Hello fellow bloggers, readers and lovers of food, horror movies and adventure travel!
As of 2015 I See Hungry People has moved to a self hosted site. Come on by and check out the new digs! There’s even more food, horror movie reviews and awesome travel photos for your reading pleasure.
Hope to see you there!
xoxo
Paula
We picked a perfect day to go snowshoeing in Sandbanks Provincial Park. The sun was glinting off the crisp white landscape, and the clear blue sky highlighted the mist in our breath. Laying down the first set of tracks in the fresh snow is always such a satisfying feeling and for a moment, the world feels is still with only the crunching sound of footsteps echoing through the woods. The best feeling of all however, is returning home to a cozy wood burning stove and warming up with some hot tea and a greasy breakfast.
Last January, the need to escape the dreary Canadian winter was much stronger than in previous years as 2013 had been a particularly rough patch in my life. I had gone through a separation and my holiday season had been overshadowed by family health concerns. By the time the New Year rolled in, I had finally emerged from a couple of months of dark solitude and all I wanted was some space to regroup, clear my head and spend some quality time by myself. While I normally preferred more off-the-grid adventure travel, I recalled loving the all inclusive resort I visited in Costa Rica, so when my travel agent suggested Panama, I jumped on a plane and left the cold behind.
The next week turned into a self made retreat. I meditated and did yoga on my balcony each morning, ate platefuls of fresh fruit, vegetables and fish, went for long runs along the beach, and read and wrote my heart out. I also went on a day trip to El Valle de Anton, a small Panamanian village nestled on the site of an extinct volcano. In the valley I visited the peaceful, rustic El “Nispero” zoo, home to an impressive biodiversity of species and a beautiful collection of birds. I also hiked through the local rainforest to the Chorro del Macho volcanic waterfalls and relaxed in the natural hot springs.
However, I was really looking forward to the second excursion – a partial transit of the Panama Canal. I spent the day drifting along the canal and experienced crossing through two one hundred year lock systems: Miraflores and Pedro Miguel. The Panama Port operation was quite impressive and it was pretty amazing to see how quickly the chambers filled. To learn that over 25,000 workers died during the canal’s construction was pretty shocking, and to me the canal felt more of a cold, industrial traverse than a wonder of the world. This inspired me to play around with the contrast and saturation in the photos I captured, attempting to bring out some of the darkness and sickness that plagued the canal’s history.
Panama was a fascinating place to visit. My soul healed in the beauty of its rainforests, and I loved learning about the unique history of the country. Driving through Panama City on the way back to the airport, the twisting sky scrapers loomed over me. The Dubai-like architecture reminder that even though this city is very much in the international spotlight, I will always remember the quieter moments that I shared with this country on my little wooden perch on the beach.
Oscar night is here and I’m about to start my afternoon cooking marathon in prep for the big night. Solid nominations this year and great inspiration for some awesome Oscar party dishes!
What will you be making tonight?
OSCAR MENU 2014:
American Hustle – mini caesars inspired by the spicy clam conversation, and did you know? The Bloody Mary was invented in NYC!
Captain Phillips – chicken samosas or “sambuusas” as they’re called in Somalia – with mango chutney
Dallas Buyers Club – 7 layer Tex-Mex dip with blue corn chips
Gravity – astronaut ice cream
Her – heart shaped English muffin cheese pizzas inspired by the pizza Theodore has on his first date with Samantha
Nebraska – beer nut flavoured popcorn balls – did you know Nebraska is one of the top producers of popcorn in the country?
Philomena – Guinness braised onion and aged white cheddar quiche – inspired by the scene at breakfast when Philomena learns about her son
12 Years a Slave – PC Cotton Candy ice cream inspired by the important of cotton picking throughout the film
The Wolf of Wall Street – chocolate coins with icing “cocaine” sugar. Crap movie, crap food.
And the rules of the night are as follows:
The specialty shots of the night:
Frozen blue jello shooters
Non alcoholic underage shooters aka “The Woody Allen”
Happy Oscar Party! And may the odds be ever in your favour…
Last summer I went to visit my friends who recently moved to Wellington in Prince Edward County. The weekend away from the smoggy city was spent enjoying fresh county food, local wine, good company and the picturesque countryside. The county was a much needed breath of fresh air for the soul. As much as I love city life, I can really see myself living in the country one day. While I can embrace and take full advantage of all a busy city has to offer, I can also shed the constant stimulation and materialism and feel just as satisfied with simplicity and quiet. I think it is a balance that will be important to be restored, but in the meantime I’m grateful to have such lovely friends as hosts.
If you’re looking for a venue to host an event in PEC please check out their space:
http://www.studiohousepec.com/
Martha Stewart’s Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
The quest continues with another Martha Stewart cookie recipe, because she is the queen of baking after all. I thought that I would like these chewy cookies the best but I think her crispy ones are still the most addictive. I’ll let you be the judge!
Makes about 3 dozen
Ingredients:
Directions:
QUEST COOKIE RATING – 8.5 – [10 = perfect — 1 = would not make again]
“If cookies be the food of love…munch on.”
-Dame Judi Dench
Gluten Free Chick Pea Banana Bread
I have been on a mission for awhile now to perfect a gluten free banana bread. I wanted a loaf that wouldn’t crumble, firm but not too gooey, and sweet enough without using processed sugar. I discovered the joys of chick pea flour – great texture, flavour and added protein. I experimented with this flour and I think that coupled with the maple syrup, it really brings out a balanced sweetness to the loaf. With the added nut protein, this makes a great recovery snack after a workout.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup chick pea flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup milled flax seed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xantham gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup frozen/defrosted berries or dried blueberries
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup organic soy milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350, adjust rack to middle of oven.
Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Mash bananas and defrosted berries in a large bowl. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Sprinkle dry blueberries at this stage if using and mix until combined.
Pour batter into lightly greased loaf baking dish.
Bake in oven for 1 hour rotating dish halfway through. Check with toothpick and bake an additional five minutes if the toothpick does not come out clean.
Cool on wire rack before serving. Keep covered in the fridge for up to a week.
Servings: 12
Calories per slice: 178
Martha Stewart’s Thin & Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies
During this quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie, one must ask themselves a very important question: Chewy or Crispy? I always thought without a doubt that chewy was the only way to go but after I tried Martha’s Thin and Crispy cookies I feel a little torn between the two options. Her cookies are perfectly light and buttery, making them very addictive! The cookies in this photo turned out a little square because I didn’t have time to bake a third batch. But I actually quite like the shape, and the result was a larger cookie so whose to complain?
QUEST COOKIE RATING – 8.5 – [10 = perfect — 1 = would not make again]
Runner’s Dr. Pepper
I started drinking Club Soda (President’s Choice brand) during detoxes in place of alcohol, and have actually grown to like it. Now I always have a case at home and a case at work, and I like to add a splash of lemon or lime juice for some flavour. Last year I also started drinking coconut water, and I have to admit that it’s not my favourite. I’m still getting used to the flavour and I really only drink it after a long run when I’m dehydrated. I also discovered tart cherry juice after reading about how beneficial it is for your health. Along with being an antioxidant it aids with cancer prevention and lowers your cholesterol, but most importantly for athletes, cherries are anti-inflammatory agents and help protect against muscle damage. At first I was diluting a half cup of cherry juice with water, buy soon started mixing the cherry juice with club soda. Then one day I added a half cup of coconut water and ta-da! The perfect post workout recovery drink. The bite of the club soda is so refreshing after a long run, while the coconut water helps to rehydrate and the cherry juice aids in recovery.
Combine:
half a can of President’s Choice Club Soda
half a cup 100% pure coconut water
half a cup organic tart cherry juice
Runner’s Dr. Pepper
I SEE HUNGRY PEOPLE 