Tuesday Tidbits (No.31)

We’re all rushed for time these days, right?  In fact, I truly appreciate the time you take to stop by and read Tuesday Tidbits and leave your lovely comments.  I’m going to return the favor by pointing you in the direction of a great slideshow that gives you recipes for 35 Breakfasts So That You Can Sleep In and Eat Well All Week.

We need to get our sleep and if you take a few minutes in the evening, there are some great dishes that you can prepare ahead of time so that your morning isn’t so rushed.  Your kids will thank you for it and you will love it because you’re not run off your feet before you even turn the key in your car to go to work.

Mushroom, Leek and Fontina Frittata

Don’t you love that feeling when you go to bed knowing that the morning is going to go smoothly?  You may even get volunteers to help with the dishes!

Chia Pudding with Dried Apricots and Pineapple

 We talk a lot about money saving methods here and trying to cut back on food wastage.  How many of you make your own vegetable stock?  I have to admit that I don’t do it nearly enough but this article at Food52 has made me a convert.

They recommend putting a super large size Ziploc bag in your freezer and adding any leftover veggies that don’t get used up before they go bad.  Such a simple solution!  This way you’ll have all the ingredients you need when you’re ready to make your soup. You can throw all kinds of veggies into your pot and there is nothing better or healthier than homemade veggie stock.  Check out the article – no more food wastage – yay!

It will come as no surprise to you that the kitchen is my favourite room in the house and especially the dining area.  In a time when so many people are eating on the run or in front of the tv, I really think it’s important to find the time to sit down to family meals and what better way than to make your eating area special.  Here are a few beautiful breakfast spots from AD that have me swooning!  Click on the link or any of the pics to see the full slideshow.

I love everything about this room and that gold shade really takes it over the top!

Window benches are so cosy!

Hmmm….I’m noticing a trend here.  All the pics I chose have huge windows.  Gotta love the natural light!

I like this because it would make you feel like you were in a modern diner.  Fun!

The big splash of blue, the over the top chandelier, the amazing table….perfection!

Which is your favorite?

With Spring here and everyone planning their gardens, I wanted to share one of my very favourite places on earth with you.  I’m so lucky because it’s only 15 minutes from my house on Vancouver Island and I have visited it many times – in every season.  Some of you may have been here before, it’s Butchart Gardens and anyone who visits the west coast of Canada usually makes a point of going there.  The Sunken Gardens alone (below) will take your breath away.

A dazzling example of a reclamation project, the grounds used to be an exhausted quarry until Jennie Butchart filled it with soil from nearby farms.  Her “pet project” eventually expanded into 55 acres which are now home to over 700 varieties of trees, shrubs and flowers blooming from March to October.

If you’re a lover of flowers, you’ll fall in love with this fantasty land.  You can check out their site here.

Each time you turn a corner, you are treated to a new amazing vista.  They have 26 greenhouses and 55 master gardeners.

The entrance to the rose garden.  A very special place.

And with spring comes the birth of wildlife.  Don’t forget to check in on all the cams.  The baby eagle cams are my favourite.

On March 31, something amazing happened in the skies over Georgia and South Carolina.  People looked up to see the clouds had formed into a wave pattern.  This rare occurrence is known as Undulus Asperatus (a.k.a. “roughened waves”). Cool!

Click here for more on the story and pictures.

Caitlin Crosby is an actress and singer who came up with a unique idea to help raise money for people without homes.  Such a simple step – such an inspiration!  Check out the video….

Sometimes the most complicated problems can be helped by the most simple solutions.  Cheers!