Blackberry Jelly

Nature is full of surprises.  This year, wild blackberry bushes have sprung up all around my compost bins.  And they are heavy with ripe, juicy berries! 

I put on my knee high boots and long pants and went out to gather nature's bounty.  The thorns on these bushes are vicious, and the mosquitoes love to hide in the shrubs around the compost, so the long pants and boots were required.  The berries are small and I needed 4 cups to make my jelly, but it only took me about an hour to gather enough fruit.

I found the recipe for blackberry jelly on the Certo package.  I even had enough left over to make some strawberry-blackberry no-cook freezer jam.   But I don't like the freezer jam as much.  I find it a bit grainy.  But I'm sure we will gobble it up.

Mission Accomplished

After 6 weeks of construction, my kitchen project has just about come to an end.  It has been quite a journey and I have learned ALOT!  This is hands down, the biggest renovation that I have had the pleasure to plan and now that it's over, I can look back and say it was totally worth all the dust, the noise, the planning, the headaches and the expense.  I am living in my new dream kitchen, and I wouldn't change a thing! 

What do I love the most?  The counter space!!  I'm no longer cutting vegetables hunched over on the table!  I love that I can take pans out of the oven and put them directly on the granite counters.  I love the breakfast bar on the opposite side of the kitchen!  I love the lighting!  Being able to see what I'm doing is marvelous!  I'm thrilled with the appliances!  I am no longer at the mercy of a stove that shuts itself off at will, and I can fit several cookie sheets in the oven at the same time!  I am still getting used to the dishwasher thing....  do you rinse before washing?  What do you put in there and what do you hand wash?  I still feel as though I'm washing alot of dishes.... but at least I can hide them in the dishwasher.  And cleaning up after my girls were over was a snap! 

I wish I could say it was completely done, but there are still some details to tend to and some touch ups to do.  The speakers have not yet been installed in the ceiling, and some cabinet doors and kick plate are still on order, but I am a happy camper!   And I'm getting back into cooking.  I treated myself to a cookbook holder and a knife sharpener, and I'm happy I did.  Cooking is a pleasure with the proper tools!! 

For breakfast this weekend I made a tofu scramble and potato latkes from The Vegan Table.  I whipped up a little creamy curry sauce by mixing Toffuti sour cream with a bit of Veganaise, some curry powder and a touch of cayenne pepper.  Mmmmm. 

I love Toffuti sour cream and cream cheese.  Unfortunately it is hard to come by around here.  They have started carrying Yoso sour cream and cream cheese in the stores around here because they are easier to get, but BLEK!!  NOT the same at all.  I would rather do without, or drive all the way to Ottawa or Montreal to find the Tofutti.  It's great that they are carrying more vegan products, but a shame that people won't get to try the good stuff.  What are your favorite vegan brands of sour cream and cream cheese? 



Almost Finished!

The kitchen renovation work is wrapping up.  There are some details... mouldings, handles, hooks, etc to finish up and the electric outlets and lighting to get to, but I spent some time tidying up and putting things away.  The big light fixture over the island still needs to go in.  I'm finally beginning to feel like I have a kitchen again!  I took a couple of photos to share...

We spent the weekend in Ottawa for a friend's 40th birthday party.  We went out to dinner at the Zenkitchen.  It was FANTASTIC.  We had the chef's tasting menu for 48$.  The meal began with a marinated mushroom amuse bouche.  The first course was a salad with local greens, spelt and another grain, and a raspberry vinaigrette.  The second course was a wild mushroom won ton soup in a ginger mushroom broth which was absolutely delectable and followed by a lemon lime ice palate cleanser.  The main course was an open faced lasagna with vegan bolognaise sauce, exotic mushrooms and a cream sauce.  Mmmmm.  Dessert consisted of a strawberry shortcake with lemon custard and coconut whipped cream.  You can also order a wine pairing with the chef's tasting menu for 23$.  The service was excellent.  The chef takes the time to come out to each table to describe the dishes personally. 

We liked the Zenkitchen so much we went back for brunch on Sunday, and will make it a regular haunt when we're in Ottawa.  Has anyone else out there tried it yet?

Counters and Sinks and Taps.... Oh MY!

It has been busy around here this week, and it's only Tuesday!  After having installed all the cabinetry in it's rightful place, it became apparent to me that the island was in the wrong place.  Panic!  Do I say something, or just let it go?  Luckily, I brought it up with my kitchen designer and it turned out not to be such a huge deal.  They just picked it up and moved it.  Who knew??  They did have to modify some plumbing, but it was totally worth it, because now I can look at the island and not feel a knot in my stomach.  I had myself so worked up about this, thinking that everyone was going to roll their eyes behind my back and call me a fickle female, that I didn't sleep well!  How silly am I?  Sometimes I have to remind myself that this is my project, and everyone is just trying to give me what I want. 

Unfortunately this may also create an issue with the electrical box that was placed in the middle of the old island space, and reinforced to hold a fixture that weighs 40 pounds.  Kirk is a bright guy, he`ll figure something out.  And to my untrained eye, it doesn`t look that off!

But, the island was moved just in the nick of time because at 5 pm, Georges the Granite Guy showed up with his assistant to install my counter tops!  There are no words to describe how thrilled I am.  They match PERFECTLY with everything.  It`s as though all these pieces were waiting out in the ether to come together in utter functional beauty.  The hammered copper sink, the antiqued copper tap (they match better than they appear to in this picture) and the absolutely gorgeous granite on the island.  I was a bit worried about the floor going with the counter, but they blend perfectly.  The natural stone with the dark wood makes it feel so earthy and organic. 

There are a few pieces missing though.  There is a small piece that fits at the back of the cooktop that needs to go in tomorrow morning.  They ran into a problem drilling through the stainless steel to install the new tap on the old 3 bowl sink that I am re-using. And bless them, they are rushing to get the backsplash design that I brought to them on Monday ready for installation tomorrow night.  If I can revert to one of my favorite 80`s sayings.... Totally awesome!! 

Pie in my New Oven!

Oh Happy Day!  I can cook again!  Friday they got my new ovens installed!  It was quite a feat since they weigh a ton (more than the refrigerator!) and it requires both electrical and water hook ups, and no one had ever installed one like this before.  This is a KitchenAid double oven with convection and steam capabilities.  It's totally digital and it can bake, broil, reheat, keep warm, steam and dehydrate!!  I have no idea how to use it, but it'll be fun figuring it out.

Most of the cabinets are installed, including the breakfast bar.  This is where the microwave, the toaster, kettle, coffee maker etc. will be stored, along with the mugs and tea and coffee.  In the lower cabinets I plan to store my smaller electrical appliances such as blender, waffle maker, crock pot etc. I have painted the wall behind the breakfast bar blue to bring a little colour into the room.  I wasn't sure of it at first, but I think it's growing on me.  What do you think??

Once the oven was installed, I was itching to get something into it, so I picked some rhubarb, got some strawberries from the market, and whipped up a strawberry-rhubarb crumb pie.  I used a frozen pie crust since I don't yet have counters.  Here's the recipe I threw together:

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Pie
4 cups of rhubarb chopped
1 to 1 1/2 pints of strawberries hulled and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon

Mix these ingredients together in a big bowl and let it sit for a while, until the sugar dissolves and some liquid forms in the bowl.  Then add:

3 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix well.  Put the fruit mixture into your pie crust.

For the topping mix together 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup oats and 3-4 Tbsp (or as much as you need) of vegan margarine like Earth Balance until it's crumbly.  Then place it carefully on top of your pie and pat it gently in place. 

Cook in a 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes and then turn the temperature down to 350 and cook another 30-40 minutes.

Allow it to cool for a bit before digging in! 

The Cabinets Have Arrived!

It was 33 degrees and sunny today, and I spent the day at Calypso water park with my son's class.  There were only about 10 schools there, and there were no line ups.  A great time, but it was exhausting and I'm very sunburned, even though I wore 30 sunscreen.  Ouch.

On Wednesday they delivered most of the cabinetry.  The kitchen is packed!  There are narrow passages to maneuver through the room and just enough space for the guys to get some work done.  But it is going more quickly now.  They have spent almost a day and a half working and the lower cabinets against one wall, the island cabinets and some of the upper cabinets have been put in!  It's very exciting to watch things progressing right now. 

Here's the island!!

When we got home from Calypso, I called George the granite guy to let him know the bottom cabinetry was in.  This evening he came to take the templates for the counter tops.  He says he will be installing on Tuesday or Wednesday!!  Amazing!!  Now I'll have to call Nick to put the cooktop in right after that.  Then I'll be back in business!!  YES!!  I'm really impressed with his efficiency!!

Finished Floor (Almost)

Today is (hopefully) the last day that I will need to use this as my refrigerator. 

For the last 2 days, access to the kitchen has been completely off limits.  This includes the stairs to the basement where the fridge is currently living.  So we have been roughing it.  I never thought I would say this, but I'm getting a bit tired of hummus and salad.  Even though I've tried to mix it up the last 2 days by putting it in a wrap...  I'm also sick of sausages.  I could really go for a nice mushroom risotto, or some miso soup.... stuffed pasta shells....vegan pizza!!  I could go on.  This is really the first time since becoming vegan that I feel at all restricted by my diet.  And it's not that I miss eating non-vegan food, it's that I miss the diversity due to a lack of available vegan convenience food. 

The good news is the floor is finished....except for a few holes where we ran out of tiles.  Apparently there is often breakage of the tiles (especially the larger ones) in transit.  BUT they don't allow you to return extra tiles, so you can't order extra just in case.  This I see as a flaw in the system.  It may protect the wholesaler, but it screws the customer.  Now we're stuck waiting for the delivery of more tiles.  Luckily they are supposed to be in later this week and they will be installed on Friday.  As long as that doesn't interfere with the other workers!!

Despite these minor setbacks, the floor is absolutely delicious.  I could stare at it all day long.  The picture really doesn't do it justice because it is still all covered with grout that needs to be washed off.   I can't imagine ever tiring of it.  My recent love affair with travertine has led me to wonder....  What the heck is 'travertine'??  So I did a little research....

Travertine is actually a form of limestone, an intermediary between limestone and marble actually.  It is more porous than marble.  It is formed by the rapid deposition of minerals (calcium carbonate for all you science geeks like me) out of mineral springs, often at the mouth of a hot spring or in a limestone cave.  As such, the sources of travertine in the US include geothermal areas such as in Yellowstone National Park.  Turner Falls is the tallest waterfall in Oklahoma; 77 feet of water cascade over a travertine cave.  But, the US is not a major supplier of travertine.  It is mostly imported from Italy, Iran, Mexico, Turkey and Peru. 

This particular stone was often used as a building material in Italy.  In fact, the Colosseum is the largest building built mostly of travertine.  Sacré Coeur Basillica in Paris is also built largely from travertine.  I can imagine a travertine world tour!!

Given that breakage is common in transit, I was worried about the durability of the stone once it was installed.  But it is said to be quite strong as a flooring; however, proper sealing is important.  Being porous, the stone is susceptible to acids such as vinegar, orange juice and (gasp) wine!!  But once it is sealed it is easy to clean and is considered hygienic!  Sealing is done by painting or rolling on a liquid sealer.  The sealer should be reapplied on a regular basis.  Depending on the wear on the flooring, I have been told that reapplying every 3-5 years is wise.

Fabulous Flooring!!

This week has been tough.  I'm not sure why it was harder than the last two.  Things didn't seem to move as quickly as in the last two weeks, and there was one day when there was no one here working at all.  In the defense of the crew, the reason there was no one here on Tuesday is because the plaster guy came on Saturday morning, and finished up a day early.  The other crew hadn't planned for that and were busy on another project.  I know this is not the only project taking place in the world right now.... but I'm very anxious to see the end of this 'adventure'. 

Alot has been accomplished this week, despite my whining!  The walls are all prepared, painted and ready for the next step.  In this regard I am ahead of schedule, because I hadn't planned to paint until the end.  I'm still working on the spindles on the stairs.  The dreaded spindles which are a pain in the patutie to paint.  I can't even count how many spindles I have painted since moving into this house.  With the deck, the wrap around porch and both the front and back stairs decked out in oodles of spindles.....  I've done my share.  I still need to do one more coat on the railing this weekend, and slap a coat on the wall behind where the fridge will be (I forgot that bit).

The heating coils have been installed and flooded with cement, and today the membrane was laid and about half the tiles have now been installed.  Last night while the cement was drying we were not allowed to set foot in the kitchen at all.  This means we couldn't even get down to the fridge in the basement.  So we went out for dinner.  You'd think that would be a treat, but as far as I am aware, there is only one restaurant in Alexandria that has a vegan meal on the menu.  It is a vegetarian stir fry and it's not bad, but it costs 17$.  So, going out to eat in town, is really not something I look forward to.

That being said....  the floor is going to be stunning.  I absolutely LOVE it.  I'm so glad I went with the travartine instead of the porcelain tile.  Each tile is unique and has a personality all it's own.  To me it is reminiscent of an old world stone floor.  It goes so beautifully with the dark cabinetry and the 'brazil nut' beige walls.  It makes it easier to image how the room will look completed.  And I can just imagine the warm stone under my feet in the cold winter months.  No regrets here!!

Now to figure out what to make for dinner!!

Painting Party!!

Picking paint colours can be challenging.  Especially when you have to imagine what the room will look like with cabinets and a floor and countertops.  I was fortunate to have a sample cabinet door, a piece of the granite I chose and samples of the floor tiles and backsplash.  Beige was the obvious choice, but I was afraid it would be a bit boring with a room full of beige and brown.  So I tried a yellow.  Unfortunately, after bringing home the yellow and painting a sample...  I wasn't quite sure.  So I called in the girls for a second opinion.  The yellow was voted out and I decided to go with...... beige.

I have to recognize my awesome gang of gals that stepped up to help me paint!  The walls were done in no time.  I had the kitchen installation crew do the ceiling, so we were spared that unpleasant task!

Today the ceilings were done, and the floor guys showed up to do some prep work.  Tomorrow they install the heating coils and the self levelling cement.  And Friday Ranger begins the floor tile installation.  This is scheduled to take 4 days. 

I paid a visit to George the granite guy this week to let him know that by sometime next week, he will be able to take the pattern for the counter tops.  He says he needs 4 days between taking the pattern and doing the installation!   This is totally unheard of in the granite world from what I have heard.  Other places take up to 6 weeks to get the counter top installed.  He has slabs of granite stacked outside his workshop, and you can peruse his wares any time of the day or night.  I have wandered through his stacks several times and settled on one particular stone with lots of personality.  It is going to look smashing on the island.

My main concern is getting the granite in asap, since I can't get my stove top put in until that happens.  But it looks like that won't happen for a couple more weeks.  Sigh.  Keep your eyes on the prize.........

On to Week 3.... And Tzatziki!

Here we are in the third week of kitchen renovations.  Things really don't look that different from my post on Thursday, though there has been some progress.  The walls have received their 3 coats of plaster and have been sanded, and are now ready for priming.  The new plumbing for the sinks has been set up.  And this morning at 6 am sharp, the guys from Ranger flooring showed up to remove the old lacklustre linoleum.  Good riddance!!

The plaster guy came out on Saturday morning to put on a coat of plaster, and so he finished ahead of schedule.  This got me very excited and I started counting days and planning for the granite installation.  I was however, a  little premature since apparently Mario cannot return until Wednesday to do the painting, and Ranger is booked until Thursday and cannot begin the floor installation until then.  So....  tomorrow the only plan is for the girls and I to prime the walls. But I'm just realizing that there is no light in the kitchen....  hmmmm.

I spent some time in my make-shift kitchen area today, because, let's face it....  convenience food is making me fat.  I have been consoling myself with veggie burgers and veggie sausages on white bread buns, with a side of potato chips.  This is not a diet that a woman over 18 can sustain for any period of time without having to break out the 'fat pants'. 

A couple weeks ago we picked up some food from my favorite vegan restaurant in Montreal, Aux Vivres.  If you live anywhere near Montreal, you simply must go.  Try the coconut BLT.  And once you've had that, try the gyro pita.  Seitan gyro smothered in the most authentic vegan tzatziki.  I wanted that pita to go on forever.  That tzatziki inspired me to search the Internet for the ultimate vegan tzatziki recipe.  And I found a very good one made with ingredients I happened to have on hand! Here's the recipe:

Vegan Tzatziki Recipe
1 package of firm silken tofu
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt
Put all this in the food processor and mix until smooth.  Then add:
2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
pepper to taste
Mix again in the food processor then remove to a bowl.
Peel one cucumber, slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Then grate it onto several layers of paper towel.  Once it's all grated squeeze the cucumber inside the paper towel to get out as much moisture as you can.  Add it to the tofu mixture and mix.  If you like you can add dill or mint, but I like mine just like that.   mmmmmmm. Creamy, garlicky goodness!! 

Tonight's menu consisted of crock pot vegetable barley soup, and bagette with tzatziki.  A small step up from vegan junk food.  But I have to say it feels good to be trying new recipes again!!

I Have WALLS!!

I'm so freaking excited!  I came home from work today, and all the wallboard was up!  On the ceiling, and all the walls!!!   I was expecting it to take 2 days and they got it all done in one.  That means the plastering can start tomorrow.  YES!! 

This may not sound like a big deal, but when something is finished ahead of schedule, it makes me happy.  I was comparing notes with a work colleague and it got me very excited about the finished project.  When I think about my spice drawers next to the stove, or my baking cabinet over the ovens, the pull out shelves in the pantries, or the knife drawer in the island, I begin to smile.  I can't wait to cook muffins, to make a stir fry on my new gas cook top!!  I dream about loading my very own dish washer, of putting my pots in their new drawer!  It's amazing what a little kitchen deprivation can do to a girl!!

In the meantime, I have been pouring my excess cooking energy into the garden.  Here is a snap of some of my herb planters.....  cilantro, parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and chives.  Fragrantly delicious!!

Toasty!

Two days into the second week and the wiring has been installed.  The holes for the pot lights have been measured out, they also reinforced the centre box to hold the heavy lighting fixture to hang over the island.    The framing is in and the insulation is almost in (this is going to make a huge difference in keeping the kitchen warm and cozy all winter), as are the pipes for the gas cook top.

Today we had quite a crowd here!  The two electricians were here, and Mario, the kitchen installer from Rona was here.  Also Nick the Gas guy from Ilite Combustion, who's in charge of the pipes for the gas cook top.  Kateriina, the kitchen designer also popped in for a site visit.  This gave us a chance to discuss scheduling and have a Q and A.  I feel very fortunate to have such an amazing team working on this project!!

Tomorrow is going to be a quiet one, since the wallboard can't be put up until after 2 pm tomorrow to allow the inspector to check on the electrical wiring.  This means that Thurs and Fri will be devoted to wallboard installation.  Then it will take 3 days to get the mudding, sanding and priming done.  And the floors are scheduled to go in next week.  Three days is needed to install the heated floors and tiles.  So to get the floors in by the end of next week will be a squeeze!! 

I'm really pushing to stay on schedule, but I have come to the conclusion that having the appliances delivered June 14th is probably overly optimistic.  I would rather delay the delivery for a couple of days than risk having to climb over 4 appliance boxes in the dining room.

After work, my son and I finished planting the vegetable garden.  We put in tomatoes, basil, zucchini, butternut squash, English cucumbers, lettuce, and swiss chard.  We also planted some beet seeds.  I also have some cilantro and Italian parsley in pots on the patio.  It doesn't look like much yet, but I had to take a picture before the weeds grow back in.

Dinner tonight consisted of portabello mushroom burgers.  Super easy...  I marinated portabello mushroom caps in a mix of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, basil, oregano, and garlic powder.  They only took a few minutes on the Q.  While they were marinating, I chopped some veggies (red onion, zucchini, red peppers and mushrooms), sprinkled them with olive oil, salt, pepper, basil and oregano, and wrapped them in aluminum foil.  I tossed the veggie packet on the grill along with the burgers for about 15-20 minutes.  I'll use these grilled veggies to make grilled vegetable wraps for lunch tomorrow. 

Not bad for two days!!

One Week Down!!

What makes a renovation so stressful?  Yes, it is inconvenient, but we tend to plan for that and simplify things to compensate.  It's dirty....  but that can be ignored.  For me, I think it's the chaos of not having things in their place.  I tend to feel calmer when things are tidy and in their place.  This past week I have noticed that I have less patience with the kids, and the dog.  But the good news is that the longer you live with a situation, the more it begins to feel like the norm.  Things find new places, you develop a new way of doing things.  And hopefully the stress lessens.

I have included a picture of the corner bearing the evidence of a fire.  It's just in one corner, and the fact that only the outer walls are charred makes me think that it happened a VERY long time ago.  There is also evidence of a stove being in that corner at one point, so I'm guessing that was the source of the fire.  Close call!!

The project is progressing well.  The deconstruction is just about done, and the reconstruction has begun!  Thursday we went into Cornwall Lighting to pick up the rest of the lighting fixtures..... pot lights for the ceiling and strip lighting for the under cabinet lighting.  I chose LED lighting for the lighting over the stove, the sink and in the glass door cabinets.  This is supposed to be the most energy efficient choice.  Unfortunately, the LED pot lights on the market today are not strong enough for 10 foot ceilings, but eventually I should be able to replace the bulbs in my pot lights for LED bulbs when the technology has progressed.

Friday Kirk and his apprentice Adam from KMac Electric put in the new wiring.  And this week the plan is to finish the wiring, and put up all the dry wall on the ceiling and walls.  Very exciting!!

As I write, I have chili cooking in the crock pot.  These days I am all about simplicity.  I chopped up 2 onions, mushrooms, and some peppers.  Then I added a packet of chili seasoning, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of pureed tomatoes, a can of tomato paste, and a can of kidney beans.  I put it in the crock pot and put it on high for 6 hours.  It's starting to smell good!!  Hopefully this will fill our bellies for the next couple of days.

On to week two!!

Day 2

These guys are awesome!  They have torn out nearly the whole kitchen in 2 days!  And this isn't any shoddy construction either.  This is a house built in the 1890's  with logs and stones and railway ties!  There are over 100 years of layers of renovations, and they are going down to the bare bones!!  It's almost a shame to see the 100 year old wood torn out and thrown in the dumpster.  But I was not sorry to see the funky 60's ceiling go today!!  Why would they would install a drop ceiling 3 inches under the plaster ceiling??  And then build false bulkheads at different levels which didn't even conceal anything??  Was this fashionable at some point?

In yesterday's pictures you can see the inch wide strapping with plaster in between.  What remains now is 6 inch wide 3/4 inch thick tongue and groove boards.  In this corner there is evidence that the house was on fire at some point!!  In some places there are traces of two layers of old wallpaper remaining on the wall where the cupboards were.  I'm almost sad to see these little traces of history removed.  How many years has this been buried behind the cabinetry?  What did the room look like back then?  Was it always a kitchen?  I imagine at one point the room containing an old Hoosier and and ice box....  a big old enameled wood stove and a sink with a hand pump!  And here I am complaining about having to cook in the microwave and wash dishes in the bathroom sink!!

They managed to get the fridge down the narrow staircase to the basement this morning.  They had to remove the doors and still it barely fit!  I hope I never have to bring it back up!!

Despite the plastic barrier, everything in the house is covered in a layer of dust.   I had to take up the carpet in the dining room to ensure it's survival.  But we made it through day 2 on schedule.  And the cable mysteriously returned over night much to my son's relief.  The dumpster is already full.  I wonder where they are going to put the rest of the rubbish....

But for now, I think I will kick back and watch a film! 

Day 1

The first day of renovations is almost over and I am ready for a nice long bath.  The workers showed up all on time.  And I have to say they are a great bunch of guys.  Two workers from the kitchen renovation centre at Rona, KMac Electric's two guys, and the guy from the alarm company, and they all seem to know each other.  That is one of the amazing things about living in a small town!!

What was accomplished?  The doorways were blocked with plastic to try to contain the dust.  The alarm system was disconnected.  The electricity in the kitchen was disconnected.  All the cabinetry, the back splash, the first layer of wall board were all removed. The buffet was moved into the dining room.  I was pleased with the progress.  The kids got a kick out of finding a news paper from 1988 stuffed in the walls.  They were looking at the pictures and the prices of things and marvelling at how OLD it was.  When I pointed out that I had already graduated from high school in 1988, they began to marvel at how old I was!!

What didn't go according to plan?  The fridge was not moved to the basement (one more day of an accessible fridge can't be bad).  They will bring a dolly tomorrow to help with that job.  As well as no electricity in the kitchen, there is no electricity in my daughter's room.  I'm not sure how she will survive without her hair straightener!!  And for some reason, the cable is not working??  I don't know how that happened, but....  there you go! 

We have had to make a few adjustments.  We are now washing dishes in our downstairs powder room which we call the airplane bathroom due to it's size and the fact that it's tucked under the stairs which makes the ceiling slant down over the toilet.  So there is no vanity or counter to speak of and the sink is quite tiny.  I never thought I would be posting a picture of my bathroom.... but here it is....  We had a little production line going.  I washed, my son dried, and my daughter put the dishes back into their temporary homes.  Teamwork!!

While the workers were busily dissecting my kitchen, I couldn't really sit around and do nothing.  For some reason, I thought I was going to be needed during this initial work day to....  I don't know what.  But after some initial questions, mostly from me, they went about their work without my help.  So I decided, this would be a good time to work out in the garden.  I went to every garden centre in town and filled my car with bushes, grasses, ivies, geraniums...... Then the kids decided we needed more fish for the pond, so we got goldfish and pond plants as well.

Dinner consisted of veggie sausages on the BBQ.  Not elegant, but easy, and my daughter did the cooking, so I got to finish up with the flowers.

Tomorrow will begin with the arrival of the workers at 8:15 am.  The first order of the day is to move the fridge, so I will be emptying the fridge and freezer first thing.  In order to stay on schedule, they will need to finish the deconstruction by Friday, so that they can do the drywalling next week.  My fingers are crossed.  But now, it's time for a nice long bath.  I wonder if there is power in the bathroom....?

D Day

After years of planning and procrastinating, tomorrow is demolition day in my kitchen.  It marks the beginning of a 4 to 6 week adventure without a kitchen.  Needless to say weeks, no months of preparation have led up to this point.  Hours running around choosing cabinets, and door handles, floors and counter tops, pricing appliances, comparing....  I was surprised by the number of details, moldings, garbage bins, drawers and pantries.  Then comes the packing!!

I have included a couple of before pictures that shows the entire span of counter space and the 30 year old cook top and oven.  If you look closely, you might also notice the bulkhead and suspended ceiling straight out of an Austin Powers movie. 

As exciting as it is to know that I will end up with the kitchen of my dreams...  it is stressful, and even a little sad to see the kitchen I have cooked in, fed my family in and entertained my friends in be ripped apart.  The kitchen is most definitely the heart of my home and I have spent more hours in there than I can count. 

We have put together a temporary cooking area.  It consists of a microwave, a toaster, a kettle, a crock pot, an indoor grill, a waffle maker and a BBQ.  The cupboard on the left holds the food.  The fridge will be conveniently relocated to the basement, assuming it will fit down the stairs.  The rest is now located in various boxes strewn about the dining room.

I will spend the next few weeks sharing my kitchen renovation with you.  And how we cope as vegans without a kitchen in a small town with no vegan friendly restaurants!!  I have spent the last few hours making enough of my special oatmeal to last the week, and falafels for my son's lunch this week.  This should ward off starvation for the time being.  If need be, I know I can live off of oatmeal, miso soup and salad. 

Have any of you been through this experience?  I would love to hear your advice on surviving a kitchen reno without losing your mind.  Where the heck did you wash your dishes??

Ottawa's Veg Fest 2011

May 1st, and a beautiful sunny day.  It was a perfect day for a drive into the city to attend my first Veg Fest!!  I was so excited.  It was held in the Glebe Community Centre, and that in itself was a treat.  The Glebe is one of Ottawa's nicest neighborhoods, lined with old homes full of character.  I could stroll around there all day.

Admission to Veg Fest was free and they even had free parking!  Can't beat that!  They had guest speakers, food preparation demonstrations, a silent auction, and several exhibitors with amazing food and vegetarian and vegan products.  They even had a vegan cupcake contest.  Perhaps I should start perfecting my recipe for next year.

I bought some hand made soaps that smell good enough to eat!!  Kelp, lemongrass, almond, cinnamon and cloves, and something with coconut, I think.  They were 5 for 20$!!

 

It was hard to decide what to eat, but we settled on the plates from 'The Table'.  This is a great vegetarian buffet style restaurant on Wellington St.  I really wish I could have sampled everything there.  Antie Loo was there selling her awesome vegan treats...  cupcakes, brownies... and she had the most amazing cakes on display!  Including this increadible peacock cake.

I can hardly wait for next year!!

Miso Soup

Before reading 'The Kind Diet' I had no idea what a Macrobiotic diet was.   Since then, I have been inspired to read more.   One step always seems to lead to another.  I read 'The Macrobiotic Way; The Complete Macrobiotic Diet and Exercise Book' by Michio Kushi and a newly released book called 'The Everything Guide to Macrobiotics' by Julie Ong.  Both of these books I got from my local library!!  Michio Kushi has written several books on this topic and his book contained enough info to make me ask lots more questions.   Whereas Julie Ong's book contains a brief introduction to macrobiotics and lots of awesome looking recipes.  These two books complemented each other well.

I have read about Ayurveda, Raw diets, Vegan, Vegetarian, high protein, low fat....  there is no shortage of information out there.  Some of them are similar, some are way out there.... but I guess I just have to go with what makes me feel good.  Being vegan makes me feel good on many levels.  I find Ayurveda very confusing and hard to understand.  Raw diets just feel cold to me.  I'm not sure that a completely raw diet is suitable in the cold Canadian climate that I live in, although I think it's important to eat some raw food every day.

I'm sure I have barely touched the tip of the iceberg on the macrobiotic lifestyle, but some parts make sense.  It seems to have alot to do with balancing Yin and Yang energy.  Too much of either energy can throw you off balance and eventually bring about disease.  Whole grains are emphasized along with vegetables, beans, sea vegetables and some fermented foods like miso and tempeh.  These fermented foods produce lactic acid in the colon which gently tones the colon and corrects the balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria.

A macrobiotic diet often includes miso soup for breakfast!  This takes a little getting used to, but I have come to really enjoy my miso soup.  And it's super easy to make with just 3 ingredients plus water.  First I slice up some mushrooms (I like shitake, cremini and oyster) and green onions and put them in a pot with several cups of water.  Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat.  Take your miso paste, I like a yellow milder miso paste.  Follow the directions on the container.  Some miso pastes are stronger than others.  It will recommend using maybe a teaspoon or a tablespoon of miso per cup of water.   Measure out the amount of miso you need according to how much water you have boiled and put it in a cup or small bowl.  Add a bit of the liquid from your pot, and mix it up until it dissolves.  Then add your miso solution to your soup pot and simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Don't boil your miso because it destroys all those good enzymes that make it so good for you!

Different miso pastes can be really different.  I have seen recommendations that you use a miso paste that has been fermented for at least 2 years.  I'm no miso expert, but different kinds sure to taste differently.  The red one is stronger than the yellow. 

I have also used my miso to make a sauce for stir fry by mixing it with soy sauce, ginger, garlic and a bit of broth.   How do you like your miso???

Roasted Lotus Root

Have you ever seen one of these before??  This is actually the root of the Lotus flower which is a perennial water plant native to tropical Asia and some parts of Australia.

I found mine at the Chinese Superstore (T&T) in Ottawa.  I think it was about $2.50 for two decent sized pieces. 

I found a recipe for it in Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet.  Her recipe called for leeks and sunchokes, but I couldn't find any sunchokes, so I just used the lotus root. 

I sliced my lotus root into fairly thin slices.  Then I pressed 3 garlic cloves with some olive oil and tossed the lotus root with the oil.  I spread the oiled sliced on a cookie sheet and put it into a preheated oven at 375 degrees F.  After 12 minutes I sprinkled the root slices with a mixture of 1 tsp. soy sauce and 1 Tbsp. maple syrup and flipped them over.  I then put them back in the oven for another 10 minutes. 

The roasted lotus root was really delicious.  They don't have a strong flavour, but the maple syrup makes them sweet and caramelizes nicely giving them a great texture.

I decided to serve them with a simple stir fry with cabbage, broccoli, carrot, asparagus, celery, oyster mushrooms, onions, peppers and cashews.  I used a vegetarian fish sauce and soy sauce with garlic, ginger and lime juice to season the stir fry and served it up on a bed of brown rice. 

Super delicious!!  Give it a try!!

Spring Cleanse

Spring is the perfect time to do a cleanse.  The days are getting longer, it's the season of regeneration and renewed growth... and it is the prelude to swimsuit season.

This is the second year that I have chosen to undertake a 21-day spring cleanse based on Kathy Freston's 'The Quantum Wellness Cleanse'.  In this program she advises eliminating 5 things from the diet for 3 weeks:  caffeine, alcohol, sugar, gluten and animal products.  I suppose some of these items are open to interpretation...  like sugar.  Does that include all other sweeteners, or just refined sugar?  Is a smidge ok, or is it a zero tolerance program?  I suppose that's up to you.  I must say that my interpretation last year was different than this year's. 

Last year at this time, I had not yet adopted a vegan diet and as such I found cutting dairy, eggs and cheese out of my diet a bit of a challenge.  To compensate for the hole that these foods left in my diet, I allowed myself the occasional 'treat' of potato chips or french fries, which are technically allowed, but come on....  is that really a cleanse?? 

This year, after being vegan for over half of the past year, animal products obviously were not an issue.  So the challenges for me have been sugar and gluten.  This could be because I have tweaked my definition of sugar to include refined sugars, cane syrup, corn syrup AND honey.  And I have decided to avoid even the occasional potato chip or french fry.

It's been a week now, and I personally think the first week is the hardest.  Cutting out caffeine and sugar and wheat and all of those go to comfort foods like bread and pasta put me into a sugar withdrawal and I got a touch cranky (my family may have a different interpretation of this mood).  But after the first week, the cravings have mostly gone.  I feel energized and crystal clear...  like a fog has lifted from my mind.  This could be because I'm sleeping better, very soundly, with fewer interruptions.  My mood is more stable with fewer highs and lows.  I've lost 2 pounds and my belly is flatter.  It really is remarkable, the effect that diet has on our mood, and our outlook on life.  When we are properly nourishing our bodies it shows in our hair, our skin, our eyes, even the way we carry ourselves.

This is what the first week of my cleanse has shown me.  I wish I had documented how I felt on last year's cleanse!   It has also reminded me that a vegan diet is not necessarily a healthy diet.  All those processed vegan foods, refined sugars and caffeine take their toll on our bodies as well.

On to week two!

Vegetable Stew with Quinoa

What do you do when you have two large eggplants waiting not so patiently in the refrigerator?  Make this super delicious Vegetable Stew!!  Sweet potato, roasted eggplant and carrots, make this dish naturally sweet.  The spices make it very Mediterranean.  And the quinoa gives it a punch of protein to keep you full all afternoon!

Vegetable Stew with Quinoa

2 large eggplants cut into 1-2 inch pieces
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Toss the eggplant with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Roast at 450 degrees for 25 minutes in a preheated oven.

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 onions sliced into thin half moons
4 ribs of celery sliced
2 large carrots sliced into coins
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground tarragon
2 Bay leaves
1 small can of tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 sweet potato cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup quinoa
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion, celery and carrots in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium high heat in a large soup pot.  Add the garlic and spices and cook 2 minutes more.  Add the tomato paste and a bit of water.  Cook 2 minutes.  Add the wine and cook 3-4 minutes until most of the wine has evaporated.  And the tomatoes, sweet potato, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer 15 minutes.  Add the quinoa and simmer 15 minutes more.  Add the roasted eggplant and salt and pepper to taste and cook 5 more minutes.

This is great right away, but letting it sit in the fridge for a while allows the flavours to mingle.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Mac Muffin

While in Toronto I came upon some tempeh...  it's not easy to find around here.  I was so excited to make tempeh bacon!  I found a recipe in The Vegan Table for tempeh bacon.... and watched a how to make tempeh bacon video by Colleen herself. I was totally prepared.  So I cut my tempeh into bacon sized slices, and steamed it for 10 minutes to remove the bitterness.  Then I marinated my tempeh in a mixture of soy sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke and water for about an hour or so and fried it up with the marinade.

While the tempeh was marinating, I prepared some crustless mini quiches.  I modified a recipe that I found on fatfreevegan.com (http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/12/mini-crustless-tofu-quiches.html) and replaced the chives with shallots.  Delicious...  mushrooms, red pepper, thyme....  Cooking them in muffin tins makes them just the right size...  and they cook faster than a large quiche.

To assemble the sandwich, we toasted our English muffins, added a bit of vegan mayonaise, layered on some tempeh bacon, a mini quiche and a tad of spinach and viola!!  Our delicious vegan version of the breakfast MacMuffin.

Bon Apetit!!