Sunday 28 April 2013

Grain discovery series - black rice

Black rice, also known as purple rice or forbidden rice, keeps popping up in my life. I keep finding it in my research online and people have even started asking me about it. Traditionally, I'm not a *rice lover*, that's why I didn't jump at the chance to try black rice when I first started hearing about it. I like rice for sushi at restaurants, but I make it with quinoa at home... That's pretty well it. It probably has much to do with the fact that a lot of restaurants serve up white rice, which I see as empty carbs... wasteful. You'd be hard pressed to find me ordering a rice dish at a restaurant. If I'm going to order a ton of empty carbs at a restaurant, I'd rather have ice cream. However, black rice intrigued me and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about! So off to Whole Foods I went!

Turns out, black rice is very good for you! It contains more antioxidants than blueberries. It's high in vitamin E, which is great news for our skin and immune systems!! It's said to prevent cancer and protect the heart. It's also low in sugar and a good source of protein and iron.

Black rice has a warm, nutty taste and texture similar to brown rice. It can be used in any dish you would use white or brown rice in. I think I may have discovered some reasons to love rice after all!

To cook black rice:
1 cup rice
1 3/4 cups water

Soak rice at least 15 minutes. Drain and rinse. Add water and rice to a pot and turn burner on high. When the water begins to boil, turn the burner down and simmer until the water is absorbed (about 30 minutes).

Serve with your favourite sauce or stir fry!!

Bon appétit!
Talia



Monday 22 April 2013

Stepping back

In my life I have been fortunate to have had no limitations. As a kid I was allowed and encouraged to try everything. I started dancing when I was five: tap, jazz and ballet... At 7 it was swimming... When I was 11, I picked up gymnastics... When I was 13 it was Irish dance and synchronized swimming... Then in highschool it was modern dance and various ballroom dance styles, vocal lessons, saxophone and guitar lessons. I taught Irish dance while continuing with my staples: tap, jazz and ballet in my highschool program... Danced on my university dance team... Dabbled in mountain bike riding and finally hopped on a proper road bike when I was 26.

The bike was a gift from my dad, an avid and skilled cyclist himself. A pearl white trek set-up with drop handle bars. My helmet, jerseys and shoes were of course all appropriately coloured: white, lime green and gray, to match. One day while riding my usual route from one of my favourite places on earth, the Toronto beaches, I was cruising down a rec trail and a car didn't see me.............. There is this brief moment of clarity when you face your mortality... I, of course, didn't lose my life that day but for a brief second I accepted that I might. That was enough to have a profound effect on me.

I am a different person now, today, than I was on that day. I have struggled physically which has forced me to face my demons. I don't even feel right complaining about my struggles because I know that there are people who suffer worse than I do every day... But the struggles are there. I have had to learn to cope with (minor) chronic pain and physical limitations for the first time in my life. There are days when I can't do the things I want to do and days I probably shouldn't do some of the things I struggle through anyway and it's changed me. It's put into perspective what's actually important in life, because, for a split second I thought that my life was over and now I am so grateful for every day.

In the end, the journey that started following that accident was a very positive one. I have met really amazing people and learned so much about life and become much more body aware. I've learned not to sweat the small stuff. I still whine and exercise my ferocious sarcastic sass on the regular, but I don't worry about things the way I used to... And that is a blessing!

Seriously though don't sweat the small stuff because everything can change in a split second. Love freely, dance like no one is watching and sing like no one is listening.

Most of all, have a happy day!!
Talia