Gorilla Food IV or V?

The Return of the Bikes (to Gorilla Food).

Made a morning smoothie (banana, spring salad mix, watermelon... left out the strawberries this time), and drank 125 mL of it while doing laundry and practicing assorted computer skillz i.e. not spilling anything on my keyboard.

I biked to softball practice with Michelle along the scenic seawall (which I completely ignored in favour of making sure I didn't run over any pedestrians while riding my squeaky, gear mis-aligned bicyclette). It was a leisurely ride to the park, with just enough heat and uphill portions to ensure a sweaty back and left-side-of-the-face burn. Actually I think I managed the leftside burn while pitching facing westnorthwest. And the face is only a little crisp. My shoulders and back caught most of the sun action.

Left softball practice early with Michelle for some healing raw eats at Gorilla Food. Dehydrated and hungry, we biked there twice -- the second time with the required equipment (to document the experience).

All raw deliciousness: Thai Fresh Wraps, Green Taco, Veggie Burger, Choco-Gorilla shake! Menu with character descriptions here.

Dessert: Tiramisu and ferrero rocher gelato. Learned that gelati is the plural form.

Gorilla Birthday Meal

Gorilla Food, The Made-For-TV Movie

Starring:

Crista.... as Michelle (ha ha)

Sonya as herself

Background:

Crista is a sweetheart and has been for the past 13 years that I've known her.  We met in Catholic school way back in grade 9 and enjoyed most of our English classes together.  (That explains my writing style -- I don't recall anything school-related from those classes except for a Chinese Underwear creative writing assignment we had to present and A Prayer for Owen Meany journal entries. ) 

Crista remembered that my birthday is coming up!  She always remembers.  And she gave me the best card -- here are two sentences I think I'm allowed to share:  "Since this raw food lifestyle change I am unable to bake you a cake, buy you chocolate, or cook you dinner -- all ways I like to show love.  Instead we'll have to indulge the raw way.  Yummy! :)"

So she took me to the only raw food restaurant that I know of (and it's a fun one), for good eats and good reminiscings about the good ol' days back when we were young and our lives were ahead of us and all the world a stage.  Kind of like now... *sigh*...  some things never change.

On the menu: 

Pesto pizza 

Falafels (new thing I hadn't tried): A romaine lettuce leaf pita filled with sprouted then dehydrated pumpkin and sunflower seed veggie falafel balls served on a bed of zucchini hummus, topped with a sweet tahini sauce and a grainless tabouli. 

Water wisdom salad: same as last time except on this salad we were given almonds instead of hazelnuts.  I don't know why.  Sometimes the details are different in the tv version.

Chocolate Pie

The Plot Thickens:

The original script involved Fresh Thai Wraps, but the people dining beside us scored the last batch... so we made a video.  We just had to.

Also, the nice lady (also a sweetheart) @ Gorilla Food surprised me with a candle on the pie!  She said she hopes my wish comes true.  How sweet is that?!  Very. The small things mean the most.  This entry is magnifying my sentimental mood, haha.  So please excuse the excessive sappiness, and I suggest that you consider brushing your teeth after reading this.

Gorilla Food II

Gorilla Food: The Return

Starring:
CHOCOLATE PIE!... as Dessert
Michelle... as Enjoyable as Usual
Sonya... as Full As Last Time

Introducing:
Green Tacos (a romaine lettuce leaf taco wrap filled with a spicy chili walnut pate, fresh guacamole and salsa);

Fresh Thai Wraps (three collard leaf wraps filled with a sprouted sunflower seed and veggie pate, sesame seasoned coleslaw and served with a ginger raisin chutney [I didn't get a good photo of the chutney]);

and Zucchini Linguine (zucchini 'newdles' smothered in a rich white cashew cream. Served with a green leaf salad - the dressing was some sort of avocado-cilantro creaminess that tasted lightly of horseradish).



The chocolate pie stole the show. Oops we forgot to try the halva! We'll have to go back.

Gorilla Food

Today I ate too much, and liked it. My trusted accomplice in Operation Lettuce-Eat-As-Much-As-We-Can, Michelle-Meals, came with me to indulge in my gluttonous pastime. I mean, to nourish the body and soul with some living foods vegan dishes!

We went to Gorilla Food, the raw food place I'd checked out for the first time last weekend. No rain this time -- the sun visited with us on the seawall walk home. Lots of people were outside either holding hands, eating candyapples, skateboarding on public artworks, walking on the bike-designated lane, taking photos, taking off in seaplanes or walking tiny dogs.

For Lunch:

Ital. Veggie and Maui Waui pizza
Guacamole with housemade dehydrated Sunny Ginger Nori crackers
Water Wisdom Salad
(Gorilla Food menu with descriptions viewable online)

Dessert:

Chocolate Mint Mousse Pie or something but it's not listed on the official menu, darnit. And I forgot to take a photo of it. But it was good! And topped with raw cacao nibs.

For Dinner:

I was still "filled" but had my icecream (um all of it) from this morning's smoothie, some cashews and an orange.

I feel a bit buzzed, likely thanks to the theobromine in cacao.

Thai Fresh Wraps & Pesto Pizza

Oh yes, I could get used to this. I want to make it all! All the raw dishes (that taste good)! It looks simple enough.

Thai Fresh Wraps: "Three collard leaf wraps filled with a sprouted sunflower seed and veggie pate, sesame seasoned coleslaw and served with a ginger raisin chutney."

Pesto Pizza: "A sun-dried tomato and fresh tomato herb sauce topped with a hempseed walnut basil pesto, a crumbly walnut “cheez” and fresh tomato slices."

I walked right by Chapters on the way to the raw food place and made a mental note to pick up some raw food recipe books next time.

When I picked up my food, the guy said, "Argh, I just wanna like, wipe you down." I am the only person in Vancouver who doesn't like to use an umbrella. So I look drenched most of the time, and this somehow makes me more approachable. Story-with-moral time!

On my way home, standing at the corner of Georgia and Richards with my headphones on and my eyes closed, waiting for the light to change, a middle-aged (I don't know what he was wearing, I rarely notice that stuff) guy says a perky, "Hi." He says it twice, but the first time I'm really hoping he's talking to somebody behind me because the way he says it is like he knows the person or he's talking to a celebrity or something. Plus I was clearly not giving off "talk to me" vibes (unless repeating in my mind "don't talk to me, don't talk to me, don't talk to me" yields the opposite effect, which it does...). Otherwise, I may have perceived the interaction in a more open light.

I say, "Hi, how are you?" [I think that was my first mistake. Don't encourage!]

"Good, thanks. I'm Tom." And he holds out his hand to shake hello.

I stand there with my hands in my pockets and am suspicious. He doesn't look homeless or that he wants something from me but I don't feel like touching his hand when he's so gung-ho about it. I consider explaining to him why I don't want to shake his hand ('um, as a rule that I've just decided upon now I don't shake hands with people I don't know who initiate contact with an oblivious me on street corners') but at the same time I don't feel like explaining myself. Also, I don't know why the hell he's talking to me when I'm standing there with my headphones on and eyes closed. So then he reads my mind and tells me.

"I'm just going to London Drugs, right over there."

I smile instead of saying what I'm thinking. At that moment the advance green signals the oncoming traffic to turn left in front of us. The guy asks with a bit of attitude, "Why do cars get priority?"

I think, 'Because life has a hell of a sense of humour and wants us to stand here uncomfortably for as long as possible' but instead I make up an answer and say, "Because there are a lot of cars and the traffic congestion would be worse if fewer cars were able to turn left." I like to answer rhetorical questions.

And then I walk down the street without saying goodbye.

I LIKE the friendly/open people in this world and yet I felt like I was a bit of a jerk to him. A pleasant jerk, but not me. Or maybe that is part of me. Maybe I'll just accept it. Now embracing the mega biatch in me insofar that it is a beneficial expression on occasion for the highest good of all. Hah.