“A quiet evening at home is one of life’s greatest pleasures”

I’m home by 4pm on the days I work and for me that’s when my evening begins. Upon arriving home, I freshen up by spritzing my skin with a floral water and slathering on a good moisturizer. I change out of my work clothes and don my apron, head to the kitchen and light a candle which I’ll place near to where I’m cooking; I like to see the warm glow of firelight while I lovingly chop and sautee. We eat dinner early (by 6pm at the latest), I then fast until the next day.

I made a simple meal tonight: Green Salad with Ham & Cheese Puff Pastry Squares.

Ham & Cheese Puff Pastry Squares

You Will Need: (makes 4 portions)

6 pieces of sliced Ham

3 pieces of sliced Cheddar Cheese

2 sheets Puff Pastry

1 egg

1 Tablespoon of Water

Instructions: 

Set the oven to 400 degrees 

I used frozen pastry so I let the sheets thaw on the stovetop while the oven reached temperature.

Slice the Ham and cheese to create thin strips

Place the first pastry on a greased pan and place the ham followed by the cheese down the centre of the pastry. Make sure to leave an edge around the pastry. 

Mix the egg and water in a bowl and brush along the edge of the pastry, all the way around. 

Place the second pastry over top and using a fork, press along the edges to “glue” the top to the bottom. 

Brush the egg mixture over the top of the pastry and make a few slices over the top to allow any steam to escape.  Place in the oven for 25 minutes.  Slice and serve with salad or soup. 

Merlin (our cat) can’t stand to see me cooking (and not paying attention to him) so in between one dish and the next I step away and give him some good snuggles to quell his meowing. I practice slow living at home and moments rubbing his belly and hearing his purr keep me in the here and now.

I make it a point to serve dinner in a special way because it’s usually the only time in the day that (aside from Sunday brunch) my husband and I shut the world out and enjoy a meal and conversation uninterrupted. Candles, beautiful serving bowls and soft music, we share the events of our day or plan our next trip. Next week we’re going to camp for a couple of nights at a lake. One of the main reasons I love living in British Columbia, is the opportunity to be in nature and there is so much of it here.

My husband always cleans up after dinner, it’s a good deal since I like to do the majority of the cooking (leave me in the kitchen for a couple of hours and I’m a happy woman). Contrary to some old wives tales, I head straight to the bath after dinner. Essential oils of Frankincense and Rosewood smell sweet as I sink into the warm embrace of the water, close my eyes and drift into relaxing bliss.

This may sound like a terrible way to finish a relaxing bath but once the water drains I turn the shower on all the way to cold and take a freezing shower. I started practicing the Wim Hof Method 7 months ago and it’s taught me so many things, the biggest is that I’m stronger than I think. I cold shower for 6 minutes (that’s where I am now after starting at 30 seconds in the beginning) then step out and into my warmest flannel p.j’s.

My husband usually watches sports for a couple of hours in the evening so I let him enjoy that and take the time to myself to read, write or play the piano. Self care is never selfish as some might think. To me, taking time to myself is very important for my mental health; I don’t do well with too much stimulation, too many places to go and people to see.

Time to reconvene. Watching a movie or documentary is how we like to wind down together. I’d never watched the Hobbit movies (I know) so tonight we’re watching the second one. Am I the only one that wishes I could live in the Shire?

Before bed, I give the sheets a spritz with my homemade rose linen spray, fluff the pillows and put on my favourite rain soundtrack on my iPad and meditate. CBD oil has been helping me sleep so a few drops under the tongue and it’s lights out.

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Stay cozy.

Love,

Jennifer