I love those Pillsbury ready to bake croissants, cinnamon rolls and pastry doughs that come in the blue tubes. I always find myself staring at them longingly for a couple of minutes every time I go grocery shopping. I never end up buying any because I know that I will probably finish them too quickly, worrying that they will “spoil”.

However, this one time, I gave in and bought some pie crust. Harmless, right? Right. This is probably the most unhealthy item on my blog, but I like to think that the vegetables balance it out. The reason this is a “taco” flavoured pie, is because that is literally the only seasoning I had on me at the moment. I also had shawarma seasoning, but I’m not ready to find out what shawarma pie tastes like. Anyway, without further ado, here’s a bright picture and the recipe.

Ingredients

• Half a chicken breast
• Mushrooms, carrots, any other veggies you have/ would like to steam
• Half an onion
• Garlic
• Pillsbury Pie Crust
• Taco Seasoning
• 3 small potatoes
• Ginger paste
• Half a lemon
• Salt and pepper

Marinate your chicken in salt, pepper, lemon, ginger and garlic.
Steam veggies and toss them in butter & garlic and some salt & pepper if you like. Boil the potatoes until they are soft and starting to crumble. Put a knob of butter in the pan, some garlic. some salt and pepper, cover it and toss it so the potatoes are coated evenly. Put the potatoes onto a baking dish and stick it in the oven, changing the settings to broil halfway through. Pull them out when they are crisp on the top.
To make the filling, finely chop onion and fry it with the garlic on a hot pan. Add the chicken and add taco seasoning as you stir fry it. Once the chicken has browned, leave it aside to cool. I added mushrooms to the chicken towards the end just because I had to finish mine but you don’t need to. Grease your pie dish with some olive oil. Cut the crust out in a circle (I didn’t do this, I just tore off pieces and arranged them properly onto the pie dish. place your filling inside the crust and seal the top with some more crust or simply by pulling in the sides. Make a hole for the steam to escape and stick it in the oven at 350 until the crust is golden brown.
Arrange on a plate and enjoy!

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 5,300 times in 2010. That’s about 13 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 39 new posts, not bad for the first year! There were 273 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 628mb. That’s about 5 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was September 8th with 233 views. The most popular post that day was Dorm Cooking 101: Rice on the side.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were tastespotting.com, facebook.com, twitter.com, healthfitnesstherapy.com, and en.wordpress.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for lady gaga without makeup, best ad campaigns, frying pan, axe ads, and lady gaga no makeup.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Dorm Cooking 101: Rice on the side September 2010
4 comments

10 Best Ad Campaigns IMHO May 2010
3 comments

Dorm Cooking 101: Parfaits August 2010
4 comments

Downtown Diaries: Royal Ontario Museum June 2010

Wonderbread, First Print Ad November 2010
2 comments and 1 Like on WordPress.com,

The colours, the tones, low contrast and the movements in the film were so visually appealing I could not stop watching it.

Below are some of my favourite shots from the movie- they look like paintings!

There’s many things I really dislike about the world. The terrible state of our environment, endangered species, cruelty to animals, the food industry etc. However, like many others I often just complain about it. I don’t wear fur and I try to eat organic, local food and I don’t eat exotic animals and I try to recycle as much as I can. This is stuff I do on a personal level and sure, it makes a difference, but a tiny one. Today I’m going to write about two wonderful people that have taken the time to make a BIG difference, they have taken it upon themselves to make a change. There are very few people like this and I am so honoured to know some of them.

Meet Ena Ujic, student at Schulich School of Business at York University. She’s currently working towards an iBBA, an international Bachelor of Business Administration. She’s very graciously taken some time off her very busy schedule to answer some of the questions I had for her. Before I ramble on-

1. Tell me a little about yourself.

I live in Scarborough, and am studying International Business at Schulich at York University. I was born in Bosnia and came to Toronto when I was three, I’ve been living here since. I love to play sports and I love volunteering. My favourite quote is “What we do for ourselves dies with us. what we do for others and the world remains immortal” by albert pine. I can’t say i really have a role model. I respect many of the things visionaries have done. But I don’t really model my actions on anyone else’s.

2. If you weren’t studying at Schulich right now, what would you be doing?

If I wasn’t studying at Schulich right now, I’d be running a full-time sports facility for youth in the East End. I’ve always wanted to grow a successful non-profit organization to help youth become more active. Alongside that, I would probably be taking science courses for the pleasure of it. I don’t have any opportunity to take those courses in my current program, but I have always loved chemistry and biology.

3. So, tell me about Scarborough Movement? How can people get involved with it?

This was my first year running Scarborough Movement. The program ran for July and August (vacation months for elementary school children). This year, we offered the program to grade seven and eight students at Wexford P.S. and are looking at expanding our participant base next summer. We held basketball, volleyball and ultimate frisbee camps and are adding at least 2 more sports to the roster for next year. If you are interested in volunteering with Scarborough Movement (as either a coach, or in one of the following divisions: marketing, finance and logistics) please email scarboroughmovement@gmail.com with the subject “Volunteer” and I’ll contact you with more info! If you’re an elementary student in Toronto and would like to participate in a free summer camp next summer, email scarboroughmovement@gmail.com with the subject “Participant” and I can let you know whether there are any programs happening in your area. Also, you can find our camp program listings on www.sogoactive.com, along with lots of listings for other sports programs happening all across Canada.

4. How did the idea originate?

When I was in high school, I attended the ACTIVATE Conference which is organized by Motivate Canada.  This conference really helped me assess the issues my community was having, and allowed me to plan a program centered on solving those problems.  I really wanted to focus on the issue of violence and drug abuse in Toronto, and decided that an elementary school sports program would deter children from these negative influences.  Additionally, it would provide a safe environment in which kids could get active and build critical skills such as leadership, communication and teamwork.

5. What or who was your inspiration?

I was inspired by many of the ACTIVATE alumni who had implemented programs in their own communities, across Canada.

6. What has your experience with the kids and the Summer Camp been like so far?

This year’s Scarborough Movement sports camps were a pilot project for future years, and I have to say that everything turned out according to plan.  It was inspiring to see how much the kids learned over the course of two months, and even more inspiring to see how they developed as a team and as individuals.  These kids mean a lot to me, and I’m so glad that we were able to see them grow and become truly exceptional athletes.

7. What were the biggest obstacles you had to overcome while organizing this camp and getting it together?

At first, it was very difficult to secure funding for the project.  As a nineteen year old running a pilot project, it was overwhelmingly difficult to apply for grants or seek sponsorship elsewhere.  Eventually, I heard about a program by the name of Sogo Active.  With easy to understand grant applications, and a true dedication to helping youth initiate projects, this organization provided me with the funding and mentorship needed to get Scarborough Movement running!  Additionally, securing volunteers was very difficult at first.  Although I used multiple platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and word of mouth, many people were not willing to commit to a two month volunteer position.  Eventually I realized I had been looking in the wrong places, and referrals from friends led me to volunteers who were extremely excited to coach!

8. What advice would you give someone who is interested in getting involved in charity work or doing some volunteer work?

A lot of times, you don’t even realize how much your community needs volunteers.  I have volunteered everywhere from AIDS conferences to daycare centres to soup kitchens.  It is just a matter of visiting local institutions that you’re interested in volunteering at.  Oftentimes, they will be more than willing to take on a new volunteer.  If you can’t think of any places in your area, you could always visit a volunteering site such as www.volunteertoronto.ca for ideas.

9. What future plans do you have with Scarborough Movement?

Scarborough Movement was a success this year, and I’m excited to continue it for years to come.  We are looking at more funding opportunities outside of just the support of Sogo Active, and we are looking to register as a Non-Profit Organization very soon!  This coming summer, we want to add at least two more sports to our program, and we want to expand the participant base to at least three large elementary schools in the Scarborough area.

10. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

In five years, I hope to have graduated from Schulich, completed some undergraduate science courses, and applied to a MD/MBA program in the US.  I’m not sure where I see myself working, but I hope I would have a job that allows me to travel, give back to my community and build my leadership skills.  Of course, I still see myself being the chair of Scarborough Movement.  And I hope that by that time, Scarborough Movement will have spread across Ontario, impacting thousands of kids.

11. Are you taking donations either monetary or in the form of sports equipment and how can one donate?

Scarborough Movement is always, always, looking for donations. Whether it be money, sports equipment, or even items that we can raffle off at fundraisers, we would love donations! If you are interested in donating to Scarborough Movement, please email us at scarboroughmovement@gmail.com with the subject “Donation” and we will be sure to get back to you.

So inspiring! If you are interested in donating or volunteering, please do contact Scarborough Movement. I had the opportunity to photograph the children playing sports and it was an amazing experience. It was good, clean, fun and the kids came across as very confident, happy and satisfied. They were encouraging each other, learning from each other and playing in perfect harmony. They were polite and seemed to be having so much fun, I kinda wished I was their age (let’s ignore the fact that I can do like, 0 sports). Let us now meet Michael Modica, one of the coaches I had the privilege of meeting. He has a great chemistry with the kids, he almost becomes one of them, still leading them at the same time. The kids seemed to love him and they all had a very good rapport.

1. Tell us about yourself.

I’m studying Athletic Therapy, which is currently very tasking on my social life. I’m home grown from Canada and a couple of my hobbies would be playing tennis, volleyball and just being active in general.

2. How did you get involved with the Scarborough Movement?

I got involved in SM through Ena. I thought it was a great opportunity to get involved with my community. It was the best of both worlds for me– I love coaching, teaching sport and volunteering. It was a no brainer when Ena asked me to help out.

3. How would you define the role you play in Scarborough Movement?

I would say that my role is pretty significant because as a coach and a vice chair, I really got a sense of how hard it is to create a camp like this. It is great to see the kids grown and learn from what I have taught them.
4. As a coach, what has your experience been like, so far?

It has been pretty amazing. The kids that I taught have exceeded my expectations– they learnt so fast and in such little time! The experience so far has really opened my eyes to the fact that kids with little athletic ability could be the key player on a team with some coaching.

5. What advice would you give to someone who is interested in getting involved with a charity or doing some volunteer work?

I really can’t give you any advice that would change your mind or give you any incentive– you need to come in for the experience to see how rewarding and motivating it is to see the smiles on the kids’ faces and see the impact that we have made on their lives.

Since I can’t actually take you all there, maybe you can experience some of what I did at Wexford PS through my lens:

Passion is such a great motivator. Lisa Atkins, my professor for Copywriting, tells us that her job doesn’t feel like a job. She says sometimes she worries someone might find out that her job isn’t a job, it is fun to her. That is what even being in school for advertising feels like to me- I love everything. Even the homework. I hope no one finds out I’m having fun doing homework. For as long as I can remember, I have maintained that I will only study and pursue a career in something that I am passionate about. I fell in love with advertising in grade 6 and that’s when I decided, I’m going to study and work in an industry I love and that is exactly what I’m doing. I therefore apologize for not posting as often as I used to– I am simply out having too much fun with my homework.

Please do keep an eye out for a post featuring a dear friend who has quite a few wonderful experiences and achievements under her belt. She teamed up with some wonderful people to do some great work in the community. Watch this space!

On top of the world right now-- with some help.

The best part is, you can make a giant pot of it and eat it over a week, or you can scoop little personal portions into ziplock bags and freeze it. Dump it into a bowl, microwave, and ta-da!

Ingredients

• A cup & a half of rice (Brown, basmati or long grain, but brown is healthiest.)
• A cup of mixed lentils & beans (or just one kind, whatever you have. Or none, works too.)
• Vegetables (Anything works, some vegetables I’ve used before are carrots, broccoli, green onions, butternut squash, zucchini, eggplant, green peppers, mushrooms.)
• Half an onion
• A teaspoon of minced garlic
• Some tomato paste (This is optional)
• Chicken/vegetable stock cubes or powder
• Dried thyme (Rosemary and basil works too, although basil tastes best fresh)
• Salt & pepper
• A little olive oil

The night before you want to make the rice, soak the beans in water and leave them in the fridge over night. If you forget to do this, you can soak them an hour before and cook them in a slow cooker, boil them or steam them. What I usually do is, soak the beans and lentils in water over night and then cook them along with the rice in a rice cooker. That way, they’re soft but have a slight bite to them.

Once you’ve prepared your rice and lentils, chop up your onion and fry it along with the garlic in some olive oil. Once the onions are translucent, add bite sized vegetables. Do not over cook them (broccoli & green peppers should be a bright green, mushrooms should be gray or brown, not black or dark brown). If you are using tomato paste, add it along with some water (to dilute it, because tomato paste is concentrated) at this point. Add the stock cubes or powder, dried herbs. Toss your rice and lentils into the pot and mix it well. Salt and pepper the rice according to taste. If you are using fresh herbs, add them right at the end.

Serve it in a bowl for a light lunch or pair it with some grilled meat. Delicious!

I love how the veggies & tomato paste contrast-- beautiful!

A steaming hot bowl of this rice by the window, in the rain... perfection!

Here’s what you need (and substitutions)
One Apple (I used Golden Delicious because that is what I had but my mum makes this with Granny Smith. I’ve made it with Macintosh and they work just fine, too)
3 Tbsp Sugar (I used brown because I love the richness from the molasses but you can use white granulated sugar too, no problem)
3 TbspFlour (If you don’t have flour, put some bread crumbs in)
1 TbspGround/Chopped nuts (Optional)
3 Tbsp Oats
Cinnamon (Optional)
Half a Lemon (Optional)
1 Tbsp Butter

Since Golden Delicious apples are sweeter than Granny Smith, I like to squeeze half a lemon all over the cut up apples. This not only gives them a tang but also keeps them from going brown. Butter your baking tray and lay the apples in the tray. Make your crumble by incorporating butter, sugar, apples, cinnamon and ground nuts if you are going to use them. The consistency should be like wet sand and should be of a similar colour. Excuse my pictures, I dropped a ton of cinnamon in my mixture and it looks really dark. It tasted just fine, a little too sweet because I may have been a little liberal with brown sugar too. Top your apples with this crumbly mixture and stick it in the oven for about 10-15 minutes till the apples are soft and the topping is crisp. You can eat it with custard, ice cream or just by itself. It’s a simple, easy, quick dessert you can make with things you probably have!

Mmm, gooey gooey sticky mess

I know not every body lives in a dorm with a kitchenette like mine, but most dorms are allowed mini fridges and microwaves and that’s all you really need. Microwaves are wonderful appliances, I remember my mother buying me a cookbook of only microwave recipes just for kids. You can make just about anything in them, from rice to eggs.

Non-Food items

Dorms with a kitchenette (So, assuming you have a oven, stove, microwave, fridge & freezer)

• A saucepan
• A frying pan
• A silicone spatula
• Chopping board
• A wooden spoon
• Bowls/plates/cups/tumblers
• Cutlery
• A mixing bowl
• A baking tray
• A large paring knife
• A serrated knife
• An oven mitt

Dorms without a kitchenette (Assuming you’re allowed a microwave and a mini-fridge)

• Cutlery
• Plates/bowls/cups/tumblers
• Microwavable food saver bag
• Microwavable cookware– bowls, pans
• Oven Mitts
• A microwave food cover
• A towel (to clean your microwave!)
• Plastic/wood spoons to stir/serve
• Paring Knife
• Serrated Knife
• Chopping board

Food Items

• Milk
• Eggs
• Bread
• Sugar
• Cheese (cheddar & parmesan)
• Flour
• Fresh or dry herbs
• Long lasting vegetables– broccoli, onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, green peppers
• Frozen meat or seafood
• Spices– paprika, cumin
• Salt & pepper
• Condiments & sauces– ketchup, mustard, maple syrup
• Cans of beans, corn and tomato paste
• Rice
• Garlic paste
• Oils of your choice– butter, sunflower oil, olive oil (I keep all three)

For dorms with a kitchenette, feel free to combine the two lists if you have a microwave as well. A saucepan is great for soups, sauces, pasta and boiling eggs. A frying pan is great for eggs, shallow frying meats, stir-fries (who needs a wok!?) and fried rice. A baking tray is essential because you don’t want to keep frying your food! Baking is a healthy way of cooking and although it may take a while, it means that you can sit at your desk and study while something roasts or bakes in the oven. You don’t have to keep watching it! For dorms without a kitchenette that only have microwaves, invest in a couple of good, sturdy ceramic or glass microwavable bowls. I would suggest against plastic, I don’t trust the chemicals that are released when its heated. You can find great ones at Ikea or even your nearest Walmart or Superstore, with glass bowls and rubber or silicone covers. Those are ideal- they work as food savers for leftovers too. If you look around at your nearest supermarket, I’m sure you will also find amazing little items made especially for microwaves such as an omelet maker, an egg poacher, etc. Don’t ever put an entire egg in the microwave with the shell on, it will explode! Buy a good pair of oven mitts because you don’t want to burn yourself when getting your meals out of your microwave. Also be very careful when opening a microwaved bowl that has been covered. There will be very hot steam that has formed inside the cover.

Since my first year I have only had a paring knife and a small serrated knife and never needed anything more! A paring knife is great for cutting meats and vegetables like potatoes and carrots. A serrated knife is great for tomatoes (The combination of glossy skin and squishy flesh makes it hard for a paring knife to cut through. Serrated knives will pierce the skin first, making cutting easier.), breads and cakes. If you have a baking tray, an oven mitt goes hand in hand with it! Mixing bowls are a must have– you can make salad in them, mix batters, make dressing, just about anything. No, you don’t need a whisk, you can easily use a fork. It works just fine! A whisk is a great luxury, though. I love mine!

You can obviously add more food/grocery items to the basic list I’ve compiled above. With the list I’ve provided, you can make a breakfast, lunch and dinner. Milk + eggs + bread + sugar = french toast, cheese + butter + flour + milk + salt & pepper = cheese sauce, eggs + sugar + flour + butter = cake, mustard + maple syrup = salad dressing, potatoes + salt + oil = fries/wedges, potatoes + milk + salt & pepper + butter = mashed potatoes, meat + mustard + maple syrup = grill, Beans + water + salt & pepper + veggies + herbs = soup. See? It’s that easy and quick. Tomato paste is great for sauces, curries and obviously, pasta sauces. You can add a great tomato-ey flavour to anything with a can of tomato paste! Canned beans and corn last forever and are great little additions to soups, rice or salad. Frozen meat lasts long so you don’t have to hurry up and finish that bag of shrimp you bought on sale. Garlic paste or powder is a great thing to have handy, it gives meals a great flavour. Sprinkled on toast with a little butter makes instant garlic bread! You can use a combination of any of the items mentioned above and create your own quick and healthy meals. It really doesn’t take much.

You can find a lot of these items at Ikea (for the non-food items) or even your nearest Walmart for a great, low prices. Walmart always has very cheap appliances that don’t look like much, but can fit into a student budget and are long lasting. My favourite brand is Durabrand–I’ve had a toaster from them since first year and it has worked just fine all these years. I recently bought a hand held mixer, an immersion blender and a kettle for $12 altogether!

Essentially, frittatas consist of quickly sauteed veggies and maybe bacon topped with a mixture of eggs and milk. You stick it in the oven so the top cooks and voila. You brunch/lunch/breakfast/dinner is ready! You can either get a pan with no plastic on it so you can stick the entire pan in the oven– a cast iron pan is ideal. I don’t own a cast iron pan cause I move my stuff around about three times a year and I don’t want to lug around a heavy pan. You can make it the way I made it, by starting it off in a pan and reassembling it in a baking tray.

Ingredients:
Four to five eggs
1/3 cup of milk
Salt & pepper to taste
Any herbs you might have–I used basil & cilantro. Thyme doesn’t go very well with eggs but dill, sage is fine. You can do without herbs too.
Vegetables– I used potatoes, green peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, onions and green onions.
Meat– I used turkey bacon because its leaner but you can use real bacon, shredded chicken/turkey/steak any meat you have in your fridge.

Chop the vegetables into bite sized pieces and quickly fry them in the pan. Add the meat and fry till well done. I like to put vegetables like green peppers and broccoli at the end so they have a slight bite to them. If you’re going to add fresh herbs, add them at the end, if you’re using dry herbs, add them in the beginning. Spread the veggie mixture over the pan. Beat the eggs with the milk and add salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the veggies. Let it cook for a few minutes. If you are using a cast iron pan, go ahead and stick the entire thing in the oven till the top of the frittata is cooked. Sprinkle with mozzarella or Parmesan cheese. If you’re not using a cast iron pan and your pan has some plastic on it, I suggest you do what I did. Let the frittata cook in the pan for a little bit until it is solid enough to handle. With the help of a spatula carefully transfer the frittata into a baking tray. I used a circular one, but you can use a flat cookie tray too. Don’t worry if it breaks, simply reassemble it in your baking tray. The uncooked egg with act as glue in the oven and your frittata will come out in one piece.

I ate it with two slices of whole grain bread with cream cheese on it, but you can pair it with rice or even mac and cheese!