Friday 27 February 2015

Be the ONE!

It only takes ONE spark to start a fire and they say it only takes SIX seconds to brighten someone's day. This could be holding the door for someone, saying hello, letting someone ahead of you in line etc. If we all just made it a priority to practice the SIX second act of kindness think of the positive impact this would have on the world. It is an awesome feeling to help others but what is more amazing is the effect it has on others. Someone that has been the product of a random act of kindness will generally turn around and in some way or form, reciprocate the act of kindness shown to them. It is the best chain reaction ever.

Here is a video I found on YouTube that is the perfect example of this amazing cause and effect. 

Start the domino effect! It only takes ONE and that ONE could be YOU!
Kindness is contagious, help to spread it all around!

xoAngela

Wednesday 25 February 2015

Quinoa and Black Beans

One thing that keeps me eating healthy is planning my meals, this includes lunch. As I mentioned in earlier posts, I like to make a big pot of soup, stew or veggie chili and heat this up for lunch on weekdays. This makes for a very quick and easy lunch which gives me lots of time to walk the dog etc.

I came across this recipe for Quinoa and Black Beans on allrecipes.com and discovered it works perfectly to heat up for lunch as well. The cumin and cayenne spice give it a nice Cajun flavor. I like to top it off with a drizzle of Sriracha chili sauce to amp up the heat. (I have a secret love for Sriracha, I put in on everything!)

The recipe calls for two cans of beans but I think one is enough. I also added green peppers with the onions to incorporate more veggies. I chose not to use cilantro as I am not a huge fan but it would be a great touch of freshness if you do like it.

This would make a great side dish in lieu of rice or potato. Quinoa is a super food loaded with lots of protein, fiber and minerals. This meal keeps my belly feeling full all afternoon.

INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
2. Mix quinoa into onion mixture and cover with vegetable broth; season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until quinoa is tender and broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes; mix in the black beans and cilantro.
(source, allrecipes) 

Enjoy!
xoAngela

Monday 23 February 2015

Date Night!

My husband and I don't have many "date nights" at this stage of our busy lives, but occasionally when we do we make the most of it. One thing I have learned to appreciate is the importance of making time for US! Well.....this past Saturday hubby and I ventured out for a night on the town kid-less, as we joke!

Marriage is the foundation of a family. Just like the foundation that keeps your house strong, a healthy marriage keeps the family strong. I am certainly no expert in relationships but I do know marriage takes work and relationships that get lazy often suffer.

My husband and I cherish every minute we have with our children. We work full time and have busy lives and look forward to the weekends. I miss my kids when I am apart from them, and I often feel guilty when I do have to go out. One thing I have learned is to never forget the importance of US (husband and wife) time too. Our love is the reason for all the wonderful things we have been blessed with.
Moral of the story, never lose yourselves or your spark in the ciaos of children, work etc. Always make time for yourselves, listen to one another and focus on your foundation.  Plan that DATE!

"Love Is The Flower You've Got To Let Grow" 
-John Lennon

xoAngela

Friday 20 February 2015

Snowmageddon 2015!

Well hello my lovely blog friends it’s been a while, my apologies! Things have been so busy and unfortunately my blog has taken a backseat in terms of top priorities. 

Hope you all had a nice Valentines day! My family and I all went out for a nice Valentines dinner. The best part about it was spending the day with my two favorite girls and my handsome man. We woke up the following Sunday after Valentines day to another snow storm. We spent the snowy day indoors playing games, watching movies etc. The one and only thing I do actually love about snow storms is staying put and not having to go anywhere.

Here is a picture found on buzzfeed. It is not my house but pretty similar. The snow banks are huge!
View image on Twitter

In Easter Canada we have been pummeled with many snow storms this year leaving us with mass amounts of snow. If there is any more snow to come I honestly don’t know where we will put it, seriously! 

Aside from snow storms, we have been hanging pretty low and trying not to spend money. I am guilty of one small purchase though. During one of the “many” storms Tarte had a "snowed in" promotion and offered free shipping.  What can I say..... I could not resist. Here is my newest and “pinkest” lipstick yet. It is the glamazon long wear lipstick in Foxy (now 10 dollars off). It's a great mid winter pick me up purchase! I love it! 
tarte glamazon lipstick foxyAs you may recall I lost my camera a little while back which has really set me back a lot. I just got another one a couple of days ago so I am just about ready to rock and roll. I really hope to get back on track with regular posts soon. Thanks for your patience.
 Anyone watching the Bachelor? Who are you rooting for?
xoAngela

Friday 6 February 2015

One Nutty Date

I am sure you have had one or two nutty dates in your life........   You can be sure the nutty dates I am talking about are the ones that will keep you coming back for more and more though, not running for cover (wink)!

I had some dates left over after making my "energy balls" so I thought why not try something a little different. After surfing the net I came across a recipe that incorporates dates into the "classic" peanut butter cookie. The verdict, AMAZING! The dates add a nice touch of texture and sweet caramel taste.  I also added a about 1/4 cup of chocolate chips to mine as well. Go big or go home with these suckers!

(source)
ONE NUTTY DATE
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces pitted dates, chopped (I used about 10 dates)
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (I did not have these so I omitted them)

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Beat brown sugar, butter, peanut butter and cinnamon in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed. Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; beat until well mixed, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Stir in dates and walnuts. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before baking.
Use a small scoop (1 3/8- to 1 1/2-inch) and drop balls of dough 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet. (If you do not have a scoop, shape the dough by hand into 1- to 1 1/4-inch balls.) Gently press each ball to flatten slightly.
Bake the cookies until the edges are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Hope you enjoy!
xoAngela

Tuesday 3 February 2015

Sephora Wish List

I have pulled together my current Sephora wish list. Some are newbies, others are old favorites. I love the LaVanilla deodorants and the Tokyomilk Dark fragrance is a Sephora deal I bought on a whim a while ago and I love it. I totally have become "the" pretend shopper lately (saving money for our trip), casually sliding things into my cart, knowing full well that I will not be purchasing these anytime soon. Hey, a girl can dream right??


1.Nars - All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation 2.  Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish  3.Stila - Nouveau Natural Eye Shawdow 4.  Hourglass - Ambiant Lighting Blush  5.  Jose Maran - Argan Illuminizer 5.  Bosia - BB Cream  6. Tokyomilk Dark - Tainted Love 62 Fragrence  7.  Tarte - Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara  8.  Korres - Three in One Cleanser  9.  LaVanilla - Vanilla Lavender Healthy Deoderant 10.  Tarte - Lipsurgence Matte Lip Tint (Envy)

What's in your cart?
xoAngela