Mango Body

I thought I’d write a quick update about mangoes. I know it’s a little out of the ordinary for me to post something like this but I had to share with you! A couple weeks ago I bought a bottle of mango body-wash from The Body Shop (smells delicious!) but I noticed that it contained so many chemical ingredients. On the bottle it said that women from India have been rubbing the kernels from the mangoes onto their skin to keep it soft so while I was scrubbing away I had a eureka moment and thought “what if I did the same thing?”

The next day I bought some mangoes and tried it out! I ate most of the mango but kept the skins with the leftover mango on it and the pit in the middle as well and used those to rub into my body. Gordon thought  was crazy and at first it did seem a little weird but it actually worked! My skin felt so smooth afterwards and now I don’t feel so bad when I spend money on mangoes because they provide me with food and moisturizer!

**On another note I’ve been working hard to develop my very own website! It should be up and running within the next few weeks (maybe longer if I get stuck on some things) but I’ve been so happy trying to learn html/css/how to make websites/get my own domain etc…so stay tuned for that announcement!

Love!

Jumbled

I feel like the past two days have been so random! Maybe it’s on account of school ending forever, or maybe it’s because I’ve been getting too much sun on my head or spring fever is hitting me hard but I’ve been feeling silly, restless and ambitious! Gordon and I are officially moved into the new place and I LOVE it so much! Seriously, ya’ll should come visit me and I’ll serve you tea and we can perch upon my new futon and then we’ll comment on how lovely the light looks in the room and then we’ll eat muffins that my boyfriend made. It will be marvelous.

Anywho, today my lover and I did a bit of roaming around the city. We stopped by the Sally-Ann to find a coffee-table but had no luck. Then we strolled on over to the library where I picked up three novels (now that I’m pretty much done school all I want to do is read–imagine that). After the library we took a ride on the ferry over to Dartmouth and then back again just because we felt like it. Then I grabbed some sushi at Superstore and after dinner we went to Darrells for milkshakes! yum. I saw these three dogs when we were out today and had to ask the ladies pushing this baby carriage full of dogs, if I could take a picture. I couldn’t help myself. I pretty much died inside when I saw this spectacle.

Last night Gordon and I went to the symphony again…for the second time this month which is a little pricey but I try to justify it by telling myself that I’ll be more cultured…right? haha oh well. It’s fun.

This was my favorite piece last night from composer Jules Massenet (1842-1912) Le Cid: Ballet Music

and just so you don’t think I’m a stuck up snob who only listens to classical music–here is what I’ve really been listening to everyday:

Birthday Week

Birthdays are so much fun! I felt so loved this year and received some amazing gifts that were completely unexpected. Here are two colourful cards–one hand made pop-up card that is amazing and the other one with sparkle type! Also, that candle smells SOOO good. It smells like a cucumber sandwich!

Ahhh! I feel like my friends know me so well. I got a beautiful sampler tea set from a lovely lady and her equally lovely lover. Also a feminist magazine, a hard-covered book of short stories with a beautiful card, a tiny origami raccoon, chocolate, bath salts, certificates to get a vegetarian donair, glittery stick-on nails and a box of old-fashioned gum.

My amazing friend and co-worker brought me some gorgeous cupcakes that she decorated herself…that is skill. (photo cred to Allison) :)

Gordon made me a bearded-owl breakfast complete with a ketchup smile!

Yesterday I went for a Korean lunch.

All in all, I felt loved. That is the most important part I think. Gordon took me out for a fancy dinner, I had some fun phone chats with my family and I spent some me-time.

I will be kickin’ off my 22nd year with energy and new-found commitment. Yipppeeee!

Laura’s Cafe

I wanted to do a quick review of Laura’s Cafe on Barrington St, Halifax because I felt that they deserved a tiny bit of publicity. Laura’s Cafe is a little tucked away diner in the South End which features Canadian and Russian cuisine and all-day breakfast for as low as $6.50. When the ‘South End Diner’ burnt down a couple months ago, I began to look for another spot that offered good quality, low priced brunch that would be nice to visit on a Sunday morning with my boyfriend and my poppy.

Well, last Sunday was the first time we popped into Laura’s Cafe and we were not dissappointed! The decor was a cute mix of traditional Russian decor and 70′s mustard yellow + bright orange themed tables and curtains. Somehow it all worked together and I found myself compelled to take photos of everything! The food was cheap and delicious (I ordered a spinach and feta omelette) and it was so good. Also the homefries were seasoned with something seriously awesome though quite salty (so watch out for that).

Our waitress said the cafe has been open since October and I’m convinced that when the word gets out it’s going to be one of those packed brunch-type diners so you better go take advantage while you can!

Cheers!

Gordon’s Recipes III- Spaghetti & Falafel

 Spaghetti and Falafel balls–for the vegetarian in all of us!

For this meal you will need:

• Carrots
• Zucchini
• Onion
• Garlic ( I used big, purple, globular bulbs from the farmer’s market)
• Red pepper
• Broccoli (if you like)
• Tomato paste

Frying them together, I put the carrots in first, because they take longer to soften. Everything else I just piled on top of the carrots in no particular order. Last of all came the tomato paste. Then, for spices I threw in:

• Oregano
• Italian seasonings
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder

While the sauce is being cooked, you can multi-task by boiling the noodles, and getting the falafel balls ready.

Falafel mix is a powder that comes in a box. About half of the box is enough for two people. Making it is really easy. Just mix it with water, and let it stand for ten minutes. When time’s up, shape it into little balls and place in vegetable oil to fry.

The directions say to cover the bottom of the pan with half an inch of oil, but that’s a little too risky for both my safety as well as my health, so I only covered the surface of the pan.

Note: the smell of frying falafals isn’t bad (it’s quite good actually), but it lingers.  So, do not cook before going to see the Queen of England. Also, they’re easier to cook in a patty shape, rather than in a ball shape.

When they’re ready, place them on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Then, find someone with whom you’d like to share a meal, and bon appetit!

This one kinda looks like a face…the Spaghetti Monster?

Gordon is not a professional and everything he says should be taken with a grain of salt. His passion for cooking began about two months ago so let’s hope this isn’t a phase and he continues to cook delicious food for his girlfriend.

Gordon’s Recipes II – Ugly Soup

To make ugly soup you will need:

WHAT

EVER

YOU

WANT!

This soup is basically a Frankenstein soup made from all the different left-overs we had in our frigidaire.  So, you don’t need to make it pretty. Just start out with some broth (chicken, veggie, or beef), one litre, and then start chopping!

Chop up some onions. Add as you go.  Put in as many as you like, because you can never have enough onions. Note: if cutting onions is as upsetting to you as it is to me (it makes me tear up every time), then buy onions from the farmer’s market.  Those ones don’t make my cry as much for some reason.

Once you’ve gotten over the heartbreak of chopping onions, cut up some carrots, potatoes, celery, broccoli, green peppers, you name it.

Then, begin your search for some creative additions. I found left-over quinoa in the fridge, so I threw that in there. Also, there was some pearl barley in the pantry, so I threw that in there as well.

When everything’s in the pot as you like it, boil the hell out of it. But make sure you add a little water now and again so that it doesn’t dry out.

After it’s done, enjoy with a nice, cheesy Acadian baguette from Sobey’s.

Gordon is not a professional and everything he says should be taken with a grain of salt. His passion for cooking began about two months ago so let’s hope this isn’t a phase and he continues to cook delicious food for his girlfriend.

Two Nights

The past few nights have been busy in my apartment! Actually, this whole week has been non-stop with meetings, running around, printing, reading, life (sadly, none of it involved school work).

On Friday night my boyfriend hosted a Robbie Burns night for all of us to enjoy. This included bagpipe music, haggis, ceremonial readings and board games! My roomate, David, makes video padcasts so we were able to capture the night on video. My favorite part starts at 4:38 hahaha I’ve watched that part about 15 times and died laughing each time.

On Saturday night I hosted a cast-party for the women in the Vagina Monologues. If I’m being completely honest though I actually tricked the cast into thinking it would be a fun party and instead we decorated over a hundred cookies and made 257 chocolate vagina pops. There was more work than partying going on.

This is on repeat:

Vagina Monologues II

As mentioned previously, I’ve been given the opportunity to produce/direct the Vagina Monologues this year. It’s been months in the making and a relatively time-consuming journey but it will be worth it in the end! The wonderful cast and volunteers have made it worthwhile and I can only imagine how great the show will be! If you live in Halifax you should definitely check out the show and check back to this blog for pictures of the event!

Here is the FB invite: https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/209875302440382/

Also, as a side note: I got new glasses! I literally took over a year to find my perfect pair and I must say, I quite like them!

 Frozen fruit= sooooo good.

Body Image

As a response to  Dalhousie’s blogging project I’ve decided to write my own little post; not only for the fact that this topic is on constant replay in my head but because I realized that this morning when my boyfriend took these photos and I decided not to post them, I was in fact partaking in an action to deminish myself based on my appearance. That is reason enough to write about body image here today because I thought that my legs looked too short and that my head looked gigantic. I thought that my hips looked too wide and my face was too puffy and therefore they certainly weren’t good enough to be posted all over the internet.

Here’s the deal.

Basically, I’ve been self-conscious for as long as I can remember because I’ve always been chubby and carried extra fat around my waist-line (despite competitively swimming from age 10 onwards). That extra fat meant that I was somehow superior to my other friends and that somehow I was less desirable in the dating world when I got to be highschool age. The thing is, is that I don’t know if it’s because that was the way I was actually treated or if it was because I internalized the shame and just automatically assumed that role of being the ‘chubby’ one. I could write pages about how I felt in middle school and then how I felt in high-school–heck, I could even write pages about how I feel now as a college age woman in an increasingly media and image-based society but instead, I want to say that I’m tired. I’m tired of letting fat define who I am and obsessing over what I eat. I’m tired of feeling guilty when I eat chocolate and binging on it every once and awhile when I get the chance. I want to be free and freedom right now means posting pictures of my happy face in an outfit that I feel FIERCE in.

My legs might look short but they are mighty, my head might be big but damn, it houses a beautiful brain. My hips might be wide but hey, they look good in high-waisted skirts. My face might be puffy but that’s because I just woke up to greet the day with my bright eyes.

So I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: haterz to the left–and that includes me too (unless of course I’m appreciating myself for what I really am…amazing).

All you bloggers, please join me in writing about body image and leave a comment so I can read yours too!

Gordon’s Recipes I

Hello everyone! My name is Gordon, and I’m going through a new phase called “The Kitchen Transition”. Before, I was just a bachelor with a spatula, without any skill, knowledge or confidence in cooking. Then I began to learn some easy recipes like fried rice, chicken soup and vegetarian chili. When those recipes got boring, I moved on to more complex recipes. As my cooking skills got better and better, I realized that many recipes which intimidated me before are actually quite easy.  Now, I feel like I can make anything!  By writing this article for Danielle’s blog I want to share my enthusiasm with everyone.

First off, here’s a recipe for Sugar-Free Bran Muffins:

In one bowl mix

• 1 ¼ cup bran
• 1 cup of milk

stir until the bran is nice and moist. Then let it stand for about 5 minutes. While it’s standing, you can do the following:

In a second bowl mix

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt

(if you want sugar, you can add ½ cup)

In a third bowl mix

• 1 egg
• ¼ cup vegetable oil

Take the second bowl, and make a little well in the middle of the pile. Then pour in the egg and oil from the third bowl. On top of that, pour in the bran and milk from the first bowl.  Stir, but do not stir too much. Also, throw in a handful of raisons at this point.

Then grease a muffin pan. My way is to dip my fingers in some margarine, and run them along the mould of the pan. But you can do whatever you like.

Now, fill each mould in the pan until it’s ⅔ full. For the big muffins that you see in the picture, fill each mould all the way to the top. Sprinkle with some oat flakes, and place in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes or less.

Gordon is not a professional and everything he says should be taken with a grain of salt. His passion for cooking began about a month ago so let’s hope this isn’t a phase and he continues to cook delicious food for his girlfriend.