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Roasted Red Pepper Ketchup
I’ve been making this ketchup recipe for years, and it’s super-delicious. I give jars of preserves as gifts at Ecksmas, and literally have people fighting over these ones in particular (the people who love the Mango Chutney are, oddly, much more chill about it). As with most canning, this recipe is mostly just washing things – the canning jars and lids, the produce, the tools you’re using – and prepping the produce; once it goes in the pot, it’s very simple. I know it looks like a lot of steps, but if you give it a quick read-through, you’ll see they’re all pretty straightforward. I like to make sure each…
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How to run a networking session that doesn’t suck
Networking sessions are almost always garbage. They only actually work if they’re guided in some way that gives a reason for strangers to interact. Even people like me, ballsy, confident, social people who always have something to say, find most networking sessions to be an excruciating waste of everyone’s time and energy. The idea that the plan is just 1. Room/People/Alcohol 2. ????? 3. NETWORKING!! is stupid beyond belief. Everyone should stop running them like this. They do not work. People with lots of connections talk to each other and gain nothing. People with few connections hardly talk to anyone and then feel shitty and miserable afterwards. If you’re thinking…
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Business as Unusual
When you elect people who think they can run a city or a country “like a business,”you get to see what happens when the normally-hidden stupidities, inefficiencies, and mistakes of the corporate world are applied to the public realm. When men who’ve lived their lives fuelled by luck and privilege and connections, who think their success is due to their own awesomeness, skill, and perspicacity, enter public service, they fall to pieces. Used to speaking candidly to ‘inferiors’ who are too afraid to repeat their words in public, or peers who think it’s all very manly and shoot-from-the-hip, they blab every stupid thought that enters their silly heads. To reporters.…
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Balela Salad
I’m always up for a nice bean salad – they remind me of Summer picnics, and this Balela Salad – loosely based on the Middle Eastern dish – would be a great addition to any picnic or potluck. Vegan, gluten-free, and delicious, this salad is perfect if you’re hoping to feed a crowd of people with diverse dietary restrictions. It’s also great for lunches, as the fibre will keep you feeling full until the day is over. It’s also a bit addictive, especially after it’s had a day to marinate in the fridge. You can serve it with pita or some fresh bread, but it’s perfectly fine on its…
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Some ideas for women and allies on International Women’s Day
For International Women’s Day, I’d like to ask that you choose some of the following things from this list and try them on for size: – Never use the words ‘selfless’ or ‘tireless’ to describe any person ever again – If you’re on stage as an emcee introducing a woman-identified person, never use the words ‘lovely’ or ‘beautiful’ (Edited for clarity) – say to yourself “trans women are women.” If it’s a phrase that feels weird to say, think on that for a while. – If you’re an employer, take a look at what you pay your employees and recognize where the women are being paid less for their work.…
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Cauliflower Tacos
These delicious vegetarian cauliflower tacos are so good that they leave me craving more whenever I make them. They’re pretty healthy, too, and extremely flavourful while not being terribly spicy, despite the chiles and jalapeno. I’m not a vegetarian, but I’m not a huge meat-eater and though I occasionally enjoy meat it’s not a thing I like to cook at home very often. And I’m trying to find recipes that are a bit healthier while still being the kind of thing that I look forward to eating. If you’re the kind of person who finds cauliflower repulsive, you still might find yourself enjoying this – the cauliflower is really just…
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Rest is not Idleness
In the midst of a new year, setting new goals and looking ahead to a year full of hard work and promise, it’s important to remember that whatever you want out of life, and whatever the people in your life want out of you, it’s vital to take breaks, take time for yourself, and recharge for the work ahead. Remember that rest is not idleness. In a year which we’re all anticipating may be very difficult, it’s important to have reminders to stop, breathe, and rest so that you’re a the top of your game. It can be so tempting to push through, to ignore mental or physical weariness, to…
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Let’s do this, 2017
By all accounts, 2016 has been a pretty miserable year for most people. I haven’t been immune to that, but there have been loads of good things, too, and I’d much rather think about them! In the Winter, I started running regularly, and was pretty close to being able to run 5K when Bronchitis hit and put the brakes on my running for a while. This is kind-of a big deal for me, as running (or any other physical activity besides dance) isn’t something I’ve ever been into, and it’s nice to have a milestone like that. I’m hoping to hit that goal in 2017, if only so that I…
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Tuscan Chicken Skillet
I’m always looking for reasonably quick, easy recipes that are reasonably healthy and freeze well, so that I can take them to work for lunch. Tuscan Chicken Skillet ticks all of the boxes, but it’s also super-delicious. It’s nice, when you’re surrounded by take-out lunch options that aren’t great for your but are incredibly tempting, to have something home-cooked and tasty ready to go. I try to spend Sunday nights cooking, so that I can eat well all week, and though it’s not always possible, when I do have the time it’s awesome. I’ll note that this recipe was initially written up as a low-mess, one pot meal,…
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Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame Seed Oil
Easy and delicious (though admittedly not beautiful), I made Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame Seed Oil last night and ended up eating almost an entire head of cauliflower by myself. Technically I guess it’s a side dish, and a super-tasty one, but it’s the kind of thing I’m likely to eat as a main, because it’s quick and really filling. This simple recipe works best if you have a roasting dish that just barely fits the dish, and that also has a lid. This will help keep the cauliflower moist, and also helps the sesame oil flavour to infuse the cauliflower, which is totally amazing. Sesame oil is one of my favourite…
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NXNE PRESENTS A SAUSAGE FEST
From a piece I wrote for Electric City Magazine: “The Canadian music industry is a diverse, varied place, but you wouldn’t know it from the endless parade of white guys with guitars wanking across the festival stages and conference panels of the nation. Over the past month, NXNE have been releasing the lineup for their Portlands festival, and the list, while appearing more racially diverse with the most recent release, is still very dude-heavy. With three women-fronted bands and one genderqueer artist out of 16 total acts released so far, I have to ask: where the fuck are the women, NorthBy?” Read the rest at Electric City Magazine.
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14 tools for dealing with Depression
NOTE: There are a few links to things you can purchase in this article, but I don’t make any profit if you click those links or buy those products. These are things I use and find useful, and I don’t profit or benefit in any way if you buy them or use them. I was diagnosed with Clinical Depression about 10 years ago; these are some of the tools I use to make living with mental illness a strength rather than a liability. There are fourteen things on this list, most of them cheap or free; you don’t have to do all of them. Just pick one or two, and…
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Sparkle and Shine, 2016
The year opened stressfully but closed fairly peacefully. Along the way, it was packed full with projects, music, friends, and good hard work. At the beginning of the year, I had no thought of joining the Board of Directors for the Shelter Valley Folk Festival, nevermind becoming the Chair, but as things unfolded, it was clear that if we didn’t all jump in and pull together, the festival was done. So we did, and I couldn’t be more proud of the amazing people, both on the Board and in the community generally, who worked so hard and with such a good will to keep this beloved small festival running. Work…
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Lemon Winter Warmer
This Lemon Winter Warmer recipe is based on a drink that I’d been making for a while, but then altered once I tried the ‘Citrus Booster’ that they serve at Balzac’s Coffee. There’s a Balzac’s near my office in the Distillery District, and when I feel a cold coming on, I sometimes pop over to the cafe to get one, or mix it up myself at home. I’m not sure whether or not it makes a difference to the cold, but it’s delicious and soothing and it makes me feel like I’m doing something about it, which is half the battle. I originally made it with honey, but I…
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Crepes
Crepes - A recipe passed down from Nana Cynthia, this delicious brunch treat is pretty simple to make.
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Sweet Potato Salad with Orange-Maple Dressing
Sweet Potato Salad with Orange-Maple Dressing - delicious, flavourful, and great energy food that kept me going when all I wanted to do was lie down in the grass and sleep.
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Guacamole
Guacamole - delicious, easy, and pretty good for you, guacamole is endlessly customizable to your taste - add or subtract what you like!
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Fried Halloumi with Tomatoes
Fried Halloumi with Tomatoes is a nice, simple dish that works best in the Summer, when all of the fresh ingredients are at their peak flavour.
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Not too shabby, 2014!
Not a bad year, not an amazing year. A good, solid year without major setbacks, 2014 has been pretty good to me. The biggest achievement of my year, without a doubt, was achieving my long-held goal of paying off my student loans. It happened in October. After a decade of confusion, ((To this day, I’m not quite certain what my total amount loaned was – the system changed several times during my undergrad, leading to Federal and Provincial loans all over the place.)) getting the run-around from various banks and student loan services, and low-paying contract work in Peterborough, I finally had the kind of dependable income that allowed me…
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Pina Colada Popsicles
I found this recipe online and altered it slightly; it’s super-easy and super-delicious. They really do taste like Pina Colada Popsicles, even if you leave out the rum. If you are using rum, I totally recommend Sailor Jerry’s, which is my favourite – it’s very vanilla-y and super-delicious. The only annoying part about these popsicles is waiting for the popsicles to freeze, but then, is you get impatient, they’re pretty good as slush, too. And they’re a creamy treat for vegans! How nice! Ingredients 1 can pineapple chunks, in juice 1 banana 1 can coconut milk Rum (Optional) Directions Combine ingredients in a blender, then pour into popsicle moulds. Freeze (approx. 5…
