Recently I have been participating in a quarterly subscription box designed by a gal from British Columbia (Jillian Harris). I guess
you could say it’s kind of the Canadian version of the Fab Fit Fun box called The Jilly Box and to be honest, it is of much greater value to me. The things she includes in this curated lifestyle box is hand chosen by her and her team and they support small, eco-friendly, diverse, and cruelty-free brands across North America, which is one of the reasons I chose to participate in this particular subscription. Because they are so selective, she has limited supply of products and so if you are chosen by the lottery, you should count yourself lucky! Over the years, I have received an incredibly wide variety of items from clothes and accessories to beauty, home décor and much more. I first saw Jillian as a participant on The Bachelor and then later as The Bachelorette. After those 2 gigs, which didn’t turn out as she had planned at the time but judging where her life has taken her, I’m confident she would say it turned out much better than she ever imagined. Jillian went on to be a co-host of HGTV’s Love it or List It Vancouver, she’s a designer, an author, a mom, a dog mom, a philanthropist, and I have loved watching her journey as she has evolved through the years. In fact, she has so many amazing qualities and exciting stuff going on in her life, I wouldn’t do her justice by writing them down (plus I don’t want to miss anything), so please check out a little about her here https://jillianharris.com/about/.
Anyway, in the Fall Jilly Box were some super cute cards called Cool to Connect. There are 52 cards meant to help you connect 
with yourself and others, so I thought I may use them occasionally to help prompt me when blogging. In fact, I have received multiple tools recently to help me with my blogging journey. Another neat book came in the form of a Christmas present from our future daughter in law called The Story of My Life – it contains a ton of prompts such as:
- What kind of a learner were you in high school and how did you do academically (I think I will leave that one where it belongs……..in the past)
- The first time you disagreed with your parents
- Where were you when…..No matter when you were born, something huge has happened in the world within your lifetime. Tell what it was, where you were when it happened and how it affected you.
- What memory comes to mind when you hear the word………….
- What did you do with your first paycheck? Why was this important to you?
One final thing I am participating in is called Daily Om, A Year of Writing to Uncover the Authentic Self (www.dailyom.com). I’m not going to lie though, I didn’t think this one through totally. I maybe should have started this in the winter or fall months because I am about 8 months behind schedule but I will eventually finish it I am sure, the great thing about this
course, is that a) you only pay what you can afford & b) once you have the course you can go back to it whenever you want and they will never expire which is perfect for a procrastinator like me. Not all of my homework will make it to the blog, but I am learning a little something about myself along the way, which is all I can ask for! The prompts to guide you through each course are awesome as well – Some of the interesting writing prompts include: People you’ve lost, your daily, weekly, monthly or yearly rituals & forgotten skills. There is also a discussion group if you are so inclined for that, however I am sure by the time I am done with a chapter, the group will be long gone and moved onto something else – so, I will just persevere on my own, no discussion necessary!
Back to today’s prompt from my “cool to connect” box – “What are some things that no one would ever guess about you?”
- I am not scared of much – I like scary rides, haunted houses, para sailing, heights, but talk about bats and I go running to the hills crying like a little baby.
- I was a National Pole Bending champion when I was 11 years old on a horse that I had ridden only a handful of times. Anyone who knew the horse (who we called Sorry, if that gives you an indication of his temperament) said that there was no way I should be riding him, but my dad told me to just sit on him, ride him like you know how and Sorry would do the work and that’s exactly what happened.
- One of my happy places is in a barn cleaning stalls – there is something about shovelling shit that reminds me of my roots.
- Anyone that knows me now, thinks I am a decent cook (most of the time) but anyone who knew me before or early on in my married life knows I could f’ up boiling water.
- I always wanted to learn how to tap dance – not now but it was always something I wanted to do as a kid.
- My first trip to Disneyland was when I was 43 years old, and I almost cried when I saw Winnie the Pooh. I know……dorky.
- A good sunset or sunrise can move me to tears, there is just something so simple and beautiful in the sun setting to end the day and the sun rising to throw a whole new bundle of possibilities at your feet that touches my heart.
There you have it, no more secrets. Tell me, What is something no one would guess about you?
Now, I don’t know where you live, but it is turning to soup weather in beautiful British Columbia so when the weather calls, I listen! I had some chicken gravy left over and had no idea what to do with it so I threw together a yummy Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup. It was so tasty, that I felt I needed to share it with you and it is my hope that you will enjoy it as much as we did!
Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
Equipment
- Large dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts (or equivalent boneless thighs) diced
- 2 Tbsp Vegetable oil
- 1 Onion diced
- ½ Cup Celery chopped
- 1 Carrot chopped
- 1 Red or orange pepper (small) diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic minced
- ¼ Tsp Pepper to taste
- ¼ Tsp Salt to taste
- ⅔ Cup ½ & ½ Cream
- 1 Cup Leftover chicken gravy This really adds to the flavour so I encourage you to use it, but its not absolutely required
- ½ Cup Brown rice or any rice you would like to use Cooked
- 1 Tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp Lukewarm water
- 4 Cups Chicken stock Homemade is best (see recipe I use and keep on hand in my freezer) https://cleanfoodcrush.com/slow-cooker-bone-broth-lowers-inflammation/
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large dutch oven. Season diced chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Add chicken and cook for 1 - 2 minutes until no longer pink
- Add garlic, onion, carrot, celery, red pepper & Italian seasoning and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring frequently.
- Add cooked rice, gravy and chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes to allow flavours to blend
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water and add to the soup. Slowly stir in the ½ & ½ cream and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes stirring frequently
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
