doin' the monk-walk

yummy minestrone

I looooooooooooove making soup.

Unless you are REALLY stunted in the kitchen, it's virtually a fool-proof meal to make, as you cannot possibly get it wrong! Not only is the ancient art of mixing an assortment of ingredients into a pot of seasoned water fun & super easy, I always end up with a tasty surprise.

Here is a lovely minestrone I threw together last night, and I'm gonna tell you what I did:

First, I heated up some grapeseed oil in a soup pot and threw in bay leaves, coriander seeds, thyme, basil, rosemary, chili pepper, garlic and onions. As the spices simmered together, I prepared mybroccoli, green pepper, carrots, zucchini, potato, red onion, spring onion, cabbage, mushrooms, and then threw them into the pot along with some more water and Bragg's liquid soy.

After a couple of minutes of stirring the mix, I filled the pot with water, turned the burner on MAX and added a can of pureed tomatoes, chickpeas, a few split green peas and some rice pasta (for the authentic minestrone feel!)

Once the water was boiling I added some apple cider vinegar, pepper and sea salt. I turned the heat down to MIN, placed on the lid and sat back and excitedly awaited my yummy dinner!!!

I garnished the soup with some nutritional yeast and some pretty dried thyme that my sweet friend, Alex D, gave to me from his garden...!

my first coleslaw!

I find it really easy to go the grocery store and buy the same things over and over...(and over and over and over...!). Well, today I decided to challenge my little food rut, and dared to buy a head of cabbage. As a child, I loved eating the bits and pieces my mom would feed to me as she was preparing the cabbage for a soup. And, (I can admit it) I LOOOOOOVED the coleslaw that accompanied my Kentucky Fried Chicken. mmmmmmm......damn it was good!

So, given how much I love raw cabbage, I chose today to prepare my very own version of a vegan coleslaw. And I have to say, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Here's what I did:

I thinly sliced half a head of green cabbage (as there is only one of me :), leaving the pieces nice and long. Then, using a peeler, I sliced thin strips of carrot right into the bowl. I like using the peeler to grate because you end up with lovely pale, almost translucent, strips of carrot which match the light green of the cabbage nicely. Next up on the chopping block was one granny smith apple, and then half a small red onion...both as thinly sliced as possible.

For the dressing, I simply KNEW that sesame oil was the way to go. So i mixed some of that in a bowl with some lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, seeded mustard, and good ol' salt and pepper. As I tossed that around with the salad, I threw in some organic raisins for good measure!

And now I am eating a really nice, well-balanced crunchy salad for lunch, with LOTS leftover to eat later!

it might make you puke but it will definitely make you laugh!

Check out this "hybrid" of technology...David Lee Roth vocals mixed with Microsoft Songsmith.

WARNING: Listening on anything other than an empty stomach may result in your stomach emptying itself!!

new year...new focus! (new haircut!)

Hi. Happy New Year! and, just as importantly, Happy Tuesday.

After a bit of a break from reading the news over the holidays, I have decided to resume my blog and my life with a new and improved perspective, with a better refined focus...on the GOOD stuff.

As a believer in the Law of Attraction, that law which simply declares "like attracts like", I am choosing to focus on what makes me feel good, on what gets my juices flowing, on the wonderful waves that rock my fantastic boat. Naturally, I greatly value information about what is happening in the world and will never intend to turn a blind eye to global events. But I have affirmed for myself that I value my power to shape what WILL BE more...

And so in order for me to step fully into my role as a "good-doer", I must keep my focus on the vision of what I wish to see, as opposed to my reactions to what already IS. Having been conditioned to be a "reactor" my whole life, this shift will take a bit of practice, but boy am I up for it.

I'm allowing myself to start with the small things...little changes I can begin to implement on a daily basis, that will improve my degree of presence and thus diminish the liklihood of me going on auto-pilot. For example:

1. I want to eat more slowly, chewing and savoring my food without the distraction of reading the news or watching a video. This way I will ensure the absorption of nutrients my body needs to keep it strong and healthy and grounded.

2. I intend to listen more, and interupt WAY less. I recognize my habit of interjecting my ideas when others are talking and that's just rude! The way to fight fire is not with more fire. Likewise, if I can be one less needy ego in the world, well...then there's one less needy ego in the world. 'nuff said!

3. I refuse to beat myself up anymore! It's hard enough being alive on a wild & crazy, spinning planet of beauty & madness. I certainly will be better off if I befriend myself to the point of non-judgement. To simply honour my perfectly flawed self is to emit more waves of love into the world, rather than those of fear, anxiety and sadness.

Three is enough to start! And I will certainly add more as they come to me.

I just want to let you know that it is my intention with this blog to have you feel better than you did when you first came to my page. To post info and vids and docs and passages that enlighten and enliven the spirit! To be a proponent of beauty and light and art and magic....

Enjoy your day and days...

Jacqueline