Monthly Archives: March 2013

contemplating a ‘work-life balance’… from Freeport, Bahamas

26 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by in explore

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Freeport, Bahamas6I arrived in Freeport, Bahamas last Saturday night. After ten months of working full time (including 3 hours of commuting into the city each week day) and nearing the end of a cold, long, dark winter, it was definitely time for a much-needed break! Not to mention the extreme snow storm we experienced in the Edmonton area last Thursday, which resulted in a 100-car pile up on my route into the city and 300 people being rushed to the hospital. Luckily, I had driven in hours before the accident had occurred, however, the highway was closed for most of the day. It took me three and a half hours just to get home that evening, only to get stuck in my own driveway and then spending the next hour plowing myself out. You can imagine how much easier I was able to drive the distance and then plow the endless heavy snow with a contented smile on my face… Not only because I knew that it was the end of March and spring thaw was just around the corner… but because in just another day I was boarding a plane and heading to a tropical paradise.

Freeport, Bahamas8Freeport has been a gift of warmth, humidity, intermittent sunshine (we’ve had some cloud), fresh seafood and a completely laid back attitude to life. I spent my first day here like most travelers, just reminding myself to RELAX and not OVER-PLAN, to STOP BEING IN SUCH A HURRY TO GET SOMEWHERE and to surrender and go completely with the flow. I deliberately did not pre-book any tours for this reason. The purpose of this trip was to rest, relax, play, explore, swim, walk, read, write, and generally take stock of my life- something I naturally do on most vacations.

Freeport, Bahamas1Another personal reason for traveling is to experience an entirely new place and to appreciate a different way of being in the world. I love how small, yet interconnected I feel, especially when the local culture is different from my own. I love how much I can learn just by keeping myself open and watchful to the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures around me.

Freeport, Bahamas4It’s been a lovely time so far, here in Freeport, Bahamas. While enjoying the local culture and natural surroundings, I have plenty of time to contemplate and reflect on this previous year while making plans for the coming year ahead. One of these plans includes taking a leave from work at the end of June and then segueing into a consultant position where I can write from home full time. This is very exciting for me as this has been my main goal in life since I was in grade three- to be a successful full time writer (‘successful’ in the sense that it makes a living). It has only been in the last few years that I have finally had the courage to start making it happen (or perhaps it simply was just the right time to act on it), which is how I found myself at the cabin.

Freeport, Bahamas5And so I express gratitude… for dreams coming true… for jobs that teach and push one purposefully onward… for vacations and the helpful distance away from home to gently examine one’s life from a new and different vantage point… for time away to rest and recharge… for salty sea air and new discoveries… for quiet balconies and delicious privacy… and for the kindness and affection of locals who remind me daily that we are all related.

Freeport, Bahamas7

a sweet little spring card

18 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by in appreciate the seasons, handmade, make it

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spring card1

I had a few personal items to send and wanted to make a simple card to tuck into the letters. Erin stopped by last weekend and as usual, while our minds were engaged with catching up on each other’s lives, our hands were busy crafting. Unfortunately, Erin had to leave in a hurry -finishing her project just in time, and I did not get a final shot of the sweet little barnyard card that she had made! So sadly, it isn’t included in this post.

My card, as usual, was super simple. I really love bees and spring makes me think of the earliest wildflowers and the busy bees that play such a vital role in pollenating them. With all of the time I spend outdoors all spring, summer and fall, I always seem to be within a few feet of a bee or two; their industrious buzzing adding to the vibrant soundscape of gentle wind, playful squirrels and birdsong. All of the stamps and paper I used for this project are from Stampin’ Up.

sunflower stamp

I started with the yellow card, and stamped it with this huge sunflower stamp using an ink that was just slightly darker than the card for a ‘barely there’ effect.

Next, I stamped small squares of white paper (I just eye-balled the size) with Stampin’ Up’s huge French Script stamp in a pale green dye ink. Then stamped the bee over this in black pigment ink. I embossed this with black embossing powder to make it shiny and stand out. Then I backed the white square with green card stock to provide a border and adhered this to the card using thick mounting tape.

spring card

This is just a simple project, but it gives me pleasure to send a little handmade thoughtful card along to friends and family whenever I can. Sharing this project with you reminds me that spring (and bees… and flowers!) are just around the corner…
spring card2

when life hands you lemons… make a lemon buttermilk cake

10 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by in ancient grains, cook

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lemons

Yet another great recipe adapted from Heidi Swanson’s super natural every day cookbook. This is a nice simple cake to go with coffee or tea or when you just need a bite of lemony sweetness. Despite using regular-milled spelt flour (as opposed to whole wheat pastry flour) I found this cake to be very light and spongy.

lemon buttermilk cake

 

Lemon Buttermilk Cake

2 ½  cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used spelt flour)

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ cup natural cane sugar

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 large eggs

1 ½ cups buttermilk

¼ cup butter, melted

grated zest of 2 lemons

5 dates, pitted and coarsely chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F). Butter an 11-inch round tart/quiche pan or a square baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. In a mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, buttermilk, butter and lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients and the dates and mix until just combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Resource:

Swanson, H. (2011). super natural every day. New York, NY: Ten Speed Press.

kale salad

09 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by in ancient grains, cook

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kale salad2

I tried this for the first time today and loved it. I am always looking for tasty ways to get more dark leafy greens into my meals and this one is definitely a keeper. Roasting the kale instead of steaming it really helps preserve and intensify the flavor. I added caramelized onions and toasted sesame seeds as a garnish as I happened to have them on hand. You could also add a small amount of cooked Chinese sausage or bacon if you wanted a hit of salty meat.

 

kale salad1
Kale Salad

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons shoyu, tamari or soy sauce

3 ½ cups chopped kale, stems trimmed, large ribs removed (I also added red Swiss chard for color)

1 cup large-flake coconut (or 1/2 cup small flake coconut)

2 cups cooked farro or other whole grain (I used quinoa today) optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).

In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake together the olive oil, sesame oil and shoyu. Put the kale and coconut in a large bowl and toss well with about two-thirds of the olive oil mixture. Spread the kale evenly across a baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 18 minutes, until the coconut is golden brown, tossing once or twice along the way.
kale salad

Remove from the oven and transfer to a medium bowl. Taste and if you feel that it needs more dressing, add more and toss. Place farro or other grain on a serving platter and top with the tossed kale. Serve warm.

quinoa

Resource:

Swanson, H. (2011). super natural every day. New York, NY: Ten Speed Press.

green smoothies- a tasty way to get more fruit and veggies into your day

03 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by in cook, raw foods

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green smoothie

I have been drinking green smoothies daily for about six months now and truly cannot imagine my life without them. I was first inspired by my friend Lynn, who was telling me about her improved health and how easy it was to incorporate green smoothies into her routine. Even while talking about it at my dining room table my body was saying “YES, PLEASE!” so I knew that the time was right to incorporate a healthy new habit into my life. I had been drinking various fruit smoothies occasionally as a treat but this felt a little more hard core for me, having to overcome the thought of leafy greens belonging in a salad bowl and not in my smoothie!

fruit
There has been some hype around green smoothies over the past few years. When I first heard about them in the past it was mainly from people in the media who had been diagnosed with a fatal illness and made sudden and radical changes in their diets, dramatically cutting back on animals fats and proteins and increasing the amounts of raw fruits and vegetables in their diets. Green smoothies are one of many delicious ways of getting these vital nutrients into one’s diet, even on the go. I make a large batch fresh each morning and drink one large smoothie slowly as I drive the hour in to work. In the evenings, when I arrive home tired and hungry, I reach for the second smaller glass (leftover from the morning) and almost immediately feel revived and energized.

peppermint

Today, many people drink green smoothies in order to maintain their health, boost their immune systems, get that boost of energy in the mornings, or simply because they taste great! There are so many different combinations of fruits and vegetables that work well together and there are countless videos and articles online with recipes and tutorials if you need some extra help getting started. Once you do get going, you’ll see how simple it is, how little time it actually takes to blend one, and how amazing you feel with this one to two extra servings of fresh raw fruit and vegetables everyday.

spinach

The only equipment you will need is that blender in your cupboard that you’re currently hardly using! (Note: you can buy fancier, more powerful blenders specifically for raw food blending, but start with what you have.)

Start by adding your fruit- if you’re putting any in. Some days it’s nice to have a pure vegetable juice but on most days I like to add a banana and a ripe apple or pear. Then I add fresh water to the blender and whatever green I am using that day. I blend all of this up and add more water if it’s too thick. There you have it- a basic green smoothie! Easy.

green smoothie

Of course, now you’ll have to play a little, and try different ingredients each day. This will give your body a fantastic variety of good foods and you’ll never, ever get bored of the same old combination. Note that depending on what ingredients you choose, your green smoothie might actually look purple or an unappetizing brown color (like when I add frozen Saskatoon berries or blackberries). Don’t let this put you off- the smoothies still taste great.
Tips:
FRUITS: For higher flavor, look for organic fruits that are in season, including melons, berries, pineapple, mangos, papaya, grapes, fresh coconut, apples, peaches, pears, avocados, kiwi, oranges, grapefruit, etc. You can also chop and freeze fruits, such as berries, while at the peak of ripeness and add them to your green smoothies all winter long. Try soaking dried fruits, such as dates, apricots, raisons, prunes, mango, etc.  overnight and adding them to the smoothie in the morning.
GREENS: I alternate between spinach, arugula, dandelion greens, chickweed greens, kale and Swiss chard. In the fall, I like to juice dandelion greens and freeze the juice in ice cube trays, then store the ice cubes in large ziplock bags. I also blend chickweed with water and freeze cubes of the blended green for smoothies. Fresh sprouts also add a nice flavor are are packed with nutrients. Try adding parsley, cilantro, basil or mint in small amounts for added flavor.
OTHER VEG
Try tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber and celery. You can also add carrot juice. Anything goes and the best rule of thumb is to start with those fruits and veggies that you really like.
OTHER OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
1-2 tablespoons hemp or soy protein powder
1/4 teaspoon spirulina (potent!)
1/2 teaspoon maca
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds or flax seed oil
1 tablespoon psyllium husks
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Nut milk along with/instead of water
coconut water along with/instead of water
any fresh fruit or vegetable juice (i.e. pomegranate juice)
a few drops of pure vanilla extract
In the six months that I’ve been drinking green smoothies daily, there has only been a few occasions where I’ve had to go without. I really missed my morning boost and after that, travelled (locally) with my blender and small cooler full of fruits and veggies! There are also smoothie and juice bars in many locations where you can stop by and have someone make you the smoothie of your choice. This is a nice and healthy alternative to the tempting coffee and pastry habit! Enjoy!