Oct 25, 2011

Hand-made Gift!

Have you ever received a gift made by hand? With daily life, work schedules, yoga, freelance, social obligations etc. it's difficult to find the time to make something by hand, much less give that special something as a gift to some one else. However, on the seemingly rare occasion you do get a hand-made gift, it's difficult to put into words how special it makes you feel. My good friend Miss Molly (aka C) has been crocheting like a mofo, and has been sending me lovely pics throughout her yarn-filled journey. She decided her next project would be a scarf for yours truly, and MAN did she deliver! I have never had anything actually made for me before, so this was an extremely special experience! In a world where gift cards are so readily available (and oh so usable!) I think we should consider hand-made gifts more, the thoughtfulness factor is through the roof! The act of her using her down time to create something for me means more to me than the actual scarf itself :)  I love my scarf and will treasure it for ever! Thank you so much C- you're awesome!








Oct 24, 2011

Healthied-up Bread Pudding

A few weeks ago I went to a potluck at a friend's place where I brought a healthier version of traditional bread pudding. The potluck was GREAT! All the guests really made a nice effort to bring something yummy and delicious. Another friend made cheesecake kissed with Bailey's and as soon as I saw the blueberries on top I knew exactly what I was having for desert. As a result I skipped the bread pudding (damn!). My family was not impressed to see a large dish of bread pudding leave the house (and since I didn't get to try it myself), I made it again this passed weekend. Janet and Greta of Eat, Shrink and be Merry  REALLY know what they are doing! There are some excellent fat substitutes in this recipe but the flavour is there through an through, I HIGHLY recommend! 






Oct 12, 2011

Peace on Earth, literally!

I entered another challenge on Threadless.com! This challenge in conjunction with Peace On Day, which campaigns for one annual day of global cease fire across the globe. I really liked the intention of the campaign and felt the challenge allowed for a lot of creativity and some strong positive messages. I thought about what Peace on Earth means and then thought it would be fun to create a literal representation. To all the readers, followers and friends who stumble on this blog, PLEASE VOTE FOR MY SUBMISSION! Thank you kindly :)



VOTE!!!



Oct 4, 2011

A Power Yoga Session

Last night with the help of a friend, I tried my very first heated power yoga class at Power Yoga Canada (the Clarkson studio). It was a really different experience from Bikram (but good different!). While chatting with my friend before class started I couldn't help but look around at the studio; there were no mirrors, there were windows, music was playing and the hot room was draped off with fabric (which made the space feel quite serene). There were blocks and straps to one side of the room which are used for additional support in certain postures (a BIG diff for me since we only use heat and our body in Bikram) and the smell of burning incense from the reception area scented the space. Class started with deep breathing, three Om's and we were off to the races. Although the room did not feel as hot as it does in Bikram, I was a dripping wet mess in no time at all! It was QUITE a different experience moving from posture to posture with no rest or savasana in between. Since I was a first timer it would have been nice for more dialog/guidance in and out of postures but overall I really enjoyed the experience. Although I am a Bikram'er for life, I definitely want to experience different classes and types of practices in an attempt to become an informed yogi, let's hope there are more alternative sessions to come in the future! Namaste :)


This type treatment was inspired by the 'flow' aspect of the practice





Oct 3, 2011

Baked Figs with Blue Cheese

This weekend in the GTA we got a little taste of the weather that will be on our doorstep in no time (it really cooled down, a high of 10oC? GAH!). It was definitely a weekend for hibernating indoors, which usually leads to some good eats. Last week I saw this recipe for baked figs with gorgonzola on the Design Sponge blog (and if you have not heard of it, shame on you!). I was sold on the photo alone! This recipe was incredibly easy and pretty damn satisfying (considering I'm a glutton for chocolate and icing). Dolcelatte was tough to find so I used a creamy blue cheese (33% M.F. I believe) which cut the sweetness of figs beautifully. I totally recommend this recipe for a cool autumn day, your home will be filled with the scent of rosemary and sweet honey- need I say more?


Add some biscotti for dipping/spreading and you're good to go!