It’s been a while, and I’m sorry for the delay. I mean really, who buys their own domain and then doesn’t post for two weeks?
Me I guess…
I’ll try and post again soon.
Promise.
Canadiana, Eh!
Remember that?
Well, that inspiration turned into this, my Canadiana bedroom!
Welcome, eh : )
Make an entrance…
Here, kitty, kitty…
Put in new laminate grey flooring.
(Replaced bright pink carpet!)
Took an old Ikea dresser and attached birch branches as thrifty handles.
(Great idea mom!)
Take a right turn and you will find the world!
Quilt made by my Nan, many years ago.
(Incorporates all the colours of the room together.)
Classroom map that, once upon a time, was used at my old high school.
Armoire love affair:
Purchased at the Antique Market in Waterford.
(Originally made in Montreal).
Painted, “key” knobs from Stratford, & filled to the brim with all my favourite clothes.
Vintage butter box.
Old barn farm door as headboard.
Side tables found on the road, repainted red.
Good as new!
Wake up in the morning:
A-OK kinda day!
This above all; to thine own self be true.
You maybe can’t tell, but my shirt says,
“Love that beaver.’
No joke.
And now, time to curl up with a good book.
Vintage is the new modern.
Don’t you think?
Like this:
Sometimes it’s the Simple Things
Like this:
Chickpea Sauté with Greek Yogurt
It’s time for Tasty Tuesday!
It’s been a while since I’ve done a foody blog so I decided I better step up my game.
This is a fast and easy dish that can work as a Vegetarian main course or as a side dish to go with Sunday dinner.
This recipe is adapted from my new favourite vegetarian cookbook, Plenty.
You will need:
- 4 medium sized carrots, diced (the smaller the better)
- 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1/2 a leamon
- 1 can of chickpeas
- 2 tbsp mint
- 2 tbsp cillantro
- sea salt & coarse black pepper
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 bunch of broccoli rabe/swiss chard/spinach/or any leafy greens you have will work
Mix together the greek yogurt and a few tbsps of oil;
Stir together with salt & pepper to taste.
Set aside.
Boil a pot full of water and blanch the broccoli rabe.
(NOTE: I didn’t do it this time, but you may also want to blanch the carrots at this point,
otherwise they will be pretty crunchy - if you crave the crunch, don’t blanch, obvi.)
Strain and shock with cold water.
(If you are using spinach you can skip the blanching entirely).
Try and get as much excess liquid off as possible and chop into bite-size friendly pieces.
Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat some more oil in a frying pan.
When the oil is nice and hot add the carrots and sauté for 5 – 7 minutes.
Next add the chickpeas and greens, sauté for another 5 – 7 minutes.
Add herbs and stir for another 2 minutes to combine.
Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Place on a platter or individual plates with a dollop of the greek yogurt mixture.
Drizzle with your best extra virgin olive oil,
let your mouth water for no longer than another minute,
and then: eat!
This dish is also great the next day as a cold salad or you can re-heat for a hot lunch!
Tay-sté!
Like this:
Why It’s So Easy Being Green
Living in a world that has become consumed with technology, it may give us reason to think that “being green” could become a lost cause. Yet, technology has given us so many outlets to become more ecologically responsible. Bills, schedules, and even airline tickets can now be accessed paperless. The Internet and television have made us more connected and globally aware of products available to help protect the environment in every aspect of our lives.
In the home especially, you can now choose a range of products that will help sustain the environment, while still providing beautiful, sleek and modern finishes. The Home Depot has a link on their website (www.homedepot.ca) to a section called “Eco Options,” where you can easily locate the product type you are looking for, from flooring to appliances to décor, there is a way you can help manage your carbon footprint. But the green initiative doesn’t stop at technology and interior/exterior design.
Almost all major grocery stores have become more eco-friendly as well. By providing large reusable bags/bins, made out of recycled materials and typically costing $1, consumers are given a convenient eco-option. And even if you do forget your reusable bags at home, you will be charged 5 cents per plastic bag, which have also become noticeably larger in order to try and reduce the volume of plastic bags and encourage the purchase of reusable ones. The food itself has taken on the green trend; growing organic crops and eating green foods like avocado, broccoli, spinach, and kale are all the buzz with regards to keeping good health and a healthy planet.
The trend of being environmentally friendly has transpired into the fashion world as well. For example, H&M has created the “Conscious Collection.” It is H&M’s “action for a more sustainable fashion future.” This collection uses greener materials such as organic cotton and recycled polyester. Originally the campaign came out in April 2011, and the colour scheme was mainly different shades of white and muted earth tones. However, one year later, they are still producing the collection but have amped up the colour pallet. Walking into the store this season, you will be bombarded—literally—with everything green. Emerging mainly in pastel and mint, but with occasional pops of emerald, green is popping up all over the fashion world and the colour is going to be a huge trend this spring.
So maybe it was the resurgence of Kermit the Frog, or maybe it’s because being eco-conscious has spanned to every outlet of our lives, but I am happy to say that it’s never been so easy being green.
(This article was originally written by me for www.thesilo.ca and published in the March 2012 issue.)
