Tuesday Tidbits (No. 32)

Happy Tuesday Tidbits Day, Everyone!  I’ve got lots of fun in store for you today.  Beautiful spring recipes, some gorgeous architecture,  some surprising facts that will make you smile and much more.  I’m very excited about this week’s post so let’s get started!

This first recipe is from Sue at The View from Great Island.  She has a salad that embodies the essence of Spring and I just had to share it with you.

Purple Kale and Pansy Salad | The View from Great Island

Adding edible flowers to a salad makes it so special, don’t you think?  Sue has a way of creating eye-catching dishes that blow me away every time.  The blues, greens and purples in this salad  will make a beautiful presentation for any occasion.  She has also added lots of fresh herbs which I know you all love putting into your own creations!  There is a little crunch of sunflower seeds with this salad but other than that, it’s bursting with super healthy greens.  Love this, Sue.  Thanks so much for sharing today!

 Red Snapper Tacos with Sunrise Salsa | Vitamin Sunshine

 I love red snapper but I often forget about it in my quest for good salmon.  I’m not sure why because it’s such a delicious and versatile fish.  Michelle created a gorgeous sweet, spicy and citrusy salsa that takes it over the top and this dish is perfection, in my opinion.

Don’t you just love when a fresh dish is easy to create yet offers so many diverse flavors?  The colors,  textures and fresh bursts of citrus make these tacos fabulous.  Best of all, I think you could even convert some non-fish eaters with these!  Michelle suggests that these will go equally well with chicken as well – YUM!

Thanks again, Michelle, for sharing your kitchen expertise with us.  You know I’m a big fan of your recipes and I’m always looking forward to what’s coming next!

Are you a Bill Murray fan?  Funny thing – I always thought he was Canadian until I was writing up this post.  He’s so popular here that Toronto once had a ‘Bill Murray Day’.  If you’ve never seen the movie, ‘Stripes’, you must!  I’m sure I’ve seen it 10 times and I laugh more each time.   I came across some interesting facts about him recently that makes him even more interesting and thought I’d share them with any fellow fans out there.

• Bill Murray doesn’t have an agent, manager or publicist.  He simply has a 1-800 NUMBER for directors to contact him.  Genius!
• Once when he discovered his cab driver was a saxophone player who never had time to play, he pulled over and drove the cab so the driver could sit in the back seat and practise.
• He didn’t watch any Seinfeld episodes until the very last one – and he didn’t find it funny! (that last one was definitely a disappointment)
• Bill only bought a cell phone in the last couple of years.  And only then so he could text his sons.

He’s so eccentric and I love that he bucks the whole system.  For more fun facts about Bill click here.

Since we’re in Hollywood, let’s look at director Michael Bay’s home.  Like his movies, (Transformers, Armaggedon),  it is somewhat unreal.  Every single room is over the top.  Take a look….

 It looks like something that landed from outer space….

All I can say is ….  WOW!

Click here or on any of the pics for the spectacular slideshow from AD.

 Distractify.com calls this pictorial ’60 Rare Photos That Will Destroy Everything You Knew About the Past’.  That’s an extreme title but these shots are definitely amusing and worth a look ….

Audrey Hepburn shopping with her pet deer, Ip, in Beverly Hills, CA -1958.

Steve Jobs sitting with Bill Gates discussing the future of computing in 1991.

 Marathon Runners at the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens, Greece – 1896

HuffPost.com has a great story on 15 Adorable BFF Moments Between Newlyweds and their Moms.  I know Mother’s Day has passed but isn’t it something to be celebrated every single day?  Wedding season is coming up so if you’ve got one coming up you might want to think of trying to capture some of these moments….

I love the expressions of pure joy in these shots.

Mom and daughter look so much alike!

And what’s more fun than to dance with joy with your mom on your wedding day?!  Click here or on the pics for more.

I think I found the perfect room!

I guess I’m a fan of modern after all.  I would build an entire house around this room.  Look at those windows!  Hmmm …. Now I’m thinking that if you owned a home like this you’d definitely have to live out in the country to make the most of all that glass.  Do you think a bear or cougar could just run right through them? lol….I suddenly got nervous.  Oh well, it’s worth the risk!  Would you risk this or do you prefer your walls to be solid?

How much time do you spend sitting at a desk?  Because I need to spend a lot of time at my computer, I have moved it so that I’m standing at it for most of the day rather than sitting.  I recently read these facts  about sitting and decided I really needed to do something about it.

• A UK study of almost 800,000 concluded that those who sat the longest had a 112% increased risk of diabetes.
• A 2012 study of nearly 12,000 Australian adults that 6 hours of TV a day may reduce your life expectancy by 5 YEARS!
• Sitting too long slows down circulation which can lead to blood clots
• Studies indicate that no matter how much you exercise, sitting still for too long might still be harmful. (Think about our ancestors – our bodies are not geared to sit still.  If they did, they’d be killed and eaten by animals!)
• The average commuter spends approximately 38 hours a year stuck in traffic.  That’s a lot of sitting!
• Standing at your desk has been linked to increased focus and productivity.
• Standing burns about 50 more calories per hour than sitting.

And if you stand the way I do, you’ll burn even more.  When I need a brain break, I play workout music and take 5-10 minutes to do a light workout at my desk.  If you don’t want to work out, just dance!  You’ll be so surprised at how it changes your mood, increases your movements and generally makes the day better.  I know this isn’t possible for everyone but you can try it at home if it’s not possible at work.  Here’s the ultimate playlist to get you inspired.

And who isn’t motivated by this song?    Cheers, everyone!