blog post Today on Lanarama: You, Me and the Weather. Songs & Bands Inspired by the World's Most Famous Conversational Topic!

Lana, fitting in with the snowy weather here in SK, any chance to hear snowstorm by Wintersleep? Seriously though it hasn't stopped snowing since yesterday.

I left Whitehorse after my Christmas break and let me say I was not disappointed to be leaving the -25 weather behind.  Nothing like being able to go outside without worrying about freezing your face off or having to warm up your car for 20 mins.  Mmmm frozen seats.  That being said I definitely skipped my morning classes because of the miserable weather we're having. 

Hi Lana,

My husband and I just got back from a 6 week jaunt around sunny South America. Looking out my office window in downtown Vancouver, the song that keeps popping into my head is Rain Rain Rain by the Rheostatics. I've thought about this song a lot since moving to the west coast  from Ontario. :)

I adore rainy weather. I find the bright sun....offensive to the senses? Although a little sun never hurt anyone (vitamin D, right?)

hey Lanarama,

those are some mad photoshop skills!!!

i do my best work in the Fall!

how about "Autumn's Here" by Hawksley Workman off Lover/Fighter

Yay, CanCon!!!

Lana is the best!!!!

Two words to support what you say about cold & creativity - Maybe Smith!

And, funnily enough, he has very few songs that don't mention winter, snow, or cold in some way

HA HA....it snowed here in Central Florida this weekend!!!  I got out to put the dog out in the backyard in the middle of the night, cuz he'll pee in the house if I don't, and I'm standing there in my boxers enjoying the cool air.....when what to my wondering ears should I hear, but the sound of miniscule frozen pellets of rain in my ear, bouncing off the roof, the BBQ and the ground.  Here is a shot of some folks erecting a mini-snowman around Daytona.  I love the cool weather, cuz I'm from Wasaga Beach, Ontario, but you should have seen and heard the natives freaking out!!!  Funny stuff, you'd think the ice age just hit them from out of the blue.

The Canadian song that I always think of relative to weather tunes/lyrics....Blue Rodeo, Five Days in May (we met in a hurricane).  My lovely and ever-so-talented wife and I met in Florida the day of a freakish hurricane-like storm on March 13, 1993.  Good times.....it's a good life, if you don't weaken.

I distinctly remember the last really warm day in November, during that odd warm front we had in Ontario. I was driving with my friend in her convertible, and we were listening to "Still" by Great Lake Swimmers. Such an awesome summer song!

I saw Maybe Smith mentioned but has he been played yet?  I know I wouldn't survive a week in his province, haha.

It's finally nice out here in Regina! sort of.  It's steadily climbing above zero, although it's taking a while.  I guess it's a big climb to go from -50 to zero.  I've been outside 3 times today, and each time I can literally feel myself unthawing a little bit.

Anywho, I have different random bouts of creativity: in the summer I just wanna jump up and down and play like I'm 5 years old.  In the winter (we only have 2 seasons here), I'm more into just staying in and listening to the voices in my head.

Today feels like a Lovely Allen kinda day.  Slow at first, but by the end I'll be dancing.

if it was this week you might survive. It's actually ABOVE freezing today.

Last week, we had -40 windchills.

"Midnight soup" sounds great! What was it, black bean and dark seaweed?*

*I know, I know, i's just that midnight soup should be dark, by the sounds of it.

Yeah....what is that?

So, you made it at midnight, or something?  Why is green soup called midnight soup?  Do you live near where there is a high incidence of Northern Lights?

The DJ formerly known as Lana.

Ooooops.....forgot to include the meaning of the hyperlink in my previous message.  Here ya go, all Canadians can use something like this at this time of year.

The Reiki Power symbol - Choku Rei

(Choku Rei is pronounced: "Cho-Koo-Ray")

The general meaning is: "Place the power of the universe here".

The power symbol can be used to increase the power of Reiki. It can also be used for protection. See it as a light switch that has the intention to instantly boost your ability to channel Reiki energy.

Rain sparks my creativity, but not the lazy rains of Vancouver (my previous home) or the brief and violent squirts of Washington, DC (my current home) - give me the days-long rain of a California winter (my first home).  Like swimming, you stay beneath the water for a while, surfacing for sun and sky only once every so often, the contrast making the aqueous environment that much more enjoyable.

Nothing else makes me want to sit inside and read or write in quite the same way.

It's more that I made soup at midnight because that's when I finally got motivated to do it. I'm trying a new thing of planning my meals for the week to make sure I don't eat out as much and that I have all the groceries I need. Here's hoping it works, I didn't even end up EATING the soup for lunch because my sandwich was too big. Guess there's still time and tomorrow though.

Speaking of hot ham water....I have a 15 bean soup simmering on the stove for the past 3 hours with smoked ham hocks.  I'm throwing in a handful of cabbage and wild rice now.  Goodness in 20 minutes.....

Lovely Allen!! I listened to Grants' new podcast last night and when this came it was cranked up very loud! I didn't realize it was 2 o'clock in the morn...no banged on the floor or the walls though...

Ahhh! Gotta love Hawksley Workman. He has alot of good moody winter songs.

Man, and here I was planning to have spaghetti with sauce from a jar tonight.  I might have to actually cook now.

At least what I have to cook won't take too long: mashed potatoes, chorizo sausage, and  home-canned green beans.

I love how no matter what we talk about it comes back to food!  funny, no bacon references yet...

No you're not. I'm looking forward to his new album.

Oh I forgot to say Bacon. Bacon helps me get through the SADS. Of course can it really be seasonal deprssion when it is all year long?

TB3 is right, Hollerado's Juliette is a total Thrid Eye Blind sound alike.

You are bang on regarding the importance of meal planning/shopping, and also about making your own sauces.  It is super easy, freezes well, and can be further customized as needed.  Stock is also really important.  When cooking beef, poultry, pork (including BACON!) and even vegetables, save the stock in the back of your fridge or freezer, dated and labeled.  There ain't nothing like the real thing, when you need the base of a quick sauce or gravy.  I try to not waste anything in the kitchen.  You should taste the materials that come out of Christmas leftovers around here!  Holy $hi+, did I just channel Julia Child?

Tessa made potato soup before christmas that had bacon bits in it (frying the bacon was my one job!) and holy hell was it good

I don't know if it is possible because they don't have a NMC page but it would be cool if you could play the The First Day of Spring from the Gandharvas. I know from time to time you guys play songs by artist that don't have NMC page (Tariq on one broadcast played both Drinking In LA by BV3000 & Len's Steal My Sunshine). So I don't know how the process works.

If you aren't a great planner, like tofu, and don't mind spending a half hour or so on supper, this cookbook is super helpful.  I got it when I was vegan, and haven't used it much since I resumed eating animals, but I'm sure you could substitute real dairy for the soy stuff.

You do need to check each shopping list the first time you use it, because some of them are missing a couple things.

Also, all the servings are huge, so you may be able to take leftovers for lunch the next day.

sorry for being nosy. as i said above its just a matter of time before i give animal but im ready to do so healthily yet. i wonder if theres cooking classes i can attend that are aimed at someone who is thinking of moving to a vegetarian diet..its vancouver so probably...

I know we have a few r3'ers in Austin, i can't remember who though..they might be able to give you more info

Sounds expensive any way you work it out.  But the best thing is to be in a band and get a wristband.  All we need now is for themountainsandthetrees to get invited to play and add us on spoons and jug.

well, you know your dishes anyways from that night at zakkushi...man was that good!

Lanamanamana.

I'm at work and I have a bad cough and it's uncomfortable. 

I'm sure that weather plays a big part in people's creativity. For example! I know Annie Leibovitz mainly shoots when it's overcast and gloomy - she says she loves the way it lights her images. Everyone's got their peak time/season, whateves! I have two peak times! The middle of a summer afternoon swimming in the ocean and the afternoon of a bright, snowy day in the middle of winter! I feel totally invincible then. LURVE IT.

I would love to hear Let's Talk by Hannah Georgas - since that's all I've been doing today. BLAAH.

Oh, well, ordering and making are two seperate animals. Plus, I've been to most of the Japanese restaurants in Kits (I think) a few times already and well, I was a bit of a Japanophile when I was younger, watched a lot of anime while eating pocky and folding origami although I didn't get to have sushi or Japanese food till I was 12 or 14 I think. The Japanese dining options were quite limited in Nelson.

...

It's quite possible I still read a fair bit of manga...

yeah, 'organically' raised animals probably had a better life. in terms of dairy/eggs no different than eating meat, but instinctive calculation would think that per calories generated less land resources are needed but that could be faulty reasoning.. i hope i'm not being controversial in pointing out there is absolutely no scientific basis to say that organic fruits and vegetables are healthier or 'better' in any way. did i just start up some blog fireworks?

Not with me.  I think organic food might be slightly healthier, but not by huge amounts.  I usually only buy organic for animal products (see above), fair trade products (because they always seem to be organic), and things which aren't available in non-organic versions (mostly vegan specialty foods that I don't buy any more).

Dairy/eggs probably do take less resources than meat, but they still take a lot more than plant-based foods.

Plus, you can't get milk without breeding the cows each year, and a lot of those calves end up as beef, so I don't see much point in avoiding beef but not milk.

I forgot what a great song Jason Collett - I'll Bring The Sun really is!  We hear a snippet every day and I wonder if I was the only one doing the voice-over part "Bringing you Musical Sunshine..."

I know I've seen some news reports on how organic's are not healthier because they're still the same vegetables. There are the chemicals, waxes and stuff associated with conventional veggies that might not be great though but the produce is no more nutritious. Better for the environment? I still might argue about that one unless you are buying local. Organics from large fancy stores create lots of waste due to spoilage and imperfections. People aren't willing to buy things with an irregular lump on it so usually it goes to waste even though it's fine.

I couldn't give up meat, ever. It's just not me, that'd be like giving up air. I could however get very into the idea of eating locally produce meats. Buying a half a hog from a local farmer would be awesome, if my mom stops giving me free meats I'm very likely to do this.

Lana! You're so close to saying it right... so close. 

Thanks for reading my comment and playin' mah song! You made my day once again! Thaaaanksthanksthanks

-nicole-

NoNo! If you don't believe in Santa you don't get presents!

Sorry if my love of JC's song caused some confusion!  I wish it was written for me!

yeah, sounds similar to me. i can be on board with the some of philosophical ideals behind the organics movement (lessening impact on earth) but for feeding the 6 billion and change humans (which is heading to 9billion in the next 40 years) we will need the benefits of science. do you enjoy fruits and vegetables? they've all been gm'ed one way or another over the years of human agricultural practices...the lab just speeds things up (as far as i can see)

but I just found out that Mark McGwire used steroids (officially)! Wow.  Next thing you're gonna tell me is that Barry Bonds used to inject himself too!

(insert sarcasm)

Okay, cover your eyes if you don't want to hear this:

95% of the boobs in Hollywood are FAKE!

Sorry...

I still eat the animals, but I found some good Vegetarian cookbooks in the used bookstore recently. I believe that they're from the Australian Women's Weekly magazine. Most dishes don't even call for crazy vegetables or tofu. (Except that there are some strange language things like "coriander" = "cilantro", "bell pepper" = "capsicum", etc.) Whenever I make something from one of those books I'm pretty much set for most of the week. Plus you can't really beat a good cookbook for under $5!

thanks! I'm pretty sure you mentioned interest in collaborating on covers..do I have you on FB? not attaching a handle to real world name right now

@matt - if lana wants to have me in to do a foodie friday debate, sure...i will take any excuse to get in the cbc again. interested to know what she'll need help with tomorrow

Next thing you know we'll have a Facebook group for the Lanarama cooking club!

-Michelle

Let me know...I'm obviously in!

Lol, exactly!!