Blueberry French Toast

Wouldn't it be lovely to wake up in the morning and have some french toast with Blueberries and custard waiting for you? I think so.

There's No Leaving Now

The Tallest Man on Earth is coming out with a new album June 12th.  It's called There's No Leaving Now.  If you want a taste of what this album is going to be like, check out this mp3 from Rolling Stone.  I've always loved his music.  The lyrics are always so beautifully placed, and his guitar playing is phenomenal.  Make sure you check him out on his Myspace as well!

99 Feelings...

Artist Mitsy Sleurs set out to create a unique self portrait; illustrating 99 different feelings.  Sensitively modeled out of ceramics, Mitsy probes into what might be some of the hardest human feelings to describe,  and depicts them very successfully.

Make sure to view in full screen for full effect.

Maxime Ansiau

I love how some contemporary ceramicists use the kitsch element of traditional plate ware to create irony in their works.  Maxime Ansiau is a great example of this.  His work crosses architecture with ceramics in a way that takes an unexpected turn - into the kitsch - with pleasant results.

What do you think of this method?

All images are from Maxime's website.

Life in a Day

This documentary gives a glimpse into the lives of everyday people all over the world.

If you were to document a day in your life, what would it look like?

Under Stair Storage

I think I may have enough books one day to actually pull this off...

Where do you store your books?  Do you have a large collection, or aim to have one?

From Here.

Morning Glory Muffins

I made these vegan treats yesterday to have for breakfast and as snacks.  I can say that they are absolutely wonderful, and very healthy too!
Recipe from here.

Made about 10 regular sized muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp  Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 Whole Banana, mashed
• 1/3 Oil (I used sunflower, but any vegetable based oil will do)
• 1 Apple, cored and diced (I left the skins on mine)
• 1/2 Cup Rasins
• 3 Medium Carrots, grated
• 1/2 Cup Walnuts, chopped (I like mine chopped coarsely)

Method:

• Mix dry ingredients together.  Then mix in wet ingredients (in vegan baking, the fruits and vegetables count as wet ingredients).
• Put mixture into greased muffin cups
• Bake in a preheated oven at 350º F

Let me know if you decide to try these out, and if you do, how they worked out for you!

Hot Yoga

I am a huge fan of regular Yoga, but have been enjoying Hot Yoga even more lately.  Hot Yoga is Yoga with extended poses done in a heated room; kind of like a sauna.  The heat allows your body to become softened, and makes it easier for deeper stretching.  It is very hot in the room, and the poses can require a lot of energy.  This combination causes everyone to sweat like crazy, which supposedly has a detoxifying effect on the body.  Hot Yoga cannot be done in a regular Yoga studio, it needs to be held in a special heated room.  If you are searching online to find a Hot Yoga studio near you, make sure to specify that it is held in the heated room.  If there are multiple studios in your area that offer Hot Yoga, shop around with a few drop-in classes first.  Different studios offer different temperatures, price points and benefits, so take the time to find one that is right for you. 

I can say for myself that I definitely feel better after a Hot Yoga session, and leaving the practice room is one of the most refreshing feelings I have experienced.  

I intend on doing Hot Yoga even more in the upcoming months because of it's proclaimed health benefits.  Hot Yoga (and Yoga in general for that matter), is supposed to be good for your: sleep cycles, posture, back pain, stress...  The list goes on!

Have you ever tried Hot Yoga?  If so, let me know if it was it for you.

Whoa Nelly!

This might be blast from the past, but I have really been enjoying listening to Nelly Furtado lately.  Her music has an awesome mix of sounds that cross all different cultures and borders.

Although I have enjoyed her first album Whoa Nelly, Folklore seems to have a dance appeal to it that I just can't shake.  Nevertheless, I am providing examples of my favorites from both.  I've also included a more recent work that Nelly is featured on by N.E.R.D and remixed by Starsmith.

Whatever your musical tastes, you can definitely enjoy Nelly Furtado.

A favourite off of Whoa Nelly! :




A favourite off of Folklore:




A newer work:

A Memoir

There are so many things about this that make me so incredibly uncomfortable...  Maybe that's why I like it so much?

Let me know what you think of this touching film.

Jokes.

Honey Lavender Cupcakes

Okay, so I don't normally like cupcakes.  I generally think that they are too sweet even for a dessert.  However these Honey Lavender Cupcakes have me intrigued.  They seem to have just the right balance of sweetness and herbal flavour.  They seem like a nice thing to have with tea.

Check out the recipe here.

Let me know:  Do you like cupcakes?

The Road - Cormac McCarthy

It has been a while since I have posted anything here, and I apologize! I intend to get right back into it.

I have recently finished reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road, and thought I'd do a review on it.

The premise (taken from the back cover): "A father and his son walk alone through burned America.  Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind.  It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray.  The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there.  They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing and a cart of scavenged food - and each other."


This book was a quick read; I only invested about four hours into reading this 287 page book.  I found the beginning of the story slow, but it still held my interest until the middle, where the plot line gains more momentum.  This book is dark, and is represented with very bleak imagery.  At times I was frustrated that the language was not more descriptive, but it did match the scenario given in the book.  That said, The Road has moments of beautiful, clear language that are very striking in their simplicity.

One small thing that I did find irritating (this is my personal preference): I found the font in the book goofy looking.  I found it distracting as I was trying to plough through this very grim book.  I will add that this might not be a problem for some people, and could be easily fixed with the purchase of a different edition.

Overall I did like this book.  With a very simple and frankly depressing storyline, it still managed to keep me interested and keep me asking questions about it even after I have finished reading it.  It is easy to see how this novel was made into a movie, as it's imagery reads almost as easily as a screenplay.  If you want a quick, post apocalyptic read that is clear and easy to follow, I would recommend The Road.

As Fast As You Can

Check out a new release from Our Lady Peace - a great Toronto band!

It's sad that I missed these guys when they came to Montreal, I would've loved to see them live.

Lotus Root Chips

I have never cooked with lotus root before, but it intrigues me.  I like the idea of making your own crisps at home, and these look particularly easy and tasty...  Not to mention pretty!

Find the recipe and how-to here.

If you try them, let me know how they work out for you!

Splitscreen: A Love Story

I have been enjoying the split screen style of film lately.  This one is very sweet, so please enjoy!


Splitscreen: A Love Story from James W Griffiths on Vimeo.

Jeffrey Campbell

I've been gushing over Jeffrey Campbell's shoes in the style Lita.  They have the perfect edge of punk and sophistication.  I had the privilege of trying his shoes on at Urban Outfitters a while back, and was shocked at how incredible comfortable these shoes are.  The platform in them makes them incredibly stable, and it makes you feel like you are wearing flats even if you are donning five inch heels.

Check out his shoes at this website.

Yuna

I've been listening to Live Your Life By Yuna on loop for about three days.  I love the relaxed beat and how unique her voice is.  Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Kanoa Zimmerman

Kanoa Zimmerman takes black and white photos of divers and the ocean in the series of works, Free Dive.  I have not seen underwater life photographed in black and white before.  The images are enchanted and haunting, making creatures and people seem as though they are suspended in mid air.

Check out Kanoa's website here.

Summer Porridge

It had never occurred to me that you could make oatmeal in the fridge.  These recipes look great, boasting six different types of porridge you can leave in the refrigerator overnight and pick up to eat in the morning.  The look especially tasty for breakfast or snacks in the summertime.

Find the six different recipes here.

Let me know If you have ever tried making oatmeal this way, and how it turned out for you!

Tea Bag Cookies

There aren't many things that I like more than tea, or cookies.  But these Tea Bag Cookies are just the sweetest.  I think if I were going to make them I'd use a regular sugar cookie recipe and skip out on the chocolate dipping.  Don't they look perfect for a tea party?
Idea from Le Pétrin.