Welcome!

Hi there,

This blog is a place for me to focus on positivity. You know, things I like, goodness, and all that. Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to email me: positiveponderings[at]hotmail[dot]ca.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Good Stuff #3...The Underbelly.

"Do you want to see my underbelly?"  Image from 4FreePhotos.

Underbelly.  That word doesn't usually connote positive things.  Pause for a moment...what does it make you think of?  The underbelly of crime? An Australian TV series about gang wars? (I totally just found out such a series existed by googling "underbelly.")  Often words like "seedy" and "dark" accompany it.  HOWEVER, there is another meaning to the word.  One FAR more glorious.

Yes, the soft belly of an animal.  This is especially elusive with cats apparently.  Yet my little feline friend, Alfie, is all about the tummy rubs.  Trust me.  This. Is. Pretty. Dazzling.  Soft fur, belly purrs.  Pure bliss  for a moment or two, until he scurries away or demands a full-on rub-me-all-over platonic massage.  The brevity of the belly rub makes it even more wondrous.  The Oatmeal totally gets it. (Scroll down to number 4, but my kitty doesn't indulge in attacking...he is a lover, not a fighter.)

Underbelly.  Good stuff.
I do not advise attempting to touch HIS underbelly.  Image from 4FreePhotos.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Awarded!


Once again, the lovely Sadie of What Sadie Did has brightened my day.  She has bestowed upon me the Sunshine Award!  THANK YOU so much, Sadie!

Here are the rules of this award...

The rules are:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award.
2. Write a post about it.
3. Pass it on to 12 blogs that you think really deserve it.
4. Insert the link to their blog.
5. Send them a message to tell them about it.

Here are the winners: don't feel you have to do a post about the award and pass it on...I just wanted to let these blogs know I really enjoy visiting them!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Self Acceptance

I just came across this song by PsychoSue (Sew Misunderstood).
Enjoy. There are some swears in the song, so if you are offended by that, don't watch it.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Hoppy Easter!

Vintage candles, found thrifting.

I hope you are enjoying your Easter!

The BUNNY gave me this lovely ring!  I found it wrapped and perched on the toilet paper...one place I COULDN'T miss it.


SO KICKIN!
The BUNNY purchased this from Beckwith & Co. located in the Saint John City Market.  The proprietor, Marianne Beckwith, is one of my mommy's oldest friends.  She remembered that I was eyeing this ring back in JANUARY!  It was really a pleasant surprise to receive this.  The jeweller is Anne Marie Chagnon, located in Montreal.  I have some earrings by her and really enjoy her off-beat funky aesthetic!

Also, the weather has been PRETTY GLORIOUS this weekend and I have managed to exercise out-of-doors the last three days.  So nice.

Sidenote, concerning the fluevogs I have ordered, my mother thinks they are kinda hideous....but I love them.  It's the ugly-cool aspect that really drew me in...feel free to tell me if you are "yay" or "nay" my latest shoe-babies.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Just Bought....

The Response Clog Sandal by Fluevog....screen captured from here.

Disclaimer:  MOM: Please don't click on the link to see how much these cost.  I LOVE YOU, and that's all that counts...right?!


I don't normally showcase fashion goodies, but these are too fabulous!

Oh gorsh...I've been drooling over these for DAYS and decided to treat myself (thank you, tax return) to these bad boys.  I kind of have sticker shock, but I don't regret it.  Seriously, these will be little rays of sunshine on my tootsies.

Two am online shopping....sometimes I have to indulge!  Definitely NOT a thrifty purchase but if I hate 'em they can be easily returned.  If I LOVE them they will essentially eat up my shoe budget for Spring and Summer (quality over quantity, right?).  

Sunday, April 17, 2011

I've been tagged...

Bone on moss...pretty and slightly macabre.



Sadie, of What Sadie Did, recently tagged me.  FUN!  She has a lovely blog and is residing in New Zealand (the pictures are so gorgeous....I would love to go there someday for a va-cay).   We are going to do a personal swap for some birdie goodies this month.  Essentially, she kinda rocks.

Here are the taggin' rules: 

Ten Things That I Love Tag
Rules are as followed:
1. State who gave you this award in your post
2. State 10 things that you love
3. Give this award to 10 other bloggers, listing them at the end of the post, and notify them with a lovely comment.

As you can see, this is a very nice taggin'-game with lots of positivity!

1. My family!  This includes my sister, parents, monkey-nieces, and boyfriend.
2. Nature 
3. Being active
4. Chocolate!!
5. Cooking
6. Craftin'
7. Reading
8. Thrifting
9. Helping others
10. Animals--including my cat, Alfie.  I started and ended with the best!

I tag:



Thursday, April 14, 2011

Walkin' Pictures

You gotta love it when the warmer weather starts to come around.  Yesterday morning and tonight I took advantage of the mild temperatures and went a-walkin'.  My camera came along for the ride and this is what we saw.
Leaves and root.

BUDS!  

I don't know what kind of plant this is but it's BUDDING!

I enjoyed how the wood has a bright orangey hue that contrasted with the over-cast day.

Random bone...pretty, though.  It's a HEART!

A tiny burl I scavenged from my adventure.

TOAD AT NIGHT!  I moved him off the sidewalk onto the grass after taking his picture.  I almost stepped on him, thinking he was a leaf.

Attempt at getting the moon...apparently I have shaky hands?
Oh, nature...how I love thee.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Chocolaty Energy Fudge--Corrected Recipe!

Yum.

Here's my version of Nutty Buttery Raw Vegan Fudge from Bitt Of Raw.  I was first introduced to this recipe from Oh She Glows Vegan Recipe Link Love which always has me doing a ton of bookmarking!  I made my version with what I had on hand, so it is different from the original fudge recipe.  Plus, I microwaved the coconut oil and used roasted almond butter so it's not really raw either.  I decided that I couldn't really call it "Nutty Buttery Raw Vegan Fudge" so I came up with "Chocolatey Energy Fudge."  The name definitely fits--one piece of this gives me a boost of power to fuel my workouts.
 I had the amount of agave nectar wrong!

Ingredients
1 cup almond butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup carob powder
1 cup agave nectar (I used a darker nectar this time, and while it is yummy, I prefer the lighter variety.)
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
3 tablespoons psyllium husk
2 tablepoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
Hulled hemp seeds (optional)
Coconut oil.
My, what a big container of coconut oil!  I scored at HomeSense/Winners!


Directions
1.  Melt the coconut oil in the microwave.
2.  Stir all the ingredients (except the hemp seeds) together until smooth.
3.  Pour into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper and sprinkle the hulled hemp seeds on top.
4.  Freeze for 1 hour.
5.  Cut into pieces.
6.  Store in the freezer.  It melts at room temp, so I enjoy these straight from the cold depths of the freezer.
A little bit lumpy from the parchment paper, but still tasty!
So good.  Enjoy.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Collecting Degrees...

Image from 4freephotos.
I like to collect, apparently.  Rocks, buttons, seashells, shiny bits and bobs...all are likely to be seen somewhere near me.  However, there's something else I am collecting...degrees.  Yes, degrees.  Good 'ol university degrees.  Currently, I have my Bachelor of Arts with a History Honours and my Bachelor of Education (what can I say, I love me some good bachelors!).  Starting this summer, I'll be working towards adding a Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology to the mix.  Good thing I like learning!

I am very excited to be starting the program.  This way I can be qualified as a counsellor or continue to work as a teacher (or both).  I really like helping others and know that a good counsellor can get you through some tough or dark situations.  It is my hope that I'll be like a ladder.  Wait, it makes sense!  A ladder helps you get up and reach a destination.  A ladder gives  support.  Although it may seem that the task is impossible without the ladder, the climber is actually doing the work.  I want to show people that they are capable of achieving what they desire, and help is there if they want it. 

I know this educational journey will be enriching and informative.  I am so pleased to have been accepted into this program.  After all, I will be learning skills that will help me spread positivity.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Good Stuff # 2 and a THANK YOU!

Image from 4freephotos.
Yoga is good stuff.  It relaxes me, helps my stiff body become slightly more flexible, and is good for my physical health.  I heartily recommend doing yoga at least once a week.  Classes can be pricey, but there's good news for those of us on a budget who want to indulge in our downward facing dog.  You DO NOT have to spend tonnes of cash to do yoga.  After you know the basics (hopefully learnt from a professional face-to-face) you can use free video and yoga podcasts as well as DVDs and books (the library can help with these) to practise at home.  For over a year I have not attended a yoga class (I'm trying to save money for my Masters, which I got accepted into, but that'll be another post) yet I have kept up my practise, mainly with downloaded podcasts from Yoga Downloads.  You should check it out.

So, this is a thank you to anyone who uploads their videos and podcasts and offers them free of charge to aspiring yogis.  That is spreading positivity and is most certainly good stuff.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Sugar Free Apple Pie-Lets

This was made using kamut in place of spelt flout in the crust--more crumbly and heartier.
Oh, apples, how I love thee.  So yummy, so refreshing, so crisp, and so healthy.

Browsing through Sugar-Free Cooking with Stevia, I came across their apple pie recipe.  I adapted it to make these yummy mini pies (or, as I have dubbed them: pie-lets).  The amount of shortening/butter/margarine makes these definitely a "sometimes" treat...
Like my cookbook holder?  So classy.


Ingredients: (makes about three pie-lets)

Filling:
3-4 apples peeled and chopped
2/8 tsp of powdered stevia extract
1 1/2 Tbsp of spelt flour
1 Tbsp cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of sea salt

Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Place apples in the bowl and toss to coat evenly.
I made a few batches at once...hence the large number of apples.
Crust:
2 cups spelt flour (I experimented with a few batches, and find that spelt flour works best over kamut, whole wheat flour would work as well as all-purpose flour)
Dash of salt
2/3 cup of shortening/margarine/butter
4-6 Tbsp of cold water

Stir together flour and salt and a mixing bowl.  Cut in shortening/margarine/butter (I used my fingers as our pastry cutter is missing) until crumbly.  Slowly add the water 1 Tbsp at a time until the dough is firm enough to shape with your hands.

Assembling the Pie-Lets:
1.  Line a cooking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.  Take a chunk of the pie dough (a ball about 1 3/4 to 2 inches in diametre) and smoosh it out flat on the parchment paper until it is about 2/16th of an inch thick.
This is with kamut flour, so the texture looks different from what your crust will be (if you used spelt flour).
Smooshed.

3.  Place some of the apple mixture on top of the dough.
Leave a border; this will help seal the top and bottom layers together.

4.  Cover the apples with more dough, sealing at the edges.  I find it easiest to use small pieces of dough to cover the apples in sections and the smooth over the cracks with my fingers.

5.  Poke some ventilation holes in the top with a fork.

6.  Bake for 20 minutes, allow to cool at least 10 minutes before transferring to a plate.  I used a spatula as they are a bit delicate (though if you made them smaller, they would likely be sturdier).
7.  These can be enjoyed hot, or cool.
A pie-let made with kamut flour.
With spelt flour crust.
Mmmmm....