Carrot-zucchini-apple muffins. So much produce.

Curiously bright green sauce!

Parsley-tahini sauce (adapted from a Veganomicon recipe). Just about ANYTHING tastes good dipped in this. Rice crackers, veggie sticks, roasted potatoes, strawberries? Hahahaha no.

Wednesday dinner for la famille: basic chili from How It All Vegan. I added a bunch of extra stuff including roasted pepper, celery, and soy ground round.

NOT the most flattering lighting.

I am moving to Ottawa for the summer in a week, which is exciting, but I will miss new friends, biking in Toronto, and cooking at home/family dinners. I really dislike eating alone /:(

Sad fish face.

BUT pretty stoked to be a geeky cycling advocate again!

Some good paper-writing music (so close! just 1.5 more to go):

http://silentshout.ca/2012/11/22/mp3-pick-a-piper-lucid-in-fjords/

http://silentshout.ca/2013/04/15/mp3-common-citizens-one-sweet-day/

http://prettymuchamazing.com/music/stream/new-beach-fossils-careless

Escapism beckons!

Hangin’ out by the AGO. The hacky-sack man with the salsa? music is back!

Mlex introduced me to SONIC. A super little cafe where apparently everyone who works and goes there knows each other! Except they wouldn’t give me decaf. Growl!

COOL BIKE KID.

I am back on the veggie-loaf kick. This here’s a carrot-zucchini loaf. A bit dry/crumbly but pas mal.

Apparently I can’t cut things properly.

Moarrr gingersnaps.

I’m looking forward to finishing up the term and heading back to Ottawa to work for the summer! I dream of riding along the river on this bike:

Linus roadster classic, be mine!!

Round One: Gorilla cookies from Wanda’s Pie in the Sky (the best!)

Round Two: Carrot-apple muffins

Round Three: Ginger snaps

Spring a ling!

Dill tahini sauce from the mighty Veganomicon:

Bowls full of grains/veggies are my fave. Wheaberries, sweet potato, golden beets, grated carrot, and bits of falafel:

Sorry about the icky photos. I want to show my weird (yet delicious) veg creations but they always look just awful.

Anyway…

Another Veganomicon recipe I tried recently was banana date scones. They were more muffiny than sconey in texture but I loved the sweet banana/date and hearty walnut/flax/whole wheat flour combination.

I just dropped lumps of dough on a cookie sheet. Next time I will attempt to shape them better!

Speaking of scones, I just found this fantastic blog called Get Sconed written by a Portlander. Obviously, I am enamoured! Also, I am most likely going to Portland this June….BYAYYYY. I hope somebody gets that reference.

I also made more carrot pineapple muffins (what’s new, right) for my parents to bring on the airplane. Airplane snacks are key.

I did keep a few around for moi-même.

Zombie muffin prepares to attack its compadres! I am reading an article about “zombie properties” in the context of urban decline and it’s bringing out all sorts of strange images in my mind.

Here is some nice music to accompany such readings:

Washed Out – Soft

Vox Mod ft. Palaceer Lazaro – Iridescent Asteroid Mists 

Young Galaxy – Fall For You 

Shepherd’s Pie from How It All Vegan. Obviously not so vegan with the addition of cheese on top.

I also made some dill-icious avocado-tofu dip. Dang this stuff is good, even though it may be a bit scary-looking to the uninitiated. 

I used it to make this rather scrumptious meal:

Wheatberries, sweet potato, grated carrot, fake chicken, and green sauce. Brain food for confusing mess of a stats assignment.

Yet another batch of pineapple carrot muffins. Mother assisted with the “photoshoot”!

It’s a snowy wonderland out there. Skating/tobogganing/general frolicking best be happening this weekend!

Rooster, my #1 weekend coffee spot!

I have been enjoying cold-weather walks around Riverdale, High Park, and the ravines near  where we live. Thinking of heading to Ward’s Island next weekend, perhaps avec mes patins!

***

I made some very gingery ginger snaps for a friend (& kept some to taste test, of course). So simple yet so good! I used Earth Balance in place of butter and a “flax egg” (1 egg=1 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 Tbsp warm water), which doesn’t always make a good replacement but worked well for this recipe.

This is the hand of a cookie monster!

I also recently made some HEALTHY FRUIT & VEG muffins. Carrot-zucchini-apple with pecans, to be precise.

Ta da! Healthy(ish) snacks for the win.

Other than that, I’m taking two required planning courses, and two electives, transportation and urban form (fave subject!!) and declining cities.

Onto SRA BAKING NEWS: can’t stop, won’t stop with the vegan ginger molasses cookies. I hate wasting baking ingredients (well, food in general) and these cookies are a good way to use up molasses, Earth Balance, and fresh ginger. Recipe from ICI.

Another baking repetition: the Veganomicon’s carrot pineapple sunshine muffins! They are a hit with my parents. I like that they’re quite heavy on the fruit and veg (grated carrot, canned pineapple, and orange zest).

I also make dinner-type things occasionally…haha. My baking aptitudes definitely surpass my cooking skills. This was a random creation of red lentils, sweet potato, papper, spainch, and various spices. Like a dahl, but not nearly as good…

Next time I should probably use a recipe (also red lentils get so mushy…it’s all about PUY lentils now).

These are blueberry banana muffins (with pecans for good measure) from Joy of Baking. Simple, classic!

I thought substituing plain yoghurt for milk might make them softer but alas, they were a bit tough. 

They have a good, intense banana flavour though.

Miam miam.

My mom said it’s nice to have me around at home because I make the kitchen smell nice with all the baking I do. Aw moms!

Ashbridge’s Bay all the way! It’s incredibly peaceful there in the “off season”. Just me, a couple of familiies, and some solo dog-walkers.

Oh the quiet landscape! I also walked through Kew Gardens which is always pleasant.

And found a TINY HOUSE!

As well as a fierce-lookin’ owl outside the library:

Spotted some kiddos tobogganing in the Glen Manor ravine- classic Canadiana.

For some reason I thought there weren’t any nice, rustic lil coffee places in the Beach(es) but there totally are!

I had a delicious capp here, great quiet spot for reading and occasionally eavesdropping (ha ha, this is the problem with spending too much time alone).  I’m reading Wanderlust by Rebecca Solnit and I just want to hang on to every word, and somehow distill everything she wrote into a subject to study for my Current Issues Paper…

Vegan ginger snaps: 

Look at those big chunks of crystallized ginger.

I gave some away to friends and familia, they are a good little winter treat.

This morning I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins from the Post Punk Kitchen!!

They are pretty divine. Only problem is that I used some very old choc chips that had been lurking in the cupboard for who knows how long. Silly Sra. 

Das about it! I have to go brush up on my Weezer tunes since we’re going to see Sheezer and a bunch of other bands at the Tranzac for New Year’s Eve! It’s no fun if you can’t sing along.