Monday 31 August 2015

Goodbye August


Tomorrow is September.  One more week until back to school.  I can look back on the past two months and say that we enjoyed our summer, and for that I'm grateful, but I'm not ready for it to be over.  I've always secretly dreaded back to school while everyone else seemed to be jumping for joy.  Partly because I'm SO not a morning person, partly because I hate homework and schedules and assignment deadlines, and partly because packing lunches while it's still dark out sucks.

We ended our summer with a one week cottage rental up north.  The weather wasn't great, we had rain five out of the seven days, but it was a good week of relaxing, kayaking, board games, puzzles, fishing, fire building, movie watching, and reading.


Yesterday was laundry, all day.  Today was back to work.  One more long weekend to look forward to before we put summer away.



Friday 21 August 2015

Week In The Life | It's Friday!


I'm working hard to clear my desk.  I'm off next week.  I can't remember when I last had an entire week off work.  Tomorrow will be all about shopping and packing for a week up north, enjoying the solitude of a cottage on a lake, surrounded by a lot of nature.

As I knew would happen, my commitment to a Week In The Life has fizzled.  I haven't given up, and I expect the weekend will provide new motivation, but my real camera hasn't been picked up since Monday, and there's only so many phone pictures I can take of my desk and my kitchen.  Life is dull when I'm at work.  Period.

Monday and Tuesday here.


Wednesday and Thursday more or less:


Fast food at my desk.
Smoothies to compensate.
Garbage day.  Yes neighbours, I take photos of my garbage.  I'm cool like that.
School uniform shopping.
New puppy.
Late night reading and cereal.  Cereal with marshmallows to be exact.
Pizza.
Laundry.
Super salad.  To make up for the marshmallows.


Of course, there was time for the wonders of the internet:

This letter, the one I wish I'd written my kids this summer.

Beautiful Quebec City.  I'd like to plan a weekend there this fall.

This Tofino Gooey Butter Cake.  Like the St. Louis version, but not.

This Bourbon Walnut Pound Cake.  Holy moly.

And these Cinnamon Glazed Zucchini Bars.  You know how I love to sneak healthy things into baked goods :)

Happy Friday, happy weekend!

Wednesday 19 August 2015

Week In The Life | Monday & Tuesday


I'm working on documenting this week for Week In The Life, and it's an intimidating project for me.  Trying to find interest in the day to day, often mundane, happenings in our lives is no easy task.  I tried it last fall, and I found that some days were easier than others.  In the end I was pleased with the result, and it was an important reminder that our lives are a combination of memorable events and forgettable daily routines.  All of it is worth remembering.

This week started with the last day of our weekend in Boston.  It was an amazing weekend and I would love to have had more time there.  I will share more from our weekend road trip later.  

Monday morning we set out to find a beach.  We planned to be on the road and on our way home after lunch, so we were up and checked out of our hotel by 7am.  The front desk staff suggested Good Harbor Beach and we were the first to arrive at the beach parking lot.



The tide was out.




It was a gorgeous beach, and the water was beautiful.  A few salty mouthfuls reminded the kids that this wasn't the fresh water they were used to swimming in.







We ventured into Rockport for lunch.


My second lobster roll of the trip.  I think I could eat these every day.



We found some candy for the road.






And piled into the truck for the long ride home.




We got home late, half unloaded the car, and fell into our beds with the ocean sand still on us.

On Tuesday the big camera took a break, and I barely remembered to stop once in a while and snap with my phone.  

I captured this gem.  The obscene post-road trip laundry pile.


And the mess in the truck.


Going back to work was hard.


Groceries looked like this, after eating out so much.


And dinner looked like this.


Beating the heat and catching up with a friend after dinner. 


Ending up trapped in a gazebo while a thunderstorm passed through.



Linking up with Ali Edwards here.


Friday 14 August 2015

Friday, it's Friday!


I feel giddy with excitement.  We're on our way to Boston.  Road trip, baby.


I've been itching to do this for SO long.  But there's always work, school...life.

Not this weekend though.  My camera is ready :)


Life lately:


Beach time.
Lego time.
Baking.
Coffee-ing.
British chocolate.


Internet lately:

Click on this map to discover worthwhile field trips anywhere in North America.

Change up chicken dinner with this Honey Buttermilk Roast Chicken or this Chicken in Creamy Parmesan and Sun Dried Tomato Sauce.

Everything Bagel Breakfast Waffles.  Whoa.

All about potatoes.

This mixed media travel journal.

National Geographic has the BEST photos.

Raspberry Almond Blondies.  Yum.

Shakespeare's plays as comic strips.  Cute.

And once you've spent enough time on the internet, go check out the outernet.

Happy Friday, happy weekend!


Thursday 13 August 2015

Cherry Clafoutis


Cherry Clafoutis.  Cherries in a dish with a thin, pancake type batter, poured over top.  Baked into a creamy, custard like treat.  Simple and delicious.


The kids said it tasted like bread pudding with cherries.





The original clafoutis originated in the Limousin region of France and traditionally used black cherries, complete with the pits.  It would seem that the cherry pits lent an almond like flavour to the baked clafoutis.  I ditched the pits and used almond extract instead.

I can imagine making this with blueberries.  The batter is simple and versatile, and would likely work well with almost any kind of fruit.



Cherry Clafoutis

2 cups cherries, pitted
3 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar + 3 tbsp sugar
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
Pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Arrange cherries in the bottom of a buttered 1.5L casserole dish.

Whisk together remaining ingredients, except for the 3 tbsp of sugar, to form a thin batter.  Pour over cherries and sprinkle remaining sugar on the surface.  Bake until the custard is just set, about 45 minutes.

Best served while still warm.  Refrigerate any leftovers.  But there won't be leftovers :)








Thank you for featuring me!


Wednesday 12 August 2015

Photo a Day - Ripley's Aquarium


Our primary motivation for spending the day in Toronto a few weekends ago was to visit this place.  Ripley's Aquarium.  What an incredible thing it was to walk through all of the displays and exhibits.  Tank after tank of beautiful sea life.














Jellyfish.  So cool.



What it takes to keep the environments in all of the different tanks just right.


Dangerous Lagoon, with a tunnel right through.  I could have spent all day in there.  Amazing.


















Ray Bay.  And a chance to get hands on.








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