Month: January 2015

winter woes

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the winter months are typically the more boring months when living in a cold climate. the desire to leave the house unnecessarily really just isn’t there. since everything is boring- your clothes are always covered by a jacket, you’re always wearing big clunky boots and the only food that’s appealing is food that serves the dual purpose of keeping you warm, that often means being creative with the grocery list. ideally this ensures that you only have to go once, at the most twice a week and that the food you’re making lasts a few days. you also never know when a snow storm will make getting around the city an incredible burden. that’s why i’m a huge soup fan. you can make a huge pot and you’re good to go for at least 3 meals and possibly more if you freeze portions. the fun part is finding new recipes to try so that you don’t get bored of your food.

i know i’ve said it before, but my crock pot is my go-to for my soup projects. yes the cook time is longer but the prep time is virtually non existent. i just found another crock pot recipe that i made over the weekend for the upcoming week. it’s quick to prepare and extremely healthy. the recipe gives the option at the end of using a n emersion blender to make more of a puree but i prefer to leave my soups with whole vegetables.

Black Bean Slow Cooker Soup

  1. 2 large carrots
  2. 3 celery stalks
  3. 1 medium onion
  4. 1 lb uncooked black beans
  5. 2 cloves of garlic
  6. 1 tbs chili powder (use less if you don’t love spicy)
  7. 1/2 tbs cumin
  8. 1 cup salsa
  9. 4-6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth (i used 4 and it gave me a less soupy soup)

Dice up all of your vegetables and put into the crock pot. Add all your remaining ingredients. Cook on high 4-8 hours. You want the beans to be very soft by the time your cooking is complete. The varying cooking time is due to the different intensities and sizes of crock pots used. It took my soup around 5 hours until it was ready

Now serve and Enjoy!

xx- aboutthesmallthings

sweet nothings

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handmcandlea handmkitchen hmstorage i’m always looking for really fun ways to spruce up my apartment. i spend a lot of time a Winners Homesense searching the isles for a great find. I love it there but often walk out with nothing because i can’t always find what i’m looking for. (i always find a lot of fantastic things i’m not looking for, but that’s not great for the savings account). i’ve tried to find things at Zara Home since it’s more consistent and they put out lines each season, however unless it’s on sale, it always feels like it’s just a few more dollars than i want to spend. i love all the expensive places too, Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn always have amazing fixtures, furniture and home supplies, but they are always left behind due to the price point.

about to give up, i discovered a gem. an amazing rare gem that right now, can only be found in one province in Canada.(boo) I came across H & M home. i didn’t even know they were coming out with a home line! let me tell you though, bravo H & M. they’ve put together a fantastic assortment of decor, storage, dishes, bathroom accessories and the list goes on and on. the best part? the price! they’ve made everything fantastic and affordable which makes it even more appealing. you can literally go in and buy accessories for each season and not feel guilty about it. sadly, my discovery was made on a work trip and i couldn’t fit any of my finds in my suitcase so everything was left behind. sad fact #2- it’s also not available online yet so until H & M brings home closer to home, i’ll be waiting with baited breath

Check out the finds on their website http://www.hm.com/ca/department/HOME

xx- aboutthesmallthings

wake up and be awesome

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they say how you spend your New Year’s Eve is a reflection of how you will spend your year. this often leaves people with this sense of panic around the ninth hour when their plans aren’t quite playing out the way they had hoped. midnight strikes, a new year begins and we’re asked the same question we’re asked every year “What are your new year’s resolutions going to be?”

the reality is, a new year’s resolution often lasts no more than the first few weeks of the year. you get super pumped, go to the gym for a few days or cut out sugar and then slowly find yourself slipping back into your old habits. so this year, i decided not to resolve. i decided to stop making promises i couldn’t keep. this year, i decided i was just going to wake up, and be awesome.

what does that statement actually mean?  it means not promising to make huge changes that impact your every day routine, but making small, realistic changes that over time will create the big change you’re hoping for.

so- what have i promised myself for this year?

  1. Continue doing the workouts i love- i hate the gym but i like to challenge myself. i found a workout i love. it’s a class that i have to commit to and leaves me feeling great whenever i go. i had intended to cut down once my vacation had passed, but ensuring that i keep going at least twice a week in the new year will keep me happy and keep the changes i’ve seen in my body (thank you reformer pilates!)
  2. don’t spoil but don’t starve- i love to shop but hate to spend. sounds like a catch 22 i know. so instead of telling myself i’m going to cut out shopping altogether, i’m telling myself there are rules to my spending. right now, i’m only buying things of value and things that i need. (actually need though,not just want). that saves me from regretful spending and the dreaded buyers remorse
  3. wake up and be awesome- years ago, i read a book that really stuck with me. the overall message is what you put out into the world is what you get from it. like attracts like. this philosophy has been how i’ve tried to live my life. each day, reminding myself that my life is, well, awesome. so this year it’s not just about reminding myself that life is great, it’s about waking up each day actually being awesome.

so the questions remains, what have you resolved or unresolved to do for 2015?

xx and happy new year!-aboutthesmallthings