Hungry Days

Don't you just hate those days when you feel like your leg's hollow and you're desperately trying to fill it with food?

Today is one of those days. Yes, I've had protein at every meal. Yes, I've had plenty of fruits and veggies. Yes, I've had more than 3L of water today. Have these things helped? NO!

In times like these, there's one snack I turn to for help. Popcorn. Popcorn is a low-calorie snack that you can stretch out for a while. Popcorn is actually fairly filling too. And popcorn can taste however I want it to. We have no shortage of flavourings for popcorn - shakers that taste like salt & vinegar, dill pickle, BBQ, cajun - the tiny little jars fill one shelf of our snack cupboard. Sometimes I dip my popcorn in a dip, or barbecue sauce, or salsa. Sometimes I melt peanut butter in the microwave and have it with that, or sometimes I sprinkle some cinnamon and sugar on my popcorn.

Is it the best snack choice - no, but it sure is better than eating a lot of other things.

What do you eat on your "hungry days"? How do you like your popcorn?

If You Don't Like Sappy...

don't lick spruce trees.

This is my post-TOI sentimental moment. A little different than my Saturday evening attempt at a sentimental moment. :-) And I don't consider myself an emotional person, but I can't hold this in.

I think this weekend really changed me. Really.

I went to Toronto thinking the weekend would be fun, but I was surprised at what it turned out to be. I spent the weekend with amazing, warm, accepting, vibrant females - something I don't have the chance to do often on such a grand scale. Any future opportunities to do so will not soon be passing me by.

Over the years my friends have thinned out as we've gone about living our lives, and I'm lonely sometimes thinking about it, and I'm sure a lot of us can relate. I can't feel the same kind of lonely today. I have a lot of new friends who feel my oldest friends. I cry thinking about it - I've teared up so many times today. Before this weekend, I didn't feel like I had a lot of close friends, but now I feel like I have a lot of great friends just within reach. I'm really sad that we can't be geographically close everyday, but that will make the times we'll see each other that much more special.

Knowing each of you online has been a real pleasure, if not a daily adventure, but meeting each of you in person has changed everything. The virtual personalities I interact with everyday have turned into vibrant women that I can now picture in my mind, and your typed words can now be matched with your expressions and mannerisms.

This weekend has renewed my faith in myself a bit too I think. I conquered a physical and psychological challenges in my two day trip. There were people climbing those stairs, young and old, all individuals from any kind of background, all striving to achieve the same goal. That's what life is about.

Now I'm ready to move on to the next challenge. I'm going to try to challenge myself more often, daily even, and I'm not going to settle for laziness or apathy quite so easily.

To the women of Toronto: I have no way to express my gratitude and appreciation to all of you, but I'll keep trying to for a long time. You made an insecure small-town girl feel at home in one of the largest cities in the world. You opened your arms to a complete stranger and gave me a warm hug that I still feel as I sit here typing this.

I left little pieces of my heart in Toronto. I brought pieces of you home with me to replace what I left.

Vegan Pizza?

Yes, vegan pizza. That's what I had for dinner tonight. I can't believe I can even say that. That makes me feel good. Say it slow with me... vvveeeeeggaaaannnnnn pppiiiiizzzzzaaaaa. Mmmmmmmm....

I started with my favourite homemade pizza crust, which I make from a Moosewood recipe. It is so good, and very healthy.

I topped it with a tomato sauce, veggie pepperoni, veggie salami, peppers, onions (from our garden), vegan "cheese", and green olives. It was really quite delicious.

This weekend I'm planning on playing with tofu. I'm going to take the time to try at least two new recipes involving tofu, one of which is a vegan mayonnaise recipe. I will be posting pictures, so stay tuned!

Tofu

Since getting my allergy test results last week, I'm very excited to try all of the foods I thought I was allergic to, including tofu.

Last night I tried tofu. And I liked it.

We used it in a stir fry with some scallops,lots of veggies, and a ginger sauce. It was really good! This will make it much more tolerable to be allergic to dairy, since there are lots of great things you can do with tofu.

This weekend, I'm going to make a mayonnaise substitute with it.

I also made some vegan cookies called tropical delights. I'm trying to find a substitute for the cookies of the same name I sometimes get at the Second Cup. It turns out that the original cookie is made at Nature's Own Bakery in Barrie. Neat. Anway, these cookies are soooo good - filled with papaya, pineapple, dates, oats, coconut, and cashews. My first attempt was delicious (and addictive), but not the consistency I'm looking for, so I'm going to try again, also probably this weekend. When they turn out the way I'd like, I'll definitely be posting photos!

October - The Most Glorious of Months

God did wonderful work when he conceptualized October.

There isn't a single thing I don't love about October. I actually think this month defines me in some strange way. I think that people have pairings with types of everything, you know what I mean? Like there's one of every type of thing that would be our partner. Well I know without a doubt that October is my partner. I have nothing in common with March, and little in common with July. But October and I were meant to be. The colours, the weather, the seasonal foods, everything about October is perfect.

When October rolls around I get this wonderful feeling that comes about. I feel like retraining, and remembering, and rethinking, and redoing, and reminiscing. I want to get in touch with old friends, and make new friends, finish old adventures and start new adventures. October makes me want to be the very best manifestation of me. It's so cleansing.

I feel like getting in touch with old friends and boyfriends, and I feel like having girl time with my sister and my girlfriends, and I feel like being tucked inside at home with Steve and Samson. I feel like walking through the woods and making soup and pickles and tea, and other delicious treats.

I love October.