vegan broccoli soup and cornbread

(warning: this is a little old of a post)

After my cornbread fun, I decided I should stop eating it all alone, and make something to enjoy it with!
I had a big bunch of broccoli abandoned in the back of the fridge, so I made my favourite food ever, soup.

I got my vegan recipe (the only one I could find that used tofu) from One Perfect Bite, and made a few changes. I hate using measurements, so that's mostly what I eliminated.

I ate this soup for lunches for as long as it lasted, usually with an egg for extra protein and my delicious cornbread. I brought the last of the soup to my sister after her she had her wisdom teeth out, and she called me the next day and told me the soup was delicious! Hurrah for big sister approval!

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sized thinly sliced onions
2 tablespoons (about 6 cloves) coarsely chopped garlic
1 (420 g) box lite silken tofu 
3 small-medium broccoli trees
2 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup (or a big slosh) of chicken stock
2 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 tsp- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh lemon juice to taste ( I didn't have any, so I used some apple cider and red wine vinegar)

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook covered, stirring occasionally until onions are caramelized. Remove onions to bender jar. Add garlic to skillet; cook until garlic is fragrant. Add to blender jar. Puree. Add tofu. Pulse to combine. Return to skillet.
2) Add broccoli, vegetable stock and water to skillet containing onion-tofu mixture. Add in tarragon and cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer; cover and cook for 10 minutes. Transfer broccoli, in batches to a blender jar. Puree. Season to taste to with salt, pepper and lemon juice if using. Yields lunches for a week. 

i baked

I wanted to make cornbread. But I needed applesauce. 

So I bought apples, took them home. 

Washed the apples. Cut them in half, then in half again. 

Cored them. Peeled them. 

Put them in a pot, with water, and steamed them. 

Made cornbread, using my applesauce. Ta-Da. 

theme friday: orange

Peeps - Pumpkin from here

class poetry (edited)

He Grew

He grew:

A skeletal anchor rooted heavy

Amidst molten spew erupting out

Cavernous mouths from derelict minds.

Up:

Against parades on courses to

Lives full of squalor

They sheltered in shadow.

When singed by the sun, he looked longingly below.

----------

Apparently

Slugs get out of the garden

Sew suits in Italian

Grow taller with thread count

Monday morning’s hello was a slug on my pillow.

Maybe was there over night

Drawling slug whispers.

I should have been frightened

A terrific cook

Oozing slug juice

----------

Only God, My Dear

She sheds hair on everything.

It’s the condiment of choice.

A great supply provided by

Gold drunk weavers.

It is in her shirt and prepared food,

You’ll never guess what stuffed my coat,

Adorned pillows, King duvets, and our child’s little throat.

We thought that it would be messy.

But everything’s so easy now to clean!

Shampoo, lather, rinse, repeat it;

Formulaic and pristine.

Like chapel.

halloween time

the sky cries alligator tears

I have walked and prayed for this young child an hour, 

And heard the sea-wind scream upon the tower, 

And under the arches of the bridge, and scream 

In the elms above the flooded stream;

Imagining in excited reverie

That the future years had come

Dancing to a frenzied drum

Out of the murderous innocence of the sea. 

affected climate

Grunge: characterized by people in flannel shirts and torn up jeans, originating in Seattle, Washington in the late 80's to early 90's. Some may say that the artists were a bunch of teenagers affected by the bad climate in seattle. Grunge is has a sound that sets it aside from the rest: dirty "messed up" distortion, heavy feed back and usually off tune. 



Winter's bite is growing stronger, and is running unleashed around this town. I am still in style paralysis, and when it's me against the cold, I want my bark to stand against the bite.

But Winter is still like an angst-y teen, hot and bothered in the day, frigid and withdrawn at night. IT's said that misery loves company; I'll give Teen Winter some outfits to rub up against.

I so badly want some chunky knits and clunky sweaters paired with sweet summery skirts and pants. I like a look that says "this sweater is slept in, my hair is unwashed, but i care enough to still iron my skirt."I've collected my whineyweather outfit inspirations, and I've deduced I need: mid rise black skinnies and a long sleeve wool shift dress with a funky pattern. Unfortunately, good fitting pants are like mirages to me, and slinky dresses are all the rage now. Good thing I am patient.

Knits and knee highs.
 College Prepped. 

Thank you, Alexa Chung, for being marvelous always.
But where did you get your sweater?  

Thank you too, random lookbook.nu chick.
I like it, but your tights are a little not real life trashy. 

Nice jack (et).
You could be a girl, boy. 

scarf. sweater. blk pants. combat boots. dog.
now that's an outfit to write home about. 

Jen, your sneer is just the frosting.
And I like him too. 

Now I will dive into my closet and be inspired. Pics soon!

giving thanksies part 2

This week is pre thanksgiving. I will be going to Montreal- this will be my first trip there ever!

I love thanksgiving. It is, absolutely, without a doubt, my favourite holiday. I dream about the food as soon as the first leaf turns. And what is not to love? Because the glorious heaps and heaps of food that we share as an expression of our gratitude for all of the blessings in our lives, we are also celebrating a holiday that yet has to be adulterated like Christmas, or Easter. This holiday is not overtly commercialized, there are no ridiculous consumeristic expectations, it is set with a gorgeous autumn background, with crisp air and glowing sunsets, and the entire holiday's focus is FOOD.  I'm salivating just dreaming about it. But more on that when it actually happens.

I've been inspired by Blake Lively's life as of late. She is a talented actress, gorgeous, and dating Leo DiCaprio. She's got the life I want. Plus, she dresses so swaaanky! Check out her outfit for her Regis & Kelly interview. Tres Jolie, Blake. Kudos.

In real life, I have been on the hunt for the perfect pair of black denim. I want high waisted, skinny but not too skinny, pure black, a little bit of a stretch, ankle grazers. I've tried on many, but so far, none take the cake (or holiday appropriate: turkey). Today, my sis informed me that American Apparel has incredible black denim, and I need to check them out. I accept this mission. Because I want to.

And thats all for today. I have a Raising Hope episode to watch, and sleep to catch.

Don't let the bed bugs bite,
xo

giving thanksies part 1

During Nuit Blanch weekend brunch with M:
we ate the fantastic eggs norwentine @ Joy Bistro on Queen

HELLO :)

It's been so long, and I've missed the blogosphere. I've been busy with classes and looking for work and being alive in Toronto! This city is really so fantastic. I've done so much here since returning from my summer holidays: George Strombo live tapings, Nuit Blanche, plays and plays and more plays, fantastic eats and so much more!
But. My outfits have been only alright. It's a recent epidemic, and I do not want to panic, but I think my blockage is due to the change in weather and the weightlessness of my pocketbook.

First off, autumn weather is Toronto is wack. It's smoking hot in the AM, then frigidaire cold at night! When I journey out of my house, either morning or early afternoon, I plan to be out all day and well into the night. Well, well, well. Mr Jerkface Autumn whips up some wind and clouds and the dress I had planned to wear, now nearly shivers right off it's hanger. So, I plan for cold weather, wearing layer upon layer, toting along extra scarves and jackets. So, Mr J.F.A takes the day off, and lovely Ms. Summer is back, and I'm sweating bullets!

Secondly, I am poor boy. When I have no monies to drop on fab wardrobes, first I regret every single "meh" purchase I've ever made, those pieces that snob-illy sit untouched and unloved all over my closet saying "Look what you've done. You've bought me, and now you have no choice but to wear me." Wah. Then, I tend to drift off, coveting every other girls outfit, scouring the web for fantastic pieces, looking and looking until my eyes are all full up. Then my mind goes all "whatevs, you'll never have all that. look at your own lame ass transition-season clothes. Can they really help you through these tough environmental situations? Change, girl."

So I change. And I change. And I change, change, change, change. And it takes so long now, until that 'a-ha!' moment clicks and I feel great. But it does happen.

Like today. I (changed a zillion times) put on some cig jeans with an old mum's shirt and my leopard belt and voila.

OH ALSO THE MOST AMAZING THING HAPPENED TO ME! 


 I was walking down Dundas, and a crew filming a commercial for Olympus gave me an incredible camera! No catch. They just filmed me receiving the camera and taking pics, and it was mine. I was so elated. It is wonderful, and I love it. Who knew taking pics could be so luxurious! 
This is the super sexy camera I got, absolutely FREE. 
All of my pics on this post I took using this cam cam. 

put on the last coat

[soundtrack of my day: Islands Disappear by Said the Whale]

school's for chumz

It's cold again. Autumn is such a go getter.

let's be roomies: Part 2

I couldn't help myself! More room inspiration.

 Isn't it all so wonderful? Tomorrow, I go looking for pieces for my own room.

let's be roomies

My room will be finished being painted early this week. My walls are a light sea-foam blue with a white trim. I went to pick up my adorable day bed today that I got on craiglist, but it is the babiest of blues, so I am going to spray paint it white, or off-white, to match my bedroom's trim. But GAH it's a single bed! Suck It Up cause this room is smaller than most people's closets, so I have to magically connive the space to believe it is bigger than it is. Like, 8 times the size. But check me out already being uber functional: a day bed means I can transform it into a sofa OR a bed! (AKA this sofa-girl-who-eats-all-the-time will need to get a day quilt!)
WARNING: The following post contains a shitload of room "porn".

Beautiful, right? The mullet of beds: business in the day, party in the night. 

But in reality, I am so excited to decorate my room, no matter how tiny! In my head, my room is a mix of bohemian florals, romantic ruffles and pastels, and bold bright tribal colours. Now, this room is pretty tiny, so I don't know how all of that is going to squish in. 

Sheet music wallpaper. Rose paper mached mirror. Stripes. Hexagons. Frame Collage. White. Throw pillows. This. 

Woof. Please, that window seat? And black drawers that just go on forever? Yes, and yes, and yes yes yes!

Clean and crisp. But youthful too. I think the wallpaper and lilac flower paintings do it. 

1. I want white curtains, maybe? But how romantic do I want to go? It's a fine line between romantic and nursery and I want to stay as grown up as I can. So do I go with lacy on top, ruffles on the bottom, like this curtain from Urban Outfitters? or just all ruffles, like this one? These $99 Ikea darlings are the sweetest things ever too.... Or I might just get a blank white like 5 dollar curtain from IKEA and paint it myself with blue fabris paint. Oooh, maybe tie-dye? Or just plain, wispy, ethereal, eternal fountains of cloth?

Bed me. 

Ya, so I'm not crazy about these. But the idea is there. 

2. Shag rug. Homeade, to save moolah. Colorful to be the statement piece. These instructions seem legit enough, the only trouble is: I love all my tshirts too much to kill them. Hello, value village. 

http://www.ehow.com/how_4895298_make-tshirt-shag-rug.html

Not a shag rug. Mosaic rug! I adore the color of the duvet also. 

3. I have a teal and wood desk. I just need to keep it tidy, so that it is actually functional. This might be the hardest thing I do all year. That plus the broken chair that I need to both fix and paint in a bath of all over white. And a bedside table. That will probably help.

Wallpaper on the inside of bookshelf? Why not? 

Rosemary's Baby you have shelves for a headboard. Clevah. 

4. I must get a blue glass vase, and keep it flower stocked. Flower power, for the win.

Flow. Cut this photo is half vertically, and voila. That could work. 

I wish I had a window frame within a doorframe within a doorframe kind of bedroom.