Blue Trees

 While summer is my favorite season, I do love the flowers' spring arrival.

I didn't plant bulbs last fall, but I still have many from the previous year, and am happy to see the daffodils out, and the tulips well on their way. I've also noticed that almost all of my lilies are about 6-8 inches tall. It was such a mild winter, I'm not surprised they're doing so well.

The cherry blossoms are stunning. The trees look laden with a pinkish tinged snow.

In front of the library the cherry trees round the driveway and are in full bloom.

Currently the trunks and underside of the larger branches are painted blue. This is part of "The Blues Tree Project," an international installation where an artist (Konstantin Dimoploulos from Australia) is painting select trees to bring attention to them and their importance in our lives both aesthetically and environmentally.

It's quite striking with the cherry blossoms.

Run Vegan Run Up and Down those Hills

My next trail race is called the Tender Knee. I just registered for it sealing the deal I have to keep running trails. It's 12 k of fun, running up and down.

On Sunday I did a short run in the pouring rain, but did not care since I was on trail. I was actually happy to be out and running, which isn't unusual for me, but sometimes when I have to run in the pouring rain I do find myself just trying to focus on the road ahead and the small landmarks to keep me going. On trail it's all new and very refreshing for me. It does hurt a little more (the day after), but as long as I keep going, it will get easier and the recoveries better.

Here's a description of the route for the Tender Knee that runs from the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve to Deep Cove:

Trailhead
•    Find path in parking lot beside bathrooms. Twin Bridges Trail
•    Run through parking lot, follow “chute” beside construction fence.
•    You come to Twin Bridges trail (wide, looks like a road). (Water station here.)
•    Go RIGHT, down Twin Bridges Trail to Twin Bridge.
•    CROSS the bridge and follow Fisherman’s Trail to Mystery Creek turnoff.
Mystery Creek Switchback
•    Find the post marker for Mystery Creek. Take a sharp LEFT and head straight up.
•    After approx. 800 m, Mystery Creek Trail comes out onto the BC Hydro Powerline.
Powerline to Mushroom
•    Turn RIGHT along Powerline.
•    Cross the Mystery Creek Bridge, go straight up.
•    Think happy thoughts as you power hike to the Historic Mushroom Parking Lot Trail intersection (marked). (Mountain Madness Aid station will be here!)
•    At the Mushroom Trail POST, turn RIGHT to continue on Mushroom and it eventually becomes Baden-Powell (post).
•    Keep straight on Baden-Powell.
•    At the intersection of Old Buck (post), turn LEFT and then almost immediately RIGHT to get back onto B-P. (Do NOT go down Old Buck.)
Mount Seymour Road
•    Cross Mount Seymour Road and enter the B-P trail on the other side.
•    Start gradual descent with some uphill sections. Indian River Road
•    You come out on Indian River Road; turn LEFT (marker indicates 0.5 km to trail) and take the road.
•    500 meters later, find trailhead on the right. Marked as 2.6 km to Deep Cove. (Aid station will be here.)
Baden-Powell to Deep Cove
•    Follow the B-P markers. Some steep ascents and descents and bridges.
•    Come out between two houses on Panorama Drive (2501 Panorama Drive). Turn right to return to parking lot.

Um...a little confusing. I'm going to try to squeeze in the organized orientation run before I go to work on the 23rd of April. Also to prepare, db and I will hike sections of it up until the event using these directions to guide us. Since it only goes in one direction and is not a loop, we'll have to find other road access points. I suppose since we'll be on a few different trails, there will be access points for us to park the car and pick up the trail (I didn't even know there was a trail called the Mushroom Trail! I can't wait!).

Today I feel a little bit crazy having signed up for this event, but I'm sure as I get more trail running under my feet (so to speak), I'll still feel a little bit crazy but at least I'll be better prepared.

I remember talking about running with my physiotherapist (who is an ultrarunner -- that's those 50 k distances), and thinking she was crazy with her enthusiasm to run trails. I'm starting to get a taste of how she felt. I've definitely taken a turn in my running career, and feel like I've embarked on a new journey.

My First Trail Race

My first trail race (the event is also called this) was so much fun.

I was so nervous about this event because a) I'm not a trail runner, b) I haven't had much time to run on trails, and c) I really had no idea what to expect. The map of the course didn't tell me much so db and I went to walk the trail the day before and saw that it had already been marked out with pink tape; we could follow the trail easily. I realized later that we had walked it backwards, but that didn't matter. I'm glad we walked it because it took away some of the anxiety I was having.

We had home-made pizza the night before (good pre-race meal I think). I got up around 6:30ish to have my Vega smoothie and make sure everything I needed was packed into my bag. A full change of clothes seemed like a good idea because during our walk the day before it had rained a little on lower Seymour even while it was sunny and clear in North Van. I also packed extra shoes because even though my beloved Cascadias dry really fast, I was worried about a downpour and being really damp and miserable at the end. Packed and fuelled, db and I headed out the door around 8 am for the 9 am race start (I wanted to be there early for the warm-up as well).

It took us no time at all to get there (a lot faster on a Sunday morning with no traffic), but the more I sat in the car in the parking lot, the more nervous I got. Would I be able to do this? I know it's only 5 km, but it's 5 km of trail some of which is roots and rocks, a long descent on stairs and a serious uphill towards the end. Would my legs seize up after all of the ups and downs? Would I come in last? Would I trip over a rock and cut myself? These were all new fears, but it was kind of fun to be facing a bit of the unknown. Don't get me wrong, I do love the road races as well, and the challenges of endurance and mental strength that those events ask of me, but trail is a whole new game.


I put on my hat and gloves (it's chilly at those higher elevations!), and joined in the warm up with the rest of the participants (there's a 100 person limit total to this run for the 5 and 10 k), which was fun and it relaxed me a little.

Then we lined up at the start. It was a pretty relaxed atmosphere. I didn't feel like I needed to get out in a flash, and I didn't want to be stuck at the back either, so I hung around in the middle somewhere. And then we were off and it started like every other running race I've ever done: we were all bunched up together and then there was a bit of jostling for position as we all sought our own pacing. As we opened up onto the double wide track, I found my spot pretty quick, and got into a groove fast because you have to when you're only doing 5 km. 

By the time we hit the single track trail, I already had a few people marked as ones I wanted to keep pace with, and I passed them at one point and they passed me at one point. There isn't much room to pass on the trail so you have to think quickly and make decisions about where to step. It was so much fun. It's a bit like an obstacle course while you run, and I don't think I felt much of the ground at all. I was so focused on trying to listen to my body and when I needed to slow and speed up, that it really did all fly past so quickly. When I faced the big hill near the end, it didn't take me long to figure out that I needed to walk it. I looked around to see that everyone was walking it. There's no point in burning yourself out on a steep climb, leaving nothing for the top.

Then the finish line was in sight and I saw db taking a picture on my way to it. I crossed it and felt great! The times were posted right away, so I could see that I had run the 5 km in 29 minutes. Much better than I thought since trail is much slower than pavement.

So here's the breakdown:

time: 29:23 -- actually it was really 29:13 because it took about 10 secs for me to cross the start line :)
place: 24th (that's out of 66 of us in the 5 km category)
category: 2nd (that's F40-49 and there were 9 of us in that age group)

Not bad for a first timer. Can't wait for the next one! I'm researching them now to see what else I can do.

Birch Bay Road Race Results

I had a great time during the race. The weather was good (except for the wind towards the end) and the scenery was beautiful all along the bay and rolling country roads. I will definitely do this race again.

Here are my results:

bib number:	177
age:	41
gender:	F
location:	whoville, BC
overall place:	79 out of 232
division place:	8 out of 28
gender place:	43
time:	1:22:48
pace:	8:54

Here are the photos:

 The horn just sounded and the race has begun. db was taking photos from the side.

 Over the start line. Set your watches.

 And down towards the bay.

 Pretty nice scenery along this mostly flat route.

The pizzeria in Bellingham!

 Inside Rudy's Pizzeria in Bellingham. The post-race meal is almost as important as the pre-race meal.

It's definitely more rewarding. I found Rudy's online and once we saw that they had the delicious Daiya vegan cheese, we headed there for a quick bite.

 Rudy's Pizzeria was big on the mosaics. They were on the walls, the counter, and actually all over Bellingham.

It's a nice little city Bellingham. It felt very arts oriented.

It's not far from the border so we thought while we were in Birch Bay, we might as well head to Bellingham to check out what it has to offer.

The highlights:

Rocket Donuts. The donut shop with the rocket outside and with several vegan options inside. db and I pre-ordered our donuts online to make sure we got everything we wanted.


The Bellingham Community Food Co-op. A nice grocery with lots of those vegan foods and household products that I can't get here in Canada.

Rudy's Pizzeria. The photo of the pizza above says it all. It's a relaxed atmosphere and lots of room at the tables for a big pizza pie. They also have a gluten free crust option that I'll try next time I'm there. To keep it simple we got one pizza on a regular whole wheat crust.

Trader Joe's. This is a larger grocery chain, but some of the deals just can't be beat. db couldn't believe the price of some of the wines. We stocked up on a few staples and got some goodies as well (Luna Bars in flavours I can't get here and for half the price!). Between Trader Joe's and the co-op there's really nowhere else we need to go to shop. 

The size of Bellingham's downtown makes it very easy to walk everywhere. The architecture is made up of a lot of older brick and stonework buildings. With the view of the water and that small city artsy feel, Bellingham is really charming.

After our day there, I think I finally get the cross border shopping madness. There is so much more choice and for less money. I think we'll be getting Nexus passes soon.

Be Prepared

The Girl Guide motto, "be prepared," did not mean much to me as an 11 year old girl. It was just another phrase that we repeated each week along with any other verses we had to learn by heart ("I promise to do my best, to do my duty, to God, the Queen, and my country..." -- that was the verse in the 70s. I sincerely hope they've revised it since).

Well, the Girl Guides would be proud now since I'm about to "be prepared." db and I are putting together an emergency kit so that we're prepared for an earthquake should it occur. 
 
I don't need to tell you what's going on in the news right now, and I'm not going to talk about Japan at all except to say that it has brought home the idea of being prepared for such an event.

I had an emergency kit made up, but I've been pilfering items from it for the last few years. Candles, matches, the first aid kit, flashlight, and even the emergency blanket (took that with me to Portland just in case I didn't have something warm to put on immediately after the race) all have been moved or used at some point. So the kit has been depleted and now we're starting over with a checklist.

The emergency kit will be useful as long as we're home but if we're not then what?  I'm also going to put together a small bag of supplies that I can stash at work just in case (this might include running clothes since I can see myself wanting to run home rather than walk).

So tonight is step 1: we're developing an emergency plan and beginning to assemble our emergency kit.

Is there a Girl Guide badge for this? 

Run Vegan Run

Wow! Two posts in one day! I'm trying to make up for lost time I guess.

I didn't make the Fort Langley Historic Half Marathon. I did all of the training and did not register. Then, came the taper week, the week before the actual event, and I came to the decision that I couldn't run the event because I wasn't ready. Yes, I could have run the event and finished, but I want to do better than finish, I want to challenge my previous times and I just didn't feel fit enough to do that. I thought that I might improve on my time, but I wanted to feel sure and strong.

Then, just like when I had to cancel my Victoria marathon plans and switch to the half, there was the bummer week, which is when I kind of moped around wondering if I could still do as well as I have previously, and how could I turn this into a fun running season? I really love participating in events so I needed to find a way to participate and compete with myself.

I made a commitment to train harder than I've been training. I started by signing up at our local rec centre's gym and bought a year's membership (now I have to go!). It has such a nice small town feel this gym. It doesn't have all of the bells and whistles like the big name gyms do, but it has everything I need to train and more if I want to. Last week I started weight training again, which is something I haven't done in 2 years! I can't believe it's been so long. I felt great. I'm using Thrive Fitness as my guideline so that I ease into it (if red jane were here...).

My next step was to set up my running season. db and I did some research online for events that aren't too far from home. We want to avoid hotel costs since the registration fees, and my gym membership are costing us enough as it is. I found one in Blaine, Washington called the Birch Bay Road Race that is just across the border and is a 15 k road race at the end of March. I'm already at my 21 k distance so I can add in the strength training and adjust my running schedule to fit this road race. It looks like a pretty small race and a pretty route, so it should be low key and fun.

Then I decided to sign up for a 5k trail run the weekend after. It's my first trail event and I'm really excited and nervous. It's a short distance and I think will be just right to start out with.

So far so good. Next I want to pick a half marathon spring event and then something bigger for the fall. My 2011 running season is looking pretty good so far.

hiking the Lynn Valley Loop

 I've been wanting to go to the Lynn Valley for sometime because I know there are several trails that are very accessible. I read about the "Lynn Valley Loop" trail online (very useful website, btw) as an easy going trail that could be completed less than a couple of hours, and was fine to hike year round.

 db and I only have Sundays together and I also have gone back to doing my long run on Sundays, so we don't have the whole day to do a 5 hour hike, so this seemed like a good option. As we went up higher there was some snow, but you can see that the trail is well travelled. Actually, the fact that it is well traveled made it a bit trickier because the snow was packed into a slippery sheet that made the first part of the descent a bit tricky, but overall it was fine.

 Lynn Creek was crystal clear and it runs alongside part of the trail near the end. It was nice to hear just the sound of the water and our footsteps.

Left over from logging days? I liked the tree growing up through the back end.
There is much evidence of the the logging that was done in this area. There are many large stumps with the platform notches in the side of them where loggers placed 2x4s to stand on while they worked each side of the saw to cut the tree. It's a common site along trails all over the lower mainland. I would love to hike in an old growth forest that had never been logged.

I just recently signed up for my first trail run. It's only 5 k, but I thought I should start small since I don't have much time to train on trail and can't do long distances on trail without a partner (gotta find a trail running partner!). The 5 k is actually called My First Trail Race and is in this same area where we hiked, so I'm going for it. I hope my trail shoes arrive soon!

Last Saturday I decided that I'm not going to bring work home anymore, or check my work email from home. I can't do it anymore. My job is/was becoming all consuming to the point where I started to lose sleep at night  and that's not what I want in my life.

It's a weird balance though that I constantly struggle with because I care about helping run the store, but it can easily become all consuming if I let it. Whenever I meet db at the skytrain after work (he picks me up there on his way home), I get into the car and talk about work until I get it out of my system. It also helps me to work through any problems that I need to resolve, and I can usually get a better grasp on something if I talk it through in the car. Once I talk about work to him, I can somewhat let it go for the rest of the day, but it's always tempting to turn on the computer and check the email, or revise a document that needs to get done.

I haven't been this absorbed by anything since I was in grad school. I think I'd rather be writing a thesis and absorbed by that rather than this never ending list of tasks that I need to get done.

Day Trip to Seattle

I was just talking to my mom, who was saying that she can tell when I'm really busy with work because my blog doesn't change. So hopefully, this post means that I'm finally getting some more time to not think about work.

Our reason for going to Seattle was to see the Picasso exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) that was showing a collection from the Musee National Picasso in Paris. It was quite an amazing collection running from the early 1900s to the 1970s and contained paintings, sculptures, sketches, and photographs. It was a bit overwhelming, but by the time we reached the end of the exhibit, I also didn't want it to end, and wanted to see more of his work.

Here are some examples of highlights for me:

The Acrobat (Jan. 1918) 

Oil on canvas.

Two women running on the beach (The Race) Summer 1922

Gouache on plywood

This painting is very famous. It was smaller than I thought it would be and more beautiful that I thought it would be. His work is so vibrant to me. I had no idea there could be so much life in his work.

SAM was absolutely packed! We bought tickets online two weeks ago for a 12:00 pm entry. They give you a 20 minute window for entry and then after that you lose out. By the time we arrived at 12:15, the 12:20 line-up was already queued to the back of the hall. Fortunately, we were still able to enter in the 12:00 block and could walk right into the gallery. 

Even though we had to manoeuvre through the crowds to look at the exhibit, it was well worth it. Perhaps I would have spent longer there without the crowds, but I saw everything I wanted to see. 

I didn't really want to look at the other exhibits after seeing Picasso's work. I felt like I had taken enough in. However, on our way out we did come across these really wonderful photographs by Amy Blakemore and stopped to look at those.

While our reason to go to Seattle was to see the Picasso exhibit, one of the highlights of the day was going to the Flying Apron Bakery. I bought their cookbook not long ago because they specialize in vegan and gluten free goodies. I have already feature some of their cookies on my blog.

We left for Seattle early Sunday morning so we could go to the bakery first and have a good coffee (no such thing as bad coffee in Seattle it seems) and a delicious baked goodie from Flying Apron. It did not disappoint. In fact, I loved it! The interior is so warm and welcoming. It's one of those spaces where you feel at home. The interior has several large heavy wooden tables and lots of chairs and benches. 

The baked goods are all organic, gluten free, and vegan. They use very wholesome ingredients so you not only feel like you're getting a treat, but you know you're getting really good food as well. 

I love the sign because it says in brackets "obviously it's not about what you can't eat." I should have a t-shirt that says that! 

db had a cinnamon bun and a cappuccino, while I had a berry scone and a decaf espresso. I forgot to take pictures of our food, but that's okay. I at least got some pics of the bakery itself. 

We also ordered some baked goods to bring home: the house bread which was sweet potato & rosemary on Sunday,  a dark chocolate muffin, a pecan maple muffin, a linzer cookie, and an apple turnover. All I can say is so far so good. For some reason I just want to make a rich, strong coffee to go with their baked goods. The two seem suited to one another.

smart pot bellied pigs at Hearts On Noses Sanctuary

We're having a fundraiser at karmavore for Hearts on Noses pig sanctuary in Maple Ridge. The woman who runs it is amazing, and does most of the work herself. She needs all the help she can get I'm sure!
Anywho...I loved this video with all of the tails wagging. Pigs are such adorable animals. I love them.

Happy New Year!

I'm back...well sort of. I never really went away.

I feel like I've been doing nothing but going to and from work in the dark and spending my days running around the store trying to get things done, which includes adjusting to my new role at work. I've been chasing people down, managing staff, helping customers, and in general dealing with the Xmas rush. The lower level of the store is still not complete, but it's the closest it has ever been. On Friday (New Year's Eve) we opened the grocery, and the deli will open most likely tomorrow. The lower mainland's first vegan deli. It's pretty exciting.  I have to say that I'm a little bit terrified. When I look at the work involved on paper, it all seems like it will go so smoothly. The reality will be a little bumpier until we get into a new routine.

On top of it all there is still staff to settle in, and we've got to hire at least one more person, maybe two to ensure we get the coverage that we need.

***

I hope everyone had a good holiday. My family spoiled me, as did db. It was nice to have 3 days off at Christmas. I did wake up Christmas morning with a cold (what a nice gift!) that delayed our Christmas meal until boxing day, but it did mean that I got to spend the day on the couch doing absolutely nothing. I tried going to Wildlife Rescue on Monday, but my cold was still making me miserable so I had to leave early.

Yesterday, I went out for my long run and after about 30 minutes of slogging along (I wasn't having a good running day), I saw what looked like an injured Varied Thrush.

It was hopping along the sidewalk trying to avoid me. I slowed to a walk and watched the bird try to avoid me. It couldn't fly up over the wall that it was trying to get over. It seemed to be able to fly low to the ground, but not for very long. It kept landing in the Cotoneaster waiting for me to leave. I knew I had to catch it and take it to Wildlife Rescue, and eventually I got the chance to cover it with my running jacket and I held on to him and called db to come and rescue us.

db brought a shoebox and I placed the thrush inside the box on a small towel, and poked a few airholes in the box while we drove to Wildlife Rescue. Once there I dropped the thrush off, knowing I'd be able to check up on his status when I go in for my shift today.

Since we were at Burnaby Lake, I decided to finish my run there. db waited for me and then we drove home. When I got home there was a message from the staff at Wildlife Rescue informing me that they think the thrush has conjunctivitis and that they hoped I had washed my hands, and to make sure I put my jacket into the wash right away since it's highly contagious.

Hmm...I went for a run after saving the bird. I did put my gloves on and I was pretty aware that I hadn't washed my hands while I was running so I was careful not to touch my face. I did take my jacket into the laundry almost immediately because I knew the bird had soiled the jacket and I'm very careful with the cats whenever I come home from Wildlife Rescue because of all the sick and injured wildlife. So far I have no signs of anything so I'm hoping that even though I didn't wash my hands until home, I at least am careful.

I'm about to head to Wildlife Rescue now, so maybe I'll follow with an update for you on the bird's progress.

Charlie Brown

I don't have time for much right now. Work is keeping me busy. However, last night we did decorate our tree since it was the Winter Solstice, and we watched A Charlie Brown Christmas. I love this cartoon. This year I got db the dvd because...yes it's true...we only had a rough VHS copy from years ago when db had taped it from tv. It was so nice to watch the dvd copy!

Bear Climbs Tree Stand

No time

Sorry Vegan Mofoers, but I just haven't had the time to post on my blog.

With the karmavore shop moving, I've been too busy to do much blogging.


I think I can get one more cookie post up tonight though! Maybe...another goodie as well. We'll see...

simplicity

Our basic stir-fry that we like to make quite often. I never get tired of it because I can use whatever veggies I have on hand, add some tofu or tempeh, and make a quick sauce.

It's so simple.

This week db was given an ActiFry as a thank you gift from his boss. It just takes a tablespoon of oil or less to fry whatever you want really. Last night he tested it out with some homefries that turned out crispy and perfect. Tonight...

Tofu! He added some chili flakes and some BBQ sauce. I'm just about to go try it with tonight's stir-fry. Yummy.

Thrive

Part of my journey to eat healthier led me to the Thrive Diet. I usually don't buy any book with "diet" in the title because to me it suggests a regimented diet, but I was interested in the Thrive Diet because I admired the author Brendan Brazier for being a top level tri-athlete who promotes a plant based diet.

The recipes in this book are simple, tasty, and have many raw options. If a recipe calls for cooking it is usually at a low temperature.







One of my favorite things to make in this book is the walnut burger.
All of the burgers in the book are very good, but the walnut burger is my favorite. Everything goes into the food processor and then you just make them into patties. I decided to cook half of the burgers and keep the other half raw. I think I prefer them raw. It was a nice complement to my roasted veg and beets
Then I made his cheezy sauce with sunflower seeds. I warmed it a little and served it on the side with the burger. The two went great together, and made for a great lunch the next day with some spinach, sprouts and raddichio. My lunches at work always have to be cold so I usually do a salad with lots of stuff in it, or occasionally a simple sandwich, so this walnut burger was a nice change.

no brainer breakfast

This is my daily breakfast, or at least a version of it.  I'll add in different flavours to keep it interesting, but this is my favorite version: banana, unsweetened almond milk,  vanilla soy, a scoop of Vega Whole Food Optimizer, cocoa, 1 tbsp of Udo's oil, and a dash of liquid iron. Into the blender and I've got a tasty breakfast that holds me for a couple of hours.

It's also my post-run drink with1.5-2 sccops of Vega WFO to get the max. protein.

Vega has become an essential ingredient to my daily vegan life. It's so great to see this company do well and have its creator, Brendan Brazier (a tri-athlete), promote a plant based lifestyle. I'll admit that when my friend red jane first introduced it to me, I wasn't that impressed and the flavour made me gag, but Vega has come a long way since then. They have a huge range of products (no, I don't work for them. I just really love the product) for every need (I also love their energy berry bars).

What would I do without my Vega! It's gluten-free and it contains all of the vitamins and minerals. It has all of the essential amino acids, and it's ready to mix. You can make it into a smoothie, or mix it with your favorite beverage, or even bake with it.

It's not comfort food or a fancy baked goody, but it is an essential part to my overall health. I often celebrate the rich vegan foods and I just wanted to remember and celebrate the everyday foods that I eat (or drink in this case) to try and maintain a healthy vegan lifestyle.

Days of the Week

We don't always have time to create new and exciting meals. Mostly we just have our standards that we make during the work week, something that will take little time and use up whatever we happen to have in the fridge. 

db's stir-fried veg with quinoa was delicious even if he didn't intend to make blackened tofu. He just has a way with seasoning and making sauces that I can't match so his stir-fried veg is always tasty. 

This mac and daiya cheese was a plan B that I had to put together quickly when I realized that I didn't have all of the ingredients to make Chickpea Cutlets from Veganomicon.  I used wild rice mac noodles, a sauce I made with cheddar daiya cheese, and lacinato kale, which I could almost eat everyday (I exaggerate of course). 

Have you tried daiya? Most of the feedback I've had has been really positive, and I know that I love it. It's so melty good and the cheddar is perfect for a sauce or quesadillas, nachos, grilled cheese etc...

Vote to Build a Radiology Suite to Save Injured Wildlife.

 I volunteer at Wildlife Rescue and am so amazed at the work the staff and volunteers do to save injured wildlife. It's an amazing place. I would really like to see them receive the funding for this idea.

You can "vote for this idea" by going to the Pepsi Refresh Project. You have to sign up if you haven't already, and then you can vote every day for this idea.

The more votes, the better the chance Wildlife Rescue has.

Wednesday

db is really the creative cook in our house. He can take any ingredients and make a fabulous meal out of it. (If only he had a blog! Naw...it would just be about hockey, and maybe shrooming.) On the other hand, I like recipes. We have dozens of cookbooks that I like to use regularly. I have a few standbys that I often return to, but when I have a handful of ingredients that I want to use, I'll turn to my cookbooks to guide the way. And what a selection of vegan cookbooks there are out there in the world, which is a great thing because it means more people are interested and more people are cooking vegan. Hurray! 

Yesterday, I had broccoli as my main ingredient that I wanted to use. I turned to Veganomicon to whip up these broiled polenta with broccoli mixed in. After putting all of my energy into the polenta, I put together a quick mixed greens salad with radicchio and raspberry vinaigrette with a healthy sprinkle of hemp seeds.

 Earlier in the day (I had the day off), I had time to bake another selection from the Flying Apron's Gluten-Free and Vegan Baking Book.

ginger wheel cookies 

I skipped the wheel spoke part with the fork tine making the pattern and just opted to sprinkle generously with sugar before baking. These are soft and chewy cookies. Very tasty.