Well...kinda

My last post was a declaration that I'm back on the blogger grid and then I went off it again, of course. This is life, no? I apologize for being scattered but my desire to be committed to this is true. I need to put action to those desires and step by step the writing and posts will come.

Some conversations this past weekend fueled my desire to write here. I was more social in the past three days than I have been in a long time (maybe even in the past three months). And oddly enough many of the conversations I had somehow linked back to food and more specifically the ketogenic diet or "keto". I've been eating a low sugar, low carb, high fat, keto diet for almost four months and have found some decent results. It's not the kind of diet or lifestyle change I talk openly about as I know a)most people don't want to hear about my food, and b)when you tell people you're eating 70%+ of your food as fat they tend to get a little squirrelly. We've been taught that low fat foods and a diet rich in snacking are optimal. There are low fat versions of everything! Without getting into all the examples and facts from documentaries, YouTube videos, articles, books, etc. I'll just say that the ah-ha moment for me was when I realized all this low fat eating isn't making anyone any smaller or healthier. If one way wasn't working for me then why not try another way. Just try it.

So I did and now almost four months after I started I'm down 25lbs and feel more energetic, curbed my sugar cravings, have stopped being 'hangry' all the time, and am finally starting to get a grip on my food issues.

I look a little different now, find myself having to come up with ways of declining baked goods at my kids' playdates, and just generally operating in a carb-heavy world. And a few of these recent incidents have resulted in real conversations about keto and food. It's been fascinating to find out some people around me are also on their own food and weight exploration journey. Some are following a ketogenic diet too or have dabbled in cutting back on sugar.

Maybe I'll post next about my experience in my depth, and document some of my go-to foods and recipes.

1st Birthday

A self-indulgent post about my little one-year-old.

The past year has seemed to simultaneously take forever to pass and also whiz by in a blink of an eye. Today is our little Monkey's first birthday and I just am in awe of the developments in her and in our lives over the past year. The main lesson I have learned is: "It will all work out in the wash" (my dad's saying). The most-said phrase for me this year: "I don't know."

This past year can be summed up in to several major categories:
1) Sleep/naps/lack-of-sleep
2) Food
3) Diapers and what's in them
4) Trying to figure out how to live in between Number 1 & 2 (ie. between our and baby's sleeping and eating)
5) Going with the flow (ie. Number 4)

If you think about how much a baby processes, learns and grows in just its first year of life it is amazing. I sometimes can't remember what happened from one year to another when I look back on my life. I'll always remember 2012 though.

So, at the end of this crazy year, here's what Monkey has been up to:

-  Laughs with a big belly laugh and giggles when her dad throws her up in the air (while I tend to cringe and say things like "careful" and "watch her head!"...I hope she gets some of my trepidation and half of his 'leap before looking' carefree manner.

- Eats everything in sight...except cake. From her first bites of avocado and rice cereal, to most of turkey dinner, she has always had a good appetite. I've known to keep trying foods over and over if she didn't like them and it's worked out...she even likes sweet potato now. Interesting fact though, because she has never had anything sweet (except fruit) she just didn't know what to do with a little birthday cupcake we gave her. After she stared at it for a few minutes in scared awe, I put her hand right in the icing. She cried. She licked her finger, tasted the icing and screwed up her face in horror. Except that she looks like a perfect mix of me and her dad, I'd question if she was switched at birth.

- Has finally leaned to crawl. Well, she crawl/squats but can cross a room, no problem. I secretly worried about this milestone since she was slow to roll over and would just sit there in playgroups while 7-month-olds crawled right over her. But once she figured it out it was easy peasy. The only thing is that she tries to stand up, so while on all fours she throws one leg out like a tripod and then squats before starting this process all over again. She's surprisingly fast at this process and it is unbelievably cute. I'm also envious of her apparent skill at yoga poses I still haven't mastered.

- Can say many more words than I through she would at this point. It started with "Mom" about two months ago and she's steadily added about half a dozen more words in there since then. For a while, she said "Aunt" non-stop and it drove me crazy, but then she went on to saying other things that weren't "Aunt", like "Dad", "cat", "Nan", and "baby." Ahm, "Mom" is still her favourite.

- Claps. This is just too adorable for words. And she claps on demand, as in you can ask her to clap and she does. Great party trick.

- Points at things, especially the light (and then she says "'ight") and pictures (``picu``). She also points at the cat and at people. I should maybe try to get her to stop that because it may seem rude if we're out in public and she starts pointing at strangers.

- Waves with her little pudgy hand - though mostly at her own reflection in the mirror.

- Is starting to get more snuggly. She has been independent since day one and will push me away, even if she's just bumped her head and starts to cry. Instead of getting cuddly when she's tired, she just gets cranky or zones out. But lately, she will rest her head on my chest when she's tired and up in my arms. And if her dad has her up then just forget about it. She's become daddy's little girl, and has her first bout of separation anxiety since he has gone back to work from four months of parental leave. Also, every dad should take parental leave if they can swing it!

She's just amazing and being a mom is unbelievable. Here's to the next year!

Year one

It's a new year and what better time to revisit the blog and focus myself. Christmas was wonderful and we're still reading and watching tv in the glow of our tree and decorations. Things don't return back to normal around here until Jan. 6, Old Christmas Day. Coincidentally, that was my due date last year but baby decided to hold on a few more days. In about a week, I'll mark a whole year of being a mom. That's my New Year.

I usually write up a list of accomplishments at the end of one year and think about what to improve upon in the next. This year, Charlotte was the major accomplishment. Next, it was showers. Making food, eating food and feeding other people are also top on that list. I had some difficulty in the early days with baby's introduction to solid food. Luckily, she always liked food and had a big appetite. But she didn't always like my food. These days, she's all about it and she's just as happy gobbling up chickpeas and sweet potato (yes!) with us as she is having a treat of homemade banana bread or pumpkin pancakes. She even ate most of the same items as us at Christmas turkey dinner. The progress we've made makes me very excited for her birthday preparations!

There's one more food update for me as I enter the new year. I successfully made it back to pre-pregnancy weight right around the same time I returned to work in September. The last twenty pounds (I gained close to 50 over the nine months!) were all due to hard work and the help of SparkPeople. I tracked everything I ate for about 4 months straight, whether it was good or bad. Tracking really helped me focus on my intake and what I needed to do exercise-wise. After a break for the holidays, it's time to go back to that routine. Thankfully, I didn't indulge too much recently but I still miss the discipline and what it means to track my food and be healthier.

So here's to 2013 and all the new things it will bring. Happy eating!

Pumpkin pancakes

Fall is in the air as we near October and I picked up some pumpkin to celebrate. There was a lot of puree so I was hoping our baby would love it. She ate it, but it didn't seem to thrill her. There were no reactions to the pumpkin, though, so I was determined to make good use of it on the whole family.

I've also just discovered Pinterest...and although I know I'm late to the game, it has consumed my before-bed Internet browsing and given me a lot of inspiration for some DIY home projects, as well as cooking and baking ideas. There is a flood of fall pins lately and the Food and Drink board is full of pumpkin recipes. I saw pumpkin pancakes and was smitten. Though I wanted to try a lower calorie and lower fat version which preferably didn't have eggs, since we haven't yet tried eggs with our daughter. I found this recipe through SparkPeople and tried it this morning. It was a hit! We ate it up and so did Charlotte. She has been loving feeding herself, putting bite-sized pieces of food in her mouth and chewing them. This is the first "recipe" food she's had and I'm thrilled to say she ate it (and it was something I made!).

Here's the recipe in case you'd like to try this seasonal breakfast:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup soy (or regular cow's) milk
 2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup mashed, cooked pumpkin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or white if that's what you have on hand)


In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar. Wait about 5 mins until it curdles which is "like" buttermilk.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the water, pumpkin, spices and extract with the milk mixture mixture. Add in the other ingredients and mix until it is just combined (don't over-mix). Let rest about 5 mins, which is about the amount of time it will take to warm up your pan or skillet. Then stir the mixture again and you can start ladling out your pancakes. Wait until their bubbly on top (like regular pancakes) and then flip.

These tasted pretty good for vegan pancakes, though next time I think I will add more pumpkin, more spices and some brown sugar for sweetness. Some reviewers on the original post suggested the same and also to add agave nectar, walnuts or banana for different flavours and textures.

The recipe also yields quite a few pancakes so there were enough left over to freeze for baby's (and Daddy's) breakfasts later this week.

New year and new inspiration

It's been a while since I've last posted on the blog and life has been busy. We welcomed a lovely baby girl into our world in early January. Charlotte has changed everything and I've come to appreciate food in a different way. I feel a re-commitment to this blog and hope to contribute to it more regularly now that life with a newborn is getting a bit more normal for me.

I plan on writing about family dinners, quick fixes, life as a new mom, special events and experimenting with new food for baby as she transitions into eating solids. Welcome Charlotte and my new inspiration!

We've only just begun...

You don't have to worry
All your worried days are gone
And this will be our year
Took a long time to come...
- The Zombies

I'm thinking about 2010 and all that happened in life, and in some respects with food and cooking. It's been a large year and it's quickly coming to a close. So in its dwindling days, I'll be thinking about the ups and downs, the successes and lop-sided moments. Sounds like as good a way as any to mark the end of the year.

And for one day in the new year, DesktopGourmet will list some personal accomplishments (both food and otherwise) as I enter 2011 with some (hopefully) new found perspective.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year!

Awesome thing

The 1000 Awesome Things blog has just published a Food Ogling entry. Yes.

There have been many times when I have forgotten my surroundings, neglected my responsibilities, or not heard anything my dining companion is saying all because I'm food ogling.

From the entry:
"A smoking babe struts by and all you notice are her enchiladas. A hot guy cruises over and all you see is his taco salad. Just then someone runs over your foot with their wheelchair but you’re too hypnotized by their thai curry to feel any pain."

So there you have it, re-blogged for your enjoyment. Happy Friday!

Follow Friday

So it's Friday lunchtime and the weather here is end-of-days-ish. Seriously, it's blowing wind and raining sideways. So I'm staying in and letting you know of some awesome foodie spots you can visit online next time you have lunch at your desk.

Serious Eats is my favorite foodie site by far. It offers up consistent material from the US (and sometimes elsewhere) and provides a multi-media smorgasbord of food blog delights. There are several regular features and every now and then some random awesomeness thrown in for good measure. You're also able to post to online forums and discussions so you can feel connected with those just as food-obsessed as yourself.

If you're into browsing or joining a food community, Foodbuzz is the spot for you. This site features thousands of foodies who link together and communicate what they're cooking. blogging, photographing and eating. You can create your own profile, hook it up to twitter, add friends and share information and opinions. The best part of this site by far is their Top 9 feature which is a daily list of the top food photos posted by members. It'll have you drooling with every click.

Cake Wrecks is a blog for those who just want a good laugh at the expense of others. It features cakes that have gone horribly wrong. It's true that our society features cakes as symbols of our most celebrates times and milestones: birthdays, weddings, new babies, etc. And though I'm sure a lot of these disastrous cakes were heartbreaking for those who had to endure them - they are just hilarious for the rest of us. Please enjoy!

For those Tumblr fans, there are great tumbleblogs out there devoted to food that you should check out:

Fancy Fast Food takes everyday fast food and turns it into the finest cuisine. You won't believe your eyes when you see before and after pictures!

Pretty Foods & Pretty Drink is just that; this is a blog of pretty things that just happen to be edible and it's a lovely visual experience. Plus you'll get lots of ideas for your own food photography.

F**K Yeah Cheeseburgers is a blog about cheeseburgers and cheeseburger photos. Plain and simple. There are similar blogs for pancakes, cilantro, and Korean food, to name a few.

Artificially fake

Photo: Samantha

I've been enamoured lately by artificial food. Well, it's not really food. It's colours and sugar and salt and chemicals. I was always in the "make it yourself" camp. If I wanted a cookie I would whip up a batch. Have some browned and smooshy bananas? Banana bread! Craving pizza? In about an hour I could make a pie or two, crust and all, from scratch. Lately, however, I don't know what it is...maybe I'm too busy, or lazy, or disinterested. Whatever it is, I'm just not into making food this week. Now I know from documentation my food experiments and moods here that I tend to go in and out of food-loving phases. So in all likelihood this is just one of those low-production troughs. So don't panic.

I just am getting tired of the hoop-la. It's lovely every now and then to embark on a culinary adventure, experiment with new ingredients, and attempt to prepare something new and exciting. And it's downright euphoric to present dinner guests with a homemade meal for which they rave and sing your praises. It's just that lately I'm more in a me-mode. The other week I made mac and cheese. Like Kraft Dinner from a box. And I have been going through poached eggs and toast like they're going out of style. I went out this weekend to a restaurant and ordered a hamburger and fries for christsakes. I'm craving the simple things. Low production value. High comfort quality.

I recently read an article about a columnist who tried to make Turkish delight and failed miserablyy. I can relate. It is discouraging to have something you put time and effort into come out horribly wrong. Maybe that's my problem. With everything else going on in my life it's difficult to put the time into something that threatens to be a disaster. It's depressing. Then again maybe I'm a little manic-depressive in the food department.

I found a book this weekend I'd been searching after for a while. The Year of Eating Dangerously might just be the thing to inspire me to get back in there and try something new. In it, author Tom Parker Bowles (I know, great name right?) attempts to reach new heights of food consumption without a gastronomical safety net. He tries so-called dangerous food from different cultures around the world. At the very least I hope reading it will inspire me to ward off the temptation to buy frozen TV dinners for a while.

In the meantime, I plan on cozying up with my book, some Tootsie Pops, Doritos and Diet Coke to enjoy a good read. So what if I'm living on non-food items lately. I know soon my inspiration will return (it always does) so I might as well enjoy the chemicals while I still can. Inspiration is just a moment away after all.

Food therapy

So I haven't been cooking much lately and have been living on dining out, mac and cheese and other junk food. And on top of it I haven't been watching my normal arsenal of cooking shows or patrolling the usual foodie websites. I guess it's a bonafide food funk. But I already notice things turning around. On a recent plane ride, the in-flight magazine was all about food. It kept me very entertained during the bumps and dips of that turbulent flight. Then I came across this article last night. It's about how cooking can be therapy and cites the Julie & Julia story as proof of this theory.

In the article, a psychiatrist says cooking is a great distraction and a way to get attention when you need to nurture and to be nurtured. Come to think of it, I think I was using cooking and baking for these very reasons for a long time now. It was a grand distraction and a protector because no one could say I wasn't busy or didn't care as long as there were leftovers in the fridge. But now it's different. Now I can cook for myself what I want. I can choose to do it for therapy or just because I want, say, a chickpea curry or found a great recipe online for brownies. It doesn't matter.

The article quotes cookbook author Lucy Saunders,"You can start from scratch and have something fresh and new. It's creativity with some measure of pleasure, and you can enjoy the results right away. And it's a wonderful way to engage the senses, even without a spark of romance."

So it's time to pick up my knife and whisk again and use them as tools to battle not only anger, sadness or anxiety, but also hunger! Food plain and simple.