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Labour Day weekend activities

For many, the Labour Day long weekend signals the end of summer. It looks like the weather is planning to cooperate which should mean outdoor activities are safe to be on the agenda.  Fortunately, there are enough activities and festivals planned in and around Vancouver this weekend to give summer the send-off it deserves.

On Friday, catch cult horror flick the Creature From the Black Lagoon at Stanley Park’s Monsters in the Meadow outdoor movie series. The 1954 classic is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. at Ceperley Meadow.

Head down to Strathcona Park on Saturday for Justice Rocks, an all-day music and social change festival with performances by local indie acts Choir Practice, Curtis Santiago, Fur Bearing Animals, and Run GMC.

Enjoy jazz, funk, roots, and blues at the Royal City Jazz Festival in New Westminster. Eight local ensembles will perform on the boardwalk at the River Market at Westminster Quay on Sunday and Monday.

Vancouver’s Only Magazine will host a Labour Day Block Party at Victory Square with free concerts by the Defektors, No Kids, Basketball, Certain Breeds, the Green Hour Band, the Evaporators, and Ice Cream, comedy from Man Hussy and Bronx Cheer, and DJ sets with Ian Wyatt, Benjamin, and My! Gay! Husband!

The festivities at Burnaby Village Museum’s Fall Fair on Labour Day offer activities and games sure to please the kids, including free carousel rides, face painting, a watermelon-eating contest, a parade, a bake sale, and the best of the summer harvest.

Jousters, tarot-card readers, puppeteers, musicians, and storytellers will entertain crowds at the B.C. Renaissance Festival from Friday to Sunday in Fort Langley. Vendors will be on-site selling costumes, corsets, jewellery, instruments, weapons, and pottery, and everyone is invited to participate in the nightly pub sing-along. Admission is $10.

Say goodbye to the summer at the PNE Fair’s last weekend of the season. Enjoy international cuisine, outdoor concerts, the daily parade, 50 rides, and 800 performances and exhibits. Spirit of the West celebrates the end of the fair with a free concert on Labour Day.

On Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Earthwise Society presents a traditional country fair with a twist: all food on sale will be homegrown and produced using sustainable practices. The first-ever Grow Local Fair in Delta will include live entertainment, a farmers market, a blueberry-pancake breakfast, potato and corn roasts, a drum circle, and a bake sale. Admission is $2.

Lace up your runners and join the Nike+ Human Race 10K on Sunday for the world’s biggest one-day running event, occurring simultaneously in 25 cities around the globe. Vancouver joggers begin their leg of the race at 5 p.m. on the corner of Georgia and Cambie, and will cross both the Burrard and Cambie bridges and circle around the Seawall. Athletes can unwind at the postrace party and BBQ downtown with musical guests the Trews and Theory of a Deadman, and video coverage of the 10K races in participating cities like Madrid, Shanghai, and Istanbul.

This weekend will be your last chance to visit the UBC Museum of Anthropology before it closes for renovations for six months. The museum is throwing a closing party on Labour Day from 1 to 4 p.m., with food, music, dancing, a Korean drumming performance, and a 20 percent discount off everything in the Museum Shop.

The Portobello West fashion and art market celebrates its two-year anniversary on Sunday at the Rocky Mountaineer Station. Browse for jewellery, clothing, bags, soaps, art, and fashion accessories from established and unknown Vancouver designers. Admission is $2 and a free shuttle is available from the Main Street SkyTrain station.

The Wild B.C. Seafood Fest takes place in the fishing village of Steveston, near the Gulf of Georgia Cannery Historic Site, on Saturday between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sample seafood dishes from B.C. chefs or buy wild salmon, sablefish, and sardines direct from fishermen at the Steveston dock. There will be activities for kids and live music on-site.

Celebrate Taiwanese arts and culture at the three-day TaiwanFest at the Plaza of Nations from August 30 to September 1. Be sure to visit the food fair for popular Taiwan night market snacks. There will also be art exhibits, dragon boat races, and performances by local, Chinese, and Taiwanese music ensembles and dance troupes. One-day admission is $12.

The Lower Lonsdale Business Association presents a celebration of maritime life and community on North Vancouver’s Burrard Dry Dock and St. Roch piers on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Party-at-the-Pier will feature North Shore music acts, artifacts from the Vancouver Maritime Museum, harbour tours, a tugboat show, an Iron Chef-style cook-off, and Olympian Andrea Holmes, as well as face painters, clowns, stilt walkers, and jugglers.

If you’re heading out of town, you can’t beat the selection of festivals in Victoria. The Classic Boat Festival will see a parade of old ships, sailboats, and steam vessels go through the Inner Harbour, and the Vancouver Island Blues Bash offers a mix of jazz, soul, blues, and funk performances. The Victoria Fringe Festival also runs until August 31.

Have a fun and safe long weekend!

Organic and Biodynamic Wine

I was in Sonoma county last month, one of my favorite places!  Not only did I attend the most beautiful wedding of a good friend, I also got to indulge in some amazing wine.  It got me thinking and wanting to know more about organic wines.  I found this article and thought I'd share it with you.

Mark Cuff, sommelier and owner of The Living Vine - a Canadian dealer of wines made with sustainable practices - took the time to explain the difference between and the principles of organic and biodynamic viticulture. So, whether it’s red or white, make sure your next glass of wine is also green!

What is organic and biodynamic viticulture?
In order to say it’s organic or biodynamic on the label, it has to be certified by an accredited certifier, like Ecocert (www.ecocert.com) or Demeter (www.demeter.net).
For organic wines, it’s a 3-year process of certification. Someone tests the winery’s soil and wine - it’s a check-box system - and every year, they certify that, yes, the winery grew organically this year, After the third year of growing organically, the winery can be certified organic. Organic wines are just wines made with the absence of pesticides, chemicals and chemical additives.
Biodynamic certification is a little tougher. All biodynamic wines must first be certified organic in order to be certified biodynamic. Biodynamic wines have a greater focus on soil health. The vineyard is a self-enclosed, sustainable eco system., moving toward zero input or output. The winery - or a group of wineries together- does its own composting, has its own cattle, etc. It also pays greater attention to the natural world and plans its harvest with the lunar calendar. A full moon directs more energy at the soil. Biodynamic viticulture is actually very close to how human beings grew food for thousands of years.

Do organic and biodynamic wines then have no sulphites?
No, you’ll find sulphites in both organic and biodynamic wines. Sulphites naturally occur in the fermentation process, so it’s almost impossible to create a completely sulpher-free wine. Organic wines tend to be lower in sulpher, though.

Is there a difference in flavour?
Personally, I think they taste better and cleaner, but generally, they taste the same. Consumers aren’t going to buy an organic wine just because it’s organic. It has to be a good product, too.

How do the prices compare?
Theoretically, if you grow organically or biodynamically, the cost to produce the wine should go down over time. I find a lot of people who have been doing this for a long time have prices that are comparable to regular wines. It’s such a competitive market.

Is Canada producing organic and biodynamic wines?
In Ontario, a lot of great companies are moving towards biodynamic production. For example: Southbrook Vineyards, certified organic and biodynamic, released 3 new VQA biodynamic wines on Earth Day this year. Frogpond Farm was the first certified-organic wine producer in Ontario. They make great value organic wines.

What should shoppers look for?
Most LCBO stores have an organic section. Or, look for a note on the tag - most of the time there’s a note or mention on the label. The consultants should also know.

Wines Shown (clockwise from top left): Southbrook Vineyards, 2009 Cabernet Rose VQA, $19; Southbrook Vineyards, 2008 Triomphe Cabernet Sauvignon, VQA $24; Southbrook Vineyards 2009, “Fresh” White VQA $17; Fropond Farm, 2007 Organic Chardonnay $13, Frogpond Farm, 2007 Organic Riesling Icewine, VQA, $32.

Shades of Gray

For some time now I have been completely drawn to the color gray in both fashion and decorating. I've been dreaming about a gray sofa (I know the one I want!).  The exterior and interior of my house is painted gray using no VOC paint. Whether its a gray house, kitchen or bedroom...I love all shades of gray in any room.  In some of these photos you will notice a lot of reclaimed pieces, another love of mine! Here are some of my favorites...I like to dream!

 

Avocados...Perfect for Meatless Monday

I love avocado! I enjoy eating them raw with a splash of lemon juice for a quick snack.  A grilled avocado is elegant in its simplicity – simply brush with lime juice and place on the grill to infuse the earthy fruit with savory smoke. The grill marks make for a delightful presentation and you can really up the ante in serving the salsa smack dab in the middle, replacing the pit.  Remember to use organic when possible.

 

Grilled Avocado with Salsa

Serves 12
For the salsa:

• 1 15 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
  ¼ cup diced onion
  3 cloves garlic
  ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
  4 sprigs cilantro
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• or
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 jalapeño*, stemmed and seeded

For the grilled avocados:

• 3 avocados, halved
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• salt, to taste
• low-fat sour cream, for garnish*
• or
• low-fat Greek yogurt, for garnish*

*optional 
 

To make the salsa:
Combine the tomatoes, diced onion, garlic, pepper, salt, cilantro, vinegar or lime juice and jalapeño, if using. Pulse in a food processor or blender until the salsa is chopped and blended to preference.

To complete the grilled avocados with salsa:
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
Remove the pit of each avocado by cutting into the pit with a large sharp knife and turning the knife counter-clockwise. Once the knife is properly wedged into the avocado pit, it should be easy to remove the pit from the flesh of the avocado, as you twist and remove the knife.
Whisk together the lime juice and olive oil in a small bowl. Brush each avocado half with the lime juice marinade.
Place each prepared avocado half, flesh side down, over the hot grill. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until grill marks appear and the avocado is warm, but not overly mushy.
Remove the avocado halves from the grill and fill the hole, left by the pits, with salsa. You will have salsa left over after all the holes are filled. Reserve the leftover salsa in the fridge for a future snack or entrée topping.
Squeeze the wedge of lime over the avocado halves and sprinkle lightly with salt. Top the salsa with a dollop sour cream or Greek yogurt, if using.
Consume with a fork or use baked pita chips as your utensil.

Spicy Cucumber-Avocado Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 firm-ripe California avocado
• 1 3/4 English cucumbers (1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 (8-ounce) container plain low-fat yogurt (1 cup)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh jalapeño chile with seeds
• 1 cup small ice cubes

  Garnish: diced avocado and chopped chives

 

Preparation

Peel and pit avocado. Blend all ingredients in a blender until very smooth, about 1 minute.

Healthy Homemade Snacks

Today I spent the day baking healthy snacks with my sister.  I purchased all organic ingredients and tried out a few new recipes.  I love Larabars but they can get quite expensive so I tried to make my own, they actually turned out pretty good.  When I was in San Francisco last month a bought roasted kale, it was a yummy and healthy snack packed with nutrients and very easy to make.

Homemade Energy Bars

Homemade energy bars are simple and easy to make with just a couple of natural ingredients. Most pre-packaged snack bars, granola bars and power bars are full of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, soy, dairy, glycerin and other refined ingredients. By making your own bars, you can also adjust the nutrition and flavor. For example, you can choose between raw and roasted nuts. Raw nuts retain their digestive enzymes and wholesome, earthy taste while lightly roasted nuts have an enhanced nutty flavor that some people prefer. You can also adapt the ingredients in these bars to create your own delicious flavors of fruit, nut and spices. Buy organic when possible.

Chocolate Coconut Energy Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup dates, pitted, whole

½ cup raw almonds

¼ cup raw walnuts

2 Tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut

2 Tablespoons raw cacao powder

Directions:

1. Put the dates into a food processor and blend into a coarse, chunky paste.
2. Add the nuts and blend until coarse – you should still see nut pieces.
3. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the shredded coconut and cacao powder.
4. Take a handful of the mix and press it very tightly in your palm, squeeze it together in a ball until it sticks, then begin to form it into a 2 inch roll.
5. Press the roll onto a baking sheet and form into a bar. Lightly dropping it onto the sheet and turning will help to form a flat surface on each side of the bar. Press the ends gently with the palms of your hands.
6. If you choose, roll the bar in coconut to keep them from sticking together when stacked. Or simply cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to pop into a lunch box, purse or back pack!

Makes 6 bars

• You can use the basic ratio of 1 cup of unsweetened dried fruit (dates, raisins, apricots, cherries, etc.) to ¾ cup of nuts or seeds (almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds) to create your own flavor base.
• When using fresh fruit, like kiwis and bananas, increase the ratio of nuts to dried fruit making it 1 cup to 1 cup. These bars are stickier, so put them in a “warm” oven for 1 hour to dry them.

Roasted Kale Chips

Kale is one of the healthiest foods around. It's full of vitamins A, C and K, and it is a great source of manganese, calcium and iron. It also has no cholesterol and offers a nice serving of fiber and protein.
The problem is kale is much tougher than other leafy greens, like swiss chard, collard greens and spinach. Hence, it isn't as versatile for cooking. It doesn't work as well in salads or sauces, for example, as spinach or swiss chard.
That's probably also why most recipes for kale are for soups or stir fries. This recipe breaks that mold. The kale comes out of the oven crispy and salty, giving it an almost fried-like texture. The result is a great way to get kids (and grown-ups alike) to eat this uber-nutritious vegetable.

• 4 cups firmly-packed kale
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. good-quality sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wash and trim the kale: Peel off the tough stems by folding the kale leaves in half like a book and stripping the stems off. Toss with extra virgin olive oil. Roast for five minutes. Turn kale over. Roast another 7 to 10 minutes until kale turns brown and becomes paper thin and brittle. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve immediately.

Meatless Monday

Inspired by Cafe Gratitude in Healdsburg Sonoma County, where the food is all raw and they support local farmers, sustainable agriculture and environmentally friendly products.  I am taking a few recipes from my Raw Food Real World cookbook and what better time to try these recipes then today...Meatless Monday!

Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup with Lime

3 cups carrot juice
1 small, ripe avocado
1/3 cup coconut meat
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Few sprigs of cilantro for garnish (optional)

1) In a Vita-Mix or high-speed blender, puree all the ingredients until completely smooth.  Taste for seasoning.

2) Divide among serving bowls. Serve immediately, or gently warm the soup in a saucepan over very low heat.

Red Beet Ravioli

For the filling:

3 cups cashew nuts, soaked 1.5-2 hours
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/4 - 2 teaspoons salt
2 green onions, white part and 1 inch of green part, minced
3 Tbsp minced tarragon
2 Tbsp minced parsley

In a food processor, blend the nuts, lemon juice and zest, yeast, and salt until smooth. Transfer the filling to a medium bowl and fold in the onions, tarragon, and parsley. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or lemon juice, if needed. The filling should have the consistency of ricotta cheese. Store it covered in the refrigerator if not using right away; it tastes best if you bring it back to room temperature before assembling and serving.

For the pepper puree:

3 yellow bell peppers, cored and cleaned
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 green onions, white part only
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts, soaked 30 minutes to 1 hour
1 pinch ground or fresh turmeric

In a Vita-Mix or high-speed blender, blend all the ingredients until smooth. If the sauce is too liquid, add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of soaked pine nuts. Place in a squeeze bottle or other cover container and refrigerate if not using right away.

For the assembly:

1 large bunch red beets (2 inches diameter or more)
2 to 3 Tbsp macadamia oil, other nut oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Coarse sea salt
1 handful chopped pistachios
1 tsp pistachio, other nut oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
1 small handful fresh tarragon leaves, torn or left whole
Freshly ground black pepper
Microgreens for garnish

Step 1
Using a mandolin, slice the beets very thin (about 1/16 inch or less). Make stacks and cut into 2-inch squares. The size doesn’t matter much, as long as they are all roughly the same. You should have at least fifty slices. In a medium bowl, add the beet slices, macadamia oil, lemon juice, and a generous pinch of sea salt. Toss to coat: there should be enough oil and lemon juice to coat all of the slices, but not so much that they are dripping liquid.

Step 2
Arrange half the beet slices flat on serving plates. Place a generous dollop of the filling on each slice. Sauce the plates with the pepper puree, using either a squeeze bottle or just spooning it over the beets and filling (this way some of the sauce will be inside each ravioli). Top each ravioli with a beet slice, pressing down gently.

Step 3
In a small bowl, toss the chopped pistachios with the oil and a pinch of sea salt. Sprinkle each ravioli with the pistachios and top with the tarragon. Grind a bit of black pepper over the plates and garnish with microgreens.