her real world

I’m a little obsessed with picnics right now

I’m a little obsessed with picnics right now.

This photo doesn’t really inspire the kind of picnic I’m thinking of right now, but it’s a picnic table and I work with what photos I have. But this is the picnic table where my family and I have shared countless meals. Everything tastes better outside!

I’m going to confess: I’m a picnicaholic. There is something about eating alfresco that makes me quite gleeful. One of my all time favourite shows on the Food Network is Oliver’s Twist, and my favourite episode is where Jamie prepares a picnic in a tiffin tin. I have yet to find a tiffin tin that I like (when I went to Crate & Barrel there was a yellow one that I wasn’t very fond of), but I may have to turn up the heat on my search. Because picnic recipes are out in full force.

Because I’m not able to make a picnic *right this very moment*, I thought I’d share some of the lovely and inspiring recipes that I’ve found recently.

To me, a picnic has to be portable and not messy. Sandwiches, salads and cookies are pretty standard fare for me, unless I have access to a grill. But today I’m thinking about a secluded picnic on a rock near a lake, so nothing too messy or fancy. I also adore fresh herbs and the fact that I finally have all my little seeds in the ground makes me quiet joyous.

So here is a list of things I’d take with me on a picnic tomorrow, hopefully you find some inspiration to have a picnic of your own!

Drinks: A bottle of sparkling water with mint or lemon and lime or perhaps a bottle of nice wine. Or both!

Sandwiches: ahi tuna wraps with avocado, dijon-cilantro tuna salad sandwiches, any sandwich with green chili mayonnaise, bacon egg salad sandwiches with fresh basil

Salad: sour cream cucumber salad with mustard seeds, French potato salad, potato salad with radishes, cucumber and dill,

Dessert: coconut macaroons, lime meltaway cookies, white chocolate strawberry oatmeal cookies 

So who wants to come on a picnic?!

her daily photo: New Year Me (1/365)

I’m not a huge fan of making New Year’s resolutions, but the New Year is important to me. I’m always looking for cosmic events to change my life, but they are few and far between. But the New Year is one that comes along whether we like it or not and we can give ourselves a clean slate. Or not.

This year I’m giving myself a clean slate. I’m starting fresh. I’m doing everything that I want to do.

Today I slept only as much as was reasonable. It just so happens that sleeping until 2:00 pm is reasonable when you have the day off. Today I cooked everything I ate. I’m going to try and cook in advance and eat homemade yummyness at work as often as I can. But I’m not going to beat myself up over it if I miss a day or two or ten.

Tomorrow I plan on walking as far as I can to work. I’d walk all the way, but I’d rather not lose a leg due to the coldness that is walking across the river. I’m going to try and get going back to the gym, my plan of action is to take STO to the Champagne pool after work. As soon as the bus strike is over, it’s back to Plant Recreation Centre. That can’t come too soon. Not swimming has been driving me bonkers.

This year I want to be nice to myself and stop giving myself such a hard time about the things I think I should be doing. With faith and a lot of hoping I’m pretty sure that someday I’ll get the things I want. But I’m not going to push it, and as my good friend V. has told me before, when you stop expecting something to happen it will.

And most of all, this year I want to take more photos. I got a bunch of lovely gifts this Christmas that will help me with this endeavour (new tripod and external hard drive!), and so I’m going to do Project 365 this year with a photogamer twist. I’m not yet sure how I’ll plan it all out, but I know I’m going to give myself specific tasks. For instance, once a week I will take a self portrait. I will also do theme weeks where I’ll focus on a particular colour or technique or something.

So today you get a twofer, a self portrait and me practicing without a flash. I procrastinated a bit once the sun went down, and now I’m rushing to get this up before midnight. But a process video will follow, and I’ll update this post once it does. I better post quick or I’m not going to make it…

May your New Year be full of blessings and the pleasantly unexpected!

her daily photo – Lebreton bus stop, storm

The first of three photos that I took at the Lebreton transitway stop after a particularly strange July storm. This is also the second day of my five day tribute to OC Transpo.

To get these shots, I basically stood on the corner and went snap, twist, snap, twist, snap. I’m not sure which photo was taken first, but because of the way the strike makes me feel, I’m starting off with the stormy picture! Hopefully by Thursday there will be a reason for a happy-joy-joy sunshine picture.  Hint hint. Please resolve the strike soon!