hello goodbye

once again, the blog is on hiatus because i'm not impressed with it's production. when i kick start my dietetics program in the fall i'll be sure to post more frequently with the health + food info i'll be studying.

plus i'm preoccupied with my puppy daughter and bonding with her as much as i can before i hit the books.

i do, however, have a tumblr account. so if anyone out there actually reads this, you can follow me here. there's some vegan/health related posts already up, in addition to random photos, rants, and updates on puppy mojo.

see you soon xoxo

fur-baby love

it's been a while since my last post because i've been studying, and a tired brain makes me lazy. you'd think i'd blog to procrastinate but i don't, instead i watch lots of gossip girl :)

this past weekend was very exciting because mick and i visited a shiba breeder just north of the city, and i still can't contain my excitement and anxiety over the whole thing. but there will be more on that shortly.

last friday, i met with my brother and bubbie at united bakers for brunch, and i decided to walk the hour and 45 minutes to the restaurant because the weather was so lovely. to fuel up, i had a banana sandwich with almond butter and a sprinkle of granola.

every friday, my bubbie and 20 of her friends have brunch at united bakers, and she frequently invites me to join because she likes to show me off to her friends, just as they like to show off their grandchildren. let me tell you this; old people get extremely excited when they see young people, and it's wonderful because they feed off the youth and wind up sharing great childhood stories. i love my bubbie's friends and their stories.

for second breakfast, i had a fruit bowl and three pieces of brown toast with pb. it hit the spot.

me and brandon! i haven't seen him in a while because he's away at school most of the year :(

this is the part of the post where i jinx myself (i'm paranoid that if i talk about it, our fur-son won't be born) but i'm gonna do it anyway.

saturday morning, mick and i met with his sister so she could drive us to the breeder. it was cold and rainy and disgusting outside, but i was too consumed with giggles and happy dances to let that spoil my mood.

it took us an hour to get there, and when we pulled up it sounded like we'd arrived at the gates of hell. i can't begin to describe the sound of 20+ dogs howling and barking at the top of their lungs, the noise was like a combo of screeching tires and crying babies, and it was fucked.

and how cute is she??! this little lady is cashew and she is the mother of my unborn son *fingers crossed* she doesn't look preggos but she is, and she was very friendly and affectionate with us, which was awesome because shibas are known to be very cold to strangers.

this is cash, cashew's baby-daddy. he stayed in his kennel but was very, very cute too. initially, we wanted a black and tan shiba but now we want a red one, like cashew.

after playing with the dogs, mick and i jumped the gun and put down a deposit for a puppy. normally, i would visit other breeders to keep our options open but, from what we've read, this is the best shiba kennel in ontario. it has a great reputation for breeding healthy puppies and all the dogs are gorgeous.

once we left, we stopped by extreme pita for an early dinner. i had a hummus pita with all the veggies, honey mustard and salt & pepper.

there's also been a lot of this happening...

i love breakfast smoothies!! you can never go wrong, yo.

tonight, i'm going to my first ever kickboxing class with three friends and i'm totally pumped! i think i'm going to fall in love with the class and buy a membership/class pass if it's cheap-ish.

send out the positive puppy vibes because cashew is due this week!! xoxoxoxo

puppies + delicious vegan food

hello! the last two days have supplied me with much of my favourite pleasures - my furry siblings and tasty vegan food :)

monday afternoon, i took the subway uptown to hang with my mom. we went to petsmart with greg to pick up their puppy child, clancy, as he'd been in the puppy hotel for eight days while they were in cuba. usually clancy doesn't want to leave petsmart but he was over the moon to be going home, and he clawing at the door and yelping like a mad pup. it was very uncharacteristic of him.

as you can see, he was very happy to be in the car, on his way back home.

that evening, i had dinner with my dad and puppy sister, coco. i can't believe she's one-year-old, she's HUGE and i think she weighs more than me. we played with her in the backyard while discussing our upcoming winter holiday adventure to africa.

one of the many great things about divorced parents is one always tries to outdo the other, and my dad is determined to make this xmas holiday beyond magical for brandon and me.

back to the food - a spinach-banana-mango smoothie has filled my empty tummy the last two mornings. yesterday's smoothie was plain and today's had muesli in it, and both were fibrous and sweet.

my food patterns have been a little off lately because i've spent a lot of time reviewing for my bio exam. instead of having large meals i'm snacking mainly on almonds, carrots, apples and almond butter, and my dinners are more substantial.

last night, i met with kaydi and mick at natural sushi before heading to another hot docs film. i had a creamy, 6-piece avocado maki with lots of ginger, wasabi and soy sauce mmm...

the three of us went to the screening of 12th and delaware, a documentary about a floridian abortion centre and pro-life clinic conveniently positioned across the street from each other. according to the directors, who'd also directed jesus camp [also amazing], this is a very common occurrence in america. the film presented a situation that was uncanny and, at times, beyond frustrating. go see it if you can!

after the movie, mick and i walked almost 13K and my legs broke off. it was awesome :) we walked kaydi back to her new place before turning around to head home. my stomach started rumbling on the way back so i picked up THE BEST SNACK EVER at the closest convenience store. munchies lime and chili flavoured almonds are so deliciously seasoned that i could feel my taste buds dancing. no joke.

this morning, i did a lot of studying and tied up a few loose ends, and in the afternoon i ate 1/2 a spaghetti squash with olive oil and salsa, and it rocked my world.

this afternoon, i browsed the shops with melissa, we also went to to starbucks where i chugged back an iced green tea with honey. unfortunately, the rain shortened our outing but it worked out because immediately after we parted i was starving. on the walk home, i concluded dinner would be a stuffed red pepper. i prepared a little quinoa and mixed it in with broccoli, zucchini and mushrooms, and packed it all into the pepper. it was scrumptious and beautiful.

lately, i haven't been able to shut my pie hole over fur-babies, and this weekend mick and i are going to visit a shiba inu kennel *glass-shattering squeal of excitement* i'm beyond excited to talk with the breeder and see her dogs, and hopefully we'll be lucky enough to be put on the waiting list for a pooch or take one home, which is pretty unlikely but a girl can dream :)

how cute is this lil' guy?? he's got mad 'tude and he's so eeensy and small :) i already love my fur baby and i can't wait to bring him home, whenever that may be. *sigh* i'm gonna be a mom!

i can't believe i just typed that. when did i get so old and maternal?

have a good night, grasshoppers!! xoxoxoxo

hot docs weekend

hello, hello!! the last four days have been so warm outside and it seems spring is here to stay :) this post has literally one photo of food and the rest is of me and mick, so if you're down with that then let's get to it.

this weekend has been all about hot docs, and so far i've seen three documentaries. friday morning began with an ass kicking courtesy of j-michaels, followed by mick and i meeting marla at the screening of darwin's nightmare.

i'm sad to say that it was pretty horrible because there were too many story lines and the focus got lost. *two thumbs down* the concept was really interesting but it felt like the director wanted to say too many things at once.

after that noise, the three of us walked around yorkville and got lunch. marla and i picked up our meals at the whole foods salad and hot bars, and i mixed up a few things to create a tasty green salad.

that afternoon, mick and i went to the dog park near our apartment because we're those people. we want a dog in the worst way possible and i think watching other dogs play is the only way we know how to cope ha! next thing you know, we'll leave the dog park with someone else's dog to try an at-home experiment... but this weekend we're planning to visit a breeder to talk about our future fur-baby!!! :)

saturday it was very warm despite the overcast, so mick and i took a walk to kensington and down to another dog park at trinity bellwoods (feel free to shake your head in disappointment and embarrassment for us.)

we were very happy watching the dogs play and be silly.

puppy brawl! the little one tried to get in on the action but couldn't :)

mr. paparazzo!! "NO PICTURES!!" is what he's thinking.

that night, we met with jess and jay for the screening of the people VS george lucas. it was a pretty entertaining film and there were some serious star wars fans in the audience, which was to be expected, who were practically peeing their pants from the jokes. they made the movie that much more enjoyable for me.

on sunday, mick and i woke up early to see another doc, gasland, and it was the best of the three. amazing, amazing, amazing. i have nothing but praise for this doc and i encourage everything to see it because it's an eye-opener, and what worries me is that this is happening in ontario and alberta.

CAN YOU DO THIS WITH YOUR TAP WATER? from JOSHFOX on Vimeo.

mick was hungry after the movie so we parked ourselves on the patio of by the way cafe, and he ate a chicken wrap with fries while i took in the sun. he surprised me with this shot...

... getting ready for the chicken wrap of a lifetime!

that is all, friends!! today, i shall attempt to get some studying done and seek out contacts for a story that's due next week. i'm also going to sit in my underwear and move as little as possible because it's unbelievable hot in the apartment :)

have a nice monday xoxoxoxo

remember when life was flashing before my eyes?

this is my future fur-son, doesn't he make you want to rip out your eyeballs because he's so friggin' cute? i want a shiba SOOOOO friggin' badly and i cannot wait until mick and i move to a bigger place to accommodate my clothing and our puppy.

today is thursday, which means it's the day of the wives, and in typical wifey fashion, i met mine at urban outfitters to kick off our afternoon. we browsed the shops at the eaton centre and purchased a few unnecessary items at urban, including a really cute pink 3/4 sleeve t with exaggerated shoulder pads for myself. when it comes to clothing, i'm not a pink person but this shirt makes me feel like a white rihanna and it's sort of amazing.

next, we decided on lunch and agreed healthy fare would be ideal, so we dined at cultures. my wife had the chicken & avo sandwich with two sides, and i ate the tofu salad with zucchini and carrots, and the barley salad with chickpeas and onion.

i consciously stay away from soy but had a strong craving for it so i ate it, and it was tasty.

it's rather warm outside and, for my ensemble today, i climbed into a new tank i bought in buffalo and paired it with jeans and a chain. i was complimented on the outfit at the mall and will be featured on a fashion blog, which makes me feel uneasy but completely flattered.

$20 says in two weeks half of toronto will look like me.

after lunch, chloe bought a really cute muppets towel at the disney store and then we retreated outside to dundas square, where we sat in the sun until we'd fully roasted. we parted ways shortly after but tonight we'll be reunited at her farewell to casey's celebration. after four years, i can proudly announce my wife has finally quit that hole and has moved on to better things, specifically the sports bar down the street and freelance journalism. yay!

flashback to yesterday evening - i went to new gen with casey and had the same spinach roll as always. it never disappoints.

and the night before that, i enjoyed dinner by candlelight with meaghan at fressen, where i ate the most delicious appetizer of LIFE [please excuse the blurry photos]! braised fennel on top sauteed watercress with a miso and hemp butter whip. mmm...

i also had one of meaghan's seared cornmeal polentas, which was also very delicious.

last weekend, mick and i went grocery shopping and i purchased a plantain because i've always wanted to try one. i pan-fried it with a little bit of coconut oil and seasoned it with salt, and it tasted delightful.

it's got that starchy feel to it like a potato but was subtly sweet. however, it was not as filling as a potato and i stuffed myself with something or other shortly after.

totally off topic but completely relevant - this week, a young man approach me because my red lips spoke to him. he asked me what i was listening to and i confidently replied, "phonography by britney spears." he laughed. ladies, this song is no laughing matter, and it'll make you feel like a dirty slut in the safety of your own head. it's life changing.

peace xoxoxoxoxo

today is monday

it's been a while since my last post, leaving you with the adventures of last thursday, the day of the wives. that evening, before heading to my volunteer job, i had the other half of chloe's avocado sandwich from urban herbivore to last me through my shift and the remainder of the night.

it was soooo delicious with the crunchy bread and gooey veggie insides. you can't go wrong with avocado anything, especially when there's a vegan pesto spread involved.

that friday morning kicked off with a chocolate-spinach-banana-mango smoothie topped with 1/2 cup of kashi's go lean crunch. i've replaced my usual granola with the cereal because it's lower in fat and calories but maintains the essential crunch and sweetness.

following that treat, i worked it to jillian michaels' 30 day shred but the ass kicking was not as hard as i hoped for considering it was level 3. however, the next day my inner thighs were BURNING like no body's business. j-michaels works wonders and makes it happen. i love her.

from there, i worked on my LAST lesson of bio *celebration dance* and made a tasty lunch of chopped carrot and beets, and steamed asparagus...

... and i mixed it all up with 3 tbspn of homemade hummus, which made it less appetizing to look at but added the necessary creamy goodness that i love.

that evening, i had dinner at my mom's as a sort of bon voyage type-deal because her and greg are going to cuba for the week. plus my brother came in from school and i haven't seen him in months, and that's a celebration in itself. beforehand, i stopped by whole foods to make myself a salad since the rest of the family would be eating swiss chalet chicken.

the salad was made on a bed of shredded kale, mixed with quinoa, grilled eggplant, artichoke hearts and a whack load of other veggies. it was very delicious but was lacking the curried tempeh i love that whole foods was out of :(

also, swiss chalet chicken, from what i remember, was really good. i remember the skin was so dang crispy and salty but now when i look at or smell it i gag. also, it's chicken SKIN! like, how effin' gnarly is that?!

saturday afternoon, mick took me on a loooooong walk [close to 20K] to celebrate my acceptance into ryerson. we walked to calico cafe for brunch and shared two delicious sandwiches - one was crispy tofu with tomato, roasted red pepper spread and dijon, and the second was a grilled sweet potato, zucchini, and pear with pesto and miso spread. they were life changing eats, as expected.

we stuffed our faces by the front window and watched the crazies and the crack whores on the street. it was totally romantic. check out the black hair extension on this one! single matted hair extensions are so hot right now.

after lunch, we walked to trinity bellwoods park, sat on the grass and listened to the hipster dogs discuss who looked more ironic beside their owner. effin' hipster trash and their stupid dogs.

the grass on the hill where we were perched was so luscious, and there were massive clumps of it that cushioned our asses very nicely.

today, mick took the day off work so we're chilling out this afternoon. i've just submitted my completed bio unit and will most likely write the exam late next month. i'm really not looking forward to the next few weeks of intense studying. also, i gotta start looking for summer jobs so i can rake in the dinero *ugh.* luckily, i have a freelance interview on wednesday that will hopefully provide me with the much-needed cash i'm looking for :)

have a good one! xoxoxoxoxoxo

thursday!

today is many things to me. today is thursday, which means it's the day of the wives and i have the pleasure of sharing a delicious meal and the afternoon hours with my wife, chloe. i'm feeling nostalgic so i put together a brief photo montage of the times we've shared...

my kitchen, winter circa 2008.

ryerson university, summer 2007 , chloe ate a hotdog before this photo was taken.

spring 2007, kaydi's surprise birthday party.

good memories with my lovely wife. this afternoon, we met in kensington and had lunch at the urban herbivore and wanda's pie in the sky. i had a tasty salad with mixed greens, artichoke hearts, sesame carrots and sugar snaps, broccoli, cabbage and grilled red pepper, and drizzled into the shrubbery was lemon tahini dressing.

urban herbivore has the best salad offerings of life and, unfortunately, it weakens my love for freshii. after downing that bad boy we sat under the sun on wanda's patio, and i sipped on a jasmine green tea and chloe enjoyed a flaky croissant and fizzy fruit beverage. i peaced out once we'd consumed our edibles cuz i resume my volunteer work this evening after a month-long hiatus, and i wanted to sit on my ass beforehand.

prior to meeting with chloe, i went to forever 21 and the eaton centre to satisfy my urge to blow cash. i tried on really cute stuff at forever 21 but none of it was like, woah.

me, in the change room, striking it.

the good new is that h&m has sweet footwear this season and i bought two pairs of shoes that i don't necessarily need but could totally use. i got these cute black flats for $20 and i luuurrrrvv this style, specifically because of the sexy, dainty ankle straps.

and these sneakers, which were only $15. i've been in the market for yellow kicks so i had to get them. plus, i didn't want the black shoes to feel all alone in the shopping bag and concluded a yellow canvas co-shoe was necessary to make us both happy.

sometimes i think that abiotic things have feelings. when i was a little girl i was always concerned about my stuff animals' well being and went to great lengths to make sure they were happy.

i also thought my alf stuffed animal would come to life at night and try to kill me.

yesterday, my afternoon was enjoyed at home and for lunch i made a really tasty salad of beets, carrots, celery and almonds, and topped it with a dollop of orange-cranberry dressing. it was grrrreeeeeeeaaaaat.

in addition to today being the day of the wives, it's also my departed puppy's birthday. bailey would be 17 today. this picture is of her first birthday and brandon and i, with the help of mom, made her a special treat to celebrate.

i miss my puppy and love her so much. she was the prettiest golden retriever ever. EVER. and i'm not just saying that because she was my dog. it's a well-known fact.

lastly, today is earth day, so everybody has to be extra nice to the planet by using reusable containers, recycling recyclables and walking instead of driving. but you should be doing most of that anyway and if you're not you deserve to die.

have a great afternoon xoxoxoxo