things that i heart

No Impact Man

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:10:00 +0000

For the last while, there has been a lot of hype around No Impact Man - a documentary about a family of three living a no impact year in the big apple. I've been waiting for the release on DVD for so long and when I finally saw it at my local Blockbuster, I was more than excited.

This entire project was initiated by Colin, the no impact man. What makes this project really interesting is the fact that The Beavans are not your typical tree-hugging, Birkenstock wearing, smelly hippies. The Beavans are your typical urban dwellers who didn't really think twice about consumption and waste. The husband is a writer who also wrote a blog and a book about the experience. The wife is a typical city girly girl who loves Starbucks, designer clothes and take out food. Together, they have an adorable girl that seems to be up for anything.

To live no impact for a year is huge. We're talking about going vegetarian, buying only local food, no take out/restaurants/processed food, no cars/subway/taxi, no toilet paper, no store bought cleaning product, no beauty products, no buying anything new for a year and then the kicker - no more electricity after 6 months. Seriously? It sounds crazy and I think it's amazing Michelle signed up! Here is a woman who is the polar opposite of her new lifestyle. There is this one scene in the movie, when Colin was packing up all her makeup and toiletries so she can be "au naturel," I turned to Dave and said "See, that would've been my deal breaker." Take away my processed food but DO NOT touch my make up!

Without giving away too much of the movie, I strongly urge you to see this one. It is really entertaining while giving you something to think about. While the movie doesn't encourage you to change your life this drastically, there are definitely many things we can do in our lives to reduce the negative impact we have on earth. Instead of saying "I could never do it," we should all focus on what we CAN do, however small it may be.

Olsen Haus Fall 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:28:00 +0000

Sometimes I get really excited that all I can say is !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out the new collection from Olsen Haus. These are made from recycled TVs! How amazing is that? The best part? they are so fabulous, I almost don't care what they're made of.

Jean Paul Gaultier for Melissa

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:07:00 +0000

GASP! Aren't these gorgeous? They're Melissa's newest collaboration with Jean Paul Gautier.

Melissa Plastic Dreams is a brand of eco-friendly shoes from Brazil. The shoes are made from recycled material and they are recyclable after you are done with them so you're not adding to the land fills. Not only that, the production process is also green and they pay their workers a fair wage. I think it's time I add a pair of Melissa shoes to my collection!

Beauty Talk - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:33:00 +0000

See? I said I'd be back! Of course I'm back...we're talking Make up!!! Those who know me, knows that it's one of my favorite topics!

As I've mentioned before, my old love Prescriptives was discontinued earlier this year. This was a great opportunity to start switching makeup as well and I've found quite a few items that I love more than even my old love.

First thing I put on is always foundation. Unless they discontinue this, I anticipate I will be buying this for years to come. I am talking about Korres' Wild Rose Foundation. It goes on smoothly, have a good amount of coverage and the matte finish is beautiful. I am really lucky they had a color that matches my skin closely!

I use a powder on top to set it but it's totally not necessary. Unfortunately for me, the powder I use and love from Korres is already discontinued. Luckily, I found another one by Dr Hauschka. It is way more fragrant than I like so I will keep on searching while continuing to use this. If you know of a good one, let me know! One thing I don't like is mineral makeup (for no particular reason as I've had good results from Bare Escentual) so...yeah, I'll leave it at that.

After foundation, I put on a cream blush. This blush was part of Josie Maran's Earth Day Kit and came into my makeup bag by total fluke. I had purchased the Earth Day Kit for the other stuff (got an awesome deal at Sephora for less than half retail) but this ended up becoming my favorite. I normally hate cream blush but this one is too good to pass up. The color is called Sunrise and it is the perfect natural looking blush.

The mascara that came in the kit is also a star. It doesn't clump and goes on the lashes nicely. The eyeliner on the other hand smudges too fast on me so I am on the look out for a new one while I continue on using MAC's fluidline. The lipgloss is almost identical in color as one of my old favs from Prescriptives but I hate that it's a plumping formula so it stings every time I put it on. Ouch! As a result, most of the time, I just use my Alba Botanica Pineapple Quench Clear Lip Gloss.

I also have a few eye shadows from Josie Maran. They're great but made with Lanolin Oil (therefore not Vegan). I don't consider myself a full Vegan (although I practically am!) but I'd like to look more into the production of Lanolin Oil before I can decide if I am comfortable with buying more products that are made with it. And yes, I like to question everything and make my decisions this way rather than just blindly following the vegan/not vegan label.

I guess that's it! Short and sweet but these are basically all the products that I use.

Beauty Talk - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:23:00 +0000

Lately, I've been asked a lot for advice on natural beauty products that works so I thought it's a good opportunity to blog about some of my favorite products. I have a lot to say so this is going to be a long post!

I think I started making the shift about 2-3 years ago. I noticed my body was always extra dry and using extra moisturizing body wash didn't help. My scalp was always itchy and felt oily, while the hair was dry. I just felt like clearly what I was using and what I was doing was not working so I had to change it up. I started reading about SLS and Paraben and the harmful effects, so obviously, natural was the way to go. That being said, I wasn't about to go 100% natural as I am a beauty product junkie, so my goal was to look for more natural products without compromising on how well they work. Keyword is "more" and not "totally."

At that time, I also realized (inspired by an article in Allure about the annual cost of beauty) that I was spending well over $3,000 per year on beauty products so it was a good opportunity to cut down on that expense as well. Since I planned on spending less money, it was important to me that I spend my money wisely. Save when I can, splurge when I need to and most importantly, support companies that are doing great things.

Body Care

I don't know about you, but I LOVE large pump bottles. Pump bottles are easier to use and since it's larger, you save money and need to buy less frequently...not to mention it is better for the environment too! Really, a win-win for all! When I shop for shower gels, only large sizes will do.

My current favorite is Jason's Aloe Vera Satin Shower Body Wash (rated "5" on cosmetics database.) I've tried a few other fragrances and this is my favorite as I find some of the other ones too fragrant.

Another one that I love is Alba Botanica's Honey Mango Bath & Shower Gel (rated "4" on cosmetics database.) I've only seen the large bottles at Whole Foods so I always end up buying Jason's since it's more readily available and more convenient for me to purchase. The Jason one is also a few dollars cheaper. They're both Sulfate free, Paraben free, not tested on animals and suitable for vegans. It is also worth mentioning that I purchased a loofah to use with my shower gel. I didn't like it that much in the beginning but now I can't live without it. It was under $5 but worth 10 times more. Ever since I started using my loofah, my skin feels so much softer and there is no need for my weekly full body exfoliation anymore.

For body lotion, I am a big fan of Kiss My Face's Vitamin A&E Moisturizer (rated "5" on cosmetics database.) I love that I can get it in a large 16oz pump bottle for home or a smaller 4oz tube to carry around with me.

I really do love this moisturizer. I don't normally like things that are too fragrant but I love this! The smell of Jasmin is just a delight. When I use this, my skin actually feels soft and moisturized until the next day when I shower again! The 16oz bottle is about $12 and available at my local grocery store so I know I'll be buying this for years to come.

Haircare

I have a thick head of naturally wavy/curly hair that is often referred to as the lion's mane since it gets pretty wild and crazy. Every hair stylist that's ever cut my hair always comment on how thick my hair is. I attribute it to eating a lot of seaweed as I had super thin & fine hair when I was growing up. I used to do all kinds of crazy things to my hair and dye it a million colors but I haven't dyed or permed it for at least 5 years. That being said, I still flat iron it almost daily so I do need to care for it so it doesn't get too damaged. My hair only started to look healthier and feel less damaged after switching to more natural products. For shampoo, I am a fan of Aveda and Kiss My Face. My current favorite is Kiss My Face Big Body Shampoo Organic Hair Care (rated "4" on cosmetics database.)

It smells great, is gentle, mostly organic, free of Sulfate/Paraben/animal products and at $7, it is truly a bargain. I am a firm believer that you need to switch up shampoo every time you wash your hair so I always have at least 2 shampoos on rotation with 1 clarifying one. My current second shampoo is Aveda's Pure Abundance and the clarifying shampoo is Aveda's Hair Detoxifier. I bought both in their liter size pump bottles and while I love both of them, I don't think I'll be buying either of them again. I just realized today while blogging that Hair Detoxifier is discontinued (I am pouting as I am typing this) and I didn't realize this sooner since I still have my huge liter bottle and haven't had to repurchase for so long. And the reason for not repurchasing Pure Abundance is because I found a new one that I love - Aveda's Clove Shampoo (rated "6" on cosmetics database.) I impulse purchased a bottle of this when they did their re-launch last year and packaged it in a recycled bottle. The shampoo is amazing and every time I use it, I have a good hair day. I will be buying this in a large pump bottle for sure when I ran out. Any recommendations for a good clarifying shampoo?

For conditioner, my current favorite is Giovanni's Tea Tree Triple Treat Invigorating Conditioner (rated "3" on cosmetics database.) It is light but works well and it doesn't weight my hair down. I also use Kiss My Face's Big Body conditioner for the same reason. I am still on the search for a treatment type heavy conditioner. I've tried a few different ones but none stuck around long enough for me to mention.

Skin Care

Prior to my search for natural products, I was a big fan of Philosophy. One of the reason was that you can buy all their cleanser, moisturizer and serum in large sizes! In my shower, I always had a liter size pump bottle of their cleanser but after countless reformulations, I decided to say good-bye for good.

I'm really picky about my cleanser so when I find one I like, I tend to stick with it. My current favorite is Kiss My Face's Start Up Exfoliating Face Wash (rated "0" on cosmetics database!!!) I thought by "exfoliating" they meant it has little beads so I was really glad to find out that it doesn't 'cause I hate those beads. Some of the other natural cleansers work great but they either make my face feel too dry, too oily or is just plain too expensive! Kiss My Face is a great product that I highly recommend to all. I also noticed a lot of companies still put SLS and Paraben in their cleansers...even the natural companies! So make sure you check the labels when you buy it.

For moisturizer, since it's a product that will stay on my face and get absorbed by my skin, I am okay with splurging on these products. One that I've been using and like is Jurlique's Balancing Day Cream.

However, while the product is great, I don't plan on repurchasing it unless they redesign the packaging. The tube is a pain to use because the products just ooze out and then the tube gets all mangled and ugly. One product that I DO plan on repurchasing is Ole Henriksen's Truth Serum (rated "1" on cosmetics database.) I had purchased their "Three Little Wonder" kit from Sephora and while I feel indifferent about the Invigorating Night Gel, I just love the Truth Serum paired with Sheer Transformation.

It is such a pleasure to use. I like the subtle fragrance and how well it absorbs into my skin and how great it feels on. On its own or paired with Invigorating Night Gel, Sheer Transformation doesn't seem moisturizing enough but it's perfect with Truth Serum. I don't use an eye cream but I will probably look into Ole Henriksen for one soon.

Another product I don't use is toner but I have a bottle of Jurlique's Rosewater Balancing Mist at my desk at work. You can use it as a toner but I like to mist my face when I feel tired...a habit I picked up from my dear friend, Sandra.

and that's it for now! I'll be back to talk make up next.

H&M Garden Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:37:00 +0000

I've always been a fan of H&M. While others say their clothes don't last, I find they last longer than the stuff I buy from Zara. Ever since Anthropologie came into town, I pretty much just shop there and neglecting all my old favs. That being said, I fully plan on heading to a store to check out their Garden Collection. The collection consists of garments made with organic cotton, organic linen, recycled polyester and tencel. I think it's great that all these companies are doing an "eco" collection. Even if it's not perfectly environmentally-friendly, it's definitely a step in the right direction.

Here are some of my favorite looks from the collection:

The search for a new purse...

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:44:00 +0000

I am not a purse fanatic like many girls that I know but I do love my purses. When I go shopping, I almost never look at purses since I pretty much use 1 or 2 for a period of time and then I move on. If we're looking for a pattern, you'd see that I usually buy 1 or 2 every year and its usually around Christmas and my birthday. I also noticed that I love buying bags with lining that has a cute print and they are always handbags...meaning most of them don't have shoulder straps or crossbody straps.

I vowed that the next bag I buy will have a crossbody strap but the search was so hard. I looked everywhere and keep falling in love with more handbags but resisted taking them home. I found a precious vintage purse in a quilted black patent design and gold chain/black patent crossbody strap that got compliments everywhere I went and cost less than $5. The only problem was that it was tiny and didn't fit much more than a few credit cards, some car keys and a lip balm.

To make the search harder, I also decided to stop buying leather bags and opt for vegan options. In terms of handbags, there is definitely no shortage of vegan options. There are Matt & Nat, Sam Sara, etsy, H&M, Joe Fresh,...even Natalie Portman has a Chanel bag made of satin! Really, the options are endless! The only problem is, most of the bags I like, also happen to be made of leather, trimmed with leather, not my style or not as well made as I'd like.

When I went to Winners to do some Christmas shopping, I spotted this bag instantly! I secretly hoped that it wasn't made of leather and was happy to find out that it wasn't! It was just what I needed - a bag with a crossbody strap that fits more than a few cards and my phone. It was the Audrey Satchel made by London Fog in Ruby. Who knew London Fog has more than just winter coats and trench coats?

The bag is so great. It's huge, fits everything and I love all the interior and exterior pockets. To make it even better, it's waterproof and fade resistant too! I would've liked it to be more environmentally friendly, but I bought the bag anyway. Definitely one of the most practical bag purchases I made in the last few years.

Movie Date

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:25:00 +0000

Dave and I used to have a movie date every Tuesday. For some reason, we stopped for the last couple of months. This Tuesday, we decided that we were to have a movie date no matter what and we went to see The Fantastic Mr. Fox...which was fantastic!

Its such a cute movie. Where else do you see a fox wearing a stylish corduroy suit, a beautiful dress and cooks with Le Creuset?

I heart Wes Anderson.

Microwave

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:04:00 +0000

We've been talking about getting rid of our microwave for a while...at least a couple of months! Also, Dave's sister recently stopped using it after watching some experiment where the plant died after being watered with microwaved water. That is some scary stuff! Anyway, last night Dave and I decided that we talked the talk for so long...its time for action! We moved our microwave from its prime spot in the kitchen to somewhere in the basement to test if we can live without it. I wonder if we will get used to it or if we will go crawling back to our microwave. So far, we are loving the extra counter space!

What are your feelings toward microwaves?

The perfect color

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:24:00 +0000

While shopping at Anthropologie today, I asked a sales girl what shade she was wearing on her nails as it was just...the perfect shade for fall! She told me it's Sephora's Metro Chic (described as "matte dark smoke with a hint of purple" on the Sephora website) and that it was like impossible to find so she actually begged her friend to sell it to her. Luckily for me, they found a bottle for me at Sephora and it really is perfect. That being said, a quick google tells me I am only about a year late to this bandwagon as its the most sought after shade at Sephora since last year and a lot of people are paying a lot of money on ebay for it. This one, I would totally stock up if I see it in the store again.

The Kind Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:23:00 +0000

I am a huge fan of Alicia Silverstone and was really excited about her new book, The Kind Diet. I was so excited that I even pre-ordered it and I NEVER do that!

There are a ton of recipes in there and I chose to start with the Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew. Alicia recommended eating the stew with Cornbread, so I made that as well. Both were vegan and super easy. The verdict? Definitely yummy!

Even if you have no interest in becoming a vegetarian or vegan, I'd still recommend checking out this book. Actually, before we even entertained the idea of going vegetarian, I had already bought a bunch of vegetarian (especially vegan) cookbooks. My reasoning at the time was the fact that I didn't think we ate enough veggies at home and I was looking for new ideas for healthy veggie dishes. Since vegetarian cookbooks are often heavy in cheese and not always "healthy," I figured vegan books must have healthier recipes. The great thing about most vegan recipes is the fact that it doesn't taste vegan. The food isn't just good FOR a vegan recipe...it's just yummy!

a Vegetarian Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:35:00 +0000

Every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas, my mom makes a crazy amount of food and we just show up and eat. This year, she made Dave and I vegetarian versions of what everyone else is eating so we wouldn't feel left out. Isn't my mom awesome?

We had Vegetarian chicken with onion/mushroom gravy, stuffing (which is sticky rice at mom's house but she made us a vegetarian version without the gibblets), roasted potato/carrots, acorn squash, brussel sprouts, portobello mushrooms and tomato stuffed with wild rice. My mom even remembered that Dave is lactose intolerant and made him one without the cheese! For dessert, we had creme brulee...my fav!

I really do appreciate how much my mom accommodates our vegetarianism. It's really more than I can ask for. So for this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for having such a great mom.

new toy!

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:51:00 +0000

My laptop died last week and while I tell myself that I can live without it as I can go online on my iPhone, we both know that just wasn't going to cut it.

After serious consideration, we decided to go with a netbook as the size of laptop I wanted (under 13") wouldn't be ideal for working with InDesign, Photoshop, etc anyway. Dave and I went to check out a bunch of different models and we settled on the HP mini with a 6 cell battery. I had my heart set on a pink model but we ended up getting black (with a charcoal swirl design) as the pink one cost more and has a 3 cell battery so it wouldn't even last half as long. So far, I love it! It's small but not too small. The keyboard is pretty much full size (the main factor why we chose the HP one) so typing on it is not an issue at all AND it weighs like nothing.

Another plus is that it runs everything smoothly (even iTunes) and it's super quiet.

RIP Prescriptives

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:15:00 +0000

I am really upset that Estee Lauder is closing down Prescriptives on Jan 31, 2o10. Prescriptives has consistently been the only brand that I really really loved. I love their custom blend tinted moisturizer, custom blend concealer, custom loose powder & pressed powder, virtual skin foundation, anywear foundation stick, eyeshadows, lipglosses, blush, mascara, skincare...(is it obvious that I am a fan yet?)...and my favorite product of all, their pressed powder leaves.

Should I stock up now? or just start to move on and look for something new?

i heart my new juicer!

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 01:46:00 +0000

I got a new juice extractor today and I am in love! It all started with that delicious green juice from Fressen I had a few months ago. Ever since that meal, I've been ordering various kinds of vegetable and fruit juices whenever I see it on a menu. Finally, I decided that it was time to get my own juicer.

After some research, I decided on Breville's Compact Juice Fountain (BJE200XL). It received rave reviews and since I already have a couple of Breville products at home, there is that established trust. I also like the compact size since I don't have a huge kitchen and it doesn't hurt that this machine is gorgeous!

For my first concoction, I decided to go simple: Apple & Beets. I did 2 small beets + 1 medium apple and got about a cup of juice. All organic and so yum!

The best part is that it's mess free and a breeze to clean. This thing will definitely have a permanent spot on my counter as I can already tell that I am going to get lots of use out of it.

vegetarian's best friend

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:21:00 +0000

Veggie burgers are sometimes a vegetarian's best friend when eating out. Dave and I went to South Street Burger yesterday after visiting the Science Center as it is just down the street from them. We were big fans of South Street's meat burgers when we ate meat but I am now an even bigger fan of their veggie burger. Their veggie burger is soy based and seasoned just right. It has so much flavor that I think even eaten plain with just bun and ketchup would probably taste good. That being said, I don't think anyone would ever order a plain burger there as they have so many amazing toppings. I always get guacamole and aoli as the base. Dave is a fan of their wasabi mayo. Another interesting one is mango chutney but neither of us tried it yet. The veggies they use are always fresh and you KNOW the fries are good since they are owned by New York Fries. Hands down best fast food veggie burger.

keep calm and carry on

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:08:00 +0000

Thanks to my lovely friend Sandra, I now have a great poster that reminds me to keep calm and carry on. The red matches all the red elements in my kitchen perfectly.

Right below the poster is the new home for my cookbooks. Its a Billy bookcase from Ikea - best $29 spent this week!

a little bit of everything

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:46:00 +0000

After getting a pedicure and haircut today, I met up with Angie for a quick bite to eat and to catch up. Since she was in the mood for something light and healthy, I thought we'd check out Hibiscus in Kensington Market. The 20-seat restaurant was kind of hard to spot and the inside looks more like a coffee shop than a restaurant.

The menu consisted of salads and crepes but Angie and I both decided to order the Soup and Salad combo ($7.50). The salad consisted of 9 different kinds and the soup of the day was squash and lentil. I loved the idea of getting a taste of each salad so your taste buds don't get bored. Everything was so delicious! If a place like this is near my work, I'd probably eat there 2-3 times a week for lunch. The "cracker" thing was great too! It tasted like almonds and slightly sweet.

Afterwards, we went to Blue Banana Cafe again for more Vegan cupcake deliciousness to take home as Miss Cora only has vegan coconut cupcakes and I am not a huge fan of coconut.

Our first raw food experience

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:24:00 +0000

A couple of days ago, Dave and I decided to go out for dinner. We ended up at the patio at Live Organic Food Bar and decided to have an all raw dinner. Since we are completely new to the whole raw food scene, we decided to get the raw combo and a miso burger to share. I also got a "In the Pink" juice that has apple, pear, beet, ginger and lemon as I try to order juice that includes fruits and veggies that I don't eat often (apple & beets) so this was the perfect choice and it was really good!

The raw combo had a bit of all the mains and that inclues "Steak and Potatoes," "Spaghetti and Neatballs," "Pizza M'on," the special of the day which was "Pad Thai" noodles and a salad (we had it with agave mustard dressing.)

So what makes it raw? well, nothing was cooked! The "Steak and Potatoes" are actually marinated portobello mushrooms with almond/cashew puree. "Spaghetti and Neatballs" are zuchinni spaghetti with red pepper/tomato sauce. The pizza is a dehydrated buckwheat cracker-like crust topped with a pumpkin puree, red pepper and onion. And the "Pad Thai" was the zuchinni spaghetti again with a cashew/sesame sauce topped with mango. My fav was definitely the "Spaghetti and Neatballs."

After dinner, we ordered 2 small desserts to share since we just HAD to try something. I wanted to get the chocolate/avocado pie but it was sold out. We chose the almond dream bar and hazelnut chocolate cup. We definitely liked the almond dream bar more...it was SO good.

Even though the idea of raw food is slightly intimidating, we were really glad we tried it. It was the perfect summer night dinner and I can't wait to go back!

quick & easy hummus

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:02:00 +0000

I made hummus pretty often this summer and a lot of my friends have been asking for the recipe. So here it is!

Put all the ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl
- 3 cups of chickpea (2 small cans or 1 large can) rinsed
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- 3 tbsp of tahini
- 4-6 tbsp of lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 3/4 tsp of sea salt
- 2 tbsp of water
- 1 tbsp of olive oil

I use my hand held immersion blender and just blend it all together. You can add more water/olive oil if needed, but add only 1 tbsp at a time. We love these with Garden Fresh tortilla chips and use it in burgers and sandwiches instead of mayo...its ALWAYS a huge hit at BBQs and summer parties so be sure to make extra if you want to keep some for yourself.

Orzo with peas and roasted potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:41:00 +0000

I love making orzo because its so easy to cook and whatever you make usually taste great hot or cold the next day. I had some fresh peas from the farmer's market but didn't have mint to make orzo with peas & mint so I decided to do the orzo with peas and roasted potato with herbe de provence. I might be the only person out there but I LOVE putting potato in my pasta. Sometimes roasted, sometimes boiled and sliced.

First, I prepared the potatoes using Giada's recipe. I had a bag of small mixed potatoes (about 15-20) that I quartered but I only used half the herbe de provence mixure since I dont think I had as much potatoes as the recipe suggested. Once that is in the oven, I boiled 3/4 cup of orzo. The peas are then sauteed with 1 shallot and 1 garlic. Once the peas are done, I put the orzo back in and mixed in the other half of the herbe de provence mixture and seasoned with salt. By this time, the potato was done and I mixed everything in with the orzo. I'll definitely make this again. There is really nothing like fresh peas!

Congrats to Jackie & Jeff

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:38:00 +0000

One of my best friends from highschool, Jackie, got married last weekend. They had a beautiful wedding ceremony and reception at the Rosewater Room of Rosewater Supper Club. Besides them getting married, Jackie's beautiful dresses (she had 3!), and getting to see some of my old friends, handsdown the most memorable & unique part of the wedding was the lion dance!

Jackie & Jeff gave it a try

Some pics of our (vegetarian) meal

It's not a veggie burger if you put steak on it

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:09:00 +0000

Dave and I hosted a BBQ yesterday since it was a monday long weekend. We made an avocado/cherry tomato/kale salad with pine nuts and sesame, veggie skewers with marinated tofu/orange pepper/zucchini/mushroom/onion/cherry tomato, 2 kinds of veggie burgers (Amy's California burgers and Lick's Nature Burger), and homemade hummus with Garden Fresh chips.

It was really nice to be feasting on veggies all day because all our friends are meat eaters and normally when we BBQ together, it's like 80% meat and 20% veggies so Dave and I always have to make sure we bring enough food for ourselves (plus some since everyone steals our food without thinking we'd have nothing else to eat.) Yesterday, aside from the 2 meat items (steak and sausages) that two of our friends brought, everything else were veggie friendly so it was nice the ratio was more than reversed. The guys brought a huge tub of roasted red peppers, zuchinni, broccoli, and made flatbread with tomato/basil/bocconcini cheese.

I was feeling quite skeptical about putting broccoli on the BBQ but it was seriously my fav thing from the BBQ. We'll never had a BBQ without broccoli again!

So towards the end of the night, as we were getting hungry again and the surrounding bees took over the plate of leftover sausages (i never knew bees ate or loved meat sausages but they literally swarm the plate and ate through a sausage...gross!) The guys had no choice but to eat veggie burgers with Dave and I. They SAY they want to try it but then two of them topped it with some sliced up steak. Is it just me or do you not find that offensive? Like, seriously? its NOT a veggie burger if you put steak on it. Needless to say, I announced that I will not let them eat my veggie burgers next time.

That being said, we had such a great time. I heart summer BBQs.

Bacon is not a vegetable

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:39:00 +0000

When Dave and I went to Niagara-on-the-Lake a few weeks ago, we had dinner at the beautiful patio at Epicurean before going to a see the Devil's Deciple at Shaw Festival. I actually read on TorontoLife that Epicurean was a vegetarian friendly place and that was why we chose to go there of all the places at Niagara-on-the-Lake. That being said, it was SO not vegetarian friendly.

There wasn't much to choose from and I didn't want to eat the same thing as Dave so I decided to have 2 appetizers and chose the Heirloom Beet and Watercress Salad and Terrine Of Grilled Vegetables. About 5 minutes later, the server informed us that they ran out of the Terrine. The dinner service starts at 5PM...we were the second or third table arriving at 5:05PM...how did they run out?

That's fine, I said as I wasn't even hungry to start with. I didn't want to order a pasta because I don't eat pasta with cream sauce and thats all they had. The server then suggested I have the salad and order a dessert...which I thought was a great idea. Anyway, so Dave ordered the Tagliatelle pasta minus the bacon (our waitress told us they can leave out the bacon since we're vegetarians.) So he gets the pasta and start eating it...only to realize THERE ARE BACON IN HIS PASTA!!!

That is totally unacceptable. Anyway, so she takes the pasta away and orders a new one. 15 minutes later, Dave's baconless pasta arrives. When it was time for dessert, we were told they ran out of 2 of the items on the menu. I ordered the trio (vanilla, chocolate, and green tea) of creme brulees since that is one of my fav. 5 minutes later, the waitress said they ran out of the green tea one, which was really disappointing as that was the one I wanted the most. Once again, how do you run out of something so early? and how do you run out of something that you only sell as TRIOS? if you prepare dessert for the night, and you make let say 50 servings, wouldn't you make 50 of each? I ended up getting 2 vanilla and 1 chocolate. They were beautiful.

Dinner at Epicurean was a total disappointment. We won't be returning again.

Hello Kitty for IPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:23:00 +0000

I just saw these cases on the Apple website. Too bad I just bought a new Agent18 recycled plastic case in hot pink for my phone.