Simple Pleasures, Everyday Joie de Vivre.

Photo courtesy of unsplash.com This hearty chicken soup recipe is made to warm the heart and soul, and is great for shared dinners at the table. It should make a healthy meal for anyone convalescing, or just trying to keep warm. It is also very tasty. It will take about 4 hours to prepare and tastes even better if cooked the day before the meal. Just try not to overcook the second lot of the veggies if you do it that way. Chicken Soup Ingredients One chicken Soup pack: (chopped) One Potato One Turnip One Parsnip One Onion Garlic five cloves One bunch of Celery. One bouquet garni Two bay leaves Chicken stock powder. Pepper Method In a large soup-pot add the whole (thawed) chicken and half of the soup pack ingredients. Bring to the boil and reduce to simmer. Making sure that the water level stays above the chicken, simmer for an hour to one and a half hours until the chicken is tender. Skim off the scum with a spoon w...

Photo by  Sedki Alimam  on  Unsplash This article is about the power of intention. Intentions are like a seed, that we sow and, later reap. Say that we set our intention, to enjoy our day. So you say to yourself, I intend to enjoy my day. I might later on do this, or that because it will help me to enjoy my day. Or, I might work in the cafe today, because it is nice weather and the time will pass by pleasantly. Or something more specific, I would really enjoy to have lunch with friends, so I arrange that. I intend for the conversation to go well, and all of us have a great time, and we do. Then, maybe a week later, I do like to dance for my exercise but I also like the luxury of the gym, it's just something that I like, so I think I will spend one evening at the gym this week. So Yay! Then suddenly I am quantum leaping, from one enjoyment to another, reaping what I sowed. And this is such a learning experience, because I am experiencing my own power, a...

Photo by  Will Fuller  on  Unsplash Changing your life from blind consumerism to environmentally friendly can be daunting. Whilst separating garbage from recycling is quite simple, there is a lot more to it. With literally millions of tons of plastic, now clogging our oceans, people are becoming aware of the environment, and a lot of people want to do things that help to protect it. Everything we buy, make and do has an impact on the environment. It is complicated and there seems to be plenty of room for sharks to charge extra for products that may or may not be cleaner and healthier. So where do we start? Possibly with less use of your car! Even your clothes play an important role in the environment. Synthetic fibres do not break down in landfill and they enter our waters with dangerous components that end up in fish, seafood and in salt, which we then consume as food. Cotton, although an all natural fibre takes a huge amount of energy and water to grow and...