Jennifer Whiteford

Who am I?

I am a thirty-something city dweller living with my boyfriend, three dogs, and two cats in a falling-apart 100 year old house in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. As my day job, I work as a daycare inspector, and in my spare time I write, garden, listen to records, sew, cook and read.

In 2006 my first novel, Grrrl, was published by Gorsky Press. I'm working on a second novel now, as well as doing lots of blog writing and some music reviews for Razorcake Magazine.

My blog is called It Ain't Meat, Babe and it chronicles my adventures in vegan home cooking. I focus mainly on simple foods made from scratch with wholesome ingredients. I try to cook using local ingredients as much as possible, and look to my garden as a source of both food and inspiration.

Gardening in relatively new to me, and it has quickly become a big passion of mine. My next step is to set up a small beehive in the garden, something that I plan to tackle next summer.

During the winter months I spend a lot of time in my sewing room, working on quilts and other crafty projects sewn from recycled fabric. I usually give handmade, practical gifts, because I believe that the things we own should be minimal and meaningful.

Every Tuesday night I volunteer as a meal server at a women's shelter. I'd like to do more volunteering in the future, but the trick is to fit it into my schedule.

That's me!

J.

Oh, P.S.

My favourite writers are Jane Austen, Sarah Vowell, Paul Auster, Aaron Cometbus and Richard Brautigan.

My favourite bands are The Unlovables, The Clash, The Measure [SA], Camera Obscura and Holly Golightly.

My favourite TV shows are The Big Bang Theory, The Wire, The Golden Girls, The Daily Show and Battlestar Galactica.