March against Monsanto and other life updates!

Dear minions!

Lots of stuff has been changing for me lately!

First off, I've started shopping at the farmer's market rather than the grocery store and it's made such a big impact on my health! I eat almost exclusively organic and have severely cut back on my meat intake. On the organic front alone I've noticed a dramatic  improvement in my energy level and sense of overall well-being. People keep telling me that it looks like I've lost weight and I definitely feel less bloated and lethargic. I've even found that my occasional bouts of depression have become more manageable and transient.

I've started cooking absolutely amazing dishes that I never would have thought of making, walking through the sterile aisles of No Frill's (I'll share a few in upcoming posts!). Even just the atmosphere of the market has made a big impact on me.

Grocery shopping used to be super stressful for me. I hated all the crowds and the go go go vibe everyone gave off. Purchasing boxes and cans of processed foods was so depressing and the often dodgy condition of the produce made me cringe!!

I feel good about the foods I buy from the market, all green and fresh, and the best part, local! It makes me feel good knowing the money I spend goes back into my community and not to some faceless corporation. I'm sure the drastic reduction in preservatives and chemicals that I ingest has had the biggest impact on my mood and energy ☺

I've even started chatting with a cute guy who works at the produce stand I frequent *blushes*

Second big change is that it looks like I'll be playing bass in a local punk band come the fall! More to come on that as it develops!

The third thing is that I've made the first steps toward becoming more involved in  environmental activism. Earlier today Monster and I participated in a March Against Monsanto rally.

I was first turned on to the cause by an internet acquaintance sharing posts on Facebook so I figured what would be the harm of following them?

It opened my eyes to a few issues I hadn't been aware of and reaffirmed some of my suspicions. It's kind of scary when you see it all laid out and take the time to absorb it.

We had an awesome time at the rally, heard some amazing speakers and chatted with some cool people! A lot more people turned out then I expected and it was cool to see how many people care about the health of the planet and the people on it. It was really inspiring to see people of all ages come out to support such an important cause! There were tons of petitions to sign and I've also signed up to help out next year!

It felt really good to be out there with so many like minded people and I'm so excited for next year!I hope to get more involved in this and a few other causes in the coming months!

I guess that's pretty much everything for now, I'll definitely keep you guys posted as things develop in the near future. As always my darlings......

Keep kreepin'

Missa Deadlove

Baked Chipotle Bacon Penne knock off

Dear Minions!

Today I have a little culinary experiment for you! I'm totally addicted to Boston Pizza's Baked Chipotle Bacon Penne but can't afford to eat out all the time, so I decided to try making it for myself! It was surprisingly easy and tastes just as good (if not better!). So here we go!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
2tbls flour
1 cup cream (I used half and half)
2 cloves garlic
2tbls Chipotle seasoning
2 cups cheese (1 cup shredded fine, to be used in the sauce. The other cup shredded coarse to be sprinkled on top)
1 large tomato diced
1 can mushrooms or 10 mushrooms sliced and fried
6 handfuls pasta of your choice ( I used rotinis)
6 strips bacon chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

Chop tomato and set aside in a large casserole dish. Drain mushrooms (if using canned mushrooms) or slice and lightly fry mushrooms ( if using fresh) and set aside in casserole dish as well.

Fry bacon pieces until slightly undercooked, we don't want them to be too crispy! Drain bacon on a piece of paper towel then add to the tomatoes and mushrooms.

Using a large pot cook pasta until aldente. Drain pasta and add to the casserole dish.

In a small sauce pan over medium heat melt butter. Once butter is melted add flour wisking constantly. Wisk the roux constantly for about 5 minutes until smooth and slightly thinner in consistency.

Add cream and keep wisking for another 5 minutes.  If your sauce gets a little too thick ( mine did!) Add a little more cream or milk to thin it out.

Crush garlic into your sauce and keep stirring! Add chipotle seasoning and slowly add finely shredded cheese, I used marble cheese because it's my favorite! Keep wisking sauce, it will thicken a little bit until the cheese melts completely into the sauce.

Pour the sauce over everything in the casserole dish and mix it all together, making sure to coat all ingredients and distribute the tomatoes, mushrooms and bacon evenly.

Sprinkle the coarsely shredded cheese on top and bake for about 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven (or until cheese is melted!)

And voila! You can now break up with Boston Pizza! Hope you enjoy it and try experimenting with different cheeses and seasoning levels. I used a chipotle mango seasoning because it was all I could find and it added a subtle flavor that I hadn't expected but absolutely love!

Until next time darlings.......

Keep kreepin'!

Missal Deadlove :)