Delicious Recipe #2!

It's cold, it's snowing, take-out is crappy and expensive. And... btw loyal followers (if you're out there :)), my first recipe post got me the most page views I've gotten since I started this blog in 2009 - so here goes Recipe NUMERO DEUX!

A delicious soup that is filling, tasty, acidic, different, and quick to make! Always amazing to try out new recipes that actually surprise you. Peter and I will undoubtedly be making this one again. This recipe was found in Issue 51 of The Donna Hay Magazine that included 25 recipes for simple soups! I'm sure I'll be posting another one of the recipes soon considering how great this one turned out.



Without further ado -

Chicken, Risoni, Lemon Soup!
4 medium sized servings


1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over high heat.
2. Add 1 chopped brown onion and 1 sliced clove garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add 4 chicken thigh filets, 1 litre chicken stock and 2 cups water and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Remove chicken, shred and set aside.
5. Add 1 cup risoni to the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes.
6. Add the chicken with 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves.
7. Sprinkle with finely grated parmesan and lemon zest to serve!

Enjoy it and please let me know what you think of the it!

Inspiration EVERYWHERE - Some recent finds...

I've always been a curious person I suppose, but my recent leap into a design career and increased internet surfing has seriously peek my curiousity. I mean, come on people, how amazing is TWITTER?! Compelling content that I ask to hear about. What more could you ask for from a social media website?

Sure does beat the 30 posts a day from that one facebook friend who spends all their time on Farmville...

And Reddit?! Granted, I don't have an account and am not the most frequent visitor, but my bf sends me all the links I'd be interested in. He's like my personal Twitter filter for Reddit :).

And on the subject of inspiration, did any of you head out to the Igloofest in Montreal this month? What a visual trip! The lights, the ice sculptures, the people, the music... and the brilliant event marketing. Igloofest = My Heaven = Marketing+Design for the 20 somethings.

ALSO, TEDxConcordia - Feb 19, I'm there, Baby!

I'm bursting with excitement from all the stimulation and inspiration I've gotten from 2011 so far. I'm hungry for more.

Here are a few items to spark you're curiousity as well:

JOOZE - The sweetest juice box packaging I've ever seen.


http://lovelypackage.com/student-work-yunyeen-yong/

A still from Amelie - exceptional film and the inspiration for my newly acquired haircut :)



3-D Crayola Chalk??!?!? Light years beyond my childhood art tools



Igloofest scene! This shot doesn't do it justice but it gives you a tiny taste...



I dare you not to love this song! Janelle Monae, thank the universe for you. Faster, off her lastest album Arch Android.



Vibrant floral patterns... I'm a sucker for them.



On the topic of floral patterns.... William Morris, Pattern God. (My new title image is a William Morris pattern)



Art by Gordon Reid of Middle Boop



Marian Bantjes -- she must be on the verge of insanity... Her work is insanely beautiful and insanely meticulous



Ink in water.... I am fascinated.



A final image to ponder over: Space colonies. Ya.... sit on that one for a while.

Salad d'Amour!

In the spirit of savouring in 2011, I've been exploring some new food avenues! New restos, and mostly, new recipes at home. What better time to do it then during the coldest months of winter, when all you want to do is hibernate and keep warm. A few extra pounds sure will help the cause!

I must come clean, we did start the year off with several food comas! A phenomenal aged-cheddar and asiago fondue with friends for one... Followed by a weekend of BBQ's, homemade pizza and greasy breakfasts. But we're turning it around! Let's face it, it makes you feel great on a cold winter's night but a meat or cheese extravaganza doesn't sit right at 6:30 a.m. when you're on your way to a 10 hour day of classes. I'm extremely busy with school and my assisting and the last thing I need is to get sick or feel run-down. So.... healthy foods it is!

Recently, I was given the "Vegan on a Shoestring" cookbook, written by the People's Potato Collective. Big ups to the People's Potato - a student run organization that offers free, daily, vegan meals to all Concordia students. All the recipes are focused around health, being informed about what you eat and most importantly, flavour. Also encouraging this delve into culinary exploration is my incessant watching of Top Chef - and again, it's all about smaller portions and bigger flavour.

This week, we have promised ourselves a few things: no eating out, less meat and 4 new recipes!

On our weekly menu:

- A chicken, grape, prosciutto and basil pasta
- A trout filet with fenil and endives
- A lentil bolognese in spaghetti squash
- A "Vegan on a Shoestring" Love Salad

We tried out the Salad D'Amour tonight!!

Here's the recipe for all my foodie followers:

Salad D'Amour
Make this love salad, not war! This recipe is always a hit with friends and family. Thanks Lysanne!

Prep Time: 30-40 Mins
Yield: 1 Large serving bowl

Salad Ingredients:
2 C rice, cooked
3 C bean sprouts
1 1/2 C baby spinach, packed
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 C, sliced mushrooms
1 pepper of any colour, diced small
1/2 C cashews, roughly chopped
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Dressing Ingredients:
1/4 C soy sauce
1/2 C Olive Oil
1 Garlic clove, minced

Directions:
1. Mix dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Prepare the dressing a little ahead of time to let the flavours mingle.
2. Toss all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Toss well and serve.

Incredibly simple to make and delicious!

We made a few adjustments: To make a more complete meal, we added half an avocado (splashed with lemon) and a hard-boiled egg (salt and pepper to taste) on the side. We also substituted some of the olive oil for sesame oil.... A yummy taste compliment with the soy sauce!

Just had to do it... Resolutions for 2011

Not usually my style to come up with resolutions for the new year, but as I mentioned in my previous post, I'm feeling rather sad about the end of 2010 - so I want to keep up the positive energy and momentum and in true new year's form, I will do so with resolutions. No these will not be the regular, eat better, save money and exercise... although I could use a little of all three - these resolutions focus on creating mental and emotional stability (in my career and in my relationships) and encouraging an INSPIRED lifestyle.

There has been a big change in me since 2009 when I started writing this blog. I strongly believe that a great majority of my personal development is due to the fact that this blog has allowed me to reflect and write down my aspirations. So here they are... by putting them out their for readers, I'm encouraging myself to follow-through.

#1
One-a-day drawing challenge
I learnt last semester that the design can really suck me in, distract me from the other IMPORTANT happenings in my day-to-day, take away from my relationships and cause me to create only for projects, rather than sheer enjoyment. Although I'm loving studying design, I see now that it can become difficult to turn your design brain off in order to focus on you and the important people around you. I want to take this year to learn how to step away from projects.

My boyfriend was challenged to a blog test by his father - Peter must write a blog-a-day (monetary gain is a main driver, but the self-reflection and encouraged work-ethic will be great gains as well). Inspired by Peter's daily blog post, I decided to take on a one-drawing-a-day challenge that will encourage me to stay in touch with myself creatively. It will also allow me to have at least a half hour every day to shut off my brain and step away from the school-induced, design trance. I'm hoping that this forced trance-escape will bring me back to reality and remind me to enjoy my time out of school with my mind also, out of school.

#2
Be present
While in Italy, I learnt that the smallest distraction can take away from the impact of what's directly in front of you. Seems rather obvious, right? However, you don't actually realize it until you shut off your cellphone and ipod, go for a walk, open your eyes and soak up what's around you. (Give it a try!)

We are a distracted generation, and I am a product of these times. Often, I will be focused on several things as once: my work, my laptop, my cellphone, my plans for the weekend, my relationships, what food we need to buy. This inevitably, takes away from my enjoyment of what's happening directly in front of me.

I want to take this year to be present, in the moment, wholeheartedly. When in school, I will not check my facebook. When spending time with my boyfriend, I will shut my laptop. When having dinner, I will focus on the bites rather than the show in the background. I will give myself time to plan, dwell, multi-task, over-think, conceptualize... but once done, I will drop that topic and focus on the next task. Focus on my life.

#3
Savour
This goes hand in hand with being present. But with savouring comes enjoying. I want to enjoy and become inspired by the small things around me. I want to enjoy the flavours, colours, textures, aromas and tones of all around me. I want to see patterns and engrain them in my mind so that I can recreate them with my own flare. I want to smell herbs at the Atwater market, use them to create a meal with my boyfriend, and then savour my time in the kitchen while we make the dish. I want to appreciate the unconditional love that my kittens give me. I want to enjoy more varieties of cheese. I want to learn more about the subtleties of wine. The world around me, including my apartment, community and Montreal, have so much richness, I don't want to let my daily affairs get in the way of enjoying it all.

#4
Become Informed and... Inspired
The only way for me to thrive in graphic design is to know what's out there, who's at the top and what it takes to get to the top. Especially with my interest in sustainable design, a field that has yet to be fully tapped into and which is, just now, growing in popularity, I MUST become informed! What firms are involved in conscious design? How can I get involved on a personal basis?

This year will be one of blog & book reading, image saving, teacher nagging and podcast listening, possibly conference attending? I need to create a bank of information. Once I complete this diploma and am looking for a position, I will know what companies I want to work for, which designers I admire, what campaigns I find inspiring and.. who knows what else? I wonder...

My boyfriend's father told me, while we were speaking about the one-blog-a-day initiative, "you create your habits in your 20's, you live with your habits in your 30's". I want to be someone who takes their personal and professional endeavours into their own hands.

It's a new dawn, it's a new day

It doesn't happen to me every year, but right now, I'm definitely feeling the New Year's Blues. That nostalgia that kicks in around Dec 30th is sweeping through my thoughts, causing me to be lethargic, moody and feel isolated. I know some of it has to do with the fact that I had an incredibly hectic (and definitely enjoyable) month of December, and now I have only to relax until I start school on Jan. 10th. I know it also must have a little something to do with the fact that I didn't speak to one of my best friends during the month of December (we got into a disagreement that we both sat on for longer than usual). But I think at the core, this feeling of New Year's Blues has to do with the fact that 2010 was just the... best year ever, how could I even try to top it?

I felt so positive this past year. Thriving during my last semester of Marketing, moving in with Peter, going to Italy, getting a great position as a teacher's assistant, deciding to study graphic design and subsequently, thriving in my graphic design courses. And now, this year is all over. I fear that I may loose my momentum. I fear that growing older may cause me to become harder, more jaded, less positive.

I'm realizing more and more that life is tough - money, relationships, competition, stress, deadlines... they all get to you. Doesn't that hard exterior and pessimism just come with age?? After all, I am on the verge of 25, shouldn't an "aged" negativity be kicking in permanently at some point soon? (A fear I mull over on at least a weekly basis).

Since I was a young girl, I always told myself (and honestly believed), that I could do anything and that I could live a happy and fulfilled life. This is a sentiment that I've brought with me into my 20's. As I come into contact with more and more unhappy and jaded people, I realize that my hopes of being fulfilled with my career choices and happy in my relationships, will be much harder to achieve than the 10 year old me, and even 23 year old me would believe. I've realized in the last couple of years that some people just end up on the wrong path, and they don't even notice it until they're middle-aged and completely down on themselves. This is possibly my biggest fear.

It's easy to fall into a rut. It's easy to fall into routines and not push boundaries. It's easy to believe that the worst will happen and not put yourself out there. It's easy to fear rejection and criticism. And as I've learnt more recently, It's easy to fall into line and travel down a predetermined life path - make career choices based on upper management or societal pressures, make life choices based on pleasing the people around you rather than yourself, mold yourself into who others want or need you to be.

As I enter into this deciding year, a year during which I will complete my design diploma, start my career in graphic design, move into my second and larger home with my boyfriend, I find it essential to be in tune with my emotions and remind myself that I am not mediocre - in my choices or my creations. I will not take the easy path. I want to go into this year with as much enthusiasm and grit as the hard-headed, 10 year old me would have devoted to it.

Yes, it is normal to lament on all the great things past, so I will absorb the feeling of loss for today. Then, I will move on. This post is to remind me to look forward, and remind me to keep my mind, energy & positivity in the NOW. It will be difficult to keep up my momentum, and it will be easier to succumb to pressures and become what others need me to be. I need to remind myself that I'm on a mission here - to be happy. Just because I'm getting older, doesn't mean I need to get negative and jaded. This is a mantra I know I'll have to repeat on countless occasions throughout my life. It's not easy to stay true to yourself, keep your positive energy up, thrive from the stress rather than become defeated. Yes, those negative habits can take over and you wake up one day feeling as though your life is not where you want it to be. But I want to believe that if you put the effort into envisioning your life as you want it, and work at it with a positive outlook, things will work out in your favour. Outcomes have less to do with their impact on you and more to do with your impact on them. I have control over my emotions and my emotions shape my life.

2011 is mine for the taking!

Chance Encounters

This year has been a big one for personal and career changes. Sometimes the universe just falls right into place and hands you a key to the next portion of your path. If you know me, you know that I believe in fate, destiny and karma. I believe that there is a greater force -- let's call it simply, energy. In the last year, I feel as though I've made great strides in discovering myself, accepting who I am at the core and encouraging personal flourishing. I have sent positive energy into the universe. I have been confident in myself. I have had faith in the power of envisioning a destination and attaining it. All in all, I'm attempting to put my best foot forward.

But what is all of this worth if my daily positive efforts do not encounter another persons' efforts? If I do not affect anyone around me, then how can my life advance to the place that I envision it? I have been shown over and over this year that momentum in my life is accelerated substantially through chance encounters.

Last semester, as I mentioned in a previous blog post, I wanted to leave a mark on JMSB and go out with a bang. I intentionally stepped up my game and proved to myself and my class mates that I am intelligent, well-spoken and can hold my own in a professional setting. I made some marks on professors and I am giving myself a huge pat on the back for having done so. These professors are now showing me what it means to have connections, a strong network and most importantly, mentors. I am learning what it is to be in the "real-world" and to maneuver through bureaucracy, politics, and older men who think they're above me. :)

The professor I work for has put me in contact with the art director of Little Burgundy shoes. She is an amazing women! She has made me feel so right in my choices so far. I am headed down a similar path that she was on at my age... and look where she is now! And she's only 32. Who knows what this connection will mean once I'm finished my graphic design diploma and looking for a job.

Although I always suspected it, this year has solidified that the chance encounters you make can change the trajectory of your life. Not only in a professional way, but in a spiritual and emotional way as well. I now seeing meeting new people as an opportunity for change, excitement and a new perspective. I met an extremely interesting young woman this summer who was bursting with positive energy and hope. She said that meeting people was her favorite activity since she believes you can learn something new from every person you come across. She went on to say that everyone sees the world in different colours and opening your mind will enable you to see the world with more vibrancy. Takes the negative "personal gain" twinge out of networking, right? It's not about networking, it's about building new relationships.

These chance encounters can happen at any moment! You have to be ready. Think about it when you dress in the morning. Think about it when you have a sour face on after a long day of work. Think about it as you take the metro. Thinking about the possibility of these chance encounters has made me a more open-minded person. It forces me to put a smile on even if I'm not feeling so great. And all around it makes me more thoughtful and kind towards others. Who knows how the person next to you could end up changing your direction or outlook?

Italia in a tiny, tiny, nutshell...

As an example for one of her classes, my mother asked me to create a video composed of pictures, voice over, music and transitions...

What better topic to create a video of than Italy!? I had over 2000 pics to choose from and could talk about it for hours. Quite frankly, it was a great sum up of the trip for me; even though there was absolutely no way this video could do the trip justice... None the less, a touching reminder... and it was definitely liberating to talk about it and work on it, sort of like trip closure.

I've tried on countless occasions, unsuccessfully, to upload the vid through Blogspot. So here's a link to the vid on Youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KNj4c0__MM

Creating Consciously

I've recently discovered my passion for conscious creation; that is, creating with the earth and sustainability in mind. In a recent assignment for school, I had to come up with a book front and back cover. I could choose any book or invent the book and invent the blurb. I'm dedicated to not wasting any projects throughout this diploma! Every project will be aimed at a final vision. A vision of me and where I want to be in the (near) future. I'm a big fan and believer in positive thinking. I believe that if you continuously send positive energy towards envisioning yourself in a specific position, place, type of relationship, eventually, you will end up where you want to be. Positive energy attracts positive energy. At the very least, my projects will depict my interests and will tell a story about me.

Speaking of completed projects that speak volumes about me:
The promotional videos that I directed and edited (with the help of JMSB video tech), are officially done and links are posted online!! I'm am thrilled with the final results! Three promo videos for the two classes I am assisting: Service Marketing and B2B Marketing. Three promo videos that demonstrate the benefits of a customer focused strategy, the importance of a design mind in marketing, the necessity of relationship based marketing and the advantage once graduated of having taken these courses. All aspects that I can attest to and that I'm truly passionate about! I'll post a link to them soon...

In the mean time, check out my book front and back covers!

The Burden of Honesty and The Time for Change

I left home at 17, eager to be independent and eager to get away from the constant squabbles between my father and I. I was home this weekend for thanksgiving, over 7 years since I moved away. I got into a discussion with my sister. A discussion that bore far too much resemblance to the arguments I had moved away from, a discussion that focused around my lack of empathy for my sister. I had said things that offended her, hurt her feelings, made her feel judged. I hadn't even thought twice about the sentences that bothered her. To me, there were just observations, sheer honesty. The fact is, I'm an honest person. Back in the day, when I was 17, argumentative and hard-headed (not much has changed), I felt deep guilt when told that I was insensitive. These arguments made me feel like a horrible, selfish person. Possibly to protect myself from those feelings of guilt, I came to terms with the fact that I was simply an opinionated and truthful (at times, loud mouthed) person. I was not being selfish, I was being me.

There comes a time in your life when you have to let go of the negativity that lingers from your adolescent angst. I realize now that I am so hellbent on identifying as an "honest and upfront" person in large part due to the need to prove to my family members that I am not selfish or insensitive - I'm just honest. I say something that hurts someone and rather than owning up and attempting to change, I say "Sorry, this is me". Change is hard, I guess I was avoiding it.

Now that I understand what type of person I am, and now that I understand that my blunt, and sometimes brutal, honesty hurts people, what am I to do? Here comes the lesson, sometimes it's better to simply keep it to myself – swallow my pride and swallow the need to say what’s on my mind. It's proving to be incredibly tough.

During my discussion with my sister this weekend, my father had had enough and intervened: "That's enough! Erin, you hurt her feelings, don't ask why, ask what you can do to change the way she's feeling! Andrea, your sister will not change, you may have to grow a thicker skin! This is about social and emotional intelligence! This is simple, think about what you say and how it makes others feel!!" he said (...yelled...).

I must say, this yelling session did bring back those defensive feelings from high school. It made me want to stand up to my father and show him that my opinion counts. But in this case, he was entirely right. I am proud of the fact that I am an honest individual who doesn't hold back and shows my true emotions; however, I am now old enough to put my pride aside and understand that sometimes, my need to be honest is simply not as important as others' comfort.

But, this blog is about working towards becoming a well-rounded and successful businesswoman and therefore, all post should be directed towards this cause! As touched upon by my wise father, this weekend of realization has shown me a lot about business interactions and the need to be as emotionally in tune as possible. If my goal is to one day run my own business, I need to understand people and be able to successfully maneuver around any and all social interactions, emotionally charge or not. I need to have a firm grasp on when to keep my mouth shut and when to add a little white lie. Not for my own advancement in a specific position, but so as to avoid hurting people. Hurting those around me inevitably causes me a great deal of pain, long-lasting guilt and causes them to resent me. I'm at the age now that I'm ready to let go of my pride and the hard-headedness of the 17 year old in me. I want to work at being a better adult, one who can become aware of their faults and work at them, one who's fair, one who's respected and constructively critical when needed. Change is hard, I get that now. I see it all clearly and I'm ready to grow up.

Tough being sustainable in Mtl

Being in school surrounded by people wasting paper - printing the same images over and over, I've become rather jaded about my future as a designer. Is it really necessary to waste in this profession?? Isn't there a way to create in a sustainable manner?! Where can I study sustainable design!?

We live in a pre-apocolyptic world - and I don't think I'm being over dramatic about it.
A friend of mine recently told me about presentations given by Harvard professors - Harvard Thinks Big. Professors discussed topics they were most passionate about. Psychology professor Daniel Gilbert discussed sustainability and the climate crisis. "A war on global warming should seem as crucial to us as the War on Terror." - Gilbert.

Here's an article on Harvard Thinks Big:
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2010/2/12/professor-harvard-event-professors/

But why aren't we more involved in a war to save our planet? According to Gilbert, the threat of global warming does not appear immediate, immoral, imminent or instantaneous enough for us to feel physically unsafe and therefore, our survival instincts don't kick in and pump up the pressure to REACT!

Check out the video and become a little more conscious:
http://vimeo.com/10324258

There was recently a not-for-profit film created called Home that was released through digital medias to encourage society's involvement in the fight against global warming. The film states that in fact, we have ONLY 10 years to completely change up the way we're doing things or... we're literally, fucked. (My first and only swear in this blog and I stand behind it).

Here's the blurb on the vid:

We are living in exceptional times. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth's climate.

The stakes are high for us and our children. Everyone should take part in the effort, and HOME has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being.

For this purpose, HOME needs to be free. A patron, the PPR Group, made this possible. EuropaCorp, the distributor, also pledged not to make any profit because Home is a non-profit film.

HOME has been made for you : share it! And act for the planet.

Yann Arthus-Bertrand

HOME official website
http://www.home-2009.com

PPR is proud to support HOME
http://www.ppr.com

HOME is a carbon offset movie
http://www.actioncarbone.org

More information about the Planet
http://www.goodplanet.info

So, back to little old me and the spec that is Mtl. I've come to the point where I can't sit back any longer and ignore the responsibility that I have as a visiting homosapien to this planet. I'm starting to feel honest regret and sadness when I see waste. I'm starting to loose sleep over it. I do my best on a daily basis to REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE. Yet, I'm surrounded by friends who think they can't make a difference and surrounded by teachers who encourage useless printing and numerous copies of the same document. Beyond that, I take the metro (instead of bike). I use aerosol products. This summer, I used my A/C. I eat meat. It seems like an impossible fight! It's overwhelming and truthfully depressing. Visuals of our destroyed oceans, rivers, glaciers, extinct animal life, logged forests make me choke up. I'm feeling the weight of my indebtedness to this planet and I must act. I'll reinforce positive behaviour from those around me even though I get looks of annoyance. "Who is this know-it-all?" they think. "How condescending!". I will push through, you can give me your looks, we are talking about our planet and the future of our progeny. The only way to get people involved is to break the cycle of naivety and ignorance.

Our entire education process must be geared towards conscious living and reducing waste. Why don't we have electronic textbooks yet? Computerized exams? People need to be shown by example. People need to be shunned for negative behaviour. The only way to do that is to teach and encourage the youngest and, as GenY, we must step up. Evidently, the older generations (I'm obviously generalizing here) are set in their ways, hard-headed and as nature dictates it, on the outs. Therefore, the fight against the climate crisis is our task to take up! Set examples for those around you and think local rather than global. Focus on the community rather than international. Support sustainability around you.

In the mean time, I will attempt to create in ways that make the planet smile. Reusing, reducing, recycling, DIY, baking, purchasing home-grown produce, eating less meat, buying products made locally, biking as much as possible, reusing bags, reusing bottles, air- drying my hair...

Here's a link to a great blog dedicated to a love of nature. Great, funky recycling ideas. DIY projects. Art with heart and love of the earth. It's inspiring:
http://blog.designsquish.com/