I've been working long days and haven't been getting as much sleep as I should. As a result, one day at work, I wasn't really paying attention and I knocked over a rack of pies I was trying to push into the freezer. On the way down, the rack hit my leg. This is the bruise I got on my shin. It hurts like you wouldn't believe! 
Anyhow, now onto something completely different. Shannon, over at Your Sweet Bippy got started on a new meme and offered it up to takers who were willing to be asked 5 questions and then answer them on their own blogs. These are the questions Shannon came up with for me. Some of my answers are kind of rambly (because I'm a rambly kind of person) and I hope in the end that I've answered the questions and that they actual make sense. Shannon, you asked for it, so here we goooooo!
I think Canada is awesome. What is your favorite part about being Canadian?
Well, thank you for that. I think Canada is pretty awesome too. I love my country and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I could answer this real quick and say my favorite part is hockey, maple syrup, butter tarts, or awesome looking, kick-ass Canadian boys. While those things are all great, my favorite part about being Canadian is the feeling of pride I get when I say “I am Canadian.” I am a very proud Canadian. I’ve heard that we’re seen around the world as being “nice.” I think that is actually compassion. We care about our own people – I think we have a pretty good “socialesque” society, and we care about the rest of the world. We’ve had a huge role as peacekeepers and are quite often one of the first countries to pitch in and help those in need. Did you know that in both the first and second world wars, Canada got involved before the US? We do so quietly a lot of times and are not looking for praise. We do it because it’s right. We are blessed to live in a very wealthy, FREE, democratic country that enables us to share with those who are less fortunate. We’re also tough with a strong resolve. It’s “the true north strong and free.” And the hockey’s great. So is the maple syrup, the butter tarts, and definitely the awesome looking, kick-ass Canadian boys.
You manage a wine/liquor shop if I remember correctly? That is wicked cool. I love wine, some would say perhaps a bit too much. And you have a healthy respect for beer, I admire that in a woman. What wine or beer would you pair with a spicy Asian-inspired tofu dish?
I don’t manage, I just work there :o) When pairing wine with a spicy dish, think contrast. An off-dry riesling or an off-dry gewurtztraminer are excellent with spicy. The little bit of sweet offsets the heat in the dish. A German riesling would be a good match. They tend to be quite sweet. As for beer….don’t know. I have a healthy respect, but am not a big beer drinker. (too many beer hangovers as a teenager **shudder**) Maybe a Japanese or Chinese beer might pair nicely. As suggested with the wine, choose a sweeter beer. I find that when stuck, choose a beverage from the country that the dish is from. If you’re having spaghetti – go Italian! I would imagine that’s a good rule of thumb for beer as well.
You seem to be on a mission to find the perfect seitan recipe. What’s the best simmered seitan recipe you’ve tried?
It’s a bit of a tie. I really liked the Vegan Vittles recipe and Sarah Kramer’s from La Dolce Vegan. I tried Robin Robertson’s in the crockpot, and really liked the flavour, but didn’t like the texture. I’m going to try the stovetop method of her recipe. I’ll let you know if that takes the #1 spot.
You love your dog like a child, as do I. Some people might say there are advantages to just having a dog instead of children. Agree? Disagree? Discuss.
OK, not having children was my choice. Is my dog a substitute? I don’t think so. Truth be known, I don’t want the responsibility of a child. I’ve always been able to do what I want, when I want. Is that selfish? Some might say so, but why should I have a child I don’t want because it’s expected of me. Just because I’m female doesn’t mean I yearn to have a baby. The main thing is I don’t want to be responsible for another person.
I love my Simon. He may be considered a child substitute by some, but he’s a dog. A lot of people have dogs. If I had a child and a dog, would anyone say that the dog is in place of child #2? Of course not. So to say they replace a child, is ridiculous. He’s my pet. (Sorry for a bit of a rant there…got off the question). There are advantages to having a dog instead of a child. He can stay at home by himself. I don’t have to worry about daycare, but then again I don’t get any government subsidies. Simon is much easier to look after. And he’s not going to want to borrow the car on a Saturday night. As long as I feed & water him, take him for walks & runs in the park, play with him at home and cuddle up on the couch, he’s content. He offers all kinds of companionship and happiness into my life. When I come home from a shit day at work, he doesn’t whine, have tantrums, need to be driven to swimming lessons or any of that. He’s over the moon that I’m actually home and the excitement and carry-on is so infectious. So for a really messed up, all over the place, not really an answer to a question – yes – I agree - there are advantages. Which outweigh the disadvantages tenfold.
Bryan Adams. What’s the attraction?
I'm sure many ask this question. Oh, Bryan and I go waaaaay back. When I first “met” him in the early 80’s he had sort of a cute boy next door look. The big hits he had in the 80’s & 90’s were perfect music for the time. He seems to be my 'type' - a regular jeans & t-shirt kinda guy - not all full of himself with pretty boy looks. (I don’t really like the pretty boys). I like his raspy voice and the romantic songs. Oh, the romance! Plus I truly believe he’s a good person. He does a lot of charity work, donates his time to causes he believes in, but isn’t looking for a lot of press about it. He’s done so much that hardly anyone knows about. Along with Live Aid and Live 8 and Amnesty Int’l, he’s been involved in Make A Wish Foundation, Children In Need, vounteered his time and photography skills to do work for PETA, he supports Greenpeace’s whaling campaign, Elephant Sanctuary, organized a charity event for the Tsunami disaster, as well as all the work he’s done for breast cancer & other cancer charities. And on and on and on. I guess that’s his Canadian way. He does it because it feels right. (like I mentioned in the first answer) He’s written a gazillion songs that have been recorded by some of the biggest names, he’s sung & performed with some huge stars and he’s been asked to perform for royalty, heads of state and the Pope. But he also travels & does concerts in places like Pakistan, Turkey and he was first to play in Vietnam. I guess I find all of that quite attractive. Yea, he’s done some sappy, crappy songs in his day, but most of his music I quite like (this coming from a rock n’ roll kinda gal) I think he still looks pretty good (he’ll turn 48 this year! Yikes!) Also, he’s vegan, has nice blue eyes and a cute bum. He’s an awesome, kick-ass Canadian boy.
I think you all know by now that I really like You Tube. I was trying to post a clip here of Bryan Adams on a British talk show, but Blogger is doing it's thing again, and it just won't copy over to here. If you would like to view said clip, you can click here. He seems very pleasant and I think he'd be fun to hang out with. :o)
If you'd like 5 questions, zip over to Your Sweet Bippy and I'm sure Shannon can come up with something for you!
I also spotted this mysterious caped figure. Who could that be?
I love this picture of Simon. The wind was blowing and his ears got caught in the breeze. We picked up his goodie bag and headed home. "Someone" was very tired from all the walking and passed out and had sleepies all afternoon. The rest of us headed over to Mama Rita's for a get together and to have a taste of what I recipe-tested for Dreena. Stay tuned for that post!
