A random list of 10 things that make me smile, just because.
Lately, I have been inspired to cook more. I’ve never been that great at it (I usually just end up making a mess, my timing is off, I’m not very creative when it comes to food) but my recent experiences have encouraged me to be more adventurous in the kitchen. By changing my diet I am paying more attention to ingredients – and the possibilities are endless!
After reading My Life in France (Julia Child’s autobiography) and watching the movie Julie and Julia, I realized you don’t have to be an expert at cooking to enjoy it. When Julia Child moved to France in 1948 she spoke no French and knew nothing about the country but dove into French culture by buying food at local markets and taking classes. She is now known for her various cookbooks, her television cooking show and for sharing her passion for food with audiences for half a century. So inspiring.
I’m not diving into any culture in particular (although I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to be cooking in France!) but with a few clicks there countless recipes available online at my disposal. Daily tweets even suggest new recipes to try. Most of all my new-found inspiration is encouraging me to try new things, learn about my surroundings and take the time to appreciate it all.
I can confidently say that I will never be an extraordinary chef, but at least I can say I gave it a good shot! And in the meantime I get to enjoy some pretty delicious foods. Bon appetite.
lots and lots of roasted veggies for my lasagna
Some recipes I have tried to far: roasted vegetable vegan lasagna (my own concoction), vegan cranberry orange muffins, organic tomato, kale and lentil soup (a modified version of a bff`s recipe), eggplant chips
New on tonight’s menu: curry style sweet potato fries. Yum.
I didn’t really make a new years resolution, but I do feel like so far 2010 has brought about a lot of change. I have been doing a lot of reading and learning and as a result, trying new things. Part of this is eating healthier – trying out the vegan thing, buying more organic, tackling recipes, reading the ingredients. It’s really about being aware of what I’m putting in my body. On top of that I am trying out some new products – skin care, hair care, cleaners, candles – being aware of what I’m putting on/around my body. With all this also comes an updated routine – more yoga, more cardio, more reading, more writing, more cooking. After a few weeks at it I am finding myself to be in the swing of things.
Yoga has become a regular part of my routine. My room now doubles as my yoga space.
All of these changes (for me) are about achieving balance in my life. While I am on my way there (and enjoying every minute) I also realize this will be an on going challenge. I guess that what makes life such an interesting journey.
To me, being balanced means being happy and living in the moment. I feel lucky to be surrounded by family and friends, to have experienced practices like osteopathy and yoga, to have the capacity to read and learn – it is all of these things from which I receive inspiration every day, and its this inspiration that leads me to balance!
I hope that all your inspirations lead you to balance – whatever balance may mean to you. And in the meantime, enjoy the journey!
Here are a few books I found pretty inspiring…
Skinny Bitch
You are here
My Life in France
Eat, Pray, Love
Today is the first day of winter! Just in time for the holidays and it couldn’t have come fast enough. I know a lot of people complain about the snow, but I happen to love it. In fact, I love winter – It is definitely my favourite season. I think if you take the time to think about all the amazing things about it, you might start to agree….so here are the top 10 reasons why winter is my hands-down, all-time favourite season:
1. The absolutely gorgeous glow that the snow gives off late at night. Nothing beats it.
2. Breaking out the knit slippers and afghans (courtesy of Nana).
3. I totally associate it with Christmas, an amazing time of year in itself.
4. Pretty snowfalls – absolutely breathtaking.
5. The Thorold arena. I’ve spent a lot of time there watching a lot of great hockey. So nice to watch the people you love doing something they love.
6. Being snowed in. Now that we live on a circle we are always one of the last streets to get plowed. All the more reason to stay in my PJs.
7. The accessories. Who said you can’t look good bundled up? Scarves, hats, gloves, boots and my favourite red coat.
8. Evergreens. They never lose their leaves or colour and are especially beautiful dusted in snow.
9. Homemade ice rinks. My dad used to made a rink in the backyard. We thought we were professional figure skaters/hockey players. Yikes.
10. Niagara-on-the-Lake. The cutest place to visit in the winter.
Now all we need is some snow in Niagara…bring it on!
My friends and I have always been MJ fans, but this year (after his shocking death) we’ve been particularly taken by him. His music became the soundtrack for our summer trip to the cottage, many nights out, and almost every car ride (short or long). A lot of basement dance parties took place, and the moves to Thriller were learned. We even made it to the opening night of “This Is It.” It was only natural to carry on at Halloween.
What inspired our MJ Halloween most was plans for a Thriller flash mob. (Flash mob? you ask. It’s a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual action for a brief time, then quickly disperse.) There are a ton of videos featuring groups of people dancing to MJ hits. In fact, there is an entire website dedicated to teaching people the moves to Thriller – Thrill the World, the annual worldwide simultaneous dance of Thriller. Once again, online communications brings a sense of community and comfort to millions of people…in this case, MJ fans everywhere! A Thrill the World event actually happened here in St. Catharines the week before Halloween.
Although our particular event ended up being cancelled, we still ran with the idea…Amanda as “Thriller” MJ, Laura as “Smooth Criminal” MJ, Steph as classic MJ and myself as “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” (yes, disco) MJ. Decked out in our costumes, we danced the night away in true MJ style and had such a fun night.
If I think back to my childhood I remember a lot of good times being silly at home dancing around to MJ. This might be one of the reasons why “Off the Wall” is my favourite album. I was reminded of this a few years ago after taking a cruise with longtime friends of the family. Getting down to “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” seemed all too familiar!
So, the world comes together over something so important and shocking, both online and offline. With tribute after tribute in the public eye and among my closest friends, there is no question that Michael Jackson is an amazing performer…and he always will be. Just like Halloween 2009 will be one to always remember!
