DAY FOUR - Banana Ice Cream!

August 4, 2009 - Toronto, ON - One of the great blogs I have come across is called Choosing Raw which I recommend all of you take a look into. I also got inspired to freeze some bananas from this amazing SIMPLE recipe I found on the blog.

Check out the link to make your own Banana Soft Serve. Click HERE.

DAY FOUR - Diary of a Raw Foodist

August 4, 2009 - Toronto, ON - Turns out the day wasn't so nice, unless you're a fan of hail and thunderstorms. Nevertheless, the food continues to be amazing. Here's what was for lunch and dinner for day FOUR of the raw food challenge:

Lunch: Pumpkin Pie in a Bowl
Ingredients:

• 2 cups of carrot juice
• 3/4 cup chopped butternut squash
• 1/4 avocado
• 1 tsp of agave nectar
• generous sprinkle of cinnamon
• small sprinkle of nutmeg
• dash of salt

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. sooooooo GOOD!


Dinner: Spicy Corn Guacamole in lettuce wraps
Ingredients:

• 1 avocado
• juice of half a lime
• 1/4 cup of chopped tomatoes
• 1 chipotle pepper (or however spicy you like it)
• 1 clove of garlic
• dash of salt and pepper
• 1/2 corn from the cob
• large leafed lettuce (I used a unique head of lettuce I picked up at the market on the weekend)

Directions:
Scoop out the avocado meat and place in a bowl with the chopped tomatoes, corn and minced garlic, salt and pepper. Add the chopped chipotle pepper slowly adjusting to the spicyness you want. mash all together with a fork until you get a smoother consistency. place a spoonful on the leaf of lettuce and roll up like a fajita to eat!
(One of my favourite meals!!!)

DAY FOUR - Diary of a Raw Foodist

August 4, 2009 - Toronto, ON - Good Morning everyone! Looks like it's going to be a nice day out! If you haven't had any Ontario Peaches yet, I recommend you get out to your local Farmer's Market and pick some up, they're delicious right now!

What's in the bowl this morning for breakfast?

Vanilla Yogurt!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Coconut Milk


• 1 cup of Shredded Coconut


• 1/2 tsp of Natural Vanilla Extract


• any kind of fruit you want to add (I used Papaya this morning!)

Directions:

Blend Shredded Coconut and vanilla extract. Slowly add the milk until a Yogurt consistency is achieved. Add chopped fruit. That's it! Enjoy!

DAY THREE - Diary of a Raw Foodist

August 3, 2009 - Toronto, ON - So, for dinner tonight I was craving a good ol fashioned burger. So what I made, was just that... well not exactly. This is the Raw Foodist way of prepping a burger!

Raw Garden Burger
Ingredients:

• 1 cup of soaked nuts (use whichever you prefer. I did half almonds half walnuts)
• 1/2 cup of carrots
• 1/8 cup of chopped onion (I don't really measure this... I put in as much as I want... because I can!)
• 1/2 tbsp raw honey
• 1/2 tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
• dash poultry seasoning
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 garlic clove
• small bunch of parsley
• small handful of Flax seeds
  

Directions:
Blend all ingredients together except parsley until it forms a sort of pate. add in parsley and blend quickly to make sure parsley is just chopped in mixture.

I took out some Manna Bread slices for my "bun" and top it off with the "burger" pate and put some organic whole grain mustard for a little kick to the burgers!

That's it! This is probably the only way I would have burgers, considering i'm no grill master and therefor I dont even own a BBQ!

Enjoy!

DAY THREE - Diary of a Raw Foodist

August 3, 2009 - Toronto, ON - Because of last night's festivities, I didn't have much time today to prepare my lunch at 8am this morning (as much sleep as I could get was in my books). I opted to bring some macadamia nuts and a banana to snack on.

At around 2pm I started getting hungry, so I decided to try my hand at ordering something. I ended up at Reggie's Old Fashioned Sandwiches which is conveniently across the street from my office and went with the make your own salad for $8. Here's what was in this delicious bowl:

Reggie's Build Your Own Salad

• Spinach


• Chick Peas


• Cucumber


• Snow peas


• Sprouts


• Avocado


• Grapes


• Green Apple

* With a light mustard vinagrette (Not positive if everything was raw... probably not, but it was a pretty good effort all in all!)

DAY THREE - Diary of a Raw Foodist

August 3, 2009 - Toronto, ON - Not sure how Raw Vodka and Vino are, but I definitely have some floating around in my system from last night! ( I made sure to get some potassium & B12 Vitamin this morning to bring me back to life!)

This morning, I made sure to drink 1300ml of H2O to rehydrate my body. Once again, my fav breakfast that gets me going:

RAWdiculous Morning Breakfast -

Ingredients:

• 1 Banana


• 1 Peach


• Tbsp Raw Honey


• small handful of raw Almonds (Soaked overnight)


• small handful of shredded unsweetened coconut


• splash of Almond Milk

Directions:

Cut up fruit into small pieces and mix all ingredients in a bowl and Enjoy!

On this lovely Civic Holiday, check out one of the world's leading authorities on nutrition specializing in the Raw Movement, David Wolfe. Click HERE.

Day Two - Diary of a Raw Foodist - Lunch

August 2, 2009 - Toronto, ON - Doing some research today, I stumbled across this great blog. Check it out HERE.

Here's whats in the bowl for lunch today:

KTB's Veggie Salad

Ingredients

For Dressing -

Raw Mayonnaise:

• 1/2 cup almonds (soaked overnight)


• 1/4 cup of water


• 1/2 lemon juiced


• 1 small garlic clove


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1 1/2 cup of olive oil

Raw Mustard:

• 1 cup brown soaked mustard seeds


• 3/4 cup lemon juice


• 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 juice of a Lime

For Salad:

(Adjust all ingredients to what you need to make your salad)

• Kale


• Spinach


• Romain Lettuce


• Orange Pepper Sliced thin


• Field Cucumber


• Broccoli


• onion sprouts


• bean sprouts


• sunflower seeds (soaked overnight)

Directions:

For Dressing -

Mayo - Blend everything except the Olive Oil until smooth. Add in a steady stream of the Olive oil until emulsified.

Mustard - Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Mix both equal parts of mayo and mustard and juice from half a lime. Mix well.

For Salad:

Tear with hands all greens, add in the Broccoli, Pepper and Cucumber. Top with sprouts and seeds.

*Top salad with Raw Mustard Mayo dressing and enjoy!

DAY TWO - Diary of a Raw Foodist

August 2, 2009 - Toronto, ON - Well here we are. Day Two of our Raw food challenge. Wanting to have a delicious smoothie this morning, I turned to my 70 Green Smoothie Recipes and found one that suited what i had hanging around in my kitchen and also things that I love all blended into one yummy drink. Here's what was for Breakfast this morning!

Recipe #9 - Papaya & Banana with Greens

Ingredients:

• 2 Bananas


• 1 cup of fresh Papaya


• 4 handfuls of baby spinach


• 1 cup of water (or more, depending on the consistancy you want)

*I added flax seed and some Kale for some more nutrients

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in a blender and enjoy!

If this smoothie doesn't seem to be your thing, I'm sure you'll be able to find one that you'll love in these SEVENTY green smoothie Recipes. click HERE.

To read about adding greens to every meal and benefitting from them, click HERE.

DAY One - For the Sweet Tooth

August 1, 2009 - Toronto, ON - So after one day of completely Raw, I thought it would be wise to post a recipe for the sweet tooth to ease the transition. Here you'll find the raw recipe for Carrot Cake:

Dessert - Rawsome Apple Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of shredded carrot
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded apple (I prefer Granny smith)
• 3/4 cup of shredded coconut
• 1 cup walnuts (soaked for at least 2 hours)
• 1 cup raisins (soaked for at least 2 hours)
• 1 tbsp of cinnamon
• 1 tbsp grated orange peel

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in blender. I prefer to put the batter in muffin tins (for single servings!) and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Day One - Diary of a Raw Foodist

August 1, 2009 - Toronto, ON - Here are the recipes of what I made for Lunch and Dinner today, all inspired from the websites, blogs, movies and books I've been following. Try them out yourself!


Lunch - Minty Fresh Smoothie ( I made this a couple days and froze half of it, and used it today)

Ingredients:

• 2 medium bananas
• 1 medium cucumber
• 2 tbsp fresh basil
• 1 tbsp fresh mint
• 2 small peaches or 1 apple

Directions:
Put all ingredients in blender, and blend until smooth.


Dinner - Cauliflower Curry

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of chopped cauliflower
• 1 medium carrot chopped
• 6 soaked sundried tomatoes
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1cm piece of ginger root
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup dried coconut
• 1 tbsp flaxseed
• 1 cup of water

Directions:
Blend all ingredients until well combined and finely chopped. Serve in a bowl with alfalfa sprouts. OR serve on top of cucumber rounds topped with sprouts.

Thanks to:
http://thekitchendispensary.wordpress.com

Bee Pollen - Nature's most complete food

August 1, 2009 - Toronto, ON - While researching for this Raw lifestyle, I came across a lot of postings about adding bee pollen to your diet. After doing some research, that I will be sharing with all of you in this post, I bought my first jar of bee pollen from the great Farmer's Market in the King West Neighbourhood!

Bee pollen actually contains all of the nutrients you need to live. There have been some studies on mice that have been only fed bee pollen and have shown no signs of malnourishment!

Bee pollen has high concentrations of B vitamin complex, and also contains Vitamins A, C, D and E. It also acts as a very effective natural energizer for your body.

Scientists are hard at work to prove many more benefits of bee pollen. Some reports show bee pollen can:

• Slow the aging process


• Weight loss


• Improving metabolism


• Dissolving & Flushing fat cells from your body


• Helps reduce cravings


• Lowering Cholesterol levels


• Restoring reproductive system


• Relief of PMS


• Preventing Prostate problems


• Improve Immune system


• Detoxifies your body

So, what are you waiting for? Go out to your local market today and pick up your own today!

Day ONE - Diary of a Raw Foodist

August 1, 2009 - Toronto, ON - So, this is day one of recording my progress in the transformation of a raw lifestyle. Yesterday, I found a great deal for a Juicer ($5!) which was a great addition to my equipment I was hoping to accumulate.

This morning I made one of my favourite Breakfasts and here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 Banana

1/2 cup (give or take) blueberries or any berries you like

1/2 cup of mango (give or take)

handful of soaked Almonds (Soak them overnight in about an inch of water in a glass bowl at room temp)

a splash of unsweetened Almond Milk

1/2 Tbsp of Raw Honey

handful of unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

Slice banana, mango and add to bowl. Add in the berries. Top with Almonds, add honey, milk and coconut. Mix together and ENJOY!

For more information on soaking seeds and nuts, click HERE.

RAW LIFESTYLE 30 DAY CHALLENGE

July 31, 2009 - Toronto, ON - I have been on the raw diet lifestyle for almost a week now, but starting tomorrow, I will be documenting on this blog a sort of Raw Diary. This will include whats on the plate for each meal of the day, temptations, experiences, and more knowledge I learn along the way.


I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to take the challenge and post comments or even your raw food diary here to help others and encourage others to take it on!

Generally a raw food diet takes approximately 2 weeks to kick into your system fully to get all the benefits of it and get the toxins out of your body. (Of course this all depends on how your lifestyle is now, everyone is different). So, by taking a 30 day challenge, hopefully you will noticeably see and feel the difference!

So to get you fully started, i am sharing some of my favourite links for recipe ideas to get you started planning your meals!

The Raw Chef - Russell James (At the right top hand corner, there is a FREE PDF of his Ebook)
We Like it Raw - Raw Food Goodness - Recipes
From Sad to Raw - Recipes
Gone Raw - Sharing raw recipes and advice
Living & Raw Foods - A little confusing at first, but very informative and lotsa recipes too!
Wellsphere - Health Knowledge made personal
Raw Epicurean - It's a Lifestyle


Hopefully this gets you a good start! Good Luck!

Staples in your Fridge, Counter & Pantry you need

July 31, 2009 - Toronto, ON - So you've started doing your research, and you want to get started right now. Below you will find a list of things you will need in order to start a proper healthy raw diet:



Equipment:

* Glass Bowls (for germinating & sprouting)
* Blender (This is your new best friend)
* Juicer (not needed, but helps for a lot of recipes)
* Dehydrator (not needed, but helps for a lot of recipes) Don't buy any of them unless it's the Excalibur
* Spiralizer (not needed, but helps for a lot of recipes) ... it's also a lot of fun!
* Sharp knives
* Cutting Board

GROCERY LIST:

Dried Fruit, Legumes and Nuts:
* Raw Cashews
* Raw Almonds
* Raw Sunflower Seeds
* Raw Macadamia Nuts
* Raw Pine Nuts
* Raw Flax Seeds
* Dates
* Raisins
* Dried Lentils
* Dried Chickpeas

Miscellaneous:
* COLD PRESSED Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
* Raw Agave Nectar
* Raw Coconut Oil & Shredded unsweetened coconut
* Raw Cocoa
* Raw Almond Butter

Spices & Condiments:
* Raw Honey
* Himalayan Salt
* Sun Dried Tomatoes
* Cayenne Pepper
* Cinnamon
* Ground Cumin

Frozen Section:
* Frozen Organic Fruit
* Manna Bread (YES YOU CAN HAVE "Bread"!)

Fish/Meat Section:
* Proscuitto (Cured Pork)

Fresh Produce: (if it's organic, even better!)
* Avocados
* Bananas
* Kale
* Bell Peppers
* Onions
* Garlic
* Tomatoes
* Lettuce & Spring Mix
* Spinach
* Lemons & Limes
* Oranges
* Apples
* Berries
* Mangos
* Zucchini
* Celery
* Fresh herbs such as: Parsley, Basil, Cilantro
* Jalapeno Peppers
* Ginger root


This should be a good start! good luck and keep checking back for more info and recipes to come!

Interesting facts of a Raw & Healthy Lifestyle

July 31, 2009 - Toronto, ON - I know most of us these days don't have time to read tons of books to gain knowledge. We now rely on Google, Wiki, Blogs and Television to educate us, or simply by learning from others.


I have seen two documentaries lately about a Raw & Healthy lifestyle that have given me a lot of insight on the whole concept. From being able to reverse effects of Diabetes, Cancer and other illnesses that usually we rely on drugs to cure or to regulate. Both of the documentaries show alternative ways that WORK.

Please take some of this with a grain of salt, because obviously, being a documentary it can become Bias at times. Here are the two links if you are interested in learning more:

FOOD MATTERS

SIMPLY RAW: REVERSING DIABETES IN 30 DAYS

A New Inspiration Everyone Can Benefit from

July 31, 2009 - Toronto, ON - For the past week now, I have taken on the challenge of living a RAW lifestyle. That's right. Raw vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts. Nothing is cooked, organic is preferred and devoted research and time is required.



Luckily for all you curious Raw enthusiasts, I have done about a years worth of research and I have some great tips, starters, recipes and staples you'll need to get you started. First off, in this post I would like to fill all of you in on just SOME of the good stuff your body and mind will get out of this new lifestyle:

What is a Raw Food Diet?

The raw food diet is a diet based on unprocessed and uncooked plant foods, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, sprouts, seeds, nuts, grains, beans, nuts, dried fruit, and seaweed.

Heating food above 116 degrees F is believed to destroy enzymes in food that can assist in the digestion and absorption of food. Cooking is also thought to diminish the nutritional value and "life force" of food.



What are the Benefits of a Raw Food Diet?

* Increased energy
* Improved skin appearance
* Better digestion
* Weight loss
* Reduced risk of heart disease

The raw food diet contains fewer trans fats and saturated fat than the typical Western diet. It is also low in sodium and high in potassium, magnesium, folate, fiber and health-promoting plant chemicals called phytochemicals.

These properties are associated with a reduced risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.



What are the Techniques Used in this Diet?

Specific cooking techniques make foods more digestible and add variety to the diet, including:

* Sprouting seeds, grains, and beans
* Juicing fruit and vegetables
* Soaking nuts and dried fruit
* Blending
* Dehydrating food


Does “Raw Food” Mean Eating Only Salad?

Not at all! There are dozens of variations on a raw food diet – and if it seems like raw foodists eat a lot of salad and uncomplicated raw veggies, that’s mostly to do with convenience. Raw cooking can be time-consuming – from slow, low-temperature dehydration to preparation of gourmet main courses and desserts.

Some raw food diets depend on the simplicity of raw fruits, nuts and vegetables, but most include complex meals of nuts and seeds, plenty of avocado and healthy oils, smoothies, raw cereal, sprouts, juicing and more.



More to come! - Look forward to some starter recipes, staples in the kitchen, websites, blogs and videos to watch!

Street Corner Symphony

June 17, 2008 - Toronto, Ontario - I have always had a pretty big love for Rob Thomas and Matchbox 20. This group called the Hullabahoos did amazing performance of their own rendition of Rob Thomas' track called Street Corner Symphony.

Check out the original and then the Hullabahoos that performed at Big Sprong Sing Thing XX at a SOLD OUT show in the Paramount Theatre in Charlottesville, VA back in 2008.

Laugh Factor - Failing the Breathalyzer test

Toronto, Ontario - May 23, 2009 - This enlightened my day quite a bit! I thought I should share this with all of you.

Take a look! *also, take notes! haha

In case you missed HOT DOCS

Toronto, Ontario - May 17, 2009 - I had just been referred to this beautiful website dedicated to the documentary "Water Life" in this year's Hot Docs Festival. It is quite the informative website which made me feel like i watched the movie through the website. Beautifully put together, with great footage, interviews, music and interactiveness!

Please do take a look at it, and get educated on WATER LIFE.
http://waterlife.nfb.ca/

Website built by:
http://www.jam3media.com

Real Life Twitter!

Toronto, Ontario - May 14, 2009 - Something to clear your minds of that horrible monster from earlier..... check it out.

Montauk Monster

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Toronto, Ontario - May 14, 2009 - Since I haven't written in a few days, I figured it was time to post something. I came across this story today that has been lurking around the news for almost a year now. It's the case of the Montauk Monster. This unidentified monster was allegedly washed ashore new the Montauk (which is a resort) in New York's Business district in July 2008.

Speculation in published reports included theories that the Montauk Monster might have been a turtle without its shell—even though a turtle's shell cannot be removed without damaging the spine nor do they have teeth as appear in the photograph —a dog, a raccoon,or maybe a science experiment from the nearby government animal testing facility, the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. The creature's appearance was believed to have been altered through immersion in water for an extended period before coming to rest on the shore, making it difficult to identify.

On August 1st, Gawker published pictures and X-ray images of a water rat, an Australian rodent with many similarities to the Montauk Monster, like the beak, tail, feet, and size. On the same day, Jeff Corwin appeared on Fox News and claimed that upon close inspection of the photograph, he feels sure the monster is merely a raccoon or dog that has decomposed slightly. This was backed up by Darren Naish, a British paleontologist, who examined the images and agreed that, if real, the creature was a raccoon.

Take a look at the video posted and you decide for yourself.

The Great Canadian Tune

Toronto, Ontario - May 9, 2009 - The city of Toronto will have many celebrations this year in honour of it's 175th anniversary. Events paying tribute to the City's heritage with unity and diversity include historical art exhibits, discussion panels, photo contests, historical tours and one more thing...

This year's Luminato Festival Team has decided to launch a public event to celebrate Canadian musicians. Hoping to set the Guinness world record of the largest-ever guitar ensemble, people will vote for their favourite canadian song out of ten choices chosen by Luminato employees.

Take a look at the songs chosen, then vote for you fav on the list of 10. On JUNE 6th, anyone and everyone with a guitar is invited to join the live jam session at Yonge-Dundas Square to play the chosen song. Be a part of what will be the largest ever guitar ensemble!



For more info and to vote click below:

http://www.luminato.com/2009/events/44

Continuation of High Fashion Wildlife

Toronto, Ontario - May 4, 2009 - Here's a continuation of the High Fashion Wildlife series I've been working on... Take a look.

iNSPIRATION FRIDAY - HOT DOCS - dissapointing start

Toronto, Ontario - May 2, 2009 - I wanted to wave goodbye from the minute the lights dimmed and the reel started rolling. Our first documentary from the Hot Docs Festival we went to see was a film by a Canadian writter, producer and director, Don Owen called Nobody Waved Goodbye. A 1964 film that was actually the only FICTION film in the Hot Docs festival which I found very strange. Black and White, this film was mostly improve folling the lives of a very young couple, and a boy in particular that was in his time called a "rebel".

In my eyes, this boy was not a rebel, just another dumb teenager, stealing his father's car, followed by running away from home, knocking up his girlfriend, ripping off customers, stealing cash from the register and trying to get away in a stolen car to start "the good life".

All in all, this was a true dissapointment from having very high expectations of this festival. The only reason we stumbled across this film is because we had originally wanted to see "Ghost Bird" which we found out later that day that we had screwed up the screening times. (we're going to see it for iNSPIRATION FRIDAY next Friday.)

*To see and make your own Hot Docs Schedule, visit: http://schedule.hotdocs.ca/

I still believe that Hot Docs is an amazing festival, but I think for an opener, having an out of date FICTION film with no climax was a true mistake.

Strachan Bridge

Toronto, Ontario - April 30, 2009 - For those of you who reside in the King West Area, if you haven't heard about the proposal for the Strachan Bridge, here's your chance to learn and vote AGAINST it.

The Strachan Bridge website is a site dedicated to opposing Metrolinx's disasterous plan to build a massive overpass right in the middle of the city. After MetroLinx consulting with community for quite some time, we had thought that we had arrived at a generally comprimising conclusion to this issue of solving the problem with the at-grade tracks at Strachan just south of King (Close to Liberty Village). Metrolinx needs to separate the tracks from the road as part of their service expansion and rail link to Pearson Airport.

The plan was recently rejected without any notice to the community who have worked so hard on a much more favourable plan than to create a massive overpass that brings a "mini-Gardiner" to one of the oldest areas in Toronto.

Here is the only drawing provided by Metrolinx for the projected overpass.

For more information, please visit http://www.strachanbridge.com/ and also send in a written comment to prevent this horrid project to happen.

Please understand, this doesn't only affect the Liberty Village residents, it will extend as far as residents in the King and Spadina area with routes having to be altered (which will affect the slaughter house's route...... even more stinky streets to come...)

This isn’t just some bad dream – this is MetroLinx’s
plan, and a multi-storey overpass *WILL* be built in the middle of our city unless we take action *NOW* to stop it.

31cent scoop night at Baskin Robbins!

Toronto, Ontario - April 29, 2009 - For those of you with a lot of patience and a sweet tooth, last night at Baskin Robbins was a night to participate in! For it's 3rd year in a row, Baskin Robbins hosts this event to help your neighbourhood raise money for YOUR local fire service organization during Baskin-Robbins 31 Cent Scoop Night. Baskin Robbins partnered with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and their National Junior Firefighter Program and will donate $100,000 to the cause.

As much as my patience is limited, I decided to partake in this fundraiser to fill the need of helping our local fire service organization. After waiting about a half hour, I finally stepped up to choose my two scoops of 31cent ice cream. (Strawberry Cheesecake & The Gold Medal Ribbon)

Green Living Show

Toronto, Ontario - April 25, 2009 - Being Earth week, I decided to attend the annual Green Living Show at the Direct Energy Centre tonight. With tons of new innovative green products and services (including delicious organic foods), the centre was packed with eco-friendly people wanting to participate more and more. Among all the booths I came across a few that i was very pleased with. The first was a very LARGE booth that featured smaller booths around it showing different ways to become more environmentally friendly (ei. using bicycles instead of cars, new water treatment systems, solar energy etc.) Secondly, I loved the Urban Forest Experience they had which was composed of these very cool domes filled with information on how important our natural resources are.

Living Green-ovations was a great display of what the world today is doing for our world tomorrow. With amazing innovative ideas to help preserve our beautiful planet.
This is where you discover not only what’s new in the environmental movement, but also where it’s heading. The Living Green-Ovations Showcase, located front and centre at the show, will awe inspire you by its display of unique prototypes, newly marketed products and ground breaking information.

Lastly, I must say, the food section was very impressive and I did end up picking up some goodies for me... and for LOLA. For Natural Food choices for dogs and cats, I came across Ami Dog & Cat which is Nutritionally complete Vegan Cat and Dog Food. (www.greenleafvegandist.com)Now normally, this wouldn't really attract my attention until the person at the booth started explaining to me that,

pound for pound, beef production generates greenhouse gases that contribute more than 13 times as much to global warming as do the gases emitted from producing chicken. Beef consumption is rising rapidly, both as population increases and as people (and dogs) eat more meat. Producing the annual beef diet of the average American emits as much greenhouse gas as a car driven more than 1,800 miles!

I never would have thought that. (Not saying I'm going to go Vegan, but I will think about this fact when I purchase or eat meat now).

As for the food I picked up, i got a great deal for some amazing Indian Spices from a company called Arvinda's (www.arvindas.com). They have recipes with their spices in them on the website, so check it out!

I also picked up Organic Whole Grain Mustard by a company called Organic Gold (www.organicgold.ca) which is distributed in a store called Culinarium that is located at Eglinton & Mount Pleasant. ( www.culinarium.ca) They feature Local Food Products, Cooking classes and wine & cheese tastings.

Lastly, after walking around so much, I got quite thirsty, so I stopped off at the Main Squeeze, where they make delicious organic lemonade. If you go to the show tomorrow, be sure to pick up one of these!

All in all, a great show to attend that will keep you busy for quite some time!
(http://www.greenlivingonline.com/torontoshow/)

iNSPIRATION FRIDAYS - FOXFIRE Forest & Hey OCEAN

Toronto, Ontario - April 24, 2009 - So a continuation of yesterday's inspiration Friday we ended up at the Horse Shoe Tavern that night to catch Hey Ocean!'s last performance with Spiral Beach. Amazingly enough, they had a band on before call FOXFIRE Forest which was unbelievably as well. Check out the video for the song California by Hey Ocean!

for more details on FOXFIRE Forest check out their myspace page:
http://www.myspace.com/foxfireforest

iNSPIRATION FRIDAYS! - Art gallery walk

Toronto, Ontario - April 24, 2009 - Today for iNSPIRATION Friday we decided to travel over to the Show and Tell Gallery. On our journey there, we stumbled across a few other galleries that were a great addition to the day! Check out the full footage here:

In my Spare Time....

Toronto, Ontario - April 19, 2009 - So, when I have spare time, I like to try out new things, experiment with different medias. Last night, I got onto photoshop and started playing around with some very creative fashion photos and wildlife. This is the series I came up with last night... here's a sneak peak!

MADCON

Toronto, Ontario - April 18, 2009 - Great new song I came across thanks to Eroc! Check it out... kindof a K-os/Outkast type style... Very cool.

Look @ this Fuckin Hipster!

Toronto, Ontario - April 18, 2009 - I stumbled across this website, and I'm so thankful I did. I can't believe I didn't think of making a blog dedicated to this! Kudos to the one who thought of it, because this site just made my day! Check it!

http://lookatthisfuckinghipster.tumblr.com/page/1

A Future Vision of a Peddler

Toronto, Ontario - April 16, 2009 - I have recently been contemplating to purchase a bicycle. The only thing really stopping is pure fear to be honest. Toronto is slowly becoming more and more friendly, but I still am not convinced that the streets of Toronto are safe for peddlers. Although, with the convincing of many friends and then the follow up with this amazing piece created by my very good friend Anne. Check out her artistic abilities. *Notice my Pup, Lola in the basket.

Lindsay Lohan eHarmony profile

Lindsay Lohan's eHarmony Profile from Lindsay Lohan

Toronto, Ontario - April 14, 2009 -Some humour to brighten up your night. Came across this video and I gotta give LaLohan props for taking a bad situation and making fun (and money) out of it!

New Fiona Apple

Toronto, Ontario - April 10, 2009 - If you haven't heard of this artist yet this is a purely amazing intro to her. Fiona Apple, born in New York City broke into the music industry in 1994 when executive Andy Slater from Sony Music caught attention to her deep rooted Jazzy Alternative Rock poetic melodies that seemed to flow so effortlessly.

This song, "Why try to Change me now" is featured on the 2009 US album "Then was Then, and Now is Now" - A tribute to Cy Coleman. It's a 6 track compilation that features many other great artists like Patty Griffin & Missy Higgins.

Check out them Moves!

Toronto, Ontario - April 10, 2009 - I honestly don't have much to say about this, because words cannot explain this kid. Special thanks to Anne who showed me this vid.

Check it.

Alex Cuba

Toronto, Ontario - April 9, 2009 - A while back, my Dad introduced me to a great talent. Alex Cuba (Yes, born in Cuba, raised in Canada) holds an ultra cool vibe that he's been exposing to the world. Alex Cuba's trademark sugarcane-sweet melodies, pop-soul hooks and rock chords give us a look into what Cuban music is to him. Recently, Alex collaborated with canadian band Blue Rodeo on one of their classics, Bad Timing. Unfortunately, I have searched HIGH and LOW for a video of this song, because it is truly beautiful hearing the spanish interpretation of the song. The only way i found it is through iTUNES. I highly recommend you download it, trust me, you won't be dissapointed in this one.

You can also catch Alex Cuba performing live at the Mod Club Friday May 1st.

Check out his website for details: http://www.alexcuba.com/

99 ROOMS

Toronto, Ontario - April 8, 2009 - If you have some time on your hands and are looking for a challenge that is fairly simple and amusing check out 99ROOMS. This is a unique internet art project that meshes wall painting, photography, animation and sound together to make a beautiful new concept. After it's launch in June 2004, more than 4 MILLION people across the globe already visited this masterpiece.

99Rooms portrays mystical and almost eerie pictures created by Berlin Artist Kim Koster. Photos of these paintings were initially produced in digital form and then animated through a joint effort between Richard Schumann & Stephan Schulz. Lastly, Johannes Buenemann compiles the personal sound design.

The Final product of this year long effort of amazing artists collaborating is a world that invites us to observe a journey through these morbidly-beautiful rooms.

Visit the website now: http://www.99rooms.com/

Wanna Challenge?

"A Daily Challenge Gone BIG. Pay it Backward broke a world record with the help of Daily Challenge. Check out this video to be inspired to do good."

Toronto, Ontario - April 7, 2009 - In a time of economical struggles, this is the best time to take on a challenge. We are already working harder, faster for things that last year seemed a lot easier to achieve. But what if we did a small thing everyday to make our lives or someone else's better?

Daily Challenge has made a huge effort to get people involved by being a "Do Gooder". If you visit the website and sign up, you will see a list of today's challenges which range from "smile at a stranger" to something a like, "remind your parents you love them". These are all small acts of kindness, but if we can get a community to do this, these acts of kindness become more than a small thing. Combined we can rebuild what seems to be missing these days, especially in a time of economic crisis.

Take a look at the website and spread the word. - this is my daily challenge to YOU.
http://www.dailychallenge.org/

In the Life of Hunter S. Thomspon - GONZO

Toronto, Ontario - April 6, 2009 - An amazing writer, story teller and trouble maker, Hunter S. Thompson is one of the most interesting people of our time. Being excessive in anything he did makes Hunter a great focus for a very promising documentary. Gonzo portrays a true intellectual who embraced the vision of a new world not ruled by greed or war. The title of the documentary (Gonzo) is a form of journalism which was first used in 1970 by Hunter who progressively made it more and more popular as a style of writing that is subjectively written via a first person narrative.

Gonzo is a well spanned out view of Thompson's life and work that includes interviews with his two wives, his son, Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone, Sonny Barger from the Hell's Angels, Jimmy Buffet, George McGovern, Jimmy Carter, Pat Buchanan, Tom Wolfe and more.

This documentary goes deep into Hunter's life starting from the very beginning up until him planning his funeral and watching his ashes explode out of the two thumbed fist on top of his hill in Aspen.

I recommend this film to anyone who is interested in this character of our generation, I'm sure you will find his demeanors at times truly unbelievable, and yet i have no respect for anyone who commits suicide (I think it's a selfish way to go) - somehow Hunter and the people around him in his life seem to have the ability to convince you that for him, this is how his life was to end.

to watch the movie:
http://www.vidics.com/media.php?id=2231


* On a side note, i recommend you check out his friend and following artist, Ralph Steadman:
http://www.ralphsteadman.com/

Books are for ART! not reading

Toronto, Ontario - April 5, 2009 - Artists have found a new way to demonstrate art that have many stories to tell. Check out the art installations constructed by hundreds, maybe thousands of books.

Polar Bear to raise awareness of Global Warming

Greenwich, London - April 5, 2009 - Standing 16ft tall, a polar bear and cub float stranded on an iceberg along the Thames to raise awareness of Climate Change. A team of 15 artists collaborated on this project in Greenwich for 2 months to create this sculpture that weighs a whopping 1.5 Tons. David Attenborough, who has a career as the respected face and voice of British natural history programmes has endured for more than 50 years has said: “The melting of the polar bears’ sea ice habitat is one of the most pressing environmental concerns of our time."

iNSPIRATION FRIDAYS! - Review of the POOL -

Toronto, Ontario - April 4, 2009 - So our iNSPIRATION FRIDAYS took a little detour due to the heavy rain storm we had on Friday. We had originally thought about going to the Show & Tell Gallery but ended up in Yorkville at the Cumberland where we found ourselves wading in the American-made Hindi film called The Pool.

This film was originally based on a short story by author Randy Russell that was placed in Iowa. For the film, they moved the location to India. The film revolves around an 18 year-old, Venkatesh who is always late for his work at a no-star hotel where nothing promising seems to arise in his favour.

Venkatesh's life takes a turn when one day, while perched on top of a mango tree he spots a beautiful, serene pool that is emaculately still. The pool gives a symbolism of freedom, care-free lifestyle which makes him long to just have one experience in it.

With a sudden obessision with the Pool and then also the owner's daughter, he finds his way into the family by helping the owner, Nana Patekar take care of his beautiful garden.

I won't spoil anymore for you, but the film The Pool is worth a watch if you're looking for a calm, smooth storyline. There are no predominent conflicts or troubles that come along, just simply living the life in the eyes of an uneducated boy. It is filmed very un-biased towards the attention given to any of the characters meaning that close ups were left out which left the film to be shown in a very simple yet beautiful way.

if you have time, go to the Cumberland and check this one out.

Making a Difference - Artan Garden

Toronto, Ontario - April 1, 2009 - Last night I had the Pleasure of meeting a very inspirational and creative woman, Zel who happens to be from my hometown (North Bay). She is in the process of creating a phenomenon in Organic Gardens in the heart of the city along with education, creativity and forming a community that is able to share amoungst themselves. This is a place where local food can be grown and safe and healthy horticulture is taught. For more videos for more information, visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/wellwithzell

Thank you Mac for being YOU.

Toronto, Ontario - April 1, 2009 - 4 years ago, I made a bold decision to switch from PC to Mac. I have now joined the group of once you go MAC, you never go back. Unfortunately this April Fool's day a nasty virus is planning an attack on PC users around the world. There are many things this virus can do to your computer if you get infected. It could delete all of the files on the CPU, use zombie PCs which are controlled by a master which could overwhelm and shut down Web sites or monitor a person's keyboard stroked to collect private information like passwords or bank account information.

Thankfully these days hackers are more greedy when it comes to viruses rather than just making someone's life miserable. Most likely, the virus will try to get people to buy fake software or spend money on other fake products.

To make sure your PC is safe, see if you are receiving automatic updates from Windows (specifically in March). If you have gotten this update, most likely you're computer will be fine.

People who have not gotten the latest Windows update go to: http://safety.live.com/

As for Mac users, you can dis-regard all this info and enjoy April Fool's 2009.

Daft is some Punk'd up Shhhh i T!

Toronto, Ontario - March 30, 2009 - So you've probably seen Daft Hands (if not, see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2cYWfq--Nw )

Now you have the chance to try it out yourself on your keyboard.... this is highly entertaining when you need to waste some time. To find out what I mean, check out :

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=73125774749&h=8EO8w&u=jN47z&ref=mf

Luminato Festival of Arts + Creativity

Toronto, Ontario - March 30, 2009 - For it's third year now, Luminato - Toronto's Festival of Arts and Creativity is now the newest international arts festival. With a vast line up of creative expression which include but are not limited to: music, dance, theatre, film, literature, visual arts and lectures, this festival embraces collaboration, accessibility and diversity. Luminato runs from June 5-14th and the full schedule will be accessible online as of April 1st and tickets go on sale April 16th. for more info, visit: http://www.luminato.com/festival/eng/mainindex.php

KEYS N KRATES

Toronto, Ontario - March 30, 2009 - Thanks to a wonderful lady I work with, Quinn, I have had the privilege of finding out about Keys N Krates. It's collaboration of DJ Junior Flow on deck along with Matisse on keys, and Tune on the drums. They are a live remix band taking accapella with the DJ, mixing it with live keys and kicking it with a heart stopping drums to create a new vibe in clubs, bars and concert venues. You can see them perform live on Good Friday (April 10) at Super Market in Kensington. checkem out. http://www.myspace.com/keysnkrates

Artist to watch out for

Toronto, Ontario - March 29, 2009 - One of my friends introduced me to this band a while back and it seems like they are really starting to pick up. If you haven't heard the sound of HEY OCEAN! yet, i highly recommend you check em out.

Parvez Michel

Venice Beach - March 29, 2009 -During my amazing visit to LA, while on Venice Beach one day we stumbled across a great artist, Parvez Michel. Parvez uses many different sources for his projects, many of which are environmentally friendly. From high-density fiberboard made from recycled post production waste, Reclaimed Sorghum Straw, re-used mirrors and to the acrylic products which we had the pleasure of seeing. These projects make great room dividers, light boxes and window installations or just a great art piece that can be suspended from your ceiling. You have the option of choosing one of his designs or if you have a creative flare, you can customize your own pice of art. Check out his work at www.parvezmichel.com

A combination of two creative geniuses

Toronto, Ontario - March 29, 2009 - This has got to be one of my favourite videos of all time. This is the recipe to a beautiful and emotional story that has been created by Montreal based singer & pianist, Patrick Watson and Alex Produkt also Montreal based super creative artist who is known for his sketches on one single piece of paper and creating movement with his characters by erasing and re-drawing continuously.

Sam Flores

Toronto, Ontario - March 28, 2009 - An artist I just stumbled upon that is definitely worth while checking out. Sam Flores' designs are very graffiti orientated with clean lines and a repetitive colour scheme. He has an incredible Bio on his website which I suggest you take a look at as well you can find his work which include paintings, drawings and instalations.


check out his website - http://www.samflores.com/home.html

Earth Hour TODAY

Toronto, Ontario - March 28, 2009 - An event which was once only a Toronto based participation, Earth Hour is catching on and flooding to more than 150 cities coast to coast. This year, almost a BILLION people in more than 2,800 cities worldwide are expected to live in the dark for one hour tonight starting at 8:30PM local time.

To have even a deeper impact, lights are to be switched off at some of the world's greatest landmarks: The Acropolis in Athens, the Roman Colloseum and the Great Pyramids at Giza. Also Local landmarks such as Niagara Falls and the CN Tower.

I encourage you to share this with your friends, family and co-workers and to participate tonight in Earth Hour where we can all work towards reducing electricity consumption.

Morning wake me up

Toronto, Ontario - March 28, 2009 - This has got to be one of my fav songs, and this remix by the Neptunes is a great morning cruzer..... check it out.

Puma Lift

Toronto, Ontario - March 27, 2009 - Puma has created this amazing Light Injected love story campaign for their new featured light-injected footwear. These are the ultra lightweight, 173 gram PUMA L.I.F.T. shoe. find out more at http://www.puma.com/lift

Crazy Lola

Toronto, Ontario - March 27, 2009 - Just in case you haven't had the pleasure in meeting my pup, Lola, here is a video of a pretty good idea of how she is almost 24/7.