Now, smokers no longer have to go outside for a quick drag. Forget about freezing your arse off when you are drinking and need to leave and go out on the patio for a smoke!

A Frosty Brew to Help Smokers Quit?
July 13, 2005

STUTTGART, GERMANY -- How about the taste of combining beer with nicotine?
A new beer has been launched by German company Nautilus that claims to help smokers kick the habit by infusing nicotine into the brew.

Here's the whole story...

We hate out bank. I would like to say that the time some dude on the phone called me a fucking bitch was the last staw, but no, it was just the beginning. There was also the monthly call for about 6 months that i had to make because they took out 14 bucks too much for service charges. The manager also had the balls to ask my husband why he called when they didn't follow up on a timely issue. So, no more M&T Bank on Elmwood for us...

Anyone have an horror stories for a bank or branch we should stay away from? Or somewhere they are decent?

Last time we were in Toronto, i picked up a brochure for the Toronto Vegetarian Assoctiation. Thought it would come in handy next time we are in the city and looking for new or different places to eat. It had a section saying their website had a fast food report. It was interesting to see how veggie friendly some of the fast food places are... or aren't. I saw the section on Subway and thought i would email Subway and ask about the ingredients in the veggie patties they sell here and in some regions. They don't carry them in Canada at all, as far as i can tell. I ended up emailing the Toronto Vegetarian Association and they changed the report slight to read

Subway
Updated May 2006. Leette emailed us to say: "Here in the US, in some random locations ... there are veggie patties."
I called their toll line, (800) 888-4848, and was told that they are testing these new products in rotating locations. Some Toronto locations are carrying them. The two new additions are the Gardenburger that contains cheese and egg white and the VegiMax that contains egg white. Subway emailed us the ingredients. There is no mention yet of the new veggie products on their website.
They have a vegan Veggie Delite described as: "a crunchy combination of garden fresh lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, olives and pickles and your choice of condiments served on freshly baked bread. It's like a salad sandwich." All of Subway's breads are egg and diary-free except three cheese breads that contain rennet of unknown origin. Their special sauces all contain egg yolk and/or milk ingredients except for the fat-free Sweet Onion Sauce. Their cookies all contain egg and milk products but are otherwise vegetarian.
See the AllergenChart.pdf (Canadian version at AllergenChartCAN.pdf) and ingredient list (Canada | US) for more information. See their website for more regions. You can call them at (800) 888-4848 to request more veggie options in your home town.

I also have another phood photo essay for ya'll. Yesterday, i tackled another one of my food fears. I have always wanted to try to make homemade lasagna. I know, some of you might think it's not that challenging to make. Well, for some reason, i was scared of trying and we always ate frozen ones. Not anymore. I must say, i am rather proud of the fact that, wihtout a recipe and just some basic ieads, i made a very yummy vegetarian 3 cheese lasagna.

And emptay pan, some dry noodles and a jar of sauce (well, you didn't think i was going to do the whole thing from scratch, did ya?)


The vegetables...


And the chopping begins...



Boiling noodles... i thought about a no boil recipe, but i just wasn't brave enough my first go round.


Oh, how clever; i just thawed the frozen spinach using a measuring cup and some of the boiling water from the pasta...


Noodles done.


Let the sauteing begin...



The 3 cheeses -- Low Moisture Mozzarella, Aged Provalone and Pecorino Ramano from Guercio's.


Ready to assemble. Cooled noodles, cooling veggies, cheeses and tomato sauce.


Assembled lasagna and messy kitchen (thank you again, (e:Uncutsaniflush) for being my chief bottle washer!)


Gotta let it rest for at least 5 minutes, more like 10 before cutting into it...


Finally. After about 3 hours, we can eat my creation.

Are you still looking for a rocking chair, (e:Matthew) ? (E:Uncutsaniflush) and i saw this one today and i didn't know if you would be interested or not. It's an unusual chair, and of course my photo hardly does it justice. Anyway, we saw it at a place called Niagara Frontiers (is that what it was called, Dear, you know how i am with names!) at the Summit Mall, if you're intereted, (e:Matthew) .

Today at lunch, i mentioned to (e:Uncutsaniflush) that i would be ok with making something for dinner that requires use of the oven. Since we don't have a/c, i tend to make dishes that don't heat up the entire kitchen (and the house) come warmer weather days. I thought about making my vegetarian shepherd's pie.

Then, he came up with a brilliant idea. Cabbage rolls! I have never made them, so this would be a team effort. I needed (e:Uncutsaniflush) 's memory of helping his mom.... since we decided to go with her stovetop method, and not the method my grandma used (which she got from my grandpa's Ukrainian side of the family, most specificly, my great Auntie Mary). I called my mom with a few questions about how grandma did some things (she promised to send me a recipe, and i will try her way some time in the future) and (e:Uncutsaniflush) did some online research...

Off we went to Guerico's to get cabbage... and a few other things we needed or wanted that had little to do with tonight's dinner.

A side note on Guercio's. They had fiddleheads! I wish i took a picture, but i didn't.. no one there, but the guy behind the counter and me and (e:Uncutsaniflush) even knew what they were. Oh, how i heard way too much about fiddlehead hunting when i was in Halifax!

OK, so, here goes... a photo essay of our Cabbage Roll caper....

Behold, the humble raw cabbage head.


And the rice cooker beginning it's cooking.


Chopping onion for the filling.


Boiling the cored cabbage in salted sugared water.


Partially cooked rice.


Pot lined with celery ribs.. and Boca, the "meat" part of the filling.


Assembled filling of "meat", rice, sauted onions and seasonings.


Boiled, deviened cabbage leaves ready to be rolled.


Action shot!


All ready in the pot.


After about an hour on the stove.


My plate of food.


(E:Uncutsaniflush) 's plate of food.


Half eaten pot of cabbage rolls.


Yuuummmmmm......... all done.


All things said, i think we did damn good. They were yummy and the cabbage was nice and tender. Next time, more salt...

Everyone is doing it, so why not me? I wanted this song as a user sound, but my ripped mp3 was too big *pout* so i thought i would put it in gather, for those who are interested. One of my favies. (just so ya'll know, the song starts kinda soft like, but it will get loud and obnoxious if you give it a second). Good ole 1990's punk

Gather: 0966795001147739604

L7
Can I Run?

Are these sensible shoes on my feet
I wear my shades so our eyes don`t meet
I`m scared every fuckin` day
I wear my headphones so i can`t hear what you say

Can i run

Switch to paranoid from having fun
Will he use his hands, knife, or a gun
Knuckles are white, wrapped around my mace
Comes from living in a terrorist state

Can i run

When he`s following me
He`s not my brother, he`s my enemy
Is he behind the door or in back of the tree
Is he under the bed, is he in the back street

Can i run

So, instead of L7, (e:Uncutsaniflush) helped me with another song... My Pal Foot Foot by the Shaggs. :O)

isn't really a whole lot.

i have been told my whole life that i am too sensitive. recently, i was told that i am too sensitive for my own good. even more sensitive than the person telling me this, much to her amazement. being sensitive has lead me down unusual paths. i don't fit into the norm.

i know i overreact when i am hurt. i don't know how to act like all the people that have this all figured out. very rarely have i turned to someone and told them they hurt me. it's not that i don't think my feelings are valid or worthy. i just don't know how to do it. i don't want my reaction to be out of proportion. nor do i want to shut down.

the positive side to this is that i am also quick to be happy, to laugh, to jump for joy, to applaud and to just say 'yay'. i love being happy for other people just as much as i love being happy for myself. not always the norm, either. i can be the first to make a move to be silly in a room full of somber faces. i make an ass of myself in this regard. regularly.

lately, i have been wondering how much of who i am has affected my friendships. i don't have many. the few i have, i have had for a long time. i don't make friends easily. i am awkward. too guarded or too exposed. too wary. too talkative. or too silent. and, of course, too easily hurt. without the ability to handle the hurt well. i can also come across as too enthusiastic. too passionate about things others may see as mundane. my priorities might seem disproportionate. i don't know how to reach out in a way that makes sense to every one else.

i love the friends i have with every fiber of my being. their joy is mine. their sadness i share. my bestest friend in the whole wide world is also my biggest fan. i am fortunate that he is also my husband.

that's what i know right now. who knows what i might know in the future.

Oh, how i hate to quote Bono (sorry, U2 fans out there.. can't help it, i think they suck, but i hear they are really nice guys), but it is such a great day out today. Nice cool breeze with a warm sun. Those are the kinda days that make me think of spring!

We had some errands to do today. Mostly, we needed to go downtown to pay our User Fee bill at City Hall. This time, we wanted to make sure we did not do it last minute, when everyone else is there. And, avoid lunch hour. Another big mistake. We also decided, on such a nice day, why drive there and back. Why not take the bus? We're right between 2 routes that would get us there in about 15 - 20 minutes.

City Hall was all decked out with tables selling what we assumed to be Mother's Day crafts on the main floor hallway. Nothing much there for my mom... and i already got and gave her the gift she's getting (dvd of the film The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill ).

We thought about going up to City Hall's observation tower. (E:Matthew)'s pictures inspire me to want to face that fear of heights i have. But alas, it is closed due to construction...



We hung around for a while, trying to figure out why there were so many cops and firefighters milling about, not letting cars drive on certain streets along Niagara Square. Eventually, i asked someone. Seems the courthouse received a bomb threat today. Yipes!

We walked around a bit. Too early for an (e:peep) sighting of (e:lilho) at a hotdog cart. But we were getting hungry. (e:Uncutsaniflush) mentioned a restaurant that sounded cool... "california mexican", i think is what he called the cuisine. After eating there, i agreed. It's on the corner of Chippewa and Delaware, street level in the Hampton Inn. Called Salsarita's. I had the most giantestest burrito i have ever seen (in real life.. but it looked similar to one i saw Ozzy eat on an episode of The Osbornes). Veggie choices are plenty, as are all menu options. I think that's their shtick. The place got packed. And, when i looked them up later while at home (yeah, i know, (e:Paul) i could have done it on the go if i had the right mobile device!) it turns out they aren't Californian at all! Place started in Charlotte, North Carolina. I should have taken pictures, but i didn't think of it until mine was almost half gone!

We walked some more, and decided to head to the bus stop.. and the one we ended up at was a mere block away from the restaurant... and had choices. We decided to take the next bus that came. Either the Elmwood or the Grant. One is way closer, but we thought the extra walk wouldn't do us any harm if the Elmwood bus came first. And it did. We even had an (e:peep) sighting, but i thought it would have freaked out the whole bus if i yelled out "Hey Matthew!!" the tiny window up top.... Only took us 15 minutes to walk from Elmwood and Bird down to our place between Grant and Niagara.

After putting our feet up for a bit, we decided to do a bit of yard work before the promised rain storm gets here. Thank goodness we packed it in and had dinner or we would still be out there toiling.

As i mentioned in my last journal, (e:LeeTee,173) i pug sat today... her human isn't home yet, but the poor thing just couldn't relax here, so i brought her back home so she could nap.

Anyhoo, here are pics...

Smart dog took an immediate liking to (e:Uncutsaniflush) !



She does this cute pose... i think she is used to being photographed!



And this cute lil head tilt when she hears something new (like maybe (e:Uncutsaniflush) playing his guitar) or something she likes (like the word "out").



What a face!





Just imagine how many pics there would be if i had my own dog!

I'm deliriously happy a neighbour asked me to dog sit her pug this afternoon. Shame it's raining, or i would be out walking her now. Instead, i am off to the neighbour's to hang out inside with her... and the 2 very cute kitties! I am sure pictures will follow at some point.....