Day 85 - The Brownie Bite

Back in October I received a coupon for a free brownie at the Guildford Moxie's connected to the Sandman Suites (Surrey swank).  For every coupon redeemed Moxie's donates $1 to the Breakfast for Learning program.  This is a pretty sweet deal for all parties.  However, I had been reluctant to redeem this coupon as the implication is that a patron would likely order other items with the free brownie.  The coupon expires today... 

While I didn't necessarily need to eat this brownie (I have more than enough to last me the next 5 days), I couldn't ignore this feeling that I was avoiding the coupon because I would feel like a total deadbeat redeeming it.  I feared that the waitstaff would think I was cheap, that I would be looked at as someone who was somehow less than.  To live this experiment to the fullest, I had to go.

I didn't know anyone who worked there, yet I felt as if I had been transported back to high school.  To clarify, high school wasn't great for me.  To quote 'Dazed and Confused', "I keep getting older, and they stay the same [age]."  If this were some kind of short story, this would be cathartic epiphany of sorts instead of mildly angst-ridden.  But how about that brownie?

it's a 'blond' brownie. exotic!

I sat in the lounge and wrote some thoughts as I enjoyed my brownie and hot water with lemon.  I wondered how much of a tip to leave.  This was a very tortured series of minutes.  Do I leave a tip?  If I don't does this prove that I have truly transcended caring what people think of me?  If I realise this thought does that then negate it because I am trying to prove that point?  It was aggravating.  I finally decided that I would leave a $2 tip (60% of what the brownie would have cost) because I'm sure the waitress who brought me the brownie could use it for cab fare from the Mirage later on.  I wish this post could be tied up with a neat bow; instead it's a little loose in the middle and one end is much shorter than the other.

Day 82 - Fresh Slice Day

The new Fraser Heights Fresh Slice is attached to a gas station, which means it is more of a kiosk than a restaurant.  It was super-busy and the numerous staff members seemed really bewildered and unhappy to be there.  When I arrived around 1:30pm there were 2 choices of cold pizza slices: pepperoni or cheese.  Having said that, I was grateful to have food.  However, I would not likely pay $1.56 for a slice from here.

The coupon was good for 1 free XL slice of pizza.  Turns out, there is only one size.

free pizza!

Day 80 - Tmrw is Fresh Slice Day

Tomorrow I will go to the new Fresh Slice opening in Fraser Heights to redeem a coupon for one free XL slice.  The catch is that it must be redeemed between 1 and 3pm.  Looking forward to it.  I could eat pizza for 3 months. 

Today marks 10 days to the end of this little experiment.  What's interesting is that I've saved some of my best items to this point - can of lentil soup, half a box of couscous, a potato, a quarter bag of brown rice spaghetti noodles.

Day 78 - Another Gift!

Started feeling the cobwebs cloud my inner-landscape.  Hormones?  Attachment to form? SAD?  Don't know.  I decided to shake it off with a walk to find yarn.  It's that time of the year where I pick up my knitting needles and re-learn how to knit, purl, knit, purl, purl, purl, knit?...oops...unravel that row.  As I walked along 104th avenue, I happened to see a bag of bananas in an empty lot amidst paint cans, coffee cups, and wet sweatshirts.  There were about 12 in the bag and they were bruised and rather moist, as if they had breathed the humidity lining the bag.

I took this gift to my parents' house and made an assortment of breads and muffins for my family to enjoy (with 4 left over for waffles).

The last few days have been rather mysterious.  These gifts are love notes left anonymously on my doorstep, offerings of a sort, that reveal only the existence of my intangible beloved: no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind.

Day 76 - Winds of Fortune

Last night the strong winter winds redistributed leaves...and goods, it would appear!  I was leaving to enjoy a wintery walk to redeem a coupon for a McDonald's deluxe hot chocolate, when I found this on my doorstep:

apple cider, anyone?

I cut off the bitten part because you can never be too sure about rabies or hand-and-foot-and-mouth disease and juiced the rest into a lovely warming elixir:

It is funny how the universe answers your calls - sometimes in the most obvious ways.

Day 73 - Freebasing Chocolate

I have my period and incidentally a huge craving for chocolate...I know, I know.  What to do?  Well, when you have 2 unsweetened squares of Baker's chocolate, you make macaroons (sans le coconut).

les ingredients

You might notice that suddenly I have this huge tub of vegetable oil shortening - where did that come from?  Turns out, I have a reserve of fats that I use to make soap.  This is about a year old, but it doesn't smell rancid.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil shortening (vintage 1 year)
• 2 Baker's unsweetened chocolate squares
• about 2-3 tbsp of icing sugar
• about 1/2 cup of oats

Method:

• Heat vegetable oil shortening in a pan on the stove-top (medium heat).  When the shortening has liquefied add the chocolate squares, stirring.
• When everything is liquid stir in the icing sugar and oats.  You may need to add more oats to create a stiffer mixture.
• Remove from heat.  Spoon mixture (in spoonfuls) onto a baking pan and set aside to solidify at room temperature.  I imagine you could refrigerate for faster results, but I prefer food at room temperature these days and also since I am conserving heat, my apartment is about fridge temperature.
• For extra fun, I poured hot water into the pan after spooning out the macaroons.  Then I poured the remaining chocolate residue into a cup - hot chocolate!

they sparkle!

Day 71 - Overindulgences

This winter weather has me in a hoarding state of mind.  Whenever I come across food, I completely over-eat like a bear preparing for winter hibernation!  It's as if my body convinces my mind that it might not eat again and so we must overindulge NOW.

On that note, I received a coupon booklet which includes a free small McDonald's specialty beverage!  I cashed it in this afternoon for a small hot chocolate!  It was soooo good!  So good that I went rummaging through the garbage near my apartment and found four more!

I used to worry a lot about what I ate - whether I was choosing healthy items, whether I would get fat from what I was eating.  Living this way the past 2 months, I have let that go to a large degree.  I am starting to believe that maybe it's enough to wake up everyday, do what you want, and then go to bed.