2 days after another bake sale, I was contemplating whether after 2 years of doing this 'thing,' whether I still had energy left. I have been looking for a certified kitchen to work from for over a year.

Well here we still are, and more than ready for another vegan baking extravaganza.. Toronto Vegan Bake-off is on Saturday February 4th. http://veg.ca/content/view/824/112/#Event Catch us (as well as many others) here with 2 entries. They're going to remain a secret until the day of the event itself!!
This is the fourth year of the bake-off, and I've been attending since the first year (right down the street from us). I can't believe I waited this long to enter!

Ital is Vital

We are Omega Creations. Vegan/Ital bakers and caterers in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What is Ital? Why is it Vital?

The word Ital comes from RastafarI terminology.
Ital or I-tal is food eaten by Rastafari. The word comes from the word vital, with the initial syllable replaced by i. This is done to many words in the Rastafari vocabulary to signify the unity of the speaker with all of nature.

Ital = Pure
Ital food is non-processed food that comes from the earth. Vegetarian (meaning vegan). No chicken, cow, cheese, or milks that is animal-derived etc. Salt is not considered Ital, thus we only find herbs and spices being used in Ital cooking. Also, no refined sugars.

"Early adherents adopted their dietary laws based on their interpretation of several books of the Bible such as Genesis ("Then God said, "I give you every Seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.", the Leviticus and Deuteronomy). Though there are different interpretations of ital regarding specific foods, the general principle is that food should be natural, or pure, and from the earth. Rastas therefore avoid food which is chemically modified or contains artificial additives (e.g., color, flavourings, and preservatives)... In strict interpretations, foods that have been produced using chemicals such as pesticides and fertiliser are not considered Ital.

Stricter interpretations also avoid food that has been preserved by canning or drying and even prohibit the use of metal cooking utensils, something that Ayurvedic diet followers also avoid. In this case, only clay and wood cooking pots, crockery, and cutlery are used."

Blessings.. I am excited to write Omega Creations first post. A new chapter in this small business adventure begins with the help of my two eldest children. It was too cold for me to get all 3 children out of the house today. That meant thinking of something interesting that we could do together. I had a batch of black eyed peas stew left over, and decided to make the dough for some vegan (and Ital*) patties. An hour later, the children and I rolled out dough, cut out circles, stuffed, folded, and sealed patties. When they came out of the oven twenty minutes later, we couldn't wait to dig into them. Delicious!! I can't wait to make them for next week's bake sale fundraiser!! I followed the recipe in Terry Bryant's Vegan Soul Kitchen for the delicious pastry. I think the filling can be made any which way and it will come out delicious! Can't wait to experiment some more..

*Ital: RastafarI food preparation method. Fresh food. No salt, vegan (many not all), non -processed food (so no tinned food, pre-packaged).