Summer days

With the arrival of summer just around the corner, fingers crossed, my thoughts have floated to appropriate activities to partake in once it is here. In the spirit of this train of thinking I thought I would write a 2012 summer to do list. I like having to do lists; they keep me organized and on track with tasks, goals and the like. Ten always seems like a good number when it comes to making a list so here goes with my 2012 summer to do list:

1. Go camping for a weekend or if that isn't possible then for a nice scenic day hike
2. Catch a Canadians baseball game
3. Visit Bowen Island
4. Make a delicious summer-inspired cheesecake seeing as I have had the appropriate tin for a while now
5. Attend more than one outdoor bbq
6. Go to the Vancouver Aquarium, which I still haven't been to
7. Spend at least one afternoon in a beer garden somewhere soaking up the sunshine and the atmosphere
8. Watch a film under the stars at one of the many outdoor cinemas that will be scattered around Vancouver
9. Step back in time at the Burnaby Village Museum
10. Check out the Richmond Night Market

I think this is definitely an achievable list. What makes the impending summertime even more exciting is the thought of one long weekend per month once July is upon us. Throw in the activities I already have tickets to, the dress rehearsal of Xanadu at the Granville Island Stage and Taming of the Shrew as part of Bard on the Beach, and summer is already shaping up nicely. Now all I need is the sunshine to come and stay awhile! 

Anzac biscuits

I gave baking a rest this weekend because as I mentioned yesterday I was afforded a great excuse to do some during the week. This is something I don't often find the time or inclination to do so I was glad I had the opportunity to. The third recipe I used can be found here, that of the Anzac biscuit, which as an Australian holds significance for me. If you want to know more of the history behind this sweet treat then check out the link here. I love the smell of these biscuits (or cookies) as they bake, as well as the gorgeous golden colour they turn to by the time you take them out of the oven. The quantity of golden syrup is just right as you can taste it, but it does not dominate this delicious baked treat. You could even use a vegan or vegetarian butter alternative in the recipe to make it suitable for many eating preferences.

Rice krispies treats

Life and blogging didn't really go hand in hand last week, which is why I didn't get to post on Friday as per normal. Just like Cinderella I didn't leave before midnight because I was having fun and yesterday was definitely beach weather day. I am making up for it today by featuring one of a few recipes I used last week to make some sweet treats for a work lunch. Whether you are a child or an adult, I don't think you can say no to rice krispies treats because they really are yummy tasting and so easy to whip up. I used the official recipe from Kellogg's found here. However, I did use a square pan; 9 by 9 inch I think and they still turned out perfectly. 

They were a perfect complement to the two different types of cookies I made; the tried and true chocolate chip ones mentioned here and a new variety that I plan on telling you about tomorrow. Enjoy what is left of your weekend or the start of your week if it has already begun.

Purchases from Portland

As mentioned yesterday, purchases were made in Portland and I promised to showcase them for you. I did take into consideration the wish list items I mentioned here, but alas I could not find a Zara store in Portland and now I am not so sure if there is one. Firstly, I bought some sweet smelling, purse-friendly hand sanitizer from Bath & Body Works. 

Not quite finished with sweet smells, I bought a new perfume from Sephora in the form of Gucci Flora by Gucci - Gorgeous Gardenia. It definitely smelt gorgeous and I couldn't stop thinking about it from when I tested it Saturday night to when I bought it Sunday afternoon.

Satisfied in the area of fragrance, I also picked up a few random bits of make-up and nail polish to add some variety to my existing supply.

Clothes shopping was also on the agenda with both Forever 21 and H&M helping me out in this department. I picked up several cute spring and summery tops as well as a pair of pale pink shorts, not quite soft pastel jeans, but they will tide me over for now. 

I had a funny feeling that one of the tops I purchased from Forever 21 was one I had blogged about previously and it was indeed. The colourblocked top mentioned here is now happily mine. 

The random purchase of the trip has to be the fedora I got from Forever 21, which I can't wait to wear to the beach or wherever the sunshine sees me go.

Portland, Oregon

Traveling is definitely one of my favourite things and I just love having the opportunity to explore a new place. Throw in no sales tax and you can't go wrong even if the weather wasn't the best in Portland this past weekend. The train ride was a pleasant enough experience and the scenery along the way was quite pretty. I wish I had taken a few snaps on the way to Portland because the weather was the sunniest. 

Portland is an interesting city filled with a variety of eateries and the usual suspects when it comes to shopping. It also has lots of random sculptures and a lot of naturalness about it once you get near Washington Park. We arrived on Saturday afternoon and after checking into our accommodation, wandered downtown for a bite to eat. 

Different day & night views from our balcony

The early start (we were up at 4:45am) meant an early night after a bit of a walk around, which I guess you could say was reconnaissance for the next day's shopping. Sunday started out with a walk down to the waterfront, where we caught the tail end of a half marathon run. 

During our random wanderings we happened upon Voodoo Donuts and we weren't the only ones eager for a sugary treat, as there was a decent sized line-up even though it was raining. My crushed Oreo on vanilla frosting aka dirt donut was definitely worth the wait. 

After this it was all about shopping with notable purchases made in Forever 21, H&M and Sephora, which I will showcase tomorrow. After dropping off our purchases, we decided to explore a little bit around the area where our hotel was located. This was a great decision as we discovered a cute area called Nob Hill. Nestled here amongst independent stores were Urban Outfitters and the likes of Williams Sonoma, which I couldn't resist making a small purchase at. 

Shopping can definitely be tiring and the weather doesn't help when it is raining. After a brief re-group at the hotel we had dinner in Nob Hill then dessert with my two favourite men - Ben & Jerry. I couldn't resist having their ice cream on both Saturday and Sunday night. Our sense of adventure kicked in after dinner on Sunday as we trekked up to Washington Park for a look around. Initially there were plenty of stairs involved, which is never a good idea with a belly full of ice cream. However, the park's rose garden and it's many varieties, in various stages of bloom, made it worth the walk. I must admit though I got a bit nervous as we tried to figure out how to get out of the park as darkness approached. Obviously it all turned out okay because I am writing this. 

Monday was short and sweet, just like our weekend, as we only had a few hours before getting the train back to Vancouver. They were spent grabbing a quick brunch, last minute shopping and picking up some snacks and magazines to help with the journey ahead. 

All in all it was a great weekend away and possibly worth a second trip if the opportunity presents itself again. Portland has a lot going for it and not just the no sales tax.

Choo choo train

Another long weekend is here and I couldn't be happier, however I definitely need an early night tonight due to the set-off time tomorrow. We are off to Portland, Oregon not Maine via Amtrak, which should be interesting as I have never caught one of these trains before. Sadly the weather seems destined to be up and down over the three-day trip, but I won't let it rain on my parade. No sales tax in the state of Oregon makes me a very happy girl and makes for a bit of a wish list. If I find any of the below at a good price then they might just make their way into my suitcase:

Jeans in a soft pastel colour (image courtesy of Zara)

Fun new scent (image courtesy of Fragrantica)

Cute and colourful maxi skirt (image courtesy of Zara)

Purse-friendly hand sanitizer (images courtesy of Bath & Body Works)

Stop by on Tuesday for all the details of my Portland trip...cannot wait to share all the stories and purchases!

Musical musings for May

Music has been a little bit more prominent in my life this month, which I think is partially due to having no cable for the first week of May. More so, it is no longer a luxury to be able to randomly play music throughout the whole apartment. This is something I was always quite fond of doing back home in Australia. Hence why I have already purchased a stack of new songs from iTunes this month. Below is the random mix of music making its way into my head one lyrical sentence at a time:

1. By Now - Marianas Trench
2. Wild Ones (feat. Sia) - Flo Rida
3. When We Stand Together - Nickelback
4. Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine
5. Good Girl - Carrie Underwood
6. Over - Blake Shelton
7. Reckless One - Sunday Lane
8. Payphone (feat. Wiz Khalifa) - Maroon 5
9. The Trouble With Girls - Scotty McCreery
10. How Will I Know - Whitney Houston 

Television once more has been a dominant influence with Shake It Out and How Will I Know recently covered on Glee. Hart of Dixie, which just got renewed for a second season, is responsible for the Scott McCreery number and he actually performed it himself in the episode. Of course my little attachment to The Voice had to have some sort of side effect, which is why I have both Maroon 5 and Blake Shelton featuring this month. Living in Canada means I have had more exposure to Canadian artists and I have a feeling they will constantly be on my musical musings each month for the foreseeable future. However, the big one to note is Carrie Underwood because I will be going to her October concert. I am very excited about this and she will definitely be popping up a lot on my playlists before then.   

May's music can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

Mars bar slice

With the warmer weather this weekend, I thought it would be nice to give the oven a rest and make something that only required the stovetop and fridge. The recipe I chose to make was mars bar slice, which I guess in a way was a homage to my childhood. I found a recipe here, which fittingly was on an Australian website.  

Instead of using milk chocolate I used semi-sweet chocolate, as this is what I had to hand. I also had to improvise when melting the chocolate because I don't have either a microwave or a suitable bowl to put on top of a saucepan. I melted the chocolate and extra butter together over low heat, constantly whisking and hoping it didn't burn or anything. It turned out perfectly, which I was very happy about.     

Everything about the finished mars bar slice stirred up memories from my childhood, which was nice considering yesterday was Mother's Day!

Seal of approval

The sun has been shining a lot the last few days and could mean some beach time this weekend seeing as we now live within walking distance. However, the highlight of my day and even my week so far happened tonight as I was running an errand to pick up some theatre tickets on Granville Island. This little guy below popped up a few times to say hello and thankfully I had my camera on me to record the moment. It is moments like this that make me smile and really appreciate living in the glorious city that is Vancouver. I hope you all have an awesome weekend, hopefully involving some lovely autumn or spring weather wherever in the world you may be. If the weather doesn't cooperate than settle for lovely company and fun activities. Although, I am hoping for the trifecta!

Banana and honey smoothie

It has been really awesome to have all my gadgets and gizmos taking up space in the kitchen without seeming in the way. It means I will use them all more often than I used to because it won't be a chore to put them away afterwards. This is already the case with my blender, although I haven't been using it when I wake up in the morning because I am not sure how thin the walls are. I have started to concoct my own smoothies for a quick snack or as part of a small dinner. Maybe this will some how encourage summer to hurry up already. The first smoothie variety I made was banana and honey. I cut up one small banana and blended it with approximately two teaspoons of honey, two scoops of French vanilla ice-cream (you could use frozen or fresh yoghurt for a healthier option) and one cup of 2% milk. I let it blend for a few minutes until I achieved the desired consistency. I am not a big fan of fruit chunks in my smoothies so I tend to blend for longer than most. The result was a delicious and refreshing smoothie, which tonight accompanied a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner. I can't wait to make more smoothies, especially as the weather gets warmer.

M&M's cookies

It was so good to get back in the kitchen this weekend and whip up a delicious treat because I had been having some serious baking withdrawals. However, it didn't quite go to plan on Sunday afternoon when I took the new kitchen for a test spin. First things first, I chose to make some m&m's cookies, as I still had the packet of mini ones that I was supposed to use at Christmas time as mentioned here. Funnily enough the finished product left me thinking about all things festive due to the colour combination. The recipe I chose was a pretty standard cookie recipe and can be found here. Everything went well up until I had to put my cookie trays in the oven. It was at this point that I discovered that only one of my trays actually fit in the oven, which was definitely something I hadn't considered prior to opening the oven door. Once I got over my initial disappointment I realised it would be a bit of a baking process using only one tray at a time, but there was nothing else I could do. I baked the first batch, and each batch afterwards, for ten minutes. I had to remove the fresh cookies quickly from the tray so I could put more on. Logistically I didn't do so well with the first batch and as a result six freshly baked cookies ended up on the kitchen floor. I was close to tears, but instead of succumbing to the trauma of it all, and yes it was traumatic, I simply cleaned up the mess and continued on. My first baking experience in the new kitchen definitely didn't start the way I expected, but it ended nicely with some delicious cookies and a few learnt lessons. It may be a while before I make cookies again, as I need some more small trays, but the oven itself worked well so I have to be happy about that.

 

Sunshine on a rainy day

It always amazes me how you can begin the day with rain and end it with sunshine. Today was such a day as I sat on the bus after work gazing out at the gorgeous sun highlighting how pretty the commute is with the water and the mountains co-existing. This got me wishing for summer to arrive as soon as possible, but this is Vancouver after all so I won't be holding my breath. Instead I will devote my energy thinking of summer-related items that will make me feel happy and warm when the weather fails to do so. If you haven't checked out Etsy yet then you really should. I recently got my best friend's 'save the date' card (check out her blog here) and it was courtesy of Etsy. I am quite the newbie to Etsy; I think my best friend may have been the person to introduce me. It is pretty much a giant marketplace for people to buy and sell products, whether it is personally made or as a supplier. I also get regular emails from the website, which are inspirational in themselves. Whilst, I am yet to make my first purchase, it is a very cute website and one you could lose yourself in for hours. Anyway for some Etsy summer-esque inspiration see below:

Pig planter (image courtesy of Etsy)

Maxi skirt (image courtesy of Etsy)

Mason drinking jar and straw (image courtesy of Etsy)

Before I sign off, I have to tell you about my current non-Etsy object of desire and, even better, it is on sale. I have mentioned Kate Spade previously here, spotlighting a very cute clutch. Now the baker in me is in love with this gorgeous and sizable tote:

'Eat Cake for Breakfast' tote (image courtesy of Kate Spade)

Las Margaritas

I thought it would be quite cool to introduce you to my new neighbourhood a little bit at a time so you get to see just how awesome it is. The first stop on this tour is Las Margaritas, a fantastic Mexican restaurant we ate at Sunday night. 

Las Margaritas restaurant exterior (image courtesy of Las Margaritas)

There are definitely plenty of eating options in our new 'hood, but we gravitated to this one for our first dining experience. We were not disappointed at all. I would go there just for the delicious, and might I add, complimentary homemade tortilla chips and salsa, which were the perfect start to a great meal. 

Homemade tortilla chips and salsa (image courtesy of Las Margaritas)

For this visit, which I am sure will be the first of many, I chose the enchilada verde and it was the right choice. There was even enough to have leftovers for lunch the next day, probably because of my chip and salsa consumption beforehand. With Cinco de Mayo coming up in just a few short days, this would be the perfect destination to celebrate it.

Moving madness

Moving is quite consuming, which is why I was unable to post yesterday as per normal. Whilst this wasn't the plan, I did have to make some progress with unpacking after the incredibly busy moving day on Sunday. However, I did want to let the world know we survived moving day. I promise to have a new and fun post tomorrow. Until then I couldn't resist showing you my gorgeous Mickey Mouse cookie jar that my sister gifted to me ages ago, which I could only put on display in my new place. It is too cute for words!