Debbie King

Edamame Elevated

During summer months and especially now with this scorching heat, I’m leaning towards quick ‘n easy recipes that don’t skimp on flavor.

Usually a side dish when ordering sushi, edamame is super easy to make at home and to serve as part of a Japanese home style dinner or as a snack or in a salad (with pods removed from shell).

I borrowed this simple and savory recipe from the unfortunately now defunct Jazz Cellar club in Vancouver. Along with listening to the best jazz musicians in the city, it was always a staple on their menu. It was also an elevated taste to what you would normally get in any Japanese restaurant where they serve up plain edamame with salt.

This recipe is a little different because I first steam the pods on their own then sauté them in a mix of toasted sesame oil, fresh chopped garlic + ginger, chili flakes and *soy sauce. Then mix everything together in a bowl and sprinkle generously with course sea salt.

Ok; well I guess that IS the recipe. Since the bulk of the flavor is on the outside…make sure to lick the pods.

*Unless you have a soy allergy, edamame is likely safe to eat. There are several health benefits of Edamame:

In addition to being a decent source of soy protein, edamame is rich in healthy fiber, antioxidants and vitamin K.

It does not raise blood sugar,

Edamame (RDI)	Mature soybeans (RDI)
Folate	78%	14%
Vitamin K1	33%	24%
Thiamine	13%	10%
Riboflavin	9%	17%
Iron	13%	29%
Copper	17%	20%
Manganese	51%	41%

Enjoy!

inspiration

Summer Breeze

It’s official. I read somewhere that the goal is…to create a life you don’t need a vacation from. I’m taking that to heart. Here are a few recent photos to keep the mood:

**Ahhh…picnics are pure pleasure.** This is **Vanier Park** in Kits Point – short steps from where we live.

We’re like mice with our love for cheese. ***We’re so cheesy!***

Sunset Beach. Gather and Co.

I don’t know about you but I’m on my way to the beach with a picnic basket.

STYLE

The Fashion Essential – Classic White Shirt

Whether you dress it up for a polished put-together look or wear it casually with jeans or shorts, you can never go wrong. Especially with so many versions to choose from. Tucked in, left out, or worn halfway…this fresh looking closet staple is certainly nothing new. It has been in style forever. The only rule is to make sure it’s clean. On this page some random photos of crisp button downs with a few people you might recognize.

Every woman should own at least one. Do you have a favorite?

Food + Drink

Food Revisited

Everyone Likes Good Food and everyone likes convenience right?

**Sun-Dried Tomato & Ricotta Grilled Flatbreads** with Fresh Herbs & Balsamic-Dressed Salad – *Good Food Meal Delivery Kit.*

No one will disagree that the year 2020 altered us in ways we never saw coming. Food wise, the flexibility of being able to go to any restaurant was definitely challenged. It even changed the way we shop for food. We had to do more planning. Even now people still have to quarantine for two weeks when returning home from another country. At least here in Vancouver. Which means either having to order groceries or have a friend or family member drop groceries off for you. Sometimes it’s much simpler to order directly from a store, especially if said friend forgets that one important ingredient that will complete your menu. But we won’t name that friend. The inconvenient truth.

Which brings me to the booming business of the Meal Delivery Service. While many have been around for some time now, more and more new ones have been popping up and have become very popular in the past 15 months. They’re a good solution for busy people or if you want to try something different. Some companies deliver fully cooked meals and other ones deliver only the ingredients.

A friend recently shared with me a Canadian online grocery subscription service called GOOD FOOD – inspired by the freshest ingredients, their chefs create eighteen unique recipes each and every week. They deliver meal kits, read-to-cook meals, and grocery products to your door each week. The ingredients for whichever recipe you choose are in the exact amount for dinner for two people. It might be fun to try something new. The photos look inspiring for sure. They target anyone from the novice cook to the seasoned chef. Makes it easy to follow. It can help to save time in the kitchen, and reduce unnecessary food waste. They let you know what they’ll be sending, what you need to cook it (like what size pan, if it requires parchment paper, etc.) and info like how many calories, total carbs, sodium, saturated fat, sugars and protein in each recipe. That’s pretty great.

**Vietnamese-Style Pork Chop Bún Bowls with Rice Vermicelli, Asian Greens & Toasted Peanuts**

You can pick and choose from an extensive list of awesome looking recipes.

They say that by cutting out the middlemen, they’re able to offer fresher, higher quality food than traditional retailers at up to 15% lower than super market prices. I realize this is beginning to sound somewhat like an infomercial…however the prices seem reasonable so might as well share the info.

It sounds great and I might try it although these days I don’t like to plan too much ahead of schedule. I’m one of those who, except for certain kitchen staples, I shop for what I need when I need it, which many times means on a daily basis, or every other day.

However if you’re very busy or live in an area not so close to shopping it might be an excellent choice.

I’m curious to know how many of you have tried something like this before… and if so, how did it work out?

You can check them out here:

https://www.makegoodfood.ca/

Art & Culture

Mondo Mundo

MONDO TRADING COMPANY is a striking new store in Vancouver located on Granville Island which immediately drew my attention. Their handmade and one-of-a-kind products from over 30 countries brought me back to travelling to far away places.

Beautiful Handmade Baskets from Kenya and Ghana

Whenever I’ve travelled I always look for well made artisan products that are unique and specific to the region to bring home. I have many pieces around my home that always bring me back to a particular time and place. Everything from African Zulu baskets to pottery and artwork. I flew home from Brazil with seven large original oil paintings that were on wood canvas. I refused to remove them from their frames so my friend had to order a limo to meet me at the airport to bring them home. I brought 8 large hand painted Armenian pottery dishes back from the old city of Jerusalem, among other breakables. From Jamaica, a large wood carved fish and a carved rasta stick – a fish and a stick! I’ll leave it at that. You get the picture.

So I can relate to Carolyn Hopkinson who is the owner.

Carolyn’s mission is to improve the lives of makers by supporting their craft and providing a fair and sustainable income.

Carolyn’s passion for travel started from her childhood days, growing up in Guyana, South America with a father who travelled the world on business. His gifts represented a world that she wanted to explore. I understand the feeling.

After following her passion and exploring countries around the world for the past 40 years, she discovered some of the most beautiful handiwork from local artisans with no resources to market their handicrafts outside their communities.

She would fill her suitcase with their treasures and return home with the promise that one day she would make a difference in these artisans lives. Now she is.

Lots more on their website:

mondotradingcompany.com

Oh…to travel again!

inspiration

New Month, New Goals

Some Inspiring Quotes to welcome the lead up to Summer:

It’s been a long slow start to normal; but things are looking up!

STYLE

Halston

In the mood for glamour gowns and 70’s nostalgic decadence? If so, you must watch “Halston” a new 5-part limited series on Netflix.

“You are as good as the people you dress. Beautiful people attract attention; they are your best advertisement,” he fabulously said.

**Lauren Hutton** in Vogue wearing a Halston gown

Famed for his craftsmanship and hedonistic lifestyle, Halston was often described as the man who changed the landscape of American fashion forever, whose circle of “Halsonettes”, as they were called, included 1960s It girls like Anjelica Huston, Bianca Jagger, Elsa Peretti and Liza Minelli. The latter remaining his friend until the very end.

Unfortunately, with the glitz and glamour that came with the job, Halston began to sink into a world of partying and drugs. He surrounded himself with prominent New York figures such as artists Andy Warhol and Truman Capote, who introduced him to the city’s wild night life. As the sexual revolution of the 1970s approached, Halston slowly became a staple of infamous nightclub Studio 54, where he partied till the wee hours of the morning, surrounded by his “Halstonettes.”

However the ongoing party life would later lead to his demise. The iconic designer passed away in 1990, at the age of 57 from lung cancer and complications from Aids.

**Jerry Hall** in a Halston Creation circa 1970’s.

“He became more interested in what he was putting in his body than what he was doing with it,” said Anjelica Huston in a Vogue UK profile about Halston from 2011.

Despite being a cautionary tale, Halston’s contributions to the world of design and the business of fashion are really quite remarkable feats.

**The pillbox hat** made famous by Jackie Kennedy.

For John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inauguration, Jackie wore a pillbox hat designed by Halston. As it turns out, the look was somewhat accidental. According to Halston, Jackie actually dented his original design. “Funny thing about that pillbox hat,” Halston said during a 1966 interview, per Vogue. “It was made too small for her . . . but Mrs. Kennedy wore it anyway. When a gust of wind threatened to topple it from her head, she dented it hanging on to the hat. The Seventh Avenue copycat hat makers reproduced the design by the thousands so accurately that each pillbox had a dent in it.” How about that!

Actor Ewan McGregor does a remarkable job portraying the designer in the series.

A little Glitz and Glamour goes a long way these days.

THINKAboutit

Feel-good Flowers

Flowers have an immediate positive effect on our mood. How can you not smile after receiving a fresh bouquet? Participants in studies have reported feeling less depressed and anxious with a higher sense of enjoyment after receiving flowers.

I notice that my mood picks up when I admire fresh flowers or stop to smell the flowers on trees such as lilacs. That is why I signed up to receive a farm fresh bouquet delivered to my door starting next week from a local company called Bear’s Blooms.

Which brings me to this question…

The **Victoria** from Bear’s Blooms Website. *Roses, Alstroemeria, Tulips and Solidago.*

If you could choose to be any flower, what would you be?

I think a Sunflower. If not, then a Daffodil.

Sunflowers symbolize adoration, loyalty and longevity. Much of the meaning of sunflowers stems from its namesake, the sun itself.

The iris (Iris xiphium) symbolizes hope, cherished friendship and valor and is the inspiration for the fleur-de-lis. A gift of iris bulbs brings hope with each returning spring.

Daffodils: These bright blooms have been named the number one flower for enhancing people’s moods. Yellow is a color that is often associated with happiness, so it comes as little surprise that a vase brimming with beautiful daffodils will instantly

from the website: bearsblooms.com Use code DEBBIE 5088 to get $15 off your first order.

perk up your day!

Happy Weekend Ahead.

SHINE ON!

beauty

SuperGoop! Sunscreen

The forecast calls for Sunny Days ahead…at some point in the very near future. So we need to be prepared to protect our skin.

It’s confusing when you consider all the various products out there… but let me simplify choices for you by sharing my new favourite sunscreens.

All by SuperGoop!

Something light that won’t interfere with makeup application and also works as a primer, something for when you’re being more active and something for a subtle glow.

Supergoop! debuted in 2007, with its Everyday SPF 50, and almost immediately won the American Academy of Dermatology’s Gold Triangle Award for Sun Safety Education. Since then, the company has expanded into a range of sunscreens for children and adults, and even recently launched eye shadows containing SPF.

Holly Thaggard, Founder and CEO of Supergoop, is based in San Antonio, Texas, and is considered the Norma Rae of Sunscreen as she’s dedicated 12 years to skin cancer prevention. Tennis Pro Maria Sharapova is a co-owner of this growing company.

Sunny, cloudy, stormy or clear…no matter the weather, all forecasts call for SPF!

I’m convinced you’re going to LOVE these choices.

Where to order:

https://supergoop.com/

Also sold at Sephora

Girl Who Would be King

May Days

What’s not to love about May

May brings promise of brighter days ahead, spring flowers, a few showers and a general lightness of being. Something we need right now is Optimism.

Here are a few things I love about MAY.

Sunday, May 2nd, was the first day of our local Kitsilano Farmers Market. Shopping fresh and prepared local food products are always a feel-good source of groceries for me and many other locals.

Open May-October, this weekly market offers locally sourced produce, artisanal crafts & food trucks.

This cute little trailer is a food truck.

**Odd Society** is Makers of Fine Spirits. Now that’s the spirit!

And fortunately we’ve come to a “Dead End” here at this booth. **Forbidden Fruit Winery**

In Full Bloom

My friend Tammy alerted me to a local floral delivery company called “Bear’s Blooms“

Located in Kits, and starting at $39 per delivery including shipping, they’ll deliver a unique locally grown fresh selection as often as you’d like! Once a week, once a month….whenever.

Your selection will be handpicked and delivered right to your door, fresh from local farms! You can sign up on their website here…

https://www.bearsblooms.com/

Only problem is I’m not sure whether I want to go with Alma or Cecilia. Holly and Julia are pretty nice too. Such a dilemma!

Cecilia

Alma

Then there’s…Crafted Vancouver 2022

Feast Food events feature foraging, harvesting and food preparation demonstrations & workshops, walks & talks and more. The true meaning of hand-crafted food.

https://craftedvancouver.com/

Today (May 3rd) is Layla’s fifth birthday! Happy birthday little one. We’ve got a fun filled packed day ahead.

Lastly; I’ve been working (if you can call it that) on an upcoming podcast with a friend. We’ve experienced a few learning curves as we go along with designing our logo and website and learning how to edit. It’s almost at the completion stage now, and once we’re up and running I’ll be able to share it with you. One thing for sure is we’re discovering people and places and having fun while doing so.

That is the reason why I’ve neglected posting as often as I have of late. That, and a lack of fashion/film/restaurant openings as you can only imagine.

But here’s hoping things pick up real soon.

Better Days Ahead