The start of my list of things I want to grow in the balcony garden:
I wonder if we will still have room for a chair out there?
I am so inspired I could almost throw up!!!
I’m not even sure I can write anything I’m so excited !
My juicer.
I LOVE my juicer. It was a recommendation from my dear friend and spirit-sister Becca. She has the same one. This thing will juice anything. The week it arrived via a very convoluted journey from the USA (long story) I started a juice fast. And I did a nine day cleansing juice fast and let me tell you I am darn proud of myself because I didn’t think I would last two days. Remember I LOVE FOOD.
This is my juicer.
I’ve been experimenting with lots of different juices, everything from cabbage to kale to ginger… all my favourite fruits, apples, lemons, limes, strawberries (they don’t juice very well) to herbs; parsley and mint, my two favourites.
A glorious way to start the morning:
A glass of this juice and a glass of water before my yoga in the morning sun and I am so good to go for the day!
Speaking of baking. Most of my bakeware is also covered in a questionable non-stick coating. GreenPan doesn’t make bakeware (and I still am unsure of where to purchase it in Canada) but EarthChef DOES make eco-friendly non-stick bakeware as well as cookware.
Pies! Cakes! Cookies! Breads! Muffins! Toxin free!
The best part is, EarthChef is sold at the Bay, Zellers and Home Outfitters.
Not only do I love food, but I have also been afflicted with a wicked sweet tooth. There aren’t a lot of really great vegan sweets, and since I’ve also been avoiding any type of white sugar or fructose-glucose, I have taken it upon myself to make my own!
If you have a food processor these are super easy:
Blend in the food processor until all the ingredients are a wet lumpy mush. (YUM!) Fold in ground flax seed and hemp seeds until the mixture is firm enough to roll into balls. Then roll into balls. Roll balls in shredded unsweetened coconut and place in fridge until firm. Eat when having a sweet tooth craving. Perfect!
Cooking Tools.
I’ve done a wee bit of research on the new pots and pans. I found GreenPan today.
AND the Dubai Collection comes in a stunning white, which I think would look amazing in our new kitchen. No matter how ecofreaky I get, I’ll always be a designer who loves beautiful things.
Pretty! Don’t you think?
Add Ms. Jean Hill to my list of ecoheroes. Ms. Hill, who lives in Concord, Mass. has taken it upon herself to convince her town to outlaw plastic water bottles. She proposed banning the sale of bottled water at a town meeting this spring and voters approved! What is especially inspiring is that Ms. Hill is 82 years old.
You can read the story here.
Pots and Pans.
Teflon. Nasty stuff. The chemical used to make non-stick pans is found in over 95% of our bloodstreams (and 100% of umbilical cords). PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) is extremely persistent, stick to our tissues indefinitely, and is considered toxic and carcinogenic to humans. Not only is it found in the non-stick coating in your frying pan, but also in industrial waste, stain resistant carpets, carpet cleaning liquids, house dust, microwave popcorn bags, water, food, and and other sources of PTFE.
As a part of my packing and “stuff reduction plan” I am getting rid of all my old Teflon cookware. I am on the hunt for a non stick eco friendly replacement that my new roommate and I can agree on!
Cooking.
Have I mentioned I love to cook? I also love to eat. And I really love to eat good food. Really good food. Complex flavours and unexpected combinations. So going vegan was a challenge I was really excited about! It meant that there was a whole new world of cooking opening up for me. I started researching new ingredients and started pouring over recipes online – purchasing new recipe books – adding new iPhone apps – my typical all out reaction to something “new” in my life!
Jumping! In! With! Both! Feet!
Two books I’d like to mention that really helped with the transition:
Becoming Vegan – by Brenda Davis | I was a little apprehensive that I would be able to maintain a very healthy diet as a vegan. Not whether or not it was possible, but only whether or not I could maintain it. This was the most comprehensive book I could find on the subject. It really goes in depth on vegan health, how to get enough protein, eating a balanced diet and the vegan food guide (a new pyramid!). It’s a fantastic reference and I find myself referencing it regularly.
refresh – by Ruth Tal | To be quite honest, if we didn’t have FRESH RESTAURANTS in Toronto I would have been a lot more apprehensive about going vegan and LIKING it. Their food is phenomenal, without a doubt one of my favourite lunch spots in the city, and I absolutely cannot get enough of their Mega Life Salad with Green Dressing. The refresh cookbook is all of their best recipes with gorgeous photos of each dish. They also dedicate an entire section to juicing. More on juicing later.
