Life 10 Years After Trauma - Taking Back My LIFE!!

October 28th, at 8:30 p.m. (give or take a few minutes) it will be 10 years since I was literally knocked off my high heeled life. If you are a new reader - you can read about my accident here and here. Reflecting back I have to say this past decade has been the most difficult time of my life. It began with tradegy; in between lots of ups and downs - the reset button pushed more times than I like to admit; and  has ended with a sadness and emptiness that I could never have imagined was possible.

Oct/Nov - 2006

As the week leading up to the anniversary of the day everything changed in my life approached, I became acutely aware while the accident stole many facets of my life, self and dreams, it has also given me experiences - that I may not otherwise have had. All of of  my experiences Pre- and Post - accident have brought me to the beginning of the next chapter of my life. I'm alive and thriving (some days more than others), but, what I have learned in the last 10 years is : if we are not happy with how our life is going - we have the power to create a life and self that we want.

Sept. 2016

For those who may be going through a challenging time I leave you with some quotes from some amazing women ... that I read often to remind me that any thing is possible - and it's up to me to create the self and life I want be and live.

With this post I'm closing a chapter .... 

and beginning a new one ... that I'm calling the Resilientista Years.

I hope you will join me on this next chapter, where I hope to continue to inspire you to live your version of a High Heeled Life (aka best life)

You are the curator of your life so make it luxurious,

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In the Kitchen #2 - Grown Up Beef Stew (aka Beef Bourguignon)

If you follow along on Instagram - you may already know that I recently invested in my very first piece of Le Creuset enameled cast iron piece. My sister and mother had gifted me some money for my birthday last December - and YES! I held onto for this long. I really wanted to use it to purchase something that would a) last b) I would use regularly c) have meaning. So when I decided to get back in the kitchen on a regular basis - I knew a piece of cookware was it. To break in my new Le Creuset French (Dutch) oven ... I decided a grown up version of beef stew - aka Beef Bourguigon - was going to be the meal!!

Though I have made this meal before (not using a Dutch oven) ... 

using the Le Creuset allowed me to do it all in one pot - as it goes from stove to oven seamlessly. I'll share more on the French (Dutch) oven in a future post - for now let's get back to cooking ...

Ingredients:

3-4 lb boneless stew beef (I used sirloin tip) cut in large chuncks

2 TBsp olive oil

2 large carrots peeled and quartered

1 medium - large onion peeled and quartered

4 cloves garlic - gently crushed

1/4 C. flour

1 bottle red wine - minus one glass (optional)

4 C. beef broth

1 bouquets garni (see below)

1-2 TBsp olive oil (optional)*

8 slices of bacon roughly cut

30-40 baby onions

1 lb white button mushrooms (I used portobello)

1/2 C. water

salt and pepper to taste

Bouquets garni is made using bay leaf, parsley stems and thyme - wrapped with cooking twine.

Create the Magic ...

Prior to starting bring meat to room temperature for 20 minutes. Heat olive oil in a large pot (that can go from stove top to oven). Working in batches brown meat on all sides, setting aside as it is done. When all the meat is done, cook carrots and onions to same pot until tender and lightly golden. Add garlic - cook additional minute; add flour - cook additional 2 minutes. Add wine and broth to pot stir - add bouquet garni.

 Return meat to pot, cover and transfer to oven - for about 2 hours - until meat is very tender.

If you opted to minus a glass from the bottle ... 

Enjoy it, as you prepare the garnish ;)

*Brown bacon in a pan and set aside. Add small onions, and brown all over, - set aside. Brown mushrooms and set aside.  Deglaze pan with 1/2 C. water, reduce, and pour over garnish. Let stand - until beef is done.

* use olive oil if you wish adding a little - when cooking bacon, onions, mushrooms.

When meat is tender ... remove pot from oven - remove meat and set aside. Strain the stock, discarding the vegetables. Pour stock back into pot and bring to boil until thick enough to coat a spoon. 

Return beef and garnish to pot. Cover and simmer until onions are tender and the flavours have blended - about 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

SERVE... 

Bon Apetite! 

Serve with crusty French baguette or olive & rosemary crusty bread ...

Side notes: On occassion I have served leftovers over mashed potatoes, rice and pasta to help stretch the leftovers. - and have also added frozen peas during the last 10 minutes of simmering - before serving.

You are the curator of your life so make it luxurious,


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Sharing with: Inspiration2 -Thursday ; Home and Garden Thursday
 Feathered Nest Friday ;  Happiness is Homemade - Sunday ; Inspiration Monday ; No Place Like Home-Mondays ;  

Afternoon Tea on the Bridge ~ and a little mindfulness

Long time readers of High Heeled Life already know I'm all about a good cup of tea in the afternoon. Making time in your afternoon for tea not only provides the opportunity to indulge in a small treat - to carry you through to dinner or the drive home after work; it also gives you a few moments to pause in your day - practice a little mindfulness and recharge the mind.

With the great autumn afternoons we have been blessed with  my afternoon cup of tea at the country home can still be enjoyed outside. this particular afternoon I set myself up down on the small bridge.

 My Lady Carlyle tea cup and side plate  by Royal Albert -  some tasty macarons my friend spoiled me with, from Trader Joe's ... I kid you not they are tres yummy!!

a pillow and blanket ... some leisure reading magazines ... the sun shining it's warm rays and I settled in for some time away from computer, phones, and distractions.

The only sounds ... were chirping birds, the gurgling of the stream beneath the bridge ...

After a little leisure reading  ... I practiced a little mindfulness ... below are some steps I 've shared before to help you practice mindfulness... 

mind·ful·ness

ˈmīndfəlnəs/

noun

noun: mindfulness

1. 1.

   the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.

   "their mindfulness of the wider cinematic tradition"
2. 2.

   a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

With today's demands for us to always be connected it has become more important than ever to unplug, stop doing things on auto pilot and experience being in the moment. Try these simple steps the next time you brew a cup of tea: 

1. Take notice of your environment, the sound of the water as you fill the kettle. Smile at the thought of fresh water and give thanks for having it.

2. Take note of how your feet feel as you make your way across the room, how the floor feels below your feet.

3. Notice the various shades and textures of the dry tea leaves. If you use tea bags still touch the leaves and breathe in the fragrant scent.

4. Listen to the sound of the water as you pour it into the teapot see how the leaves begin to transform as the hot water envelopes them.

5. As the tea steeps try to quieten your mind focus on your breath - inhaling and exhaling through the nose.

6. Holding teacup with both hands raise teacup to your nose. Take three deep breaths inhaling the warmth and fragrant scent of your tea.

7. Take note of the flavours as the tea rolls over your tongue - see if you can identify their origins.

8. As the tea makes its way past your tongue invite it into your body to nourish and heal.

9. Repeat  steps 6-8 until you finish your cup of tea.

You will be surprised at how much more creative and productive you will feel and be when you take the time to recharge your mind.

If tea is not your thing ... no worries ... have a cup of coffee, or smoothie or a glass of water (we can all drink more water - I'm certain). Get outside - stroll to a near by park, and just sit. Be present in the moment. Allow your mind to take a break from the work day. If mid afternoon doesn't permit getting outside - do it during your lunch hour, or find a spot in the office that you can sit looking out a window ...and take in the nature beyond it.

How do you recharge in your day?

You are the curator of your life so make it luxurious,


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Sharing with: Happiness is Homemade - Sunday ; Inspiration Monday ; No Place Like Home-Mondays ;  Tea Cup Tuesday ;  Inspiration2 -Thursday ; Home and Garden Thursday
 Feathered Nest Friday ;

In The Kitchen - #1 - Potato, Chorizo, & Rapini Soup

Welcome to the first In The Kitchen! post...

With today's busy schedules more and more of us (myself included) have made eating out and ordering in, the norm.While I'm not a chef or nutritionist, I do know practicing good self care includes fueling the body and mind with nutritious meals - and not all restaurant food is nutritious. Also eating out on a regular basis can really "eat up" your disposable income - I don't know about you but, if I can eat healthy, and still be able to save for a nice pair of heels - well you know that I'm all in!! I hope as I share my adventures of getting back into the kitchen (on a regular basis), that you too will be inspired to cook more of your meals and desserts too!!

I hope you will stop in on Wednesdays to check out what I'm sharing from my kitchen ...from recipes to tips on cooking, baking, stocking pantry, and kitchen essentials etc. Remember I'm not a chef - so I'll be sharing easy to prepare dishes on the regular - not to say I may not get adventurous and try a dish that is out of my comfort zone.

Here is our first recipe in the series ... Potato, Chorizo, & Rapini Soup:

De-Stressing Essentials To Re-energize Mentally & Physically

Life can be full of stress on the best of days, mix in the holidays; a life altering unexpected experience; or an overflowing to-do list; and you may find yourself teetering between mental and or physical burn out on a regular basis. Practicing self care on the daily is key to being able to deal with what life throws your way. 

image credit

I'm a huge advocate of adding yourself into your planner. Just like you commit to a meeting for business, with a friend or community event - it is important to schedule a meeting with yourself regularly throughout your week (if not daily). Select activities that will help re-energize you mentally and physically, so that should a situation arise instead of reacting, you are able to calmly think through the situation for a positive out come.

Some de-stressing essentials I sprinkle throughout my weekly planner include:

~ Meditation

~ Yoga

~ Gardening (if season permits)

~ Listening to soothing music

~ Taking a walk

~ Energy Healing (Reiki, Reflexolgy, etc.)

~ Massage

~ A warm bath

~ Nap

Get your own Do Not Disturb - Resilientista door hanger HERE

Schedule "me" time, to ensure no distractions or interruptions. If you live with others let them know that you will be unavailable for the next (fill in the blank) minutes - they will need to find their own lost keys, socks etc. Turn off phones, and other technical gadgets - if you need to share your 'me" time on social media, do it before or after your appointment with yourself. Spending time with yourself in a quiet space enables you to reconnect with your ISTA ~ your inner self.

How do you de-stress from the day?

You are the curator of your life so make it luxurious,


Stay in Step with High Heeled Life ...

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