Thursday 31 May 2012

Last Night...

...was a very, very good night. We made our way through rush hour (and by made our way, I mean ran several red lights) to Hot Wax to catch the last couple songs of the Arkells acoustic show.

We stopped for a drink at Winebar.


Finally, we saw Jason Isbell at the Ironwood.

And when we thought it couldn't get any better, this happened.

Not too bad for a Wednesday.

Wednesday 30 May 2012

The Universe is Unfolding as it Should...

Earlier this week we put an offer on a house for the first time. It was a lot more stressful than I thought it would be. There were so many things to think about that it kind of took the fun and excitement out of the whole experience. Unfortunately, we didn't get the house. I think deep down I knew that we wouldn't, but I couldn't help feeling disappointed. The whole thing put me in a bit of a funk.
Whenever I get a bit down or unsure about things, I always like to read Max Ehrmann's Desiderata. It's been a kind of mantra for me since I was a teenager.


Whenever we do find our dream home, this awesome print (and maybe a few others) from Rock the Custard will have a special spot on the wall.
Now, onwards and upwards!



Monday 28 May 2012

Ahh the Weekend

We were in Sedgewick this weekend for a family get together.

John and Stevii were kind enough to let us stay at their place where we drank way too much wine and danced the night (and early morning) away. We may have regretted it on Sunday, but we had a blast.


Friday 25 May 2012

Fashion Friday- Photo Print

It's been a while since we had a fashion Friday. This time, it's all about photo prints.

1, 2, 3,

If a full dress seems like a bit much, you can have just as much fun with bathing suits.

From Refinery 29
Have a great weekend!

Thursday 24 May 2012

Katie Daisy

Oooo I love the bright and whimsical art of Katie Daisy!




You can check out her website or her etsy shop for prints, cards, doormats and even iPhone cases. All of her prints are so lovely. It's too hard to choose!

Wednesday 23 May 2012

Phyllo Quiche

Last week I had the worst craving for quiche. When I tried to pick it up for lunch, all the places I usually see it were out. My luck turned around however, when all the meals I'd planned on making for dinner were thwarted by dinners out. This left all of my good intentioned vegetables and eggs begging to be thrown together with some cheese and bacon and poured into a light phyllo crust.

The beauty of quiche is you can pretty much throw anything you like in it. Here's what I used.

4 pieces of bacon
8 pieces of asparagus
1 c. spinach
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 c. cheese (I used leftover bits of parmesan, gouda and cheddar)
5 eggs
8 sheets of phyllo
1/4 c. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop bacon, asparagus and spinach. In a medium pan, fry bacon until cooked. Remove and place on a paper towel to soak up any grease. In the bacon renderings, fry garlic and shallot until lightly browned. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add asparagus, spinach, garlic, shallots, bacon and grated cheese. Stir together.

Phyllo Crust

Lay your first piece of phyllo flat on the counter or on a piece of wax paper. Brush the surface with melted butter. Place another piece of phyllo on top. Repeat with 2 more sheets (4 in total). Place the phyllo in a 9" spring form pan (or pie plate) from top to bottom. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and place that set in the pan from left to right. Trim any excess dough or make sure it's standing up. If you fold it over, you won't be able to lift the side of the pan.

Pour your egg mixture into the phyllo and bake for 20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Side note: for a quick way to feed a crowd, you could easily make these into individual quiches using large, deep muffin tins.

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Ahh the Weekend

And what a weekend it was. We were busy, but only with fun things. Saturday, we met Eric's family out in Bragg Creek for lunch and explored Elbow Falls. The highlight of the whole trip was a fallen tree begging to be climbed.




A late night (that may have included karaoke) on Saturday meant for a long sleep in on Sunday. Once we were up, we were off to run errands and stop by the Farmer's Market. I went for fruit and veggies and left with this new herb garden.


Monday, we were up early again to meet my brother and his family for a picnic and hike at Heart Creek.


We finished the weekend off with a great big family dinner. My parents have been living overseas for the last 6 years and they've finally moved home! I can't wait to have them as regular fixtures around the dinner table again.

Friday 18 May 2012

Happy Long Weekend

In true May long fashion, it's going to be cold this weekend. We're sticking around the city, but have a few adventures planned. With the weather and fire bans, it's not the best time for camping, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to. This Coleman ad that aired a couple years ago brought back all the fun May long memories from my childhood.


Whatever you get up to, have a wonderful weekend. See you Tuesday!

Thursday 17 May 2012

Sidewalk Sandwiches

Sidewalk Citizen Bakery is no stranger around here, but they've just started selling sandwiches from their Stephen Avenue cart. If that news isn't good enough, they're right beside the Phil and Sebastian pop up shop. Hello, my two favorite things!


From Tuesday-Thursday they offer two sandwiches- one meat and one vegetarian. My friend Leo and I both had the chicken sandwich yesterday and not unlike their legendary scone, it was delish! You can see what kinds of sandwiches they'll have by following @avivfried on Twitter.

Wednesday 16 May 2012

Homemade Sugar Scrub (aka I Miss Humidity)

The minute we touched down in Calgary from Hawaii, I felt all of that lovely, tropical moisture being sucked from my skin (and hair and nails). This scrub is so simple and uses things you probably have sitting in your cupboard right now. I like using coconut oil as the smell always reminds me of a tropical vacation. Especially, that time in Costa Rica when Eric and I thought it would be a good idea to ditch sunscreen and slather ourselves in the stuff instead...6 degrees from the equator. That's a story for another time.


Sugar Scrub
1 c. raw sugar
1/2 c. oil- coconut, almond, avocado or olive all work.
essential oil or lemon zest for scent (optional)

Poor sugar into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Add oil a little at a time and stir to mix. Stir in essential oil or zest (if using). Store in the shower for easy access to soft, smooth skin.

Added bonus: this makes a great gift for any lovely ladies in your life. Perhaps a belated Mother's Day surprise?

Tuesday 15 May 2012

Salad with Beets, Apple and Goat Cheese Fritters


Goat Cheese Fritters
Goat cheese- I used Salt Spring Island because it's delicious and comes in the perfect size and shape for cutting into fritters
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 c. flour
1 c. panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp. oil for frying

Heat oil in frying pan. Cut goat cheese into discs. Dip cheese into flour, then egg, then panko. Fry the cheese on each side until golden brown and place on paper towel.

Dressing
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Salad
8 c. mixed greens
1 apple
1 beet, roasted
1/2 c. pecans

Toss mixed greens with dressing. Slice beet and apple and add to salad. Top with warm fritter and pecans. Enjoy!



Monday 14 May 2012

Ahh the Weekend

This weekend was a perfect blend of busy and relaxing. Friday night, we saw the always impressive Black Keys.

Saturday, after a bit of house hunting, we checked out the new Clive Burger (the fries! oh my god, the fries!) for a late lunch/early dinner.


Eric's friend Mike is in town from Victoria and we were lucky enough to be invited for a campfire sing song that went late into the night.


Normally, on such a beautiful Sunday, I'd feel bad about staying in the house, but because I haven't had a good sleep since we've been back I spent most of the day enjoying a glorious, guilt-free nap.

Friday 11 May 2012

Thursday 10 May 2012

Mother's Day

I found this book while wandering around 17th last year. You give it to your mom to fill out and then she gives it back to you to keep forever. It's full of great questions- most of which I've never even thought to ask. I wrapped it up in a fun tea towel and added a fancy pen. When my mom gave it back to me, I couldn't wait to read her responses. I learnt so much about her and it really made me realise how similar we are.




I think I can actually pinpoint the moment I started turning into my mom. She does this thing (usually when you're standing at the kitchen counter) where she'll grab your arm with one hand and either pull you in for a hug with the other or give you a pat on the butt. I remember doing it to someone and stopping dead in my tracks when I realised what had happened. Every time I say or do something like her, I can't help but have a little laugh to myself.

I'm proud that my mom is rubbing off on me. If I end up half as smart, funny and intuitive as she is, I'll be pretty darn happy.

Wednesday 9 May 2012

Maui: What We Did

Maui itself is pretty quiet come sundown, but that didn't stop us from taking full advantage of the daylight.

Eric and I woke up at 2:00am to head up Haleakala for sunrise. They said it would be cold and while I believed them, I didn't really believe them. It was FREEZING. The sunrise was beautiful, but I doubt I'll ever do that again. The really fun part was biking down...and by biking I mean just sitting on a bike as you speed down 10,000 feet back to sea level.





I finally got to go deep sea fishing! We boarded the Finest Kind for the morning and ended up with a 25lb mahi mahi (and a whale sighting).



We had originally planned to snorkel Molokini, but we ran a bit short on time so we ended up going to Honolua Bay and Black Rock where we ran into this guy.

He was so close! It was amazing (and a bit terrifying).

We also checked out Little Beach and the Road to Hana. Neither of which are for the faint of heart ;)

Saw it, Loved it, Ate it.

Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are- one of my all time favorite books- passed away yesterday. I saw this quote and completely fell in love with it.

Tuesday 8 May 2012

Maui: What We Ate

Ohh did we eat like kings. So much fresh fruit and fish! We had a full kitchen in our room so breakfast usually consisted of fruit and toast. The Hawaiians have this sweet bread that's sort of like Japanese milk bread: totally white, full of sugar and insanely delicious. I really shouldn't be allowed near the stuff.

We had a few really great meals out. For quick lunch we'd head down the street to Ohana Tacos. Totally authentic (they even had beef tongue and tripe) and so good.

As proper tourists do, we went to Mama's Fish House for a beautiful sunset meal. I had mahi mahi with wild boar and grilled bananas and Eric had their fish curry. We started with their three fish appetizer and it may have been the best sashimi I had the entire trip.

By far, the absolute stand out meal was at Merriman's in Kapalua. Our server had such passion for food. As soon as I thought I had my mind made up about what to order, he'd come and tell us about a special and I'd be so mesmerized I couldn't even remember what I'd originally wanted. I had seared ahi for my main and Eric had ono. Incredible! Our server sneaked us a couple extra macadamia nut shortbread and gave me a handful of earl grey tea to take home. Love that guy!






While driving the Road to Hana, we stopped at a little road side market and bought coconut candy. It's slices of coconut that have been slow roasted overnight in cane syrup. For a girl who loves coconut, it was a perfect treat. I'm going to try to re-create it. If I can get it just right, I'll be sure to share it with you.


Monday 7 May 2012

Supermoon

We're back! I'll have a full Maui rundown in the next couple of days. Until then, did anyone get a chance to catch the supermoon on Saturday night? We had a pretty spectacular view on the our way to the airport. Unfortunately, I didn't get a good picture of it from our moving car, but the night before we watched the most incredible sunset and moonrise simultaneously.