Cabin Fever to Cabin Living

I've been home two weeks now, on leave from work in order to rest and recover after my car accident. The resting and recovering time has been a blessing and I am so thankful to work for a place that is so understanding and caring however I am starting to go crazy!!! There is only so much tv and reading one can take and I am at my limit. Thankfully tomorrow I am heading to Cultus Lake for a few days of fun where I will be resting and reading and staying in a cabin while surrounded by friends. From cabin fever to cabin living....

Graduate to be!

I registered for my final class today! All being well I will graduate in February 2011 with a Diploma in Child and Youth Counselling. I can't wait to be done and to move onto new and exciting things. Not sure what those exciting things will be but I feel like there is something in the works. Stay tuned!

July Garden Update

This year brought many garden challenges including a house move, a theft of plants in my community garden plot, a black bug attack of my zucchini plant and overwhelming amounts of rain right up until early July. Nevertheless there is nothing greater than being able to walk onto my balcony or up the path to my garden plot and pick some delicious food.

Currently I have lots of salad ingrediants including:
three types of lettuce
chives
cilantro
strawberries
garlic
lavendar
mint - great for pastas, salads, veggies or tea

Coming Up....
tomotoes, broccoli, beets, carrots and peppers.

It's going to be a delicious August!

Halifax

I visited the wonderful and beautiful province of Nova Scotia a couple of weeks ago. It was about my fifth time there and one of the best visits ever. The Maritimes are known for their incredible hospitality and that's exactly what I experienced. From lobster meals to strawberry suppers from amazing cottage stays to downtown visits. It was a great six days, five of which were spent in church meetings. Halifax is a growing city however it still feels like Vancouver use to be about thirty years ago. It has lots of character and lots of small-town feel to it. People are very friendly! On my day off I spent a day at Blomidon, a little country cottage area on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. It was a beautiful place. We even picked up eggs and strawberries from nearby farms and fields. There was even a street sign that said, "slow down, strawberry fields ahead.". What loveliness...

Happy Canada Day!

It's my most favourite day of the entire year! Canada turns 143 today. Happy Canada Day!

Recipe: Bocconcini and Oregano Salad

Here is a great new salad recipe that I recommend. I discovered it a few weeks ago on a weekend news, recipe-of-the-week feature. I made it for a party and it went over well. Tip: When I make this again I will use less onions. I found them somewhat overpowering but I also think that onions are a personal preference so make your own decision!

Bocconcini and Oregano Salad

What you need:
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1 pepper)
1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tsp/10 mL dried oregano)
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
Pinch salt
Pinch ground black pepper
1 cup halved mini bocconcini cheese pieces

Directions:
Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the covered saucepan on the burner for another 4 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork. Set aside to completely cool.

Combine the zucchini, tomatoes, onion, peas and red and yellow pepper in a large bowl.

Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and thoroughly mix all the ingredients. Add the quinoa and bocconcini and mix until evenly combined. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days

Enjoy!

Leadership Day

Each year for the last five or so a group of leaders and I have planned a day long leadership event for youth to refresh/gain leadership skills in preparation for leading at Summer camps and Vacation Bible Schools. This year, leaders are busier than ever and the burn out level has been high. When the idea was pitched to plan a leadership event there were no takers. Then I did some thinking and decided that this was still important to do but in a smaller, simpler way, so I organized it.

On Saturday we offered a 4 hour event and it went super well!
35 Youth, 10 Youth Leaders
$5/person to cover snack and lunch

4 workshops:
1. Leadership Basics - What does it mean to be a leader? Boundaries of leadership.
2. Game Bursts: Games you can do to fill time
3, Leadership: Working with Diversity (inclusiveness, disabilities) and Dealing with Conflict
4. Theatre Sports and Drama

Each participant got a ball (for future games) and handouts to take home as part of their leadership kit. It was a great day!