The name of the holiday conveys what the day is supposed to be about. Remember to give thanks for simple pleasures. Gratitude transforms common days into Thanksgivings!
In this case, It’s what’s on the outside that counts!
In the Rain
My friend Colleen always manages to look stylish, rain or otherwise
It’s almost impossible to look stylish in the rain. I live in Vancouver and when there’s a crazy torrential downpour (like right now) all I want is to stay warm and dry. Which leaves me wearing a practical gore-tex jacket (which I’ve tried to retire time and time again only to take it out of hiding at this time of the year) with hood pulled up tight over my face and childlike gum boots or waterproof hiking boots. The only way anyone can tell that it’s me if I’m wearing this getup is because there’s two sheltie dogs dragging tagging along beside me, usually wearing raincoats of their own. This is truly the best (or most useful) dreadful weather dog walking gear I can think of. This is when practical works best.
Love Yellow Gum Boots Credit: Van City Buzz
But when there’s a lighter rainfall it’s much easier to look more put together. I wear a dressier looking raincoat (as if you can refer to a rain coat as being dressy, but I mean one that you can actually wear a dress under), black rain boots (duh) and a fashionable rain hat (because I prefer not to carry an umbrella). I found a great all-weather leather Dooney & Bourke handbag from a vintage fair in Palm Springs. I knew when I first spotted it that it would be my go-to at this time of the year. It pulls everything together.
Here’s another example of keeping stylish in the rain – having people fend off the elements for you when you go to Paris Fashion Week. And don’t worry about freezing in your gown because of course there’ll be a warm car waiting for you.
In the Snow
What I remember most about living back East was that even when it snowed it was a lot brighter out. Even though it was cold, the sun was still shining. Not all the time, but a lot of the time.
Home for the Holidays – Cameron Diaz
You have more fashionable options in colder weather. Winter is not my favorite season but I love winter coats because there’s so many choices. It’s the last thing you put on before going out the door and first thing people see you in. You can have fun with them.
The snow won’t ruin wool or cashmere so covering up definitely gives you more options. When I lived in Toronto I had several nice warm and stylish winter coats. From a full length bright red Hilary Radley (Canadian designer) wool coat to a fake leopard fur ¾ swing coat and many others in between. Even some down coats can look stylish (see above). And if you’re not sure you can never go wrong with a long camel coat, preferably in cashmere. And then there’s the boots….but that’s for another post.
This is a delicious crowd pleasing recipe courtesy of my friend and neighbour Geoff. He brought it over twice, and twice it was gobbled up in no time.
It sounds exotic and it tastes exotic but basically it translates to: red pepper and walnut spread. This good-for-you recipe is also easy to make. Which in my estimation is always a plus.
What you need:
3 Roasted Red Peppers (from a jar or if you dare to, roast them yourself)
1 cup of walnuts (using chopped in bulk is fine)
2 slices of good quality whole wheat bread
1/2 tsp cumin
2 big cloves of garlic
2 Tbs Pomegranate molasses. (available from Persian Food stores or Middle Eastern markets).
Juice of 1 lemon (or more, to taste)
Salt + Pepper to taste
Directions:
Geoff cooks by trial and error so he recommends breaking the process down into parts to get the texture and taste you’re looking for.
Preheat the oven to 350, and toast the walnuts on a cookie sheet for about 10 mins or until they become fragrant.
Start by whizzing the peppers, garlic, cumin, pomegranate molasses, and lemon juice in a food processor, then pour (it will be pretty liquidy) into a separate bowl.
Then process the toasted walnuts until they’re almost like coarse breadcrumbs.
Take them out of the blender and reduce the bread to coarse breadcrumbs.
Gradually mix the whizzed pepper and crumbed bread into the walnuts checking the texture as you go. You may want more or less breadcrumbs. Keep blending until you have something like a smooth pâté. If you try to do everything together, you’ll end up with that smooth pâté, or something more like a dip than a spread. The processing can end up getting out of control very quickly….
Again, you can process part of the walnuts and part of the bread till they’re fine, then do the rest more coarsely if you like. It’s an experiment every time!!!
At the end you go by taste and fold in more molasses and/or lemon juice if needed until you get it right – to your liking.
It was one hell of a good run while it lasted. It is with a huge void, big hole in my heart and ultimately resigned acceptance that I finally got it together to organize a celebration of life for my husband Don. Just short of three months after he passed, and on Remembrance Day no less.
He didn’t want a service, big hoopla or anything pretentious. Just a gathering of people closest to him at home with food, music and memories. He never mentioned a slideshow although with help from a friend we managed to put together a lovely showing of images from past travels and our life together and some heartfelt words from those who treasured him. Hooked up by computer to TV, it continued to loop around while people mingled. My dear friend Ryoko, who is responsible for us meeting was here and gave an unrehearsed funny speech and managed to sum up in a few short minutes what Don was all about. It was perfect in it’s simplicity, warmth and endearment. Just like Don himself.
Outside a winery in Napa – 2013I’ll try my best; no promises.
I made a whole batch of this soup and ended up freezing most of it. The name of this recipe was formerly called “anti-cancer” soup because of the goodness of all the wholesome ingredients but I changed the name to anti-flu soup. In general, it’s just a great overall recipe that tastes really good. I just unfroze a container and added brown rice macaroni which made it a complete meal (especially for lunch).
Serves: 12-16 servings (almost feeds an army!)
Ingredients
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2-3 celery stalks, sliced
2 cups carrots, diced
3 garlic cloves
salt and pepper, to preference
¼-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or other dried herbs like basil, oregano, and parsley)
12 cups (or 3 32-ounce cartons) of chicken or vegetable broth
1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes (look for BPA-free cans)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup lentils (any kind will work; rinse first)
1 zucchini, diced
1 cup mushrooms, diced
1 cup cauliflower, chopped finely
1 cup broccoli, chopped finely
2-3 cups spinach, chopped
1-2 cups frozen green peas
Instructions
Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat.
Saute onion, carrots, celery, and garlic for about 3-4 minutes, until tender. Season lightly with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (to your preferred heat level), and Italian seasoning.
Add chicken or vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, black beans, and lentils. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer (slight bubbling), stirring occasionally. Season again lightly with salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
Add all other vegetables except frozen peas (zucchini, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach) and simmer another 5-10 minutes.
Stir in frozen peas and turn off heat (or turn to low), so they don’t overcook. Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasonings.
If you like, serve with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese and/or whole grain crackers or crusty bread.
Notes
Freezer Meal Instructions:
To freeze:
Fully cook and cool the soup. (Do not leave soup out on counter more than 2 hours.) Divide soup into freezer bags or containers and freeze.
To thaw and reheat:
Thaw in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Then reheat gently over low heat on the stove or in a crockpot. Another option is to put the frozen soup block over low to medium-low heat on the stove top or in a crock pot. Add about 1-2 cups of water or broth over the top. Gently warm over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
With Lisa, Colleen, Stacey & Wendy at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, Vancouver.
Meaningful Evening: Quest for a Cure for CF (cystic fibrosis).
What a fun, colourful event for such a worthwhile cause. Celebrating East meets West at the Fairmont Waterfront hotel for the yearly “65 Roses Gala” with great food, entertainment, friends, and auction items. Our gracious Master of Ceremonies was CBC’s Gloria Macarenko. Special mention to our dear friend Colleen Kohse (in the middle of the above photo) who underwent a double lung & heart transplant 29 years ago. She also had a kidney transplant. She’s not only the poster girl for CF, she’s also extremely inspirational. Always up for a good time with a wicked sense of humour.
CF stands for cystic fibrosis. To date there is no cure, but hopefully one day CF will stand for “Cure Found.”
The Vancouver Health Show at the Convention Centre (Canada Place) had a very familiar keynote speaker.
images: d. king
I picked up a few really great new products which I’ll share with you very soon. But for starters here’s an amazing new product geared for kids and teens although even I put a scoop being the kid that I am in my smoothies. The taste is undetectable which is good because you get the health benefits without overpowering any other ingredients you choose to put into your smoothie. Or it can be added to any type of juice or even plain water for that matter.
With formulator Brad King at the Samuraw booth
SAMURAW
is a new product that has been flying off vitamin & natural food stores of late. There’s no deception or hype because health fanatics have developed it to deliver optimal nutrition to kids when they need it most. The organic vitamims, minerals and cofactors are 100% absorbed by the body – compared to less than 25% with synthetic vitamins. Every serving (of one scoop) contains the nutrient equivalent of 7 servings of fruits and vegetables. It includes the world’s most clinically-tested probiotic and does not have preservatives, fillers, binders, artificial sweeteners or flavouring agents of any kind. It’s the first truly natural 100% organic, real-food-derived multi vitamin/mineral formula.
In essence…it really kicks butt!
Well that was pretty much my inspiration for the past weekend
Be what you want to be (or better still; who you want to be).Change your future. Sometimes the future makes changes without your consent. Makes changes you didn’t want or hope for. But you can still make some changes that will make a difference.
Do things differently.
Enrich others’ lives.
Face your fears.
Get out of neutral.
Have fun.
Initiate friendships.
Jumpstart possibilities.
Knock the “t” off can’t.
Live enthusiastically.
Be Nonjudgmental (try, try hard!)
Orchestrate your legacy.
Plan for tomorrow.
Question your priorities.
Reinvent yourself (even if you’re not Madonna or David Bowie).
Stop keeping score (unless you have money on the game of course).
Take a leap of faith.
Uncork your mind (maybe along with a good bottle of wine).
Value who you are.
Wake up your luck.
Explore your spirituality.
Yearn for fulfillment.
Zoom in on love.
Source: Meiji Stewart – A taste of Chicken Soup to Inspire a Woman’s Soul.
Here are some really simple fun ideas to incorporate this time of the year.
Leaf Place Cards are perfect for a festive dinner party.
Pumpkins are a dime a dozen (well not exactly, but close)
Pumpkin Votive HoldersPumpkin Candy Jars. A different hue for each canister. And you won’t be tempted to eat them.Pumpkin Vase
How many pumpkins are too many? Never too many in October!
Pumpkin Fireplace Filler. Considering you have a fireplace of course.White Pumpkin and Lavender Basket makes for a pretty palette.
Pine cones are plentiful right now and make a lovely looking centrepiece. Sometimes I just put some in a bowl of varying sizes.
Pinecone and LED Vases
As for leaves… you can pick them up right outside your door.
These large maple leaves make for a simply stunning coffee table centrepiece with tealights (in individual glass holders) on driftwood. Images: d. king
Let your imagination run wild and enjoy what nature and the pumpkin patch has to offer.
Enjoy the day, the company and the food!
You have more fashionable options in colder weather. Winter is not my favorite season but I love winter coats because there’s so many choices. It’s the last thing you put on before going out the door and first thing people see you in. You can have fun with them.
It sounds exotic and it tastes exotic but basically it translates to: red pepper and walnut spread. This good-for-you recipe is also easy to make. Which in my estimation is always a plus.
Change your future. Sometimes the future makes changes without your consent. Makes changes you didn’t want or hope for. But you can still make some changes that will make a difference.
Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the Fall – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
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