pb&j cups

Last night, at 3am, while I was procrastinating from writing the paper that was due last week, I visited this site that used to be one of the many food blogs I was addicted to a few summers ago. While drooling over peanut butter fantasies, I was inspired to make some homeade peanut butter cups. So tonight I made them.

I melted dark chocolate in a double boiler (you put the chocolate in a pot, and put the pot in another pot that is filled with water. It melts it without burning the chocolate. or you can just melt it in a microwave).

I spooned the melted chocolate into muffin cups, and spread some up the edges to fill in the ridges.

I put them in the fridge to let them harden.

I mixed some peanut butter with a bit of powdered fruit sugar. The sugar isn't really necessary, it just depends on your tastes.

I took the muffin cups out of the fridge, and spooned in peanut butter, then strawberry jam (which I made this summer), then chocolate, then another layer of peanut butter, then another layer of chocolate.

The strawberry jam is so good in these! It's like a fantastic version of a pb&j sandwhich (since everything with chocolate is better).

Check out this site for more peanut butter inspiration:
http://fuckyeahpeanutbutter.tumblr.com/

coconut couscous

Here is a delicious and simple meal idea. It's very easy and quick to make and has all the nutrients you need for a balanced meal.

I cooked 1 cup of couscous in 1 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water. (If you haven't cooked couscous before, you boil the liquid, remove it from the heat, add the couscous, cover with a lid and wait 5 minutes. so easy!)

I threw in white onion, green onion, red pepper, chick peas, corn, peas, dried garlic, and oregano.
This was so good, the coconut milk gave the couscous a nice flavour and all the vegetables added their own unique taste.

It took less than 8 minutes to make and lasted me 4 meals.

In the winter I eat a lot of root vegetables and apples, since we can get them locally and they last for a long time. But I wanted something a bit lighter, so I made this. I got cans of canadian corn and peas for 50 cents at the dollar store - handy to have on hand if I run out of fresh vegetables, especially since I live in somewhat of a food desert.

I used to find that once I opened a can of coconut milk, I would have trouble using it all up. Adding it to smoothies is one good way, today I tried a couple other things.

I made chocolate pudding (just the packaged powder that you add milk to and cook) and used 1 cup of coconut milk along with 2 cups of soymilk.

I also steamed some soymilk and coconut milk, added honey, pure vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and a chai tea bag. A nice treat (rather than going out for lattes, invite your friends over!)

pancakes

This morning I really felt like making pancakes. Though I generally prefer to make most foods from scratch, this summer I found that I actually liked the taste of pancakes from a mix better than homeade, maybe because they had cornstarch and more indgredients to add flavour. I find that most simple pancake recipes taste boring - I don't really like the plain white flour taste.

So this morning I looked online for a pancake recipe, since I didn't have any mix. I really liked the way they tasted, so I won't be buying any mix and will continue to make these. I like hearty flavourful tasting pancakes, and found that these suited my tastes perfectly.

Here's the recipe:

1 cup whole wheat flour
ground flax seed (I just poured a lot in, maybe 1/4 cup or something but I wouldn't bother measuring it)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup soymilk
2 tablespoons sunflower oil (but you can use any type of vegetable oil)

set stove to medium heat

combine dry ingredients

add the soymilk and oil

spoon onto pan...and you can probably figure out what to do from here.

I also put chocolate chips in some of them when they were on the pan.

*notes on the ingredients:
-if you don't have any flax seed that is fine, I just like it for the added taste, texture, and nutritional benefits
-you can use any type of flour or sugar, but whole wheat makes them heartier and healthier
-if you don't have soymilk on hand you can use any other type of milk and the recipe will still work
-if you're wondering why it called for so much baking powder, most vegan pancake recipes use a lot of baking powder, and it makes for a thick and fluffy pancake

I made a huge heart shaped one that was as big as my plate.

Here is the original recipe:
http://www.food.com/recipe/5-minute-vegan-pancakes-132263

I'm really excited that I finally just figured out how to post links and videos. I sersiously could never get it to work before. I haven't been writing much poetry lately or doing any art, so this blog might take a different turn again for awhile.

a safer world for sex workers

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/judge-decriminalizes-prostitution-in-ontario-but-ottawa-mulls-appeal/article1730433/

Great news! Ontario has decriminalized prostitution. While it was already legal, there were rules surrounding prostitution that make things harder for sex workers and put them in dangerous situations. Since bawdy houses have been decriminalized, sex workers will now be able to take their work indoors, which means safer areas to work. And since they can now communicate for the purposes of prostitution, workers won't have to hide their business and be forced into shady situations.

Now let's hope this doesn't get struck down.

People Not Places

I generally don't like posting anything on my blog that isn't my own work, but I wanted to share this video. (maybe I'll start making more exceptions). Invincible is one of my favourite artists right now and is someone I really admire and respect as a person. She performed at my school the other day for a concert my pirg organized as part of our DisOrientation week. She really is a great musician and a caring and intelligent person. I am posting this video not only because it is one of my current favourite songs and has wonderful lyrics and meaning, but also as an example of the important ways that politics and art interwind and express themselves. It always bothers me when people say that politics and art don't belong together, because politics aren't something a person can leave behind them. It is part of who we are, and when we express ourselves through art we express ourselves through our identities and politics as well.

Invincible plays both the character of herself and a tour recruiter for Birthright Israel. I'm impressed by her acting skills and think she is funny and adorable in this role. And as herself she is seriously hot (as always. I'm sorry, I couldn't help but say it.) Much respect to Invincible for exposing the colonization of Palestine in a creative and educational way. May we always remember the importance and history of all places and their people, in Palestine, turtle island, and all over the world.

Emergence Travel Agency is a very cool concept, check it out: http://emergencetravel.net/

You’ve caught me in all my fine glory
And even if you let me go
I’ll continue to glow in this moment.

Tonight, I hate my life
But tomorrow might be different.
This twitching inside
Turns to a need
For something else.

Birds outside my window
And I assume they are part of this music
Chirping from this electric universe.
But the world is still real
And it’s right outside my window.