snowy welcome to a new life?

Woke up to predicted snowstorm this morning. Today is supposed to be my baby boy’s birthday. What a welcome! The question is - will today really be his birthday? If only there was some way to know for sure. For now, we just wait. It’s no longer the calm before the storm, it truly is the storm!

I will probably be away for awhile after today. Thanks to everyone who continues to read this blog, and hopefully before too long I’ll be back with some new, fun and informative nutrition tidbits!

 

a pregnant girl’s breakfast treat

Multigrain bagel toasted, spread with almond butter and a bit of nutella swirled in, generously sprinkled with ground flaxseeds. It’s all good.

 

be like the squirrel, girl

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again - Monday mornings are in dire need of some really good music. One of my favorite bands is The White Stripes, and I have become completely obsessed with their song Little Acorns. It’s one of those things where all the elements are absolutely perfect to me. I love the garage-band sound, and I think it’s totally awesome that they sing about a squirrel. But the icing on the cake is the words of wisdom in the speech at the beginning of the song:

When problems overwhelm us and sadness smothers us,
where do we find the will and the courage to continue?
Well the answer may come in the caring voice of a friend,
a chance encounter with a book, or from a personal faith.

For Janet, help came from her faith, but it also came from a squirrel.

Shortly after her divorce Janet lost her father, then she lost her job.
She had mounting money problems but Janet not only survived,
she worked her way out of dispondency and now she says life is good again.

How could this happen?

She told me that late one autumn day when she was at her lowest,
she watched a squirrel storing up nuts for the winter. One at a time
he would take them to the nest, and she thought if that squirrel
can take care of himself with the harsh winter coming on, so can I.

Once I broke my problems into small pieces I was able to carry them,
just like those acorns, one at a time…

Thank heavens for great music.

(sorry, no video, only sound!)

 

 

perfectly pink smoothie

One banana, a handful of frozen raspberries, 4 spoonfuls of yogurt, a few splashes of pineapple juice, a sprinkling of flaxseeds. A perfectly pink drink to lift the spirits on a chilly, blustery day.

 

morning lemon - a soothing natural cold remedy

When I was young and had a cold, my Mom would fix me a simple drink of lemon, honey and hot water. Like always, Moms know best - why reach for something like NeoCitran which contains some nasty non-medicinal ingredients (here’s a little sample: D&C yellow No. 10, FD&C yellow No. 6, flavours) when all you may need is a vitamin C blast from the lemon, and some antibacterial goodness and energy from the honey to get you feeling better. Plus, it’s really the warm steamy liquid itself that goes a long way in soothing your body and soul.

What could be easier:
- slice up some lemon, squeeze and throw slices into cup
- add a generous squeeze of honey
- add just before boiled water and stir
- enjoy!

 

december views - everythings gone green

Bonus pic: shocking green smoothie!
recipe: two bananas, 1 cup vanilla almond milk, two handfuls chopped up kale, tablespoon flaxseed, squeeze of honey - whiz it up!

 

product newsflash - naturally coloured candy canes

I have to interrupt the silence of December views to let you know about a great product - naturally coloured and flavoured candy canes made by Pure Fun, who have made an appearance on this blog before. I took a special trip to Whole Foods the other day, and was rewarded when I turned the corner into the salad bar section and saw a huge display of these beauties. I was so excited to try them - they taste great. It’s so nice to know you can eat something fun and sweet this time of year and not worry about the artificial colouring. And the price is not bad - $2.99 for a pack of 12 is definitely worth it to me. So I thought I’d share this photo of cupcakes I made for our neighbours using the candy canes as a topping on peppermint frosting. Unfortunately I did not get to taste one of these lovelies this time around, but have been told they were yummy!

 

december views - the view from up here

 

december views - blue views

peeking out…

looking up…

taking a break…

 

december views - more than words can say…

Through my good friend Suzie’s blog, I found out about a December blog project to just post pictures, and take a break from the writing (if you have a blog and want to participate, you can let daisies know). I like this idea - especially since I work from home and am very pregnant, it gives me motivation to get my butt off my office chair and do something creative every day. Some of my pics will be food, but not all - as a holistic person, I believe everything that is going on in your life is important to your complete state of health, so my pictures will reflect that idea. I thought I would start off with something that is a given each day for me - my cat demanding cuddles in my office. As you can see, working from home and being pregnant add up to not getting properly dressed before noon. So after today, expect pics, and less words. Let’s enjoy the silence…