Before winter comes this semester be sure to pick up these things in order to ensure you'll stay warm:
WINTER BOOTS:
A good pair of winter boots is essential for a Montreal winter. Be sure to get a pair of boots with a wool lining. By the time you get inside you'll be dying to rip them off but nothing is warmer when trudging through four feet of snow to get to class.
WINTER COAT:
As a McGill student in Montreal, one of the most important decisions you'll make is what winter coat to invest in. The characteristics to look for are whether or not it is long enough, what lining is inside, and if it has a warm hood. A warm hood is essential during windy snowstorms when you're forced to leave the comfort of your home.
SCARVES:
This winter make sure to have scarves, lots and lots of warm scarves. Nothing is worse than the wind hitting your face as you drag yourself to morning class. A scarf is the perfect way to protect yourself against the eminate mid-finals week illness.
Overall, be sure to bundle up soon and maybe you'll end up surviving this winter.
Sunday 30 October 2011
My Favorite Halloween Costumes from 2011
Ghostbusters.
Seeing this costume was a highlight of my Halloween weekend. It acted as the perfect throw back. However, this costume only works if you go all out. Its definitely necessary to have the black backpack covered in a garbage bag with the attached hose thrown over the shoulder. It turns out to be an amusing costume but also a pratical one. With Halloween nightly temperatures hitting below zero in Montreal, it never hurts to be fully covered.
Gold Digger.
I found this costume to be simple yet clever. All you need is some form of gold fabric and a cheap plastic shovel you don't mind carrying with you all night. This costume is easy because it can be customized with whatever gold outfit you can find.
Kesha.
Although Kesha has been around for a while now, it's always a solid costume choice. It's almost as simple as finding an old pair of tights and ripping them to shreds. However, the best/ most challenging part is the hair. It's definitely worth it to spend a few hours teasing you hair and sleeping the night in braids to get the Kesha look.
Seeing this costume was a highlight of my Halloween weekend. It acted as the perfect throw back. However, this costume only works if you go all out. Its definitely necessary to have the black backpack covered in a garbage bag with the attached hose thrown over the shoulder. It turns out to be an amusing costume but also a pratical one. With Halloween nightly temperatures hitting below zero in Montreal, it never hurts to be fully covered.
Gold Digger.
I found this costume to be simple yet clever. All you need is some form of gold fabric and a cheap plastic shovel you don't mind carrying with you all night. This costume is easy because it can be customized with whatever gold outfit you can find.
Kesha.
Although Kesha has been around for a while now, it's always a solid costume choice. It's almost as simple as finding an old pair of tights and ripping them to shreds. However, the best/ most challenging part is the hair. It's definitely worth it to spend a few hours teasing you hair and sleeping the night in braids to get the Kesha look.
Tuesday 25 October 2011
University Student Meals: 5 Healthier Alternatives to Pizza and Beer.
Naan Bread:
A East Indian flat bread with a slightly chewy texture. It can be found in the bread section of any grocery store. Drizzle some olive oil over it and stick it in the oven at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 4 to 5 minutes. The result is a perfect quick snack or an easy-to-make side for dinner with only 78 calories per serving.
A East Indian flat bread with a slightly chewy texture. It can be found in the bread section of any grocery store. Drizzle some olive oil over it and stick it in the oven at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 4 to 5 minutes. The result is a perfect quick snack or an easy-to-make side for dinner with only 78 calories per serving.
Chicken and broccoli with sweet chili sauce:
This easy meal will leave you feeling full without too much effort. All you need is a chicken breast (most likely frozen), some frozen broccoli, and any brand of sweet chili sauce you can find in the grocery store. First, defrost your chicken breast and cut it into small pieces. Do this while you put a pot of water on to boil. Next, saute your chicken in a pan with a small amount of canola oil. Your broccoli should only take about 3 minutes, so place them in the boiling water when the chicken is almost done. Finally, place both the chicken pieces and the broccoli in a bowl and drizzle your sweet chili sauce on top. This small meal is a good source of protein and a tasty way to eat your vegetables while staying away from carbs.
Roasted sweet potatoes:
This is a vegetable that you most likely pass without notice on your way through the grocery store. However, they can make a healthy and easy snack. Although this snack doesn't take much effort, it does take a long period of time. First take about half a sweet potato, peel the skin, and cut it into small square-like pieces. Make sure to preheat the oven to about 350 degrees while doing this. Next, place these pieces in a bowl, drizzle them with olive oil, season them with salt and pepper, and then mix them around with a fork. Then poor the pieces onto a baking sheet and place them in the oven. They should bake for about 30 minutes on each side. It is a bit of a process but the result is a delicious snack that won't leave you feeling bad about it.
Angel hair pasta with sauteed sweet potatoes and asiago cheese:
This meal is similar to the sweet potatoes snack. However, this time add a light thin pasta to make it a meal. Instead of roasting your sweet potatoes, slice them into tinier pieces and place them in a pan on the stove with a bit of olive oil. This is a faster alternative if you don't have an hour to wait for your potatoes to roast. While you do so, prepare a portion of angel hair pasta. Once both are ready and placed in a bowl, add a bit more olive oil and shred some asiago cheese on top. The pasta and sweet potatoes will fill you up without the heaviness of a tomato sauce.
Sauteed asparagus:
Lastly, this side is perfect to go with any healthy-choice meal. All you have to do is place your raw asparagus in a pan with a little bit of oil and lightly spray them with some lemon juice. This vegetable is rarely found in a University student's fridge but it the perfect way to get some vegetables into your diet.
This easy meal will leave you feeling full without too much effort. All you need is a chicken breast (most likely frozen), some frozen broccoli, and any brand of sweet chili sauce you can find in the grocery store. First, defrost your chicken breast and cut it into small pieces. Do this while you put a pot of water on to boil. Next, saute your chicken in a pan with a small amount of canola oil. Your broccoli should only take about 3 minutes, so place them in the boiling water when the chicken is almost done. Finally, place both the chicken pieces and the broccoli in a bowl and drizzle your sweet chili sauce on top. This small meal is a good source of protein and a tasty way to eat your vegetables while staying away from carbs.
Roasted sweet potatoes:
This is a vegetable that you most likely pass without notice on your way through the grocery store. However, they can make a healthy and easy snack. Although this snack doesn't take much effort, it does take a long period of time. First take about half a sweet potato, peel the skin, and cut it into small square-like pieces. Make sure to preheat the oven to about 350 degrees while doing this. Next, place these pieces in a bowl, drizzle them with olive oil, season them with salt and pepper, and then mix them around with a fork. Then poor the pieces onto a baking sheet and place them in the oven. They should bake for about 30 minutes on each side. It is a bit of a process but the result is a delicious snack that won't leave you feeling bad about it.
Angel hair pasta with sauteed sweet potatoes and asiago cheese:
This meal is similar to the sweet potatoes snack. However, this time add a light thin pasta to make it a meal. Instead of roasting your sweet potatoes, slice them into tinier pieces and place them in a pan on the stove with a bit of olive oil. This is a faster alternative if you don't have an hour to wait for your potatoes to roast. While you do so, prepare a portion of angel hair pasta. Once both are ready and placed in a bowl, add a bit more olive oil and shred some asiago cheese on top. The pasta and sweet potatoes will fill you up without the heaviness of a tomato sauce.
Sauteed asparagus:
Lastly, this side is perfect to go with any healthy-choice meal. All you have to do is place your raw asparagus in a pan with a little bit of oil and lightly spray them with some lemon juice. This vegetable is rarely found in a University student's fridge but it the perfect way to get some vegetables into your diet.
Saturday 1 October 2011
5 Underrated Music Groups
1) Oh Land.
Oh Land is a danish singer-songwriter now living in Brooklyn. The few albums she has released are an ideal combination between the pop and electronic genres. The Jacob Plant remix of her most popular song "Sun of a Gun" is a great addition to any party playlist.
"Sun of a Gun (Jacob Plant Remix)""Wolf & I"
2) Gramophonedzie.
Gramophonedzie is a Serbian house DJ from Belgrade. He has played alongside Basement Jaxx and Bob Sinclair. Although he is known for his debut single "Why Don't You", in my opinion "Out of My Head" is the song to download.
"Why Don't You"
"Out of My Head"
3) Bedouin Soundclash.
This group is a Canadian band currently based out of Toronto. Their genre of Reggae is often misleading. The band has been releasing records since 2001 but did not come across much success until 2004 with the release of "When the Night Feels My Song".
Fun fact: The group met while attending Queen's University.
"When the Night Feels My Song"
"Brutal Hearts"
4) Bonde Do Role.
This group out of Brazil makes a fantastic new version of funk-electronic dance music. They were picked up by Diplo and soon after were named one of Rolling Stone magazine's "10 Bands to Watch". Their "Jabuticaba" song is a rework of a well-known Grease song. Their songs serve as a great break from the constant electro genre that fills most of our party playlists.
" Jabuticaba"
"Solta O Frango"
5) Fleet Foxes.
Fleet Foxes is a folk band that formed in Seattle, Washington. Rolling Stone compared them to the likes of the Beach Boys, Animal Collective, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Their 2008 album entitled "Fleet Foxes" is perfect for a countryside road trip.
"White Winter Hymnal"
"Ragged Wood"
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