We love our stylish moms. Let us (thread) count the ways:

My mother, the irreverent sasspot, has always embraced fashion. Since our family was relatively modest in the ’90s, she made all of her own clothes, pairing them with Chanel stilettos earned working at the Canadian National Exhibition. At night, she partied in Old Navy tank tops and Prada sneakers, with a different hat on every time, whether it be a beefeater, feathered fedora or a cashmere helmet inspired by British law enforcement. Understandably, it’s hard to pin down what her style is like. I asked her and got a text back saying, “It’s so hard… how would you describe my style? I AM EVERY WOMAN.” Every woman indeed, whose wardrobe reflects her moods, from professional skirt suits to relaxed capris in an array of pastels. She’s unfussy, and doesn’t need a logo to validate her style; she considers it a private pleasure that her label reads Made in Italy. She’s not afraid to flaunt her bikini body in DVF tribal prints and the occasional unstructured neon pink blazer. Ultimately, she’s a confident, comfortable, and completely self-styled wunderkind, flying well under the radar of any trends but always in style. — Vidal Wu

When you have a fashion designer as a mother, there’s not much you can say about her style other than it’s perfect and of course, you would kill to own anything and everything in her closet. Her career takes her all over the world and everything from the Prada calf hair loafers she got in Italy to the burnt orange leather handbag she picked up in Istanbul tell a story as interesting as the pieces are fashionable. It’s inspiring that as much as she is a fashionista, she opts for pieces that remind her of such beautiful places and wonderful experiences. I love the way she allows vintage to meet modern in such a refined aesthetic that mirrors her own timeless essence. Her bold choices paired with sophisticated basics brings her straight from the office to dinner with friends or to Friday game night with the fam! – Jai Retter

My mom was the oldest child of three, valedictorian of her high school class and devoted volunteer in her small, farm town community. Other than the times when she used to sneak the odd cigarette under the bridge, she was a pretty I-follow-the-rules kinda’ gal. Her fashion choices were no different. Her matching pant suits and bold shoulder pads were all huge hits for this mama. Today, working in the big city and having her weekly Friday morning coffee with the girls, my mom’s style is “funky” as she would describe it which means lots of statement jewellery and embellished tops — (there must be something 3D about it or she won’t wear it) — in primarily earthy tones like brown and green, though she also loves (and looks great in) the reds, purples and blues. I would mention that she is also an avid gym go-er, but I don’t want to get started on those cycling shorts… Happy Mother’s Day Mom! – Erinn Stewart

My mom has a very clear, self-defined sense of style. She’s very dedicated to quality and entirely opposed to conspicuous logos. I’d liken her to Meryl Streep, if Meryl Streep actually dressed well. Starting out as a career women in the 1980s, my mom has always been a “nice-suit” kind of lady (favouring Giorgio Armani, who she maintains knows best how to cut for tall women), and is rarely without a pair of understated-yet-elegant Ferragamo pumps. Off days heavily feature artfully billowing Eskandar accessorized with scarves or chunky necklaces.  While my mom and I definitely have different styles (my appreciation of turquoise nail polish confounds her) I think we have similar fashion philosophies – we both strictly maintain that everything must fit us perfectly, be of a high-enough quality to look good for years, and of course be comfortable. You won’t catch a Matei lady cringing in her heels or yanking at her skirt. That’s just not how we roll. – Adrienne Matei

Growing up in the Richelieu Valley region, south of Montréal, Beth Pye was “one of the boys” and her early style reflected that greatly. Raised with two younger brothers, she divvied her time between such boyish pursuits as the Orienteering Club and field hockey team. Nonetheless, she has always been a guy’s girl, girl’s girl, and by her twenties, girl about town — the kind of girl who never believed that her guy friends secretly adored her, which, of course, they did. Her style, once menswear-inspired — (an oversized navy blazer here, a checkered oxford shirt there) — has evolved over the years to become more feminine, and certainly anytime we shop together now, I can rely on her to pluck at least one fuchsia item from the racks at any store. She’s the life of any party, and a notoriously filthy joke-teller, the punchlines spilling out unexpectedly from behind an ever pink pout, stained plum most days by her current standby, CoverGirl Outlast 551. She favours a seasonal motif Swarovski brooch on her F/W coats and spends most of her time chiding me that everything I wear is identical to some piece she once owned decades ago, (but naturally didn’t keep). Like her personality, she dresses with a wink in her eye, and it only gets sharper with years. – Kristen Pye

Walking in, you find yourself in a hip, chic restaurant with mood lighting, a bar, and urban décor. It is not until you are seated at your table that you notice the highlight feature of this spot – the large touch screens that act as your menu! The iPad-like devices provide you with all you need to know about your selections and allow you to customize your orders before sending your request off to your waiter. Unfortunately, Siri is not available to wait on you hand and foot, but that’s not to say that the friendly and courteous staff don’t do the trick. Be forewarned, you do need to deal with them in the flesh, so any FaceTime fantasies should be left at the door.

Now on to the most important part: the taste test. Does iBurger live up to its innovative name? I give it a wholehearted yes. Three of us took a trip there for dinner, all with different tastes and eating restrictions, and each was left with their palette amply satisfied. Our first gourmand ordered the spicy beef burger with a side order of ½ salad and ½ fries (a fantastic option for the indecisive at heart). The burger is garnished with all of the time-honored classics: pickles, red onions, lettuce, tomato and house sauce. After a few bites, it was overheard that it was the best burger she had eaten in Montreal as of yet. In fact, that was exactly what she said, verbatim – high praise. Next, the veggie burger with fries, which turned out to be a refreshing take for my Food Inc.-fanatic dining compatriot. This burger was made of a chickpea base and proved to be a delicious and hearty patty, something not often found in the veggie arena.

Finally, the real money shot, the Sushi burger that seemed too good to be true. Some sort of culinary hologram perhaps? If you are a diehard sushi fan, such as myself, you will find great delight, afternoon or evening, in this original creation. The “bun” is two rice cakes with a seaweed salad on top, and the “patty” is your lemon and wasabi tartare with mango and avocado. The burger was positively delicious and was complemented well by some extra avocado and a side salad.

Also of note was the round of Shirley Temples (however, with no quintessential cherry) and the prompt service. If I may be so bold, perhaps iBurger could mimic the small leap the iPhone 4S took from the 4 and incorporate some form of  on-screen entertainment for our dining pleasure. It doesn’t seem too much to ask when in Seoul you can already visit a “virtual store” and simply touch your way to your grocery bill (Skeptical? Check it out here).

Final verdict: iBurger is a great spot to try out for a fun, yummy meal, or impress any visiting friends and family, all while exercising your inner geek. Your burger and side will range from $14 up to $32 (the Gourmet), so it’s not a cheap bite, but rather some sophisticated fast food.

iBurger
1237 Rue Metcalfe
514 903 5799
www.iburger.net

Unibroue Don de Dieu: It’s cheap, it’s strong, it’s delicious. It’s easy to forget that just because something is widespread and inexpensive, doesn’t mean it can’t still be a truly marvelous beer. Unibroue highlights Quebec’s role as a major player in establishing the market for Belgian-style beers in North America, and Don de Dieu is a wonderful emblem of a centuries-old tradition. It’s an example of something called a tripel, high-alcohol Belgian beer with a spicy, bread-like character that results from specialty yeast strains and tends towards a little dry crispness at the end. The addition of wheat makes this beer unique – most beers are fermented from barley malt, but wheat lends a few unique qualities like greater head retention and some special flavors. Unibroue’s other products are just as special – I’m sure you’ve all tried La Fin du Monde at some point – but it, along with Maudite and Trois Pistoles, are actually really terrific beers, despite the low price tag. Belgian beers pair particularly well with a wide variety of food, so if you’re looking for something to drink with a nice meal, Don de Dieu’s a good fallback option.

How something so sweet can be used in a bitterness analogy is beyond me.

 L’Alchimiste India Pale Ale (IPA): This one might be an acquired taste for casual beer drinkers. India pale ales are defined by their really intense hop  flavor – that’s the bitter, citrus, piney flavor that most good beers have in at least some measure. If your go-to brew is Bud Light or Molson Canadian or Moosehead or some equivalent motor oil, this will probably throw you for a loop, but give it a chance to grow on you. It’s spicy, sharp, eminently drinkable, and bitterer than a dieter who lives above a Krispy Kreme store. It’s a tiny bit pricier than Boreale, but well worth the money – you’d be hard-pressed to find a beer this style and of this caliber for less. IPAs are especially good if you plan on eating fatty or rich foods – l’Alchimiste’s version is highly carbonated (typical of an IPA) and this cuts through the thick, coated feeling that cheeseburgers and the like usually leave in your mouth.

Boreale Noire/Blanche: Here’s the part where you all see “Boreale” and probably lose trust in me completely, but hear me out. I know they’re the same company responsible for that tepid horse piss we had to choke down during Frosh, but two of their products, Boreale Noire and Boreale Blanche, both deserve a little bit of credit (if only for being iconoclasts). The Noire is an example of a dry stout, a style more commonly associated with Guinness, but Boreale’s offering displays a much denser body and stronger coffee and chocolate flavors. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea (beer?) but if you’re a fan of darker beers, give this one a shot despite its label. The Blanche is worth a try in warmer weather – it’s a take on a Belgian style called witbier that’s defined by a hazy appearance and strong flavors of orange peel and coriander, but Boreale’s iteration showcases a really unique spicy profile. Beware, though – coriander tastes like soap to a lot of people, and if you’re one of them, you’d need to be a special kind of weird to enjoy this beer (although most brewers use the seeds rather than the leaves, so you’re probably safe).

There were more results for this than for "semi-clothed drag queens".

Les Brasseurs RJ Brune D’Achouffe: Brune d’Achouffe is actually a Belgian product, but it’s brewed under license here by Les Brasseurs RJ (a brewery perhaps best known as the makers of Belle Geule, a beer you should count yourself lucky if you’ve never tried.) This one’s another Belgian-style beer, so it has the same spicy character as a lot of Unibroue products. The miraculous thing is that the taste is so balanced that you barely notice the 8.5% alcohol level, until you wake up in a stranger’s bed next to three semi-clothed drag queens and a chihuaha wearing a raincoat (we’ve all had those mornings). Seriously though, you fiscally savvy drunks will love this – it’s $10 for a six pack at Provigo and each bottle has nearly twice as much alcohol as a can of PBR. Plus, as an added bonus, it won’t make you want to vomit until your innards become outtards. For those of you who have tried Leffe before, consider this a step up – it’s cheaper, stronger, and tastier.

Les Trois Mousquetaires Maibock: Les Trois Mousquetaires is one of Quebec’s best craft breweries, located in Brossard. Their beers are available at just about any grocery store in 750ml bottles, marketed as the Serie Signature and Grande Cuvee lines. The maibock is a tasty offering that’ll also serve the noble purpose of getting you buzzed quickly, as it clocks in at 8% alcohol by volume. It’s got a pleasant, malty-sweet, bready taste and just the right amount of carbonation, and it’s cheaper than a lot of other examples of the style, which are relatively uncommon in any case. Because maibocks are lagers, meaning they’re fermented using special yeasts and conditioned cold, this beer should be served chilled. Also look for other Trois Mousquetaires products – their syrupy sweet Baltic porter is an award-winner, and for those who value bitterness, you can’t beat the sticke alt. They’re more costly than the other recommendations here, but well worth the minor splurge.

I said it earlier (and, as any good journalist does, I’m repeating myself now using different words): there’s no need to punish your taste buds for your poor spending habits. The next time you stop by a grocery store, take a closer look – what you find might please your mouth as much as it does your bank account.

HBO is the best cable network ever. You could easily make a solid argument for E! as the runner-up, only because when you really want to be reminded of what true love is all about, you just need to turn to Ice Loves Coco (…obviously), but HBO takes the cake.

On top of that, Judd Apatow is the greatest thing to happen to comedy in a while. Again, you could argue for Kristen Wiig here, which needs no defending, but Judd Apatow is the genius behind Anchorman, The 40-Year Old Virgin, making Katherine Heigl seem somewhat likeable in Knocked Up, and Jonah Hill’s weight loss. And as an added bonus, he’s married to super-MILF Leslie Mann.

With those two heavy-hitters in our arsenal, it seems like HBO’s new comedy, Girls, produced by Apatow, is a sure-fire hit. Written/directed by/starring Sundance sensation Lena Dunham, the show revolves around the life of aspiring writer Hannah, as she blindly navigates her way through the real world. Dunham first gained attention in 2010 with the release of her semi-autobiographical mumblecore film, Tiny Furniture, on which Girls is sorta based. Tiny Furniture is, as well, about a recent liberal arts university grad with the post-collegiate blues.

Isn’t it, like, totally unfair when you’re living in New York City and have this really hip internship and then your parents just cut you off, like, out of nowhere? I mean, come on, you’re going to be a writer, you can’t be burdened with financial nonsense like rent and food and whatever. The economy is, like, crazy right now. Right? You know what I’m talking about?

What am I doing with my life? Dunham’s attempts answer this question in various mumbled prophesies and a string of uneventful episodes. Basically, Girls is following the same vein of formulaic indie fare. Fresh? Maybe not, but Dunham’s witty writing mixed with the semi-improvisational Apatow aesthetic and the prerequisite vulgarities and nudity necessary for any HBO show make Girls worth watching – if, you know, you’re into that sort of thing. Nevertheless, the internet has taken storm against the four white girls that front the cast, wondering why they’re all, well, white.

But is it really a big deal? Some would argue that it isn’t. Television doesn’t always need to be a mirror of society, or an accurate portrayal of everyday life. The entire first episode revolves around the main character getting cut off by her parents, lying down naked in the shower whilst gorging on a cupcake, tripping on opium and unsuccessfully trying her luck at anal. If that’s the image you’re seeing in the mirror every morning, it might be time to change your game plan.

On top of that, this show is fresh out of its starting gates. For all we know, one of these girls is adopted-black like Nicole Richie. Or maybe one of them comes into a relationship with a powerful, dark chocolate Wall Street mogul. Perhaps the lead character adopts an African-American baby and starts an ultra-chic, single-parent family. We’re spit balling here, but the point is: we’re literally THREE episodes into a brand new show that could be headed down innumerable black, gay, or native American paths, one that is by no means holding white people, women, or the writing profession for that matter, up on any kind of pedestal.

Watching from the opposite perspective, however, Girls can begin to feel a bit alienating, as though Dunham were making this show for herself and her Lower East Side pals (or, you know, whichever New York neighbourhood is currently undergoing gentrification and isn’t yet “cool” in a totally “uncool” way).

Essentially, Girls is Sex and the City, just less glamour, more opium. And, like Sex and the City, Girls is televisual crack. Girls supplies young female university students with some semblance of hope. Sure, the whole show is premised on the notion that Hannah is “failing” – but really, she isn’t. She’s living the dream (kinda): a New York address, hip friends, and talent to boot. For now, we’ll live vicariously through her. In a few years, we’ll be her.

While not groundbreaking and perhaps a little racist, Girls is, at its core, a story about finding oneself. The girls of Girls are lost souls like the rest of us – just a little cooler. Even if you aren’t a middle-class white urban chick, the show’s central theme of self-discovery is difficult to not relate to. These girls share our hopes and our anxieties, and we can navigate this scary transitional period in our lives alongside them. And, you know, they also talk about sex a lot. Can’t we just leave it at that?

Perhaps you have spent a large part of your life in transit. Not public transit, mind you, but in moving vans and vagrant states of mind. You grew up glancing out the back window of a mini-van, hopelessly imprisoned by your family, driving away from the old house, knowing that you will soon forget the addresses, the zip codes, and the hiding spots. Knowing that it no longer belongs to you.

Each time you move to a new place the square footage of your windows seems to dwindle. The street noise gets a little bit louder, and you learn how to sleep with earplugs in. If the fire alarm goes off, it’s not as if you’ll be able to get out of that fire-hazard of a narrow basement anyways, so why bother leaving your ears open to the sounds of drunk college students stumbling home? Occasionally you wonder what it would be like to exist as one of those sitcom-friendly folk who live, die, fuck, and fight in the same town for their entire lives. Why do television shows always revolve around apartments? Pleasantville, U.S.A.: Population, you.

For some godforsaken reason you will probably even miss the bouncing of soccer balls above your head that occasionally lulled you to sleep, smiling wryly as you remember the countless times you passive aggressively threw things at the ceiling, SOS-ing your upstairs European neighbours with the message that you mean to someday poison them. This memory will come with uncontrollable laughter and it will come to you at the most inappropriate of times: a funeral, perhaps, where things are really gone for good.

You clean the caked-on pasta sauce off of the stovetop and realize that this is where you learned to cook poorly marinated meat for the first time. You will never cook here again.

You sort of hate your old apartment, but it was your first apartment, and you can’t shake the feeling as you walk out of the door that you’re forgetting something. A little part of you is always left behind in your old place, lodged between the cracks of exposed brick walls, balancing precariously on the deck, balcony, or fire escape, depending on how much your rent costs.

Your pack-rat self is never satisfied with the cleanup effort. You would feel much better about your new place, you think, if you could bring along your empty liquor bottles. You never understood why college students treated them like trophies, until you threw them out one day in a manic, caffeine-fueled bout of cleaning/procrastination. Now they’re gone for good too.

The relics you require to make yourself at home are hopelessly bizarre.

Those empty boxes that once took up annoyingly large amounts of space are now full to the brim with little snippets of your life. All of your worldly belongings packed into over-sized Tupperware and borrowed brown boxes. The thought stings a little bit, like the first time you ever chopped onions. Like every time you have ever cut onions. The worst part is when you have nothing left to move: you stare at your empty place, discovering no signs of you having ever lived there.

And of course, on the night before moving day, you can’t sleep because thoughts like these soak your over-anxious brain, attacking you with waves of nostalgia and several mixed metaphors that you can’t untangle, like the extension cord in the living room that seems to belong there, even though it’s as easily transportable as anything else.

And in the end, you move into your new place, completely forgetting that you ever lived anywhere else, until you walk past your old apartment on a rainy summer night and start to wonder when you’ll have to start this process over again. You wish you didn’t have to move so often. Is it so hard to stay in one place?

Sometimes, you wish your life were rent-controlled.

This trend is a refreshing take on classic work wear that can be spun off into eveningwear with maximized confidence and minimal adornment. Tasteful heels, clean, understated jewelry, a chignon bun, and barely there makeup will ensure the look remains refined and sophisticated when it can so easily look chaotic and slouchy when improperly attempted. The separates are so bold and uninhibited that a low-maintenance look brings out the muted tones of the prints to help undermine the otherwise loud statement.

While many will pass this look off for too confusing, too hard to pull off, or just too ‘not me,’ the lean, silk dress pants are too becoming to pass up! Try them with a clean-cut oxford for work or something sheer and whispery for a night out and you will find the happy balance between success and sexy without looking too severe. Pair your look with a constructed dress jacket or blazer to keep your sleepwear-inspired silhouette more provocative than pajama and then be prepared to work your 9-5 and then some.

The explosiveness of this trend on the runway has had difficulty transitioning into street wear and while the inventiveness of it should be appreciated stylistically, it may just be too intrepid to truly trend for the faint of heart. However, while reception may be low on the streets, the red carpet has been witness to stars including Rihanna, Florence Welch, and Sofia Coppola respectively sporting Emilio Pucci, Stella McCartney, and Louis Vuitton reinterpretations of the classic tailored suit.

Perhaps the celebrity appeal lies in the evocation of the subtly sexy glamour of the 1930s, when women’s evening wear was often comprised of silken, wide-leg pants or a deep v-neck satin dress, both equally suggestive of after hours fun in the bedroom. While each new season seems to be building off of the conspicuous sex appeal of the 2010 lingerie trend, this reinvention shows an ingenuity previously hidden behind the more brazenly sexy statement of slipdresses and bustier tops. Unlike the blatancy of the past “underwear as outerwear” trends , S/S 2012 relies on the inspiration of men’s pajamas, so although that same intimacy lingers, it’s based on a more conservative and therefore wearable design concept.

As much as it would be an absolute luxury to slip in and out of pajamas, a la Hugh Hefner (but obviously less icky), pulling off PJ dressing while avoiding looking like a sleepwalker may take more time and effort than your standard getup. It’s definitely a bold and edgy trend, but executed correctly it can be quite chic, falling somewhere between mussy nonchalance and Naomi Campbell-esque refusal to get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day. Of course, when indulging in PJ style, you may have to fight the temptation to just stay home and roll around in your Egyptian cotton sheets, but as appealing as that sounds, remember that you can certainly wear this trend for an elegant evening out. Trust us, you’ll look like a dream come true.

I realize that exams are coming and that means you will likely resort to eating disgusting campus “food” for the next few weeks. Please, humor me and eat at least one Mother approved breakfast to ensure that you do not come down with scurvy before the summer starts.

Since you will likely be spending all your time researching obscure manuscripts from towns that don’t exist or trying to understand The World of Chem when you realize that you are not even in that class: I have compiled four recipes (two of which are actually from my mother, so you know it’s legitimate) that transform one of my breakfast staples: oatmeal!

I realize that I said these were breakfast recipes, but I hope you can forgive me for including one dessert and a snack. We all need a little pick me up once in a while. I figure you can either eat one of the cookies and keep you on track, or eat shawarma and pay a visit to Frost Bite in the near future, and not because it is a Tuesday.

One more thing before I send you off into a successful exam season:If you are reading this and you are allergic to nuts you should know that these recipes are not really nut friendly (they include peanuts – I know, they are legumes, but whatever). If you are willing to be creative, you could always omit the nuts… find some kind of nut-butter substitute… I’m sorry.

Everything Cups

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
¼ cup chopped almonds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 tbsp flax seeds (optional)
1 cup puffed cereal
1/3 cup dried cranberries
¼ cup peanut butter (or almond butter)
1 tbsp sugar
½ cup honey

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Place oats, almonds, sun flower seeds and flax seeds on foil lined cookie tray and bake for 10 minutes, tossing halfway through.

2. Heat the peanut butter, sugar, and honey for about 3 minutes in a small saucepan on medium heat.

3. When the oat mixture is finished combine it, the cranberries, and the puffed cereal with the peanut/honey mixture.

4. Line your cupcake tin with liners. Fill tin with mixture and press down with back of spoon to make cup (I found this rather challenging so I decided to use my thumbs to create a dent).

5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove from muffin tin. You can eat them alone like granola bars (but they are in cup form [and homemade] so obviously better), topped with yogurt and fruit, or filled with jam. Mange!

For original recipe, click here.

My Mother’s Amazing Cookies

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups unbleached flour
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped pecans (we have also used walnuts or almonds – nutty)
1 cup dried chopped cranberries (original calls for cherries but I prefer cranberries)
¾ cup milk chocolate chips (or just pour the entire bag in – that’s cool too)
¾ cup unsalted butter softened but cool
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  In a second bowl, stir together oats, pecans, cranberries, and chocolate chips

3. Beat butter and sugar until smooth.  Add egg and vanilla and blend.  Add flour mixture until just blended.  Add oat/ nut mixture until blended.

4. Place 1 tbsp of batter on baking sheet, and bake for approximately 14 minutes.

N.B. You can essentially design this cookie yourself. As long as you choose approximately 2 ¾ cups of fillings, the consistency will stay the same. Try it with sunflower seeds, flax seeds, peanuts, raisins – the possibilities are as limitless as your cupboard.

Banana Boatmeal
I halved the recipe when I made it at home (since there is only one of me and I already have 12 oatmeal cups waiting to be eaten) but I am giving you the original portions. Lets face the sad truth: we need family size meals during exams.

Ingredients:
1½ cups rolled oats
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 large egg
1 1/3 cup milk – divided in half
1 tbsp melted unsalted butter (if you use salted, omit the salt – come d’hab)
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 banana

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 350F and prepare an 8-inch round pie dish.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. In a separate smaller bowl, combine all the wet ingredients (only one half of the milk). Pour the wet into the dry and stir until they are silky smooth – or as smooth as oatmeal can get. Slice the banana and arrange them over the top (oh my goodness, it is baking as I write this and it smells heavenly!) (also, having just eaten it, I would cover it completely because the bites with the banana are AWESOME).

3. Bake until slightly set and browned, about 18-20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2/3 cup milk in a small saucepan or with a vigilant eye in the microwave until it is warm. Once the oatmeal is out of the oven, pour it over top and let it soak in. Top with anything else you desire and eat!

For original recipe, click here.

(Hide these if you are in the) Library Snack/ Gayle’s Giver Granola
My mom was given this recipe by a mountain warrior… actually though. Gayle was 65 and was a master of Whistler, BC. From the chairlift, she honestly looked to be about 30. So if these can power her skiing endeavors, hopefully they can power your library all-nighters.

They are also extremely decadent.

Ingredients:
5 cups quick oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup softened unsalted butter
1 can of low fat condensed milk

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Dump all of the ingredients into a large bowl and combine, however it is you choose to do that!

2. Cover a 9×12 inch pan with parchment paper, if you have it. If not, no worries.

3. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before trying to cut them otherwise they crumble. And try not to eat them all in one sitting.

I know eating healthy during exams is hard, because, let’s face it, you either:

a) just failed your first exam at McGill (welcome to the club, babe!) and need to order Alto’s to soothe your tortured soul
b) have like 8 more exams to go so you order Alto’s because cooking would cut into precious McClennan time, or
c) you’ve finished exams, can’t be bothered to cook, and just want to get drink at OAP. And order Alto’s.

As strange as it may seem, there are alternatives to ordering in food during exams. Below, I’ve listed some awesome, easy, and digestible suggestions so you can get in all the right nutrients. Of course, in case you are desperate and need to order in, lest cooking time cut into indispensable cramming time, I recommend: Spicy Noodles, Ocean Sushi, Comptoir 21, or Il Focolaio. Or… Alto’s.

Scenario 1: 9AM exam

Situation: You probably were up until 2AM and then decided that getting up at 6AM for those last few hours of cramming was going to be helpful. You plan to go straight to your exam without eating, and then come home after and pass out. NO. Do you hear me? No. You will eat before your exam. I don’t care how pressed for time you are, because if I have to hear your tummy grumble as you sit beside me in the overheated gym, I’ll probably beat you with the stupid fold-y chair they expect me to sit on for three hours.

Food: At the very least, stick a slice of bread in the toaster and slap some peanut butter on it for some carbs + protein. Bonus points if you slice up a banana and pop it on top. Super bonus points if you also manage to eat a yogurt, which is key for healthy digestion. Also, take a snack with you to your exam! Three hours is a loooong ass time if you’re hungry. Stick a granola bar in with your 4 different pens (which you need in case, you know, the other three die). Tuck a peach or plum next to your scientific calculator. And please don’t bring food that makes it’s own soundtrack: no apples, carrots, or chips.

Scenario 2: Finished the 9AM, off to the 2PM exam

Situation: I get it. You’re tired. The world is cruel and unusual and you’re hoping desperately to delete all the information you shoved into your head for the morning exam and completely override it with new info. Writing for three hours is draining, but unfortunately for you, you’ve got a two hour “break” before it’s round two, so suck it up and chow down.

Food: I know you want to cram, but try to make a sandwich, or at the very least, stop at Subway , El Mundo or Java U! There’s a reason why your mama used to pack them for you when you were a kid – sandwiches have everything you need to survive the day. Try for one made of whole wheat bread with chicken and a whole slew of veggies. A sandwich can fill you up without the bloating of greasy food, and can probably last you the exam’s full three hours. Don’t forget a piece of fruit! The natural sugar will give you a boost of energy. Then quickly gulp down your coffee, and head to the shittiness that is Arts West 120.

Scenario 3: Finished first round of exams, few days til second round

Situation: You’re probs stuck at the library for hours on end. You come home at the end of the day and you just want to order some good greasy food to fill that hole inside you that only the library can create. Don’t give in, you’ll only regret the tummy ache you have the next morning when you’re fighting bitches for a spot in Birks.

Food: Before exams get started, sauté up some chicken or beef and freeze in individual portion sizes. Before you leave for the libs in the morning, take a portion out and put it in the fridge. When you get home, saute up some veggies from one of those frozen mixes, then stir in the meat. Make some rice/quinoa/pasta and voila! You have a delicious, nutritious and relatively easy meal.

Exams are the worst, I know. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you I’m the epitome of gastronomic healthfulness during this crazy time, but when you make an effort to do it right, you really do feel better about yourself, have more energy and suffer less digestive issues than one gets when grease is involved.

Hang in there, Reader, I believe in you. OAP is just around the corner, but until then, do your body a favour and eat well.

Can you explain what cinematic pop means to you?
The Modern Electric: Cinematic pop is the music that grabs you emotionally during a powerful scene in a film as well as the music that soundtracks the special moments in your own life. These significant moments, or “cinematic moments,” can be something like when you had your first kiss or when you took your first car out for a spin the day you got your license. There’s a good chance there was music playing on that car ride. If you ever hear a certain song and it takes you right back to a moment like that, then it’s cinematic.

How did you start making music, and how did it evolve into cinematic pop?
TME: We started making music back in middle school. It was instrumental because I was too afraid to sing for the longest time. We would play a conglomerate of soul: mostly blues and funk. We were listening to things like Led Zeppelin, Robert Johnson, and Motown, so it seemed to reflect in our stuff.

Then in high school I was introduced to “indie” music (however you want to define that). I saw Garden State and fell in love with the soundtrack. The Shins had done that magical thing that we are now striving for. Whenever I heard “New Slang” or “Caring is Creepy,” I was taken back to the film. It happened again with the Donnie Darko soundtrack and The Graduate soundtrack.

While this was all going on, I developed a huge crush on a girl and wanted to impress her. Playing sweet blues licks for her on stage was one thing, but writing a song that had words and a message to her was another. So I started singing (even though I was scared to death). The songs I started writing were saturated in emotion and heart — just like the ones that had accompanied the films I loved so much.

After a while, the band and I got into a rhythm of watching an amazing film and rushing over to our instruments to start writing as soon as it finished. A beautiful piece of artwork, like Annie Hall or Pretty in Pink, leaves you with a feeling in your gut. We try to translate those powerful feelings with our own art form.

Everytime I’ve seen you perform, the bass player has a black eye, so I can only assume that he’s in some sort of gang or it’s fake. What’s the story?
TME: The Black Eye is a physical manifestation of a personal feeling. It’s kinda like a stigmata, without the divine intervention part. It’s more of an accumulation of heartache, hard work, and waiting– all of which take the form of the Black Eye.

I was kind of surprised at the label cinematic pop because pop seems to have taken on has a negative connotation. How does the whole indie vibe translate into “pop?”
TME: We were always aware of the stigma with pop– people think of Ke$ha and Bieber. To me pop is something that is catchy and relatable. So if you think about it, some of the all time greats could easily fit into this category: The Beatles, The Kinks, The Shins, Feist. What we aim to do is restore faith in pop music.

Adele is doing that right now. She is writing and performing honest music that actually has substance and beauty. The main reason for this is that good hooks and honest performances are univeral musical traits. The time is right. People are hungry for it. Just look at how many consecutive months Adele has had the number 1 record. It’s universal. The world is drowning in Katy Perry and Beyoncé and want something honest again.

The Modern Electric can fulfill that role. We see teenagers and college-age kids coming to our shows, but they tell us how their mom’s know every word as well. There’s truth in the music and we’re on a mission to spread that truth.

Where do you see Modern Electric going in the future?
TME: We are currently finishing up the writing process for our next record. Our songs usually go in one of two directions. They are either dark and orchestral like “As Sharp As Knives“ or “Ghost” or warm and melodic like “Mistakes” or “Where I Belong.”

On this next record we start to introduce a new feeling into the mix: soul. “Slow-Motion Jeans” is the best example of this. It has a deep, primal groove worthy of a blessing from Al Green. That isn’t to say we lose the sounds established on our self-titled.

Basically, in the future I see us making a slow shift into cinematic soul. It’ll depend on what kind of movies we watch and what kind of things I need to communicate to the people I love.

Our greatest hope is that we can make music that people can make memories to. The Modern Electric want to be there at the backyard bonfire that you meet your high-school sweetheart at. We want to be there when you head out on that life-changing summer road trip. We want to be the friend that helps you through a rough breakup.

For more info as well as where you can find them online, check out: http://www.themodernelectric.com/