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...