The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

Guess where I was today?  My dear friend A knew I was in need of some fun this chilly Sunday afternoon, so he took me to see the animals at the Winter Fair!  Best...day....ever!

For those of you who aren't aware, the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is a show in Toronto where farmers exhibit their amazing livestock (think, goats, sheep, pigs, cows, horses, rabbits, guinea pics and hens) as well as things that have to do with farms (think tractors, 4x4's, antiques and solariums).  It was my first time there and it so reminded me of home that I instantly got that warm, fuzzy feeling one gets from enjoying an autumn day indoors surrounded by your loved ones...only, in this case, I was surrounded by dairy cows.  A close second, in my books.

The most beautiful Clydesdale horse (she won first place!)

A Clydesdale show/judging  

Yes, that is a sculpture made entirely out of butter 

So cute, right? 

I can feel my arteries clogging just looking at it.

Support your farmers and try to buy local! There is so much love put into the meat and vegetables grown by small farms, it's sure to translate to your table.

Have a wholesome day!

Holiday Discovery

I have been meaning to get out to the Glen Stewart Ravine for quite some time now.  Today I finally did and it was even more amazing than I had anticipated.  The ravine is gorgeous this time or year, with the sunlight streaming in from breaks in the canopy and the leaves floating majestically to the ground.

Many years ago, I participated in a wine tasting and the sommelier had described a particular wine as having "a hint of forest floor" taste.  At the time I chuckled, but if I were to guess what he would have been tasting, I'll bet it was very similar to the smells of the ravine today: sweet and earthy yet fresh.  The aromatic wisps are stirred up by the creek and delivered gently to your nose as you breath in the crisp autumn air. Ahhhhhhh.

As always, some pictures for you to enjoy.  I'm certain I felt just like Columbus upon discovering this strange new world filled with treasures.

 A boardwalk protects the creek from your feet and your feet from the mud 

"And the light floods in all day for free; all you have to do is catch it"

Ended the trip with a peek at the lake.  Gorgeous.

Have a light-filled day!

A Homeopathic for Homesickness?

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadians.

It is officially autumn in Toronto.  The weather is cooler and rain is drizzling down, mixing with the freshly fallen leaves and creating a sweet, earthy aroma that makes you dream of snuggling under a wool blanket with a hot mug of licorice tea and a good book.

Here's a picture of the beach from my walk the other day.  I love the contrast of the mist and the pale, painted heart.  It was so reminiscent of a winter day in Vancouver. *sigh*

  Mist from Lake Ontario

Autumn is my favorite season, even when I'm back home in Calgary, so this time is one of intese homesickness for me (I'm talking the "calling-my-mom-every-day, getting-teary-eyed-when-I-see-families-with-young-children, lots-of-dreamy-sighing" type of homesickness which is the worst kind, I'm afraid).  To cheer me up, some friends coaxed me out of my cozy room and into the city for a screening of Samsara, a film playing at the Tiff.  What I got was a delightful 99 minutes of stunning imagery paired with a hauntingly beautiful musical score.  All in all, a fantastic night out. 

Samsara still. Gorgeous.

One of my favorite things about watching a film are the previews for upcoming films, especially if they are documentaries about visually aesthetic subjects, such as fashion.  I can't wait until the Diana Vreeland documentary comes out...

I think the universe is trying to cheer me up, as this morning I was delighted to see stalks of brussels sprouts on offer at the Leslieville Farmer's Market.  I'd never even seen them on the stalk before, so I simply had to purchase one.  I'm envisioning roasted brussels sprouts with my dinner tomorrow night and I'll let you know how they taste (although, I think we can already conclude that they're going to be mouth-watering).

It's like a little tree!

So, for all of you lucky enough to spend this holiday with your loved ones, enjoy the time you have with them and lavish them with lots of hugs and little words of love while you still can.

Have a toasty weekend!

Lost in Leslieville

One of Leslieville's best kept secrets is the weekly Leslieville Farmer's Market.  Every Sunday, the most adorable babies and puppies show up with their friendly parents to shop for organic, locally grown produce, dairy and meats as well as catch up with one another about the previous week.  This all takes place in the inconspicuous Jonathan Ashbridges Park, just off of Queen Street East.

A few weeks ago it was Baconfest at the market, which meant that a number of different vendors were offering their most delicious bacon-laden creations.  On offer was a bacon waffle and pulled pork sandwich, bacon and fruit crepes, bacon chocolate chip cookies, bacon bruschetta and even some vegetarian 'bacon' skewers.  Since bacon always seems to be a huge hit in any quadrant of the city, needless to say the Leslieville locals were delighted.

As M and I were making the rounds, buying up all the succulent peaches and apples in sight, M got a hankering for something sweet.  After much perusing, she finally decided on a double chocolate brownie that was made with spelt flour, in lieu of the traditional wheat flour.  After sitting down under an enormous tree to enjoy her treat, M turned to me and asked "What is spelt flour, anyways?".  It occurred to me that if M (who is vastly knowledgeable in nearly everything) was asking me, chances are a number of you would also like to ask me the same question.

The facts:
Spelt is basically the ancient ancestor of wheat, kind of the 'pure and untainted' version.  Usually spelt has a lot less gluten and a lot more fiber, so you may find that many gluten intolerant people are able to ingest spelt on occasion (but again, not all. Spelt is a no-no for the Celiacs out there).  In terms of taste, spelt has a much nuttier, fuller flavour than regular wheat and I find it gives a nice weight to desserts/breads that benefit from being a bit denser.  So, if you do decide to experiment with spelt you may just end up adding an entirely new dimension to your cooking (not to mention the added health benefits)!

My challenge to you is: try something new, with someone new.  It may just end up being exceptional.

Have a wondrous day!

Surrounding The Dragon

...and other tales from my third year at Naturopathic school.

I'm back in school and already we've jumped right into things.  I love all my classes this semester, but I've always reserved a special place in my heart for Asian Medicine.  I believe my huge respect for energetic medicine was cemented in my very first acupuncture practical and it has been my favorite class ever since.

Just recently we learned a fascinating technique called "Surrounding The Dragon".  This technique helps fade scar tissue by surrounding the scar with needles and thus redirecting the Qi (or body's energy) underneath the damaged tissue and ultimately outwards to "lift" the scar.  Obviously, this can be great from both a cosmetic and functional perspective.  This technique is most effective on fresh scars but, because we needed the practice, future NDs in my class were seeking out all their old scars to be needled.   Check out the photos below.  You have to admit; it looks kind of pretty, doesn't it?

 Redness indicates lots of Qi movement

Halfway there!

Have an uplifting day!

New York State of Mind

Greetings from the city that never sleeps!

I am so grateful to be given the opportunity to spend 10 days in New York City with my wonderful brother, J.  There is so much to see and do here that we spend the entire day exploring the city and still feel like we haven't seen nearly enough of it!

What do I love about NYC so far?

• The Metropolitan Museum
• The Natural History Museum
• Soho
• Nolita
• Greenwich Village
• The incredibly friendly locals
• The inexpensive organic food at Trader Joe's
• People-watching in Little Italy
• The subway!
• Walking around all day
• The fashion (it varies depending on the neighborhood)
• The various local boutique stores 
• The unique vintage clothing shops

NYC can be a bit expensive, so to save money my brother and I are staying at a rental apartment in the financial district that we found through Craigslist.org.  Since we have access to a kitchen, we can cook most of our meals here instead of eating out.  We also make sure to flash our student IDs at all the museums and art galleries to gather some additional savings.  Another hind: skip the cabs, take the subway or your feet.  And lastly, buy cheap broadway tickets the day of at the various TKTS Discount Booths around the city.  

I heart New York.

Magical Numbers

I love how the orange butterflies contrast the purple flowers...

I'm taking a quick break from my NPLEX studies to share some exciting news with you.

As of yesterday, I am officially no longer anemic!  I got my ferritin numbers back (the molecule that stores the iron in your body) and I am delighted to report that it is within the "normal range" (the reason for the quotations is that even though it may well be within the range, the range happens to extend from 15 to 300.  Remember, within range isn't the same as being at the optimal level so always take your lab results with a grain of salt).

Regardless, after years of being well below range I am ecstatic (not to mention quite rosy in the cheeks and less cold).  I admit, I owe most of my success to my daily Proferrin iron supplement as well as my red meat-dedicated summer menu.  Coming from a reformed vegan, I never thought I'd love my meat so much but at the moment it's quite literally saving my life.

Wish me luck on the NPLEX!

One of my favorite restaurants in Calgary; The Ranche.  Famous for serving wild game meat.