Comfort Food

Dang, it's c-c-c-cold outside! And with the sudden drop in temperature I am feeling like jumping full swing into hearty comfort food. One of the things I love most about Autumn are the dinners I make!

This is what's for dinner in my house. Or course I took a small sample for lunch!






Hearty Vegetarian Chili

1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped onions
1 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1 cup chopped sweet green pepper3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped carrots
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tblspn chili powder
1 1/2 cup quartered mushrooms (I don't add them... ewww)
1 cup cubed zucchini
2 can tomatoes (28 oz), undrained
1 can (19 oz) 3 bean mix
1 can (19 oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (12 oz) kernel corn
1 can tomato paste
1 tblspn ground cumin
1 1/2 tspn dried oregano
1 1/2 tspn dried basil
1/2 tspn cayanne pepper (or to taste)


Spray a large saucepan with non-stick spray. Add onions, green and red peppers, celerey, carrots, garlic and chili powder. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until vegetables are softened (about 5-6 minutes)

Add mushrooms and zucchini. Cook and stir for 4 more minutes. Add tomatos, rinsed beans, rinsed chickpeas, corn, cumin, oregano, basil, tomatoe paste and cayane pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

You can also add cooked ground turkey,chicken or extra-lean ground beef (both drained of fat before adding) if you want a meat version. I personally add 1 pound of extra-lean ground beef.

If you try it, let me know what you think!

A new look

Today I have spent some time cleaning up the look of my blog. The design I had prior was all about eye candy, bright colours and whimsy. Have a look in case you don't remember (You had seen it right?)

I wanted to tone it down a bit without loosing beauty. I have selected a few designs I really like and decided to start with this one.

I'd really like your feedback, and feel free to be honest. I'm trying to make it nice to look at for my readers and me since I look at it often.

Did you like the old one?
Do you like the new one?
Do you think both are a complete miss?

So excited to share!

I have huge news! I am so excited I can hardly contain myself. Let me just get it over with:

"She's Connected" is an exclusive conference with Canada's 200 top digitally connected women, and brands who want to connect with them. Some of you may have heard of it and other are probably thinking "huh?". This conference is a really big deal to me. I have so much to learn from the amazing section of women I have been chosen with. I also have lots to share with them. This is not a conference you can easily buy your way into by purchasing a ticket. It is invite only, and I am humbled to have been grouped among women of this caliber. The speakers are amazing this year with my personal favorite being Celebrity Chef Christine Cushing she truly is "Fearless" in the kitchen. I could learn a thing or two from her. 

Ok, I could really go on and on about this, but suffice it to say; this conference is important, it's a huge event and I still can't believe I was selected!!

For more info on the conference click here: She's Connected

Now I have to figure out what I will wear! Anyone wanna help me come up with conference outfits for a plus size woman??

Just some updates...

So in the last while we've had some changes.

Aussie has graduated from middle school. He'll be moving to high school in September. I closed my eyes for what seems like a short moment and somewhere along the way he grew up on me. Did I mention he started his first summer job? He loves it! Finally feels a sense of freedom and responsibility to people other than family.

The soon to be grad!

Getting his diploma

One last shot in front of the "old" school

His grad cake made by my friend Laura, and his gift- a money tree.

How about a very rare photo of the two of them together? They happen but not very often! She had just given him his graduation card that she coloured on her own!

So now on to Roo, not much has changed with her. At least not in terms of the major changes Aussie has gone through, though she has changed in her own right. She's getting bigger, more beautiful and is becoming a wonderful little lady. Here is an update in photos.

Just a cute grin!

Captured on the trampoline

A post-haircut collage, complete with silly pose!

She may be cute but she's also secretly a nerd!

Sweet Seconds with Roo - Spring Shopping

Well I hit up a fairly new second hand shop in town. It's called Toys n' Style and believe me when I say the clothing is top notch. I didn't find much that was out of style. Most of the clothes seemed to be in great condition and very reasonably priced. I hope that doesn't change.

Anyway, my fashionista was VERY happy with our finds, and more than willing to do a fashion show!

She got all this and much more for under $50. SO if you are local check them out. They can be found on Facebook here; https://www.facebook.com/pages/Toysnstyle/109976895734607

and on their website here: http://www.toysnstyle.com