Jill’s Summer To Do List

Go to a concert – Whether it be the Cavendish Beach Music Festival, Country Rocks the Commons, the Black Eyed Peas or Backstreet Boys. I want to see a concert this summer! Concerts are so light hearted and fun. It’s a good way to get out of the office!

Go to the beach (more than once) – Every summer I say, “I’m going to go to the beach more.” And every summer I end up going once, MAYBE two times if I’m lucky. So this summer I am going to try my very best to get to the beach as often as possible!

Take dance lessons – Dance lessons would be so much fun! Especially if you’re not a good dancer (like myself), but if you feel like you don’t want to commit to dance lessons, do something like Zumba at the gym! At MSVU it’s only $6 a class, and anyone can drop it! The instructor is great, and its a lot of fun. Definitely worth trying out.

Brush up on cooking skills – I am not a very good cook, so for those of us who don’t cook well we can try and make some time this summer to try some [new] recipes (aka try a recipe). And for those really good cooks, go on allrecipes.com and try one of their Top 10 recipes!

Try a new ice cream flavour every time you get a cone – Summertime is the best time for ice cream. I usually stick with some core ice cream flavours, but I know there are some great ones out there that I never get! So the next time you stop in Avery’s or your local ice cream place, try something new!

Volunteer – The most common excuse I hear for people saying they can’t volunteer is that they’re too busy to volunteer. But since its summer and school is out, you really should have more time to volunteer. If you’re in the Halifax area and looking for volunteer opportunities there are many, including for the Friends of McNabs Island Society. This summer is their 20th Anniversary! They’re having a picnic on McNabs (July 17th). For more information about the event or volunteering check out: www.mcnabsisland.ca.

Grow your own veggies – I have the packets lying next to me right now for peas, carrots and spinach! I’m not much of a gardener, so I figure this year I’ll learn with 3 different plants and next year I’ll try for an entire garden. This is much more sustainable and better for our environment than buying from a chain grocery store. If you aren’t able to grow your own, buy local!

Those are just a few different ideas of what I am going to try and do this summer! If you have any ideas for me leave a comment!

Last summer Toronto based poverty advocacy group The Stop Community Food Centre initiated an informative campaign called Do The Math. The project informed Ontarians of the dismal state of social assistance in the province, with the main argument that Ontarians receiving welfare and other social assistance are unable to provide themselves, and often their families, a healthy diet. Many of these people are forced to rely on food banks and soup kitchens for daily meals, where basic essential nutrition is hard to find, The Stop officials insist.

The response to the Do The Math campaign was good. Over 4,000 Ontarians sent postcards to Premier Dalton McGuinty, asking for positive action regarding the nutrition dilemma. But The Stop is still agitated that little has been done to help with low-income Ontarians to achieve a more-equal status in comparison to their neighbours off social assistance.

Usher in The Stop’s latest poverty awareness campaign, the Do The Math Challenge. Beginning on April 6, ten of Toronto’s prominent activists, government officials and celebrities picked up a food hamper from The Stop. The mission is to live off the hamper’s bounty, which usually lasts a person 3 to 4 days, and the city’s food banks for as long as possible, but at least a week. Participants include journalist/author/activist Naomi Klein, singer for Polaris Prize winning punk band Fucked Up Damian Abraham, musicians Rosina Kazi and Nic Murray of Toronto band LAL, and Toronto Ward 21 councillor Joe Muhavic and family, among others.

The purpose of the Do The Math Challenge is to create social awareness about the plights of poverty in Toronto, which are not exclusive to nutrition concerns. The Stop advocates for better treatment of impoverished, marginalised citizens in all sectors of contemporary city-life. It uses the dismal issue of under-nourishment among social assistance users as a vantage point on Toronto, and Ontario’s, many poverty triggered problems.

Follow all the participants with updates of how the challenge is affecting them here. Take action in the fight for equality in Canada.

Ingredients for manicotti:

-1/3 package of tofu
-Manicotti noodles
-2 cloves of garlic
-2 table spoons of lemon juice
-1 table spoon of sugar
-frozen chopped spinach
-1 container of ricotta cheese
-a pinch of garlic salt, black pepper, and parsley
-pasta sauce

Directions:

-Heat your oven to about 350 degrees.

-Butter a deep dish to place the manicotti in and then spread a layer of pasta sauce on the bottom to lay them on.

-Bring a pot of water with some salt to a light boil and place about 6-8 manicotti (you do not have to cook them all at once as they may crack or stick together in smaller pots. Cook them until tender (do not overcook as this may make them too soft and difficult to stuff) or as the box directs.

-Mash up 1/3 of tofu, place in a large bowl, add minced garlic cloves, lemon juice, sugar and ricotta cheese. Thaw out your spinach and then add this along with the above mentioned spices. Mix this together well.

-Once cooked and cooled for a few minutes, begin to stuff your manicotti noodles with the tofu mixture.

-As you finish stuffing each noodle, place it on top of the layer of pasta sauce in your pan.

-Once all of your noodles are stuffed, cover noodles with more pasta sauce (and sprinkle with grated cheese and parsley if you’d like).

-Place manicotti in oven for about 30 minutes.

 **A great complement with this meal was the garlic bread and bruschetta.

For bruschetta you will need:

-1 baguette
-1 small tomato
-balsamic vinaigrette
-olive oil
-basil
-paprika
-grated cheese

Directions:

-Cut the baguette into slices and place on a cooking sheet.

-Dice tomato and place in a small bowl

-Add equal parts balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil. Sprinkle in some basil and paprika and mix this together.

-Spoon out a small amount on each slice of baguette.

-Sprinkle some grated cheese on top of each piece.

-Place in oven with manicotti for the last 5 or so minutes (keep an eye on it, if it browns or the cheese starts to bubble, remove from oven).

 For garlic bread you will need:

-1 baguette
-butter
-garlic salt
-parmesan cheese
-paprika
-basil
-grated cheese

Directions:

-Cut baguette in half (cutting the top part off of the bottom half).

-Butter each half and then sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese.

-Sprinkle a pinch of paprika and basil on top

-load with grated cheese (as much as you desire!)

-Place this in with the manicotti and bruschetta for the last 5 or so minutes as well, keeping an eye on it.

             Ingredients: 
            -One package of (Yves) veggie ground round (again, found in most grocery stores in the vegetable section).
           -Some onion
            -Potatoes
            -One small can of vegetable soup (with a tomato soup base)
            -One small can of tomato soup

-Chop up some onion and throw into a large pan (add some oil so it doesn’t stick) and fry up the package of veggie ground round with this on medium heat (keep stirring intermittently).

-While that is cooking, boil potatoes.

-Once veggie ground round is cooked (basically 5 or 10 minutes) add the can of vegetable and tomato soup.

-Cook this mixture together until a good amount of the moisture is gone (but don’t let it get too dry).

-In a greased casserole dish, add the mixture and smooth out. Place the mashed potatoes on top and smooth out, then brush the top with a bit of butter (and sprinkle with cheese if you’d like).

-Bake at about 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

             And there you have it! The easiest vegetarian recipe I have! I’ve had a lot of complements on it (from non-vegetarians mostly) and it’s really simple and a great meal for students/the student lifestyle, so I hope you enjoy!

            The ingredients you use may vary a bit depending on what you like, but for things like eggplant and the veggie ground round…if you haven’t tried it, humour me and try them just this one time and if you don’t like them…well, at least you’ll know for sure! 

You will need:

-12 lasagna noodles
-either ½ of a regular sized or one small eggplant
-some of a red onion chopped up
-some chopped peppers (green and/or red, or other ones if you’d like)
-some chopped mushrooms
-various spices (i.e. paprika, basil leaves, garlic salt, and anything else you feel might taste good)
-1 package of (Yves) veggie ground round (you can find this at almost any local grocery store in the vegetable section of the store)
-1 package of chopped frozen spinach
-1 good sized container of ricotta cheese
-1 bottle of pasta sauce
-1 small tomato
-grated cheese to sprinkle on top

             So, I don’t really measure how much of all the ingredients I use for this recipe but I’ll give approximate amounts (feel free to alter the amounts to make as much or as little you like).

Instructions:

-First, cut the eggplant into about ½ inch thick (or thinner) slices and place them in a strainer, then sprinkle salt over the pieces (to take away the bitter taste) and let them sit while you prepare the rest of the food.
-Chop up about 1 ½ or so cups of peppers and about a ½ cup of onion and mushrooms.
-Rinse off the eggplant pieces (get all the salt off) and cut them into smaller cubes. Add a bit of oil to a frying pan and place the chopped eggplant in the frying pan on medium heat.

-While this is cooking boil a pot of water large enough to put your lasagna noodles in. When the water comes to a slow boil places the noodles in carefully one at a time and keep the water at a lower heat (or follow instructions on the box of noodles). Cook to the tenderness you desire.  
-Grease a rectangular pan (large enough to place 3 noodles per layer) with butter or margarine.
-When done, take the noodles out of the pot and place three on the bottom of the greased pan.

-Once the eggplant has started to brown a bit add your onion, peppers and mushrooms stirring continuously.
-Open the package of veggie ground round and add it to the eggplant mixture. Fry about 5 or 10 mins longer adding as much of each of the spices you’d like, stirring frequently to mix the flavours.

-De-thaw the package of spinach (follow the directions on the back)
-Once de-thawed mix this with the container of ricotta cheese.

-Spoon out a good amount of pasta sauce to cover the bottom layer of noodles.
-Then, spread out half of the eggplant and veggie ground round mixture on top.
-Spoon out more pasta sauce to cover this and then place three more noodles on top.
-Cover this layer with more pasta sauce and then add the full amount of spinach and ricotta cheese mix on top.
-Place 3 more noodles on top of this mixture and cover with pasta sauce.
-Add the rest of the eggplant/ground round mixture and then cover with more pasta sauce.
-Cover this with your last three noodles and spread more pasta sauce over these last noodles.
-Sprinkle a bit of grated cheese on top.
-Cut your small tomato into a few thin slices to place on top (about 4 or 5 slices across each pasta covered noodle).
-Finish with a sprinkle of basil leaves.

Have your oven heated at about 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (but keep an eye on it as ovens may vary).  And vola! You’re very first (or if you’ve already cooked one before this…you’re best…) vegetarian lasagna ever!

For that reason watch this video blog to find out how to make a very delicious stress reliever!

Enjoy!

            I’m not going to judge anyone for not knowing the answers to these questions, and to be honest I’m really happy to answer them and give insight into the lifestyle. The fact is, when I was starting out as a vegetarian back when I was about 10 years old I had the same questions and fears and to be honest I was quite unaware of the whole thing…that is unaware of vegetarianism as well as blissfully ignorant about what my beloved meat actually contained and where it came from.

            So, the first thing I learned was what a vegetarian was (I was such a logical little youngster!). Basically vegetarians don’t eat anything with a heartbeat…this being said however, some individuals make the choice to include fish and other seafood into their diet and others will choose to add poultry. Also, the difference between vegan and vegetarian can sometimes become hazy as they’re relatively similar. Generally, vegans have all the same criteria as vegetarians, but in addition they will not eat anything that comes from an animal (such as eggs, milk, cheese, etc.) whereas vegetarians generally do. So, really it depends on the person’s preference. For me, I am the first form of vegetarian (nothing with a heartbeat) although I dabbled in poultry during a weak bought and also drink soymilk on occasion (what can I say, I like to live life on the wild side). So it’s easy to see how people who aren’t on either of these ‘diets’ get confused as to what these individuals eat.

            Since I started being a vegetarian it’s obvious that there has been a lot of progress made in the food that is available to people who don’t eat meat. In the beginning there wasn’t much variety offered by grocery stores and most menus at restaurants hadn’t bothered to add a vegetarian friendly option aside from salad and rolls. Now, there are whole restaurants dedicated to vegans and vegetarians, most restaurants now have more variety for those who don’t eat meat, and even fast food chains have gotten on the bandwagon! The best thing is that since this craze started booming, more companies have started putting out vegetarian foods in grocery stores giving vegetarians a lot more variety in their diet at home. This being said however, people still don’t notice how many vegetarian foods there are around them. I remember being asked by countless people where I go to find the food I eat, and they’re often shocked when I say, there’s no special store…most local grocery stores have a vegetarian section in the vegetable area (bet you’re surprised eh?) of their stores.

            Despite the growth of acceptance of vegetarianism in the food chains however, I still see the fear in people’s eyes when I mention that I’m one and that I need to eat. I think people get really afraid of offending vegetarians by not knowing how to accommodate their needs in these circumstances and I always feel really bad when this happens. For instance, when I started dating my boyfriend he wanted to take me out to dinner, but had no idea where to go, so panicking he started asking my friends where I liked to eat and frantically Googling vegetarian restaurants in the area. After he told me this story, I laughed and assured him that I could eat most anywhere and that we didn’t always have to go to fully vegetarian restaurants (I think he was super relieved at this).

            The main thing is once people get to know more about vegetarians and what they eat they start to realize it’s not all that hard. Basically any large dishes that don’t just include a side of meat can be substituted with some form of vegetarian friendly alternative and still taste great (honestly)! Furthermore, the lifestyle itself is healthier than eating meat all the time, and don’t sweat the rumored lack of protein. My boyfriend was shocked when he realized how much I was getting from tofu alone; and honestly, I’ve only been sick with a cold once in almost two years!

            So, hopefully after reading this post the word ‘vegetarian’ will no longer strike fear in your hearts or cause a disgusted look to cross your face…and maybe, just maybe…one day you’ll try tofu…(just maybe?).