Blog Post Gone Awry

I spent about $24 CAD on dinner for tonight (Tacos) and $6 CAD on breakfast for the next 3 days.

Cumbrae's
-3/4 lb. lean ground beef $4.50 CAD

Horn of Plenty
-cheddar from Nutri Spring Farms in Dundas $9 CAD
-can of organic pinto beans $2.00 CAD
-8 whole wheat tortillas from Ontario $3.00 CAD
-organic salsa $4.00 CAD
-6 storemade carrot muffins $6.00 CAD

Picone's
-1 jalapeno from Dundas $0.21 CAD

We already have local lettuce, plain organic yogurt and local onions. With that we decided on tacos for tonight. This isn't some gourmet or even novel dinner idea, but I wanted to get in the habit of recording a) what we're eating and b) what we're paying. Right now I have the luxury to go shopping each day but once I start working full-time, a little more planning and preparation will have to happen.

Adam and I have been great about resisting eating out (and with a place like Matsu's nearby that's hard work). Simply reminding ourselves that neither is making income right now easily convinces us to eat in. Another reminder is this book:

I can't recommend this book aggressively, emphatically, enthusiastically and desperately enough. Your mind will be blown. I guarantee it. You might cry. You'll feel lied to and betrayed. You could feel like a fool. You'll certainly begin to question. But most importantly you will realize that YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Atrocities are committed daily against this earth, its animals and our people all in the name of "cheap" food. There are hidden costs in that coffee you drink every morning. Human rights violations. Raping of land. Destruction of habitat. Emissions. Emissions. Emissions.

And it's not just food, but every single thing we buy. And that's where we have the power. I make a stand with my dollar. I make a statement. Buying that cute brand name sweater without understanding how it came to me says, "I'm okay with child slave labour*" or "I support low pay, poor work conditions and unaccountability all in the name of mass production" or simply "I don't care".

I don't want to say those things anymore.

This website was another catalyst in my proactive approach to behaving less ignorantly:



This video, short and simple as it is, and the above mentioned book are two things I feel are essential to revisit every so often. The book itself is full of information and both incite me to act consciously. Awareness goes a long way.



*Yes, I'm trying it out along with harbour, centre, cheque, honour, humour and kilometre (still not fluent in metric!) You should see my screen right now, Blogger squiggled red lines under those words. Stupid Blogger.

From The Library...

First Piece of Personal Mail!

I'm trying to come up with something clever to say about all those stamps, but he's the comedian, not me.

Dundas Buskerfest 2008

Freakiness + Frivolity + Fanciful Feet = Buskerfest

This weekend the temperature neared 90 degrees Fahrenheit (I'm still not fluent in Celsius) and I spent most of it walking up and down the same 6 blocks I've been familiarizing myself with for the past 2.5 weeks. Luckily this time there were buskers everywhere to distract me.

I've posted pictures here and below are some video highs and lows.

B-Boy Ill Will of USA Break Dancers
I'm gonna call this move "Semper Fi"




B-Boy Mini Me of USA Break Dancers
Belly Flip




The last performer I saw Sunday was Magic Byron*. I'd been excited to see his show in its entirety as I had walked by several times seeing him bound in a straitjacket and chains. He's a New Yorker and wears (as Touch of Class, Charlie Caper pointed out) a vest without a shirt underneath. He exudes manliness. Tattoos. Spiky hair. Biceps. Flames on clothing. Be still my heart.

Unfortunately for Magic Byron*, performing numerous times in the cruel Dundasian Sun, bound in a straitjacket, nearly caused him to pass out. And therefor, regrettably he would not be repeating his signature illusion. Despite being very good with kids and overall quite funny, Magic Byron* had a hard time hiding what he really felt. He wasn't happy with the audience's size, enthusiasm, nor their post-show generosity. Basically, he lost it. And I got it all on camera. Watch it here:











*names have been changed to protect the buskers

In The Kitchen...

I'm in the kitchen, mid-recipe with a towel draped over my shoulder, spatulas and electric mixers all around and goodies in the oven. Picone's had local rhubarb and local Fuji apples which I turned into an Apple Rhubarb Raisin Crisp (every ingredient being Local, Organic or both!) loosely based on this recipe minus the ice cream. It seems like way too much sugar, but rhubarbs are taaaaart!

Horn of Plenty had lots of overripe bananas (Fair Trade and Organic) 7 for $1.50! I haven't had bananas in sooo long and am still in search of that perfect Banana Bread recipe so that trial has begun with this recipe. I like my bread incredibly moist without being terribly greasy and with lots of banana mush too.

Tonight's dinner:
-blanched asparagus (we'll keep eating this every day it's in season here, seriously)
-PelMen perogies (cheddar+potato+jalapeno and potato+bacon) cooked with local onions and typically yogurt but we're out
-marinated cabbage salad (from The Ukrainian Store)

Tonight's wine:
-Domain D'or

Tonight's dessert:
-Apple Rhubarb Raisin Crisp

*UPDATE:
I made a second (and I think tastier) Apple Rhubarb Raisin Crisp based on this recipe. And my Banana Bread turned out pretty good (could use more banana flavor).

Why I Love Canada, Reason #117: Milk Bags

Step #1a: Ask the locals, "How do I store and pour milk that comes in a bag?"

Step #1b: Google "milk bags" and do some research.*

Step #2: Acquire a Milk Pitcher from a grocery or kitchen supply store. Mine is plastic and cost $2.20 CAD.


Step #3: Buy milk. 4 liters = $9.99 CAD


Step #4: Open outer bag to reveal 3 fun size bags! (notice the French on the other side?)


Step #5: Place 1 fun size bag of milk into milk pitcher. Return the rest to the fridge.


Step #6: Snip off a very small corner of the baggie (too big, and you'll make a mess when you pour, trust me. I speak with the voice of experience).


Step #7: Pour. Drink. Enjoy!


It's been discussed that this way of containing milk is better for transportation cost and materials use. Unfortunately, my city does not recycle the inner bags but does recycle the outer bag (the bag with print). Both jugs and cartons are recyclable here. Whether one lifecycle is less destructive than the other, I'm not sure. I suppose I'm leaning toward bags that use significantly less raw materials and are lighter, using less gas to transport.


*Research

"So here's to the bag of milk: may you be universally accepted in the near future and stick around far into it."

"Canada is not the only place to have milk bags (You can check that out in the misc. section). However, this site will mainly consist of them, which makes sense since I live in Canada. So don’t go thinking I’m a milk bag racist."

"Seems that the bag of milk is gaining popularity; what are your experiences (if any) with the milk bag?"

Errata

Margo not Margot.

Paolo is a visiting post-doc, not a student.

Moving to Canada Recap

After fun times and tearful goodbyes, Adam and I left Ada early Tuesday morning headed for the land of Dudley Do-Right, Bare Naked Ladies and Terrence & Phillip. With Katsu and Hattori konked out from sedatives and Horus just miserably afraid, I drove the car while Adam piloted our big yellow Penske truck. We kept in contact with 2-way radios (a gift from Nanay when we moved from Maryland to Ohio).Crossing the border was relatively painless. We had gotten our appropriate permits on our most recent trip, so as to avoid further delays on Move In Day. The border guard seemed interested (suspicious?) that I had 3 cats in my back seat but waved me on and didn't even ask Adam to open the truck.

We pulled into the apartment complex some time between 3:30pm and 4:30pm, and immediately began to unload. I'd say we put in a good 3 hours or so, before we agreed we needed real food, some rest and we'd start again Wednesday morning. With that we drove (tsk tsk) to Matsu, a delightful and delicious sushi place just a few minutes walk from our apartment. We savored every bite and downed 4-5 glasses of water each.Wednesday morning found us hauling bookcases, dressers, desks, tables, chairs, cat perches, and a couch either into an elevator or up three flights of stairs. On a personal note (hey, it's my blog right?) communicating effectively while moving heavy, bulky furniture is quite a challenge and a wonderful learning experience. I think Adam and I did better than average.

After everything was haphazardly crammed into our apartment, we treated ourselves to the local library, a beer on our porch and a fresh baguette. Thursday we headed back to the States to return the truck (better deal, even with the added gas). We crossed into Buffalo, dropped off the truck and grabbed a mediocre Beef on Weck. Despite the grey skies and rain we headed for Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Once we got there the weather turned out perfect! Sunny and slightly warm. Adam was a bit disappointed with the overall feel (and the Canadian side is supposed to be far less commercial than the US side, can you imagine?!?). We only stayed long enough to enjoy the Falls before we headed back "home".Driving. Moving. Loading. Walking. By Friday we hoped for a day in, doing very little. Something we had overlooked was that we both would need SINs; USA's SSN equivalent. So we had to drive to a Service Canada Office and take care of that. Also, Horus had been sneezing, coughing, snotting and not eating since Tuesday so we took him to a vet that afternoon (he's now eating at meal times with the other two, exploring the apartment and playing regularly).

I can't easily recall what we did on Saturday. My best guess is constant unpacking and arranging of furniture.

Sunday we went for a hike. Well first we walked 2 miles to the starting point of the hike itself and so once again we found ourselves thirsty and with tired feet. There are so many natural areas around us, to hike, bike, bird watch. I'm very excited! Martin & Margot invited us to their place that night for dinner. Marinated chicken. Roasted red peppers. Potato bread. Salad greens. Baked beans. Asparagus wrapped with prosciutto and chives from their garden. Avocado & salsa. Wild rice. Grilled corn on the cob. And Margot experimented with a light cake topped with raspberries and meringue. One of Martin & Margot's students, Paolo, his wife, Sylvia and their daughter, Julia also joined us. The food, the conversation and the limoncello were so enjoyable. What a great welcome. I could have cried.

Coming up next: Food.