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Dolmas (Middle Eastern Stuffed Grape Leaves)
One of the things I am enjoying about this sweetener-free challenge is determining how much sweetener I truly need. Furthermore, I feel less bloated, which is really keeping me motivated to stick with the challenge this long. I love throwing fruit into my savoury dishes, but I know not everyone rolls with me.
Earlier this fall, I made Cherry Collard Dolmas. A little bit more non-traditional because I was lazy and used larger collard leaves but also because sweet cherries were used to complement the savoury spice mix of cinnamon, allspice, mint and dill. Currants and pistachios were also mixed in there for good measure. Brown rice and white beans were used to amp up its nutritional profile. Yes, these were very good.
This time, I consulted with Tess for a simpler version. Brown rice and chickpeas are the base with fresh tomatoes, dill and fresh lemon juice, wrapped in a salty grape leaf. Seemingly humble ingredients, combined into power rolls, you have a winning snack. I liked them both before I cooked them (the lemon juice was a strong, fresh flavour) but they mellowed out nicely after a 20-minute steam.
I don't know about you, but there is something so awesome about little nibbly snacks. Finger foods are fun. Serve as an appetizer, a snack, or eat a bunch as a meal. I served mine with a simple tahini dip which contrasted the lemony flavours nicely. A thinned out hummus dressing could work, too.
There is only one problem with finger foods. That means I have to assemble a whole bunch of teeny rolls! Trust me, it is worth it. However, if it is a weeknight and you just want to eat pronto, throw it into a larger collard leaf instead.
This is my submission to this month's Herbs on Saturdays, and to this month's Bookmarked Recipes.
Macro Veggie and Tempeh Bowl with Miso Tahini Sauce (Aux Vivres Copy Cat)
While in Montreal, it was a whirlwind of a trip between the wake and funeral. However, I successfully managed to visit Aux Vivres for a quick dinner with Rob, my Dad and grandmother. Rob and I went there during our last visit, and I wanted to return for a veggie-packed meal that would appeal to some of the most serious veggie critics (my Dad!).
I love the bowls at Aux Vivres because they are mostly loaded with veggies. They should be called veggie bowls, not rice bowls, because the rice is hidden at the bottom. You really have to dig around to find it. But when you do, it is some of the best rice I have tasted. Coupled with the vegetables, and any of their decadent sauces, you have a tasty meal on your hands.
Don't get me wrong, Aux Vivres is definitely one of my favourite restaurants in Montreal, but glancing at the menu, you are left thinking, I bet I could make this at home. Actually, when I tasted their miso tahini sauce from their Macro Bowl, I thought: I have this sauce at home, I just made it!
So when I got home, I was able to compile all the ingredients to make a great copy cat version of their Macro Bowl filled with wakame, sauerkraut, sprouts, steamed baby bok choy and brown rice. I skipped the steamed spinach.
I have been following this year's Healthy Lunchbox Series (recap here) and was positively smitten when I saw Dawn's post about bento boxes. Perusing her site, she had some incredibly cute lunches, including a barn made out of granola bars complete with watermelon animals and spinach grass. I almost died from its cuteness.
I thought I might try a much simpler bento box with this multi-component meal. After its assembly, I told Rob I was ready to go for our dinner picnic. However, I looked down and realized I was short possibly the most important component of the meal. The tempeh! I needed some emergency tempeh, and fast. Aux Vivres' tempeh is actually fairly plain with limited marinade but I thought mine could use a bit of flavour. While Rob usually scoffs at Tess' declarations of making meals in under 30 minutes, I quickly located a quickie tempeh recipe that still included the all-important steaming. A simple glaze of tamari, agave, toasted sesame oil and raw garlic was exactly what I needed. Perfecto. Under 30 minutes, mostly hands off, to boot, leaving me able to clean up the kitchen and snap a few photos as the tempeh caramelized away.
The verdict? The bento box was not really appropriate because the best part of the bowl is mixing it all up. I needed a bigger container for proper mixing. The salty sauerkraut, the briny wakame juxtaposed against the salty dressing and fresh greens. With them individually separated in the box, it was hard to mix them up. At least with my Salad in a Jar, I mix it up before I eat it. I may need to look into a layered version of this, too!
Have you ever tried to make a cute bento box? Just at these cuties!
This is being submitted to this month's Anyone Can Cook Vegetarian Food for lunches, to this week's Weekend Wellness, to this week's Healthy Vegan Friday, and to this week's Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by Siri.
Cherry Collard Dolmas (Turkish Collard Leaves Stuffed with Rice, Beans and Fresh Cherries -Visneli Yaprak Sarma)
This has been the summer of cherries.
Local cherries arrived early, so by the beginning of July I had already made Almost Raw Chocolate Banana Crepes with Almond-Coconut Cream and Cherries, then balsamic cherries migrated onto a sandwich with rosemary cashew cheese and arugula, and I pickled a bunch in a five-spice spiked vinegar. I kept on thinking cherry season was over, but they continued to be on sale late into the summer. How can you say no to cherries at 99c/lb?
So, yes, I have yet another cherry recipe.
Earlier this summer, we thought I might have been able to join Rob in New York for a mini-vacation. We researched where we wanted to stay (airBnB!), what we would do (opera!) and what we would eat (Pure Food & Wine!). My favourite raw resto to date, it would have been a nice treat. I even scoured their menu to see what I wanted to order. I found it:
Cauliflower Cous Cous with Sour Cherry Dolmas with pistachio, almond, dried fruits, mint, Moroccan tomato jus
Sounds heavenly, no?
Turns out that when we went to book my airline tickets, we were not able to get the flights we wanted. So for the long weekend, Rob went to New York for work, and I stayed at home.
With a bit of extra time on my hands, I decided to tackle my own cherry dolmas. In retrospect, a raw version would likely have been quicker, but I opted for a more traditional cooked dolma. As traditional as cherry dolmas can be. When I visited Turkey, I was not wowed by dolmas. They were not on my radar. However, traditional dolma recipes typically include savoury spices like cinnamon and allspice, so I was sold. Instead of pine nuts, I used pistachios. Instead of traditional raisins, I used a touch of currants. The majority of the sweetness comes from the cherries.
Instead of a rice-based dish, I beefed it up by including white beans. Doing so made me have a lot more filling than I had initially bargained for, so I scrapped the grape leaves and plucked collards from my garden instead. With a cooked filling, a cooked collard seemed more appropriate, instead of my typical raw collard wraps. Pre-steaming the collard leaves made them much easier to wrap the filling and keep their shape.
The dolmas are simmered in a cherry-infused broth to complete the cooking of the rice. If you cooked your rice all the way through the first time, I think you could save yourself the final cooking step. It was a pretty labour intensive recipe but at least I didn't have to wrap 100s of dolmas in tiny grape leaves. ;)
In any case, these were so flavourful, they were definitely worth the effort. The rice filling alone was delicious, so if you just want to make that, I understand. :)
I made the cranberry-lemon-tahini dip for the dolmas but I didn't find it needed a dip. In fact, the sweet on sweet clashed. If you want something to serve it with, a plain yogurt would be nice.
With all my cherry fodder this summer, Rob came back with a surprise present for me from New York: a cherry pitter!
This is my submission to this month's Herbs on Saturday, to this week's Weekend Wellness and to Simple and In Season.
Thai Coconut Vegetables (Yum Tavoy)
How does my summer slip away so fast? I feel like all my weekends have all been pre-booked with very little downtime this summer. Between 5 weddings (3 out-of-town), cycling to Niagara Falls, travelling for a conference and a music festival (more about that one later!), Rob and I have barely spent much time relaxing over the weekends. Always on the go. Plus, my new rotation this month has a 1-hour cycling commute each way. I come home a tired puppy.
As such, I haven't really been doing my "cook for the week" thing on the weekends. Instead, I am cooking up quick weekday meals. Almost like a normal person. However, I still eat leftovers for dinner as soon as I come home from work. The new meal is for tomorrow's leftover dinner!
I am still on my Thai-kick and decided to combine two of my recipes into one stellar quickie dinner. Instead of a complex coconut-based salad dressing from my Thai Noodle Salad with Mango and Lima Beans, use the coconut milk as a base for simmering vegetables with Thai flavours. You could go all decadent and use full-fat coconut milk from a can, but I used the stuff from a carton again after it worked well with the coconut-braised collards. This is a very flexible recipe, so work with what you have to make this a quick dinner.
Go all out with Thai ingredients like shallots, Kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass, or use onion, lime zest and skip the lemongrass instead. I used sweet basil but Thai basil would be more authentic, although with that terrible licorice flavour. :P Use whatever vegetables you have, and feel free to add tofu or tempeh, too. I used broccoli and carrots with great results and served it overtop some cooked quinoa to sop up the delicious sauce. Using the beverage coconut milk makes this a lighter sauce that is still packed with flavour from the aromatics. It balances the sour, sweet and hot nicely while served on top of crisp vegetables. Authentic or not, it definitely tastes great. Enjoy!
This is my submission to this month's Herbs on Saturdays.
Colombian-Style Red Beans with Plantains
I have been patiently waiting for Rob to post our Colombia photos. I wanted to be able to share some of my photos and tips from the trip. The full albums from Bogota and Salento are here and the Lost City and Cartagena are here. I have included a few of my favourite photos, though.
We were in both hot and cold places, with big banana leaves and small mushrooms… and enjoyed a wonderful cooking class in Bogota.
We saw lots of beautiful scenery, especially in Salento, where we rode horses in the valley and I was able to play with our guide's machete!
With tons of hiking! In and around Bogota, Salento and the biggest of hikes- to the Lost City which is patrolled by the Colombian army.
This is my first Colombian meal I have prepared in my own kitchen- red beans with plantains. Although I will admit that I never came across this dish while in Colombia. Red beans, yes. Plantains, yes. Never together which is why I was intrigued to try out this recipe from Viva Vegan.
Who would have thought there would be even more beans that I do not yet have. I had to restrain myself from bringing home too many new beans from Colombia. I figured they may be more easily found once we move to the southern US, so I don't have many Colombian bean souvenirs. The standard Colombian bean (that is not the coffee bean), is the bola roja. Another standard is the Cranberry bean (also known as Borlotti or Cargamanto), which I have cooked before. They are a bigger creamy bean although a bit dry. However, within my Rancho Gordo stash, I had Sangre de Toro beans which I used instead. Dense and almost chewy, they are Mexican beans that can be substituted for any recipe calling for red beans.
Here, the red beans are cooked with a sofrito of onions and red pepper, then spiced with smoked paprika, cumin and Mexican oregano. The plantain adds a hit of sweetness along with the red pepper sofrito. This recipe was more complex than what I learned at my cooking class, but I think I will also be revisiting my bona fide Colombian bean recipe, since it was so good. Next time, I will break out the bola roja beans! :)
This is my submission to this month's My Legume Love Affair, hosted by Simona, and to this week's Weekend Wellness.
Fragrant Lentil Rice Soup with Spinach and Caramelized Onions (aka Dal Bhat Meets Mujaddara)
Sentences. Finally.
I mean, I can finally express myself in sentences!
Sorry for the blog auto-pilot for the last 3 weeks… After 2 glorious weeks in Colombia, it was back to the grind, off to work, sifting through oodles of emails, comments and catching up with my favourite blogs.
My second language is French and let's just say three weeks ago, I knew zero Spanish.
We made sure we had the basics though:
Vegetariana estricta Vegan
But that might not mean anything, so we had to explain:
Sin carne
Without meat
Sin pollo
Without chicken
Sin pescado
Without fish
Sin huevos
Without eggs (Really?)
Sin leche
Without milk (I usually had a funny look at this point)
Sin mantequilla
Without butter
We usually stopped there, but I also knew how to say:
Sin pan
Without bread
We got better at explaining what I wanted:
Frutas (fruit!), verdura (vegetables), beans (frijoles), papas (potatoes) and arroz (rice).
other than baños (bathroom), another useful word was aqui (here)
As we learned more about Colombia (Que?), we became a bit more sophisticated and tried to make actual sentences.
Cuánto cuesta? How much does it cost?
Quero jugos naturales en agua sin azucar: I want freshly squeezed juice in water without added sugar!
By the end of our trip, a guide was teaching us the difference between Mucho bueno and Muy bien depending on the context of the sentence. And to greet other friendly men with Compa! and friendly women with Coma!
In any case, I loved my culinary adventures in Colombia, and we planned it so that I could stay vegan throughout the trip. I had to make a few compromises, and that was by eating white rice (brown rice and quinoa are essentially non-existent in Colombia) and I had more fried foods than I had in the last 3 years (fried plantains and yucca mainly if nothing else was available). But it was ok. That's what vacations are for.
Now that I am back in my own kitchen, I can return to normal. Pull out some freezer meals. Forge ahead with some comforting pantry-friendly meals. Rob repeats recipes and sometimes I do, too. This is one of those dishes. Uber comforting. While I describe this as Dal Bhat meets Mujaddara, this would likely scare off a bunch of people… Too many foreign words thrown in there… But if I call it Fragrant Lentil Rice Soup with Spinach and Crispy Onions, it is much more approachable, and still true to its name.
This comforting dish comes from Melissa Clark's cookbook, Cook This Now. Savoury spices like cinnamon, cumin, allspice and ginger are combined with creamy red lentils and brown rice (aka dal bhat). Since the spices are aromatized at the beginning of the soup, they don't pop with as much oomph as dal bhat, instead they are more mellow. This is a thick soup, with both lentils and rice simmered together, creating an utterly creamy consistency. In mujaddara, the rice and (green) lentils absorb all the water so they are dry, but still fragrant depending on the spices you use. However, the crowning glory of mujaddara are the caramelized onions. Here, onions are caramelized in parallel so that after an hour, you have dark and deeply sweet onions to go with your just finished lentil rice soup. Thus, simple fusion at its finest. Familiar, yet just a subtle twist to both recipes to keep you interested and excited… and a dish I know I can eat again and again.
And it is just so nice to be able to tell you all this in complete sentences. Freedom! :)
This is my submission to Deb for this week's Souper Sundays , to Ricki's Weekend Wellness and to Cookbooks Sundays.
Smoked Salmon Sushi Pizza
It is true. I am in a Mixed Diet Relationship.
I often get questions how Rob and I duke it out in the kitchen.
In my corner, I am the whole-foods vegan devoid of white flours and sugars.
At the opposite end, we have Rob, who will eat anything.
Thankfully, we actually don't have segregated corners.
Before I met Rob, he was eating vegetarian at home. Actually, when Rob met me, I was eating a flexitarian diet (mainly vegetarian with occasional fish but I still ate meat, too). Rob had no clue what he was getting himself into, haha!
One of my friends who is vegan won't allow any meat into his home. I am definitely not like that but I could see how dietary choices could definitely divide relationships. Thankfully both Rob and I are more accommodating, as well as our friends and families.
At home, Rob and I eat mostly the same stuff. Mostly vegan, although sometimes Rob eats yogurt and adds butter to his granola. There are some Rob-only ingredients, like the red and green curry pastes in the fridge (they include shrimp, so a definite no-go for me). There are some Janet-only foods, too, because Rob doesn't really care for them- like my Amazing Grass for breakfast. For breakfast fruit, Rob gets the bananas and mangoes while I relish in berries. Rob loves spicy foods, so if cooking for himself, he usually increases the chilies. If cooking for both of us, they fall more into my own comfort zone (1/2 tsp Aleppo max!). Rob also has a sweet tooth and is pretty content to munch through the rare dessert that I make.
I think we've got things worked out pretty well in the kitchen, actually.
Rob eats out way more often than I do, which is where he gets his occasional fix of meat. If
we Rob cooks meat at home, it is for our guests. Rob's last birthday party kind of had me in a tizzy because I didn't want to cook meat. Rob couldn't use the barbecue so grilling was out. Thankfully the slow cooker came to the rescue.
I still contend that while I don't crave it, I probably miss fish the most. Here I am sharing a smoked salmon sushi pizza that I made for a party with mixed company. While traditional sushi can be finicky to make for a large crowd, making a casserole of sushi pizza is much quicker and easier.
I used the seasoned sushi rice from Yo Sushi and the sushi pizza recipe was modified from Bonnie Stern's HeartSmart Cooking for Family and Friends. I ended up doubling the recipe to fit a 9″x13″ pan but I probably didn't have to double it. It made a ton of food. My pieces were a bit big which necessitated using a knife and fork to eat, so next time I would opt for smaller bite-sized pieces, with overlapping cucumber slices.
I am still too shy to try a nontraditional raw take on this for a crowd. If I test-run it first, I may have more courage to try Ricki's vegan sushi pizza next time.
This is being submitted to this week's Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by Terry.
Iraqi Pomegranate Stew (Shorbat Rumman)
I will admit that when I mentioned my pee turns red after consuming red beets, I thought I was in the majority.
When asking someone about their bloody urine as a doctor, the first thing is to rule out causes that are not bloody (like eating beets).
It happens to me on occasion (red urine from beets) and as such, I thought it was pretty common.
Then I decided to do a very quick literature search.
Not that I delved into the primary studies, but apparently beeturia (what you call red urine from beets) is only present in 10-15% of people. It is caused by the increased absorption and then excretion of betalaine, the reddish pigment found in red beets.
Delving into its chemistry, it turns out that because betalaine will be protected by reducing agents like oxalates, consuming foods high in oxalates like spinach and rhubarb will enhance beeturia. Furthermore, it is decolorized by ferric ions, colonic bacteria and stomach acids (hydrochloric acid). As such, if you don't consume enough iron, you may get beeturia. Same thing if your stomach acid is out of whack, say from pernicious anemia.
Anyways, I thought 10-15% of people was pretty low. I decided to do an informal poll. Beeturia sufferers=4. No beeturia=2. Do not consume beets=4. Both of my no beeturia friends mentioned they get red poo, though (although I didn't ask my other friends).
I kind of want to do a scientific study, actually. Give a specific amount of beets to a bunch of people and ask them for their urine to see if it is red (hmm, maybe I would need a pre-beet control urine sample, too). It sounds gross, I know, but my curiosity is piqued.
Not everyone enjoys beets, but let me share with you yet another great beet recipe. I am totally biased, since I love all colour of beets, in many different forms. But really, this is a great soup. And it isn't borscht.
I originally spotted this Iraqi Pomegranate Stew on Julia's blog. I am always thrilled to find new ways to add pomegranate molasses to my meals, and I was tickled pink when I saw it had many of my other favourite ingredients- beets, spinach, split peas, lime juice, cinnamon, cilantro and even mint! (Aside, can you see how different my tastes are from Rob's coconut-tamarind-chile love trifecta? Although I love tamarind, too).
The flavours of stew combine the salty, sweet, and savoury perfectly. It helped that I followed Julia's recommendation of adding more split peas and rice, and removing the sugar altogether. The pomegranate molasses gives this a nice sweet tang all by its lonesome.
This also produces a glorious red soup, speckled with the green spinach and herbs. What better way to say you love someone, then by making them a gloriously delicious healthy red soup. Except, it might make you pee red, too.
So tell me, if you dare, do you get beeturia?
This is my submission to Deb for this week's Souper Sundays, to this month's Bookmarked Recipes, to this week's Wellness Weekend, to this month's My Legume Love Affair, hosted by Vanessa and to My Kitchen, My World for Iraq.
Roasted Beet, Orange and Brown Rice Salad with an Orange Sesame Vinaigrette
Here we go, another salad with roasted beets!
I just can't get enough of them.
This time I used red beets. There are a few differences between red and golden beets:
1) Golden beets are more mild and taste sweeter.
2) Red beets bleed. They make me look like I've been bleeding. Golden beets don't bleed.
3) Red beets make my pee turn red. Golden beets do not.
Please don't be alarmed at the red pee side effect of loving beets. In the summer, my pee turned red but I couldn't recall eating any beets. I was worried something was wrong. Until I remembered that I had ordered an apple, ginger and beet juice at the restaurant. That was the culprit! Sure enough, by the next day, my pee was back to normal.
Beets work well with a lot of different flavours, but they definitely pair well with orange. I really enjoyed my chilled Orange and Beet Soup with miso, dill and carrots, and thought this rice-based salad sounded great. Adapted from Appetite for Reduction (original recipe posted here), beets and brown rice (wild rice would be good, too!) are coated in a zippy Asian-inspired orange sesame vinaigrette. Freshly squeezed orange juice is key to keeping this a light, flavourful dressing. The salad is spiked with currants for additional sweetness. Pile it overtop your favourite greens for a lovely meal-sized salad.
Keep all the components separate to maintain freshness… and keep the beets sequestered, else they will turn everything pink. Pink rice, ok, maybe do it just for kicks. :)
This is my submission to Deb for this week's Souper Sundays, to Simple and In Season, to this week's Wellness Weekend and to this month's citrus love blog hop.
Middle Eastern Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions (Mujaddara, Mengedarrah)
This week, my belly needed a rest. After a few Ottolenghi and Cotter recipes, literally bursting with flavour, as well as a potluck dinner that left me in pain, I knew I needed some tummy down-time. I didn't even want to cook, it was that bad.
Thankfully, Rob was eager to make me a nice, simple Nepalese lentil and rice dish (recipe to come!).
When I finally had the motivation to turn to the kitchen myself, I still didn't want an elaborate meal. I wanted something homely and comforting. I didn't want too many flavours. I wanted something simple. Enter another spin on lentils and rice, Middle Eastern-style.
In Olive Trees and Honey, Gil Marks outlines the progression of lentil and rice dishes from different cuisines. Apparently, the traditional version of lentils and rice with caramelized onions from Turkey is called Mengedarrah, whereas Mujaddara (which is what I thought I was making) is from the Levant and spiced with allspice. Then you have the Indian khichri/kitchree with cumin and garam masala. Or the Egyptian version, koshari, with noodles such as macaroni or spaghetti with tomato sauce. The book actually has a map that chronicles the name changes as well: kichree in Iraq, ados pol in Iran, mejedra in Greece, enjadara in Yemen and jurot in Uzbekistan. I wonder how my bastardized red lentil and quinoa kitchari fits into this?
There are a few ways to tackle this dish, and I think I've discovered my favourite way. You could cook your lentils and rice separately, although in my case the rice cooker was already in use and we all know I have trouble cooking rice on the stovetop. More traditionally, though, some recipes, including the one in Olive Trees and Honey, recommend partially cooking the lentils, then removing all of the cooking water, then returning the proper amount of water to cook the rice with the lentils. This is necessary when using white rice since the rice would be finished before the lentils. However, brown basmati rice and green lentils take nearly the same amount of time to cook, which lends to a perfect match and less fuss.
So, I simmered my brown basmati rice and green lentils with a cinnamon stick. In a separate skillet, I caramelized my onions. You could start the lentils and rice after the caramelized onions are finished so they can get added to the cooking liquid, but I didn't want to wait. I wanted to cook my onions, low and slow, to get the perfect caramelized onions. Since I had to wait 40 minutes for my lentils and rice, this timed out perfectly. I threw in some onions into the lentil-rice mixture before it finished and kept half for the garnish. Using Rob's large non-stick wok helped me get perfect caramelized onions, much better than when I added them to my socca with oven-roasted cherry tomatoes.
Now, I know this is a deceptive bland looking dish: lentils, rice, onions, cinnamon, smidgen of oil and salt. But it is so much more than that. It is a comforting bowl of lentils and rice with sweetness from the onions. The cinnamon is optional but it adds a little depth of flavour. Next time, I may try the Syrian version with allspice, as I have a feeling this may become another potluck favourite – made from pantry items, simple to prepare, tasty, healthy and great as leftovers and served at room temperature. While this seems like a daunting meal with the long caramelization process, it is a simple meal to prepare. This is a great emergency meal to have under your wings, both when you have nothing in the fridge and when you are not feeling well.
This is my submission to E.A.T. World for Turkey and to Ricki's Summer Wellness Weekends.
Sushi Bowl with Asparagus and Avocado
I didn't think I was going to eat any sushi while I was in Vancouver.
But I did.
Trust me, I didn't succumb to the traditional sushi rolls.
Instead, I had a delicious raw sushi roll at Organic Lives. Completely inauthentic, it was filled with a pecan pate, sprouts, veggies, avocado and mango. With the zippy fruit-based dipping sauce, it was so completely different from any sushi roll I have ever had. The only similarity was that it was a nori roll wrap.
Once the hubbub subsided after I returned home, I was craving a more traditional sushi roll. Without all the hard work of actually rolling the little buggers…
When I visited Japan, one of my favourite meals was eating sashimi at the Tsukiji Market, which is the wholesale marketplace for seafood in Tokyo. With daily auctions, this is where you can eat the freshest fish. The sashimi was unbeatable. I have never been able to enjoy sea urchin anywhere else. So fresh, it was so buttery soft and creamy.
I actually visited Tsukiji two days in a row and sampled sashimi from two different vendors. Both times, I ordered a sushi bowl with an assortment of sashimi. One resto had better sashimi and the other had better rice. The rice was so good, it eclipsed the fish. And I don't really like rice, actually. I consider it filler in sushi rolls, when I would rather be eating the filling. I tolerate rice for the most part, but here, I learned how great rice can taste.
I have experimented with a few rices since my return, and I still remain partial to a short-grain Japanese-style rice. Recently, I bought the Taiwanese Yih Chuan Aromatic Rice, which has a faint aroma of taro (yes, on sale at T&T). It brings rice to the next level. The rice is nicely flavoured, shaped and most importantly, tastes great.
My whole preamble about rice is because if you are going to make a sushi rice bowl, you should try to use a nice rice! The dressing helps, too. The toppings, too. But let the rice get the spotlight it deserves as it isn't supposed to be a bland side.
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks, I wouldn't call this an authentic Japanese recipe, but a lively citrus-flavoured sushi bowl. Top with your favourite sushi toppings such as steamed asparagus, avocado, grilled tofu, and dare I suggest mango? (Mango, next time…). The key to keep this a sushi bowl, and not a rice salad, though, is to include the toasted nori strips. You can buy them pre-shredded, but you could also toast the nori and then cut it into thin strips yourself.
This is my submission to this month's Healing Foods featuring whole grains, to this month's Simple and in Season and to Ricki's new Summer Wellness Weekends. (more…)
The New Best Salad Ever (Roasted Garlic Tofu Salad with Cilantro Rice, Black Beans and a Mango Salsa)
Hi! It's Rob again. I know that I haven't posted here in a while. A few months ago I was worried about Janet's blog when she was going through a really busy time at work. I've realized, however, that Janet has many dozens of recipes on deck waiting to be posted and she always had things well in hand. I knew that The Taste Space would forge on boldly without my extra help.
I'm back, though. A couple days ago I made a salad which both Janet and I agreed was the best salad we'd ever had in our lives. It was simply amazing. There was a cacophony of bold flavours bursting with every bite. There were so many things going on. Every portion was enhanced for extra action and pleasure. I knew that I had to share it here.
The salad is the Uptown Salad, adapted from Radiance 4 Life by Tess Challis. Janet suggested it to me as something that was up my alley. It only took me a few seconds of looking at the recipe for me to decide that I had to make it. It hit many of my ingredient buttons: mangoes, coconut, tofu, cilantro, citrus, and chilies. And that's the just the beginning.
The recipe suggested that it would take 30 minutes (or less!) to prepare the recipe. No way. It took me an hour and a half of chopping, shredding, soaking, slicing, and frying. I was getting cranky by the end. This salad was more work than advertised. The verdict was going to come when we finally got to try it.
Janet occasionally uses some swear words. She's generally a good girl, though, and restrains herself. However, when she tried the Uptown Salad there was a foul concoction of some four swear words in a row. These words were not uttered in anger. They were the stunned response of a girl eating the best salad she'd ever had in her life. These words were an emotional response of extreme awesomeness. This is a salad with the power to move you.
This is being submitted to Deb for this week's Souper Sundays, to this week's Healthy Vegan Fridays, to this week's Potluck Party for Best Dish and to Ricki's new Summer Wellness Weekends. (more…)
Brazilian-Style Savoury Orange Rice
I had a veritable Brazilian meal. Along with the Portobello Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew with Portobello Mushrooms), I also made a savoury side of rice, Brazilian-style of course.
This recipe was also found in Viva Vegan, which is a treasure trove for Latin food recipes. I must admit my bookcase was severely lacking in this area, and I am starting to learn more about Brazilian cooking. Brazil may be my next vacation destination, but since there are so many countries on my vacation hit-list, I will have to settle (for now) to cooking up Brazilian specialties at home. It is a lot cheaper than an airplane ticket, and a lot more fun too (the airplane ride is less fun, not the Brazilian vacation!).
This rice is unique because it incorporates not only slow-cooked onions and garlic, but also has a touch of sweetness from the orange. It paired well with the less-sweet Portobello Feijoada, but could work well with any other savoury dish.
This is my second submission to AWED this month, featuring Brazilian food, and to Priya's Complete my Thali – Rice event. (more…)
Canoe's Wild Rice Pudding with Rhubarb Compote
Living in a city as nice as Toronto, I am surrounded by many great restaurants. I try to cook at home most of the time, for health and economic reasons, but I am slowly scoping out delicious, cheap places to meet over food prepared by someone else.
Currently, some of my favourite places to eat out, if I must, include:
Folia Grill – excellent home-grown Greek fare with a delicious chicken gyro pita for $4
Sky Blue Sky – a quaint sandwich shop, with all under $5, including the suprisingly filling pulled pork sandwich. Chatting with the owner about the trendy (pulled pork) and less popular (cashew butter and cucumber) sandwiches is equally amusing when selecting your choice
The Fish Store – delicious fish sandwiches prepared from your choice of fresh fish, all under $10, and a delicious homemade lemonade for $3
Manpuku – my long-time favourite for Japanese, but you won't find any sushi here. Their nikku udon (beef soup with udon noodles) is a great heart-warming dish for under $6
Guu – still Toronto's newest sweetheart, with a second location expected in the Annexe, this is a popular Japanese izakaya (aka tapa-style bar). Everyone is welcomed as soon as they enter and leave the resto and the dishes have yet to disappoint me. All dishes are under $10, but the sizes are smaller and meant for sharing.
Pomegranate – a newer find that complements my latest love of Middle Eastern food. This is Persian food at its finest, at reasonable prices around $15.
Amaya – A bit of a splurge restaurant (mains under $20), especially since it is Indian, but I am enthralled by their butter chicken. If only I knew how to make it myself!
Canoe – This is arguably Toronto's best restaurant and it has the price-point such that it is very elitist, and limited to special occasions only. You get what you pay for, and it is lip-smacking delicious. I really appreciate their use of local, unique ingredients, prepared, oftentimes, in a myriad of ways. I know these are dishes I would have a difficult time recreating at home, which is important for my restaurant adventures. While the written menu did not immediately appeal to me, I just had to ask the server to explain what each dish entailed. It is here that I had a surreal mushroom soup that tasted like apple due to the varieties used, and I had squab prepared in 3 different ways: marinated with Newfoundland screech, drenched in a Saskatoon berry sauce and served with a side of dinosaur kale.
Enough gushing over Canoe, because I like to post things I make myself on my food blog. Imagine my surprise when I saw Canadian Living had Canoe's recipe for wild rice pudding with a rhubarb compote. I could now bring the taste of Canoe into my own kitchen. :)
It boasted a baked rice pudding with short-grain and wild rice within a orange- and cinnamon-scented creamy base, topped with a sweet-and-tart rhubarb compote.
While I have not had this at the restaurant, I might have to go there to try it out because my kitchen adventures were not as successful as I'd hoped. The rhubarb compote almost seemed to be in excess with the delicious flavours from the pudding. The wild rice added a nice crunch and the orange and cinnamon flavours blended well together, but my pudding was too thick for my liking. I wonder if there was too much evaporation during the baking? I think my substitutions were legit, but you never know. Maybe the recipe was meant to be a teaser, just to bring us back into the restaurant? ;)
This is my submission to My Kitchen, My World, featuring food from Canada, and Ivonne at Cream Puffs in Venice for Magazine Mondays.
Apricot-glazed Tofu with Rice and Bok Choy
It is no secret that I love the library. Not only do I get to browse through cookbooks, but I also love the accessible movie collection and the free museum passes. There's also the fiction section, but cookbooks have taken a priority for bedtime reading recently.
A few cookbooks leap from the library to my bookshelf. I took out Raising the Salad Bar four times, each time loving new recipes, before I decided to buy my own copy. Sometimes I bookmark so many recipes that I know the cookbook is a keeper. Rose Reisman's Family Favourites was such a cookbook. Nearly every recipe was something that I wanted to make. They were so fresh, simple and healthy, I couldn't resist.
After I bought the book, I noticed that her website also has many of my bookmarked recipes. This makes so much sense to me: propagate those healthy recipes! It is for the betterment of the planet. :)
I am all for open-source cookbooks, if you will, which is at the heart of my food blogging. Food blogs are great for encouraging and empowering people to cook at home, and a bonus when the recipes are as healthy as those created by Rose. The biggest thrill I get is when someone tried one of my posted recipes and loved it as much as me.
Now about the apricot-glazed tofu recipe, which was adapted from here on her website and is also in her cookbook Rose Reisman's Family Favourites. I liked the sweet apricot glaze on the tofu but I think ours was a bit sweeter since we added another tablespoon or so of jam to finish off the jar. However, the sweetness of the apricot worked really well when combined with the tang from the sesame and soy sauce-laced bok choy. Really well! Enjoy!
This is my submission to this month's My Legume Love Affair hosted by Siri at Siri's Corner and this month's Side Dish Showdown.


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Wasn't there a story a few years ago about the opposite thing happening? It was also sort of a reverse 'Gimme'. It was a Catholic Wedding with a mass and, if I recall correctly, a Groomsman was asked to bring the 'gifts' to the altar. In Catholic ritual the 'gifts' are cruets of wine and water that are blessed at the Consecration. The poor guy was unfamiliar with this practise but he did notice that one of the guests had brought a shopping bag with a nicely wrapped Wedding gift to the ceremony. Guess what he brought to the altar.
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Don"t miss this magical afternoon of fun for the whole family! Popular, local magician Alan Kazam has once again assembled some of the best family entertainers in the country for this year's fifth annual "Halloween Spooktacular Magic Show" on Sunday, October 27 at 3pm at the State Theatre in Kalamazoo. Come see some amazing magic, eye-popping illusions, laugh-out-loud comedy and lots of audience involvement. This is sure to be a family-friendly, fun-for-the-whole family Halloween magic show you won't want to miss! Ticketed event.
Halloween Spooktacular Magic Show Web Site
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Don Paterson
(born 1963 -) - Kirriemuir, Angus
Born in Dundee, Don Paterson is an accomplished poet, author and playwright, as well as a jazz guitarist.
He won an Eric Gregory Award in 1990; in 1993, his poem, 'A Private Bottling' won the Arvon Foundation International Poetry Competition. Paterson's first collection of poetry, Nil Nil (1993), won the Forward Poetry Prize for Best First Collection. God's Gift to Women (1997), won the T. S. Eliot Prize and the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize. He was awarded a Scottish Arts Council Creative Scottish Award in 2002 and in 2003 his latest collection of poetry, Landing Light, won both the T. S. Eliot Prize and the Whitbread Poetry Award.
His plays include 'The Land of Cakes' and 'A'body's Aberdee'.
Don Paterson is the poetry editor for the London publishers, Picador, and writes reviews for several national newspapers. He still plays guitar solo and with the jazz-folk ensemble, Lammas. He lives in Kirriemuir, Angus.
- The Blind Eye: A Book Of Late Advice - Hardback
'The Blind Eye' is Don Paterson's second collection of aphorisms. Funny, irreverent, wise and sad, this collection not only entertains but also leads us to ponder on the dark and light that make up the human condition.
- The Book Of Shadows - Paperback
Eloquent, illuminating, and intimate, 'The Book of Shadows' is a collection of aphorisms from Don Paterson where the profound, the poetic and the profane meet to glorious effect.
- God's Gift To Women - Paperback
Don Paterson's second collection has been impatiently awaited and in it he moves into yet more exhilarating territory. Autobiography mixes with invention, exaggeration and dazzle to produce poems unlike any others.
- Landing Light - Paperback
This collection of poetry from Don Paterson guides us down the labyrinths of our deepest and most private concerns. Paterson explores the swings of light and dark that mark our troubled feelings, including utterance and silence, disclosure and concealment, and the need for renewal and finality.
- Nil Nil - Hardback
Dream-life and class politics, mystery and music, sex and drink all play an essential part in this collection of poetry.
- Rain - Hardback
In an assembly of masterful lyrics and monologues, Paterson conjures a series of fables and charms that serve both to expose us to the unsettling forces within the world and simultaneously offer some protection against them.
- Robert Burns: Poems - Paperback
In this series, a contemporary poet selects & introduces a poet of the past. By their choice of poems & by the personal & critical reactions they express in their prefaces the editors offer insights into their own work as well as providing an accessible & passionate introduction to some of the greatest poets in literature.
- Selected Poems - Hardback
This selection, drawn from 20 years of work, is made by the poet himself and includes not only poems from his 4 single volumes, but poetry drawn from his original versions of Antonio Machado and Rainer Maria Rilke.
- Nil Nil - 1993
- God's Gift to Women - 1997
- The Eyes - 1999
- Robert Burns: Poems Selected by Don Paterson (editor) - 2001
- Landing Light - 2003
- The Book of Shadows - 2004
- Sonnets to Orpheus - 2006
- The Blind Eye - 2007
- Rain - 2009
- Selected Poems - 2012


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Sparkling berry gelatin
Preparation time: 10 minutes
1 large box (0.6 ounces) plus 1 small box (0.3 ounces) sugar-free raspberry gelatin
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water, whisking well. Cool slightly. Stir in cranberry-orange sauce, lemon juice, and diet ginger ale. Gently stir in strawberries and raspberries. Pour into an 8″ x 8″ pan and chill until firm, about 1 1/2 hours. Cut into 9 equal squares.
Yield: 9 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving:
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Top 10 Dry Skin Moisturisers for Men
In numerical order of supremacy, this list, compiled from customer feedback, popularity, innovation, ingredients, results, price and Ape to Gentleman's testers displays the Top 10 Dry Skin Moisturisers for Men the male grooming world has to offer.
A good dry skin moisturiser should be thick, absorb quickly but last, be a good texture, be concentrated, possess quality ingredients, easily dispensed and offer value for money. We expect a lot you say? As always, yes. And why not? Ape to Gentleman brings you our Top 10 Dry Skin Moisturisers for Men, don't settle for anything less.
1. Shiseido Men Moisturising Recovery Cream, 50ml for £34.74
This is Ape to Gentleman's number one moisturiser for dry skin currently. It's a pricey affair but Japanese brand Shiseido have created an excellent, rich moisturiser for dry skin. Perfect for use during the winter months or all year round after shaving. The thick yet quick absorbing cream keeps your skin nicely hydrated.
Available from House of Fraser.
2. Korres Thyme Honey Moisturiser, 40ml for £18.00
A moisturiser made from real Thyme Honey captures our interest anytime. Natures natural hydrating agent all tucked up into this superbly rich moisturiser is quickly absorbed and thoroughly hydrating. A lush, unisex, offering for dry skin from one of our favourite brands; Korres Natural Products.
Available from Niven & Joshua.
3. Neal's Yard Remedies Frankincense Nourishing Cream, 50g for 19.50
Another unisex offering and one of Neal's Yard Remedies best selling lines, the Frankincense range. In particular the Nourishing Cream is perfect for winter, with it's rich formula. With an added bonus of anti-ageing properties and plenty of organic goodness.
Available from Neal's Yard Remedies.
4. Yu-Be Tube, 37ml for £12.00
The Yu-Be Tube should arguably be number one here. It's easily the most potent moisturiser and champion at keeping dry skin hydrated, however it crosses the threshold of moisturiser > medicated cream, similar to E45. This isn't an issue if you suffer from dry skin but it's rich texture takes longer to absorb if you're skin is more Normal to Dry than just Dry… a little goes a long way.
Available from Niven & Joshua.
5. SkinCeuticals Emollience, 50ml for £55.00
A reasonably pricey affair but based on scientific research and formulated with a careful selection of natural extracts and oils, Emollience is a fine, rich and restorative moisturiser. Brazilian sea algae nourishes and hydrates the skin while oils of grape seed, rose hip and macademia restore and maintain moisture. Emollience is ideal for high altitudes and cold or dry climates. The reason I like this cream so much is that it really does work as it suggests. Great for dry, sensitive skin, rich but quick absorbing. The texture is excellent too.
Available from SkinCeuticals.
6. Biotherm Homme Aquapower Moisturiser (Dry Skin), 75ml for £26.00
We like Biotherm Homme here at Ape to Gentleman HQ and their Aquapower Moisturiser ticks many boxes. Filled with Biotherm's 'super ingredient'; Thermal Plankton and rich ingredients such as Shea Butter, this cream-gel is quickly absorbed, smoothing and hydrating.
Available from Mankind.
7. Nickel Moisturiser For Dry Complexions, 75ml for £22.00
Male skin care specialist Nickel often get specific with their broad range and they cover dry skin with their Moisturiser For Dry Complexions. We like it because not only does it nourish but leaves skin matte too, handy for those with dry patches and an oily T-Zone.
Available from Lookmantastic.
8. REN Moisture Recharge Comfort-Plus Day Cream, 50ml for £27.00
REN if you didn't know means clean in Swedish. The clean part refers to non chemical additives, so if you prefer to go chemical-free then we recommend REN. Designed specifically for dry skin with a host of bio-active ingredients, it might be pink (packaging) but this unisex offering is long lasting and hydrating if not a little lightweight (you might prefer this!?).
Available from REN Skincare.
9. Clinique Skin Supplies for Men Maximum Hydrator, 50ml for £25.00
If you're a Clinique fan then look no further than this moisturiser. It's designed specifically for men with dry skin providing a rich cream, with the ability to minimise the look of fine lines and maintain moisture levels.
Available from Clinique for Men.
10. Elemis Men SOS Survival Cream, 50ml for £39.00
The Elemis Men SOS Survival Cream has become somewhat of a cult figure within the male grooming world… as it says on the tin, it's an SOS cream, which translated means it can deal with a whole host of issues such as sensitivity, irritation, blemishes and yes, dryness. With funky ingredients like marine extracts, Lavender and Myrrh it deals with dryness and associated issues aforementioned in one. A touch on the pricey side though.
Available from Time to Spa.


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Kennedy Hoops Teams Sweep West Milford
Wednesday, January 16, 2013 • 9:27am
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PATERSON, NJ - The Kennedy boys and girls basketball teams both West Milford on Tuesday. The boys prevailed, 74-61, while the girls coasted, 64-39, according to nj.com.
Alphonso Gee lead the Knights with 25 points, while Jalani Morris added 13.
Meanwhile, Morgan Taylor was top scorer for the Lady Knights with 20, while Erika Brown scored 16 and Koryn Lawrence-Barret had 15.


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100 Ways To Get Unbored This Summer!
Looking for something fun to do? We have you covered! Here are 100 awesome activities to help you get unbored this summer.
By Seventeen Magazine
Show Dad Some Father's Day Love!
Surprise him with an awesome gift that he'll love! Check out our gift picks here.


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|We are replacing the carpet in our home. This includes steps and the kids rooms and playroom. We are looking for a carpet that is going to wear well on the steps (most important)and that will do well with stains. The stair case is very dated and will be replaced in the future (5-7 years) and want to make sure that we dont over buy on carpet since the staircase railing and treads will all be replaced with wood flooring once the kids are older (5-7 years). So with that in mind what would be the best product specs to look for in a carpet.... ptt vs nylon....frieze vs. short pile carpet and what density range would be appropriate for this application. We just want it too look nice for the 5-7 years so we are not having to rip up twice before we replace the steps permently. I think price wise we could go up to $25/syd Thanks for all your information!!!!
Follow-Up Postings:
|a frieze, smartstrand or nylon and something with a texture retention warranty. Look specifically to see if there is an exclusion for stairs. S'martstrand does great on 'stains' and very resistant to matting etc. Density isn't really an issue since frieze tend to be little 'looser'. The key is the twist to the yarn and the fact that your walking on sides of the yarn vs the 'tips' so 'wear' isn't much of a factor.
|Ok here are the two that we are choosing..could you provide your preference and why.
Phenix N112 Winter Park BCF Poly 10 yr texture retention 42 oz
We like the look pf the winter park better, but both are the same price and we feel like the tigressa is a better deal. Our main concern is the steps and what is going to look best after 5 years and we can compromise on style as long as it is a texture or shorter frieze or even a "standard" carpet.
so whats your opinion?
|The poly will not do well at all vs the Nylon. Polyesters just normally do not wear well. Our claims are almost always polyester issues. Go with Nylon. Good luck
|agree, the nylon would always win out over a poly
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Medical marijuana at last?
Illinois can't be accused of rushing to embrace medical marijuana: The first state to allow it did so in 1996, and the General Assembly is only now getting around to approving the idea. Whether it will become law is not clear: It now goes to Gov. Pat Quinn, who has yet to say if he will sign it.
Steve Chapman
May 17, 2013


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Thursday, December 9
8:30 am – 9:10 am
Feet on the Floor—Mobilizing Patients, an Interdisciplinary Approach
Janet Fantazia RRT BSHS AE-C, Modesto CA
What can we do as RTs to help our patients with mobility? We have heard about mobility with ventilator patients in the ICU. This presentation is to encourage mobility in all areas of the hospital.
8:30 am – 9:10 am
Cultural Competency
Patient-centered Care and World View Differences—It's Not All About Me
Robin Kidder RRT AE-C, St Louis MO
How patients view health care providers and how health care providers view patients are directly proportional. We used to think of cultural competency as based on age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation. Hear from a therapist's perspective their experience with cultural diversity when providing care to patients and interacting with peers and members of the health care team.
Holiday Decorations at Bellagio
8:30 am – 9:25 am
My Patient's Airways Are Plugged: What Should I Do?
Poor airway clearance for a variety of reasons is a common occurrence in the neonatal and pediatric setting. This old problem continues to generate great controversy. This session will debate two common approaches: drug therapy and secretion clearance devices. Which is more effective? Which is more resource effective? Does it even matter? Two experts in the field will debate the options. Come see what they have to say and offer your opinions.
8:30 am – 8:55 am
Drug Therapy Is As Effective As Secretion Clearance Devices
Bruce K Rubin MD MEngr MBA FAARC, Richmond VA
Pharmacology in airway clearance has grown over the past 10 years. With new generation mucolytic being phased in and old being phased out, which one is best for my patient? Hypertonic saline is now being used at an increasing rate for a variety of effectiveness. Should this be the new airway clearance drug of choice? I have parents ask me about expectorants, what am I supposed to tell them? Are they helpful? Is drug therapy cheaper and more effective than airway clearance devices and therapist time? Is there data to support the increasing use of medications? This presentation will review the data and rationale behind drug therapy in those patients who require assistance with airway clearance.
9:00 am – 9:25 am
Proper Airway Maintenance and Secretion Clearance Devices Are More Effective Than Mucolytics
Brian K Walsh RRT, Dallas TX
The variety and design of airway clearance devices and therapy has changed dramatically over the past 10 years. Do we really need drug therapy to properly maintain airway clearance, or can we maintain airway function with the use of proper airway clearance techniques? Is there a right time, right place, and right patient for each of the devices? Or are mucolytics actually more cost effective? Are there any data? This presentation will review the data and rationale behind the use of secretion clearance adjuncts or devices.
McCarran International Airport
8:30 am – 9:35 am
Ventilator Graphics: What Can I See, What Can I Do?
8:30 am – 9:00 am
Basic Graphics Interpretation: Easy Steps to Success
John S Emberger RRT, Newark DE
Participants will see live, real-time graphics and learn an easy approach to interpretation of most common issues in the adult ventilator patients. Interventions for the common problems will be displayed and discussed.
9:05 am – 9:35 am
Advanced Graphics Cases
John S Emberger RRT
Participants will see live, real-time graphics of a wide variety of particularly unusual cases. Interventions and progression of these complicated cases will be discussed.
8:30 am – 10:15 am
A Rational Approach to Acquiring Capital Equipment and Supplies
8:30 am – 9:20 am
Equipment Evaluation in RT: A Successful Systematic Approach
Joseph Dwan MS RRT, Clackamas OR
The presenter will guide the attendees through the iterative process that he has hard-wired in his organization that is based on defined criteria that has allowed his organization to make sound decisions on capital equipment selection.
9:25 am – 10:15 am
A Rational Approach to Purchasing RT Supplies for Quality and Cost Savings
Joseph Dwan MS RRT
Using criteria-based evaluation and Group Purchasing Standards (GPO), the presenter will review how he has succeeded in reducing costs while maintaining quality in the acquisition of RT supplies for his organization.
Fremont East Entertainment District
8:30 am – 10:25 am
Emerging Trends in Long Term Mechanical Ventilation
8:30 am – 9:05 am
Trends in Alternate Site and Home Ventilation: New Challenges for RTs
Gene Gantt RRT, Livingston TN
There are emerging trends in use of NIV in alternate sites. Accordingly, there are changes in patient population and challenges in payer acceptance.
9:10 am – 9:45 am
Conversion from Artificial Airway to Noninvasive Ventilation: Clinical Challenges
Zachary Gantt RRT, Livingston TN
Transition from ETT to volume assisted NIV for long term ventilation may be the new paradigm. Transition and decannulation of tracheostomized patients to NIV presents significant clinical challenges. Case presentations will be used to demonstrate patient pathways.
9:50 am – 10:25 am
LTC—A New Era in Respiratory Education Preparing the New RTs
Christy D Walker RRT, Dalton GA
Importance of clinical education in the LTC setting among the growing population of patients needing respiratory care outside of acute care facility it a increased need. The levels of expectation, comfort, clinical competency and understanding of the care of the patient in the LTC setting prior to, and following the clinical experience may be lacking in the current system. This presentation will examine the impact of LTC clinical education on students as part of the advance practitioner respiratory therapy program.
Gondola Rides at The Venetian
8:30 am – 11:05 pm
Putting Best Evidence into Practice for Optimum Patient Benefit
8:30 am – 9:05 am
What Is Knowledge Translation, and Why Should I Care?
David J Pierson MD FAARC, Seattle WA
High-quality evidence and clinical practice guidelines do not guarantee improved patient care. This presentation defines the important and growing field of knowledge translation and identifies the barriers that prevent its effective implementation. It provides concrete examples of these barriers from the field of respiratory care and describes approaches for overcoming them for the benefit of patients, institutions, and the whole health care system.
9:10 am – 9:45 am
Applying Best Evidence in the Use of Sedation in the Mechanically Ventilated Patient
Charles G Durbin Jr. MD FAARC, Charlottesville VA
Important patient outcomes are affected by the use of sedation by clinicians managing mechanically ventilated patients. This presentation reviews the currently available evidence on this topic and discusses how it may be applied practically at the bedside.
9:50 am – 10:25 am
Mechanical Ventilation and the "N of 1" Patient Care Construct
David M Wheeler RRT-NPS, Cleveland OH
Evidence-based medicine is the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence applied to the decision-making process concerning the care of individual patients. The n-of-1 practice construct is a means of formulating mechanical ventilation strategies with and for patients in an individualized fashion, incorporating continuous monitoring of their response. This presentation will elaborate on these definitions and illustrate how best evidence can be used to improve the care of individual patients.
10:30 am – 11:05 am
Setting the Ventilator for Maximum Patient Comfort
Richard H Kallet MS RRT FAARC, San Francisco CA
The patient's experience of mechanical ventilation during acute illness can vary dramatically depending on how the clinician sets the ventilator, apart from such considerations as tidal volume, pressure limits, and mode. This presentation addresses patient-ventilator synchrony in this context, summarizing the available evidence and discussing how it can best be applied at the bedside.
The Neon Museum
9:00 am – 11:35 am
Journal Symposium: What's Respiratory Care Up to These Days?
9:00 am – 9:35 am
Journal Conference Summary: Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care: What Does the Future Hold?
Ira M Cheifetz MD FAARC, Durham NC
This presentation will summarize the Respiratory Care Journal Conference on Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Care.
9:40 am – 10:15 am
Journal Conference Summary: Patient-Ventilatory Interactions
David J Pierson MD, Seattle WA
This presentation will summarize the Respiratory Care Journal Conference on Patient-Ventilator Interactions.
10:20 am – 10:55 am
The Top 5 Original Research Papers Published in RESPIRATORY CARE in 2010
Dean R Hess PhD RRT FAARC, Boston MA
This presentation will identify and review the 5 best original research papers published in the Journal in 2010.
11:00 am – 11:35 am
The Top 5 Case Reports Published in RESPIRATORY CARE in 2010
David J Pierson MD, Seattle WA
This presentation will indentify and review the 5 best case reports published in the Journal in 2010.
World-Class Golf
9:15 am – 10:55 am
Gaps in COPD Care: What They Are and What We Need to Do
9:15 am – 9:45 am
Gaps in Making the Diagnosis
Joshua Benditt MD, Seattle WA
The presenter will describe the obstacles in having COPD properly diagnosed in a timely manner and discuss the impact of early detection in reducing the rate of further deterioration in lung function.
9:50 am – 10:20 am
Gaps in the Management of Exacerbations During Hospitalization
Naresh A Dewan MD, Omaha NE
This presentation will discuss the variances in how COPD exacerbations are being managed during a hospitalization and will review the evidence-based guidelines for the optimal management of an exacerbation.
10:25 am – 10:55 am
Gaps in Discharge Planning
Debra M Koehl MS RRT-NPS, Indianapolis IN
The presenter will discuss the consequences of poorly coordinated discharge planning of a COPD patient following admission for an exacerbation and will describe the potential advantages of having RTs more involved in the discharge planning process for these patients.
9:30 am – 10:25 am
Inhaled Medical Gases: More Than Oxygen
Unlike the early days of the inhalational therapists, respiratory therapists administer many medical gases beyond oxygen. This session will review the application of inhaled gases in the health care setting.
9:30 am – 9:55 am
Heliox and Inhaled Anesthetics: More Than Just Beta-Agonists for the Asthmatic
Melissa K Brown RRT, San Diego CA
Heliox and inhaled anesthetics play a valuable role in the management of the asthmatic. The medical literature along with the technical aspects of gas delivery will be reviewed. Care of the patient with status asthmatics is much more than oxygen, steroids, and beta-agonists.
10:00 am – 10:25 am
What Other Therapeutic Gases Can Patients Inhale?
Jenni Raake RRT MBA, Cincinnati OH
Have you ever considered administering carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, or nitrogen to your patients? Why would you consider these approaches? This presentation will review the clinical applications of the more "unusual" inhaled medical gases.
Open Forum
9:30 am – 11:25 am
OPEN FORUMs #14—Education, Part 2
OPEN FORUMs #15—Monitoring/Equipment, Part 2
Clinicians present the results of their scientific studies. Abstracts with a similar focus are clustered into a symposium to encourage discussions and interactions among investigators and observers; posters expand the information presented. See abstract titles and authors.
9:45 am – 10:35 am
Blood Gas Laboratory: POC Certificate Program
Bruce Toben RRT-NPS CPFT, Piscataway NJ
The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) is developing a program to educate participants on best practice standards as they relate to blood gas laboratory operations. This Web-based modular program will include sessions on regulatory compliance, quality assurance systems, device connectivity, and other topics pertaining to laboratory diagnostic testing. Admission criteria for the program and highlights of each module will also be discussed.
10:20 am – 11:10 am
Managing the Represented Workforce
Richard M Ford RRT FAARC, San Diego CA
Unions represent health care workers in a variety of capacities. While some managers view organized labor as a burden, others build great teams. Consideration in managing a represented workforce will be discussed and programs described that provides staff with a voice in department level decision making.
10:30 am – 11:55 am
Respiratory Care of the Child with Neurodisability
10:30 am – 10:55 am
Pulmonary Complications in the Child with Neurodisability
Robert Warren MD, Little Rock AR
This presentation will describe the progression of chronic lung disease in the child with neurodisability. Specific topics will include the challenge of managing airway secretions as well as invasive and non-invasive ventilatory strategies.
11:00 am – 11:25 am
Living Longer, Living at Home
Denise Willis RRT-NPS, Little Rock AR
This presentation will describe the therapist's role, both inpatient and outpatient, in caring for technology-dependent children. Issues and challenges include equipment hurdles, the home environment, family involvement, transitioning to adult hospital as patient ages, and more. Emphasis will be placed on quality of life.
11:30 am – 11:55 am
Acceptance, Avoidance, and Advocacy—A Parent's Perspective
Amy Wilson EMT, Benton AR
As a parent of a respiratory-technology dependent child, this session will demonstrate what families want therapists to know about caring for trach/ventilator-dependent children. The family's perspective, challenges, coping mechanisms, and emotions will be shared. You may cry and laugh, but you will not forget this presentation.
Vegas Showgirls
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Keep Them Awake: Developing Powerful and Productive In-Service Education Programs
Jody Lester MA RRT, Nampa ID and Bill Galvin MSEd RRT CPFT AE-C FAARC, Gwynedd Valley PA
Are you charged with developing clinician or patient in-services? Come learn the steps that will ensure your success. Topics will include learning objectives, PowerPoint development, and outcome assessment.
11:05 am – 11:50 am
Sleep Section Membership Meeting
Tony Stigall MBA RRT RPSGT/Presiding
Section members meet to determine their needs and priorities, as well as how to use the AARC resources to accomplish them. All Congress attendees, including section non-members are invited to attend and to participate.
Las Vegas Monorail
11:15 am – 12:00 noon
Surface & Air Transport Section Membership Meeting
Steven E Sittig RRT-NPS C-NPT FAARC/Presiding
Section members meet to determine their needs and priorities, as well as how to use the AARC resources to accomplish them. All Congress attendees, including section non-members are invited to attend and to participate.
11:15 am – 12:05 pm
A Common Sense Guide to Patient Safety for the RT
Thomas R Lamphere RRT, Sellersville PA
Patient safety is a primary concern for all health care workers including the RT. Groups such as The Joint Commission and state/federal agencies have been formed to create and enforce numerous rules and regulations aimed at keeping patients safe.
11:20 am – 12:00 noon
Implementation of A Respiratory Care Services Inpatient Satisfaction Program
Dottie Biggar RN ANP-BC, St Louis MO
The Joint Commission requires hospitals to measure patient satisfaction. However, a "real time" system that would provide feedback that allows for immediate intervention is needed and will be reviewed in this session. In addition to a review of the tools and process that were involved in implementing this program, the presenter will provide tips to prevent potential pitfalls encountered, including surveyor bias.
Spago at Caesars Palace
1:00 pm – 1:40 pm
Challenges in Pediatric Non-invasive Ventilation
Jenni Raake MBA RRT, Cincinnati OH
Pediatric non-invasive ventilation is a challenge — both in terms of devices and interfaces. This presentation will explore these challenges and share thoughts for solutions. Interface issues, patient comfort, and evaluation of clinical efficacy will be discussed.
1:00 pm – 1:40 pm
Interdisciplinary Clinical Practice
Ellen Perry RRT, Chandler AZ
This presentation will define RT scope of practice, explain the implications of interdisciplinary care, and describe how electronic medical records impact RT care.
1:00 pm – 1:45 pm
Strategies for Maintaining & Increasing Patient Sleep Volume in Tough Times
John Sabo MS RRT RN, Houston TX
The speaker will share successful marketing strategies for maintaining volumes in these tough times. Specific discussion items include development of a branding strategy, Continuous Patient Aftercare Program (CPAP), development of alternate referral sources and adoption of more entrepreneurial marketing efforts.
1:00 pm – 1:50 pm
RT as Inventor: How to Invent, Analyze, Develop, and Protect New Product Ideas
Daniel J Grady MEd RRT FAARC, Asheville NC
Respiratory therapists are natural inventors because of their expertise in clinical problem solving and adapting technology to clinical needs. This presentation will identify two techniques for inventing new technology and cite 3 criteria which may be used to analyze marketability of new technology. Resources that may be used for research and development of inventions will also be discussed.
1:00 pm – 1:50 pm
Understanding Change Management
Cheryl Hoerr MBA RRT CPFT FAARC, Rolla MO
Some people dread change while others welcome it, especially if they're the ones pushing for the changes. Change is inevitable, and managers must be able to teach their staff how to embrace change by understanding the reactions to change and using the understanding to deal with the challenge of change.
Picasso's at Bellagio
1:00 pm – 2:40 pm
Inhalation Injuries and Burns: What You Need to Know
1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Anatomy of Inhalation Injury
Shawn Fagan MD, Boston MA
Inhalation injury can be a life-threatening crisis. Careful assessment and management of these patients must take place in a timely manner. This presentation will describe the physiologic effects of inhalation injury.
1:35 pm – 2:05 pm
Inhalation Injuries—A Great Challenge for Respiratory Therapists
Kathy Short RRT RN, Chapel Hill NC
This presentation will describe the challenges respiratory therapists face when caring for patients with inhalation injuries and burns. It will explain how an interdisciplinary approach to care is vital to the survival of patients with inhalation injuries.
2:10 pm – 2:40 pm
Blood, Sweat and Tears: Long-term Outcomes of Burn Patients
Shawn Fagan MD
Patients with thermal injuries require intensive treatment for a long period of time. After all of the resources needed to care for these patients, what are the long-term outcomes and quality of life? This presentation will show case studies illustrating the ongoing effects of burn injuries.
Open Forum
1:00 pm – 2:55 pm
OPEN FORUMs #16—Ventilation/Ventilators, Part 3
OPEN FORUMs #17—Neonatal/Pediatrics, Part 2
Clinicians present the results of their scientific studies. Abstracts with a similar focus are clustered into a symposium to encourage discussions and interactions among investigators and observers; posters expand the information presented. See abstract titles and authors.
1:00 pm – 3:15 pm
Evidence and the Best Practice of Respiratory Care
1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Clinical Trials and Their Impact on the Practice of Respiratory Care
Thomas Wing MHS RRT, Boise ID
Specific examples will be used to demonstrate the processes by which clinical trial outcomes serve as a driving force behind the determination of best practice. Additionally, the presenter will discuss the roles and responsibilities of RTs in this process.
1:35 pm – 2:05 pm
Lavage with Suction—Convincing Verdict or Is the Jury Still Out?
Jody Lester RRT, Nampa ID
Lavage prior to tracheal suction has been largely discontinued following analysis of the evidence. However, a recent study found lower VAP rates in patients who were lavaged. A discussion of this topic will be used to help illustrate the process for evaluating conflicting research findings.
2:10 pm – 2:40 pm
Therapeutic Hypothermia Following Asphyxia—How Strong Is the Current Evidence?
Thomas Wing MHS RRT
The presenter will analyze and discuss the study outcomes for trials of adult, pediatric and newborn populations who were treated with therapeutic hypothermia after asphyxia. A specific focus will be to determine whether the evidence supports continued practice.
2:45 pm – 3:15 pm
Fetal Origin of Adult Disease—How New Concepts May Affect Practice
Jody Lester RRT
Barker's hypothesis of fetal origin of adult disease (FOAD) will be used as the foundation for discussion of how new concepts may affect practice.
World's Largest Gift Shop
1:00 pm – 3:50 pm
Pulmonary Rehabilitation 2010 & Beyond: Challenges and Opportunities
1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
NCD, ITP, MAC, etc: Learning and Understanding the Acronyms
Debra Koehl MS RRT-NPS AE-C, Indianapolis IN
The presenter will describe the myriad of abbreviations used to describe the various aspects of pulmonary rehabilitation and the importance of a thorough understanding of their interpretation.
1:35 pm – 2:05 pm
Medical Direction in Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Brian W Carlin MD FAARC, Pittsburgh PA
This presentation will describe the role of the medical director in a pulmonary rehab program and how to comply with CMS requirements.
2:10 pm – 2:40 pm
Documentation Essentials
Gerilynn Connors RRT FAACVPR, Falls Church VA
The presenter will discuss the required documentation for timely reimbursement for pulmonary rehabilitation and provide insight into how audits are conducted and ways to avoid problems.
2:45 pm – 3:15 pm
Staffing Essentials
Trina M Limberg RRT, San Diego CA
The presenter will describe how to plan for proper patient-therapist ratios in a pulmonary rehab program and discuss the use of multi-disciplinary professionals in the most effective manner.
3:20 pm – 3:50 pm
Pulmonary Rehabilitation for the Lung Transplant Patient
Paul F Nuccio MS RRT FAARC, Boston MA
The presenter will discuss the special and unique pulmonary rehabilitation needs of this special patient population.
1:45 pm – 2:25 pm
Coughers, Wheezers, and Noisy Breathers
Robert Warren MD, Little Rock AR
Children often cough and wheeze. What does it mean? Which children require work-up and therapy? This presentation will offer thoughts on the different diagnoses of infants and children who present with wheezing or coughing. Therapeutic considerations will be discussed.
Sahara Casino
1:45 pm – 2:25 pm
Improving Written Communication:
A Review for Busy Health Care Professionals
William A French MA RRT, Kirtland OH
Within the respiratory care community, there are many ways for individuals to share unedited written communication (eg, listservs, AARConnect, etc.). Too often, these communications contain errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, and rhetoric. These errors detract from the credibility of the communication and make the writer (and, by extension, the profession) appear less professional. This presentation shows examples of such communication (done discreetly), demonstrates how such errors could be corrected and/or avoided, and reviews basic principles of writing in English. Resources for improving writing would also be presented. Effective communication among health care professionals is becoming more important all the time. And yet, communication skills are often under emphasized in school and not reinforced in practice.
1:50 pm – 2:35 pm
The Basic Concepts of LEAN
Darnetta Clinkscale MBA RRT, St. Louis MO
We've all seen the typical "flavor of the month" that purports to improve quality and customer satisfaction while cutting costs to the bone. While many of the programs have come and gone and many have not demonstrated any countable savings, the LEAN program is one that has demonstrated reduction of waste while ensuring patient care and safety is maintained and/or improved. This presenter will educate you as to the basic concept and tools that you can implement in your organization.
2:00 pm – 2:50 pm
A New Model for Care—The Acute Pulmonary Unit
John S Sabo MS RRT RN, Houston TX
The presenter will lead the audience through the process whereby his organization created the Acute Pulmonary Unit (APU). Starting with a multidisciplinary team, they developed the strategic objectives and the implementation plan that led to the opening of a unit that met financial and clinical goals.
2:00 pm – 4:10 am
Establishing and Improving an Asthma Self-Management Education (ASME) Program: Applying for the AARC's ASME Certification
2:00 pm – 2:40 pm
Why Establish an ASME Program
Timothy B Op't Holt EdD RRT AE-C FAARC, Mobile AL
This presentation will address the rationale for establishing an ASME program. Additionally, it will describe the elements of the ASME program and how an ASME program is organized.
2:45 pm – 3:25 pm
The ASME Instructional Team and Resources
Karen Gregory MS APRN-BC CNS RRT AE-C, Edmond OK
This presentation will identify the instructional team and the physical and fiscal support needs of the program. It will identify the target population and methods for determining individual needs. Additionally, it will address the continuing education requirements.
3:30 pm – 4:10 pm
Action Plans, Patient Outcomes and CQI for an ASME Program
Rhonda Vosmus RRT-NPS AE-C, Portland ME
This presentation will address how to write an asthma action plan, assess outcomes and monitor quality. Additionally, the presentation will discuss who has established a successful ASME program.
Boulevard Shops at Paris
2:30 pm – 3:10 pm
Disease-specific Management Strategies for Mechanically Ventilated Infants
Robert M DiBlasi RRT-NPS, Seattle WA
What are the clinical implications of the latest research? For the last 3 decades, time-cycled, pressure-limited ventilation has been the most common form of respiratory support available for neonates. Research focused on devices and management strategies has identified many new approaches. This presentation will provide the respiratory therapist with clinical insight on disease-specific invasive ventilatory techniques used to support neonates with various forms of lung injury.
2:45 pm – 4:25 pm
Providing Clinical Respiratory Home Care Services in an Austre Financial Environment
2:45 pm – 3:15 pm
An Education Program That Encourages Patient Participation
Robert W McCoy RRT FAARC, Apple Valley MN
The speaker will discuss the importance and necessity of patients assuming greater responsibility in their continuing care at home and will present examples of comprehensive education programs that help patients/caregivers maintain optimal respiratory health in spite of their chronic respiratory disease.
3:20 pm – 3:50 pm
Higher Flow Oxygen Delivery: Available Options
Louis M Kaufman RRT-NPS AE-C FAARC, Olney MD
This presentation will describe the available option for those home care patients requiring higher oxygen doses to maintain effective oxygenation and will discuss strategies to address the limitations of conventional oxygen delivery devices for this unique patient population.
3:55 pm – 4:25 pm
Pulse Dose Delivery Devices: What You Don't Know Could Hurt Your Patients
Robert W McCoy RRT FAARC
The presenter will review the available performance data for gaseous, liquid and concentrated oxygen pulse dose delivery systems and will describe the unintended consequences of not considering the performance limitations of certain types of pulse dose delivery systems.
Natural History Museum
2:50 pm – 4:25 pm
Coaching, Developing, and Mentoring Your Staff
2:50 pm – 3:10 pm
Promoting Collaboration and Teamwork
Cheryl Hoerr MBA RRT CPFT FAARC, Rolla MO
People want to be appreciated and valued for their contributions. Managers must be able to create a working environment in which people value each other and recognize the importance of each member's contribution to the team.
3:15 pm – 3:35 pm
Managing Conflict
Karen J Stewart MS RRT FAARC, Charleston WV
Handling conflict in the workplace can be quite difficult. Managers have to deal with forceful egos, with people's strong beliefs that they are right, and occasionally with childish behavior.
3:40 pm – 4:00 pm
Coaching Others
Cheryl Hoerr MBA RRT CPFT FAARC
High performing organizations have systems in place that encourage each individual to perform to their optimum level. This lecture will share ideas about equipping therapists with the tools and knowledge that they need to develop themselves as well as coaching tips for managers.
4:05 pm – 4:25 pm
Acting Strategically
Karen J Stewart MS RRT FAARC
Strategy keeps you focused so you can decide where to invest critical resources. An understanding of the organization's broad strategy is essential for ensuring alignment of department goals. This presentation will discuss ways to understand your organization's strategy, execute against it, and measure your performance.
3:00 pm – 4:05 pm
RTs Take the Lead!
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Just Add RTs and Mix!
Mary K Hart RRT AE-C, Dallas TX
All that's missing from the Peak Performance USA program is the RT. This program is up to date, comprehensive, and Web-based to make it easy to access and utilize. The presenter will guide the audience through the use of this valuable tool that will not only provide great care, but increase the visibility and value of the RT.
3:35 pm – 4:05 pm
RTs Lead the Way in Quality Improvement
Mary K Hart RRT AE-C
This presentation will demonstrate how one hospital respiratory therapist led the way in providing asthma management in the ED through a new and innovative process that improved care, reduced cost, and positioned the RT, among others, as valued health care professionals.
3:20 pm – 4:00 pm
Back to Basics: How Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Are Transported in the Blood
Andrew M Luks MD, Seattle WA
An understanding of how oxygen gets into the blood, how it is stored and transported once it is there, and how carbon dioxide is carried from the tissues to the lungs for elimination, is fundamental to the practice of respiratory care. This lecture provides a concise refresher course on this bread-and-butter but somewhat complicated topic.


text:
• Choose from several sizes and materials to best fit your space.
• Install these rust-proof, durable aluminum signs on a post, fence or wall. Includes permanent, pressure-sensitive, acrylic adhesive.
• Create your own custom visitor sign - just select a template and add text.
• Check out Time-Expiring Visitor Passes and Visitor Parking Permits to increase your visitor security program.
• Authorized Personnel Only
• Security Alarm Signs


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Rent-A-Wreck Of America
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Shady business ethics
Posted by
MIAMI, FLORIDA -- I placed a reservation for a mid sized car with Rent a Wreck of Miami and found their prices very competitive. Their website noted hours of operation in big red letters as 1am to 1159pm seven days a week. My flight was to arrive at 9pm at night and booked the reservation to pick up the car at that time. A day after booking the reservation I received a phone call from them saying they would only be able to provide the car at that time for an additional charge. I disagreed with them noting their websites hours of operation and was told "did you read the entire website?" My deposit was not fully refunded. I called their national office and spoke with two guys who agreed that their information is misleading and inaccurate but that they could not force the local franchise to refund my money.
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MaggieMcT on 06/06/2010:
Did you receive a confirmation (email or on the website) at the original price?
Skye on 06/06/2010:
This place was on People's Court a few years ago, being sued for shady practices.
Ryan84 on 06/06/2010:
I'm with Marks, Just the name would keep me away.
D91910 on 12/02/2010:
This place is extremely shady! I wish more online travel agencies posted reviews about businesses like this.
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It's a disgrace!
Posted by
Not Available
MT POCONO, PENNSYLVANIA -- Was promised a 15 passenger van on 3/4/10 for my son to take to Florida. They quoted me price and said to call back. I called back to confirm and they said that the associate who would drive van from MT. Pocono to Bethlehem called out sick. I had my son drive to MT. Pocono, 58 miles to pick-up van. When he arrived they did not have van. It was getting fixed. They tried to give him smaller van, 98,000 miles on it, brakes went to the floor, dent in side and tire pressure light on. I was not going to allow him to drive over 2,000 miles back and forth to Florida in that van. When I called today to make sure I got my refund the owner, instead of just saying we blew it tried to blame my son for not taking the other van. I would strongly not recommend doing business with people who don't keep their word and don't admit when they made a mistake.
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Rent a Wreck. It's all in the name
Posted by
Martin Thompson
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON -- Worst experience of my life. It's all in the name rent a WRECK. I called ahead of time to insure they can rent to a 24 year old and they confirmed. When I got to the car rental place they said they do NOT rent to anyone under 35 and they need a $100 deposit. The cars had over 160,000 miles on them, oil light and engine check lights on. Their hours of operations are ridiculous. No one picks up the phone when you call. If they do answerer they will be sure to tell you that they are the manager. The car they gave me had a broken seat. It hurt to sit down in this seat. BROKEN. Stunk like cigarettes. When exchange the car no one was there. I called no one answered. Mind you this is 1:45 PM. I called them and had to wait for 45 minutes for them to come back to their place of work. They finally got me a new car which turned out to be worse than the first one I rented. When I demanded a new ride they told me this is all they had. NEVER RENT FROM RENT_A_WRECK NEVER! it's not worth the savings
They kept my deposit for god know what reason. I'm currently fighting with them to get it back with no luck.
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No Vehicle
Posted by
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON -- I reserved a car from Rent-A-Wreck Seattle in March for a two-week holiday in September 2008. I showed up at the airport in the evening (having flown from overseas) and called the number Rent-A-Wreck had given me for the free shuttle to collect my car. I was told that they had no vehicles so they could not honor the reservation I had made even though I had given them my credit card details and had a reservation number.
I asked them what I should do and the man on the end of the line just kept repeating that he had no vehicles. I could try again the following day but as I needed transport to get from the airport to my motel for that night and to head north the following day at 6 am, I was forced to trawl the airport car rental counters, finally coming away with a minivan (for only two of us) for $175 more than my original quote from Rent-A-Wreck. Several days later, I did find out that they had called my home (we do not have cell phones) and let my mother know that a car had come back later that night but it was too late.
I emailed Rent-A-Wreck to complain about their unreliability when we returned from holiday, but several weeks have gone by and there has been no response.
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Mario The Great on 10/30/2008:
I don't know anything about Rent-A-Wreck but the name itself is enough to scare me off.
TGT101 on 10/30/2008:
Yes. Why would you name your business this?
old fart on 10/30/2008:
Rent-a Wreck uses older cars... (beaters)... they are all over the place
Ponie on 10/30/2008:
I've never rented from them--mainly because someone else usually pays for my car rentals :)--but I've heard you can get some pretty good deals from them. I'd be upset too if I got there and they couldn't help me in any way. But you weren't charged for anything, were you? I guess that's the chance we take. Doubt very much if you'll hear anything from them.
Starlord on 10/30/2008:
When we lived in the San Diego area, we did quite a bit of business with Rent-A-Wreck. hte cars do meet safety standards, but are not shiny late models. They also are not as pricey as the other nationally advertised rental cars. The name is a joke, apparently going back to when they first began and they had another name chosed, when someone from Hertz or Avis facetiously called them Rent-A-Wreck. They thought it was cute, and changed the name just to irritate whoever had mentioned it.
CrystalSword on 10/30/2008:
I loved Rent-A-Wreck...you just had to check the gas gauge before you left the lot because you were expected to bring it back full, I wouldn't accept a car with a partial tank and pay for someone else's gas!
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Rented a car
Posted by
PARLIN -- I completely understand ur not getting a Lexus when renting from Rent a Wreck, but I've used them 3 times in the past, and 2 out of the 3 times I hadn't had a problem. The last time I used them was a horror show in a half, Because I've used them 2x since I thought they would @ least treat me with respct & give me a car that worked.Well, as soon as my fiance got over the Outerbridge, cause we live in S.I, and we would go out to NJ to get the rent a crap! Anyway, she just barely made it over the bridge, until the car died right there on the spot. There was smoke coming out of the hood. We are both not mechanics, so it was scary to see something like that. All she kept doing was crying cause it was getting late & she was stuck on a deserted road near the bridge. I had to take car service to my mother's to borrow her car to pick up my fiance. We called Rent a Wreck with was closed, and told them we had to leave it there cause there was no way this car was starting. Never again! I mean the 2 other times we rented a car the cars where nasty filthy dirty. It smelled as if someone actually died and was left in the cars for a couple of years. It was bad! But I will never and would never refer them to anyone over my dead body! They certainly live up to there name! I'm just stupid to have rented from this place. When your not rich and can't afford Enterprise & u have no choice, you get screwed! Take car serice or public trasportation if ur car is in shop, don't waste ur time going to Rent a Wreck! and the workers are very rude as well. Not very polite to anyone.
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rhondam718732 on 04/30/2007:
Are you serious that the copaniy is actually called "Rent A Wreck." I googled it to make sure. I cannot for the life of me understand a company using that name and consumers renting from them!
*Brenda* on 04/30/2007:
LOL me too rhondam! I just had to check out their website.
Shakra on 04/30/2007:
In your first paragraph, you said that you didn't have any problem with the company the first two times and in the last one, you said that the cars were "nasty filthy dirty." You also said that the car smelled like somebody had died in it. This doesn't sound like you didn't have any problems with the previous two times.
If you got into a vehicle that smelled like somebody died in it the first time and you rented a second and third time, then you're willing to accept anything.
Enterprise rents you cars and then charges you for some scratch on the bottom of the front fender. So if you weren't poor before, you're poor afterwards.
Lastly, you're not texting or in a chat room. Learning to write and read properly is important.
Skye on 04/30/2007:
It seems all was fine, renting a filthy, someone died in this car smell was all fine and dandy till ya broke down. Cars break down. Sorry it happened, but they did live up to their name.
Wow, we have one in Durango. Never heard of them before. They say don't let the name fool ya. Very interesting.
imjustasteph on 05/02/2007:
Their jingle is 'Don't let the name foooooooool ya, it's Rent-A-Wreck.....'
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Car Rental
Posted by
I don't mind renting an older car but the rates are not that great! Could get better on HOTWIRE or advance rentals from the BIG companies such as DOLLAR. The key was bent and didn't open all the doors. The Check Engine light was on which they stated was a "minor" thing. I got stopped by LAPD for a tail light AND (R) blinker light.
Do they say sorry? Do they compensate you for your inconvenience? Rude employee says "what do you want to do about it?" RIP OFF!
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text:
|Sport, 1 pitch
|YDS: 5.10c French: 6b Ewbanks: 20 UIAA: VII ZA: 20 British: E2 5b [details]
|Page Views:
|Submitted By:
|montay on Oct 13, 2001
|Comments on Five Dollars
|Add Comment
|Show which comments —
By Matt Robertson
Oct 29, 2001
|Sketchy and loose. I would not recommend this route to someone nearing his or her limit at 5.10+.The upper slab is technical and nice, but the high first bolt and unprotected 5.9 moves on chossy rock warrant caution. Be very mindful of a red block about three feet below the small roof - as mentioned above, it sounds disconcertingly loose, and a ground fall here would leave one bruised and filled with cactus spines.


text:
and Welcome to Marbella Restaurant, home of the most superb
Spanish and continental cuisine.
Marbella Restaurant, lunch and dinner are always a memorable
experience. Relax in an elegant environment and enjoy the
distinctive cuisine as prepared by Chef Esteban Barroco who
is proud to present the most flavorful dishes from various
regions of Spain as well as a number of French and Italian
masterpieces. Chef Esteban Barroco's ambition is to offer
each client a memorable dining experience. Memorable for the
indisputable quality of the ingredients, expert preparation,
and beautiful presentation.
lovers find our authentic Spanish dishes irresistible. For
starters, try our Sopa de Ajo and
savor the pleasing aroma of this delicious Garlic soup, or
sample our rich Caldo Gallego- a
Galician soup with beef, pork, and vegetables. Also, discover
the goodness of traditional dishes with fresh fish and seafood,
as well as chicken and beef. In the mood for Paella? This
tempting dish originated in the Valencia region of Spain,
but our chef has elevated paella to an artform. Try our Paella
ala Valenciana with lobster, seafood, chicken, rice, and
Marbella Restaurant when planning your next event. We cater
private parties and banquets for up to 350 people, as well
as corporate events in our Ball Room
or East Room. Whatever your plans
require, we can help make it memorable. Please ask about our
Deluxe Party Showers and also our elegant Viennese coffee
and desserts.
are open for Lunch and Dinner: Monday through Thursday
from 11:00 A.M. to 11:30 P.M., and Friday and Saturday
from 11:00 A.M. to Midnight. The Bar and Lounge area is
open for cocktails, after dinner drinks, and lighter fare
Monday through Saturday, Noon to Midnight.
are taken and are recommended at least one day in advance
to the date. We are unable to accept reservations by fax
or e-mail.
Express, Diners Club, MasterCard & Visa accepted.
Parking available in garage located above the restaurant.
© 2000 - 2002 Marbella Restaurant.