Free Museums and Food Galore

Today was Montreal Museum Day, where 30 museums have free admission from 9am to 6pm, with special free busses running between them all. The busses were actually pretty inconvenient and difficult to track down so we walked everywhere. First we had breakfast at La Bulle au Carré, on St-Denis. It was a crêpe restaurant but they made accomodations for me by giving me 2 scrambled eggs with my choice of crêpe fillings (tomatoes, carmelized onions and goat cheese), which came wonderfully arranged with fruit, and only $10 to boot!

After planning our route we headed to Sherbrooke to check out the McCord and Redpath museums (cool old-fashioned costumes and Cirque du Soleil outfits in the former, DINOSAURS in the latter). Then we went to the Contemporary Art Museum and it was pretty unimpressive until we got to the distortion exhibit created entirely by 3rd-6th graders...wow! Kids are awesome.


We tried to see the crazy sex exhibit at the Science Centre down at the Old Port, but it was PACKED! A lot of families actually, I guess it would be a good way to explain these things to kids? So we went to find lunch instead, and wound up at a Polish restaurant called Stash Cafe. It was pretty good...limited gluten-free options though. I had sauteed sole and salad, but it was NOT worth the $22. The food festival by the Pointe-à-Callière Museum was much better, and I found a vegan, GF booth for a restaurant called Crudessence. Delicious gluten-free pies, and they make pizza and a bunch of other things! Their restaurant is on rue Rachel, at the bottom of Mont-Royal. Can't wait to check it out. 


We did go to the Pointe-à-Callière Museum, but it wasn't AS interesting as I'd hoped (being an architecture and history museum). All-in-all though it was a cool day. Beautiful weather and FULL tummies. :)

Wheels!

Mom, don't worry! I have a helmet! I will not add to the cracks in my head :) Je promis.


Here's the new(old) bike! Got it from a New Yawka in Little Italy this week, for $60! Had to spend a little extra dough for the helmet, lock, kickstand, etc, but now it's all adjusted and totally pimped out!

Had to raise up the seat a few inches (and the handlebars will be raised once I find a wrench large enough), added a kickstand, a gel pad for the seat, a chain to keep from having my seat stolen and a nifty lock (below)! I'm all set. :) YAY! 

 
As an aside, Montreal Museums Day is tomorrow, so about 30 museums are free admittance! We'll be heading down to check it out, and much [free] fun will be had.

Dress alteration!

Finally hemmed a dress! Very stressful, very scary, but a good result after all! Take a look.

So pleased with how it turned out. :)

Too hot to cook. or move. or think.

My night to make dinner tonight and it was 40 degs. I was not keen to move from in front of the fan, let alone to stand in front of the stove. So I decided to make a cold quinoa salad for everyone and it went over so well, I'm putting the recipe here for you all to enjoy. :)

2 cups dry quinoa
3-4 medium to large carrots, chopped
Some green onion, chopped
1 apple, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
Chopped almonds (as many as you want)
1 cup frozen corn (cooked 3 mins in microwave with tbsp of water)

Mix up the following for the dressing:

1/2 cup EVOO
4.5 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (could have used more though, so maybe 6 Tbsp)
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced 

Start early, by adding the 2 cups of rinsed quinoa to 3 cups of boiling water. Let it cook until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. THIS IS THE ONLY COOKING REQUIRED! :D 
Put into a bowl after it has cooled and drizzle the dressing over top and stir well. Put the bowl in the fridge while you chop the veggies. Add the vegetables and mix as they are ready, but don't chop and mix in the apples until you are ready to eat, so they don't brown before the salad is served.

Substitute any fruits and vegetables you like, but the crunchier/juicier they are, the better. :)

Enjoy!

Hey Montreal, you're hot and sweaty and nobody likes it.

Saturday was pretty awesome. Started the day pretty early by baking my brother a loaf of GF bread, which drove everyone on the bus crazy. We met up on Laurier where he and his buddies were having breakfast and we visited for a bit. Then he had to go to the Bell Centre for the Habs game so I walked around Ste-Cath waiting for an old camp friend that I hadn't seen in 5 years. I bought some awesome sandals, which I adooore. Then we both headed back to my house to get ready for the housewarming party. People started to show up at 6pm, and by 8, everyone was drunk and sloppy. We were all pretty happy that it's summer. There were also some cute little babies around, which was amusing. 

The next day was disgustingly hot and I spent the whole day in front of the fan. Then I went to do my laundry at a friend's apartment and while that was happening...we watched Glee. I had never seen it, but some friends at the party were raving about it. However, they did explain that the first episode is pretty awful, and the second is slightly less so, but after that...gold. So I survived the first two episodes, with my friend and I making fun of the very cheesy parts. By the middle of the third one...I was pretty hooked. By the end of yesterday, I'd caught up to the latest episode. It's fairly addictive and obviously cheesy, but the cheesy-ness should not be a criticism. Actually, as a former choir member, I can tell you that the cheesy-ness is pretty accurate. I'm also still loving Mad Men. What a terrific show. Everyone acts so proper, but everyone's a slut. I guess that sums up the 60's?

Gotta give the poor laptop a break. It's sweating more than I am. 

Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was in the mood for chocolate chips cookies earlier this week, and after baking them, they were gone preeetty fast. I think some of my roommates even had some for breakfast!
I've used the same recipe for years and it never fails. Sometimes I add oatmeal, or raisins, or both!

I have no idea where this recipe came from, but I have changed it so many times to suit my tastes that it is basically a whole new recipe! :)


Chocolate Chip Cookies, sans gluten

1/2 c. margarine or softened butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 c. Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose GF flour (or another GF flour mix)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 c. chocolate chips


First, preheat oven to 375 F


Cream (aka mix until creamy) butter and sugars together
Add vanilla and eggs, and mix
Add dry ingredients and mix
Add chocolate chips and stir until combined. 
Refrigerate for about 30 mins to an hour so dough doesn't spread out in the oven (you'll get one big cookie)


Put parchment paper down on a cookie sheet or use a non-stick sheet and use a 1 Tbsp measure to spoon dough onto sheet. When I make bigger cookies (a heaping Tbsp of dough), it makes about 3 batches of 6-8 cookies, but the other day I made smaller cookies (about 1 Tbsp of dough) and it was about 4 batches. 

For chewier cookies, leave in oven 8-10 mins and then let cool on parchment (you can take the parchment off the cookie sheet so you don't have to wait to make another batch) before tranferring to rack or container. For crispier cookies (kind of like biscotti), leave in oven about 10-12 mins, but they shouldn't already be hard when you take them out of the oven. They will harden upon cooling.


Enjoy! They will never ever let you down :)

A Short Visit to our Nation's Capital

Before yesterday, I'd only been to Ottawa, Ontario once before, when we drove up to drop off my brother at Carleton University. I was just entering high school that year. It didn't seem like a very interesting place, though we did go see Parliament and my dad read the description of every single statue and monument.

I must say, I didn't really get a more exciting glimpse of Ottawa yesterday either. It's not a city known for night life that's for certain, nor is it a fashionable city. It's just a very beautiful city. Everything is designed very meticulously, from the exact placement of the shrubs along the canal, to the tree-lined driveway of our Governor General. There is also no litter. It's kind of like Disneyworld in the way its esthetic value is maintained, but with way less excitement. The bike paths are everywhere, and are sometimes even nicer than the roads. It would be a nice place to live, but for a couple university students looking for something interesting to do for a day...it's not very accommodating. 

Here was our itinerary:

We arrived around 10am from Montreal, and took a nice cruise along the Rideau Canal. 

After that we headed to Parliament Hill, although we immediately left in search of food. We stopped at a Thai restaurant with a patio and I had edamame, shrimp rice wraps and pad thai (mmm). 

We hurried back to Parliament to have a quick walk around. We were discussing how nice it is to be able to actually walk up and touch Parliament if we want, and walk around on the lawns. The US of course does not have that priviledge, but that is likely because it's actually the President's house too. Our Prime Minister has a known address so you can drive by and see it, but his property is private and protected.

 

Ominous clouds, huh? The rain held off though. :)

After that, we went to Rideau Hall, where the Governor General lives. Her whole driveway is a park, with trees planted by all the leaders of the other countries.

 

Apparently, you can tour inside her house, but it costs money AND you need a reservation pretty far in advance. Her house is also MUCH bigger than the Prime Ministers. :P

When we left there, it was time to head to the Tulip Festival, near Little Italy. The tulips were mostly dead, and there wasn't anything else, like music, there to entertain. So we headed into Little Italy! Surprisingly, not a whole lot happening there either. No cafes, no place to sit and people watch, no stores. Nothing. Luckily, we did happen upon this restaurant (on Preston St.), called La Dolce Vita. The sign outside said "gluten-free menu available". So I went in and ordered pizza to go! Sausages, roasted red peppers and mushrooms. Mmm. I saved it the whole ride home and then had some for dinner. Deeelicious! I'll remember that place. :)

 

So that's Ottawa folks! Great place for beautiful scenery, good food, nice walks/bike rides, and really friendly people. I think I would have preferred the trip sans tour guide/itinerary. I would have liked to wander more. Next time. :)

Gluten-free Sorghum Bread recipe

So far I haven't discussed much about my life sans gluten. For those of you out there who are newly diagnosed, whether by a doctor, or by your own wise self (the body knows), I can offer some encouragement and recipes. It's really not that hard. So many people ask me "what do you EAT?" or they simply state "that sucks". I would agree that yes, sometimes it is pretty inconvenient, especially travelling in a new city, or a part of your own city you've never been. You have to do some research beforehand to see where you may be able to eat. In less enlightened places, if you forgot to pack a snack, you'll probably have to make a stop at a convenience store for some trusted chips or chocolate bars. It is also inconvenient when you're out on the town, and everyone has a craving for some greasy pizza, or when you have to deal with restaurant staff who do not speak your language. 

Most of the time though, I have to say, it's really not that hard. Aside from the fact that I now buy rice pasta instead of wheat pasta, it's no more complicated to make sure you're groceries are gluten-free. It takes the same amount of energy and patience as making sure they're healthy in all other aspects (high fibre, low sodium, low sat fat, omega-3's, etc). In all honesty, I eat far better now than I ever did before. I was once a frozen-pizza, KD, and Cheerio's lover. What happens when you stop eating gluten though, is that you learn to make your own pizza, your own homemade mac and cheese, and you eat hot millet and fruit for breakfast instead of sugar-coated cereal. A whole new world of grains other than wheat opens up to you. Buckwheat, millet, quinoa, sorghum, arrowroot. They are all delicious in their own ways. Buckwheat waffles and pancakes fill your whole house with the most delicious aroma. Hot millet is thick and comforting and a good alternative to oatmeal. Quinoa is good cold in salad, in soup, and as hot cereal. Sorghum and arrowroot are good in breads and cakes, and arrowroot is also good for making sauces. 

Most of what I've learned in terms of recipes has come from the blog by Shauna Ahern: "Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef". She is a wonderful writer and has shared so many of her insights regarding gluten-free baking and cooking. I owe my health to her! I'd probably still be eating frozen gluten-free bread and plain rice if it weren't for her.

The following recipe I found at this link. I typically find recipes online and adapt as I go. The instructions at the link above are a bit confusing, and I don't follow them all and it still works. So here is my version. It's a really delicious bread and all of my roommates have given their approval. It doesn't try to be wheat bread, it's completely proud of being sorghum-buckwheat bread. It's a bit cakey, and doesn't even need any kind of spread. I just munch on it toasted (or right out of the oven, even though I should let it cool :P). I slice it up after it cools and keep it frozen. 

Sorghum-Buckwheat Bread:

First, make sure there is a warm spot for the bread to rise (although I'm never patient enough to let it). An oven light may work but give it time to warm up. 

Mix yeast packet, 1 cup warm water, and 1 tsp sugar and let it sit somewhere warm.

Mix the following dry ingredients:

6 Tbsp Buckwheat flour
1 cup minus 6 Tbsp Sorghum Flour (I use Bob's Red Mill "Sweet" Sorghum Flour)
2/3 cup tapioca starch/flour
2/3 cup arrowroot starch (I'm sure corn starch works, I just didn't have any the times I made this bread and I'd rather find a use for what I have rather than go buy something else.) 
2 tsp xanthan gum 
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp sugar

Mix wet ingredients in a bigger bowl:

2 eggs *if you want to do the egg wash, make sure you read the instructions for diluting the yolk. I did not. It still turned out good but you could always taste the egg :P)
1/2 tsp vinegar
3 Tbsp oil (recipe calls for vegetable, I use canola)

Pour the frothy yeast mixture in with the liquids and mix a bit. Then add the dry ingredients a third at a time. Mix after each addition but not too much. I think I mix it too much and perhaps that's why it doesn't rise...or it may be because I only wait about 20 mins and then assume it won't rise haha. 

Grease and flour (with any flour) the pan or pans you will use. Place under the oven light and wait. The recipe suggests to wrap with saran wrap before hand. I haven't done that before, but I am making some today so I will try it out. When you are getting impatient, turn the oven up to 375F and bake until a knife comes out clean. Place on a rack to cool and enjoy! Eat it plain the first time. Chew slowly. It's worth it. :) 

Edit: ok, I wrapped it tightly in saran wrap this time, remained patient, and it doubled in size! I also put on the oven light and warmed it to the very minimum temp as I was mixing the ingredients. When I put the dough in to rise, I turned off the heat and kept the door shut so it was warm but wouldn't start cooking. Looks like my sandwiches this week will be twice as big!! Can't wait :D 

A thrifty day in Montreal!

Wow, what a day! My roommate Penny and I went downtown yesterday to find a thrift shop we've heard so much about. We first stopped at the Gap so I could buy bras with my Xmas gift card...turns out I've been wearing bras too big for me for years...it was the perfect use for my gift card since I hate how expensive bras are, and rarely upgrade. After that we headed to Forever 21 and I found a green and navy plaid babydoll dress for $16 (looks much more slimming with a belt at the waist, so that's how I'll wear it). Then we began our trek to the thrift store (at St-Laurent and Ontario, fake blood all over the windows, stuff EVERYWHERE). They serve free espressos. Forget Disney, THIS was the most magical place on Earth. After we drank our espressos, we rummaged and played dress-up for an hour or so, and I managed to find some pretty good pieces! I was on a hunt for skinny jeans, dresses and dress shirts, and I found a great pair of dark dark DARK skinnies (could pass for black if I wanted them too!) from Jacob for $15, a plain, tan dress from Jacob for $15, a green and white pin-striped J Crew dress shirt for $9, and a pair of aviators tiny enough for my head for $12!! I was thrilled. The dress fit fantastically, but has spaghetti straps, so I may turn those into thicker straps with ribbon or something. 


We were pretty pooped after all of this (it was about 7pm) but we still decided to take a couple busses out to the Walmart in Kirkland. I spoke with a lady in the fabric section for a good 20 mins while I tried to make a decision, and finally I chose the one I found online.......and I bought a SEWING MACHINE! 


I'm pumped. I've got so many ideas. Penny and I are going down to the small thrift shop in our town this morning to find some thread and whatnot. People donate so much craft stuff it's crazy. We don't go there for clothes though, it's not a very good selection for the...younger crowd (think polyester pant suits and moo-moos). 


Here is my lovely new machine. SO happy :) I'll post pics of my thrift finds once my camera battery has recharged. Ta-ta!

                                  Brother XL-2600


eeee! :D

Know What You Want

Whenever I come across blogs discussing the creation of a list of goals, it's usually stated somewhere that you need to tack it up on the wall so you see it EVERY DAY or else you'll never accomplish them. That's a lie, and in fact, if you see them every day it's a bit intimidating. 

The main reason to set goals, isn't to pressure yourself into doing something, it's to remind yourself what you want. Most people just don't know what they want. They have ideas floating around inside their heads all the time, so they *feel* like they have a vague idea of what they want, but it's not enough. If you write it down, you put in simple, concise terms what you want out of your time here. Once you make your goals sound simple, they're really not that daunting. 

I wrote a list of goals when I was in high school. It was double-sided, in coloured pen, on a single page of looseleaf. I had no limitations. Anything I wanted to do, I wrote it down. Then I put it away. Three years later, I was rummaging around my room and found it. As I looked it over, I realized I'd accomplished many of them. Learn Italian, learn German, figure out how to play the guitar, graduate high school, keep playing the trumpet, etc. Many of them were silly, and I clearly won't accomplish, but some are still on the table. I didn't need to see it everyday, but writing them down in high school helped sort out all the thoughts in my head, so when an opportunity arose, I subconsciously knew that I'd like to try that. 


So my tip? Write em down, and then hide those goals. HIDE EM! And then forget about em. 

Everything will work out fine.

Why I Run

I like to zone out while I'm running, as it helps to keep my mind off of how long I have to go. I was wondering today as I ran...what are the reasons women run? 

To improve or maintain their figure?
To be healthier?
To reduce stress?

The biochemist and nutritionist in me decided that all of those reasons are the same. We, as women, are now aware of all the things that stress, obesity and general lack of exercise can lead to. I may, on the surface, be running to look better, to tone my legs, to lose weight, or whatever my drive is at the moment, but deep down I have so many reasons to run. I run to fight osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, heart disease, breast cancer (and other cancers). I run to keep my metabolism in check, to promote muscle building so I can prevent losing muscle as I age. I run so that I'll be around for as long as possible, so that other people can have their daughter, sister, niece, granddaughter, friend and (perhaps) wife and mother around longer. 

As I ran today, in the 5 degree weather, I met two ladies (separately) out doing the same thing. I gave them both a thumbs up, because we know why the other is running. We share the same reasons, the same hopes and wishes. We run for everyone and for ourselves, and I for one will be running on October 3rd for all the women I hold most dear.

Snow on Mother's Day. How odd.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL, BRILLIANT MAMA!

I lub her. She is my #1 bff, my life coach, my ever-present conscience, caution advisory, style guru and confession booth, all wrapped up into one tiny, fierce and hilarious package. She's a rebel, a lover not a fighter, a master at makeup in the rearview mirror, a bargain hunter and fashionista. She's the coolest mama ever, and I hope she knows it! She's behind me no matter what, rooting me on and encouraging my grand plans, but always with a critical eye. She's clever and snarky and fun and has THE best shoes. If I could have any mom in the whole world, I'd still choose her. :) 


Have a fab-tastic mother's day mumsy! You da best. 


On another note, one of my new bags arrived today! The lady delivered it herself so nooo shipping fee! Hurrah! Here it is: 

SOOOO CUTE! It's so soft...and made of upholstery fabric, and the brooch is adorable. I'm in love. I couldn't stop smiling for like 20 mins after opening it. EEE! Can't wait for this dang weather to improve so I can take it outside!!!  

Bag is courtesy of "thecottagecupboard" on Etsy.com. Thanks Kathy!

Spring is so contrary...

I don't hate spring weather, the rain SOUNDS and LOOKS nice,...but if I have to get dressed for it, I'm not a fan.

It's been raining all week here, which has been bad for both my online shopping habits AND my training. I did get out for the 30 mins the sun shone today with a friend of mine for a bit of window-shopping in our small campus town (there are only 2 places to buy clothes, and 1 place for shoes...it didn't take long). However, before things get out of hand this summer, I made a list. I'm a fan of lists. I would make a list of the lists I need to make. Truth.

NEED:
- black suit [edit: DONE! RW&Co.]
- Flat, knee-high brown leather boots! [Edit: DONE! Kodiak boots from Brown's]
- Denim jacket [Edit: DONE! RW&Co.]

WANT:
- black vest [EDIT: tore the sleeves off an old short-sleeved black blazer and sewed it into a vest. I'm that awesome.]
- black skinny jeans. [EDIT: DONE! Thrift shop magic]
- More dresses. [Edit: Very much done...]

Welcome!

For the tens of you who may end up reading this, welcome! I appreciate your readership :)

I'll start by introducing myself. I grew up in Nova Scotia, where I also completed my undergrad in Biochemistry. I am now in Montreal, soon to be completing my Master's degree in Nutrition and studying to become a Dietician. My main interests, besides spending time with my wonderful pals, include fashion, baking, and sewing.

Also, I have Celiac Disease (CD). I can't eat gluten or else I curl up in the fetal position and moan for several days, which is not fun for anyone in the house. After figuring that out, I started reading labels (out of necessity) but that brought me to wonder about food and what is and isn't healthy. So that's how I ended up here. After living gluten-free (GF) since the spring of 2007, I've developed a love of baking!

If you ever have any questions about gluten-free livin', sewing, or even biochemistry, shoot em my way! Glad to help. :)