heartyspoonful: January 2016

Vegan Flour-Free Black Bean Brownies

18:35
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Books I've Read (Part I)

"There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them."

- Ray Bradbury

By no means am I declaring myself the biggest bookworm there ever was, but I have loved reading from the tender age of four. My favourite gifts have always been books, a little fact that my mother learned early on. I read various versions of several fairy tales growing, leading to the more gory original stories that were told. Many afternoons were spent pretending to enjoy the nap that my parents have declared quite vital to a child's growth, when, truth be told, I would quietly reach for a book I secretly placed under my pillow to read. As a 12 year-old, I was allowed to browse the more "adult" sections of the public library. I reached for Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, as cliche as that might sound. The librarian gave me a funny look when I borrowed it. Why in the world would a pre-teen girl read this book? To be honest, I actually really liked the cover of that particular edition and the title! I mean, Pride and Prejudice. It took a few more reads as I got older for me to grasp the essence of the book, of course. My immature 12 year-old brain knew squat about love. This is why the Harry Potter series were my love affair at this point. The next one could not come soon enough. So you see, books get me rather excited. Very much so.

Nothing much has changed as I grew older. Except, perhaps, now I do not unfortunately have enough time to read, but of course, once a book lover, always a book lover. I make it a point to read a few books every month. Gone are the days I would greedily finish a book in one day. But I do try.

Here are some of my favourites from the last year.

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

After taking an art history course on feminism, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to various female authors, painters, photographers, artists, revolutionaries, musicians, actresses, etc., who have shared their talents in order to spread the word about feminism. Even after I finished the course, I continued to read feminist essays, listen to talks about feminism and learn about feminist art. This all lead me to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's brilliant TEDx talk. This particular talk moved me so much because, as a woman, I have been a recipient of sexist remarks and experiences. I do not know if you identify yourself as a feminist or if you have particular qualms about feminism, but I urge you to watch this TEDx talk. It is concise, brilliant and rather funny.

From the popularity of her TEDx talk, Adichie published an essay adapted from this particular TEDx talk. Believe me, I almost wanted to highlight every line of this essay. It speaks to me. I was that girl, who had to sit back because a boy was deemed to be a better choice as head of a school project. I was that girl, who was ignored by a salesman because he had assumed the guy with me would pay for my purchases (I was with my brother and though I know he loves me, I highly doubt he is open to pay $200 of dresses). I am that girl, who continually receives comments about my single-hood. When are you getting married? There must be something wrong with you. You need a man! Aren't you scared you'll end up alone? Or childless? So, Valentine's Day must be a sad day for you. This all makes me angry, but I smile through it all and I let you have it, calmly. Because, no, my identity as a woman does not rely on a man putting a ring on it.

Adichie also points out how boys and girls are raised today and how this impacts the attitude of males and females when they become adults. With witty remarks and funny personal stories, Adichie is able to make her point: that feminism is not solely for the well-being of women, but that men can profit from it as well. She also admits that our beliefs that have been long-standing and so ingrained within us are not necessarily easy to erase, but that we can reverse some of the effects by changing how we raise our children, both boys and girls. Adichie defines feminism simply to avoid getting lost in translation. No, feminism is not about the supremacy of women. It is not about women claiming they are the better sex. It is not about slashing men's faces and burning them at the stake. As Adichie points out, men also suffer from gender inequality, that they also have to face unfair expectations as well. So what is feminism? It is about bringing this inequality to a fair level so that there is no one gender that is better or worse off.

Thus, I highly recommend this tiny book of just a few pages. Well worth it.

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

Have I created much these past few years? No. I stopped painting. I stopped creating handmade birthday and holiday cards. I barely wrote anymore. My time was spent mostly working in the corporate world, and yes, it is like a newborn baby that demands all your attention. My solution was simplistic actually: I created an Instagram page that featured all my breakfasts. I continued to bake, tried (very simple) food styling and started taking photographs. I have been on/off with blog writing, just because for the longest time I was being too hard on myself.

Reading Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic was an eye-opener. Really. There is something so honest with her writing. She does not hide her failures, she joyfully describes the details of what has not been fruitful in her endeavours. I loved that she not only gave examples from her past experiences, but also shared stories about how others have resolved their creative funk. There is no I-am-better-than-you sound from her tone; she is encouraging and insightful.

Sometimes, Gilbert sounded like she was a cheerful high school guidance counselor who was giving pep talk and you know what? I really found that refreshing. It gave me the boost I needed to continue with my writing (and now I write at least a line every single day). I brought out my old water colours, sketchpad, the works, so I can start drawing and painting again. Because, as Gilbert points out, what you create does not have to be validated by someone else. All that matters is that the products of your creativity bring you joy. I completely agree.

Sure, of course I daydream that perhaps one day I will publish something, anything! But that is not my main driver for creating. Gilbert repeats this more than once: Your creativity should not be rooted simply to create for others. It is foolish to do so.

If you want your creative juices to start flowing and you need some warm character to give you a nudge, please do yourself a favour and read this wonderful book. No regrets.

Creamy & Crunchy: An Informal History of Peanut Butter, the All-American Food by Jon Krampner

Look, being a vegan who is not allergic to peanuts translates to a peanut butter monster. My mum actually saved some space in one of our cupboards to place all the jars of peanut butter I had "hoarded" (her words, not mine). My luggage has been searched many times over between flights from New York City to Montreal just because I kept on buying jars and jars of different flavoured peanut butter from Whole Foods. No, sir, that is clearly not a jar of peanut butter; that is my underwear. Put it back. There has not been a day I have not had a spoonful of peanut butter. (Okay, perhaps when I travel to Europe I go without but that is just because it is not North America. I cannot find Justin's Squeezepack, can I?) But, you see, when I found this book about peanut butter by Jon Krampner, I just new I had to read it.

Perhaps, like peanut butter, it is not for everyone. Especially if you are not the type of person who likes history, but truth be told, I quite enjoyed this book. Krampner describes the different types of peanut butter from classic smooth to more adventurous crunchy to far newer forays into creativity involving various flavours. He also points out the different kinds of peanuts that are used to make peanut butter (my favourite is actually Valencia peanut butter, but it is not very popular). Aflatoxin mold was also in the picture, which is unavoidable when narrating peanut butter's history. It sounds scary. It is scary. But I suppose this is a risk I am willing to take.

There are stories about peanut butter that made me shake my head, some that had me feeling quizzical, others that I simply could understand. All in all, if you love peanut butter and would actually want to know more about its history, from where it first originated to how it came to the American household, you should give this one a go. Now spread some lovin'.

Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own by Kate Bolick

Being a 26 year-old single woman, who has "no prospects" in sight means a lot of questioning from the marriage police. It also means a lot of judgments of my character. Why is it that I am the one accused of having a difficult personality? As if wonderful men who are financially stable, responsible, mature with a good sense of humour fall down the sky every minute or so. No, I am not being picky or difficult. I just have not found someone with whom I am willing to share the comforts of my existence.

Spinster came into my life at a rather angry point and what good timing that was. I really started to feel like there was something wrong with me (and yes, I go through periods of continuous self-questioning and self-doubt), but when I read the words of Kate Bolick, I felt relieved. Here was a woman, who had a man who loved her, but because she was searching for something that felt more right, she left that behind and went on her own journey of self-discovery. Bolick thus starts with her own journey and then expands on the more global experiences of women, both historical and present. She examines the lives of female personas, such as poet Edna St. Vincent Millay and novelist Edith Wharton. Some of these women did get married, other chose a more solitary life. Some of these women enjoyed the company of many lovers, whilst others pined over one. All in all, Spinster gives a good glimpse of the varying journeys of women and that the social norm does not translate to it-works-for-everyone. Because it does not.

There are women in my family, who either chose not to marry at all or who married later in life because they wanted to focus more on their careers and other passions. Sure, they heard their biological clock ticking, but they reaped more pleasure in seeing the fruits of their hard labour. Love can wait and it did. Bolick describes the progression and somewhat entanglement of her love life, but throughout it all, she braved the snide remarks and the pitiful glances. Ever the single girl. When someone feels sorry for me, I punch this person on the inside. Please do not feel sorry for me. Perhaps you mean well, but this kind of reaction only makes me feel inadequate and insecure. It helps no one.

Bolick's book helped me cope with the endless questioning of my non-existent relationship and of what, for some people, seem to be a rather dire-looking future. I am fine. I will be fine. With a man or without one. If you are a single girl, especially if you are in your 20s, and feeling very self-conscious and alone, give this one a read. You are not alone.

Enjoy xx

Sylvia Plath photo credit: Playbuzz

13:59
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Raw Chocolate Banana Oat Squares

banana

"You have to have a certain persona to be a star, you know, and I don't have that. I'm a banana."

- Harvey Korman

As a health goal this year, I intend to decrease and to eventually cut out sugar from my diet. I reckon that there's a misconception that as a vegan, we're all very healthy and that there is no kind of vegan junk. (If you think this, how very wrong you are.) No matter what your diet is, there will always be some type of processed food that will be made available to you... because that's how the market works. Businesses look into current trends in order to service whichever fad people follow. Veganism has definitely been on the rise and though I'm very happy about that, sometimes I think certain individuals go for the "aesthetics" rather than support veganism for the right reasons (i.e., animal rights, environmental issues).

Back to vegan junk, trust me, there are a lot of options out there. All the frozen vegan meals that contain too much sodium and ingredients one cannot even properly pronounce, processed snack bars, veggie crisps, vegan ice cream, even. I've tried a lot of these foods, to be honest, mostly out of laziness. Sometimes, I don't want to cook and would prefer an easy meal--much to my disappointment. Refined sugar is also a popular ingredient in these vegan junk food so don't be fooled. Just because something is labelled as vegan, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't eat with caution.

Being a natural sweet tooth, I crave dessert all the time. I prefer sweet snacks over salty little bites. These days though, I get most of my sugar intake from desserts that I bake and the chocolate-flavoured coconut milk yoghurt that I love for breakfast. Also, when I make raw desserts, not only are medjool dates packed with fructose, but I also add agave nectar or maple syrup to bind the whole thing together. Now, there's the sugar killer. I still think fresh fruits are the best source of sugar because they don't contain refined sugar. I'll also settle for my medjool dates (because LOVE!).

I was very tempted during my grocery run to grab some vegan cookies and snack bars, but I resisted. Best to make my own. Now, where are my medjool dates?

Raw, Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Oat Squares

Makes 10-12 squares

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/4 cup of gluten-free oats
2/5 tbsp carob powder
1 cup (about 7 large) medjool dates
1 large ripe banana
Pinch of cinnamon
Mixed nuts as a topping

In a food processor, process the oats (1 cup) until coarsely chopped (not into oat flour). Transfer in a bowl. Then, process the medjool dates until smooth. Add in the oats, carob powder and cinnamon. Blend until mixed. Add in the banana. If the texture is too wet, add more oats. This will depends on the ripeness and size of the banana. It should form a ball when the right consistency is reached.

Then, in a square or rectangular pan, line with parchment paper and transfer the blended ingredients. Top with mixed nuts (I added almonds and some superfoods). Place in freezer for at least an hour to set. Cut in however shape and size that you want.

Enjoy! xxx

18:14
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Vegan & Gluten-Free PB&J Pancakes

breakfast

"Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love."

- Charles M. Schulz

Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time, in a land of tropical fruit trees and rice plantations, there was a young girl named Carla, who was crowned the “Princess of Picky Eaters.” In this faraway land, animal meat was deemed as the holiest of foods. Well, after their beloved rice, of course. Children, Carla the Picky Eater included, were often told by their well-meaning elders that they’re lucky to have animal meat served on their plates because there were those less fortunate than they are who didn’t even have a grain of rice to eat. With this kind of talk, Carla ate the meat served to her though with a heavy heart and clenched teeth.

One day, an aunt scolded Carla for chewing on the same piece of steak for 10 whole minutes. She couldn’t for the life of her bring herself to swallow that steak. After some angry scolding, Carla managed chow down that one piece. With a heavy heart, she forced herself to hold back her tears. She ate the rice and cut the steak in tiny pieces. It took her more than an hour to eat enough and so her aunt told her to just leave her plate and go to her room. Still hungry, little Carla dreamt of the actual food she liked: banana, peanut butter and local strawberry jam. The one with the whole strawberries of course! She heard a knock on her door and just like a fairy godmother, her grandmother brought her a plate of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches! It was gooey and the strawberry jam oozed out of the bread when she squeezed it. The young girl chewed and chowed and eat her sandwich in five minutes.

… and she lived happily ever after. (I wish.)

But it’s true. I was a problem child. I didn’t like all meat, I abhorred beef—it’s just so heavy. I felt so bad for the pigs as well. My brother had chickens growing up so chickens were more like pets to us. Although, I must admit that I did like fish and seafood, growing up near the ocean and all. I think when I started my vegan journey, fish was the hardest for me to give up. Of course, seeing the actual damage fishing produces to our bodies of water as well as to the defenceless species of fish brings me back to our sad reality. (As a side note, I must admit that I’m not the best vegan out there, but I’m trying my hardest not to purchase leather or fur. I’ll explore this subject more on another post.)

This story also brings me back to my early days as a peanut butter & jelly enthusiast. I have years of discovery and trial here, mixing various sorts of peanut butter (crunchy, smooth, flavoured) with different fruit jams. I’ve had tropical jams (pineapple, mango, passion fruit), “normal” jams (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry) and artisan jams (fig & ginger, blood orange with rosemary, strawberry & basil). But nothing beats strawberry jam, I have to say. (Another side note, I’m an advocate for creativity, but honestly, some jam flavour ideas do sound, well, “sophisticated,” but I reckon they should never be conceived.)

But always with banana slices.

So, after all this intermission, I want to focus on what this recipe post is for. It’s been a long while since I’ve made homemade pancakes. I’ll blame it on my Sunday laziness. And the fact that since Sundays are usually my run-days, I really don’t want to take another hour just to prepare breakfast. Today, however, after running 8 km on thick snow and a rather disappointing flour-y blueberry pancakes from Aux Vivres (everything else is a-okay), I wanted to make myself pancakes BUT with peanut butter and fresh berries. I do avoid jams now because of the sugar content. I’ll go for fresh fruits on the side if I’m having a peanut butter sandwich now as an adult (but with a banana of course). Just thinking about this recipe makes me want to make another batch.

Vegan and Gluten-Free PB&J Pancakes
Serves 2 (makes 6 pancakes)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup gluten-free flour blend
1/2 to 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/2 banana, mashed
1/2 banana, sliced
Handful of strawberries & other berries
1 tbsp of peanut butter
2 tbsp of hot water

In a medium bowl, mix together mashed banana, flour, almond milk, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Heat a non-stick pan. When hot enough, lower the heat and pour batter 1/3 cup at a time. Flip pancakes after 2-3 minutes or when bubbles appear. Cool on a wire rack.

For the peanut butter sauce, in a small bowl, mix peanut butter and hot water. Gradually add more water depending on the consistency desired.

Place pancakes on a plate and serve with fresh berries and banana. Drizzle peanut butter sauce.

Enjoy! xxx

12:28
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2016 Intentions

2016

"Every time you tear off a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress."

- Charles Kettering

I don't know about you, but I never keep New Year's resolutions. Not a single one. Perhaps, all will go well for a few months or so, and then it's downhill from there. Come December, I would feel rather disappointed in myself. I would beat myself over the broken promises, a sackful of them throughout the years. I hate that. I'm trying to avoid letting myself down like that. It's a painful, painful experience.

For 2016, I decided to take on a different approach. Instead of resolutions, I'm setting up intentions or a simple bucket list of sorts. Plus, I'll update the list monthly. I want to check my progress or my "un-progress." To make adjustments if needs be. This way, I think at least, I'll know for sure whether or not I'm able to accomplish anything from my list and I'm not waiting until the end of the year to give myself a pat on the back. Good job.

So far, I came up with the following:

Write more. Write everyday. I'm the worst journal keeper. I have all these notebooks and diaries that have been written on only a few days a year. They're stocked on my shelf, unloved and dusty. But, after being inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic, I want to write more, actually chase those ideas and put pen to paper. I start already and created another tumblr account for short musings (apparentlywhatisaid). Let's write, write, write.
Learn how to drive. I know, wow! I got into a car accident when I was still learning and I suppose it became such a turnoff. I'm still scared to get behind the wheel, but hey, I'm getting older and it's a very useful skill. With my very busy working schedule, I know I'll have to manage to find a time. Anyone want to volunteer as my instructor? I'll pay in vegan cookies!
Sponsor a child or donate more to charities. For years, I've wanted to sponsor a child, especially a young girl, but for one reason or another, I never actually did. For 2016, I want to share any way I can. I recognise that I've been very blessed, with two hardworking parents who made sure that my education isn't neglected and who gave me enough freedom to pursue my interests. I want to give a child that same opportunity, no matter how small.
Try something new. It could be something small to something life changing. Thus far, I want to try a new vegan recipe every month from cookbooks or vegan blogs and I'll post a review here. Sounds feasible enough. There are still so many experience out there that I haven't tried or that I've already tried and had a faint of heart. I don't know how to skate. I have lived in Canada for 10 years and I'm just helpless. Anyone wants to be my coach?
Know my finances well. I mean, I do know my finances, but to be honest, not well enough. I won't give a lot of details here, but I really want to have my eye on my money this year. I save, but I feel like it's not enough. Being an auditor, I should know my cash flows and reconcile. Oy.
Be open to new workouts. Comfort is bliss. Even my yoga practice has remained rather stagnant. I run, practice yoga, do the occasional weights. That's about it. I'm so closed-minded about my workouts and it's getting a bit boring (well, except running... I love running!). In 2015, I did get a membership for hot yoga and it was amazing, but with my upcoming schedule, it's not feasible. I do want to try aerial yoga, even just a few classes. Or salsa classes with my two left feet! I'm down.
Read more. I love reading. You'll find me with a book during my bus ride to work. I reckon I've read more than 50 titles in 2015, but I want to continue this habit. I want to read more because there are still so many wonderful books out there waiting for me to enjoy. Next on my list is When God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone.

That's it for now, I suppose. I'll update accordingly.

P.S. As for 7pm tonight, I became a sponsor of a sweet five year-old girl! #proud
Illustration credit: Anna Rifle Bond

18:43
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heartyspoonful

Fruity Salsa

Vegan Flour-Free Black Bean Brownies

Books I've Read (Part I)

Raw Chocolate Banana Oat Squares

Vegan & Gluten-Free PB&J Pancakes

2016 Intentions

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