Food Adventures

I've been way more excited about cooking lately. Probably because I have someone to cook with and for a little more regularly now (Yay!). I've been so excited, in fact, that I've started taking pictures of our creations. And I just realized that every picture I'm going to post was made from a recipe by Isa Moskowitz and Terry Romero so I figure I better link to their Post Punk Kitchen as a shout out before I begin. Their recipes are all vegetarian or vegan. And AMAZING. There. Homage paid. Proceeding.

This is called Mac Daddy (from Veganomicon). We were eating leftovers yesterday and remarking AGAIN how suprisingly delicious this vegan mac and "cheese" is. It really is. For reals. I made the mac and Jake make the broccoli sauteed with garlic medallions and red wine. Oh! And the beverage is homemade iced tea, my aunt Jackie's recipe, which I've slightly adapted: Start with 4L water in a big pot, boil, take off heat. Add 6 orange pekoe tea bags. Steep overnight (this is an ESSENTIAL STEP). In the morning add one can of frozen lemonade or 3/4 c. Lemon juice and 1 c. sugar (or to taste).

This is Eggplant Peanut Soup. With chopped up peanuts and cilantro on top. That is all.


Here we are making green tea cupcakes (from Vegan Cupcakes take over the World):

I am finishing off the marzipan flowers with a dot of yellow icing in the middle. Notice how Jake is keeping an eye on me. Just in case.

Look! They look just like the picture!

We win!

I dress up as a green tea cupcake.

Reflections on September plus Some Promised Photos

I realized the other day that two years ago this September I was not happy. At all. Witness me crying into my cereal bowl most mornings. I'm not completely sure why this was happening, but I have a feeling it had to do with not feeling like I had a plan for the future. I was in some temporary jobs (too many of them, and only one of them was good...I will leave those of you who know me to figure out which one that was) and they were too grown up. Too grown up as in, I had to get up before the sun to get to them in time. But! They were also not grown up enough, what with the temporariness and the no future-ish-ness. There were really good things happening in my life, like moving out with two awesome roommates. But I seriously considered moving back home because life was really overwhelming.

Fast forward to last September: I came home from running around Europe, getting dropped off in the middle of a forest in Croatia and other such awesome things, with two of my favourite people in the world (hey roomies!), to a job that I had interviewed for on the phone in a small Italian village on a cliff by the sea. Woo! What an awesome sentence. And I was happy.

But not as happy as this year. I don't know, something is in the air, maybe, but I feel great this (gulp) almost September. I've had an amazing year doing a job that I love (mostly because of the people) and taking classes that I love. And I'm lucky enough to get to do that all again this year. And I'm posting this now so that in February, which, despite my kicking and screaming, I have been told we cannot skip, I can look back and remember how lucky I am.

No more mushiness! Instead! Long promised photos of me interviewing for, and finding out that I got, my job:

This is the phone, on the busy main street, that I used (I'm not actually talking to anyone yet)

Here is a more different view (Andrea is taking the photo from our apartment)

What? You can't see me? I am right above the white tenty thing, with the green bar in between my head and my body. See:

This is me in Greece, on the island of Santorini, having just found out I got the job. I am doing "victory arms." Even my hair is happy.

Espresso Fueled Exclamation Points

Oh Hai! I have had a lot of espresso today! Because of lack of sleep this week. And I thought, what a great time to post on my much neglected blog because: Look! I'm Zany! And incoherent!

Wednesday was the low point of the week. Or actually, maybe the high point. It is hard to classify. I had to basically write an entire paper because I had chosen to write on Pride and Prejudice, so, of course, I had to spend the few days before this reading through the entire novel and making notes INSTEAD of writing anything. I ALSO had a Calculus assignment due. On material I had not learned yet. AND I had to work an eight hour day before I could begin any of this.

So! It was 5:30 and I decided I would write until 6 and then have supper. Just before 6, I was nodding off, so I put my head on the arm of the chair I was sitting in, thinking: "maybe I should just jump in bed for a quick nap..." The next thing I know, it is 6:30 and I wake up to find that I CANNOT FEEL MY EAR. AT ALL. No, wait! I CANNOT FEEL THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE OF MY FACE. Because it was smushed against the arm of the chair for 30 minutes. ALSO: I feel like crap: headache, dizziness etc. (wow, I just realized I'm making it sound like I had a stroke...no, I am fine). I went into Andrea's room to let her know about my woes and flopped down on her bed. We commiserated. She is in the middle of a crazy course and had an insane amount of work as well. Mike, who is also taking the insane course, soon joined us. I was suddenly struck by the fact that I was hungry, but also felt like crap, so I said to Mike, I said: "Mike, I require a smoothie for dinner!" Which doesn't sound funny, but to Andrea and I, in our state of insanity, it was THE FUNNIEST THING EVER. So the floodgates of mirth were opened and I don't think I stopped laughing all night, mostly because I was entirely not ok and everything seemed ridiculous. So that was fun! And I did get my smoothie, although I had to create it myself. AND I finished all my school items, and I did them well. Now, if only I can get the (even more bigger) Calculus assignment done that is due this weekend!

I know! Assignment due on the weekend! What?

Memo to Winter

Dear Winter,

While it is true that many (seemingly insane) people seem to love you, what with the winter sports and all, there are also many people who do not share this love. At the risk of angering the former group, who, being insane, may try to kill me, I have to tell you, with all due respect: You have worn out your welcome. The Southern Hemisphere needs you. It is time to move along. MOVE ALONG. See, we here in the Northern Hemisphere have extended an annual invitation to Spring on the 20th of March. You never leave in time. AND you always come earlier than your standing invitation in December. Autumn and Spring might gang up and cut you, you never know. I wouldn't wait around to find out.

In closing, please take your snow, and your cold, and your wind, and your general misery, and get out.

With Respect, but not Love,

Stephanie

P.S. The robins are also here.

How Rude!

To not post for over six months without any explanation! Honestly. Bloggers these days.

LOTS has happened! So as to not bore you I shall provide a concise, bulleted list:

• Had random adventures in France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece and England.


• Drove in France. On crazy roundabouts.


• Interviewed for job in Waterloo while in small village in Italy. Will post photo of me on pay phone on street corner.


• Got new fabulous job (Youth Program Coordinator at WMB Church).


• QUIT ZEHRS JOB.


• Started new fabulous job.


• Started new fabulous English program.


• Went to see Feist.


• Went to see Hairspray.


• Planned many youth events.


• Planned a ski/snowboard retreat for 50 youth which killed/injured 0.


• Continued to love living with fabulous roomies.


• Wrote many papers.


• Started working at a shelter for the houseless.


• Got married.


• Just kidding.

One other thing that happened that I could not bring myself to put in a bulleted list is that my dog Riley died. It was five months ago now but I still have a hard time thinking about her without feeling very sad. She was a good friend. And everything still reminds me of her (right Paul?). Mom and Dad got a new puppy and she seems like she might be almost as wonderful, although she has large paws to fill. Her name is Darby. I'm sure I will post more about her later.

Bonjour Tout le Monde

Bonjour from Paris! I wish I could post pictures but I don't know if I am going to be able to.

We had a full day yesterday. The highlight of which was Notre Dame. We were there while Vespers was going on and it was beautiful.

At supper, we sat next to this young Frenchman who was performing card tricks for our waiter. At one point, he asked the waiter to pick a card. The waiter did and showed it to us (it was the 6 of clubs) then the magician put it under Carley's wine glass, face down. He then riffled through the deck until Carley said stop. The card she stopped on was the three of spades. That card went on top of the wineglass. Then he snapped his fingers and the cards changed places. It was crazy and I can't figure out for the life of me how he did it...unless he has two three of spades cards. It was very cool.

Back from Mars

...Just kidding.

I have, in fact, NOT been abducted by the aliens that called me on my intercom line. I can see how you would get that impression from my last post followed by six weeks of silence. Basically in those six weeks I have been going insane, supervising registration for a youth short term mission trip to Montreal. Then I went to sign them all in and frolic around Montreal for a while. Now I am back and I am happy to say that I no longer work for MBMSI. Let's just leave it at that. :)

Montreal is beautiful and awesome because:

1. People speak French. And let's face it: French sounds better than English.
2. There are beautiful churches EVERYWHERE. With GOOD ACOUSTICS.
3. You can be walking around downtown, minding your own business, and come across David Usher performing in the main street (This happened! I saw David Usher! For free! And he was good! And he even sang some Moist songs! And also that one that is on the radio now, and the one with the opera sample).
4. There is a man there who gives away free hugs. I didn't get one, but Kerry did and it looked like a really good one.

So, I'm off to Europe in 9 days. I'll be there for a month so my blog will probably be AWOL again. But who knows, there may be some bonus Euorpean posts!