Sugar: The Bitter Truth

Yeah ok, fine it’s an hour and a half long. Here’s the summary for you people who somehow still have no time even though exams are over:

Summary:

• Today High Fructose Corn Syrup is used in basically every processed food as a substitute for regular sugar since fructose is much sweeter
• Sucrose (made up of 1 glucose and 1 fructose) is also found everywhere since it is also sweeter and cheaper than glucose
• Fructose is evil
• We eat fructose much more than we drink alcohol but fructose is metabolized ONLY in the liver through a pathway similar to alcohol
• 30% of Fructose turns into fat whereas less than 1% of glucose turns into fat
• Fructose turns off brain sensitivity to hormones involved in feelings of satiety after meals so you never feel full
• Fructose can desensitize cells to insulin to cause Type II diabetes
• One pop drink or fruit juice is basically one serving of food; but you still don’t feel full

Exams Week 15: You gain 15lb during exams and lose 15% by the end of exams

I always study with food.

And when I say ‘food’, I don’t mean a nice healthy meal. I mean chocolate, cookies, cakes, crackers, chips, candy… sugar. My logic behind it is that since I’m using my brain so much to study, I need to get lots and lots of energy…  These cavity-encouraging study sessions happen constantly in the week before exams, when there’s honestly not enough time for me to be cooking myself a full meal 3 times a day (oh the woes of not having a meal plan or parents to cook for you).

So today, I have decided to share with you all the wonderfully quick (and energy packed) foods that you can make with nothing more than just a microwave! (And the ingredients. [And some other stuff])

S’mores

Without the campfire!

• Crackers (Graham or regular, your choice)
• Chocolate (chips or bar)
• Mush-mellows (the big ones work better)

This is really self explanatory. Take a cracker, put 1 piece of chocolate (or to taste) on it, balance a big puffy mush-mellow on the chocolate and stick it in the microwave for ~10sec. I usually microwave 3-5 at the same time and watch the mushies start to puff. It’s going to give me cancer, but it’s quite the scene. Once the microwaving is done you can just add another cracker on top to sandwich it.

Mug Cake

Not just another cake

• 4 Tablespoons Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon baking powder (optional if you want nice fluffy cake)
• 1 Egg
• 9 Tablespoons Hot Chocolate powder (substitute other chocolaty goods)
• 3 Tablespoons milk
• 3 Tablespoons Oil
• 1 Microwave safe mug
• Mixing spoon

Does this sound strange? It’s actually quite cool, though it does take a lot more ingredients. First, you can smooth some oil over the interior of the mug to ensure the cake doesn’t stick. Then, what you want to do is put the dry powdered ingredients (flour, baking powder, hot chocolate) into the mug, beat the egg in and mix in the milk and oil. Once your concoction is complete, simply microwave the whole thing for 3 minutes. Wait for it to cool a bit and take the mug out; you should see a lovely cake sitting inside it. Feel free to mess with the ingredients and maybe use Nutella instead of hot chocolate?

Fried Egg

• 1 Egg
• ~1 teaspoon Oil
• 1 Microwave safe Plate or bowl
• Plastic wrap (optional)

Bet you didn’t know you could fry eggs with just a microwave! Just crack the egg into the plate/bowl and use something clean to poke the yolk’s membrane. Do be careful with this one; you’ll have to watch the egg as it gets microwaved because all microwaves are different. I recommend 2 minutes to start and if the egg is still very liquified, add another minute. Not recommended for people who are allergic to eggs or prolonged micro-waves hitting skin cells.

Instant Noodles

• 1 Pack instant noodles
• Water
• 1 Microwave safe bowl

Put noodles in a bowl, add the powdery goodness and fill with enough water to just cover the noodles. Microwaves all vary so I’m going to say it’ll take 3-5 minutes to make instant noodles this way. Watch out, it’s hot when it’s done!

And these are just the starters! But before I finish, here’re some MICROWAVE SAFETY tips:

• NEVER put tin foil in the microwave – It WILL burn (with fire and flames and the whole set)
• Don’t leave microwave unattended when you’re using it – You never know what might explode
• When boiling water with a microwave, let it sit and cool before using it – If you add things, relatively pure water might still explode on you
• Most things will come out of the microwave HOT – Be warned.
• If your microwave explodes, it’s a good idea to call for help

Note: The author is not to be held responsible for any explosions, odd smells, burnt food or other catastrophes that come about your own microwave failures. So please, BE CAREFUL

What: Bake sale

Time: Tuesday, November 22 · 11:30am – 2:30pm

Location: Sidney Smith Hall, 100 st.George street

Would you like to grab a quick snack? Come visit us at our table to buy tasty snacks and learn more about our club.We will be selling various types of baked goods. All the money will be given to support our brothers and sisters in the town of Riverton Meadows, Jamaica. So if you are passing through Sid Smith come drop by and say hello.

For more information, visit the group’s website or Facebook page.

I just sat on the bus on the gorgeous fall evening, looking out the window, to see where in Paris it would take me. I soon noticed that the inside of the bus was just as interesting as the outside… in a good way. Here is my jotted-down list of the things I saw:

1. Resto: Pharaon (a really cool-looking French diner)
2. Musée: Fragonard (a perfume museum – my mother would get a headache)
3. Resto: Café de la Paix (swanky)
4. A monument
5. Winding streets
6. Librairie: de la Mode (ooh)
7. Magasin: Y’s (really cool coats)
8. Dépot Ceramique
9. The staple fashionista stores: Cop-copine, Naf Naf, some Shoebizz store… all that jazz
10. Magasin: Kabuko (very cool-looking coats)
11. L’ethnospecialiste (huh?)
12. Resto: Madame Tomate (nice couches)
13. A random office that looked like it was from the future. I think there was an architect working on a blueprint inside. It looked like the guy’s desk was on a second floor with the glass showing both the first and second floor, but it was the size of a room with the bottom floor completely empty.
14. Behind me: ”Il bosse. Il bosse pas énorme, mais il bosse.” ”Hmm.”
15. A young woman sitting beside us: Short brown shiny bob with bangs. Big black scarf wrapped around forever, until just below her lips. Dark eyeshadow, shiny levres. Leather jacket, of course.
16. A tiny girl schoolgirl with an amelie haircut, cute black-red plaid jacket, black boots tied up, and little black socks. Adorbz. I think she was playing musical chairs
17. Magasin: Antoine et Lili. I’d seen it before. LOVE. so bright, so colorful!
18. Magasin: Tepetto? Repetto? Lepetto? I don’t know, but a cool-looking store. The first letter of its name was a little too cool-looking, though
19. Sandro. Nice stuff. Maaaaan.
20. Musée Picasso. (ooh)
21. Another monument. Oh, at the Bastille!
22. A philosopher’s bookstore (I stopped by after getting off. So cute.)

23. No inhibitions, naked curiosity, a beautiful city.

Raha loves being the only tourist on free bus tours.

-
Raha Francis is a an economics and philosophy undergraduate at the University of Toronto. She is spending her third year abroad, studying in Paris. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact her at raha.francis@utoronto.ca.

With a great variety of sweet treats to eat and a tour of beautiful Kensington Market, Tasty Tours demonstrates another great example of what makes our city so awesome and quirky. Tasty Tours is truly one of a kind. Using Kensington Market as the focal point of the tour is brilliant. It has a multi-ethnic selection of foods and is such a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Tasty Tours was founded and is led by U of T graduate Audrey Ooi: a smart, charismatic, and fun young woman. Her strong entrepreneurial spirit/hard work is what makes her company such a success after only taking off in the summer of 2011. Her tours are engaging and you can definitely learn a thing or two, like the history of candy corn and what makes it special (trust me it’s actually quite interesting, let Audrey tell you). The tour has an informal and relaxed feel. It’s well paced and not rushed. You get to actually experience the city, walk around among the locals, and go into places you probably would never have thought to venture into.  Fortunately for all of us,  Audrey also has plans to further expand her tours to other parts of the city!

This October, I was fortunate to have taken part in a special Halloween Tour. Normally, tours are held either Sundays at 11 am and alternate Fridays at 5 pm. Tours start at Butterfly Bakery right in Chinatown and then we gradually make our way in Kensington Market, which is really close by. On the Halloween Tour we got to try (in no particular order) special “Pan de Muerto” (Bread of the Dead) at Pancho’s Bakery, cute (yes cute) cupcakes at Miss Cora’s Kitchen, home-made truffles at Chocolate Addict, and some organic marshmallows and yummy Jelly Bellys at Blue Banana. My goodness it was awesome.

Christmas is coming up soon so I’d be sure to catch the Christmas Tour special this year! For more information, sign up for the mailing list to receive emails on exclusive giveaways and specials on the website here. You can also find more information on the Facebook page here.

Photo Credit goes to Audrey Ooi

I have recently fallen in love with the heavenly thing normal people like to call the “banana chocolate chip muffin” and what I like to call “OMIGODTHISISSOGOODICANTTAKEIT” (said with a mouthful of muffin). To show my love, I have written a poem.

How dare you
Marry without me knowing!
Brought together in the heat of baking,
Union consummated in my mouth,
Tickling my taste buds
In ways I never before imagined.

How could you
Not tell me?
I thought we were friends, banana!
Friend enough for you to share.
So what if I don’t like chocolate?
I would’ve given it a chance.

It’s okay now
Because I know.
I will look for you two.
Look for you and find you.
I will be that annoying third wheel
And eat you.

My unreasonable obsession aside, remember to support our campus groups! Get to know them! You can find them in Sid Smith, Med Sci, and various other places around campus. Muffins, cupcakes and cookies are usually staples.

Of course, if you know where I can find banana chocolate chip muffins, call me up. Right. Away.

Dearest blogUT readers and bloggers,

blogUT will be hosting a fall Meet & Greet.  This is your chance to come out to meet our bloggers and learn more about the blog.  Refreshments will be provided. Everyone is welcome! We hope to see you there.

Ally & Leah
Co-Editors of blogUT

1. Always have the basics stocked up.

Things such as oil, rice, pasta, dry seasonings and condiments last a long time and are cheaper if you buy them in larger sizes. They are also typical staples in your diet, and can be used in many different dishes, many different ways. If you’re a meat eater, you can stock up on meat too! Meat bought at the butcher shop or sold in packages can be cut and sectioned off by portion in plastic wrap and put into the freezer. Ground meat is especially versatile and easy to cook. Frozen vegetables are also very useful to have on hand.

Things to stock up on:

• A carb, like pasta or rice
• Olive oil, cooking oil
• Salt, pepper, dried herbs, sugar, other seasonings
• Canned goods, like canned fish
• Ground meat and frozen vegetables

2. Keep it simple.

Having watched The Food Network religiously while at my parent’s house for the summer, I can safely say that no matter how complex the dish may seem, the key is to keep it simple. You’d be amazed at the variety of things you can come up with when you have two or three ingredients.

For example, I had lemons and chicken breast in my fridge one day. I decided to make pan-fried chicken breast with lemon zest as the main flavor. Season the chicken with a bit of salt, pepper and dried herbs like basil. Then, quickly sauté some chopped garlic and lemon in olive oil. Add the chicken and cover. Flip. Make sure it’s cooked and then plate. For a bit of zing, squeeze some lemon juice on it. Serve with salad, rice or pasta. Voila, you’re done!

Gourmet salads are even easier. If you’ve got fruits or vegetables that are almost nearing their end, and lots of leafy greens, just toss them into a bowl. To make a homemade dressing mix olive oil, mustard and something acidic together and you have a base for delicious vinaigrette. Season to taste and you are set.

Just… don’t make it too simple.

3. Portion control.

Cooking for one person is hard. It’s cheaper to buy things bulk, but you may not be able to finish it all. Some of you may be like me and will be tempted to finish it as fast as you can, thus overeating. Others might end up with good food going bad after only being used once. Either outcome isn’t something you want. Portioning is very important.

I’ve already mentioned that you can section meat in the freezer. You can do the same thing with already cooked food. Save the time, cook everything at once, and pack it up in containers to freeze. It’s a tried and true trick, and is especially useful when exams and big assignments are coming up.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Of course, the most important thing about food is to eat healthy. There will be times where no name mac and cheese is on sale for 50 cents a box (I kid you not) and you will be tempted to buy it. Even if the boxes come alive and start dancing, don’t. Chances are, you can make your own mac and cheese that taste better with as much money per meal. Buy fresh. Look for products with less sodium and preservatives and more natural ingredients. If you snack, snack on fruits, nuts and vegetables. Nothing new, right?

Here are a few websites that are useful if you’re running out of ideas:

• Working Class Foodies
• Baked Bree
• $5 Dinners
• Cheap Eats
• Just a directory with 100 cooking blogs for students

Many of these things are common sense, but when you’ve got your head in the books (or other places *ahem*) you might forget. Just keep a cool head in the grocery store and at the cutting board, and you’ll have a great time in the kitchen. Here’s to a healthy and delicious year!

The Canadian national Exhibition (also known as the CNE and The Ex) is an annual event in Toronto. Although ticket prices tend to rise a bit each year, it’s something that I’ve enjoyed since childhood, and has become a tradition in my family. Since The Ex always takes place just before school starts, it’s a great way to mark the end of the summer holidays. Everyone should make an effort to go, whether it’s just once (to say that you’ve had the experience), or every year.

When is the Ex happening this year?

August 19th to September 5th.

What is there to do at The Ex?

There’s tons of stuff to see and do at the CNE, including:

• A variety of shows featuring cowboy trick riding, figure skating, and cultural song and dance
• The World Market, which features booths that showcase cool stuff from all around the world
• The Home Living Market – you can buy a sauna!
• The Arts and Crafts Market – browse (and buy!) cool jewellery, dips and jams, wind chimes, and tons of unique trinkets
• Carnival rides
• Carnival food – the usual corn dogs, cotton candy, and Tiny Tom doughnuts are always available (but why not try a Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger instead?)
• A kids playcentre
• A horticultural contest and gardening market – look at some spectacular blooms and gardens, and check out the annual flower competition
• Parades
• Last, but not least, the Labour Day air show!

Where can I get tickets to The Ex?

You can get tickets at the door but, if you want to avoid the lines and save a little money, some retailers such as Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaws usually have discounted tickets. You can also buy discounted tickets online before opening day here.

How do I get to the The Ex via public transit?

Take the 509 Exhibition streetcar from Bathurst or Union Station and it will take you right to the entrance of the Ex. Or, you can take the GO train to Exhibition station.

Let’s go to the Ex!

What is it?

Lori did a post covering the festival 2 years ago, but hopefully it won’t be rainy this year. Enjoy tons of yummy food, games, and shows all weekend!

Food?

Some food you may want to try: spanakopita (spinach pies) and loukoumades (honey balls) from Athens Bakery, kangaroo burgers from The Friendly Butcher, souvlaki, gyros, and backlava.

When is it?

August 5^th – August 7^th.

How do I get there?

The festival is super accessible by TTC. Just take the subway to Broadview, Chester, Pape, Donlands, or Coxwell station.

(If this doesn’t sound like your idea of a good time, or if you’re looking for even more stuff to do this weekend, you can also stop by the Brickworks Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning. You can take the free shuttle bus by Broadview station on Erindale, just north of Danforth.)

For more information, you can visit the Taste of the Danforth’s official website.