Thoughts on Vegetarianism or: Rejoining the Omnivores

Howdy all.

Some time ago, I became a bit obsessed with the idea of meal planning and food prep once I move in with Ephraim.  I have been a vegetarian for nearly ten years, and Ephraim is a happy omnivore.  I began thinking a lot more about meals that we could make that would satisfy us both, as our eating habits stood.

More than this, though, it brought to the surface a bigger issue I had been toying with but didn't feel ready to commit to: getting back on an omnivore diet.

Now, any of you who are, or have been, vegetarians, know that there are many reasons why may choose to make such a drastic change to their diet.  For me, it's always been health motivated.  Hell, I always said that if I started eating meat again, I was going straight to a KFC for some fried chicken.  

So why, if eating meat was never an ethical issue for me, did I find the idea of eating it again to be so difficult to... (forgive me..) digest?

I think it really all came down to two things I fixated on.

1) why was I making the change, and was it for the "right" reasons?

2) what were other people going to think?

Now, I admit readily that worrying about what other people think about what I eat is ridiculous, and it frankly annoys me that I even considered it, let alone worried (and worry) about it as much as I do.  But the fact is, people fucking love to bother vegetarians about why they eat how they eat, and even if that person may not project any thoughts of being morally superior for their eating habits (bullshit, really), it seems like people do so love to see the mighty fall.  

On a more personal note to this point, it took about 2 years for my mother to quit offering me meat at dinner, and about 4 years to accept (at least aloud) that I wasn't about to start eating meat again.  

Frankly, I don't want one of the biggest decisions in my health to be chalked up to a phase, especially by her.  Whether she admits it or not.  At this point, my vegetarian diet (which I might add is as of yet unbroken, this is not past tense reflection) has lasted longer than many marriages.   Shit, at this point I've lapped Britney and K Fed like 3.5 times.  

But I digress.

Cutting meat out of my diet was always a health based decision.  And, indeed, adding it back in looks like a health based decision as well. 

I've always been a fan of simple cooking, and frankly, I am getting tired of vegetarian options being loaded with crap I don't want.  If I can substitute a soy/wheat protein/godknowswhat lump for chicken, I'd feel better about it.  I'm needing more protein in my diet these days, and this road I'm on just isn't going to get me there (or is sure isn't going to be any fun).

It funny, I mean if cutting meat out was never an ethical question, you'd think it would be an easy decision to add it back in.  But after 10 years, these choices we make become a big part of you.  It becomes harder and harder to walk away from something, even if you know it isn't really working anymore. 

If we are what we eat, is changing our diet truly fundamentally changing ourselves?

--Erin

Let's Go To The Ex Pt. 2: The Food Building

In today's coverage of the Canadian National Exhibition, I'm going to talk a little bit about everyone's favourite part of the CNE: stuffing yourself stupid in the food building.  Yes, The Ex has a whole building dedicated to nothing but food.  Indeed, everyone who I spoke to about going to The Ex had the same goal in mind, "to eat all of the fried things".  Word.  For.  Word.  ALL  of the fried things.  Friends, that's a goal we can achieve, but the biggest obstacle to overcome is the daunting task of having to choose from the extraordinary amount of variety of deliciousness that shouts at you from every possible vantage point.

To illustrate how insane the food building is, I present to you, a panoramic shot of roughly 1/6 of the food building.  Open this puppy full size, and just let that all sink in.  You too can eat this much (if not this WELL) at the CNE.

This was my first panorama attempt, and except for Oriental Express and the now headless guy in front of PULL'D, I'd say it came out smashingly!

 

It really is a tough choice to make, though there are no bad decisions here (well, relatively speaking.  EPIC Burgers and Waffles did give dozens of people food poisoning with their cronut burger, and none of the food in this building is likely any good for you whatsoever.  Tread lighly, dear friends.  Pace yourself).  Personally, I opted for a couple veggie samosas from Ghazale, while Ephraim enjoyed a lobster roll.  I refused a blooming onion at the time, and I have regretted it every day since the fair.  Next time, I'll wear my eating pants, and not a high waisted skirt.  How foolish of me!

For dessert, we enjoyed the carnival staple, funnel cake.  If you're not familiar with funnel cake, I'm so sorry, and this is what it looks like:

It's basically deep fried dough with some sort of "fruit" topping, and icecream.  Funny story about funnel cake, years ago my family went to Canada's Wonderland (an amusement park, that has nothing to do with Canada at all) and ordered funnel cake with strawberry topping.  My step mother asked the man at the funnel cake stand if it was made with fresh strawberries.  We all laughed at her. I mean, all of us.  My dad, my brother, myself, the guy running the booth, we all just laughed.  You do not eat funnel cake for the fruit.  You eat funnel cake for the high you get from cheating death when you finish the thing and you haven't had a heart attack yet.  

And really, that's what the food building at The Ex is all about: eating really, really badly for a day, and loving every minute of it.  Enjoy all of the fried things, and feel accomplished when you manage to eat more than you thought humanly possible.  Because the CNE happens but once a year, and you aren't braving these lines twice.

--Erin

Let's Go To The EX pt. 1: The Flower Competition

Last weekend, Ephraim and I went to The Ex, a.k.a. the CNE, a.k.a. the Canadian National Exhibition.  Think of it as a massive carnival, taking place for the last two weeks of August, every summer.  I (and many) think of it as an excuse to eat "all the fried things", and take a turn on some intensely overpriced rides.  You know, good clean family fun.  The CNE is more than just a carnival, with Dog and Horse shows, Acrobatic displays, food and tchotchke vendors from around the world, and one of my favourites, the floral competitions.  It also tends to be one of the only quiet areas of the CNE, so it's a perfect spot to relax a moment, enjoy the air conditioning, and take gratuitous photos of beautiful flowers.

Who am I to refuse? Enjoy the gratuitous pretty.

This first place arrangement incorporated my favourites of the winning flowers.  Plus, it's in my favourite colour scheme! I told Ephraim to feel free to think along these lines next time he wants to buy me flowers... haha, yeah, right!

After spending all that time walking through the competition, and going through my photos afterward, I feel it's really confirmed for me that when we do manage to clear a sunny patch in Ephraim's front yard, I'd really love to plant some Dahlias.  They're so gorgeous, and come in amazing sherbert-like colours!  At least, that's where my mind goes.  Straight to rainbow sherbert from Baskin Robins...perhaps the only food vendor I did NOT see at the EX.  But the food building is another story, saved for another day!

--Erin

2013 Goals Update

I have been horrible about keeping up with some of my goals lately.  To set me on the right track again, I'm doing an update.  I hope this helps motivate me to refocus on those goals I am still lagging behind on (or have forgotten about alltogether).

• blog 4 times a week
• complete my 365 Days of iPhone Photos project 
• complete one photo-an-hour post for each month Okay, I keep starting these the last few months and forgetting half way through the day, or going to a movie, or something else I can't photograph.  But what can I say, most likely that day there was ihop, thrifting, a movie, and some kind of beer.  I'm cool like that.
• save my pennies and purchase a new laptop to replace the 8 year old glorified paperweight 
• take a trip  Guess who booked A WEEK IN PARIS for this October?!?! I am insanely excited.  I just found out yesterday that Montmartre, where Eph and I will be staying, is holding their annual wine festival over the first few days we will be there.  Concerts and fireworks at the Sacre Coeur! 
• create more, and consume less Netflix (or knit while I watch!) hahaha! Well, I did paint some super sweet costume designs.  And to be fair, Civilization V has been preying upon my free time worse than Netflix, these days.  
• read 6 books (this makes me sad.  how did it come to this?!) I read The Walking Dead compendium 1+2 over the last couple months (devouring each in a matter of days, to be clear).  They're over 1000 pages, containing 8 volumes each, so I am hesitant to call them each one book, or each of them two.  Let's say between the two, I have covered three books, okay?  I have 4 other books on the go right now.  I keep putting things down for too long that I get disinterested.  Slap me on the wrist.
• create an online portfolio No, but I did redo my hard-copy portfolio over the weekend.  Then went to an Anthropologie store that was looking for a new display coordinator and sat on a couch until their visual manager would see me.  Too bad they were already in process of hiring someone else, but I think I made a good impression. 
• look into continuing education After significant research, I decided the program for me is Yale's masters in visual design.  Now, I just need to get a truly impressive portfolio together, because no way can I go to Yale without a significant scholarship. 
• take my camera with me more (and invest in a serious camera bag) I did indeed pick up a sweet camera/laptop bag for my birthday, and more recently, invested in a new camera as well! I made the upgrade to full frame, and I am so glad I did, even if my own father said it was ridiculous.  I've been loving the shots I'm getting with my new camera, the fact that it has video capability, and the learning process of moving beyond and entry level camera.  Growth!
• invest more time and effort into friendships, old and new I'm trying.  I need to move back home.  
• send 6 pieces of snail mail 3/6.  I need to write some letters.  I know a certain lady in a small town in Alberta I miss like the dickens who I seriously owe some correspondence. 
• build a small business I honestly didn't think this one through enough.  I started a side business when I didn't have the time and energy to properly devote to it.  I've got saved up stock and other pieces midway through being produced, and I will reopen when I have my head on straight. 
• exercise twice a week  I was doing so well, then I got sick and very busy with The Lover, missed a few weeks, and somehow psyched myself out of going back.  I'm working on it, and doing some reading on weight lifting while I'm still chicken shit.  
• take life drawing classes Classes are sadly not offered during the summers here.  The ONE TIME we wouldn't need a space heater and warming lamps to keep our model from freezing in the art centre.  *Sigh*
• get a car

Stash Bustin' DIY: Button Push Pins

If you're anything like me, you have more fabric and craft supplies than you actually have projects in mind.  You see something that sparks your interest, and you have to bring it home and save it for a rainy day... and you seem to find such goodies faster than the rain seems to come.  Fret not.  We're going to take care of a little bit of that stash today.  So, get your jars of buttons out (you know, the ones you snipped off sweaters long since donated) and let's get to it!

You will need:

• Buttons!
• Brass Tacks
• Contact Cement*

* always read the warning labels on products.  This contact cement has highly toxic fumes and should only be used with proper ventilation.  Proper ventilation meaning use a respirator, or go outside! Safety first!

Step One: Sort through your buttons! I had several jars worth, as a desk I recently bought had drawers full of sewing supplies

This is a good time to sort out things that aren't buttons from your buttons! I found 2 marbles, 2 clip on earrings, 2 vintage belt buckles, 2 strings of beads, a die, and a human molar.  Yeah.  There was a tooth in there.  And let me just say that somebody was not a diligent brusher!

Set aside the buttons you will use as you go.  I put any sets of 3 or more back into the jars, as they could still be useful for their normal function (and are super sweet buttons!).  Optional: organize them by colour. Some of my buttons were grungy so I gave them a quick wash with some soap and water.

Step Two: Put a bead of contact cement on the head of your pins, and the back of your buttons.  Set each pair of tack and button aside as you glue them, but keep them close together so you know which tack had glue applied at the time of which button.  Repeat for all buttons and tacks.     Step Three: Wait until the cement has partially cured, usually 5-10 minutes.  Your mileage may vary.

Step Four:  Once the glue is partially cured, press the gluey sides of the button and tack together.  Set them aside as you go.  Repeat for all pairs of tacks and buttons.   Step Five: Let glue completely cure for 24+ hours.  Some glues take up to 72 hours to completely cure.  Patience!!

Step Six: use your completed pins to hang reference materials, photos, cards from blog buds, whathaveyou!  Enjoy the tactile Pinterest.  It's awful pretty!  

There you have it! This project was inspired by a set of pink button tacks I found at Staples.  For the $.69 it cost me to pick up some brass tacks, I busted a bunch of my craft button stash (I sorted out some things to donate!) and made use of old things I had laying around.  Plus, these are WAY cuter than the $20 for 14 pins I found at the store!  And that's a good thing. 

--Erin