What Goes Around Comes Around

Everyone else seems to be posting this quiz on thier blog so I'll cave and post it on mine too. And then later or maybe tomorrow I will post about my vacation to Hawai'i.

1. Favorite non-dairy milk?
I think I have pretty much tried them all at some point. My all time fave is Almond Breeze - their chocolate is to die for! Yummm. I also really like Silk soymilk because it's organic and doesn't have a chalky or beany taste like so many other non-dairy milks.

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?

I don't have anything specific in mind at the moment but after eating out for pretty much the past 2 weeks and going from sunny hot to freezing cold weather I think I'll end up cooking some kind of soup/stew, tempeh, and salad.

3. Topping of choice for popcorn?

Garlic and dill. Or melted earth balance with smoked garlic chipotle salt.

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?

I tried to make a veganized lime cheesecake once. Let's just say I should have tried it first before serving it to friends!

5. Favorite pickled item?

I've made pickled rosemary carrots, picked peppers, pickled mushrooms - yummm! But can't think of anything that tastes better than regular dill pickes. Exept maybe yum-yum pickles.

6. How do you organize your recipes?

Ummm..are they supposed to be organized? I have them on scraps of paper, all over the place on my computer, sticky notes in cookbooks, some are just in my head. Maybe one day I'll organize them but not today. And not tomorrow.

7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?

I have never had a compost, but I'm a big fan of recycling and using the garbage disposal.

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods…what would they be (don’t worry about how you’ll cook them)?

Dark chocolate, hummus and naan bread.

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?

This is a tough one because so much of it was not veg friendly. Corn on the cob?

10. Favorite vegan ice cream?

Chocolate tofulatti from Mario's Gelati.

11. Most loved kitchen appliance?

I love my George Foreman-esque counter top grill.

12. Spice/herb you would die without?

I'm gonna have to say it's my uncle's smoked garlic chipotle salt. If you want some you have to catch him at the market. I put it in pretty much everything I cook.

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?

It's one about potatoes but at the moment it's packed in a box somewhere so I can't do it any justice by saying who it is written by or even the title.

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?

Right now I'm loving Crofter's organic blackberry.

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?

My chickpea salad is pretty popular ;)

16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?

Tofu. I always have some in the fridge. Since becoming pregnant I haven't really been digging firm tofu for some reason. Hopefully that will pass soon...cuz I really would love some Salt Spring Island Smoked tofu.

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?

Definatley Dinner. I have never been big on breakfasts, and lunch is so casual. Call me weird, but I acutally enjoy slaving in the kitchen to make a yummy dinner.

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?

I like to keep a basket on top of the fridge with snacks in it, like crackers, nuts, chips...

19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.

It's pretty boring: Peas, tempeh patties and edamame. So lame...

20. What’s on your grocery list?

Pretty much everything because I just got back last night from Hawai'i and the fridge & cupboards are bare. Soymilk, tofu, cereal, hummus and naan bread to name a few.

21. Favorite grocery store?

Planet Organic followed closely by Choices.

22. Name a recipe you’d love to veganize, but haven’t yet.

It's already been done, but something I've never tried making is veganized chicken fingers or fish sticks.

23. Food blog you read the most (besides Isa’s because I know you check it every day). Or maybe the top 3?

Vegan Lunchbox. Even though she doesn't blog every day like she used to, it is definatley my all time favourite. I also like Vegan Yum Yum and Urban Vegan.

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?

Ritter Sport - Dark Chocolate with Hazelnut. Mmmmmm.

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?

I don't know if it counts as a food "item" per se, but the Thai lettuce wraps at the Cheesecake Factory in Hawai'i were fabulous. I subbed portabello mushrooms for chicken and it was exquisite!

26. What was your favorite food BEFORE becoming veg*n?

I don't remember, it's been 15 years...probably zoodles or something like that.

The Game

I went to the hockey game last night (Vancouver vs. Nashville). I have to be honest, I don't follow hockey at all, in fact I could only name one player on our team - Trevor Linden. I have a hard time watching it because I don't understand what is happening, or why they do things a certain way.

For example, how do they determine which red dot to use for the the face-off? Does the captain have radio communication in his helmet with the coach like the quarterback does in football? What is offside? How do you get to be one of those ice bunnies who skate around with snow shovels and scoop up the loose ice? I had more questions, but I think this will give you an idea of my level of understanding.

Vancouver lost 3-0 and though they spilled thier own blood twice during the game (literally), they didn't seem to be making much of an effort. They skated slowly to get to the puck when it was open for the taking, thus handing the puck to Nashville on a silver platter. They passed the puck to thin air more than to their team mates and they got alot of penalties. This is the team that almost won the Stanley cup not so long ago? I think not...

Oh yeah, and it would have been nice if they told people that the game started at 8pm rather than the 7pm printed on the ticket!!!

I was glad to go to the game though, I've been to Nashville and seen the stadium where their team plays. I went inside, but at the time it was set up for some indoor sports game - soccer on trampolines or something weird like that.

One last observation about last night. Near the end of the game, alot of people just got up and left. None of them saw the 3rd goal because it happened in the last 10 seconds of the game. Why did they all get up and leave? Were they so disgusted with the Canucks that they couldn't bear to stay and show thier support? I don't think so - if that was the case, then how have the past 180-something games been complete sell out crowds? I think they all wanted to rush to their cars and try to beat the parking lot mayhem and skytrain line-ups.

Once again, people are in such a rush to save time, or get ahead that they miss the big picture. Did any of them stop to think about how lucky they are to have the money to spend hundreds of dollars on tickets to the game, and the $4.00 cup of water and $5.00 handful of nachos? That they have someone in their life to go to the game with?

They were more concerned with getting home before everyone else so they could go to sleep and get back to their regular routine tomorrow. Go to work, eat, sleep, for another X amount of days until they have the opportunity to go to another game and leave before it's over.

I think I was one of the last people out of there. And there was no traffic on the way home.