Recipe alert: Make your own pesto

Fedandfit's divine cheese-free pesto recipe is perfect for spring. In fact, it's perfect for any season, as long as you know where to find cheap, fresh basil. Should you have the good fortune to live in Vancouver, you can buy the entire (short) ingredient list at the West End's Aria Market.

Your friendly test-kitchen chef made a velvety green batch this morning, replacing the pine nuts with walnuts, which were easier to come by and easier on the wallet. You could do this, too. Other substitutes that would work nicely in the place of pine nuts (I think:)) include cashews, hazelnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

Lastly, you don't need a food processor, even though Fedandfit's recipe calls for one. A regular or immersion blender works just as well.

Happy spring!
 

Getting inspiration close to (and far from) home

I'm surrounded by friends and family members who inspire me. They are down-to-earth, kindhearted people, and their successes bring a smile to my lips. Here's a random sampling of the challenges they're tackling:

• living in South Korea for six months, and attending university *in Korean*;
• completing a master's degree while working full time, with plans to help women in the developing world;
• raising children and keeping a family running smoothly, and showing love and good judgment in good times and in bad;
• simultaneously studying to become a nurse, working in a care home and teaching ballet (not to mention filling people's days with sunshine);
• looking after a sibling who experienced a particularly nasty divorce, and helping him get back on his feet;
• caring for a mother who has dementia whilst running a business in which it's tough to make ends meet, and doing so with humour and grace;
• teaching marvellous and affordable community yoga and pilates classes -- in her seventies(!);
• succeeding in the high stakes game of options trading, having carefully experimented and taught himself about the field for years.

Still on the subject of inspiration, this time both human and divine,  try borrowing a copy of Come Be My Light, about Mother Teresa.

Although the narrator admittedly comes across as a bit of a drip at times, the excerpts from Mother's Teresa's letters are something else. Did you know, for instance, that this wonderful woman had something very like a severe case of depression for 50 years, yet still founded a religious order which now ministers to the poorest and sickest people around the world? That's inspiration for you!

Turning envy into energy

Ever had a friend tell you about something great she's doing and felt a twinge of envy deep within? It happens to the best of us.

Fortunately, in spite of its nefarious qualities, envy has an upside. It's absolutely brilliant at uncovering the things we want. Consequently, envy can give us the swift kick in the seat of the pants that sets us on the path to positive action, provided we take the time to reframe our thoughts.

The next time envy strikes, try this:

• Ask yourself if your reaction is telling you something about your own goals and desires. Is starting an herb garden, getting certified as a yoga instructor, making a trip to Antarctica suddenly becoming a higher priority? What is it that you really, really want?
• Use the sense of urgency you're feeling to figure out how you'll achieve your goal.
• Get started on step one of your action plan.

Knowing what you want and working to achieve it is the best way I can think of to thwart envy and channel its energy in a positive direction. Why eat your heart out when you can celebrate some else's good fortune wholeheartedly?

Goodbye, anorexia!

In January, I got a present: my period. I hadn't had it for over ten years, not counting Christmas Day 2013, when it mysteriously, wondrously and briefly reappeared in the middle of a church service.

In hindsight, I can't help but smile at my cluelessness. I couldn't figure out why I was moody and craving chocolate (more than usual), or what made my breasts tender of a sudden. Nor did the bloating tip me off. Any other woman of 35 would have known what was up, but not me. I'd been periodless for so long that I chalked it up to a lingering symptom of the flu.

The prodigal period is back for good, and I'm grateful through and through. Roll your eyes if you like: I won't be offended. My period is the sign I've been waiting for, the confirmation that my body has fully recovered from a relatively short but nasty period of self-imposed starvation. I had given up on it, and here it is!

From the outside, you'd never know I'd weighed just shy of 100 lbs at my slightest. You wouldn't guess that I had lost so much hair, I thought I would have bald patches for the rest of my life. Or that I was still pinching what I imagined was fat around my waist -- it was skin, actually -- when there wasn't any fat left to go. Today, like many Canadian women my age, I'm doing my darndest to watch what I eat and exercise regularly in hopes of keeping the scale from creeping up.

I won't pretend I don't look in the mirror every day to gauge where I'm at, size-wise. I'm rather obsessive this way. And yes, I still miss the petite gal I used to be. Thank God, though, I finally understand that the single-minded pursuit of skinny is a dead end.

To anyone reading this blog who might wish to be feather-light and Twiggy slim: if this isn't your natural shape and size, please choose a more enriching goal. It's not that being fit and healthy aren't admirable objectives. They are. By all means, drop a size or two on the way there. But if you're genuinely carrying a few pounds too many, losing fat ought to be a byproduct of making good decisions. It shouldn't happen because you're so restricting your diet and beefing up your exercise routine that you lose sight of all else.

Take it from someone who has lived through both binge-eating disorder and anorexia: set your sights on skinny and you risk focusing so narrowly on one objective that you lose touch with life, with the people you care for, and the interesting, good and true parts of yourself that need your TLC to develop.

Many things will bring you more happiness than having a double-0 waist. Take these, for example: charity, strength, kindness, courage, honesty, patience and good judgment. Or what about these: a partner and children you love with all your heart, a calling or a cause you're passionate about, friends and family who brighten your every day. Feed your creativity and your heart, and forget starving your body and mind. L'Chaim!

Recipe alert: Easy cauliflower tabouleh

In the past, I haven't been a big fan of cauliflower. This was especially true in 2014, when it was
dubbed health food of the year, and the price tag on the hitherto humble veg soared.

But I'm revising my prejudices in 2015. Yes, the friendly cauli is quite messy, and it develops brown spots if left to its own devices for more than a day or two, but it's got lots of health benefits to make up for these deficits. Most importantly, prepared with care, it can taste pretty darn good.

You really should try this quick and easy cauliflower tabbouleh. I'm certain you'll like it. It would be especially refreshing on a hot day -- not the middle of January, which is the time I've picked to share it with you. Try garnishing it with avocado and serving it with steamed green beans or roasted asparagus and a nice salmon steak. You could also throw in some diced coloured bell peppers to give it more colour.

N.B. If you're like me, you may find the powdered garlic a bit much. In this case, try substituting finely minced fresh garlic.

Recipe alert: Baked eggs with kale

Looking for an easy and delicious egg dish for breakfast or brunch? Check out Patty Javier Gomez's baked eggs. The preparation and ingredients are simple, and the result is heaven in a ramekin.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
2 stalks kale
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 jalapeno, chopped
4-5 olives, pitted and diced
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Sautee onion, kale in coconut oil.
2. When onions are soft, add apple cider vinegar.
3. Add spices and sautee for 3-5 minutes more.
4. Scoop out mixture and put into small ramekins.
5. Add diced olives and jalapenos.
6. Crack an egg over mixture.
7. Bake at 400F for 10-15 min. or until egg is cooked.
8. Serve with a side of sauerkraut and avocado for a delicious breakfast/brunch!

Virtues matter

Do you ever catch yourself thinking petty thoughts or realize you're getting hot under the collar over a minor inconvenience? Blame someone because you don't want to accept your part in a misunderstanding? Or walk away from a situation in which another person could use your help?

I've been guilty of all of the above. I suspect you have been, too. It's natural, in the sense that we are all creatures of dark and light. But that doesn't mean that bad behaviour is right or inevitable.

Over the past few years, I've noticed darkness seeping into my character little by little. I've seen compassion dim, and courage take a back seat in my life (not that I was especially courageous to begin with.:)) Fortunately for me, some of my jerkazoid reactions have finally caught up with me -- at work, where the consequences of my actions will be painful and materialize faster than in other parts of my life.

This particular prise de conscience has been five months in the making. When September began, I stepped into a promotion. I was thrilled to be exchanging my old title and responsibilities for more glamorous ones. I knew my manager-to-be wasn't as alert or quick-thinking as the one I was leaving. But I wanted the promotion, and I decided I would find a way to work smoothly with her. The best-laid plans...

At first, we got along. Just. The moment I stepped into my new role, I set about reorganizing electronic filing systems, updating letters and forms, reinventing and documenting data-entry processes, and generally feeling smug about how smart I was. Manager #2 let me forge ahead, albeit with some reluctance, and I got into the habit of disrespecting her when I thought she had said or done something stupid. (I am admitting to this not because I'm proud of it, but because honesty is the best policy in a case like mine, and the only way to cure meanness.)

Five months later, I'm reaping the crop I've sown: especially scratchy brambles. It's not a happy result, but I hope it will teach me the importance of virtues like respect, compassion, courage, humility and patience.

This short chapter of my life has gotten me thinking about the meaning of character and integrity. If you, like me, are interested in  learning more more about them, I would recommend a series of essays on character and leadership that I found in the Washington Post. It's a light and interesting way to get started.