garden grown tomatoes

i bought a tomato plant a few months ago, hoping my green thumb was enough to yield a few tomatoes for me to eat. i carefully tended to my plant and was completely excited when little baby tomatoes started to show up. let me tell you, the tomatoes from my plant have been the BEST tasting ones I've had all summer long!! a beautiful, delectable taste explosion of the gift of nature!! yum!!

My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~H. Fred Ale

chats with my brother

i brought lila over to my brother's house tonight so she could run around in the backyard and play with texas, my brother's labrador. my brother and i sat on the back deck chatting about this and that and things in our life. i love that we're in the same city again that we have the opportunity to do that. it's such a treasure to be able to share my life with others.

A brother is a friend given by Nature. ~Jean Baptiste Legouve

lila

my dalmation/pointer mix...

she has the sweetest disposition. well, except, when she's having one of her, what i like to call, "sugar rushes." i adopted lila about a year and a half ago. she'll be 3 years old this month... on the 14th. i remember tossing and turning over whether i was ready for another doggie and i'm certainly glad i made the choice to adopt her. i love how she wakes me up in the mornings...how she sticks her wet nose in my face. mind you, she doesn't actually poke me with her nose. she sits there with her nose a centimeter away from mine and just stares at me until i open my eyes. it's so darn cute that i can't even be mad at her!!

she's a joy in my life and i am thankful to be able to be a part of her's!!

oh and just as a note: her name is pronounced lee-lah. people usually want to make the "i" long. it's a sanskirt term that i learned during my yogic studies. it means "the play of life." a perfect fit for her! :)

back...again...

after a very long break from this daily posting i'm back, and just as the cheer that i tried out to in high school (um...i didn't make the squad...in case you're wondering...) says, "here to stay!"

as i started reading over this blog last night i realized what a positive influence it made on my life to be appreciative of the things i have. it is definitely time to bring this practice back into my life.

p.s. i made the drill team (dance squad). :) i guess i was more suited to dancing as opposed to cheering. makes sense.

beauty in nature....life

© Jennifer Chua Photography, 2008

larabars

oh, yum! i tried one for the 1st time today and they are delish!!!! the chocolate coconut bar grabbed my attention and it definitely did NOT disappoint. haha! i just realized i'm talking about food again. well, i do have an ongoing love affair with food. what can i say? :)

so, yeah, larabar. they are completely natural. this particular bar's ingredients are: dates, almonds, walnuts, unsweetened cocoa, and unsweetened coconut. that's it!!! no added sugar or preservatives. all natural, baby, and delicious!!! they're a little pricey but for a treat now and then... i'm all over it!

pamela's pancakes!!!

oh yum!!! i have never been much of a pancake person, but this pancake mix is the BEST i've ever had. i wasn't too sure about it when i first tried it. it's a wheat-free, gluten-free mix... let me tell you, when i took that first bite i was in pancake heaven!!! yu-ummy! it's been love ever since. haha! my wonderful friend, cindy, introduced me to them a few months ago. i ate some this morning with fresh blueberries mixed in. it was a GREAT way to start the day! :)

pamela's pancakes... run out and get some... like right now!!!