For Mikey and Jennifer - A Global Community Unites

It is one of life's realities that a community's bonds never shine brighter than after a tragedy. As depressing as it may seem, it is also a blessing to know that no matter what, when or where an unbelievably horrible circumstance happens that a support system hundreds, if not thousands, strong is right behind you to help you pick up the pieces and begin moving forward.

I'm sure that many, if not all, of you reading this are aware of the sudden death of Jennifer Perillo's (In Jennie's Kitchen) husband Mikey. Shauna wrote an incredibly touching, heartfelt piece about her dear friend and her husband, which I could never hope to come close to emulating given that I never knew Mikey personally and even my contact with Jennifer was limited to the occasional Tweet. What I do know, however, is that when I heard the news my heart broke for her and her family. I could not begin to fathom the tornado of feelings surrounding the loss of a loved one, even less so the added shock of a sudden departure. I also felt a pull at my heartstrings knowing that Mikey, by all accounts in the prime health of his life, had passed on from a sudden heart attack. My grandfather is, by the grace of Fate, a survivor of two heart attacks and a triple-bypass surgery, amongst other significant health issues, and even as a young child I could feel the anxiety, worry and dread that accompanied each and every day he spent in the hospital ICU. I could never begin to think of what I would do if I so suddenly lost a figure in my life that I loved so dearly as a soulmate - I don't know if I'd be strong enough to pull through.

Jennifer asked that this past Friday that all of those who could "make a peanut butter pie...and share it with someone you love. Then hug them like there's no tomorrow because today is the only guarantee we can count on" in Mikey's memory. The peanut butter pie (recipe here) was Mikey's favourite, and the blogging community exploded with contributions of peanut butter pies and other desserts from all over the globe, and a pause for remembrance and appreciation for our loved ones was held over Twitter at 5:52PM today. I was not able to make a pie for Mikey, but I made a point of giving my mom and sister each an eight-second hug today (eight seconds is the time it takes for serotonin levels to change and register happiness) and as inane as it may seem I truly realized how much I appreciated having my little cat to share my days with.

I felt I should take the opportunity to link to just a handful of the hundreds of food bloggers who turned out in support of the "Pies for Mikey" campaign - like I said earlier, there are so many that it is truly astounding the force that formed in the face of this devastating occurrence. I wish only the best for Jennifer and her family and though it seems a feeble gesture at this time send my love and thoughts to them.

PB Pie for Mikey and Jennie Perillo
Chocolate-Tahini Tart
A Peanut Butter Pie [For Mikey]
Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie Parfaits
Creamy Peanut Butter Banana Pie... {For Mikey}
Peanut Butter Pie For Mikey
Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey
Pie for Mikey
Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey and Jennie
Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie with Biscoff Cookie Crust – for Mikey
A Pie For Mikey
Frozen Cashew Butter Pie Squares (For Mikey)
Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey
Peanut Butter Cream Pie for Mikey
Peanut Butter Pie for Jennifer and Mikey
Creamy Peanut Butter Pie – A Pie For Mikey
Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey and Jennifer Perillo
Creamy Peanut Butter Pie For Mikey
Peanut Butter Cookies. For Mikey and Jennie.
A Pie for Mikey
Video for Jennifer Perillo: Mikey’s Peanut Butter Pie 

The Upside of Outside

I woke up yesterday morning to a rather dreary scene outside.

While I know we (and the gardens and lawns) needed the rain, the grey, damp clamminess of it all really puts a damper on any inertia you may have had before peering outside. It’s hard to get excited about the day when you can’t enjoy it to it’s fullest, especially in the case of the summer where we wait so long for the sunshine and warmth to thaw our frozen toes (or maybe that’s just me... but this is my post so I’m claiming the rest of the year is too cold!). It was even that kind of day where the blahness of it all was putting a damper on my yearning to bake... but if life’s taught me anything, the best way to fight that feeling is to face it head on!

I had a carton of soymilk taking up space in the fridge, and since I don’t drink it myself (I was using it for recipe testing for my upcoming NEW-trition cookbooks) I was looking for ways to use it up before it went off. I can’t even remember what I was Googling at 8:30AM yesterday, but I came across a Project Pastry Queen submission by Tara (of Smells Like Home) where she made a blueberry upside-down cake with buttermilk, reminiscent of a recent Blackberry Buttermilk Cake recipe from Bon Appetit. Looking at the BA recipe, I was intrigued by the whole concept – but like almost all cakes out there (especially in the “foodie” magazines) it was packed with white flour, butter, sugar and eggs. Hm. Well, that I could fix.

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen...

No no no, not so fast - I'm not going anywhere! In fact, I am going nowhere simply because as of last Wednesday I am no longer in school... ever again! It was really the first time since leaving my elementary school that I felt an inkling of sadness at graduating. All the work and stress load aside, I really did enjoy my time within the walls of IHN and learned a lot - about holistic health, nutrition, the society around me and myself. I'm moving on knowing that I've chosen the right path and with many contacts and friends who I'm honoured to have worked with.

Of course, I've talked several times before about the goodies I would bring into the school, and for our graduation party, I made no exception. In fact, I did a foodie triple-whammy for that last day, making gluten-free and vegan flourless cake and bread as well as a rich, fruity almond and blueberry butter to top the loaf's slices. They nestled in perfectly with the other delicious foods brought in by my colleagues and recieved rave reviews all around! In fact, the school director even took the last few slices of cake home with her, and that, my friends, is a definite compliment! 

So what's next for this perpetual student? After all, I've been in the education world pretty solidly since I was 2 1/2 years old, so the "real world" thing is a little daunting to me. However, like I said, I've been making contacts and connections as much as I can (including at the local farmer's markets and with the videographer of our class' final day!) and I have a fairly decent portfolio of writing behind me, so with luck I'll be able to finally make it in the "real world" as a nutritional consultant and educator. For now though, I am so looking forward to having August off to relax for the first time since September! My garden, kitchen, family and blog have all been sorely neglected, and I'll also be able to catch up on all those appointments and other "to-dos" that fell by the wayside while I worked on getting through school.

Thanks to everyone for sticking by and supporting me through the last year! I am so glad to be back and ready for action!

They Ride On Silver Moonbeams!

I have to preface this by saying that my sister was really the inspiration for me making these cookies in the first place, and the sole supplier of their name. Like two best friends in kindergarten, when we’re together in the right circumstances we revert to the least mature people we’ve ever been. Honestly – the stupidest things, that only a 5-year-old boy would find amusing (think writing “boobies” on a calculator or telling someone that you  can’t wait to visit Lake Titicaca) we wind up rolling on the floor from. When it was on, we’d watch Whose Line is it Anyway? and  kill ourselves laughing just as much as when we’d tune into the CBC political satire Air Farce. She sends me all sorts of links to YouTube videos and game sites that always wind up killing way more time than I have to spare, but are always hilarious and something we bond over.

One of the latest games she showed me (and subsequently made me play through, along with most of the others on that site) was “Robot Unicorn Attack”. As we (and by “we”, I mean that I played and she watched from the Peanut Gallery), that got her into talking about unicorns, and she brought up one of the lines from possibly the greatest show on current TV, Supernatural. Dean (one of the main characters, and a drop-dead gorgeous one at that) was opining about how angels didn’t exist (but oh yes, they do!) and the following conversation ensues between him and his brother Sam:

Sam: Dean, there's ten times as much lore about angels as there is about anything else we've ever hunted.

Dean: You know what, there's a ton of lore on unicorns too. In fact, I hear that they ride on silver moonbeams, and that they shoot rainbows out of their ass!

See-Saw

You know, it’s always the naughtier things that get the biggest response. While it is really all well and good to have a diet packed full of wholesome, whole grains, fruits and vegetables 85% of the time, there’s still that 15% devil on your shoulder whispering,

 “go on, one splurge won’t hurt”.

And you know what? That devil is right. Occasional treats are a perfectly fine, healthy and at the very least enjoyable way to maneuver through this insane labyrinth called life. That’s why these indulgences  are so rewarding – they aren’t a normal thing, and you usually only need a taste to return back to that good ol’ 85% angel. I may be a holistic nutritionist, but I’m not perfect by any stretch – I use cooking spray, drink out of plastic bottles, use the microwave, buy “conventional” in the grocery store and enjoy one can of pop daily. But I do cook 99% at home, I eschew refined grains in my meals, I know exactly what goes into the foods I make and eat, I garden organic, heirloom produce and as soon as the farmers markets open locally I’m in like a dirty shirt.

The whole “occasional treat” philosophy I (and others) follow is one of the reasons I keep my school “donations” of goodies to once a week. More so than expense or my own personal time, keeping the bakes as a regular weekly treat means that they stay that way – and everyone will still want to eat what I bring!! I’ll admit that ¾ of the stuff I make anyway is not exactly sinful (that pesky whole grain, vegan thing I love gets in the way!) there are the exceptions. Like these.