Four days ago, I made an introductory post about how excited I get with the growth of MvM and welcoming Natalie Jakymyshyn to the MvM team. Who would of thought that I would doing it again so quickly.

Today we add another positive piece to the MvM puzzle. I would like to welcome Anna Farago to the team. You may recognize her last name as she is the sister of Monica Farago who writes the Toe Jam Mondays posts and if she has even half the work ethic of Monica’s, then I’m excited to see what will come out of this. It was a similar situation to Natalies, where Anna approached me with the idea of writing for the site and again I was instantly sold.

Anna intends to post every Sunday where she will take a certain food and give you two different and healthy recipes for it….. and oh ya, the title of her column is called “Go Fork Yourself”….

Yesterday I did a small photo shoot with the MvM contributors and Anna brought us a sample of the Kiwi shake that she talks about below. At first I was a bit hesitant, but it actually was very good and the fact that it was healthy made it even better.

So to anyone who enjoys a healthy lifestyle, and even to those who are looking to change their diet, I encourage you to follow these posts. A quick thank you to Anna for hopping on board and I look forward to your posts.

Enjoy. -jay perry

Ki you. Ki me. Kiwi.

I remember watching a talk show one day about “odd couples.” The last couple featured was a man who was 7’ tall and a woman who was 4’3’’. Their oddness was accentuated by the fact that they had both been beaten with the ugly stick one too many times. Sounds harsh, I know. But we’ve all judged people based on their appearances at some point in our lives and that was my honest judgment of this couple.

As they were being interviewed, they wouldn’t let go of each other’s hands and when she talked, he watched her like he was typing every word she said on a mental typewriter. She talked about him as if he was the hottest, smartest, nicest man on earth. By the end of their interview, I wasn’t judging them anymore, I was envying them.

In honour of this Valentine’s Day, I wanted to pair foods that wouldn’t normally go together. For each post, I will select a food of the week and present two recipes that feature said food. This week, I offer you food pairings that might turn you off at the thought of the ingredients, but if you give them a try, you might realize that you’ve been missing out on something great just because you have preconceived notions of foods that shouldn’t be together.

Most people think chocolate when they think Valentine’s Day, but this Valentine’s Day why not load your lover with a little kiwi fruit. Besides being a great source of Vitamin C, it’s also an aphrodisiac because it contains zinc; zinc increases testosterone levels and that means more power in the pipes, and on Valentine’s Day that’s a gift for everyone.

Check your judgment at the door this Valentine’s Day. Keep an open mind in your kitchen and in your heart; you might just find the love you never knew you were looking for. Kind of like me and hairy chests — at first a big brillo pad, then after a while a meadow of manliness.

Happy Valentine’s Day, my culinary compadres.

RECIPE #1

GOOD TO BE GREEN Shake

2 kiwis, peeled and chopped
1 banana
2 cups of spinach (baby spinach works best)
1 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp of honey
1 cup of milk
1 scoop of natural flavour protein powder (optional)
water to desired texture

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend at high speed until smooth. Drink will keep up to a week in the fridge.

RECIPE #2

KIWI WATERMELON Salsa

1 cup of kiwi, diced
1/3 cup red onion or shallots, diced
1 cup of watermelon, diced
2 tbsp of cilantro
2 tbsp of chili flakes or jalapenos (or less if you can’t take the heat)
Juice from one lime.
Salt to taste.

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix together gently. Serve immediately or within a couple of days.