Welcome to another Fall weekend. Here in Canada, it is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This is a day to reflect on the tragic and harmful legacy of Residential Schools, to come to terms with Canada’s colonial past and ongoing marginalization, and to take steps towards creating safe spaces and healing those traumas.

This quote from Ry Moran: “Change is inherently uncomfortable, but I think we as a country, we as Canadians, need to become much more comfortable with discomfort. We need to find a degree of peace hearing messages that perhaps we don’t want to hear, don’t understand. And we need to try to create the spaces within ourselves, within our society, within our organizations and institutions, within public discourse, for these uncomfortable truths to emerge.”

Today’s post features articles that speak to the themes of this day, as well as some of the typical content. Donations can be made to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society here.

5 Things I’m Reading:

1. Working to feed the future & The Narwhal’s Nourish series
2. My Grandmother Taught Me That Food Is Fundamental To Sovereignty
3. To Fight Climate Change, Canada Turns to Indigenous People to Save Its Forests
4. Finding the Knowledge Keepers: The Indigenous Teacher Shortage
5. On my nightstand: Discipline Is Destiny

5 Things I’m Enjoying:

1. Daily affirmations for October
2. The art of Emmanuel Osahor
3. Watching this person build thatched roofs is weirdly so relaxing
4. This episode of the Matriarch Movement podcast: How are Indigenous youth thinking about reconciliation?
5. Joyful and relaxing things to do that cost little to no money

5 Questions:

1. Ways to get out of a cooking slump?
   I will answer this question as often as it comes in because the peak pandemic period started a 2-year cooking slump for me, and it was challenging. One strategy that really helps is setting aside an hour on the weekend (or any day that a bit of extra time is available), and using it to make a recipe that I’ve always really loved or one that I find comfort in (homemade gnocchi is a personal favourite example). The familiarity of the recipe is calming to me, I know what the end result is going to be, I build anticipation around it and let myself get lost in the process. This practice often “sparks” my love of cooking and creativity again because it’s a low pressure situation with a level of positive expectation around the outcome.
2. Favourite Fall limited edition foods?
   Rishi’s pumpkin spice tea is up there as well as Synergy’s Living In Gratitude kombucha. Oops, those are both beverages! A local vegan donut spot does an apple crisp donut that I go wild for every year. I’m always counting down the days until it comes back (in the meantime, their apple fritters are incredible).
3. Winter is coming! How do you get through the dreary days of Winter? Any Tips?
   For me personally, finding ways to enjoy time outside is crucial during the long Winter months. A few years ago I invested in a long and warm jacket, good winter hiking boots, thermal base layers etc. I love a daily walk in the cold and snow now. I also just relish the season as a slower, inward time of year. More cups of tea, more time by the fire, more cozy meals. The one kinda “out there” thing that really helped me last year was having a 2-3 minute ice cold shower every morning. I find it so invigorating and energizing, and it just boosts my motivation to get everything going first thing.
4. Ideas for vegan holiday mains?
   In Canada, Thanksgiving is about a week away. You can read about our version of the holiday here. I have a big roundup of vegan holiday recipes with lots of main course options. Some of my favourites are: Vegan Butternut Galette with Apples & Shallots, French Onion Shepherd’s Pie with Lentils & Cauliflower Potato Mash, and Romesco Roasted Whole Cauliflower with Herbed Tahini Cream.
5. How can I clean burn marks off the outside of a Dutch oven?
   I did this task recently! This guide from The Kitchn is very helpful. In my experience, a baking soda paste can clean almost anything. For greasy/sticky/burnt-on stuff, I find a few drops of lemon essential oil with the baking soda paste really helps to cut through the gunk as well.