Trying hard not to be naughty….it’s too close to Christmas!
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, but if it runs out I’ll drink Red.
Cheers to the weekend!
Below is a link to a very helpful article on what is best to feed your dog….aside from the usual kibble.
I’ve been meaning to publish this for months but put it on the back burner. I strongly believe that dogs deserve to eat real food the same as humans for health purposes mostly.
All living creatures deserve real food.
It is narrow-minded to think that dogs should eat only kibble. Perhaps the thought of eating kibbles for the rest of your own life helps make the point that pets forced to do so are being shortchanged.
I’ve been making simple real food meals for my dogs for dinner since day one (day one being the day they came into my care). Unless we’re travelling they get homemade. Not in the morning, just in the evenings. Sometimes in the morning they get oatmeal or eggs but mostly good quality kibble. Aside from health benefits, the enjoyment of watching them polish off a bowl of freshly prepared food, knowing how much they love to eat it, is enough for me to want to make it.
My male sheltie is almost sixteen. I met him when he was eight, and he became mine furever when he was ten. He was used to eating only kibble once a day. But on several occasions he went into a hypoglycemia shock where he could hardly function. Twice I didn’t think he’d even recover. So I decided to change his diet by feeding him twice a day with the second meal consisting of ‘real’ meat & veggies. No filler. Since doing so, he has not gone into shock syndrome once.
Cost wise, buying real food is not as much as you think. You can buy stir-fry beef or chicken on sale, mix it with plain rice, add steamed veggies like yam, sweet potato, zucchini and carrots. Then mix in frozen or canned peas. Ground turkey & fish such as salmon are also good choices. Just like us, they like variety. You can buy canned pure pumpkin and give them a bit of that too. Make enough for several days and refrigerate in portions. Your dog will love you even more for it.
When it comes to buying kibble for your dog please carefully read the label. Animal protein should be at the top of the ingredient list with whole vegetables, fruits and grains next. Don’t forget to check the best before date.
Let’s keep our furry family happy and healthy for as long as we can. It’s the least we can do for them. They enhance our lives, we should do the same for them.
ARTICLE:
https://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/health/articles/feeding-homemade-dog-food.html
Winter vegetable soup for the soul
A friend requested I post a vegetarian/vegan soup recipe. I’ve never followed one so this is a kind of non-recipe recipe. All you need are a variety of vegetables and patience for chopping. Because literally you just chop & toss everything into a pot. This soup is chock full of nutrients & tons of flavor. Because vegetable soup can lean towards being more bland than other kinds, you can play with your spices. Add 21 vegetable spice mix, pepper, sea salt and Herbs de Provence. Of course ***bay leaves are a necessary addition while cooking.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
4 cups of vegetables, roughly chopped. Use a mix of spinach, kale, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, yam, sweet potato, parsley, etc.
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp coconut oil or *ghee (Note: if using ghee, the recipe is no longer vegetarian/vegan)
**4-6 cups vegetable broth (I made mine from scratch but you can use better than bouillon.
Or; water to cover
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon juice
Spices
When serving add 1-2 Tbsp olive oil & sprig of parsley to garnish
Directions
1. Heat coconut oil or *ghee in large pot or a Dutch oven.
2. Add onions and garlic, stirring until fragrant, then add vegetables and stir for a minute or two longer.
3. Add broth or enough water to cover the vegetables. Let simmer for about 30 minutes or until tender and puree in a high speed blender (or with a hand blender) until smooth.
4. Season as desired and serve with a squeeze of lemon, a splash of olive oil and some sea salt (Maldon is a good choice).
*Ghee is a type of clarified butter that’s made from heating butter and allowing the liquid and milk portion to separate from the fat. The milk caramelizes and becomes a solid, and the remaining oil is ghee. Ghee has a long-standing reputation as one of the healthiest cooking fats available. You can buy it at many grocery health-food stores like Whole Foods.
This ingredient has been used in Indian and Pakistani cultures for thousands of years. When used in place of butter, ghee has several benefits. Ghee is rich in conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, a fatty acid known to be protective against carcinogens, artery plaque and diabetes. So it is known.
**Homemade Veggie Stock: I’ve been freezing ends and skins of vegetables like carrots, onions and herbs like parsley, cilantro, etc. to use for making stock. I wash everything before freezing then place them in a pot & heat with covered water. It offers more flavor rather than using plain water. Of course you must discard the vegetables and use only the stock when making veggie soup.
***Nutrient Packed Bay leaves offer us a healthy dose of vitamins A, C, magnesium, calcium, manganese, potassium, and iron. Bay leaves apparently help to soothe body aches. You can add 4-5 bay leaves in 1 litre of water and add to bathwater to relieve sore muscles and rejuvenate the body. Supposed to ease joint pain from arthritis. Try it!
Hope you enjoy it. Let me know how it turned out. xo
A Happy Hotel
EVEN is the name of a new hotel concept by InterContinental Hotels Group which is marketed to travelers’ holistic wellness needs. It’s a hotel with a conscience. It was the first overnight stay on my drive from Vancouver to Palm Springs. And it will be the last on my return.
My very first thought when I walked through the reception area was “they’re onto something.”
For a reasonably priced hotel they offer a lot. Others should follow suit. They set out to defy that travel needs to be a total disruption to your routine. They give you choices designed to help you stay on track. You can rest easy, keep active, eat well all under one very well designed roof.
The rooms not only have natural eucalyptus fiber bedding which create a cooling effect to promote deeper sleep, they also have workout equipment inside each room. Aside from a co-ed gym with cork flooring and fitness videos. Bonus: you can also get Netflix in your room.
The room:
The restaurant offers delicious healthy calorie-counting options. You can count on it whether you want to or not. Great cocktails too. Fresh squeezed orange juice and local organic coffee roasters make for a perfect morning start.
Stay hydrated with fill your bottle water options like lime/ginger + lemon/mint.
Did I mention the friendly, savvy hotel staff?
Not bad right?
Locations to date: New York, Washington, Miami, Sarasota, Fl., Eugene, Or., Seattle (new). More to follow.
Photo: d. king
Visit: https://www.ihg.com/evenhotels/hotels/us/en/reservation
Reflections on what 2018 taught me
About Staying Strong: while I lean towards improving overall bodily strength in the new year, 2018 was mostly about building inner strength. Inner strength will help get you through tough times and give you the courage to move forward. That, plus a good glass of wine and a hearty laugh. Speaking of;
My witty friend Michael has this to say about humour: humour is like a tickle with a pitchfork. The purpose of using humour is about expressing aggression, fear, taboo desires and life’s absurdities in an engaging and entertaining way.
About Feeling it Fully – the good, the bad and the ugly. Learning to embrace it all whatever that may be. Staying open. Learning to accept whatever life throws my way has been a happy, hurtful, grateful, sad, sometimes infuriating, overall empowering learning experience.
I like this excerpt from Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change by Pema Chödrön:
You build inner strength through embracing the totality of your experience, both the delightful parts and the difficult parts. Embracing the totality of your experience is one definition of having loving-kindness for yourself.
About Relationships: when you spend more time analyzing a relationship than enjoying it – something is wrong. But you know what? – maybe we should try to analyze what’s wrong. Because maybe we can resolve it; or not! If it’s worthwhile it will be resolved. In the meantime….respect is essential and enjoyment is key. As Oscar Wilde once said:
Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary.
About Good Girlfriends: always keep your girlfriends close – they are a gift. They’re the ones who know you, know what’s good for you and how to make you laugh. A good friend will always stab you in the front. ―
About Dogs. No matter what, they never change. They love you for all that you are and all you’re not. I aspire to be the person my dogs think I am.
About Life: it’s pretty simple actually….if you keep it simple. Confucius said: Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated.
About making a leap:
Most importantly of all, there’s hope, perhaps the most powerful force in life.
Wishing you a Happy Holiday!
Website: https://www.ihg.com/evenhotels/hotels/us/en/reservation
SLOW COOKER CREAMY LEMON CHICKEN
A slow cooker is such a great kitchen appliance to have around. Especially if you want to let something simmer for a long time without worrying about it. I found this recipe on a website called dinnerthendessert. Original recipe calls for chicken breasts but it’s equally good using chicken thighs. It’s also perfect as a pasta topping! In fact that’s exactly what I did the next day – with tossed linguine.
This recipe is not only simple to make, it’s simply delicious with a creamy butter, garlic and lemon coating.
INGREDIENTS
- 5 *chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1/2 teaspoon **kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 lemons juiced and zested
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon chicken base (optional) but delicious! I use “better than bouillon”
INSTRUCTIONS
-
In a large cast iron skillet add 1 tablespoon of butter to melt on medium high heat.
-
Add the kosher salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning to the chicken and add it to the pan.
-
Cook on each side for about 5 minutes to brown.
-
Add the chicken to your slow cooker.
-
Cover with lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic and the rest of the butter in pieces (lemons in the picture is just for reference. Don’t cook the lemons in the slow cooker).
-
Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours.
-
In a large measuring cup add the half and half, cornstarch and chicken base (bouillon) and whisk well.
-
Add the liquid, mix, and cook an additional hour on high.
*Did you know?
Canada banned the use of hormones in Canadian poultry on March 4, 1963. Though it is rare, some marketers still classify their chicken as “hormone-free.” This is used as a marketing tactic, since all chickens raised in Canada have been raised without added hormones.
**Why do recipes recommend kosher salt?
Kosher salt is often recommended by TV chefs because it has a less intense and more pure, salty taste and because it’s easier to pick up the crystals and toss them into the pot! The flaky structure also makes it easy to spread atop your food.
By the way, kosher salt is so called because of its role in the process for preparing foods such as meats according to the Jewish tradition. Because it has so much surface area and doesn’t dissolve as quickly as table salt. Though it’s not much different than regular salt, it’s less likely to contain anti-caking agents and added iodine.
Let me know how you like it?
It’s been a while since I’ve had some serious Style Inspiration but this goes beyond. This is global fashion culture. I’m talking about the first Canadian exhibition devoted to the work of Guo Pei, China’s preeminent couturière, and the first fashion exhibition ever presented at the Vancouver Art Gallery. In collaboration with SCAD FASH MUSEUM OF FASHION + FILM. On until January 20, 2019. Simply Superb!
Featuring more than forty complete looks from Pei’s most iconic runway shows from 2006 to 2017. Theatrical, extravagant (no kidding) creations combining contemporary aesthetics, production methods and materials with ancient tradition, evoking Chinese history and mythology in her technique with fabric selection and imagery. These photos do not do her justice.
Rhianna wore this gown to the Met Gala. It is made of silk & fox fur.
If you get the chance I highly recommend checking it out. To date it is definitely the most magnificent display I’ve ever come across in fashion.
When you desire something cool and refreshing….
Possibly the world’s most decadent vending machine was unveiled earlier this year by Tiffany & Co.
Inside the space of the jewelery brand’s new London store in Covent Garden is a vending machine – in which the brand is hoping to encourage creativity and playfulness. Instead of buying a chocolate bar or a packet of sun chips, you can quench your thirst for something different by picking up the brand’s first fragrance. How original is that?
As well as the world’s chicest vending machine, the jewelery brand has installed a number of other elements to encourage creativity and spending. This includes Tiffany Blue wooden crates displaying whimsical ‘Everyday Object’ accessories and a #MakeItTiffany personalization bar.
How FUN is that?
In the meantime, make it a good weekend!
One Enchanted Evening
Pretty Prosecco Lady – YES PLEASE!
It was a bittersweet event at Vancouver’s Fairmont Waterfront Hotel last Saturday for the annual 65 Roses Gala to benefit cystic fibrosis (CF) because of the absence of my BFF Colleen Kohse. As The Globe & Mail wrote for some, Colleen’s very existence was hope itself.
CBC TV and radio journalist Gloria Macarenko was the host of this annual fundraiser along with Jeremie Saunders of the Sickboy podcast. Jeremie if you don’t already know, lives with CF.
Gloria mentioned something eerie but special to me at the start of the evening. She said last April she opened up her phone and the first thing that popped up on her screen without her searching for it, was a photo of her and Colleen from last year’s gala. Then very shortly after that, a phone call explaining that Colleen had passed away that day. It does make one wonder.
The evening began with a delicious signature lavender-infused gin + rosemary cocktail, prosecco and full bar. In otherwords; no lack of alcohol.
Beautiful songstress Amanda Wood started off the evening with a gorgeous rendition of “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman along with help (not that she needed it) from a choir.
We ate a delicious multi course dinner with wine pairings and were able to peruse the silent auction items online as well as outside the ballroom. Our photographer Charles doubled as the auctioneer for live auction items and did a fantastic job – multi-talented is he. Entertainment followed which had pretty much everyone on the dance floor for late night dancing.
The 18th annual 65 Roses gala was proudly presented by B2Gold Corp. The evening was of course dedicated to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis, Canada’s most common inherited fatal disease.
Since its founding in 2001, the 65 Roses Gala has raised more than $4 million for CF research and patient advocacy.
We hope to continue to do more so that CF can finally stand for “Cure Found.”
To find out more and/or make a donation please visit:
Talking about one of the decades most coveted IT bags. THE Dior Saddle Bag.
The thing about vintage collector bags is that they never really go out of style. Personally if I’ve spent a lot on a bag I don’t intend to wear it for only one season. I intend to keep it forever. The Dior saddle bag in all of its many reiterations was an iconic accessory of the early 2000’s and the fashion house brought it back to the runway for the Fall 2018 show.
Carried by everyone from Paris Hilton to Carrie Bradshaw and beyond, Dior’s ubiquitous saddle bag cemented its status as one of the key looks of the era. Though most often done in Dior’s signature logo print, the It bag was offered in a wide array of styles, patterns and colors in its prime.
Vintage styles of the Dior saddle bag have been quickly selling out on luxury resale sites like Vestiaire Collective and The RealReal for the past few months. The bag has been spotted on models like Bella Hadid along with a rising number of fashion bloggers on Instagram.
Ha. And I’ve been wearing my non-flashy tan leather saddle bag off and on since I first bought it in Los Angeles many years ago. And I’ve never gotten tired of it.
Which style is your preference- Plain, Logo, or Printed?
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
You must be logged in to post a comment.