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I’m so pleased with how this blog is working out as far as the sticking to it thing is going. Plus, instead of watching bad television while I eat, I’m writing a tasty new post. Hoorah!

Tomorrow I am leaving for Toronto for a few days to see the fabulous AB and of course the darling CW. Absolutely no work will be done except while I’m on the plane so I have to read as much as possible today. What’s on the agenda you didn’t ask? “Beyond Mothering Earth: Ecological Citizenship and the Politics of Care” by Sherilyn MacGregor, a Canadian ecofeminist who I both love and hate. Love because she’s a great writer, is a big fan of the whole environment/feminist thing, and has great ideas. Hate because I thought I had a nice thesis topic until I read her book and realized she had thought of it first. Bitch. But I’m reading the book again because I want to see if I can find any gaps on which to feast. We shall see…

In light of the fact that I have heaps of reading to do today, I needed something hearty to get me through. Enter the good ol’ standby stew above:

‘Ezmy’s Dependable Red Lentil Stew’

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch of fresh ginger, grated (or, if you’re me, chopped up itty bitty like)
2 cups of cauliflower (if you can, include some of the stems too. In a stew, you won’t notice how tough they are and it means less waste)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp dry chili peppers (I like my kick!)
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 bay leaves
1 small tin diced tomatoes OR two or three whole tomatoes (tomatoes were effing expensive today so tinned it was)
1 cup dried red lentils
2 1/2 cups water (If you have white wine on hand, go with 2 cups water and 1/2 cup wine – so very good but as Healthy Ezmy is off the booze, she only gets water…boo)
optional: if you happen to have any leeks lying around the house, toss one of them in too. I did today and may I just say YUMMY!

In a big soup pot, saute the onions in oil until translucent. Add garlic, ginger, and spices (and that darling leek if you have it) and stir it up. Add cauliflower, lentils, water (and if you’re lucky, wine), bay leaves, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and let the stew simmer for about 15 minutes or until lentils looked cooked. You can add a smidge of fresh or dried coriander at this point if you like…I’m a fan but so many people don’t like poor little coriander. This recipe makes two giant servings and four normal person servings.

This stew cries out for baguette but if you aren’t doing the bread thing, pile a cup or two on top of brown rice. Very filling, very tasty! Also good: potatoes both sweet and white. Use in place of cauliflower too if you feel that it’s just not a cauliflower kind of day. Today, I went with baguette from Herb and Spice (best shop ever) and some chopped up cucumber because fiber is our friend.

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Another success! Although not entirely. First, the lighting in this picture sucks. And second, Fialonia does not like brussel sprouts – this was firmly established this evening. But brave soul that she is, she ate them up anyways. I didn’t mind them. They were mixed with a bunch of mustard, mustard seeds (brown and yellow just to make things interesting), minced onions and leftover kale. Very little room for brussel sprout taste.

The beets were a bigger success. I love roasted beets with marjoram and balsamic vinager and Fialonia loves beets with anything. Both sides went extremely well with the main event: “tip-top tofu loaf”, another glorious recipe from La Dolce Vegan!:

‘Tip-Top Tofu Loaf’

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup medium-firm tofu
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup parsley (again, I didn’t bother…)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used a mixture of breadcrumbs and rolled oat flakes – worked very nicely)
1 tbsp tahini (I used peanut butter)

Prehead oven to 350F. Oil loaf pan (leave excess in pan) and set aside. In a food processor, blend tofu, onions, garlic, ketchup, tamari, mustard, parsley, pepper, breadcrumbs and peanut butter until well mixed. Pour into baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes (check on it frequently though…my oven had ‘er done in 30). Let cool for 5 min before removing from pan and serving. Makes 2 large or 4 small servings.

I think next time, I would add some sage or thyme or something to jazz it up. But eaten with the marjoram-y beets and the mustard brussel sprouts, this was a very flavourful good time.

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I’m having one of those wonderful days where you think to yourself, “I’m so productive. Look at how great I’m doing. Wow, I’m so on top of things.” Which is all crap really because I’m five billion years behind on my thesis and I need to put in another 10 hours of research assistant work before Friday morning and ahh. But whatever. Today I feel productive.

But I didn’t wake up feeling so fantastic. I woke up in a panic. I had one of those terribly realistic dreams last night. You know, the ones where you wake up and you aren’t sure what’s dream and what’s reality? Last night I dreamed that my supervisor pulled me into her office and said that they’d actually made a mistake, that I wasn’t going to be offered a position in the PhD program because I had not satisfied the course requirements. Agh!! Then when I woke up all stressed out and wondering what yoga studios to apply to, I realized that not only had I a) slept in but b) I had meetings with students all this morning that I was now going to be late for. Meetings about grade challenges. Double Agh!!

In the end though, everything worked out. The first student was still clearly displeased with the mark I had given him, but at least was able to admit that he had not, in fact, answered the question. The second student was super nice and made a good argument for an extra percent so I gave it to him. I’m generous like that.

Today was also fantastic because today was the day that I discovered this delightful breakfast:

Ezmy’s Rockin’ Muesli

3 cups quick oats or rolled oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup coconut (or 1 cup dried fruit…but I love the coconut!)

Dump all ingredients in an airtight container and shake ‘er up! Makes almost 6 cups of awesomeness. I eat about 1/2 cup per day so that’s 12 breakfasts!! This is good served with warm or cold “milk”(I’m on a big chocolate soy kick right now but regular or vanilla soy, almond, rice, or hemp milk would work too…and would be healthier). Add some fresh fruit (bananas!!) and you’ve got yourself a sexy breakfast.

Stay tuned – I’m making something interesting for dinner tonight…if it turns out, I’ll take pictures and post.

Note: the picture above has nothing to do with anything but I just love how relaxed Zoe looks. Oh to be a cat!

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Because I enjoy writing theses so much, I have decided to keep going and do my PhD. Last night, Carleton presented me with an offer I couldn’t refuse (largely because they were the only school that I applied to).

I can’t decide whether I’m building my ivory tower or digging a deep academic-y pit of ick. Either way though I’m all for it. :D

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Right, so I lied about the lentils. We had lentils last night you see, and I wanted to jazz things up a bit. So tonight, Fialonia and I tried the tofu ball recipe from one of my favourite vegan cookbooks, “La Dolce Vegan!” (I should note that Fialonia is, in fact, an omnivore but she has agreed to join me in the vegan awesomeness by testing out recipes with me). Even without the correct pasta noodles, and with crappy Classico tomato sauce, this recipe was a huge success. Note Cleopatra and Mark Antony looking on with approval (alright, so Mark is a little pre-occupied trying to win Cleopatra’s heart…but he’d be approvin’ of the tofu balls if he wasn’t so distracted).

‘Spaghetti & Tofu Balls’

Tofu Balls:

1/2 cup firm tofu, mashed
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tbsp nut butter (I use peanut, almond or tahini…whatever is in the house)
1 tbsp tamari (but if you don’t have this, you can use 1/2 tbsp soy sauce)
1/8 cup parsley, minced (I always leave out the parsley because I hate chopping it almost as much as I hate mincing garlic)
1 very small onion, minced
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour (for coating – I also add chili peppers because I lika tha spicey ‘meat’ball!!)
2 tbsp olive oil

+pasta
+any ol’ tomato sauce
+delightful green veg (in my case, kale with salt and a bit of mustard and white wine vinager)

In a big bowl, stir together all ingredients except the last two. Put the 1/4 cup coating flour on a small plate and roll 1/2 tbsp tofu mixture into a ball and coat (or whatever amount you want…all depends on how big you want you…wait a second. There’s no way that’s going to come across right. Ick). Anyways, in a frying pan on medium heat, fry tofu balls in oil until browned all over. Cover and set aside while your cooking up your pasta etc. The tofu balls will be enough to serve two people.

In other news, I’ve changed my blog (duh). What do you think? I’m on the fence. I like black. A lot. But lately I’ve been thinking I should try and lighten up a bit already. I purchased a mustard yellow bag the other day – a bold move for Healthy Ezmy.

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I forgot this yesterday. Another fun evening was had at Zaphods this past Friday. I went dancing with Fialonia and a stunning French woman, HT. AP’s dice-rolling awesomeness did not get to make an appearance (what? no Journey??) but I was pleasantly surprised with this song.

Perfect for early mornings. Like this one.

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When I moved out on my own at the ripe old age of 18, I discovered the painful truth about meat – it was effing expensive. But while I lived off of bagels and cream cheese, pasta with tinned tomato sauce, chocolate donuts, green apples, and cafeteria coffee for two years, I never considered myself vegetarian. When I moved to Toronto, AB and I ate McDonald’s 49 cent cheeseburgers, chinese chicken balls with frightfully red sweet and sour sauce, and late-night chicken shawarma. Washed down with tonic water (who can afford gin?). Even after reading “Fast Food Nation,” and successfully swearing off shitty fast-food joints (8 years clean on the McDonald’s etc. front), I wasn’t really moved to give up BLTs and while I outwardly identified as a vegetarian, this was about as accurate a label for me as ‘heterosexual’.

My initial foray into the land of veganism came about for completely selfish reasons. My primary goal was to be thin and I figured that a vegan diet would be the easiest way to accomplish this goal. I was, unsurprisingly, correct and promptly dropped all of the weight that I had gained while in hairschool and working at a Mexican restaurant that served everything with a thick layer of cheese. Having no real moral investment in this dietary decision however, once I was thin again, I gradually started eating the odd shawarma/bacon sandwich/steak. And when I moved to Nova Scotia, land of the never-ending steak and lobster, and especially when I moved in with DM, a proud meat-eating Scotsman, this diet choice became next to impossible to maintain. I was surrounded in bacon, breakfast sausages (my eternal weakness), and heaps of seafood and quickly became a meat-eating vegetarian.

Since meeting A., I have remained a wishy-washy vegetarian/vegan. I go through phases when I eat raw tuna every second day and then phases when I eat cheese like it’s going out of style. And when I go out to a restaurant, I rarely worry about what I’m eating, although I generally opt for the veggie option. I have always justified this by saying that I don’t want to be difficult (when out or at friends’ houses) or that I don’t want to be a slave to my diet.

There is something in this last idea – I don’t want to be a slave to my diet. But in the past few months, I have (quite accidentally) been researching food politics, water politics, nature ethics, and ecofeminism, all in the context of the great MA thesis. And after book upon book upon article upon article I have become firmly convinced of the following: I need to commit already. I am finding it increasingly difficult to avoid thinking about the impact that my dietary decisions are having on human and other-than-human species. And as someone who regularly advocates green living, I am becoming increasingly irritated by my hypocritical positions when it comes to food. It’s time to make the total switch over. It’s time to be “difficult” at parties and to be that person at restaurants who has to make a million special requests in order to get a meal.

In celebration of this renewed commitment to what I’m going to call ‘contextual veganism’ (a label that allows me the freedom to eat when visiting countries where meatless, dairy-less, egg-less options are next to impossible to find – I’m looking at you, Czech Republic), this blog will join the growing number of vegan blogs dedicated to providing healthy vegan awesomeness recipes. I’m hoping that doing this will help to keep me committed to this lifestyle choice – I’m also hoping to convince the modest number of readers I have that veganism is the awesomest. My cocoa bananas were a start, but stay tuned: the next post will explore the mystery of the red lentil.

Healthy Ezmy is taking it to the next level!!

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A couple of night ago, I went to Zaphod’s bar, which is most definitely the coolest dance bar in Ottawa (admittedly, this isn’t saying much…Ottawa is the slowest town around). I had a wicked good time with Fialonia, NM, and AP. And then ‘Midnight Train’ came on and things got all kinds of better. I know, I know, how can Journey make things better? I don’t know. Something about the whole bar deciding to sing/shout the lyrics, and something about AP’s groovy dice-rolling moves (just one more time!), made for an awesome time. And I thought to myself: I wish I could freeze happiness like this for later use. You know, for when I’m 65 and worrying about the fact that I have no pension due to a lifetime spent in schoool. For those times, I want Journey nights.

In other news, I’ve discovered a new, totally awesome vegan treat that you all must try. I was lamenting the lack of chocolate bars in my life when I happened across an idea on some website that I would note here but can’t remember. It gave me this idea: Take one banana, peel, coat in cocoa powder (obviously pure cocoa powder, not some dairy+ junk), and then coat in chopped almonds/peanuts (I’m more of an almond fan myself, but I can imagine that peanuts are pretty cool). Store in freezer for a few hours and then oh the frozen treat you’ll have!! Be careful with your first bite. Someone I know (ahem, me) suffered some uber serious brain freeze a little while ago.

-healthy ezmy

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A tool of procrastination from Danasaur:

1) What’s their full name?
A.

2) Does he or she have a boyfriend/girlfriend?
Oh yes indeed. That would be me.

3) Do you get along with this person all the time?
Pretty much. I can count on one hand the number of actual arguments we’ve had…you know, important arguments like ‘why do you insist on hiding my hat?’ (my fault) and ‘why can’t you put the empty bottle with the recycling?’ (his fault).

4) How old is the person?
older than me. But not ridiculously so.

5) Has he/she ever cooked for you?
Yes, especially when we were first together. I’ve taken over now due to my ridiculous diet issues.

6) Is this person older than you?
see question 4)

7) Have you ever kissed this person?
I should think so. Good lord, can you imagine if we hadn’t? Lame.

9) Are you related to this person?
I should think not. Good lord, can you imagine if I was?

10) Are you really close to him/her?
Very.

11) Nickname?
Hmmm…A to the Drizzo?

12.) Do they have a nickname for you?
Ezmy. And Babe. Not like the pig mind you.

13) How many times do you talk to this person in a week?

These days, not that often because he’s off saving the world. About twice a week on the phone and pretty much daily by interweb.

14) Do you think they will repost this?
Highly unlikely. Saving the world is time-consuming work.

15) Could you live with this person?
I have and will again soon. He makes a pretty kickass roomie.

16) Why is this person your number 1?
Because he remembers the way I like my coffee, because he brings home Vogue magazines for me all the time even though he thinks they’re stupid, because he’s effing funny, because he’s the kind of person who sacrifices a year of safe, good times to go help people in unsafe places.

18) How long have you known this person?
Hmmm… two and half years? Something like that.

19) Have you ever been to the mall with this person?
Yes. A. is not a fan of malls though.

20) Have you ever had a sleepover with this person?
A number of them, yes.

21) If you ever moved away would you miss this person?
Pfft no because he’d come with.

23) Have you ever done something really stupid or illegal with this person?
Really stupid? Probably…buying a whole crap load of IKEA furniture when we had no money was probably pretty dumb. Illegal? No.

24) Do you know EVERYTHING about this person?
Probably not. But can one really know EVERYTHING about someone?

25) Would you date this person’s siblings?
Impossible.

26) Have you ever made something with this person?
Furniture. And we’ve cooked together before.

29) Have you gone skinny dipping with this person?
No but we totally should.

31) Is your #1 on drugs?
Malaria meds I believe but that’s it.

33) Have you ever worn this person’s clothes?
I am right now.

34) Does this person wear your clothes?
Um, I don’t think so. He could I suppose. But it would be weird.

35) If it was “freaky friday” would you switch bodies with this person?
Hmmm…tough call. On the one hand, it would be cool to walk around all hot for a day and have girls check me out. On the other hand, I’d have to do this guy’s job and screw that nonsense.

36) Have you ever heard this person sing?
Yes and I love it. L-dog does not sing enough in my humble opinion.

38) Do you and this person have a saying?
Several. We’re doing a word right now though. ‘weet.

39) Do you know this persons Facebook password?
Yep.

41) Have you and this person ever gotten into a fight that lasted more than 2 months?
Hahahaha. No. You’re thinking of another person I know.

44.) Have you and this person gone clubbing?
Sort of. We’ve gone to clubs and listened to bands.

45) Do you know how to make this person feel happy?
I like to think I do, yes.

46) Do you and this person talk a lot?
Yes. About heaps of stuff…but mostly polisci stuff.

47) Do you like this person?

I’d go so far as to say that I love this person.

48) Has this person yelled at you?
Not really no. He’s raised his voice when I was clearly being an irritating tool (see hiding the hat) but that’s more out of frustration. I’m waaaay more likely to yell.

49) Have you and this person got into a fist fight?
Ha,no.

50) Do you know any of this person’s friends?
Quite a few, yes.

51) Do you want to be friends with them forever?
Oh hells yes.

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So, I was on the phone with M. last night, listening to her outline the difficulties with yet another ridiculous boy who doesn`t understand what he has, and I was struck by the fact that I had no counter complaint. You know when you`re on the phone and you trade crappy boyfriend or girlfriend stories and conclude the phone conversation with something like `god, men eh?` Well, I had nothing. This is not to say that l-dog is perfect – that would be creepy. But I have nothing to bitch and moan about.

More fascinating was the fact that, while I could relate to M.`s difficulties and could provide the right words of sympathy, I felt disconnected. There`s no other word for it. It`s as though I`ve developed a serious pair of rose-coloured glasses when it comes to personal relationships. I cannot firmly remember what it was like to be unhappy with my significant other. I can, if I think about it, graze over the moss in my head and stir up old memories of ickyness. The feelings of despair when you realize that you`re out on the limb by yourself. The feeling of helplessness when someone leaves you for someone else. Etc. I can read old blogs (I`m thinking of you, 2006) and remember the frustration I felt in my dating life – how there were just no good men or women out there. But more and more it feels as though all of that nonsense happened to someone else and I just have her memories in my head.

This is refreshing for a number of reasons. First, it means that contrary to popular belief, it is possible to move on relatively unscathed from previous crap relationships to a not crap relationship. The thought that this wasn’t possible had been troubling me for quite some time. When l-dog and I first got together, I held my breath for the first year, worrying that it was all just a dream…a mocking dream that would end abruptly with l-dog suddenly turning around one morning and saying `why are you still here?` I don`t worry about that anymore. Second, it means that I can tell my cousin Fialonia and her sister, both in their late teens-early twenties and both sifting through the muck that is the 20-25 year old dating pool, that it will in fact get better. That they should settle for nothing less than this kind of happiness. And that it`s worth the wait.

I have, in short, become one of those disgusting people that I used to mock incessantly in my early 20s. One of those disgusting happy people. Some days, I am so overcome with happiness that I grin for no reason. I`m going insane. This post oozes the vegan cheesiness of someone in love. I apologize. But then again, not really. I`m too happy to care about what the blogosphere thinks.