One week down

Well, I have completed my first week of massage school and it was amazing. We have already learned so much, both about massage and techniques, but also about our bodies and who we are. We began the week with a full day of orientation to get to know each other and to establish what we want to take away from the program personally as well as what we expect the school to provide for us. There are 26 students ranging from late teens to mid-40’s, but most fall between 22-26. There are three Americans, 1 Irish, 1 from Wales, another from Germany, a girl from Latvia, a few from the Eastern Canadian provinces and the rest from around BC. It’s a really good mix of students (except for the sex ratio – there are only 2 guys) and we have already bonded well and shared personal struggles.  The “school” is actually a one-room loft at the north end of Cambie St., only a few steps away from Gastown and the famous steam clock. It looks a lot like a yoga studio with hardwood floors, lots of natural light and solid wooden beams to hold the ceiling up. We have a small kitchenette to make lunches (although there are some great restaurants around – I can’t wait to try some raw stuff at Gorilla Foods) and our own baskets to store linens and towels and notebooks. All the massage tables are provided as are oils and lotions. There are 15 components to the course and so far we’ve have Professional Development (why we want to go into the spa industry and what we’re going to do when we get there), Body-Mind Integration (working on being more aware of who we are), Swedish Massage Techniques (basic strokes, body positioning and draping), Business Skills (how to run our own businesses or be a spa employee), Ethics (the ethics of bodywork and massage), and Yoga Studies (a two hour anusara yoga class!). We’re in class for 8 hours a day, but it goes by really quickly because it’s all so interesting. My favorite classes so far are Body-Mind and Swedish. It’s hard to explain everything that we’ve done and gone through, even though it’s just been a week. I know, however, that this is what I want to do and this is the lifestyle that I want. Now I just need to figure out where I want to live!

Living in Vancouver

I was biking around the city the other day and as I pedaled past white-trimmed character homes and through tree-lined streets, I thought “I could live here.” Growing up in rural Vermont, I never thought I would become a city girl. But here in Vancouver, I love being able to bike everywhere, walk a block to the organic grocery store, take a yoga class every day without driving 45 minutes, yet still be able to get away to the trees and lakes. Stanley Park and the Pacific Spirit Park are both big enough to get lost in (at least for me right now…) and they’re only a 1/2 hour bike away. The temperature rarely falls below freezing, and even though it rains (a lot), it’s a fine rain, not a steady downpour. 

All the biking reminds me of the three months I spent on Maui where my only transportation was my trusty mountain bike (actually it was Doug’s). I recently found a great website called bikely.com where people map out their favorite bike routes around the world. It even tells you the elevation and a point to point synopsis of the route, how many miles it is, and a print out cue sheet that you can take with you if you’re prone to getting lost. You can even search for MTB for mountain biking! You should post your tour de valley route, Dad!

I’m hoping to spend most of my weekends on my bike checking out some of the routes. Maybe head over to Victoria and Vancouver Island. My days scheduled around yoga practice are down to two, though… Massage school starts on Monday and from then on I’m going to be all out – 8:30-5:30 massage, 6:00-7:30 yoga, biking on weekends. To kick off my crazy schedule, I’m planning on doing 2 1/2 hour “yoga flow, ecstatic dance and healing breath savasana” with Julian Walker tonight, bike the Sunshine Coast tomorrow and do a 2 hour “surfing the vinyasa wave” with Simon Park on Sunday. I think I’m the epitome of a true Gemini.  

Parsnip Dumplings Over a Roasted Red Pepper Puree

I was at the farmer’s market last Saturday afternoon and I couldn’t resist picking up a huge bag (maybe 8 pounds?) of “Ugly Parsnips” as they were so mercilessly labeled. Seven dollars later, I realized that I had no idea what to do with them. Roasting, of course, was an option, but how many roasted parsnips could I eat without turning into one? Back at the house I flipped through a few cookbooks without finding any inspiration. Then, out of nowhere I got a craving for gnocchi. You know, the lumpy Italian dumplings made with potatoes, cheese and eggs (and a little flour to hold the carb-monsters together)? I searched the web for a parsnip version and voila! I came up with recipe that looked like it could work with a little tweaking. So, here is my contribution to the Fatfree Vegan Vegetable Love 2009 challenge. Hope you enjoy!

Parsnip dumplings

1 1/2 tablespoon oil

4 cups parsnips, roughly chopped

1 large onion, diced

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

1/4 cup veggie stock, or water

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

4 teaspoons nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste

olive oil

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan and saute the parsnips, onions, and garlic until the parsnips soft and onions caramelized. Transfer the vegetables into a food processor and process until smooth, slowly adding 1/4 cup of veggie stock. Mix together the flours, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper in a large bowl then add the parsnip puree and stir until well combined. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. In a non-stick frying pan heat a little oil (you can use spray, but the dumplings won’t be as crispy). Scoop out a tablespoon of the dough and roll it between your hands to form into a dumpling shape, placing them 1/2 an inch apart in the frying pan. Pan-fry the dumplings for 2-3 minutes, turning them over frequently so all sides become nice and brown. Transfer the dumplings to the paper towels. Repeat until all the dough is used.

Coconut-Red Pepper Sauce (adapted from Vegan Fusion World Cuisine)

2 medium red bell peppers

1/4 cup soy milk

3 tablespoons toasted coconut (unsweetened)

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon mirin

Pinch cayenne

Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 400°. Place the bell peppers on a oiled pan and roast them for 35 minutes or until their skin is charred and bubbly. Let sit for 10 minutes, then peel the skin off. Place bell peppers and remaining ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour in a small saucepan and heat over low flame before serving.

To serve:

Ladle 1/4 cup of the red pepper sauce into a shallow bowl. Place 4-5 dumplings in the center and garnish with sauteed kale or other greens.