I love chickpeas, but I was a little hesitant about this recipe. It just seemed like it was too much chickpea, but I really enjoyed it.  I topped mine with some tatziki and tomato.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup bread crumbs
-  1/2 large zucchini or 1 small zucchini grated
-  1/2 cup Greek yogurt
-  1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
-  2  cans chickpeas, rinsed (3 3 ¾ cup)
-  2 large eggs
-  2 tsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
-  1 tsp garam masala
-  1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
-  1/4 cup finely minced red onion
-  3/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1.  Mash up the chickpeas, but leave a few chunks. You can use a food processor or a potato masher.
2.  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, olive oil, garam masala, cayenne. Add the red onion, yogurt, chickpeas, breadcrumbs, cilantro and zucchini till everything is nicely combined.
3.  Let the mixture sit in the fridge for 30 minutes (or longer if you can) till it gets firm and easy to form into patties.
4.  Form patties to any size you want.
5.  Add a Tbsp of oil to a pan, browning the patty on each side, and enjoy!

More chickpeas!!! They are good for you. Eat them!!

You’ll need

15 oz can chickpeas, drained
1 tsp olive oil
salt
1 tsp chili pepper powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375°. Drain chickpeas in a colander and let them dry completely. Pat dry with a paper towel if needed. (make sure they are super dry)

Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for about 30-35 minutes, shaking the pan every ten minutes. They will be golden brown and crunchy on the inside when done, not moist.

In a medium bowl, combine all the spices. Remove chickpeas from oven when done and brush the olive oil on them with a pastry brush, or whatever else you have that will work. Immediately toss with spices while hot. Eat at room temperature.

I went to see a fantastic documentary yesterday called Pink Ribbons Inc. It’s about the truth behind the pink ribbon, which is the symbol of Breast Cancer, and the “business” that it has become. It validated a lot of things that I already believed. I always had a problem with all of the pink items that spring up around breast cancer awareness month. I never believed that Black & Decker, M&M’s, Kleenex, Yoplait, Fuze, and all the other countless companies were making “pink” products solely for breast cancer awareness. I’m sure their hearts are in the right place, but their bottom line is far more important to them.

Estée Lauder is the company that started the pink ribbon that we know today, but the original creator of the pink ribbon, which was originally a peach colour, was a 68 year old woman named Charlotte Haley. She wanted to start a grass roots movement to inform people that of the $1.8 billion dollar budget of the National Cancer Institute, only 5% goes into cancer prevention (today it’s only %15). Estée Lauder contacted Charlotte and told her that they loved what she had come up with and they wanted to partner up with her and use the pink ribbon as a way to bring breast cancer awareness to a larger population. She believed that they were in it for the profit rather than the cause, so she said no. Estée Lauder then took the dull pink ribbon that Charlotte created, organized some woman focus groups and asked them what colour made them happy, and brought about feelings of hope, and the pretty pink ribbon that we all know today was created.

I was shocked at many points in the film, but the one part that got me so angry was when I learned about the campaign that KFC did in 2010. They changed the colour of their buckets to pink, and for every bucket of disgusting chicken people bought, they donated 50 cents to breast cancer. Luckily the activists at Think before you Pink got wind of this and demolished the campaign. They basically said that it’s ridiculous for a fast food company that makes unhealthy food that probably contributes to cancers, and other diseases is connected to breast cancer awareness. KCF executives argued that they have many grilled sandwiches that promote a healthy lifestyle and that was the image they were going for. Right….and they did that by donating $0.50 from their original recipe, grease ridden, bucket of chicken. I f’ing hate KFC.

There are other companies like Revlon, Avon, and Ford that join the fight against breast cancer, yet have cancer causing agents in their products. It’s such bullshit!

It was so sad to listen to breast cancer patients in the film express their feelings about the pink ribbon and what it symbolizes for them. These are the people that the ribbon is created for, and it brings so much anger and sadness to them because they just see it as companies profiting off their disease. What’s more sad is that everyday people just don’t know the truth, and it’s not always their fault. Why wouldn’t you want to get on board with a company that is helping to find a cure for breast cancer, or any disease for that matter? Like all advertising, they are so good at manipulating the general population and making them believe whatever they want. They make you believe that if you buy Revlon’s pink lipstick or a pink Black & Decker hand mixer you are helping find a cure for breast cancer.  You’re not. You’re helping these companies make billions and billions of dollars.

Unfortunately this film had a very limited release, but hopefully it will be released on DVD. It’s still playing until Wednesday of next week and potentially longer at The Projection Booth on 1035 Gerrard St. E. Please see it if you have a chance. And if you can’t see the film, read the book. Just educate yourself.

I went to a baby shower recently and the host made these delicious little drops of heaven that I was honestly thinking about for days, so I asked her for the recipe and made some. I love that they are easy to make, and that you can freeze them for when you need a little treat.

Ingredients:

1 package of your favourite cookie. (I used oreos for one batch, and fudgeos for another)
1 package of cream cheese
A few squares of semi-sweet baker’s chocolate

Directions:

Crush the cookies in a food processor, blender, or chopper.

Combine the package of cream cheese with the crushed cookies and mix together. I found mixing with my hands was easiest, and I kinda liked the squishy feeling.

Roll the mixture into balls, as little or as big as you want.

Heat up your chocolate, and dip each ball in the chocolate until it is covered.

A friend of mine introduced me to this recipe and I absolutely love them. I changed a few things from the original recipe. They are fast to make, one recipe makes about 6 burgers, and you can freeze the rest of them.

You can dress them with whatever you want. My favourite toppings are tomatoes and avocado. They also taste great with some tzatziki or baba ganoush.

Quinoa veggie burgers

2 portobello mushrooms (8 ounces), stems removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small zucchini
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup quinoa, cooked according to package directions (2 cups cooked)
2 teaspoons coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs or Panko

Directions

Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped, and transfer to a bowl. (I don’t have a food processor, so I used a chopper)

Shred zucchini, place on paper towels, and squeeze to remove excess moisture. Add to mushrooms.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pan over medium heat.

Add onion and red-pepper flakes, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.

Add mushrooms and zucchini, and cook until tender, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and add Parmesan, quinoa, and salt, and season with pepper.

Let cool completely, and then stir in egg and breadcrumbs.

Cover, and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 1 hour. (If you have the time, I would leave it even longer. I left it overnight one time and they stayed together much better)

Cheo and I finally made the big move from our bedbug ridden apartment to a house in Brampton. We have been wanting this for a long time, and I do love that we own a house, but so far I am not loving suburbia. Everyone keeps saying that I will just get used to it, but we’ve been here for a little over a month and I’m having a really hard time getting used to it. It’s just sooo suburbia here. I miss my independently owned eclectic  little shops and restaurants. I really, really miss the Danforth and the Annex…and Kensington Market…..and St. Lawrence market…..I miss Toronto…..

Brampton really isn’t that far from Toronto though, and I’ve already been back a few times. It’s just not the same, but I really do need to stop complaining and just get used to it.

I need to focus on the positives. We are no longer dealing with bed bugs. We are no longer sleeping on a futon in the middle of our living room (it was heavenly when we slept on our new bed for the first time). We have so much more personal space. Cheo’s is so much happier now that he has his own office, and I love that it’s out of our bedroom.  I have much more room to dance and hula hoop, and I don’t have a crotchety old man banging on my door yelling at me to stop making noise. Can’t a girl tap dance in peace?!

As far as positives on Brampton, I only have one – you are allowed to raise a max of 2 chickens in your backyard. This is actually something that some Torontonians are fighting to get in their city. I only buy farm fresh eggs, and I definitely notice a difference in quality versus store bought, and now I have the opportunity to have my own little farm in my backyard. So that’s something.

A friend and I went to see an amazing show tonight called Love Lies Bleeding. It’s an unconventional ballet set to Elton John songs.  If you ever get an opportunity to see it, I highly recommend it. It is so beautiful.

Unfortunately, we were sitting beside two little teenage bitches that were texting throughout the entire show, and our attention was constantly being pulled away. I can’t express how gross these girls were. They were actually taking joy in the fact that they were bothering us, especially after my friend asked the girl sitting beside her to turn her phone off twice only 10 minutes into the play.

They didn’t even clap after any of the numbers. Don’t misinterpret – I’m not saying you’re a terrible person if you don’t clap, but after each number they either had their heads down texting, or they just sat there with this “I am too cool for the entire world” look on their face. That actually got me most angry. The dancers on stage were absolutely amazing, and these two assholes couldn’t even acknowledge that.

It was actually at the end of one of the numbers that the angry Italian in me woke up. I looked over and saw the girl locked into her phone, leaned over, and said something along the lines of, “Are you kidding me?” and “You’re a little bitch” I had two more outbursts after that. Once at intermission where I went up to the girl and basically asked her why she is such an asshole, and again at the end of the show, just in case she didn’t understand how much I despised her.

And don’t give me the, “oh they’re just teenagers” – bullshit! I was a “too cool for you” type teenager as well, but I was never that blatantly disrespectful to everyone around me.

There was a point in the second act of the show where I honestly thought about grabbing the phone and throwing it across the room. I visualized myself doing it, and my heart started racing at the possibility of actually throwing it. That would have been great!

What’s interesting about this whole situation is that earlier today I had a body scan done by a medical intuitive and one of the things that he told me was that my throat was constricted because I don’t express how I’m feeling. It certainly became a little unclogged tonight.

Bottom line – when you disrupt my theatrical experience, I am going to attack.

Many people, including myself believe that a huge shift in the universe has been happening over the last little while, and that the real end of the Mayan calendar is actually today, Oct. 28^th, 2011, rather than Dec. 21^st. 2012. There is a lot of information on this including a video called “The Quickening”. (You can also read a transcript of it)

Whether you believe this or not, you can’t deny the fact that our world is changing very rapidly. I think a lot of us get wrapped up in our material world and we don’t see what’s happening right in front of us. We can’t hear the voice inside of us, which is there to guide us, because it’s muffled by the external noise and distraction.

Meditation is the best way to work through the noise. I recently took some courses with Selina Khan, and she has taught me so much about the spiritual world and how to connect to it. We all have the ability, but very few of us tap into it. Meditation has certainly helped me over the last little while, and I hope that you will explore it as well. Here is something to get you started.

Lately, I’ve been trying my best to look on the bright side of things, and remind myself that there are people in this world that have struggles way beyond anything that I’ve encountered, and probably ever will.   ….but holy crap, bed bugs fucking suck!

My husband and I had a small bed bug problem back in August. We got the full spray done, then the follow up spray approximately 20 days later. I really thought we were done with them, but apparently they just couldn’t get enough of our sweet, sweet blood. Well, my blood anyway. We had racist bed bugs. Cheo did not have one bite on his body. Instead they were dining on the blood of yours truly. The bites started off very minimal, and I really didn’t think they were bed bugs bites. At the risk of sounding like a total moron, I should explain why I didn’t think they were bed bug bites.

Since I got laid off I’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors. I know that my time in Toronto is limited, so I’ve been visiting the many beautiful parks and conservation areas in the city. I’ve also been trying to meditate more often, and I love to meditate outdoors. With all this traipsing through nature, I’ve encountered a few bugs along the way, so that’s where I thought the initial few bites were from. Neither Cheo nor I were bitten with our first round of bed bugs, so I had nothing to compare it to. I was also doing regular checks on the bed, and I didn’t see anything.

A few days after Thanksgiving I woke up with more bites on my body, so I started to take the sheets off the bed, getting it ready for another check, and there he was, just chillin’ on my dark blue bottom sheet. I immediately walked out of the room, not wanting to deal with it, or believe that this was happening again.

I waited for Cheo to get home that night to take the futon frame apart. We had thrown out our mattress and box spring with our last encounter, but we kept our bed frame. We got a futon with a wooden frame, and put it on top of the bed frame. The bed frame was cleaned, and treated twice, so I don’t think it was from that, but I can’t say for sure. We know they are in the walls though, and that the apartment below us had them as well, so they could have easily just survived the spray by hiding out somewhere. Needless to say, these bugs are relentless, and they loved the bedding we provided for them. They were nestled in the wooden futon frame. I couldn’t believe how well hidden they were, and all on my side of the bed. Racist bugs! As Cheo took apart each slat of the futon frame, I was equipped with my rubber gloves and paper towel, ready to kill.  Luckily we weren’t dealing with an infestation, and we were able to kill each one we saw on the bed frame.

We didn’t want to take any chances this time, so we not only got rid of our futon, but we also threw out 2 nightstands, a bookshelf, a couple chairs, and we’ve now moved out of our bedroom, and into the living room. It’s a really crappy living situation, but we’ve been making it work.

I’ve started packing a lot of our belongings, and we’re now on a mission to move out of here. We’ve already seen a few houses. Our goal is be to out by the end of the year. The last time we had bed bugs was a sign for us to move on to better things, but we didn’t take it as seriously as we should have. We talked about leaving, but no actions were put into place.

Story of my life! All talk, no action. I admit it, and I’m working on it, so lay off!   

Many people in Toronto, including myself, complain about the TTC. We complain about the price, the service, the workers, and although these and other issues are present, there is another reason the TTC is shitty at times – the passengers!

If you’re a frequent subway rider, I’m sure you’ve noticed the lack of intelligence and courtesy from your fellow humans. You may be one of these idiots, and you don’t even know it, so listen up, so you don’t piss off any more people.

You are not a cow; don’t act like one. When the doors to the subway car open, walk in and move to the left or the right. Don’t just walk in the doors and stand there. You know what happens when you do that? The herd of humans behind you do the same thing, and then you have a group of people crowding the doors on both sides, making it difficult for other people to enter the train. If you find yourself stuck in the mass, wriggle your way out, and hopefully more of the herd will follow.

Share the bars. When the train is packed, and there are limited bars for people to hang onto, please don’t lean up against one, taking up most of the bar space. If you do, please don’t give me the stink eye when I say, “excuse me”, and take the bar back.

If passengers are smashed up against the door, there is no room. You’d think this would be self explanatory, yet there are still people who cram their bodies onto a packed subway car. Wait for the next train!!!!

You can’t always get the “door” spot. The door spot, as I call it, is a favourite place to stand for lot of people who know which side the door is going to open. They will stand on the side that doesn’t open, and they feel safe in their little cubby. The problem occurs when the door switches sides at the next stop, and someone entering knows this, so they walk in and stop right at the door to secure the door spot, causing a herd pileup, as I mentioned above. I like getting this spot as well, so I’ll either stay at the back of the crowd so I’m last to get into the train, or wait until everyone has entered the train, and take the spot if it’s open.

Stand right, walk left. This is a very simple thing to remember when on the escalator, but people still just can’t seem to get it right. If you’re not walking up the escalator, stand on the right, to make room for the people who want to walk on the left. If you are standing on the left side of the escalator, and you hear someone softly say, “excuse me”, please don’t huff and give a look of total inconvenience. Instead, walk your lazy ass up the stairs, or move to the right.

Unfortunately you can’t do much about the many inside problems of the TTC, but you can at least make it a pleasant ride for everyone by not being a jerk.