Elle Woods Trains For A Bike Race

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Morgan @ Life After Bagels
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Elle Woods is one of my favourite fictional characters ever.  (I’m sure I’ve mentioned that countless times on this blog).  The fact that I have law class this semester means that you’ve got another 3 months full of references.  Oh and you know that scene when she first gets to class and her teacher yells at her because she didn’t do the reading for the class?  That totally  happened to me last week.  But I did do the reading.  I just mixed up the definition of mediation and arbitration.  I don’t think my law teacher enjoys teaching, I’ll just leave it at that.

I’ve got just over a week until my law midterm exam (and my accounting exam FYI) so I’m in total Elle Woods mode today.

Also, even though my nose is still a snot fountain, I’m going to hit the gym for Ride for Heart training.  I haven’t been in a week.  But I’ll just bring a lot of kleenex.  My cabin fever is really taking over today so what better way to get out of the house than to hit the gym.  Don’t worry, I’ll take it easy.  I might even bring my law homework with me to study while I ride.

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Ahhhhh Friday

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Morgan @ Life After Bagels
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Friday on a week where you’ve sat on the couch for days is not really Friday.  But heck I’ll take it.

Being sick is incredibly boring.  I can’t decide what’s worse, being behind on homework or being behind in the gym.  But I’m right up to date on Y and R.  (Did you know that Victor and Sharon are married?  They’re probably getting it annulled soon, but WOW!)

This morning I finally left the house for a few minutes.  For those of you having to drive this morning I’m sure you’re cursing the snow.  But for me it was awesome!  Fresh air, huge snowflakes, the perfect way to break my cabin fever.  Although my nose started running like crazy when the cold air hit.

Other things I’m trying to do to make me feel better:

FOOD!  My appetite is back so I’m trying to get my energy back up with regular food instead of just soup.

This was so good last night.  I just threw some feta cheese, spinach, and salt and pepper on some whole wheat macaroni.

The other thing I’m doing is drinking water and tea to the extreme.  I’m so dehydrated that my skin is super flaky and my throat constantly feels parched.

Okay here’s something quick and fun for Friday.  Last night I posted to my Facebook status that I wanted another tattoo and a bunch of my friends liked and commented.  People love talking about tattoos.

Do you have a tattoo?  How many and of what?  Are you hankering for another one too?

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When It Comes To Compromise

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Morgan @ Life After Bagels
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You know how people like to hate on celebrities that cry about being photographed?  For example, if Kim Kardashian complains about getting away from the paparazzi many people say she deserves what she gets since she broadcasts her life all over the place.

Now I assure you I am not comparing myself to Kim Kardashian.  She has more money and a way hotter ass than mine.  But I do put myself out there on a daily basis on this blog.  And I have opinions, lots of them.  I have more opinions than there are words in the dictionary my friends.

Want to know one of my opinions?  Medicine sucks.  Western medicine is over used, over prescribed and full of god only knows what types of chemicals.  Like HELL is that stuff getting in my body.  I have said or typed all of those things at one time or another.

But then there was the time that I couldn’t stand up straight from that ear infection and I had to get those ear drops.

And then there was the time that I was having those crazy digestion problems and my doctor thought I had a stomach infection.  (I would have rather had the stomach infection then the whole cut down on coffee, cheese, beer, wine, and everything good in life diagnosis but that’s not today’s post is it.)

And then there was the time that I sat on the couch and cried my eyes out because my head hurt so much and my nose hurt so much and so much snot was pouring out of me that it could fill ALL of the great lakes should they ever run dry.  That was Tuesday night.  And I got myself allllllllll hopped up on cold medication.  If not for my sake for Brad’s so I would stop crying and he could fall asleep.

So where does my big bad opinion about medicine leave me?

For some reason I’ve spent the majority of my life being a black and white person.  No in between.  There was right and there was wrong.  But in my old age (my bad hips and knees make me feel like I’m 80 so just go with this okay) I’ve learned that there are shades of grey (Canadian spelling people).

Does thinking medicine is bad but popping a pill when my head feels like it’s going to pop off make me a bad person?

I don’t think so.

I think it makes me human.  I will always seek out an alternative way, method, treatment.  I’ll try to listen to my body and try to heal my ailment by adjusting my food, or rest, or lifestyle.  For a few days I chose compromise instead of my opinions.  And I’m happy to say I’m feeling better this morning.

Just don’t send the paparazzi over to take photos.  I’ve got crusty nose and swollen eye that would scare a hairless cat.

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Toronto Blogger Meetup

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Morgan @ Life After Bagels
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If you’re wondering if I’m feeling better this morning, I’m not :( .  I’ve decided to forego writing about my day yesterday (10:00 wake up, 10:01 blow my nose, 10:02 blow my nose) and hit you up with much more exciting news.

TORONTO BLOGGER MEETUP

When: Saturday February 25

Time: 6:30 pm

Where: Commensal (Vegan and Vegetarian Buffet)

Who: all of YOU … any bloggers or readers are welcome

RSVP: morgan.shuker AT gmail.com (You must RSVP so that I can adjust the reservation if necessary)

We had such a blast last January when we all got together at Commensal.

I hope you will all be able to come!

AND I hope you might join me at the following two events.

CANADIAN ORGANIC GROWERS CONFERENCE

PODCAMP TORONTO

  • February 25 and 26 at Ryerson
  • FREE “unconference” with tonnes of social media topics
  • visit their site for more details, the agenda will be posted closer to the date

Hope to see you all soon :)

PS Help spread the word about our meet up, share this blog post or post on your own blog.

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Vegan Potato And Cheese Soup

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Morgan @ Life After Bagels
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Holly hell I’m sick.  For some reason I thought that I was going to be able to keep it away even though Brad was home sick with me for three days.  I truly can’t think of a time that if one of us got sick, the other didn’t.  But then my brain is total mush right now so don’t trust anything I say.

Except for this recipe.  You should trust this.  I made it last night before my brain was totally shot.

Vegan Potato and Cheese Soup Recipe

  • 1 cup of dry quinoa – cooked
  • 2 cups beer
  • 2 cups broth
  • 4 cups water
  • 6 potatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 4 stalks celery
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons oil

Cook quinoa and set aside.  In a large pot heat oil on low medium heat.  Add garlic, onions, and celery and saute until onions are translucent.  Add water, broth, beer, potatoes, carrots and quinoa.  Add thyme, salt and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes add nutritional yeast and blend the soup all together with a hand mixer.  (If you want to use your blender, let the soup cool, then add nutritional yeast and blend.)

This was the perfect soup for being sick.  I was kind of tired of broth-y soups over the weekend and this tasted more like comfort food.  But the key is – you can’t have cheese when you’re sick so you have to make it vegan.  Oh and the blended quinoa gives it a protein punch.

What’s your all time favourite soup?

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Chobani Bookclub

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Morgan @ Life After Bagels
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A few weeks ago I got a Happy New Year email from Emily at Chobani.  She was wondering if I wanted to bring some yogurt for my friends at school to try.  I had to email her back and tell her that I had no friends at school.  No really it’s true, it’s a combination between my school and classes being too large, me being a mature student, and I haven’t met any other students in my major.  However I did think my book club friends would appreciate the snack.

I baked up some muffins with pomegranate yogurt.

The recipe is from the Chobani Kitchen site, I just baked the muffins for 19 minutes instead of the time for the bread.

Last night = more baking.

I made pancakes for dinner.

Gotta love pancakes for dinner!

In between flipping pancakes I made the most delicious zucchini muffins.

Zucchini Muffin Recipe

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 egg (or one flax egg)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 medium size zucchini (shredded)
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1/4 cup yogurt
  • 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Mix the dry ingredients and wet separately, then combine.  Bake at 350 for 17 minutes.  Makes 12 muffins.

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Ravioli Held Hostage

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Morgan @ Life After Bagels
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Uh oh.  I’ve left my camera at Claire and Ronaldo’s house.  We were there for our annual Christmas dinner, which always takes place a few weeks after Christmas.  Ronaldo made some delicious ravioli but my photo is being held hostage at their house.

It was beet ravioli and looked something like this, only square.

(source)

Claire made rapini (which I don’t think I’ve ever had before) and orange and fennel salad.  I was so very full afterwards.  But there was still a teensy bit of room for cupcakes which I brought from the Cupcake Shoppe at Yonge and Eglinton.

Claire always thinks of the MOST thoughtful gifts for everyone.  Brad got a BB Gun to bring to the cottage.  I got a thingy to mount my iPhone on my bike so that I can track my time and mileage when I’m training for my Ride for Heart (in the spring, no outdoor biking now).

Speaking of training.  Yesterday I ventured over to the gym alone for my weekly training ride.  Poor Brad is still too sick, he had to have an hour nap before heading to our dinner last night.  I biked for 90 minutes and did a total of 29 km.  Surprisingly, it didn’t kill me.  Although I’m counting on my legs being sore tomorrow.  I always get sore two days after the gym, do you?

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Ginger Beer

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Morgan @ Life After Bagels
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Geez it’s been a jam packed week of a giveaway, a protest, and a book review.  Are you ready to get back to your regularly scheduled blogging?  (Read: do you want another oatmeal picture? Just kidding!)

First thing, let me announce my Make Death Wait giveaway winner:

Natalie from This / That by Nat

Yay!  Natalie email me your mailing address to morgan.shuker AT gmail.com

So what did I regularly schedule yesterday?  I started my morning with a workout.  Forgot my lock.  OY!!!!!  Does anyone else ever do that?  Remember a few weeks ago when I forgot my shoes?  Packing for the gym during the winter has proven to be tricky for me.

My workout was 20 minutes on the elliptical, 10 minutes on the rowing machine, and then weight training for my shoulders, arms and chest.

Someone in this house skipped his workout last night.  Surprising, because he almost never skips a workout (whereas I can be easily distracted).  Brad is soooooo sick.  The poor dude.  It seems to be just a cold, not a flu.  He’s a mess from the neck up.  I must have had women’s intuition yesterday because before I even knew he was sick I had made up a batch of lentil stew.  Okay, that’s not true it was just on the meal plan for yesterday. :P

Gosh I love lentil stew.  So easy to make.  So delicious.  So healthy!

When I got home last night I ran to the store to get him some ginger beer.  Actually neither of us has had ginger beer it’s just Schweppes ginger ale.  It sounds cool though when you say “ginger beer”.  We rarely drink pop but we love ginger ale, and it’s perfect for a scratchy throat.

Do you like ginger ale when you have a scratchy throat?  Or how about the flu?  Has anyone actually had ginger beer?

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Book Review: The Underside Of Joy

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Morgan @ Life After Bagels
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Good morning friends!  It’s time for another Blogher Book Club Review.

“I laughed, I cried, it was better than cats”

Seriously though.  The Underside of Joy by Sere Prince Halverson was one of the best books I’ve read.  You know the –  you can’t put it down, stay up until 3am reading and your boyfriend / husband keeps rolling around in his sleep and squinting, trying to figure out why the hell the light is on kind of books.  Yes my friends THAT good.

photo from sereprincehalverson.com

It’s a story of loss, I’ll let you on to that.  I thought it was going to be incredibly depressing.  But the only thing it was, was real.  The events that happened (and those were depressing), the circumstances that Elle Beene (the main character) found herself in where not the main event.  The story existed on all the days in between those events.

The writing was absolutely spot on.  I felt all of the emotions that Ella was feeling.  Literally, I laughed and I cried.  Especially at the end, oh I cried at lot … yes it was 3am.  The story is written in first person.  It feels like Ella is your best friend and she’s pouring her heart out to you the entire book.  It’s a roller coaster ride.  It’s like you can’t decide whether to comfort her, give her advice, slap her silly, or something else entirely.  But you know one thing, you don’t want to be in her shoes.

Gosh I know I’m being so vague but that’s because I don’t want to give any of the story away.  I’m the kind of person that doesn’t even read the blurb on the inside cover because I don’t want any information.  I’ll leave you with a quote from the book:

“I had happened upon this town, a man, and his children, this house, these trees.  I’d stumbled upon someone’s lost treasure.  No, abandoned treasure, left behind.  I hadn’t stolen it, but I didn’t want to return it either.”

You can check out the Blogher forum for some great discussions about the book.  This weeks is: Are you prepared for a personal emergency?

*This is a paid review from Blogher, however all opinions are my own.

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Stop Censorship

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Morgan @ Life After Bagels
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Today I have decided to join the sites that are BLACKING OUT in protest of the current US bills that are passing through Congress.

I agree the internet has problems. I know it can be a kind of wild west. But this proposed censorship is not the answer.

See this video for more information

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