Everyday Thoughts. Wellness. Food. Photography.
Toxic Positivity has been a bit of a buzzword lately, and I think a really helpful one. Basically, toxic positivity is when you always try to be positive, happy, or have a smiley-attitude, despite experiencing negative feelings. It's called toxic positivity because this kind of positivity, that fails to acknowledge, dismisses, or attempts to erase … Continue reading Rewriting Toxic Positivity Expressions
Our world is steeped in fear right now. And frankly, rightly so. There are a lot of scary and difficult things that are happening right now. But I had an experience recently that really pushed me to change how I feel about this whole COVID situation, and more importantly, what I am focusing on, and … Continue reading Acting Out of Kindness, Not Fear
This is such a great recipe. I know it's my own recipe and I should refrain from self flattery but, it really is that good. I put together this recipe a few years ago after seeing a few different variations on stuffed peppers and wanting to try it out for myself. So, I threw it … Continue reading Vegetarian Tex-Mex Stuffed Bell Peppers
It is a difficult time for so many. The world is hurting. Everywhere I look there seem to be people struggling, huge systemic problems, and injustices. Today it is Thanksgiving in Canada, even if it doesn't feel or look like it. And I'm not going to lie this year it is much harder and more … Continue reading Thanksgiving in Times of Adversity
The word meditation has often been misunderstood, narrowly stereotyped, and the people who practice or promote it ridiculed. These stereotypes and misunderstandings often stem from prejudice and limited understandings of many eastern philosophies. Not all meditation looks alike and so if crossed-legged stillness is what you picture, or the perfect serenity of the Buddha, and … Continue reading 5 Ways to Meditate at Home
It's a cold day here today so, I thought I would share a simple, easy, cold weather recipe that I made for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I've typically always roasted my chickens in the oven. It was how I learned to do it growing up and so I'd never really thought … Continue reading Slow Cooker Roast Chicken
Written on October 1st, 2020. This is a journal of my thoughts and feelings during the pandemic of COVID-19 We blinked, and now it's October. As I mentioned in the previous chronicle, time has continued to pass quite oddly for me lately. Imperceptively slowing down and then rocketing forward. I've had a turbulent couple of weeks. My … Continue reading Covid Chronicles – Part 9
I have another cozy recipe for you! This is a great recipe when you are looking to change things up a little from traditional "brown" beef stew. The paprika and caraway offer a rich flavour with a different kick, while not being spicy. This recipe can be made in the slow cooker if you don't … Continue reading Hungarian Goulash
Fall is such a beautiful time of the year. The leaves are changing and showing their magnificent colors. The temperature drops a little and we enjoy cozy-er nights, not to mention fall fashion. Overall, I love the fall it's one of my favourite times of the year. But there is one thing that I don't … Continue reading Let’s Talk About Feeling S.A.D
I told you hearty meals were coming! To me Chili is one of the most fall recipes I can think of. Growing up, my mom would often make Chili on Halloween. It was easy and she could let it cook all afternoon while she got our costumes ready, the candy bags for the neighborhood kids … Continue reading Vegetarian Slow Cooker Chili
Written on September 15th, 2020. This is a journal of my thoughts and feelings during the pandemic of COVID-19. I've been having a lot of thoughts and feelings about the strange nature of time lately. Time has seemed to pass both very slowly and then suddenly quite quickly to a point where I almost feel … Continue reading Covid Chronicles – Part 8
Pain is human, it's normal, and it's okay. There is something profoundly alive about feeling pain, loss, and grief.
It has been so chilly and dark here the last few days. I've found myself missing the sun, but I'm also excited to see the leaves begin to change. The change of the seasons is also a great time to change up my menu a bit. I'm definitely a supporter of seasonal menus as I … Continue reading Mushroom Pea Lemon Parsley Risotto
I have been writing up a storm lately. Its been awesome. I've been inspired by the recent growth of the blog and Instagram and also generally inspired by a lot of things around me. But I find the more I write the more I feel the pressure to keep it up, to continue to be … Continue reading The Pressure to Produce: Talking About Productivity
And just like that we are stepping into fall! I feel like July went by really slowly, but August just basically disappeared. While I have enjoyed the summer and summer cooking with lighter fresher tastes, I am excited for fall and holiday cooking. Warmer, cozier, heavier meals that nourish the soul. With fall beginning many … Continue reading 3 Easy and Affordable Weeknight Dinners from Frozen
Written on August 23rd, 2020. This is a journal of my thoughts and feelings during the pandemic of COVID-19. Well, I thought I had dodged the summer blues this year but it seems to have caught up with me. While at the beginning of the summer I sort of wished time would pass quickly so … Continue reading Covid Chronicles – Part 7
I love pasta, it's probably obvious to those of you who follow me on here or over on Instagram. Does anyone not like pasta?Lately, I've been wanting to branch out my pasta recipes a little. I tend to make the same sauces often, and so I decided to try to experiment with a new sauce … Continue reading Easy Red Pepper Rosé Sauce
Juniper is almost 5 months old! Wow, the time sure goes by really quick when they are so little. It is hard to believe we brought home our little orange kitty 3 months ago, we are just so in love with her. But bringing her home did come with some struggles. It wasn't exactly perfect … Continue reading 10 Tips to Socialize a Feral Kitten: An Update on Juniper
When I started my blog back in April of this year it was very much on a whim. I'd been thinking about starting a blog for years but had never really had the courage to do so. While I felt this drive to share my experiences and thoughts with the world I had a lot … Continue reading A Dream Coming True
As summer draws to a close, I thought I would share with you one last summer salad recipe that I love. I think many of us, myself included, are trying to enjoy just a few more barbecues before the colder season comes. This was another summer salad recipe that I came up with to try … Continue reading Couscous Chickpea Feta Summer Salad
I just finished reading this beautiful memoir, From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle. I was so excited when I ordered it back at the beginning of the pandemic, I knew it would be my summer reading pick. Just from reading the synopsis on the back, I knew it was going to be a book that … Continue reading Book Review of From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle
When I sat down to plan out my posts for this coming week I was trying to figure out what cooking adventure I should share. But, I'll be honest I just haven't been cooking lately. My husband and I have been on vacation for the last 2 weeks and have been really trying to relax, … Continue reading 5 Favourite Take-out Restaurants in Ottawa
The other day, I took it upon myself to sort through ALL of my old photos. I have accumulated so many in this social media age, thousands to be precise, but on my newest computer I hadn't bothered to sort them yet. It's a daunting task I've been putting off for months. But, I finally … Continue reading Embracing Change: A Shift in Mindset
I tried making Red Lentil Dal for the first time at the end of May. I posted about it on my Instagram (linked in the sidebar). I've always really enjoyed dal. There is this small local business close to the university campus that I used to love to go to with my Mom that made … Continue reading Red Lentil Dal
Written on July 17th, 2020 1 month after reopening measures begin in Ontario during the pandemic of COVID-19. This is a journal of my thoughts and feelings. It's sort of weird at this point, I'm not sure whether to even keep calling these Covid Chronicles. With everything reopening, it's almost seems like people are over … Continue reading Covid Chronicles – Part 5 and 6
This is probably my favourite camping recipe. We make it every summer when we go camping and never get tired of it! I learned how to make this recipe from my step-dad while camping with my family as a kid. I remember him always making it on the camp-stove and it was always one of … Continue reading Camp-Stove Favourite: Lentils and Sausage
This past weekend we celebrated my husband's birthday. It was a different kind of birthday this year, as different as anything else it seems right now. We aren't able to celebrate in the ways we usually do or with all of the people we normally would. It can be hard to imagine how to celebrate … Continue reading 10 Ways to Celebrate When You Can’t Leave the House
I've been getting kind of tired of what I've been typically cooking. I think I've gotten stuck in one of those cooking ruts where I'm leaning on the same recipes over and over again. Don't get me wrong, if it's a good recipe that you enjoy, repetition is not necessarily bad but I'm just tired … Continue reading Easy Summer Flatbread Recipe
As I talked about in my recent post on struggle I've been going through a tough time. I've been wrestling with some big questions that don't come with easy answers. Not so much a few blue days where I'm feeling down, but I'm in a season of my life where I need to ask myself … Continue reading 5 Ways to Help Get Through Hard Times
At any moment there are so many opinions and controversies around healthy eating. There are the fad diets, the new research finds, the advice you get from people on social media, your friend, or mother. There's just so much out there. It seems no matter what we eat we're doing it wrong in someone's book. … Continue reading Rethinking Healthy Eating
I'm not going to lie, its been rough lately. There's a lot going on in the world right now, and there's also a lot going on for me in my personal life. It's been overwhelming. It's a lot. I'm okay, but I'm struggling. I'm not really ready or sure that I want to go into … Continue reading I’m Struggling, Isn’t That Enough?
Like most people I have some recipes that are special and close to my heart because they come from my childhood. Often simple comforting recipes, or traditional family recipes that just give us a hug and make us feel all warm and fuzzy. Cheesy, I know (although in this one there isn't much cheese). Today, … Continue reading Tomato-Onion-Butter Sauce: Making a Childhood Favourite
Today is Canada Day. I'll start by wishing you, “Happy Canada Day!”. Or should I? For most of my life I've had a complicated relationship with Canada Day. I've not known exactly how I felt about it, and most of the time I was at least uncomfortable with it. Growing up, Canada Day was a … Continue reading Canada Day: My Complicated Relationship with My Native Land
I think most of us have heard it by now that self-care is really important. Taking time away for yourself to rest, recharge, and show yourself some love is very important for our emotional well-being, health, and happiness. I would like to say self-care can help us with our emotional well-being, can help to foster … Continue reading 5 Affordable Ways for Self-Care at Home
On June 7th, 2020 our family welcomed home a new member. Juniper “June”, a tiny 8-week old kitten. But we also said a final goodbye to another member, our cat Freckles who passed away a year ago in May of 2019. Sunday was a pretty special day. We drove about and hour and a half … Continue reading Welcoming a New Family Member and Moving On from Loss
I've really been craving pub food lately. I don't know if it's because of the weather getting warmer and that has me thinking about terraces and bars, but the past couple of weeks or so, I've really had a hankering for some fish and chips. So, I decided to make some at home (seeing as … Continue reading Making Fish and Chips (Sort of)
This week, I had a couple of posts I was going to write. I had a new cooking adventure ready to go, I had some other post ideas I was starting to formulate, but I'm not going to post them right now. Instead I want to use my platform to draw attention to what is … Continue reading Black Lives Matter
The other night while my husband and I were finishing up a movie we were reading through someone's comments on Facebook who was talking about reopening and how we had to reopen because “isolation hurts people's mental health”. I proceeded to get pretty fired up because I'm getting really tired of these kinds of discussions. … Continue reading Why I Hate the Discourse around Mental Health and Covid-19
Written on April 29th, 2020. Over a month after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada. This is a journal of my thoughts and feelings. My word to describe this situation with Coronavirus has been wild. I hear myself saying it over and over again, "It's just wild everything that is happening". I … Continue reading Covid Chronicles – Part 2
I've come to realize, just how important it is to pursue my interests, dreams, and desires unabashedly. As adults, we often hold ourselves back from things that we want to do or from the person that we want to be because we are worried that we won't be perfect. For me, this usually comes in … Continue reading Stop Waiting for Perfect
I heard an interesting headline the other day about how divorce rates are going up as a result of social distancing measures. The notion of being in prolonged confinement with ones partner or spouse can certainly test the commitment of, “In good times and bad”. In response to this, I have been thinking about how … Continue reading How My Marriage is Surviving Coronavirus
