Vancouver Cheese and Meat Festival (Photos)

Vancouver Cheese and Meat Festival held it's very first event in Vancouver's iconic Terminal City Club this past Saturday.

The event hosted two seminars for passionate ticket holders. We went to a Cheese and Wine pairing seminar that gave us great tips and tricks for hosting our own cheese and wine party. 

I realized that I really love Chardonnay, which until now, I have always strayed away from. 

Some of my favourites:

1. Villa Maria Taylors Pass Chardonnay 2013

2. Villa Maria Cellar Selection Malborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014

3. Cows Creamery Extra Old Cheddar

4. Farm House Heidi

5. Mt Lehman Cheese Co

Where: Terminal City Club

When: Saturday September 17th, 2016

What: Cheese and Meat Vancouver 2016

Vancouver Cheese and Meat Festival - Sept 2016

Cheese and Meat Festival

Vancouver BC

September 17, 2016

Cheese and meat. 

Meat and cheese 

Cheese and meat. 

Meat and cheese.

However you want to put it, it's all music to my ears. And delicious food in my mouth!

This is the first year for this event and Vancouver was quick to show their love. Tickets almost sold out in the first hour! 

The festival will take place in the most beautiful settings. Attendees will walk at leisure around the grounds enjoying bite size tastes of cheese and meat while pairing the bites with wine, beer, and cider. It is an exciting time in British Columbia. With the abundance of artisan shops, and restaurants in BC showcasing fantastic product, as well as the relaxing import laws on dairy allows us to share the best the world has to offer. 

The event has three tastings at 11am, 3pm and 7pm. They've also created two seminars that provide an intimate look at wine and cheese pairings and the art of charcuterie. 

Some of the vendors that are already making my mouth water are Mt Lehman's Cheese Co, Two Rivers Specialty Meats and Bon Macaron. 

If you didn't get tickets this year make sure to act fast before they sell out!

Cheese and Meat Festival Vancouver 

http://cheeseandmeatfestival.com/

When: September 17, 2016

Where: Terminal City Club

How much: $75-$200

Paleo Gluten-free Chocolate Mousse (Vegan too!)

The worst is when you buy a bag of big juicy avocados and within a day they're all going too soft. So this recipe is win win because it's Paleo and you get to use up your avocados!

This recipe is Paleo, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and just really good for anyone.
Yes you can taste a bit of the avocado, but that's not a bad thing. Obviously if you hate avocados don't make this recipe.

Paleo Chocolate Mousse 

Ingredients
1 Large Ripe Avocado
1/2 Cup Almond Milk
1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
1Tsp Vanilla Extract

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate before serving if you prefer more cold and firm or eat right away if you don't. Works great as frosting for a cake, a topping for berries, or just as in out of the bowl.

Pairs well with red wine :)

Yes. I believe wine is Paleo.

Paleo Gluten-Free Breakfast Cereal

I have recently injured my foot so I've had to change my calories and food consumption for the day. I used to do yoga about 5-6 times per week and I would run about 1-2 times per week.

Since I can't really do any exercise now, I give myself about 800-900 calories per day.

For breakfast I have created this yummy little Paleo Gluten-Free Cereal. Honestly since converting over to Paleo about 3 years ago, the one thing that I miss is cereal. I used to love to eat bran and oats and even quinoa for breakfast. 

But I've created something even more delicious and with huge nutritional value. 

This is great for breakfast, or before a workout, or even as an afternoon snack. I've never tried heating it up but that might be yummy as well. 

I make a big batch of this and then keep it in a mason jar in my fridge. I have about 1/2 cup of it for breakfast with 1/2 fruit and almond milk. 

Paleo Gluten-Free Breakfast Cereal

1/2 cup organic chia seeds

1/2 cup organic hemp hearts

1/4 cup organic flax seeds

1/2 cup organic ground flax

1/2 cup organic almonds (whole or flakes)

1/3 cup organic almond meal

1/3 cup organic dried goji berries 

1 tbsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Transfer into large mason jar and store in fridge for up to 3 weeks. 

Add approx. 1/2 cup almond milk and fresh fruit, and 1/2 cup of cereal mix and enjoy! 

(I add a splash of egg whites if I know I'm going to have a long day and need more protein)

Yield: 12-14 servings

My 30 Day Weight Loss Challenge: December 2014

November 30 2014

Well it's December again and just like every year, I take this time to kick my own butt into gear. It's so easy to let things slip by and indulge into the goodies and sweets and treats and drinks, so that's why I want to make a conscious effort to keep things in line.

For me personally, I work a lot harder at goals if I am kept accountable for them. So here goes. I want to post every night and keep a diary of how the day went.

Obviously I will be focusing a lot on my diet, but I want this to be more holistic. I will be looking at diet, physical exercise, mental exercise, professional development, stress levels and fun levels. I really hope it goes well!

So to send off November I will be having a lovely dinner with my parents, and yes, I will have a nice plate of delicious Persian rice. And tadeeg. mmmm....

Starting weight: 118lbs
Goal weight: 110lbs

Paleo Brownie Power Balls

Paleo Brownie Power Balls

I started making these Paleo Brownie Power Balls for my co-workers and it soon became a weekly tradition. They were a huge hit when I first brought them in and I have perfected the recipe and put my own little spin on it.
The only downfall is that they are so good that no matter how much you make, there are never any left over for the next day :( But I guess that's every chef's best compliment :)

Another great recipe for Paleo desserts is Paleo Banana-Coconut Cookies.

Please put your own spin on the recipe and let me know what you did! I always love to try new creations.

Paleo Brownie Power Balls

1 1/2 cup walnuts

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cup pitted medjool dates

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 tbsp cinnamon powder

1/4 cup egg whites

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

In food processor add walnuts and cocoa powder. Process these until they are coarsely mixed, but you don't want to over process because then the walnuts will start to become like a butter. Add dates, vanilla and cinnamon. Process until everything is mixed together in a big clump. Add egg whites to soften everything. 

Remove mixture and put into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl put coconut flakes. Measure out a tablespoon of the mixture and make them into bit sized balls by rolling them in your hands. Then dip these balls into the coconut flakes. 

**sometimes I like to dip my balls into other ingredients like hemp hearts, ground flax, and cocoa powder**

Place all of your balls into a cookie tray lined with parchment paper. Put in freezer for at least two hours, and then you're ready to enjoy!

I love to keep my balls in the freezer because I love the frozen hard texture, but some people prefer to store them in the fridge. They will last up to a month in the freezer, and about a week in the fridge. 

The amazing thing about these bite sized balls is that they are SO satisfying, they taste like they have chocolate in them, and they have protein as well. Great as breakfast, pre-workout snack, and that perfect guilt-free pleasure. 

Prep Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 0 min

Yields: 30 balls

Warning! Don't Take Tylenol When You Have a Hangover.

One of the most distinct memories that I have of nursing school is some advice that my instructor gave me on our first day. She said:

“If there’s one thing that you take away from this program let it be this. Do not take Tylenol when you have a hangover."

So the reason is that when you drink alcohol your liver becomes very irritated and inflamed because it has to process all of that alcohol. And when you wake up in the morning your liver is under a lot of stress, so the last thing you want to do is give it more stress by taking Tylenol. 

Tylenol is metabolized by the liver. 

Advil is metabolized by the kidneys.

But how can I deal with my headache? Well here's the thing. You can take Advil because it does not get processed by your liver.

Unfortunately this information isn't common knowledge. I'm sure we can all admit that we tend to drink more than a couple glasses of wine. Over your lifetime this adds up to a lot of liver damage and can take years off your life. So this is a simple way to give your body a fighting chance.

Make the switch. Get rid, hide, give away, or just ban Tylenol from entering your house.

The recipe below was given to me from my dear friends Stephanie and Rick. Always on the cutting edge of hangover technology.

Hangover Smoothie

Ingredients

2 Bananas

1 apple

1/2 lemon

1 bunch kale

1 cup coconut water

4 liquid Advil gelcaps

Add all ingredients to blender. Blend. Enjoy. Take a nap.

Bee Hives and Skyscrapers. Are They Really That Different?

Driving out of downtown tonight I looked back at the city-line and noticed something that I've never noticed before. We are like bees! 

For the first time ever our skyscrapers reminded me of bee hives. They are just shaped a bit different. A human hive is made of concrete whereas a bee hive is made of natural material. But in essence they are the same thing. 

So how else are we like bees? Well we have the same hierarchy as well. Every hive has worker bees and a queen bee. For example, a bus driver is definitely a worker bee. He transports other workers around. He is very busy. A teacher is also a worker bee. They show younger workers how to become good worker bees when they grow up. Yoga instructors are also worker bees. They guide other worker bees to become better at calming down their queen bee. 

And then you have queen bees. Well we all know that each family or couple or even individual person has a queen bee. All the workers try to provide a safe life for this queen. They try to protect him or her. When the queen bee is happy then all the workers are happy. But when the queen be is upset we all feel the consequences. 

I consider myself the queen bee for my little hive. But I guess I am also the worker bee. At different times I have to work really hard and get things done so that I can please the queen side of myself. So obviously during the week I am a worker bee. I go to work, go to yoga, write, and create new possibilities. And then on the weekend I get to be a queen bee and reek all of the benefits that my worker self has done. 

We seem to think that humans are very complex and the most intelligent species out there. But then you see how similar we are to other animals and species. It is very grounding to feel this connection. We are all just trying to survive and build a bee hive for our queen bee to love.

I love my bee hive and my worker side and my queen side. xoxo.

Nobody Said It Would Be Easy, But Some Things Make It a Little Easier.

It's possible that my mind is completely all over the place, and it's also possible that my life is all over the place. It seems like as soon as I have something figured out, something else completely falls out of place. Don't get me wrong. My life is far from "hard" in the typical sense, but how you perceive your life is totally subjective. And lately, mine feels "hard".

I guess my parents were right. I remember in high school when I was studying for Provincial Exams, my mom told me "Azin, life is not easy". But I thought of course you're saying that mom, you had to immigrate to Canada in your twenties from a third world country?! How can you even know what I'm going through. And honestly, saying that out loud sounds absolutely ridiculous.

How can I think my life is hard? How is it not easy? I've had everything I ever needed to build a great life for myself. So what gives?

I feel like I've had a huge focus for the past several years on my career and opportunities to create something for myself. I am doing the job that I've always wanted to do. And I am starting a project that I am really passionate about. I have so many ideas going on in my head that sometimes it's hard just to fall asleep at night. I've started to write things down because it helps me release the ideas and fall asleep. I can't really talk about the ideas because some of them are secrets, but lets just say I have a lot more work to do.

So my professional life is well developed, but what about my personal life? I feel kind of behind in that area. Like my brain has big juicy neurons for my work, but my neurons are small and pathetic in other senses. Poor little brain.

But it's okay. Because my mom warned me that life wouldn't be easy. So that's why I do things that make it a little bit easier.

1. Coffee

I am completely absolutely hands down addicted to coffee. It's the reason I get out of bed in the morning and the reason I go to bed at night. And if it gives me this much joy and pleasure, then I sure as hell don't feel bad about it.

2. Food

There are some foods that make me so happy that I'm gitty. These foods include cashews, almonds, bacon, pork belly, grilled onions, dried figs and eggs. Once again, if a food can give me so much pleasure, then so be it. Get in my belly you delicious perfect little cashews.

3. Love

For me love is big. I love my friends. I love my family. I love my mom so much it's weird. She doesn't know how obsessed I am with her. I want to be her so bad. I love my apartment. I love my roommate. She also doesn't know how much I love her. It would weird her out. I love running. I love walking. I love scarves. I love being hot. I love saunas. I love massages. I love foot massages. I love my hair. I love doing my makeup. I love facials. I love moisturizers. And god I love oils.

So really. What I love is what I love. And they just make it a little bit easier. And I love them for that.

Mom, you told me that life isn't easy. But you never told me I could make it easier by finding things that I love, and doing them when life is tough. But I still love you, even though you probably could have mentioned that ;)


Love.
Me.