Expanding a Pro-Life Philosophy To The Rest of My Life: Foodie Tips :)

Hi Everyone!!! I know I have been gone for a really long time, and I am SO sorry for abandoning you! However, I am happy to say that I am back! *Woot!* Though I probably won't be blogging that often this year - its been a very busy time in terms of school. Lots of exciting things are happening with my sciencey stuff, and they require a lot of concentration, time, and effort. I will do my best to blog at least once a week though, and keep up with my ____ of the Week series! :)

One thing that I have been meaning to discuss for awhile is living out a pro-life philosophy. In my view, this doesn't just involve advocating against abortion and euthanasia (though obviously those are big ticket items!). It also involves taking care of ourselves, each other, and our environment. That can include being welcoming and kind to whoever you meet, encouraging young mothers, and advocating for the oppressed both in our society and throughout the world. However, I also believe that a pro-life philosophy can also permeate the more personal aspects of our lives. And I'm not just talking about NFP (the only natural way to family plan!!! WOOT).  I'm talking about making changes in your life that support the oppressed, that foster healthy environments, and that avoid as much as possible pumping out toxins into our precious planet. One way that I've tried to accomplish this is by slowly switching myself over towards a veggie-based, local, organic diet and I thought I'd share some stuff which has worked well for me :)

 (1) Find a natural foods store and shop there!

Seriously, shopping at natural foods grocery store has been the single most important catalyst for change (the other is my health-obsessed boyfriend). Most foods at these places are labelled, and they also tend to carry seasonal, local products. Its easy to tell what is organic and what isn't, and if you're lucky, the grocery store will also sell some awesome organic, all-natural soaps and beauty products!


(2) Cook every night. Find a good cookbook and some cooking blogs to inspire you!

Good food is satisfying and makes use of a wide variety of ingredients. Find a cookbook (with lots of pictures, and lots of instructions!) that includes a variety of recipes, and you will never get sick of the food you make!

My current favourite cookbook is called "ReFresh", and it is based off of the menu of an amazing Toronto-based vegetarian and vegan restaurant called "Fresh". Seriously, this cookbook has been a life-saver. I am not a vegetarian, so I do add some meat to the dishes occasionally, but it really isn't necessary in order to feel satisfied. I also have to mention their delicious shakes (especially their espresso ones!) and desserts. If you want a cookbook to help you start on your journey towards eating more natural foods, this is definitely a great place to start.

Of course, why turn to cookbooks when there are so many people on the internet willing to share their secrets for free? Some of my favourite foodie blogs include:

a) 101 Cookbooks: A Recipe Journal by Heidi
I think the main reason why I love this blog is the pictures. Heidi is an amazing photographer and everything always looks so delicious. She organizes her recipes not only by the traditional "Appetizer", "Main Course", (etc..) headings, but also divides them by vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, high-protein and whole grain recipes for those with dietary restrictions or health needs. She also has some great articles with awesome tips for anyone trying to get away from highly-processed foods. You should definitely look at "Build a Natural Foods Pantry" before exploring any of her recipes.  

Green Olive Gnocchi

b) Fettle Vegan by Amber
The main thing I love about this site is the desserts. I never knew junk food could be so healthy but so AMAZING at the same time. I've tried a few of her recipes and I can't recommend them enough. Especially her Almond Butter Cups. Yummn. I'm sure the other food is great too, but her desserts look so mouth-watering that I haven't yet had a chance to make something that didn't include honey or chocolate.

Almond Butter Cups

c) The Kitchn
A daughter site to the popular Apartment Therapy blog, the Kitchn is a great place to browse for new recipes. They provide their own, but also include  posts from all over the internet, and a lot of my favourite foodie blogs have been found through them. If you want to waste a lot of time, get a tonne of amazing kitchen tips, and make yourself really hungry, go there!

Egg Noodles with Rich Curry Chicken Sauce

(3) Grow your own food!!

If you're like me, and are a young adult, you likely do not have access to a lawn. However, growing food indoors is not that difficult, and can be a tonne of fun! I am lucky in that my grandparents immegrated here, and in the "Old Country" they were farmers. So eating food "from the garden" has always been a part of my lifestyle. But if you are nervous about starting your own, there is a wealth of instructions all over the internet, including some great video tutorials on youtube. Pick a plant you want to grow, and search for it on Google! You'll become an expert in no time :)

Happiness is an Indoor Herb Garden, by Centsational Girl

The best part? Depending on what you grow, your apartment can smell absolutely delicious all the time. I attempted this last year, and so far have only succeeded in growing a few herbs. But herbs are extremely useful to grow, and a great way to start out if you don't have much experience with plants (like me). A lot of herbs, like basil and oregano, are hardy and just need water and sun. The best part is, buying herbs from the grocery store can be really expensive, and if you buy fresh you end up having to dry most of them out anyway. If you grow them yourself, you have constant, year-round access to (essentially) free, fresh herbs!

Song of the Week: "He Woke Me Up Again" by Sufjan Stevens

He's got a great lyrical style. Enjoy :)

Honor ALL Lives - except zygotes' lives

Awkward.

Aside: I know some people (*cough* Americans) spell honour without a "u" but I can't get over how weird it looks. So British-colony of me!

Talking about abortion is really scary

The other day I was hanging out with some friends from school.

It was a ridiculously hot day, so we decided to go out for bubble tea (i.e.: basically fruit smoothies, because none of us like tapioca).

While we were talking, somehow we came to the topic of downloading movies and music for free off of the Internet, and whether it is a crime or not.

One of my friends brought up an interesting point:

"Oh please. It's not like downloading stuff off of the Internet is all that bad. I mean, it's not like the question of whether or not you want to keep a baby!"

This would have been the perfect opportunity to steer the conversation towards the question of abortion. Instead, like always, my palms got all sweaty, my heart started racing, and my eyes started to water (I get that upset when I think about killing babies!). Instead of addressing his point - which is a good one (i.e.: people get all worked up about downloading some songs you probably wouldn't have bought anyway, and yet no one cares that there are children being created only to be discarded), I jumped in right away and brought the conversation back to downloading.

 Seriously. I'm still wondering why I did that.

I need to grow a pair!

Does anyone else have trouble discussing abortion with friends or family?

You say Catholics hate women?

I say "Mary, Queen of Heaven."

There are no human Kings of heaven. Just a Queen.

How awesome is she???

Many people argue that Mary is just the personification of every stereotypical "feminine" attribute  that Old White Men want all women to have (she has been called "weak", "submissive", "too pure", etc.).

Right.

If you think a young girl defying the norms, facing social stigma and false accusations of fornication, and risking the dissolution of her betrothal is "weak" and "submissive", you have another thing coming. Besides, how exactly is a Queen submissive and weak?

As for the purity accusation, what exactly is so wrong with being pure anyway?

"But she just did what God asks, that's not strong!" you say.

Well, in case you haven't noticed, EVERYONE is called to do what God asks. What is impressive is when we actually have the strength of will to do so, in spite of social or familial pressures.

One other thing to note is that Jesus (i.e.: God Himself) obeyed her at the Wedding at Cana. 

And if you want to know about other awesome women who are honoured by the Church, look no farther than the Saints.

Mary and some Saints just hanging out being friends.

Once you're done, tell me again how my Church hates women. If you can say it with a straight face.

...

Also: I AM A WOMAN. I AM A (really awful) CATHOLIC. I DO NOT HATE MYSELF.

Glad we got that straightened out. :)

P.S. Check out New Feminism Rising's awesome blog post about Mary.

Quote of the Week: "We are clear on this question"

From interim Liberal leader Bob Rae:

"We are clear on this question," he said. "The rights of women to choose, to have control over their own bodies, is not a right which is going to be taken away by the Parliament of Canada, and it is not a right which should be subject to some private member's bill which is going to affect the rights of women to have choice, to have genuine equality and to have full and complete access to the medicare and the health care that they need."

Read more at CBCNews.

Ugh. What is a Canadian to do?
On one side, we have Harper, who refuses to allow his caucus to open the debate on abortion.
On the other, we have the NDP, who treat abortion as a sacred cow.
And in the middle, we have the liberals, who equate killing our own children to "rights", "equality" and "necessary healthcare" (to paraphrase).

Seriously Canada, how many women have to be left behind, and how many people have to die before you wake up?

ASIDE: so sorry for the light blogging recently. I had a brief vacation before the start of term, and now I have a TONNE of things to prepare for (not the least, my new job as an advanced laboratory TA - so much to learn!!). Once I get back into the swing of things at school, I will return to blogging regularly. I have a lot of issues I want to address, so look forward to some epic posts! :)

Sometimes I wonder

Sometimes I wonder why I have to care so much.

Life would be so much easier ...

If I didn't know that millions and millions of unborn babies have been violently killed.

If I didn't know that there are respected scholars that advocate for the use of infanticide.

If I didn't know that there are still people in this world who discriminate based on sex or ability.

If I didn't know that there are medical ethicists who believe that good parenting means babies should be screened in utero for "lesser genes" and then killed if they don't make the cut.

If I didn't know that people see no problem with implying that those with Down Syndrome are ugly or sub-par.

If I didn't know that Canada is on the verge of legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia - because suicide prevention is only a noble goal if your trying to save someone young and healthy and healthcare is just so expensive.

If I didn't know that there are people who are being tortured, burned, stoned, crucified, and murdered for their beliefs.

If I didn't know that millions of girls are missing through female feticide and gendercide.

If I didn't know that women in China are forced to undergo abortions, or are fined ridiculous sums of money just for the right to remain pregnant.

If I didn't know that there are regular, everyday people who support all of the above things.

Sometimes the world just looks so bleak that I don't know what to do with myself.
My greatest dream in life is to become a mom, but when I get overwhelmed by the negativity I wonder what the point of having a child would be.
How could I bring someone else into this mess?
How do I keep my sense of hope alive?