Posts Tagged With ‘ Sharon Summerfield ’

There is something delicious about enjoying Cacao (the raw form of chocolate) with a taste of orange. Last month we had the true joy to spend Mother’s Day with my Mom, celebrating her.  The beauty of these occasions is we eat very well.  Everyone brings something to share. As I was preparing my Beet Quiona Salad and some of the Cacao Oat Bars Mom just loves, I thought lets try a little something extra.  I had seen a recipe shared on the Instagram Page by the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition that was created by Joanna Brown with Rejoice Nutrition Wellness.  As Mom loves anything related... Continue Reading

What are some of the favourite pies in your family? In our home it is a full fat, full sugar, Lemon Meringue Pie, that is more on the tart side, with a graham cracker crust. A few years ago we were enjoying a dinner at my brother and sister in laws’ home.  For dinner my husband had picked up a few pies, two of his favourites Cherry and Lemon Meringue. At that dinner, I shared I had not made a Lemon Meringue Pie from scratch in years.  Now, for each family get together at Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving and even birthday, the pie is requested. I know Lemon Meringue Pie sounds a little odd for... Continue Reading

Having you ever considered what grounds you? How often do we feel overwhelmed and just continue to push through? Last weekend the talented Jessica Zuch shared a video on Instagram the ways to get out of a slump through music.  A little history, I met Jessica in 2014 when she was teaching Intro to Jazz Piano at Capilano University in North Vancouver.  She is a talented musician and a therapist. This video reminded me of the ways that we can use music in so many different ways. This thought by Mary Webb struck a chord Nature’s music is never over, her silences are pauses, not conclusions. A... Continue Reading

For the past number of years I have chosen a word for the following year. Some of the words I have chosen are Grace, Nourish and Harmony. This year, as we look forward to 2023, I have chosen once again the word Connection.  For me this past year I have navigated several health issues.  I cannot begin to express how much it has meant people checking in.  Simple questions how are you?  Is there anything you need?  And how can I help?  All these questions and creating space to listen helped to build connection. Our next health crisis honestly is loneliness. Over the past number of years the... Continue Reading

This time of year there is so much amazing food to enjoy. For many years I have been creating a number of recipes to enjoy over the holidays. I have compiled some of our favourites to share with you.  Feel free to download this Holiday Recipes featuring some of my favourite recipes both old and new. This Collection includes  Healthier “Turtle” Chocolate and Pecan Treats.  This recipe was created by Stephanie Kay.  Includes three ingredients and no added sugar. The list below includes recipes I have created over many years. Christmas Chocolate Log Lemon and Shortbread Tarts Delicious... Continue Reading

Creating space for reflection is an investment in ourselves. Have you considered investing in yourself with an ongoing ritual of reflection? For me this is something I have been doing for many years. There are a few pieces to this. First, begin with a calendar reflection, where you look forward and a daily reflection you do at the end of the day. And then if you are so inclined consider building on your daily reflection with an annual reflection. Part One – Begin with a Calendar Reflection – looking forward for the next few days and a weeks. As you begin your reflection consider a few questions,... Continue Reading

Fall is such an amazing time of the year.  All our gorgeous trees are changing colours. Going for a walk and experiencing the “crunch” of the trees is such a gift. Along with the changes in natures there are so many tasty fruit and vegetables to enjoy like sweet potatoes and apples. I wanted to create a tasty bread that we could enjoy as a snack or as an add on to breakfast.  It was important that this be gluten free and contain no sugar, not even maple syrup.  As usual my husband and friends were part of the “quality control team” that sampled and helped this recipe evolve to where... Continue Reading

As we begin to open up we are hearing more and more about the importance of “Work Life Balance”.  Honestly I have never understood this phrase. How can there be any balance if work is always priority one? We do not have lives that fit nicely into compartments. Our lives have ebbs and flows that change.  Sometimes we plan for these, sometimes it is like riding the wave and trying to navigate the wake of life.  For too long work came at the cost of life. I prefer the term of Harmonizing Life. Over the past two years our lives honestly have been disrupted.  I love the model that is shared... Continue Reading

Over the past few months I have had the true joy to attend the Love + Work Leader Series  that Marcus Buckingham has been hosting.  This series was all about sharing different parts in the Love + Work Book.  Such a gift.  During our recent Alaskan cruise I  read Love + Work.  I have featured some of the thoughts from Love + Work with some of my photos. A little background, I have been following Marcus Buckingham’s work since around 2008, when I discovered his book “First, Break All the Rules”.  In 2013 I had the true joy to hear Marcus speak at the Art of Leadership, in Vancouver,... Continue Reading

In what ways can we make choices to invest in our wellbeing? Over the past few months I have been taking courses in Positive Psychology through the University of Pennsylvania delivered by Coursera. Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman’s lectures, videos and research are at the center of these courses. Wellbeing has five elements, which are referred to as PERMA , a theory developed by Dr. Martin Seligman. No one of these elements defines well-being, each element does contribute. Looking at these elements, when they are not present our wellbeing is impacted. In finding new ways to move forward in our... Continue Reading