24 days until my return to Canada!!

How fast has 5 months past, eh?
It's funny, when I think back at all that I've done, it seems like I have been gone forever, but at the same time it feels as though it has gone too fast. When I think about being in Paris, the first day I arrived... whew its like decades ago. As soon as I think about saying goodbye to all the fantastic people I have met here, it has gone too fast.


I can say that I have now been to some 30-50 cities and towns, and 9 countries, and tried everything from moussaka to paella. Some food journey this has been. BUT I am not done yet, so I will not go around talking like I am. 


See you in 24-ish days Canada.

In the grapevines by the Kahlenburg 'mountain'.

seriously, someone is crossing the line.

China gets human milk from cows

Yeaaa.. just found this article today. Just for interests sake, thought I would share. 

pack your picnic basket!

I think I will have to go ahead and say that it is summer here in Vienna. The days are long, the sun is out, the humidity is making my hair frizz and the thunder storms are frequent. They weren't kidding when they said pack a raincoat for travel to Vienna. Between the thunderstorms though, it is the perfect weather for picnicking.

This past week in Vienna, I joined Julie and Lauren for a journey up to the Kahlenburg and to the Leopoldsburg mountains just on the outskirts of Vienna. They are described as mountains, but they are more like large hills, we took public transportation right to the top. Even though they aren't quite the Alps,  both offer excellent views over some Viennese vineyards and the entire city. We took the bus up to the top, and found ourselves wandering our way down tiny roads through fields of grapevines. Halfway down the 'mountain', we stopped for our picnic within the vines. After this I am seriously considering purchasing one of those wicker baskets they sell at the Naschmarkt here in Vienna. 

Cheers! To picnic's in the grapevines. 

By the time we reached the bottom, in a small town called Nussdorf, we stopped in at a small family owned Heurigen  sampling white wines and sampling apple strudel and eggplant lasagna. 


Our intentions at the beginning of the day were to catch the sunset on top of the Kahelnburg, but after hiking down, hiking back up was unlikely... especially after the heurigen. Settling in a small green space at the river's edge, we had a good view of the sunset for about 15 minutes when a storm started brewin' and we made our way back into the city. 


Even though it feels like the thunderstorms pop out at any second here, the weather is finally perfect for exploring those tiny towns outside of the city, surrounded by vineyards and 'mountains'. And, with Vienna's public transportation system being as amazing as it is, it is easy. I hope to get out there again soon!

Until then, I am participating in a week-long sketching class. From 8:45 to about 5 everyday this week I explore through the city and sketch. Even though I really have no idea what I am getting into, and no erasers are allowed, I am extremely excited and ready to get going. Lets just say its been a while since I have had class at all, and thats even counting the random un-related ones I somehow signed up for. Wish me luck! I will probably need it :P

thoughts?

Do we just eat things like crackers and bread-like things because its not socially acceptable to just eat a block of cheese, a slab of salami or a spoon of cream cheese?

make believe meat? food of the future?

I recently found this article online, "PETA subsidised meat?", where I discovered that for the past 10 years, people at PETA have been trying to make meat via in vitro. GROSS. 


Well, that's my first impression. Now I throw this in here because it kind of goes into a topic I read about a couple months ago about factory farming in the US. In my blog about it, Nom nom nom, I decided we need to change or find or solution or some junk like that, of course.. something always needs to be changed right?
SO, looks like other people feel the need to make changes in regards to the way we all eat meat, and they are, in a strange way I might add, making a change. 


I like to think that making meat out of a test tube is the way of the future, once people get past the fact that it is made in a test tube. I like to think how it will reduce greenhouse gases and pollution and all that jazz. But still, I can't help to think that it's going to cause more problems, it is so unnatural and fake that there has GOT to be something wrong with it. 
Just like years ago when someone decided factory farming would be great, mass produce meat to make tons of money and feed the world! I mean they make the money but there are so many bad side effects its just not worth it. 
If this catches on, and it really is "the food of the future!", there is going to be some form of repercussion, nothing works that easy. 

And would you be able to adjust to eating meat from a test tube anyways? I think it would fail just because people would be too grossed out by it. 


The best part about this article, is that they compare it to beer and bread.
 "There are many products that we've eaten for centuries, such as beer and bread, and these are accepted, traditional products of biotechnology and this is taking this to the next step,"
Just taking it to the next step, awesome. 


I don't know, maybe it is the "way of the future!"


still grossed out,
shannon xx


p.s A shout out to Tyler, the youngest of my two brothers who is FIFTEEN today!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYLER! :D


further reading! (just in case, some have convincing arguments)


8 Ways In-Vitro Meat Will Change Our Lives

The In-Vitro Meat Consortium

Burgers From A Lab: The World Of In Vitro Meat

perfect eggs.

Has anyone ever mastered boiling eggs? or frying them? 


There is no way someone makes the perfect soft boiled egg every single time, with absolutely no snotty white parts, but still a gooshy yellow yolk. It is IMPOSSIBLE. Yes, it is possible to do this, but it always happens by accident! That's when you have to savor those delicious boiled eggs, cause you never know when you will have such a fantastic turn out again. 


Now this is where I need help. I live in some form of Austrian student housing, where dishes and furniture are provided just like in residence back home in Uni. Now, after many students living in this apartment year after year, lets just say the frying pan isn't exactly up to par. We all know what happens when that nice Teflon coated frying pan loses its Teflon.. well at least at the Harbers house it gets chucked because no one wants to deal with the mess. Understandable, because trying to fry an egg on a less than decent frying pan is like trying to fry an egg on asphalt, and flip it with a spatula that doesn't fit in the narrow sides of the pan, or.. road.  


Can anyone give me a solution to the perfect fried egg without getting a new pan? It doesn't even have to be perfect, just in one piece. More Pam? higher heat? lower heat? flip with a knife? If anyone reading this has a trick up their sleeve please lend this hungry student a hand. 

the 'taste' of home.

A few weeks ago the family made their way out to visit here in Europe. With them, they brought me a few comforts of home that I had missed. What does this include? Well, don't laugh.. peanut butter, pancake mix, headphones, my black scarf, a few key summer clothing items, and of course a box of hagelslag (refer to Day 1, pre-EU departure).


To start, part of the idea of me taking on the topic of this blog, was to open my eyes and broaden my horizons when it came to looking at, and eating food. As of 4 and a half, almost 5 months into my 6 month adventure, I can honestly say that my attitude has changed drastically. 


Since my arrival in the EU this past January, I now love olives, most types of sushi, plain yogurt, and even white wine is growing on me. I have learned a few new recipes, and even simple tricks to makes my simple spaghetti amazing. I now regularly purchase lemons and zucchini, olive oil, and feta cheese. Things are changing for the better! But I must say, I have not forgotten my previous eating habits (ie toast, cheese and wildberry yogurt), because they are just so darn good now and then. Presented with an opportunity for a good 'ol living on my own in Guelph meal, I sure grabbed it. Is there anything wrong with a piece of toast and hagelslag if it reminds you of home?

peanut butter and candied hagelslag

what I eat everyday for breakfast, replacing that toast.. 

Funny how little things like hagelsgal and peanut butter have so many associations with home at this point in the game. Or how a song can remind you of your best friend or a road trip last summer. 


I guess the success of this blog will be determined after my arrival back in Canada, to see if I picked up my old eating habits again. Some would say they were bad, but I would like to say they were just... lazy. With some new knowledge, new techniques, and pretty much a whole new train of thought when it comes to food, and the culture it's associated with, I do not feel a return to pop-tarts for dinner coming back. 


With a nearly full jar of peanut butter and box of hagelslag staring me in the face every time I open the cupboard, temptation to have toast for dinner will loom, but trust that I will have self-control! A little taste of home is good now and then, but I will not lose sight of all I have learned thus far.


times are changing! shannon xx