To all the ladies plus weekend eats

Happy International Women's Day and Mardi Gras!!

         2011 marks the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day!! This years theme is :

Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women

I am so fortunate to live in a country that respects women and provides us with equal rights. Some would argue that statement but I feel compared to many other countries, women have it pretty good in Canada (for the most part).

I am not afraid to express my religious beliefs
I'm not afraid to disagree with my husband
I can apply for any job that I want to
I can go to school to become anything I want to be
I can express my views publicly as I do on this blog

You forget sometimes how different things could be for you as a women in another country that does not have equal rights. Yet, I'm not naive enough to think that abuses against women don't exist where I live, because they do and it's absolutely terrible.

So, to all my ladies out there I love you all!! You bring such light to the world. You bring strength, beauty, and wisdom. You have so much to give...and you deserve to live a life full of love and respect!

And pass that respect on to other women. Women can be cruel to each other!! We compare ourselves to others, hate others who have more ____ (insert: money, success, sexy body, happiness etc). Then we commit something terrible..we abuse ourselves! We hate on our bodies, we tell ourselves terrible things, we instill fear. I know because I do this myself!

I have no problem respecting and loving all the women in my life yet, I have a hard time building myself up. Ironic wouldn't you say?  I think it's time I buy myself some post-its and start operation beautiful in my house!

Anyone celebrating Mardi Gras? Oh how I would love to be partying it up in New Orleans. One year I will have to make my way down there. I think it would be a blast!

Okay so now onto the weekend! It was pretty good. Hung out with friends Friday night and Sunday. Saturday ran errands and watched a movie. Sunday we also went to the BC Home and Garden Show which was a lot of fun. Lots of dreamy ideas for renovating and styling your home and garden. One of the coolest ideas was a pond pool. It's a pool that looks like a pond but has no added chemicals. Their booth had some pretty impressive designs.

Now looking back at the treats I've indulged over the past couple weeks..eek!

This cake was made by my aunt and it's called blata kuchen or layer cake!

 

Oh my this was so good!!! In between layers of dough is a pudding. Mmm mmm!

 

These were Meghan's crispy brown rice treats. Although basically it is a mix of rice cereal, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, chia seeds, almond butter, and honey. I didn't have any chocolate..boo! Still some great crunch. This would have been awesome on banana softserve:)

I served it with some turmeric tea, another Meghan Telpner creation.

I added coconut milk to my tea but any nut milk would be great!

Sprinkled with some cinnamon and you are good to go!

Turmeric is an amazing spice! Check out my post on it here.

 

Then came the homemade apple sauce. That I made in...ooh..a minute! Just take a couple apples, place them in your food processor, blend away adding water as necessary, sprinkle with some lemon juice (prevents browning) and cinnamon, and that my friends is apple sauce! I'm not a huge fan of eating apple sauce on it's own but I love using it in baking as it helps reduce/replace fat in a recipe.

Then I used the apple sauce in Nelly's banana bread recipe! Yum!!! I added chocolate chunks and then had a warm piece with coconut butter. Divine!!

Just to be clear I didn't eat all that this weekend. The goodies have been spread out over a few weeks:)

Shopping! Saturday I ran around to 4 different stores to gather some staples.

The goodies in the green box was from Costco. We recently signed up for a Costco card and are going to try it for a year to see if it's worth it.

This week I picked up Bob's Mill spelt flour, frozen blueberries, and a tub of dates (Thanks Kris)

Some other items I sometimes pick up are packs of sprouted bread, quinoa, organic greens and spinach, organic tofu, frozen veggies, and movie passes)

Do you have a Costco card? Do you think it helps with your food budget?

It's too early to tell for me.

Second stop! Local health food store where I get the best deal on Vega Whole Foods Optimizer.

 I also splurged on some Daiya cheese, miso, and coconut milk:)

Third stop! My favorite grocer, 2 EE's Farm Market. This week it was 4 bags of veggies and fruits!!

 I don't shy away from buying reduced veggies and fruits. I got a full bag of apples for $1.60 that I used for apple sauce and juicing. I make a judgement call if it's worth it or not. Bananas are always a great deal when they are over-ripe. I bought a bag, took the peel off, and placed them in the freezer for softserve. It probably costs me $ 0.50 to make softserve. I don't think Ben and Jerry's can compete with that:)

The fourth stop was to pick up kitty litter and food so nothing exciting to show you there.

Speaking of kitties, the boys wanted to say hi!

Oddie's getting big, big, big

Oddie is going to approach at lightening speeds..soon. Hence the yoda ears!

Such a little monkey!!

I also wanted to share a little about what my better half does for work. He works with a lot of wood and metal creating beautiful staircases like the one below. This was his first spiral work and I think it's so stunning I just needed to share|

This has taken weeks as he had to measure every angle in order to make it fit perfectly. No pressure, hey?

I'm so proud of him for conquering his fears and taking on such a tricky project!

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone!! I'm off for a train run then it's study time for me.

PS My girl Nelly is having a CSN stores giveaway so be sure to check it out!

7 lives

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!!!

            I know its a commercial holiday, but it doesn't hurt to have more love in the world right? I think Valentines should be more than giving your sweetheart a chocolate heart, it should be about loving ourselves and all the special people in our lives. That includes you my lovely readers♥

Ry and I don't go all out on V-day. We might go and workout together which NEVER happens so that should be fun:) I will most likely make him a meal that he loves and some kind of chocolate dessert for us to share. Time together is very precious and because it's been pretty limited lately, I'm happy with staying home and getting in some quality snuggle time:)

Anyone going big today?

I'm rather giddy today for another reason. Guess who came home yesterday?

Mr.Oddie!!!

Ryan was up at 6:30 getting ready to go to work and he opened the door to let Nemo outside and I heard this high pitched meow right after. Then heavy footsteps up the stairs. Ry came around the corner and said "look who's home" and put Oddie on the bed. It was surreal. Okay, maybe it was because I was still asleep. But you look and you look for the little guy EVERYWHERE and you almost give up hope and then BAM he's at the front door. I'm so happy!!! I did a lot of crying on the weekend which left me feeling pretty drained so I'm elated that he's home!! Oddie is fine, no injuries. He did have some black soot or oil on his neck so he most likely was hiding under a car for awhile. He ate and he ate and then had a long nap with Nemo:) I guess 5 days in the "wild" will do that to you. I tried to get in some studying last night but he just couldn't stop snuggling and giving me kisses:)

And this morning Oddie is at the vet to get snipped and to get a tattoo. I'm not messing around now that I've been given a second chance to make it right! He is now down 2 lives!! I'm coming to think that the saying, cats have 9 lives, is true.

This pict was taken in my office as he had to come with me to work before going to see the doc!

 On Sunday morning I went for a run and took down all the posters I had put up in the hood. One guy I talked to said that he was looking out for him but he was concerned because there have been quite a few coyotes in the neighborhood recently. Eeeek!

Question for all you pet owners out there. Do you vaccinate according to what the vet suggests or do you have your own schedule? The vet is requesting Nemo and Oddie get over $100 worth of shots each and I'm a little skeptical if they need that much. Also, I'm getting Oddie tattooed but Nemo has a chip. My logic tells me that people are more apt to bring an animal to a shelter if they see a tattoo. Since they cannot see the chip, they might just think it's a stray and keep them:( What are your thoughts.

Also Nemo and Oddie LOVE to be outside and so I don't think I could ever deny them that. Some people said to keep them indoors from now on but I just don't think it's fair to them especially since they are used to being indoors AND outdoors. They are inside when we are at work or on big outings but in the morning and afternoon when I get home they make their rounds. Oddie usually following Nemo which is good because Nemo stays close by.

Moving onto blog related stuff, I just wanted to thank you for reading and commenting as I know my posts have been pretty erratic and the content not too exciting. Love you all!! Lately tons of ideas for posts have been popping up in my mind so I'm going to pumping out some good reads soon. These will include, but are not limited to, new fitness ideas, gardening, crafts, juicing, running, travel, races etc etc! Of course food is going to be a topic I'll never stop talking about:)  I'm very excited!

Have a great rest of your V-day and don't forget to do something for yourself today! You deserve it:)

Coming up tomorrow: Hawaiian treats and V-day re-cap:)

It's a new day!

Happy Thursday everyone!

                            This is what I saw when I walked into the lab this morning.

What a stunning sunrise! I take this as a sign from the universe that everything is going to be "brighter" from now on:)

Thank you for all your prayers and well-wishes for Junior. I'm happy to report that he is doing much better. He is eating, drinking, and playing on his own now so I think the worst is over:) Yet, I'm fearful that he could go downhill again. I don't know why I have this negative thought in the back of my head. Maybe just in case he does go to kitty heaven I can handle it better? I don't know. If you can explain that one to me I'm all ears:)

 Junior playing with his big bro!

Beat...and soaking in some sun after a good play session.

I have some fun adventures to share with you before Junior was sick but I'll save them for later. Life has been pretty basic : feed  Junior, clean, feed junior, homework, feed junior, bed...oh yes, I did eat in between those tasks but nothing blog-worthy.

I hope to be back with a vengeance soon enough but this week really took a lot out of me emotionally. I have this problem and its called " I CARE TOO MUCH." I cried on Ryan's shoulder, over the phone to my mom and family, and even when writing to you on the blog. My grandma (who has Alzheimer's) even asked how my "baby" was. She saw him when I brought him home to the coast with me and now she asks every time I see her. So sweet:) My heart is definitely worn on my sleeve and I cannot help but give 100% to something/someone that needs my help. Call me weak, call me whatever you want but I think this quote sums it all....

'Tis better to have loved and lost

Than never to have loved at all. ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

Thank you for your patience as I'm trying to figure this all out!

Stay tuned as later this afternoon I have an amazing giveaway for you!!!

XOXO

Kraut adventures!

Happy Monday everyone!

Happy BC day to my local friends!! Hope you all had a fantastic weekend. I find summer weekends are on fast-forward and there are never enough of them. So, we try to take full advantage on them before they are a faded memory:) I started off the weekend with a massive kraut session at my aunt's house! I do come from a German family after all:)

All this cabbage was just picked from my aunt's garden!! Talk about fresh!

I went with glass jars because plastic scares me a little..especially for something like this that is going to be staying in the container for so long.

Check out that fermenting pantry LOL! I also picked up some pickles from my aunt's pantry as she had too many. My family is so giving..I'm very grateful! I think I'm going to go help my aunt when it comes to pickling cucumbers, beans, and carrots this year. If she will let me:) My favorite are pickled beans and carrots..I eat a whole jar to myself. With no shame either haha!

Oh so delicious!!! There is nothing like homemade pickles!! NOTHING!

On Saturday I started off the morning by doing a fun workout by this lady. I was just grabbing a glass of water when I found this taking place in my pantry.....

Nemo found the bag of catnip! It was EVERYWHERE!! So much for vacuuming!

He was loving it..rolling all over the stuff! It's funny because we gave him some catnip and Nelson and he wasn't really interested..apparently we needed to spread it all over the floor so he could roll in it HAHA!

I'll share more of weekend tomorrow including my thrift store finds, crazy blueberry field, downtown adventures, and my Inception thoughts!

XOXO

PS Kelli is having an awesome giveaway so go check it out!!

PPS Averie is having an amazing giveaway as well!

Sleepy eyed and a blushing bride!

Hello everyone!!

What did I miss? lol! I'm back from my little vacation. It wasn't really a sleep-on-the-beach time, more like running around getting ready for a wedding time! But it was a blast and the wedding day was stunning!

Congratulations Kylee and Jason!!!

Here are a few picts from the day....

Jason, Kylee , and their beautiful daughter Charlee!

We went up to a tunnel and the rock faces inside were amazing!

You can't have an Okanagan wedding without the lake!

"The Men" LOL! I love this shot!

There's a picture of the dress!!

Funny story of the day

Kylee and I got ready at her Grandma's house and so we were the last to leave. We were almost at her parent's place where the wedding was to take place when she all of a sudden just cursed loudly. I pulled over right away and then she told me she forgot our flowers in the garage. Now, it's 10 minutes to 3pm and the wedding was to start at three. So, I punched it and drove as fast as I have ever driven on that road (which is very windy). We got to her Grandma's in record time, picked up the flowers and were off again. The only thing was it was roasting outside and I don't have AC so I punched it again and made it to the wedding in record time. We did a 40 minute trip in about 20..lol! Don't worry I was being safe:) So, then I get out of the car and I am soaked all the way down the back of the dress,not cool! So, it's nearly my time to walk out and I am the grossest looking person. So, I stood in the sun (ironic I know) and was waving around my dress like a mad woman. Someone who saw me must have questioned my sanity lol! Thank goodness there was a breeze and I walked out half as sweaty, with my flowers, and only a 1/2 hour late.

My surprise to the happy couple was a slideshow of both of them from a baby to now, plus them as a couple. I worked for a month on it and it was perfect. So, with some technical assistance, I set up the screen and its all hooked up ready to go...and boom the sound doesn't work. I was so bummed because that was the part that took me the longest but we just played some tunes from the laptop and the rest went well. Everyone loved seeing the photos and so I'm glad I went for it.

Don't call me a bad furry baby parent but we let Nemo out of his cage because he was just not content and was very agitated. So, guess where he decides to sit..on Ryan's lap:)

Isn't it so cute. Ryan is such a softy for Nemo!

I'll post more about the week tomorrow! Ryan and I got in after midnight last night so we are both a little zombie-esque today lol!

XOXOXO

Bloob picking and vacation time

Happy Monday everyone!

How was your weekend? Mine was busy, busy! On Saturday I got a workout in then I went grocery shopping to numerous stores, picked blueberries, and then had my sister-in-laws over for dinner and a movie! Ya, Let's just say I didn't quite make it through the movie before sleep got the better part of me:) It was a great day though because I LOVE to grocery shop and see what's fresh and in season!

What I love more is to pick bloobs! It's so much fun to be outside in the sunshine picking glorious blueberries. My picking philosophy is 2 in the mouth, 1 in the bucket. HAHA! I was so full by the time I had to go.. but I just couldn't help myself:) The farm that I pick it is literally 2 minutes from my work so I just stop in there on my way home, pick 5 lbs, and I've got dessert! I actually picked on Friday and Saturday..all those berries are gone! Ryan and I are addicts and then we shared a bunch with my SILs on Saturday night. I can't wait to make some fresh, raw dessert with them. I've been drawn to raw pies and tarts lately so I can't wait to try one of those out!

Oh the blueberry...such a marvelous fruit! How I have missed thee!

Mmmm..blueberry heaven!

My stash!

A nice close up!! Are you drooling yet? Or am I the only blueberry fanatic out there?

On Sunday we slept in and man that was nice! We then went to the mall and we did a bunch of shopping for upcoming wedding showers. It's the first time I've been shopping in forever...bummer it wasn't for me lol! I then went to my cousin's wedding shower and we had a good time chatting and playing some fun games! Ohh the memories:) Then I spent the evening stringing up my beans in the garden and working on my secret wedding project!

And some exciting news..well for me anyways..I'm on vacation as of tomorrow!! I'm heading back home to celebrate my best friend's wedding week! She is getting married on Saturday and I'm the maid of honour! I'm going by myself too (Ryan's staying behind until Friday to tend to my garden...and to work) so it's going to be a nice time with my BFF, my mom, and of course this little guy...

Yep, I'm taking Nemo with me because Ryan's schedule is all over the place and so this way he doesn't have to worry and Nemo can hang out with the ladies:) He's such a pro traveler now so we just put him in his cage and go!

I've got a million things to pack including five flats of raspberries and 10lbs of blueberries that my family back home have ordered! I hope my little car makes it!

And for a little bit of fashion...here is a pict of my dress! I'm actually going to pick it up today in its altered form! I had to take it in a little and I shortened it so that it sits above the knee. Since I'm on the shorter side, I find dresses that go beyond the knee make me look funny. So, I'm showing off a little more leg!! Ha!

I'm not sure if I'm going to be blogging at all the rest of the week as my mom doesn't have the Internet! I may go for an early session at a coffee house or something but I am going to soak up all the time I can because I don't get to see my bestie very often as she lives 10 hours north of me! So, you might see me you might not! If not, I will for sure have a MASSIVE post for you on Monday:)

Have a wonderful week everyone and remember that you are ALL AMAZING!!

Chow for now!!!

New kitchen appliance plus veggie wraps!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Happy belated 4th of July to my American friends:) I know there are lots of gatherings, dinners, and fireworks taking place in honor of Independence Day. Maybe you set off your own fireworks?? My weekend was lovely and included shopping with my mom, some yard work, a wonderful dinner out, and some more Grouse Grind action.

After my workout on Friday I quickly made a juice. This one was a little hard to drink as I made it with mostly beet greens and not enough cucumber or something sweet to balance it out. But I chugged it anyways and said "cells, you better enjoy"..haha!

Almost there! Had to take a breather..powerful stuff!


Green goodness all the way!

Later on that night we went out to the Vault for dinner with my MIL and her hubby. It was a lovely dinner which featured a Flamenco guitar player. Loved his music! I had a beet salad with spring rolls as I wasn't feeling the pasta. They all went for DQ after dinner but I sat patiently knowing I would get my dessert on the way home:) I picked up a Cocoa Camino dark chocolate with coconut bar. It was pretty good but I prefer their mint chocolate or just plain chocolate bars better. I had this stage where I ate everything sweet with mint..then it got to much and I left the mint alone...but now I'm back on the wagon. Maybe its because my mint plant is just growing like crazy and the smell is sucking me in!! Mmmm.

On Saturday I did some grocery shopping at my fave grocery market . I LOVE going here because each week there is a new veggie that is ready in the garden. I get so excited to wander around and see what goodies I can try this week. It's like a farmers market really because they grow a ton of the food themselves and most if not all is grown organically. Here are a couple of my finds :

Peas, glorious peas! Have I told you that I have a slight obsession when it comes to eating shelling peas? Yep, it's true! As a kid my aunt wouldn't let me out in here garden if the peas were ready because she knew she would never get any for herself..lol! I love them so much and the season is just too short so I eat as many as I can get my hands on. That bag above was gone in about an hour..seriously, I have a problem:)

All those greens are for which veggie? Do you know? Take a guess!

While you ponder over those greens, here's a broad bean. MASSIVE, hey? I have never had them before so I thought I would try them out. Will keep you posted.

Ta da!!! It's daikon! Were you right? Look at all those greens. I kept some and so I'm going to see if I can use them in a salad or smoothie. They look too amazing to throw out:)

My Mom came over later on (she left on Monday:( and we went for lunch where I got the salad sans the chicken. It actually was pretty good and they gave me lots of veggies...no skimping..which I liked! Then we went shopping for a new house plant. Mom wanted to get me a snake plant for our house warming gift because I love the one that she has.

Mine is a bit smaller than this but with some TLC she should grow big! These are very good for cleaning the air in your home..so big bonus. I found mine for $5 so they are very reasonable too!

Plus she bought me a new aloe plant! Mine just wasn't doing too well so hopefully this beauty will thrive. I feel a deep connection to aloe. I think its an amazing plant and am constantly in awe as to what it can be used for. Check out my post on aloe for a more in depth discussion.

Then we headed out to check out food processors because mine officially died the other day. I mean I liked beating those chickpeas..but I don't have that much frustration to be beating food with a pan everyday..ha! We did a little compare shopping but then we found this....

A 14 cupper wahoo!! Seriously, I was using a 3 cup processor for nearly two years. This is heaven:) Plus it was very reasonable.


Plus its got a timer on it which I think is pretty cool! I like the stainless steel design too. It's got this sweet chopping blade and immediately when I saw it I thought...KRAUT!!! Soon people, soon!

Thank mom for the amazing house warming gifts!!! You know they will be put to good use! Even if the plants only job is to not die lol!

Saturday night I was alone for dinner (boo!!) as the hubs was out watching modern day gladiator fights, also known as the UFC. I actually don't mind the fights if there is a guy in there who I value. Some people may think that it's just a macho man kind of sport but its highly disciplined with tons of training, goal setting, healthy competition (for the most part), and mindset work. There are a few who are a walking ego but then there are the guys who came from nothing and literally fought their way to the spotlight. My favorite guy is George St. Pierre. He is from Montreal and I believe he is the champion right now in his weight class. He supported himself through his job as a garbage man. I mean talk about humble beginnings. He works so hard and the ego doesn't show itself which I really like.

Not bad, hey? Ya, he's quite the looker..especially when he wears his tighty fight shorts:)

Don't worry Ry already knows about my crush LOL!!

Moving on...or should I give you a few minutes to stare?? Te he! Anywho, I made a lovely solo dinner that I ate outside in the cold..haha! It was sunny but the wind but chilly. Raw veggie wraps are quickly becoming a top favorite of mine. They are quick, healthy, easy, and you can make whatever dipping sauce you desire.

Love all the color!! I had yellow bell peppers, carrots, cucumber, avocado, daikon which were wrapped in collard greens and kale. I dipped the wraps in honey-dijon sauce (simply some dijon with whatever amount of sweetener you like added in) and salsa. The salsa was a trial to see how it would go but I didn't really like it that much. Next time I'm going to make a spicy doritos cheesy dip or remake this dip from another veggie wrap day. How do you like your veggie wraps?

I also had some fennel that was part of my work open house stash. I remember Averie cooking some up in one of her posts so I decided to follow here recommendations. I couldn't find my ginger anywhere so I left that out and I ran out of black pepper so I used a small amount of cayenne for bite! Then I added some cumin, nutmeg, and garlic.

Mmmm! I've never cooked fennel before and I'm not sure why...it's so delish! Soft and caramelized..you have to try it.

I devoured these..oh so good!

And this handsome fella decided to join me after patrolling the yard. He loves it back there even though he thinks the neighbor's yard is a much hipper place to be:)

On Sunday we hit up the Grouse Grind with some friends and my SIL. It was a lot tougher this time around because there was a low lying cloud and so it was quite humid in there. Still not bad 1 hour 1 minute, 4 minutes slower than last time. Still I loved it, its such a mental push for me! We then hit up The Naam for lunch except they were only serving brunch so I opted for a breakfast bowl with potatoes, tofu, some other veggies, and miso gravy. Definite must try..oh so yummy!

Once we got home I was feeling pretty mellow so I decided to just do some laundry and blog..but then a friend came over so the blogging was put to the wayside..but that's okay because that's life and I want to enjoy whatever comes my way:)

Tomorrow I'm going to share with you what came in the mail!!! It's awesome:)