50/365 Close-Ups And A Flash Diffuser

I've decided to do some experimenting with a flash diffuser before investing in a speedlight.  I wasn't overly impressed with the results that I got today, although it was better than the on-camera flash alone.  It seemed to reduce red-eye quite a bit but it didn't live up to the claim that it reduces the harsh shadows caused by flash.  I'm still curious about whether it can be used for macro photography and I'll try that later in the week.

49/365 Some Scenes From Dinner Of A Girl Who's Not Very Hungry

After some initial tasting of yesterday's leftovers, she considers what to do next...

But apparently something on the ceiling interrupts her contemplation.

She then inspects her dinner before deciding whether she should give it another shot...

And then decides it's worth a few more bites.





48/365 Black Bean And Walnut Croquettes

My husband's loving words about dinner today was that it resembled "giant pucks of dog poo".  Luckily he's had these black bean and walnut croquettes before so he knows they really do taste good.  They also have a nice chewy texture, with toasted sesame seeds on the outside and a warm and soft middle (the recipe says to coat them with bread crumbs, but I like to use sesame seeds for some extra calcium).  I served them with hummus and black rice today, but they're also really good in sandwiches.

People often ask if we feel satiated by our vegan meals and have a hard time imagining a satisfying dinner, without meat as part of the main course.  I still plan our meals to include a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, vegetables and fats, just as I would have planned any other type of meal.  These croquettes were packed full of protein as they included a whole can of beans and a 3/4 cup of walnuts.  The carbohydrate requirement was met by the whole-grain black rice we had on the side.  If you've never had black rice before, it may look strange but it's absolutely delicious.  We had hummus on the side and mixed some salsa into the rice to get our vegetables in.  I would normally have included a spinach salad as well but we were out of spinach today.  The nuts in the croquettes and the oil used for cooking these provided a component of fat, which is also important to feel satiated.

On another note, this is how I found my daughter today.

I don't know why she has decided that her shopping cart is now a chair, but I hope she finds something else to amuse herself with soon before she does herself any damage.  I think she's probably just excited about her new found climbing skills but I'll admit that it makes me very nervous.

47/365 Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my new favourite cookies (also from One Thousand Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson), soft in the middle and crispy on the outside.  I made these for a neighbour but I think I'm going to have to make them again for us soon.  These ones aren't completely vegan because there is a tiny bit of whey in the margarine that I used, but they are made without eggs or butter.  I also used the opportunity to get out my tripod and practice taking some close-ups.




46/365 Vegan Pizza

People are always curious when they first find out that my husband and I are vegans; they always want to know why we eat this way, what types of things we eat, and whether it's hard cook this way.  In answer to the first question, we became vegan about four or five months ago because of health reasons.  Regarding the second question, we eat all sorts of things, just like anyone else.  The only difference is that everything is plant-based.  The short answer is that our diet consists of all sorts of whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, seeds, nut milks and nut butters.  It may sound limiting at first, but the possibilities really are endless.  It does take some getting used to, but no, it's not hard to eat like this.  We had to make the transition rather suddenly but my favourite vegan cookbook, One Thousand Vegan Recipes, made the change a lot easier.  A good cookbook is definitely a big help.  A lot of our old favourites can be altered to easily fit into our new diet, like the vegan pizza we had for dinner today.

45/365 Another Sunday

Gabrielle playing at her Gran's house

44/365 Good-bye

Gabrielle was in heaven today.  First came a play date with Kyle, during which she tried to hug and kiss the poor kid to death.  At 17 months, I think she's in love.

She also thought it was great fun to relive her infancy by trying to climb in and out of his car seat 20 billion times.

After a short nap in the stroller, she got to spend the rest of the day with her grandparents.  They took her to the waterfront, fed her the biggest ice cream she's ever seen, and doted on her all day long.

I think it was bittersweet for all of us, since we won't see them again for a couple of months.  I love my parents and Gabrielle sure loves her grandparents.  We'll miss you, Mom and Dad.  Come back soon.