to help educate the ones I love about a healthier way of nourishing our bodies.
So this evening we are going to my inlaws for dinner and it's going to be great! My step-mother inlaw is always so accommodating to everyone's needs, which admittedly can't be easy for her with all the diet restrictions but that's the awesomeness of family.

Here's the menu:
BBQ Chicken Wings
Ceasar Salad (one batch without croutons & one with)
BBQ marinated Portabello Mushrooms (for me)
Black Bean, Chickpea & Avocado Salad (again for me)

there may be a veggie pasta (artichoke canelloni or lasagne)
& there will be wine :)

I am bringing both dishes that are tagged for me but I don't mind because everybody can have some and they might even like it too!

Recipe review -Skinny Bitch

"Curried Chickpea Cakes"
From Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook

First recipe is a success!
***** stars

They're made with cooked chickpeas and brown rice all mashed up and shaped into little patties with a perfect amount of curry seasonings, I added a little fresh chopped cilantro. Topped them off with some organic Peach Chutney from Mission Hill Winery in Kelowna BC and served them with a green salad. They are easy to make and reminiscent of pakora (chickpea battered & deep fried veggies) that you would typically find in an Indian restaurant. I would definitely makes these again! Can't wait for lunch tomorrow, leftovers! The only negative thing was that the kids didn't like them, booo. They "liked" them enough so they could get their dessert but complained about it the entire time. I'm hoping it's because the chickpea cakes are a new taste sensation for them and next time I make them will go over a little easier because they should have the opportunity to be skinny dudes ;)

Skinny Bitch -a cookbook review

Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook

I've never done a book review before but I couldn't resist plunging in when Bryn surprised me with Kim Barnouin's (of the Skinny Bitch series fame) "Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook" yesterday. I haven't put it down since he brought it home and even slept with it last night! I haven't had the chance to make anything from it yet but I'm already in love with the philosophy/lifestyle behind it and the pictures look good so the recipes must be good too. I mean if the title alone doesn't grab you then maybe you don't deserve to be healthified...but wait, yeah, you do! Who doesn't in some deep dark corner of their teenage self-esteem self want to be a skinny bitch? I know, I know, did I just say that out loud? In all honesty, we all are awesome just the way we are and it's not about our weight because we are all beautiful on the inside (gag)...Ok, let's just stop with the mamby-pamby pandering. The Skinny Bitch series is not about weightloss or having a "prefect" body nor is it a crash diet. This cookbook is promoting veganism without being in your face about it and I feel that it caters to the inexperienced layperson possibly new to vegetarianism or veganism or just a healthy lifestyle in general. The recipes seem simple with easy to find ingredients and simple steps and there are lots of pictures, which should be mandatory for all cookbooks. Kim hasn't lost any of her charm in this book and is just as sassy as ever, if anything, reading the book for this alone is worth the cost of the book. I haven't read all of her first book, Skinny Bitch, just the bits that are on google because I'm already on the same path of eating consciously but I do love a great cookbook and there's always room for one more. I never would have chosen this book for myself because I'm not a fan of celebrity-ism and probably wouldn't have gotten past the cover. So a big thanks goes out to Bryn for thinking of me and bringing this dandy home!

***** stars

First Recipe Review Curried Chickpea Cakes

Nut-thing Better!

Today I decided to try my hand at making a "healthy" sweet treat for myself to indulge in. I remember really loving Nutella but haven't had any in years since I started eating consciously. It was surprisingly easy to make...once I got all the hazelnuts peeled, oi vay! I think this is my new favourite thing.

Homemade Vegan Nutella

1/2 Cup Hazelnuts
1/2 Cup Almonds*
1/4 Cup Carob Powder
1 Tbsp Vanilla
3 Tbsp Maple Syrup
3 Tbsp Almond Milk
1 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil

I wanted to keep the ingredients raw but had to heat the hazelnuts slightly to help loosen the skins so I could peel them. Pre-heat oven to 275 F and roast hazelnuts for 10-15 mins. Roll the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel to help loosen the skins and peel the rest by hand, let them cool completely. Put almonds and hazelnuts in food processor and blend until they become smooth and shiny. Add carob, vanilla, maple syrup, almond milk and grapeseed oil and blend till mixed stop and scrap the sides if needed mix again.

Makes about 1 cup.

* I only had 1/2 cup of hazelnuts on hand so I subbed almonds to make 1 cup of nuts. You can make the recipe with 1 cup hazelnuts and I highly recommend getting organic raw hazelnuts that already have the skins removed.

He Won the Gold!!

Last Saturday was Kaden's Karate Tournament, yes the one I was very nervous about last week. He did such a great job that his Sensei and some of the Sempais didn't recognize him because he brought it when he stepped into the ring (also he had a hair cut -but still). He was so focused and intense. He and his best buddy were in the same category and they tied at first so they had to do their katas over again. After the second performance (I know I'm not supposed to call it a performance but I like to think of it as a dance :)) I have to admit I felt a little anxious for Kaden and his scores weren't as high as the last round...I know, I know it's not about what place he comes in and I really didn't mean to feel this way but I couldn't help get caught up in the drama of it, I mean, come on, they tied and I thought they both would've gotten gold metals. Anyway, Kaden ended up winning the competition by .1 of a point! It was so close. We are just so proud of him, what a wonderful experience for him too.

Family Love -The Johnston-Yu's stopped by to support Kaden!

Getting ready to begin the Katas

Milos & Kaden with their metals

Another Performer

This weekend is Kaden's first Karate Tournament. I filled out the forms, handed over the money, read the information handout and thought everything was done and taken care of. I registered him for "team kata" (what I like to call a coreographed karate dance routine) or so I thought. I emailed his Sensei to ask about some equipment that Kaden told me he needed for the tournament which didn't make sense since he was only entered in the team kata. Sensei told me that he didn't have Kaden on the team kata list, only for individual kata! What?!?!? Doesn't that mean he'll be going it alone, by himself, without a team?? There must be a mistake, how am I going to fix this for him 2 days before the tournament?
So I casually ask Kaden "who are you doing your kata with."
He casually answers back "no one."
"Really? How did that happen? I thought you signed up for team kata?"
His (again casual) reply "ya when Sensei asked us to put our hand up for team kata, I didn't raise my hand. I wanted to do it by myself so I could be in front."
"Oh, are you ok with that?" He nodded "do you feel prepared?"
He just gave another nod and said "yup".

I felt myself immediately bust with pride for this kid, who is nothing like me because I was insanely nervous for him, not only did he make this decision on his own and go for it but he's also so unassuming and humble that he doesn't need to announce to everybody that he's done it. If I hadn't emailed Sensei then I would've found out at the tournament. I hope I don't cry like I did at his talent show last spring. I'm just so darn proud of him and am amazed at the kind of kid he is which is much more like his Papa.

Please Don't Pass the Sugar!

It's been about 2 months since I stopped eating sugar among other things that aren't good for you. I thought it'd be a lot harder then it is. I was hooked on the stuff and ate a lot more then I would ever admit to. I didn't really have any set goals on my diet other then it being healthy and meat-free. I never imagined it would be this drastic of change nor did I realize how much work it'd be. Don't get me wrong, I love this new diet and lifestyle and I feel great but I have to admit it is a lot of work. I was always one of those people that thought/said "I could never do that" meaning that I could not stop eating sugar. On one hand, it's true I couldn't stop eating sugar, I really loved it, dessert has always been my favourite meal! On the other hand I now know it is a mind set and I just needed to make the choice not to eat it and stick with it. It's been 8 weeks and I have done a great job of not eating sugar, even if it means passing up things that I really love like Starbucks Soy Chai Latte, honey in my (herbal) tea, (homemade) muffins, bread and especially birthday cake and desserts. In the process of this lifestyle change I have lost about 10lbs and my skin looks much healthier, although I still sometimes get my "bindi zits".

Fun with a Blender

I borrowed Maris' (my step-mil) blender a couple weeks ago and I have been using and abusing it. I hope I don't wear out the motor before I return it to her. I've been making smoothies with it mostly. Here's my favourite combo:

Green Smoothie

handful of spinach
few leaves of kale
1/2 Cup water
(I like to puree it at this point)
1 banana
1/2-1 cup fresh pineapple
1/2 cup frozen berries (optional)

blend all ingredients together and enjoy.

Fun with Coconut Milk

When you open a can of coconut milk you have to use up all of in within a couple of days before it spoils. So here are some fun ways to use it other then in curries or soup.

Banana Pina Colada Smoothie

1 small banana
1/2-1 C fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
1/2 C almond milk (or non-dairy bev of your choice or reg milk)
1/2 C coconut milk

Place all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth or use immersion blender.
You could also add 1 cup of ice cubes.

I'll be posting more here so check back or add your own ideas in the comment box, thanks.

New Favourite Soup

I had some leftover roasted butternut squash from dinner and decided to make soup with it. I looked online for a recipe to use but ended up creating my own and it's delicious! Soup is probably the easiest thing you can experiment with in the kitchen, just remember to keep it simple.

Curry Coconut Butternut Squash Soup

2 medium sized butternut squash, roasted, spooned out & skins discarded
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp curry powder
2-3 C vegetable stock
1/2 C coconut milk

Garnishes (optional):
fresh lime juice
fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in large pot, add onions and cook until soft. Add curry powder and heat spices then add squash. Stirring into onions and spices, add enough veg stock to cover squash by about an inch. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes.

If you like your soup smooth then puree with an immersion blender or in batches in food processor or blender until desired consistency is reached. Add the coconut milk when ready to serve. Garnish with lime wedges and fresh cilantro.

The Untraditional Thanksgiving

I'm on a Thanksgiving role with yesterday's thankful post and today I'm thinking about the Traditional Thanksgiving Meal. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner have always been 2 of my favourite meals as far as food goes. I love the roasted turkey and all the trimmings -stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, cranberry sauce. This year I'll be having none of that! This year is the first holiday season that I'm a vegetarian since 1998. Not only am I not eating meat but I have also been sticking with my choice of not eating sugar and wheat. This will be the most interesting and challenging meal I've ever been to since I made the change. I am confident that I will get through the meal without faltering because of the clever plan I've come up with. I am planning on bringing a couple of dishes: Baked Beans and Roasted Root Vegetables. This way I will be ensured of a delicious meal too.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and Festive eating for all -veggie or omni!!
And I say we can all just get along, be sure to bring your own food ;)

What Are You Thankful For?

This Monday is the Canadian Thanksgiving so all this week during our closing meditation I have been asking my students to mindfully make note of something they are thankful for. They are to pick one thing and just meditate with it, not vocalize their idea. And all week I have had the opportunity to do this a few times and I can't help but think of different things every time because every day is different. Since this isn't my yoga class I'm going to take this opportunity to vocalize some of the things that I am thankful for.

-I'm thankful for my friend Sandi and our journey across the country 14 years ago this thanksgiving weekend because without her I would not have made the journey.
-I'm thankful for my husband and his genuine & infinite patience for me.
-I'm thankful for my wonderful kids.
-I'm thankful to have yoga present in my life.
-I'm thankful to have wonderful & supportive people in my life.

I suppose I could go on and on listing all the things I'm thankful for and it's my blog I could if I wanted to but I won't. What I want is to know one thing that you are thankful for, feel free to post it here or just make a mental note to yourself while you have a quiet moment and feel the joy raise within you.

Namaste

Two words that mean everything

(an ongoing account of how my wife and kids enrich and inspire my heart with all the wacky little things they do)

During the week I get up early everyday to exercise. I try to time my workout so that I'm finishing just as the kids are getting up. Joanna sleeps in for a few extra minutes, while I get to spend a few precious minutes alone with the kids. I really enjoy our mornings together, the kids are in a talkative and imaginative frame of mind and our conversations span many varied topics. We talk about their dreams, school, their fears and philosophies about life, I'm often delightfully mystified at some of the things that come out their strange little brains. As much as I enjoy this time, my all-time favorite moment of the day can be summed up in two words "Hi Papa".

We have a safety gate at the top of the stairs (which both kids can open if they want to). However, when the kids get up and they hear me downstairs, they stand at the top of the stairs and say (in a sing-song unison voice) "Hi Papa". This is my cue to continue a tradition that the kids and I have had for the last several years. I walk up the stairs, pick the boys up into my arms and carry them downstairs. As I slowly carry them down, I kiss each one on the head and tell them "This is the best part of my day". When we get down to the living room, I place them on the couch, give them their morning juice and sit down to eat my breakfast as we talk.

The boys are growing so fast that I know that one day soon I won't be able to carry both of them at the same time (I'll have to start making two trips). I also know that one day they will stop singing my name in the mornings and they'll just come down on their own. Although just the thought of this eventuality breaks my heart, something happened a few weeks ago that will live in my heart forever and sustain me through all the trials and frustrations of raising kids.

I was making my morning coffee when I heard the familiar phrase "Hi Papa". "Hi guys" I said as I bounded up the stairs to pick them up. As usual, I picked one boy up in each arm and made my way down the stairs. I kissed each of my sons and said "This is the best part of my day". Kaden nestled his head into my chest and said "Mine too."

I'll remember that as one of the happiest moments of my entire life.

My Homeless Shamin

     I had lots of time to get ready and prepare for my departure for the second day at the Yoga Conference, lots of time to make sure I didn't forget anything.  I checked and double checked.  I headed to the skytrain feeling confident I had everything I needed.  I get off the train and head up towards the convention centre and just as I get off the escalator I have my moment of realization and moment of panic.  I forgot my conference pass!!  There was a panhandler there and he said something to me that I didn't quite register but something about having or going to be a good day.  My reply was "no, it's not"...because I was in panic mode.  Then he said back "oh, I think it is".  I didn't think he was listening to me.  Somehow his words did sink in and they did calm me, I pulled my phone out of my bag to check the time and see if I could go back home and get it.  I didn't.  Called Bryn to see if I could get some help or input from him, he's always the first person I call when I go into panic mode because he's like a crutch and has a way of problem solving.  He didn't answer.  Breathe, just breathe.  Earlier in the day I checked my facebook and Judith Hanson Lasater's status was "Calmness isn't the opposite of agitation, presence is. Namaste".  I had the homeless man's perspective and Judith's words resonating within me.  I made peace with the inevitable fate that was present in front of me.  Since I read the important information email that the Yoga Conference sends out at the start of the conference, I knew I would be charged $40 for a replacement pass.  They were very nice about it and very apologetic to me as they took my money, he gave me temporary tattoos and told me to get a second complimentary grab bag.  By that point I was so at peace with what I had done that I was able to enjoy the moment with him.  I got my new pass and went to the floor show one last time, did my whirlwind tour and then headed off to my last 2 workshops.  Then my plan was to have a light snack during the half hour break between the workshops and eat my dinner I brought after both workshops, at 6:30pm.  Great idea and I was starving afterward.  So I say good bye to some of the new friends I made and the wonderful teacher and found a quite place to eat before heading home.  I forgot to pack a fork.  Yep, another thing I forgot to pack.  I put everything back in my backpack and headed home.  Still feeling light with all the joy and love I experienced at the Yoga Conference.  I only wish I had the opportunity to thank my homeless shamin or better yet, the mindfulness to do it in the moment.

Today's Workshops:
How to create effective and innovative sequencing -with Maria Garre
A class for all: teaching to all levels -with Maria Garre

Again both workshops were absolutely wonderful!  I can't wait for next year!

Sometimes, It's the Journey

     Today is the 3rd day of the 2nd annual Yoga Conference here in Vancouver.  I was registered for an 8am workshop.  Remembering last year's Conference and being booked for an early 8am workshop I wanted to give myself lots of time so I wouldn't feel rushed or stressed, right?  I'm going to a yoga conference after all.

     My alarm didn't go off this morning, which was set for 5:45am.  I woke up naturally but assumed it was too early and didn't look at the clock.  Finally I glanced at the clock just to see how much time I had left...it was 6:05!!  Already 15 minutes behind schedule!  Luckily I had prepared and organized everything the night before.  All I had to do was shower, eat breakfast and brush my teeth.  Finally got out the door at 7am.  Yes I was a little stressed now, but in the back of my mind I knew there was nothing I could do about it and settled with the fact that I might be situated at the back of the room struggling to see and hear the teacher.  So I'm out the door and I walk to the skytrain and it arrives moments later, I'm on my way.  The train wasn't as full and there were no delays like last year.  There wasn't even a crowd spilling out onto the platform anxiously heading for the conference.  There was no line up at the registration desk, yay for me but where is everyone?!  So now that I have my registration pass I finally check the time, 7:40am only 10 mins behind schedule.  I head straight up to my first workshop and I can't believe that I'm the first one there.  So even though I woke up late the journey was still a success.

Today's workshops:
A Dual Approach: Pilates and Yoga -with Maria Garre
Master Headstand and Shoulderstand -with Martin Kirk

Both were excellent and I definitely learned some new things.  I'm not going to go into the workshops and what I learned from them because I'm still processing everything, both mentally and physically.  Both teachers are amazing and a master in their craft.

A lovely bunch of coconuts

(Thank you to Joanna for the honor of being the first guest-blogger on Yogafrogspeaks. My posts will focus on the ongoing adventure that is our family)

      I live with 3 of the strangest, comical and most creative people you will ever meet, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. There are so many little things they do that make me laugh, or swell my heart with joy and pride. It’s not the big gestures of love that get me (although they do), it’s the little moments of pure psychedelic pandemonium that happen out of the blue that impact me the most.

An example:

      We were driving home the other day from meeting my newborn niece, Kaden decides we need to have a family game show in the car. He takes on the role of host, asks the questions and says “the first person to say ‘slap’, gets to answer”, he begins with simple math questions and moves to general movie knowledge. Joanna and I find ourselves screaming “SLAP” at the top of our lungs as we compete to win the game, we constantly accuse each other of cheating and force Kaden to make the judgment as to who looses and wins the point. How impassioned we become about this game is a little frightening…. SLAP…… Brody, not to be outdone by the older people, starts interjecting with stories about when he was a baby...

Some exposition:

      Brody has decided that when he was a baby, he went on many adventures and did many things that the rest of us were apparently oblivious to. Some of the things Brody has done when he was a baby include: going to Toronto, living in California, riding with Terry Fox who is really Santa Claus and landing on the roof of our house and his leg turning into a deer… the adventures go on and on.

Back to our story:

      Quickly, our car-trivia game turns into “Question: When did Brody….(insert question) SLAP… Answer: When he was a baby(the answer, every time)….” By the time we pulled into the driveway my stomach hurt from laughing so hard and everyone had smiles from ear to ear. Those are the moments that connect me with my family, those are the moments you can’t plan for, but they are the ones I live for. That night as I checked on the kids before I went to bed, I sat on the edge of Brody’s bed and cried for a good five minutes. I see so much of myself in his love of fantasy and storytelling, I want to hold onto those elusive moments forever but I know I can’t and I just have to savor them as they come.

A lovely bunch of coconuts indeed,
Bryn

Just be Courteous

     This morning I set out for my run, the conditions were perfect, both kids are in school and the weather is beautiful today!  The sun is shining, it's going to be a warm day and I was able to wear shorts and a tank and got a good dose of Vitamin D.  Yay!  Where I go running there are lots of other people there too, other runners, walkers and strollers and some faces I see regularly.  There are also lots of people that walk their dogs there, I don't blame them it's a great place but it's not a dog park.   Deer Lake Park is a small lake in the middle of an urban setting but it's not safe for swimming.  It attracts a lot of wildlife observers and bird watchers and you can rent canoes or bring your own and enjoy a paddle on the lake.  Anyway back to my run, I enjoy running the trails in and around Deer Lake and love running up the 300 stairs that begin just south of the lookout tower and go all the way up to Oakland & Royal Oak but what really pisses me off is how many dog owners don't clean up after their dog!  It's diffucilt to enjoy my run because I have to keep my eyes on the ground for fear of stepping in dog shit.  Can't you just be courteous and do the right thing?  I realize that there are wild animals that live there too that probably drop a load or 2 on the trails but you can tell the wild animal poo from dog shit.  I mean you are there to walk your dog, it's not like you're caught off guard, you should come prepared and have bags with you and it's not like your dog can shit without you noticing, you have to stop and wait for them -or you're supposed to (btw dogs are supposed to be on a leash at all times but if we can make a deal on the shit I'll let the leash thing slide)!  At the very least get a stick and move it off the trail!  As I stated earlier it's not a dog park and I don't want to run through your dog's litter box, please and thank you, if you could just be courteous and pick up after your dog.  I'm not a dog owner so I'm not going to pretend to be understanding, it's your responsibility and the parks are for EVERYONE, not just you and your dog shit disposal!

Tomorrow my son's school (about 1200 elementary school students) will be heading down to Deer Lake for their annual Terry Fox Run I bet most of them will trample in dog shit.  What would Terry Fox say?

Disclaimer: I have nothing against dogs and no dogs were hurt in the process of this post.  I understand that not all dog owners are irresponsible and you know who you are because you always choose to do the right thing for the greater good of parks and humanity.  Peace Out.

Guest Blogger

I have invited a guest blogger to write on my blog.  So stay tuned to find out more about who it is and what they'll be blogging about. 
I know I can't wait :)

The Most Fab & Elite Book Club

     There are 4 of us in The Most Fab & Elite Book Club.  It's not that we're elitists but we like things the way we like them and in order to do that we decided to keep our club small and the rules loose and relaxed.  We started our little book club maybe 2.5-3 years ago as a way to get together with friends and stay connected and the books were a good reason to do it.  We are very relaxed about the rules as I said above and if one of us doesn't finish reading their book we're ok with it.  At meetings we sometimes don't even discuss the books!  Which means it's probably a good idea that we don't have other people in our book club because they'd quickly get frustrated and I'm guessing want to kick us out of our own club.  So why do we have a book club?  Well, it's been 2 years since our last meeting (I know: shocking!).  I thought it was about time we got together.  I got the ball rolling, sent messages to everyone via facebook and we set up a meeting for tonight, we're going out for dinner to The Cactus Club.  We all got busy going in our own direction with our lives and families, life just has a way of working out that way.  The original intention of the book club was as an outlet for us to get together and hangout, it was more important to meet then it was to discuss the books so that why we were so relaxed on the rules, we didn't want any pressure.  I am so grateful to have these ladies in my life and can't wait to hang with them whether these books get discussed or not. 

Sunday Beans

     Today seems to have turned into a kitchen day.  You know, one of those days you spend cooking and whipping up some elaborate dishes.  Well I don't know how elaborate my cooking is today but as soon as I came downstairs I started cooking.  Maybe it all started last night right before bed because I had to soak my beans.  I soaked one cup of chickpeas and 2 cups of black beans with the intent to make hummus and black bean soup.  Bryn's brother and his wife just had a baby last week and I promised that I would stop by on my way home from work on Tues to drop some food off for them, ya I'm that nice.  So more then half of the soup will go to their house and I doubt there will be enough hummus left to take by Tues.  I hope they like beans because I'm planning to make a batch of baked beans tomorrow too.
     I'm really excited about the hummus because I haven't had any in a long time.  I bought these delicious wheat free, gluten free crackers made from rice and seeds and I think they'll taste great with the hummus. They're called Mary's Gone Crackers herb flavour.  I was never a fan of hummus until I started making it myself, I think my hummus is the best if I do say so myself.  Here's my version...

Joanna's Hummus
I really love the lemony flavour and always get rave reviews from family and friends.  This recipe halves perfectly when you only need a small portion.

4C canned (drained) or cooked drained chickpeas
2 lemons, zested and juiced
4 tbsp tahini
1/4 -1/2 C olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 tsp cumin
salt & fr gr pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in the food processor, just use 1/4 C olive oil at first you can add more as your mixing it, and give it a whiz until desired consistency adding more oil if needed.

Playdough Saves the Day

     Today Kaden had a Pro-D day (professional development for the teachers) and Brody was supposed to go to school but had a runny nose and I kept him home.  I was looking forward to having time with Kaden on our own but on days like these you gotta roll with it.  We were also planning on an afternoon playdate with a group of kids that Kaden knows from school, at the beach.  It turned out to be a rainy day and Brody was sick so the beach was out.  We were snuggled in for the day and at about 10am I made a batch of playdough.  The boys were very excited to help out and took turns putting the ingredients into the pot.  It took about 5mins to make and they both agreed the playdough should be green.  After it was all kneaded and ready for them I cut it in half and handed them each their green treasure.  They were both surprised at how warm it was and cooled it by gently blowing on it.  They played with it for 2 hours until they got hungry for lunch, ate their lunch and then went back to playing with the playdough for the rest of the day.  It was a very successful Friday in spite of all the obstacles and detours from our plans.

Playdough Recipe

1 cup white flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup water
food coloring

Mix first 4 ingredients in a pot. Add water and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 – 5 minutes. Dough will become difficult to stir and form a clump.  Remove from stove and knead for 5 minutes–add food coloring during kneading process. Playdough will keep for a long time stored in a covered plastic container or plastic sandwich bag.

Halfway There!

Today marks my halfway point with the blog challenge!  OK so I missed 2 days and if I hadn't, yesterday would have been my 15th post but I can make up my own rules along the way if I want to.  I'm still here and I'm still posting.  So here's to the next 2 weeks and all my upcoming thoughts!

Easy Week for Kaden

This week is an unusual week for me and the kids.  Wednesday and Thursday are early dismissal for Kaden, he gets out at 1:30pm because of parent-teacher interviews and Friday is a pro-d day.  Brody still has pre-school which will be interesting and fun to have Kaden for a few hours all on my own without him being sick!  Not sure what we'll do yet, I guess it depends on the weather.

Blog Fail

I guess it's fair to say that I have failed my challenge of writing in my blog everyday for 30 days.  I just skipped like 2 days!  I have been busy focusing on work things and to be honest I ran out of things to write about.  I never expected that typing out my resume would take so long and making flyers for my teen yoga class had quite the learning curve.  It was a busy weekend too, I was at a Pilates workshop on sunday.  It was really great and very informative, the teacher was absolutely wonderful.  I think the best thing about the workshop was that I realized that I don't want to take the mat certification course to become a Pilates instructor!  Yay!  Saved a bundle of money there.  Maybe at another time.

Thoughts on Life

     I personally feel that sometimes we give the word need too much power.  We need people in our lives to learn and grow, we are all equal and we learn from and teach each other all the time.  In my opinion, we need to have a deep connection and unconditional love with ourselves before we can really connect with and love another human...it would be nice if we could be whole or fulfilled or just at peace with who we are and who we are not, so we can have nurturing relationships that are fulfilling and balanced.  Without inner peace, relationships can become needy or dysfunctional or just plain drama.  This is one of the many reasons I love yoga as it aids the inner journey toward the soul and fosters the feelings of peace and happiness.

Namaste

Dusted off the Runners

     After about a 3 week hiatus today is my first day back to running.  That's right 3 weeks!  I can't believe I allowed that much time to pass.  I think when we returned from our last holiday of the summer from Kelowna I was just feeling a little depressed about transitioning into our school routine, then I started the master cleanse and decided not to exercise while fasting, then one day lead into the next and here I am 3 weeks later!  It felt great to run today but man, I hope that I'm able to keep it up because I don't want to have to start up again, today was a difficult run.  I did it!  I really enjoy running around Deer Lake it's so peaceful and I always look forward to running up the 300 stairs from the trails back up to Oakland and Royal Oak.  One other thing I was looking forward to was using my ipod, I love my new ipod nano that Bryn bought for me when I lost old one.  Did I mention that he's the nicest guy I know?  Well there's one of the reasons right there.  When I lost my ipod I realized how much I enjoy having music and how important it is for my running experience because without it I feel like I'm dragging my heels and I lose a big percent of my motivation, also I strategically create my playlists for my running just like I do for my yoga classes.  Music for the warm up, the middle part and then up beat motivating ones for 3/4 of the way through that help push me to get to the end, then the wind down songs for the end of the run.  I'm so happy to have finally gotten back into the groove and can't wait until my next run.

My Playlist:
Birthday -The Sugarcubes
She Bangs the Drums -The Stone Roses
What I Got -Sublime cover by 311
Rock That Body -BEPs
Do You Wanna Dance -The Ramones
Rivers of Babylon -Sublime
Rainbow -G.Love feat. Jack Johnson
Times Like These (acoustic) -Foo Fighters
All For You -Sister hazel
Runaround -Blues Traveler
Middle of Nowhere -Hot Hot Heat
Badfish/Boss DJ -Jack Johnson
Wondering Where the Lions Are -Donavon Frankenreiter
Walk Away -Ben harper

Unofficially, Official

     I have been playing with my food for the last few weeks and trying to figure out a new healthier lifestyle.  I did the master cleanse earlier this month and afterward I decided I couldn't go back to the same diet I was eating.  So after easing out of the cleanse into solid foods again I started experimenting and researching.  So far I have been eating very close to what is called a "yeast-free diet" which basically means no wheat, no caffeine and no sugar, even hidden sugars.  So what am I left with?  There are lots of other options out there and I am loving my food again.  I have to admit that my head is spinning a little with all the research I have been doing and all the recipes and experiments I have tried in the last few weeks.  Do I go vegetarian, vegan or become a raw-foodist or follow an Atkins style diet, like my husband?  Well I believe that today I have started to make some decisions on my future eating habits so I feel confident to announce that I am now a vegetartian who cannot give up cheese but plans to eat 50-75% raw food.  So I guess that technically makes me a lacto-ovo-vegetarian, I enjoy having a fun label for myself and I'm going to try and use it in a sentence.  :)
     I invite you to follow me along my journey into this new phase of nourishment because I'm sure it will give me lots of interesting things to write about.

Smallest's First Day

Today was Brody's first day of pre-school, he was really excited.  But I don't think he was as excited as I was.  This year he has a friend in his class which is wonderful and he doesn't have to latch onto Kaden and his friends.  He's creating a little bond that is all his own.  He had a good day, as far as I can tell because all I did was drop him off and pick him up uneventfully.  So what did I get up to while my little monkey was in school?  I will never tell but I will say this, I did enjoy myself.

Should we say Yes?

     Our older son, Kaden, has repeatedly asked us if he can get a pet.  We have been able to avoid getting a pet so far.  He's now 7 and I have no doubt that he would love having a pet but and there's always a but there, I don't love the idea of my son getting a pet.  I am not an avid animal lover and I don't want to clean up after one.  Luckily my husband and possibly younger son is allergic to dogs and cats so that's obvious we can't get those.  We did try a fish tank for a while but that didn't work out the way we'd hoped, you can't really bond with a fish.  Kaden is a clever boy and he's now asking for a hamster, I did a little research and what I've read has lead me to thinking guinea pigs make a better pet for kids then hamsters.  He is really excited and I do believe that he deserves to have his very own pet, I think he'd be great with a pet, I do want to get him a pet but and here's the but...I don't want a pet, I don't want an animal living in our home, I don't want to clean up after it, I don't want to smell the cage.  If he wasn't asking we wouldn't be considering it.  So we're faced with a dilemma and we'll have to do the research to see how much work is involved....we'll see.

The Mall Crowd

    Today I had to run some errands and that usually means going to the mall.  The mall is a good place to start when I need something because it's the best chance I have of finding what I'm looking for and added bonus it's close enough to walk.  The down side of going to the mall is the "mall crowd".  I'm not talking about how busy the mall is because it doesn't matter if the mall is busy or quiet these people always find me.  When I go to the mall during a weekday morning or afternoon I have my youngest son with me and he's now big enough to walk there and back so no stroller.  And because I have a child with me and we hold hands I have to navigate around the mall and in the stores with him, for the most part, attached to me.  How do the mall people fit into this well you know the ones I'm talking about, they are usually adults and they don't watch where they are going, they rush out of stores without looking and bump into passers by in the mall.  Or they veer off their path right in front of you and cut you off...or they do a combination, like veering to one side but not looking where they're going and I honestly can't move quick enough to get out of their way because I have a small child attached to me, so I stop and wait as they pass by in their blind oblivion.  There have been occasions where we have been bumped into but usually they notice at the last moment and have a bit of shock on their face but I bet if they had been paying attention to where they were going they would've seen it coming too.

DeBeck's Trail

Or "Shwa" Girl goes for a Mountain Hike.

This summer we took the kids camping and our first camping trip was to Alice Lake campgrounds in Squamish, BC.  We had a fantastic time and can't wait to go back next year, the campground facilities were well maintained and the hiking trails were wonderful with lots of varying levels of difficulty.  Here is my experience attempting to hike DeBeck's Trail one evening after dinner.

This is what's written in the brochure:
    "The DeBeck's Hill Trail is approximately 3 km round trip. This is a fairly strenuous hike as it climbs 274 metres from the trailhead. The trail access is from the parking lot at the south beach area. Walk past the yellow gate and there is a small sign at the beginning of the trail. Go to the right and follow the old logging road up the hill. This road will take you to the high point above and outside of Alice Lake Park.
    As you hike up the hill you will come across an old steam donkey once used for yarding logs. At the top of DeBeck's Hill you will find a spectacular view of the ice-capped Tantalus Range to the west and Mount Garibaldi to the east. The Squamish River also winds its way down the valley floor."

I was stoked, I wanted to see that Tantalus Range and take lots of pictures to show everyone.  We had just finished dinner and everything was cleaned up so I told Bryn I was going for a walk and headed out.  It was a lovely 10 min walk on the trail that wraps around Alice Lake then I found the start of the DeBeck's trail and began my ascent up the old logging road toward the Tantalus Range.  As I'm making my way up I'm taking notice of all the wonderful scenery around me, the trees and rock walls...I'm also noticing all the old logs and stumps that look strangely like wild animals lurking in the shadows.  Lions, tigers & bears...oh my!  I'm telling myself to put that out of my head, don't be silly. 
"Did you just hear that?" my conscious asks
"Yes, it was the trees creaking in the wind."
"Are you sure, it sounded like rustling I think it's a bear!" my conscience is starting to spook me now!
"No, no, I'm sure it was the wind.  Look up at the trees, they're swaying in the wind.  SEE!  It's just the trees."
     So I start trying to think realistically and rationally here.  What's the worst that could happen?  But unfortunately paranoia had already set in.  Every noise I hear is a bear wanting to eat me for their dinner, after all I must taste delicious because I've already eaten mine!  I fight the inner voices and continue my way up the logging road.  Then I realize I didn't tell Bryn where I was going and thought if something was to happen to me he would have no idea where I was and I would have no way of contacting him either.  I knew that his phone was off or the battery had died (because we were camping after all).  Maybe I should call someone else, just in case, to let them know where I am but who do you call?  How would that conversation go without sounding paranoid.  So I have a fake conversation in my head just to see how it sounds and make sure I don't sound nuts.  I decided not to make the phone call.  Right, Sandi?  My fake conversation in my head was so convincing that I kept making my way up the hill because fake Sandi was now telling me how ridiculous I'm being.
"What, you're not going up to the top because of fake animal sounds?" asks fake Sandi
"But Sandi it's so scary, I see shadows and they look like lurking bears!" is my weak reply.
"That's ridiculous, what are you going to do?  Go back down to the bottom without seeing your view or get your butt up to the top!" fake Sandi says in her stern Mom voice.
     See even fake Sandi thinks I'm being ridiculous.  So I keep going and it just gets scarier as I go and at the next corner I tell myself that if there's nothing around that corner but more road I'm turning around!  So I do that for 3 more corners then decided I had enough as the trees swaying was starting to make a bigger and louder noises.  I start my decent back down the logging road and quickly pick up the pace.  I pretty much run my way down to the bottom because I'm still completely spooked.  Then I turn my next corner and BAM!  I nearly have a heart attack as I run into a man and his bike!  I had spooked myself so much that I jumped and screamed a little when I ran into that guy.  He was very apologetic and said he didn't mean to frighten me (oh, damn, was it that obvious).  Then he asked if I had seen a cougar?  What, you got to be kidding me, now I have to worry about cougars too?

For the rest of the camping trip I regretted not making it all the way to the top and didn't get my pictures!  I vow that next year when we go camping there, I will make it to the top of DeBeck's trail...even if it kills me.