Showing posts with label decaf green tea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label decaf green tea. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The perfect Mother's Day gift


I had a very peaceful Mother’s Day, a good portion of which I spent on my bed.
My family brought me a lovely breakfast featuring my new favourite pancakes—maple and apple cinnamon pancakes from the Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook.
I piled up a stack of magazines and books on my bed, and spent some post-breakfast time reading. I also dozed off a bit. I really can’t help it. I would rather read, but the sleep just comes.
It was a beautiful, sunny day and I could hear the sounds of geese and frogs in the pond behind our house.
My children brought me sweet, handcrafted cards and even a sculpture made out of pencils.
They also gifted me with a wonderful comfort box.
For a long time now, I have been wanting to outfit a comfort drawer, filled with some of my favourite items and special treats. Comfort drawers are to be used on those dismal days that we all experience, when, for unexplained reasons, we just feel down and gloomy.


Turns out, my family included several of my favourite self-nurturing items in their Mother’s Day gift, which they presented in a charming little suitcase.

So, I figured, why not a comfort box rather than a comfort drawer? It has the added advantage of being portable, which might just come in handy if you would rather sit and mope in front of the fireplace than in your bed.

My husband and the kids went shopping together, and picked out a magazine, some books, a movie, sweet potato chips, body lotion, chocolate and some Swedish Berries.  I am quite impressed by their choices…these are many of my favourite small comforts.


I have a bit of an owl obsession, so they were all pleased when they found this owl mug.
I would only add to my comfort box some tea bags and a lovely scented candle.
Apparently my family even picked out a candle, but misplaced it somewhere before they got to the cash.

I would have to say that, for me, this was the perfect Mother's Day gift, filled with simple pleasures to brighten my day.
I bet this would make a great Father's Day gift as well, with some carefully chosen items.
What do you think? What would you choose for your husband or your dad?
How about you...what would you put in your own comfort box?
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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Grocery List, part two


Last week, I shared part one of my list of favourite natural and organic grocery products. Today, in part two of my grocery list, I am including my everyday essentials—items that I can’t (or won’t) live without.
Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread is our everyday margarine and butter replacement. It is plant-based, vegan, gluten-free and contains no artificial ingredients or hydrogenated oils. I know I sound like an advertisement, but this is good stuff!

Have you seen the ingredients in some bouillon powders? Scary stuff—MSG being one of the worst. Harvest Sun Vegetable Bouillon Powder is our staple for making soups. The ingredients are pretty simple: Yeast Extract, Sea Salt, Potato* & Corn Starch*, Anti-Caking Agent Calcium Carbonate, Carrots*, Leeks*, Non-Hydrogenated Palm Oil*, Celery*, Parsley*, Turmeric*, Nutmeg*. (*certified organic)

I have tried a number of different brands of tofu over the years, and my clear favourite is Sol Cuisine Organic Firm Tofu. One, it is nice and firm and fries or bakes up well. Two, it is organic, which means no GMO soy. Three, it is made with calcium, so it has the added bonus of contributing a bit of non-dairy calcium to your diet.

I have talked before about Premier Japan Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce. Pour a half a bottle of this over a pound of tofu cut into triangles, add some garlic powder and olive oil, and bake for about half an hour. There. You have yourself an easy meat substitute for dinner.

I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to caffeine. It makes me shaky and agitated. And, like you, I hear all about the benefits of green tea. So, my drink of choice is decaf green tea. I like to try different brands, but most often I drink Stash Decaf Premium Green Tea.

Almost every Tuesday is "Taco Tuesday" at our house. Now that I am avoiding regular wheat, I can’t have the Yves meatless ground round. Luckily, I found Sol Organic Veggie Crumbles. Saute them in olive oil and add some spices like chili powder and garlic powder and they make a great taco filler, along with refried beans, tomatoes, guacamole...and my next item.

A handy addition to our Taco Tuesdays is Tofutti Sour Supreme, a non-dairy sour cream imitator. I’m not saying this is healthy, whole food, but it adds a nice little flavour and texture to your taco. We all need a little treat!

VitaSpelt Spelt Elbows also make for a quick, healthy and delicious dinner, using the on-the-package recipe for pasta with tomato sauce and chickpeas. And, this pasta is from Abruzzo, where my husband’s extended family lives.
Next time, I’m going to share some items that are more snacks than they are essentials.
Although, snacking is essential to me. How about you?
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