details : the last 48 hrs

Forever a Metro transit rider.

The picture above was taken on Sunday when D & I were waiting for the bus home from the mall. I've been wanting to capture little moments of Spring, so I've been trying to start bringing my camera with me on a more regular basis.

This weekend I noticed how the rain changes things around me. I got caught walking on a drizzly morning and instead of being frustrated with how wet I was I distracted myself by focusing on the details. The whitewashed wood siding on one of the rowhouses darkened as the rain poured over the side of the roof. A car was painted with long, lines on it's surface that came together and then split apart as they gathered more weight. How each raindrop made waves of ripples in the puddles. I tried to listen closely to the sound of the cars driving on the wet pavement as they got closer and then faded to see how far I could hear them go.

This all may sound a bit weird, but it was so peaceful. Do you ever quiet your thoughts and listen to your surroundings? I'm always surprised by the things I see that I would have missed had I just been sauntering along with my iPod.

And then there was yesterday - the sunniest day we've seen in a week! I took Abby up to the park for an off-leash romp but a few minutes and then she decided to forget her name so our playtime was cut a bit short. By the time we got home I was as hungry as she was, so I whipped up this kale, egg thing that tasted a whole lot better than it looks.

While I was eating I got a surprise phonecall from D asking me if I wanted some soy gelato from HumaniT - my favorite cafe in Halifax. Ummmm, yes. I asked him to pick any flavour he thought I would like and so I got oreo! It was the perfect size for a little treat.

Later on last night when D was watching Game of Thrones, I snuck away to paint for a bit. I started this piece knowing I wanted to use little bits of orange. First I layered in purpley pinks, then yellows and finally some oranges and peach tones. It's not finished yet though, I'm planning to do some hand lettering in the circle at the bottom. I'll keep you posted!

How was your Monday night?
xx Janelle

The details series: Life is all about the details - the moments. Over the next few months I'm going to test out a series called details. Since I don't have instagram or a smartphone to capture my daily life, I'm going to rely on my trust Sony P&S and will share the photos here. I hope you like it!

see other details posts here.

garlic fingers with fake fromage

**There is milk in naan. You could always sub a milk-free flatbread or pizza crust instead.

I suck at not eating lactose. Not drinking lactose is easy. There are so many milk-alternatives available for roughly the same price as milk. They even make lactose-free milk. Same taste, but none of the bad stuff. So not drinking milk is definitely doable. But cheese, now that's a different story.

I tried a cheese alternative once and just could not swallow it. It smelled bad, had a weird texture and was Italian flavor. Blehhh. So I just kept eating cheese and experiencing very unpleasant side-effects, none of which need to mentioned on this little blog here.

My highly-allergy plagued friend L told me about Daiya when we were discussing our various stomach issues over lunch one day at the Wooden Monkey. Don't we sound like a good time?

It's basically a tapioca-arrowroot product that melts like cheese and does not taste disgusting, it actually tastes good. It doesn't have a true cheesy flavour or texture per se, but I have found it to be a great substitute! It only comes shredded, but that hasn't stopped me from eating it by the handful at times... I use it on nachos, burritos, pizza, chili, lasagna and all of those other things that taste incomplete without cheese. I've bought both the mozzarella & cheddar style before and they both work well. I used to buy it from Pete's Frootique but they now carry it at Sobey's, where we do groceries every week, for $3 cheaper!

Lately, my big indulgence has been garlic fingers. I take a piece of naan bread, spread it with garlic butter, sprinkle real bacon bits on top, cover with Daiya & bake at 400F for about 10 minutes. The best non-cheesy garlic finger you'll ever taste. So all this to say, if you are lactose-intolerant or allergic to milk... you need to try Daiya. It will help you resist actual cheese. Most of the time...

Do any of you have allergies/intolerances? Do you find that having a good substitute helps you resist temptation? I think substitution is key, even for people who are dieting. Quitting cold turkey, just does not work for some people. Myself included!

  

FYI: I am lactose intolerant but will eat some packaged foods with milk in them, like bread or chocolate (sometimes). Anything milk-based though is out of the question. No milk, yogurt, ice-cream, alfredo sauce etc.  

Me & cheese are fighting it out. I can't quit.

lunch quickie: bacon avocado fresh spring rolls

My workday lunches can get pretty boring. They're usually delicious, but ordinary. I think I once ate tuna, crackers and raw vegetables every day for a week. And there's always the fallback sandwich or wrap.

Since I'm lucky enough to get to come home for lunch for a full hour, I usually just make something when I arrive as opposed to having something prepared. It has to be something easy & relatively fast so that I can join D on the couch for the Price is Right on TV. Yes, we sometimes act like we're in our seventies. Watching PIR, playing scrabble, doing other old people things...

Last week I had an avocado that needed to be eaten up so I thought up with these delicious Bacon Avocado Fresh Spring Rolls. They don't take too long to make, about 10-15 minutes for 4 and are a great alternative to a sandwich.

You will need:

rice paper wraps - tomato - bell pepper - avocado - real bacon bits - deli shaved ham - ranch dressing or honey mustard

You will need to:

Cut the tomato, avocado & bell pepper into slices.

Fill a bowl with 1" deep hot tap water. Carefully place one rice paper wrap in the hot water. Let soak for about 20 sec and then flip and soak for another 20 sec. Keep soaking and flipping until the wrap is soft enough that you could fold it in half.

Shake off excess water and lay it flat on a plate. Top with 1/2 or full slice of ham, tomato, pepper and avocado. Sprinkle with bacon bits and add one thin line of sauce.

i ran out of avocado on the 2nd day. please use your imagination!

Start rolling the spring roll at one end, tucking the sides in as you go. Then place the spring roll seam side down on another plate and repeat for the rest of the rolls.

If you need help wrapping/rolling, check out this video from Expert Village.

Yum. These are fresh, healthy and surprisingly filling. They taste great with the honey mustard or the ranch, depending on what flavour you're feeling. Don't omit the avocado, like I did here, they're much better with the avocado's cool, refreshing taste.

Now I'm dreaming of summer so I can eat these on the patio with a lemonade in hand. Soon enough...

veggie-packed fuselli casserole

*My computer had to go back to the Dr. which is why I've been MIA this week. It's all good now though & my webcam is functioning!

I almost titled this post macaroni casserole, because it's pretty much just a vegetarian version of the one my mom used to throw together with ground beef... but I used fuselli instead, so there's that.

I'm going to do a whole post on Daiya soon!

Veggie-packed Fuselli Casserole

*Serves 6-8

2/3 bag of fuselli

2 large bottles of pasta sauce

2 handfuls of baby spinach

1/2c frozen corn

almost 1 sleeve of unsalted soda crackers

lots of grated cheese

spices

- Preheat oven to 400-425F.

- Boil water in a large pot. Add pasta and stir, continue to boil on reduced heat. When pasta is almost cooked (7-8mins) add frozen corn. Cook until desired tenderness & drain.

- Put pasta/corn in a large bowl, add spinach, pasta sauce and stir until pasta is coated. Pour into 13x9 pan and flatten lightly.

- Crush crackers over pasta to cover and grate a generous amount of cheese over top.

- Bake for 25 mins, then let cool slightly. Done!

This meal never fails to remind me of home. My mom's comfort food is the best. Doesn't everyone say that about their moms though?

Love,

eat your heart out, new york fries.

We've officially declared this week: the week of amazing suppers. C (the roomie's gf) is staying with us for their Spring Break and for the past two nights the four of us have had supper together. With Abby under the table, as usual. So for the rest of this week I'm going to attempt a food post every night. I promise you delicious looking photos & somewhat original recipes. Sound good?

Tonight we had oven-baked fries with the works. All day I had been craving a big veggie nacho poutine from Smoke's poutinerie. It's basically nacho toppings on fries. Think peppers, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream etc. Like New York Fries Veggie Works. Knowing how bad they are for me and thinking of the havoc they would reek on my sensitive [not to mention lactose-intolerant] stomach, I decided to recreate my own version at home. I hope you ate supper already, because this might make you hungry.

For the fries:

Wash up your potatoes well. Slice them lengthwise once and then lay both halves flat. Cut fries into ~1cm slices. Put them immediately into a bowl of the very hot tap water. (I got this tip from a forum online. I guess it draws out the starch and helps make them crispier. Trust.)

Preheat oven to 425f. Once the potatoes have soaked and then oven is hot, dry them off with paper towel.

Spread a baking sheet with olive oil, about 4T. Spread it around with your hand or a pastry brush & sprinkle the sheet generously with salt.

Lay the fries on the pan so they are not touching.

Bake for about 30 minutes, turning every 8-10 minutes. The more you turn them, the less likely it is they will stick. If you have parchment paper, all the better! When they're almost cooked, sprinkle them with chili powder or your favorite spice.

Drain on paper towel and serve piping hot.

Load them up:

Here's whats on mine:

chili, guacamole, Tofutti sour cream, red onion, green onion, bell peppers, tomato, Daiya imitation cheese.

Technically "healthier", not deep-fried and all five food groups. Good enough for me!

Did you ever try to make a healthier version of a fast-food or restaurant favorite?

easiest chickpea curry

 

I don't know why I haven't written about this yet. Actually, it's probably because it doesn't seem to last long enough for me to snap some photos. This is my #1 go-to weeknight meal. When I come home, I'm starving and am turning into a cranky lady, I make this. Even D likes it, despite his aversion to whole chickpeas. (He loves hummus!) As usual, this is not really a recipe. There are no measurements & no rules as to which veggies you can put in, so experiment & find out what works for you.

Ingredients:

- Garam Masala spice - chili powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander (optional) - olive oil - 1 can of diced tomatoes (whole is okay, but you'll need to add some water) - onion - garlic - sour cream or cream/milk (I use Tofutti Sour Supreme) - 1/2 can chickpeas - veggies (this time, I used frozen corn, baby bok choy, kale and orange pepper

How to:

- Heat up the olive oil on medium heat in a large wok/pan. Dice up the onion & stir until just brown.
- Add in garlic, veggies, drained chickpeas & 3-4 T of garam masala spice, 1 T of cumin, 1 T of turmeric, 1 T of chili powder & a dash of ground coriander. Stir-fry until veggies are almost soft (about 10 minutes). You may need to stagger your veggies, putting the hard ones in first, ie. carrots & the softer ones later on, ie. spinach. 

-  Add in can of diced tomatoes undrained. 

- Cover & simmer on medium-low for at least 15 minutes. The longer it simmers, the better it tastes!

- Remove from heat and stir in a dollop or two of sour cream just before serving.

We usually serve this with naan or basmati rice, sometimes both! You can also adjust the liquid by adding water or more cream if you want more of a soupy consistency.

Please tell me if you try this out. I LOVE Indian food but I can't really justify splurging on spices, so this is my shortcut. I hope you like it!

tonight's supper: goat cheese and craisin salad

How do you make a salad taste special? Throw some craisins at it. And while you're throwing things, chuck some goat cheese that way. A drizzle of olive oil a pinch of basil and done.

I love salads. I crave salads. Weird, right? But D, well, not so much. Usually when I suggest salad as a side dish I get a blank stare in return. But when I suggest adding goat cheese I get a much more enthusiastic response. 

Half the fun is making a salad less "healthy", really. I love grabbing for some real bacon bits, creamy dressing and cheese... oh, the cheese. D even told me tonight that this tasted like a fancy restaurant salad! A restaurant salad. Swoooon. We paired our "fancy salad" with turkey bacon quiche with yellow pepper. I always use those ready-made frozen pie shells to save time. It only took about 35 minutes to cook in the oven at 425. Not a lot of prep/cook time for an easy, week-night dinner that's a little special. 

How do you dress up your salads? Feta? Nuts?

games, traditions & all-around craziness (Christmas Eve)

 Looks peaceful doesn't it? Don't be fooled.

My family is loud. Now I'm not talking about loud, like "oh, yeah I know a family like that." I mean loud to the point where you can make out words when you're standing outside of the house. Everyone is shouting over each other to be heard, laughing, complaining or trying to get someone's attention.

16+ people. All at the same time. 

Most of the time I love it. It makes me feel at home. But usually people usually have one of two reactions. Laughing uncontrollably or covering their eyes and praying for it all to stop.

Exhibit A:

I clearly am enjoying myself and my sister looks like she needs an Advil. 

So, we're rowdy, excitable and competitive but we're a family and Christmas Eve holds some pretty important traditions. Since as far back as I can remember we've been getting together for Christmas Eve. It used to be at my Grandmaman's every year but since she moved to a smaller apartment, one of my uncle/aunts & my parents have been switching off each year. Here's how the night usually pans out.

Around 6-7pm those who went to church arrive & we put out some snacks. We have everything from veggies to pizza dip to cookies and sweets. While people are eating we chat & catch up with those who we haven't seen in a while and then the games begin.

We've played dozens of games over the years, not board games, but more of the 'social games'. People usually try to pick up a new game or two to play with the family come Christmas eve. Some of our favorites have been the Dice Game, Bag Game, Toonie up the Butt, Oranges & Pantyhose, 4 on the Couch & Sitting on Laps. There are so many more though. This year a big favorite was the Mafia game, taught by my cousin and her husband, Joelle & Alec. 

Once we've played a few we do a dollar store and a $10 gift exchange. There are always some interesting gifts. This year the car mats & alcohol were the most popular I'd say. French people love their wine! Haha.

After the gift exchange there's more games until midnight. At midnight everyone hugs & wishes each other a Merry Christmas/Joyeux Noel and then we have a buffet of hot food including Pate (meatpie), pizza rolls, bread, appetizers and lots more. In French tradition this is called the Reveillon. (Links to a very basic Wiki description.)

Have a look:

Some of the family from 2008.

Another 2008 shot. Dad's poem.

Christmas Dinner 2009.

Christmas Eve 2010

Thanks for visiting the blog. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your holidays!

gooey marshmallow puffs of heaven

Seriously. I'm so glad there were 3 other people in the house, otherwise I would have eaten all six of these Magic Marshmallow Crescent Puffs without a second thought.

These take about 5 minutes to whip up & 12 minutes to bake. And because you can get crescent rolls on sale for $1.99 (& you probably already have the other ingredients) they're cheap too!

When I made mine, I didn't put the glaze on them and I didn't measure. I just melted some margarine the microwave & mixed some cinnamon + icing sugar on a plate. I dipped the marshmallows and then used a fork to roll them around in the sugar mix. Then I wrapped them up tightly in the crescent rolls, sealing well. Instead of dipping the whole thing in butter as the recipe suggests, I just brushed some margarine on top. I also baked mine on a baking sheet instead of in a muffin tin for easier clean up. They made a mess on the pan, but because my pans were brand new (Thanks, B!) the stickiness wiped right off!

Such an easy holiday party treat. Don't you think?

Tasty Tuesdays: Peach Oatmeal Muffins

Guess who got up to some baking on Sunday?

Now, guess how many muffins are left?

One!

Yep. The two of us destroyed eleven muffins in 3 days. Mind you, I ate 3 for breakfast on Sunday. They were pretty delicious. Chewy and soft. Not dense at all. The canned peaches left these little holes so they literally crumble in your mouth.

I also tried these new "environmentally friendly" If You Care cupcake liners from Pete's and I'm in love. The package said that they would work better than normal ones and I thought pfft, yeah right but they actually did. I will definitely buy them again. They're the same price as regular ones, but the muffins peeled off perfectly. Barely a crumb was left on them. Usually with regular liners you get a film left on the liner. Think about all the cupcake you could be eating instead of throwing away! Haha. 

I used this recipe from Dairy Goodness. Ironically, I am lactose-intolerant (what a pretentious-sounding condition) so I subbed unsweetened almond milk for the milk and low-calorie margarine for the butter. And miraculously, everything worked out perfectly. I also used canned peaches, drained as suggested and added a bit less sugar than it called for. The recipe is easy to follow, but be prepared to dirty a few bowls:

Let me know if you try them out!

Also, I've been asked recently by a few people what the difference is between a muffin and a cupcake. What do you think? I go by the general rule that if it's sweeter, it's probably a cupcake. And if there's oatmeal in it, then it's definitely a muffin. But I've had some pretty sweet muffins too... Hmm.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by the blog. I love hearing from you so don't be shy to comment!

Toronto Eats.

One of my favorite parts about visiting a new (or old) place is eating out & trying a new dish. So in the spirit of my passion for food eating and in case any of you are heading to Toronto, I figured I'd give you a little peek at where and what we ate. 

[Golden Thai]

We went out on a limb with this place, picking the first one listed under Thai in the Where magazine we picked up. As I mentioned, we had a great time here! Good, reasonably priced food and excellent, attentive service. I'm glad we arrived when we did because the place filled up fast. We ended up spending more than we intended to, but it was definitely well worth it. It was the booze that jacked up the bill, not the food. Check it out!

 My drink, the monsoon.

Spring rolls!

Lamb curry with potatoes and coconut rice. Val's mango salad is hanging out in the back there.

Our free dessert. Deep fried bananas!

[PickleBarrel]

My first time here. Well-priced, but the place was crazy busy when we went, so the servers seemed a bit confused as to what was going on... They brought me the wrong thing, but said the right thing when placing it in front of me, so I started eating it. Then I realized it wasn't the right thing... and out came my actual meal. Haha. Woops. I chowed down on someone else's pasta. Food was good though!

Meal # 1 "Pasta Primavera"

Meal #2 Actual Pasta Primavera

[Eggspectation]

This place was also crazy-busy. I'm starting to get the impression that most places (or at least the good ones) in Toronto always are. We only waited about 15 mins for a table and our server was prompt, but not intrusive at all. And the food was delish. L & I both had the 'Oy Vegg', potato latkes, eggs and tomato served with fruit. It was a smaller breakfast than I usually order, but filled me up surprisingly well.

 [Mt. Everest]

The food here was delish. It's a relatively small place with waitstaff who are dressed to the nines in their suits. We went with the buffet so we could try everything and let me tell you everything was super flavorful. Ugh.... take me back, please!

We also drank a ton of coffee this weekend. I dabbled in Starbucks, with some recommendations from our former-barista extraordinaire, Sarah. But my favorite coffee we had was from this little place. And so I leave you with the cutest coffee cup ever.

 

I'm such a sucker for fresh, interesting packaging! The logo is genius, representing their juice bar & extensive coffee selection. All around pretty.

Thanks for visiting! And for putting up with my gratuitous photos of my trip. Back to normal posting soon!

 

Tasty "Tuesdays": Mom's Meatballs

Sorry this post is going to be a quickie. It's late and I have work in the morning! It's really not a recipe, so you won't see precise measurements... just trust me though. They're hard to screw up. Unless you burn them, so don't wander too far. No one likes a grease fire...

These taste just like the ones mom used to make for us. The soda crackers & the eggs make them so juicy. Perfect for spaghetti & meatballs.

Mom's Meatballs

Serves 4

- lean ground beef (small-med pack)

- 1 egg

- 6-8 soda crackers

- spices of your choice

Preheat oven to 400. 

Mix all ingredients with your hands in a large bowl.
Roll into bite-sized balls.

Place on a cookie sheet & bake for 20 minutes, turning once.  

Blot with a paper towel & enjoy!

yummmm.

That's it! Mix, ball, bake, eat.

Tomorrow's dinner? All done. You're welcome. ;)