Woman in Real Life

There are so many wonderful things about fall - bright orange leaves and apple picking and cool breezes flowing through open windows. And then there's tea. Okay, I have tea all year round, but come fall and winter tea keeps me feeling cozy and content.

It's time to pull out all of our lovely, mismatched tea cups and cookie platters and celebrate the warmth and companionship that comes along with a good cuppa tea. Wouldn't it be a lot of fun to invite a few girlfriends over, set out your special china and enjoy a tea party and a good chat? I'm reaching into my dining room armoire these days for pieces like these above (which I previously featured in this post, titled "a cracked plate").

How about we give all of our pretty tea cups a little love this season? Are you with me?

Do you collect tea cups?

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Even though I'm half Irish, I have no plans to celebrate. But at least my photo today has some green in it. That's something, right?

I have a couple of thrifty finds to share, including this "Strawberry Patch" fabric. I found it at the thrift shop and thought it would be perfect for little sewing projects with the kids.

It's What I Ate Wednesday and time for a little look at some food highlights from the past week. I have been trying to eat less chocolate and other sweet stuff. Hence the dried apricots. I grabbed a couple of apricots whenever I craved something sweet. For about two days. Then the apricots were gone.

What is it about sushi? Seriously, do they put something addictive in those little rolls?

You're with me on this, right? Every time I have it, I just want it again. Like, when I look at these pictures, I want to order sushi. And it's 9:00 in the morning!

Anyway, Happy What I Ate Wednesday! I am looking at some highlights of our food from Easter weekend, starting with our Friday night sushi party.

Last week, I showed you my home office organization. This week, the Organizing Revolution continues with week two - the kitchen.

I once read an article in Real Simple about a fabulously organized but seemingly relaxed mother. Her home was simple but lovely. I'm not saying I believe everything I read, but one thing she said stuck with me. Her secret was to ensure that, at the very least, her kitchen was back to clean at the end of each day.

On Saturday, my daughter patiently accompanied me to a local thrift store, where we found some random treasures.

Truth is, we weren’t looking for anything in particular, because we don’t actually need anything. But, that doesn't often stop me.

I’m not sure what I’m going to be using this pitcher for. I already have so many vases. Any ideas?

I think my daughter was sufficiently rewarded for coming along. She came home with the game Guess Who?, a bargain at 99 cents. She also picked up an agenda book, which she checked first to ensure there was a section for phone numbers. Busy social life at seven years old, I suppose. She also chose a diary and a notebook. She is always scribbling away on one piece of paper or another.



She also snagged this pretty shawl.

The tea cup and saucer are mismatched, but I think they look like a happy pair anyway.




On the same visit to The Salvation Army, I found this picture frame. Obviously, I was in some sort of flowers and vases mood. The sunny frame calls for a sunny photo, so I chose a picture of my daughter on the beach in Florida last year.

If music be the food of love, I’ll take cake instead.

Give me excess of it.

Not that I don’t like music, but cake is…cake.

Celebratory and sweet, cake is the perfect companion for a spring day, and the ideal delicacy to share with your friends and loved ones over a cup of tea.

Today, I decided to make a quick and delicious maple syrup cake. I call it Staple Maple Cake because it is so good it could just become a staple in your household. Perfect for unexpected guests or for an easy homemade treat to go with your coffee.

Eat it on its own, dusted with a little icing sugar, or add some special sweetness with Penuche Icing. I highly recommend you do the latter.


You might find that the icing drips gracefully down the sides of the cake. I say so be it! It tastes just the same.

You can even do as I do, and pour it over your own slice using a lovely little creamer jug.

My husband and I enjoyed seeing the whole gang, and, of course, eating Nonna’s food. We only told her we were coming a few hours before dinner time, so we offered to pick up some take-out. But, she would have none of that. I don’t know how she does it, but she had a whole big meal waiting for us. You can see in the pictures the ravioli and spaghetti that the others so enjoyed, the kamut penne that I had, and a dinner plate of: breaded and fried tofu, salad, cauliflower, asparagus and roasted potatoes. Nonna finished with a lovely fruit platter. We later had espresso or tea and a platter of chocolate chip bars that I made from a recipe in How it all Vegan.


On Tuesday, we had fun watching my son and his friends participate in a dribble, jump and shoot competition.


I also made Hannah’s delicious Coconut Vodka Sauce and served it on penne with sides of baked tofu and broccoli with garlic, olive oil and salt.


You know I had to have some sweets too! Besides making my favourite banana bread and some yummy berry oat bars, I also made these berry muffins from a recipe in Vegan Brunch.

When all of this eating occasionally upsets my tummy, I turn to my tea drawer. (It was once a tea chest, but the increased varieties necessitated a tea drawer.) For real tummy emergencies, my go-to brand is this Traditional Medicinals Eater’s Digest tea. It just works somehow.

Have a great weekend!

Linking up to:

The weeks seem to fly by. Here’s another look at my family’s cell phone pictures from the past week.

The best weeks are full of little indulgences that make us feel good, aren’t they? A little food, a nice cup of tea, a fun project completed.

Speaking of making us feel good, we actually had a couple of days of sunshine this week. Quite a pick-me-up. Still, I’m not giving up the Vitamin D drops yet.

Okay, I admit it. Christmas is over.

I am not totally giving up sugar—don’t get crazy now. And, I am not doing any fasting—what joy is there in a life without food? I am simply staying away from wheat and dairy. I am not going totally gluten-free—I am still enjoying spelt and kamut flours and pastas. I, like many people, find they are easier to tolerate than regular wheat products.

Here’s a look at the menu I enjoyed on the first day of my cleanse. It was really easy and didn’t require more work than usual.

My breakfast is basically the same every day, either oats or quick quinoa flakes (pictured).

1 tsp Natural Calm magnesium supplement dissolved in warm water

1 tsp apple cider vinegar (to calm my stomach)

Buckwheat sweet potato noodles with gluten-free teriyaki sauce
Sol Original veggie burger with organic ketchup (no bun)
Corn

Dinner

Spelt flour banana blueberry flax pancakes with Earth Balance margarine and maple syrup
Scrambled eggs

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Lundberg Farms Sante Fe Barbecue rice chips
Traditional Medicinals Eater’s Digest tea (the best tea ever for digestive issues)

Anybody else cleansing? I’d love to hear your plan.

Now that the bitter cold weather has arrived in our area, it’s time to spend our free hours cozying up indoors, enjoying a fire and drinking a cup of hot chocolate. Unless you’re going skiing, of course, but I’m not much of a sports enthusiast. Whether you’re playing a board game, watching a family movie, or reading a great book, I can’t help but think that a little treat would add to your enjoyment.

These easy peanut butter cupcakes, adapted from a recipe from La Dolce Vegan!: Vegan Livin' Made Easy, can be whipped together in a jiffy and enjoyed along with a warm cup of cocoa, coffee or tea.

Next time I make them, I’m going to put a little jam in the middle of each one for a delicious surprise in the centre.

Keeping it Simple