Musical musings for October

Technology failed me last month and is the key reason why I am posting this in November as opposed to October. My beloved macbook of six and a half years decided that it would no longer connect to the Internet. After a trip to the Apple genius bar, an authorised third party repairer and an attempt at a quick, cheap fix I am now resigned to hooking my macbook up to the Internet via a cable. It may sound a little bit silly, but in all honesty I totally prefer this option to putting money into something that is on borrowed time. The cable is doing the trick at zero cost and hopefully will allow me the time to save up for a new macbook because I don't want to go back to a laptop even if they are cheaper. So there you have the back story as to part of the reason why I am doing this at least ten days later than normal. Regardless, country still reigns supreme except for Taylor Swift as she decided to go more mainstream and so did I for just one catchy song:

• Love You Like That - Canaan Smith
• Automatic - Miranda Lambert
• Sun Daze - Florida Georgia Line
• One Great Mystery - Lady Antebellum
• 747 - Lady Antebellum
• Style - Taylor Swift

I've definitely been listening to music more, especially at work, which is why it is great to mix new songs with old favourites. 

October's musical musings can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

2014 fall television

How quickly the months fly by and we find ourselves once more wading through the many new fall TV shows adding a select few to our existing viewing rotation. As sad as it sounds, this is one of my favourite things about fall partly because the weather makes it enticing to stay indoors and indulge in what may seem like a bad habit. Unfortunately, one show has already been tried and discarded, Bad Judge. However, there are still seven I am trying and one more still to come:

• A to Z (NBC Network)
• The Flash (CW Network)
• Forever (ABC Network)
• Gotham (Fox Network)
• Stalker (CBS Network)
• How to Get Away With Murder (ABC Network)
• Scorpion (CBS Network)
• State of Affairs (NBC Network)

Throw in all the other shows I am already watching and I have quite the full plate of television viewing so thank goodness for pvrs. My only hope is that I have enough self control to mix inactivity with some sort of physical exertion. Time will be the telling factor for sure and maybe the weather too.

Caramel apple oreo pops

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful and grateful for all things, both big and small. Well this is how I look at the occasion seeing as I am not a Canadian. By the way, I feel it only fitting to be eating homemade pumpkin pie (not made by me) while I write this. I am thankful for so many things, primarily being happy, healthy and having been afforded so many amazing opportunities in my life so far. However, for everything I am thankful and grateful for, I know I have not tapped into all of my potential and fulfilled half my goals in life. In order to do this, I need to breakdown a few self-imposed barriers, but perhaps thoughts and words for another musing. Thanksgiving allows me the opportunity to do a bit of baking and spend the Sunday prior in the company of some really good people, who have been generous enough to open their home to me time and time again thanks to one of favourite people. For the baking portion, I was excited to use some limited edition oreos I had purchased from Target during my recent holiday. I do so very much enjoy the treasure trove that I find each time I visit this store. I used them as the key ingredient in a Bakerella recipe I found here.  

Unfortunately, like so many recipes I try that require a polished finish I am yet to be able to decorate beyond an amateurish skill level. Hence, the below photographic evidence of my attempt to disguise the mess I created coating the pops with the candy melt. 

My saving grace is that they tasted delicious and the rustic look was actually surprisingly appealing. Just one of many sweet treats consumed post-turkey dinner, which was scrumptious both the first time and when leftovers were eaten a day later.

An array of recent happenings

How quickly the rain erases all memories of the glorious summer weather and all the fun that went with it. Before the rain came though, I managed to fit in a few fun activities and am hoping this isn't the end of them due to the weather. So I do like to think of myself as someone who will try to try lots of things, but for all the trying I also enjoy doing some of the same activities. With this in mind, I saw out September with a play by the name of Educating Rita, which is the first of four shows that I got a really great deal to see over the next several months. Next up was a pre-season NBA game, a hot ticket and one I was doing for the second time. This past weekend featured another visit to the pumpkin patch at Southlands Farm because what is fall and Thanksgiving without this kind of outing. I have to say that it is these kinds of activities and the potential of so much more undiscovered fun that is part of Vancouver's charm. I just hope that the rain and the coming months don't turn me into a couch potato, which would be very easily aided by a well stocked pvr and some fresh baked goods.

Brownies and cookies, oh my!

I might not have been blogging as much as I would like to, but I have been baking just a tad bit more. The latest recipes I whipped up were for a batch of cookies and brownies. I like to think I bake for a few reasons, and on these two occasions, I baked because I wanted something fresh and delicious with the cookies, and because I had a fantasy NHL draft with the brownies. The cookies were baked from a recipe I found here. The two things I did differently to the recipe were to add semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of peanut butter chips and I baked them for fourteen minutes.

The different flavours in the cookies came together deliciously and made for a most enjoyable cookie or half a dozen. Pumpkin spiced m&m brownies made an appearance last Friday night, baked for Saturday's fantasy NHL draft. I had gotten the m&m's on my Hawaiian adventure and sampled a few straight out of the bag before deciding they might be best in a recipe, hence the brownies. I'm not sure if it was a good idea that the whole bag went into the recipe instead of just a cup, but half a brownie square was all I could bring myself to sample. This is because I think brownies for the most part are a bit too rich for my liking.

Cookies are definitely my preferred eating choice over brownies, but when it comes to baking I enjoy trying all kinds of new recipes.

Hawaiian adventures

My Hawaiian adventure had to be written about in the month it took place and as they say better late than never. A holiday was very overdue by the time it was upon me and what made it even more exciting was the fact that some of my immediate family would be a part of it. I left for the island of Oahu what feels like many Saturdays ago and stayed for a week. My sister, brother in law, nephew and niece met me at the hotel. We then spent a glorious and restful week doing the following:

• Shopping at the Royal Hawaiian Center, Ala Moana and the Waikele Premium Outlets
• Dining at The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang's and Dave & Buster's
• Visiting the historic and interesting Pearl Harbor
• Taking drives to the North Shore and around the coast
• Experiencing an impressive Atlantis submarine tour
• Playing at Wet 'n' Wild water park
• Picking up candy and cookies in Target and Walmart
• Watching animals roam at the Honolulu Zoo

The week started off slowly, but was very quickly over like all good things and before I knew it I was back home full of new happy memories. Hawaii is a place I would like to return to one day, but probably to one of the other islands so I can truly get some rest and relaxation.

Musical musings for September

I'm back with wine in hand and my pvr currently playing a new fall show in the background. Whilst I did contemplate hanging up my blogging hat this month, I decided not to as I do love this creative outlet and the chance it gives old and new friends to take a glimpse into my life. So all this brings me to the last day of September and several ones into fall with new songs on my playlist and another country concert under my belt. I was lucky enough to go to the Blake Shelton concert where he put on a great show. One of the things I loved the most was that he had a support act between all acts providing entertainment while stage changes were done.

Of course a Blake Shelton song made its way into my iTunes library and I even strayed enough to purchase a non-country one. A John Legend song and one by Lady Antebellum were the result of me reading The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks. I read it in anticipation of the screen adaptation coming to cinemas next month. However, the book had such a tragic ending, the kind that required many tissues so I am not sure if I can bring myself to watch it even if James Marsden is the leading man. Once again songs were bought from new and old artists:

1. Yeah - Joe Nichols
2. Neon Light - Blake Shelton
3. Girl In a Country Song - Maddie & Tae
4. A Girl Like You - Dallas Smith
5. Hope You Get Lonely Tonight - Cole Swindell
6. All of Me - John Legend
7. I Did With You (From "The Best Of Me") - Lady Antebellum
8.  Where It's At - Dustin Lynch

Just like previous purchases, these songs will be on replay for a while yet, which is an exciting thought. 

September's musical musings can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

Musical musings for August

In less than 36 hours I will be enroute to a much deserved Hawaiian adventure and I cannot wait. It has been over a year since I have had a whole week off work and I am definitely regretting waiting this long to do so. Whether I am working or chilling at home, music plays a part in my day and as such I need to keep my playlist fresh by mixing old with new. I am yet to figure out how to get rid of some of my song choices from the cloud, but thank goodness for the ability to skip songs as I hone in on country and more country. Before I mention the new additions to my music collection, I have to very quickly write about seeing Jake Owen at Sunfest earlier in the month. He was definitely the only highlight of the festival for us as we sang the night away with him then left the next morning to salvage the rest of a long week.

Prior to the festival, I had bought a couple more of his songs and have added three other artists before the month was done:

1. Pass a Beer - Jake Owen
2. The One That Got Away - Jake Owen
3. God Made Girls - RaeLynn
4. Leave The Night On - Sam Hunt
5. That Don't Sound Like You - Lee Brice

Clearly country music isn't getting old any time soon and that's okay with me.

August's musical musings can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

Cookies times two

Last Sunday night I really wanted fresh baked cookies, but I decided this too late in the evening to do anything about it. A good night's sleep didn't weaken this desire so on Monday evening I made some chewy lemon white chocolate chip cookies courtesy of this recipe. Unfortunately, I only had lemon juice, but no actual lemons so these cookies were sans zest. After eating at least half a dozen of the cookies across the week I definitely think the lemon zest is a key ingredient and one I will make sure I have on hand next time.

Round two of cookie baking happened yesterday as part of my fantasy football draft preparation. This is the first year I have been a part of a fantasy football league and I figured you shouldn't turn up empty handed to the draft bbq. With this in mind, I found a recipe for twix bar chocolate chip cookies. For the recipe I used three of the fifty-gram size twix bars. I enjoyed making these cookies and hope they taste as good as they smelt baking them. I know that the unbaked cookie dough tasted delicious. 

I think baking twice in one week has renewed my passion for baking and I already have a few ideas for my next creation.

Choc-banana or coffee-banana smoothies

One of the best things my housemate ever bought for communal use was a magic bullet. This thing has been a lifesaver for every meal of the day more times than I can count. For me, it mainly gets a workout for weekend breakfast or weeknight dinner when I just want something small or have had a particularly gluttonous eating day. I generally drink two variations of the same smoothie with the staple ingredients consisting of milk, vanilla frozen yoghurt, ice and a banana. In the morning I will usually include some instant coffee dissolved in hot water. Right now I am using an instant coffee picked up from Trader Joe's on my last trek across the border. If the smoothie is my dinnertime option then I use Smucker's chocolate syrup instead. I find that the amount of ice you use will determine your consistency. I like mine with a thicker consistency so I use around 6 cubes of ice each time. I am honestly not sure how healthy these smoothies are for me, but they taste delicious and make me feel good for having them as a meal choice over what I know clearly would be a bad choice. I think this definitely has to count for something.

Perfectly pretty pedicures

Summer is the time of year when your toes get to taste freedom as they hang out in flip flops or with sand between them on the beach. I like to use the glorious summer weather as an excuse to get a pedicure, usually every three to four weeks, because freshly scrubbed feet and newly polished toes make me happy. Plus, I figure since my feet get quite a beating during the rest of the year squeezing them into closed toe shoes and boots that this is the least I can do to try to make up for it. I usually go to the Pure Nail Bar in my neighbourhood for my pedicure. They are reasonably priced, do a good job and I like the set-up in there. I just had one last Friday and seem to be all about neon or bright colours at the moment. I am sure this will change as summer gets ready to leave for another year. It makes me sad to think that probably in a month's time I will have to hide away my toes more often than not, but until then I think there is still some time for a few more pedicures.

Musical musings for July

Wow another month of 2014 almost over and once more it feels like it happened in the blink of an eye. In hindsight, July didn't feel like a particularly busy and exciting month plus the weather seesawed between quite hot and rainy the past couple of weeks. So now we are closer to the end of the year rather than the beginning and this thought makes me realise that I do need to make my months exciting. It is a good thing that I have some of this covered next month as I start it off with my housemate at Sunfest. Just over four days on the island camping and listening to country music is going to be so much fun. Country music purchases saw my iTunes library grow by four songs:

1. Dirt - Florida Georgia Line
2. Burnin' It Down - Jason Aldean
3. Day Drinking - Little Big Town
4. Loved - Lucy Hale

I think it might be time to consider purging my music library to make room for all my future country music purchases.

July's musical musings can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream sandwiches

I have decided that a summer's day should always end with a homemade ice cream sandwich. Although, I imagine this kind of eating habit wouldn't bode well for my waistline. Regardless, it was a lot of fun whipping up a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream sandwiches today using the recipe I found here. The inspiration to make these came from seeing a picture of something similar on instagram yesterday. I couldn't resist attempting ice cream sandwiches myself because cookie dough is my kryptonite and I hadn't done any real baking or the like recently. I wasn't sure if this would be a successful attempt because of what was involved in the process, but I am pretty happy with the end result. I think practice will make perfect, but I definitely will have to enlist help to eat any I make.

Bowen Island

Visiting Bowen Island has been on my to do list for quite some time now so I was really happy to be able to finally make this happen on the weekend. Not even the threat of rain could deter a Saturday afternoon hike. Bowen Island is a fifteen to twenty minute ferry ride away from Horseshoe Bay. Before we were even on the ferry, a couple of seals kept us entertained whilst we got ready to depart. The ferry journey was over so quickly, especially because of the distracting spectacular views. We took a leisurely hike around Killarney Lake, which was a pretty moderate one with some nice views along the way. The day was finished off with a welcome drink, some pub food and a couple more seals while we waited for the return ferry to the mainland. The rain never came and for that I was thankful because it allowed me to have the most enjoyable time possible in a new environment. 

Musical musings for June

I cannot believe we are halfway through 2014 already. I have to say I just don't like it, time needs to stop ticking over because I have so much I want to do and I am not making it happen. One thing I am definitely trying to keep up doing is listening to new music even when I am still loving stuff already in my iTunes library. This helps me to not overplay the songs I love so that I don't get sick of them. My music choices are usually a combination of artists I already listen too and new ones. With this in mind, the five additions to my playlist were:

1. I Don't Dance - Lee Brice
2. Dirt Road - Kip Moore
3. Fallin Over You - Chad Brownlee
4. Whiskey in My Water - Tyler Farr
5. Give Me Back My Hometown - Eric Church

Yes it is all country music and I have no plans to shock you with a new genre anytime soon. 

June's musical musings can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

Leggings galore

We are officially in summer, but the weather is still being quite temperamental including lots of rain today before the sun finally came out. This works well for me when it comes to my wardrobe as I seem to have become a little bit obsessed with American Eagle/Aerie leggings. It all started back in February with some online shopping as mentioned here. From here my collection has more than tripled with no end in sight as I still have my eye on a few more pairs and may make them mine before the weather definitely turns into summer. It doesn't help that they keep bringing out new ones. The different patterns are so appealing and make it easier to wear them by themselves with long tops. It is a pretty affordable obsession so I just need them to stop tempting me with new designs.

Perfect oatmeal cookies

Sometimes baking doesn't need to involve every dish and utensil in the kitchen. This is especially true when it is a spur of the moment decision to bake on a weeknight. I had suggested baking cookies, but as soon as the words came out of my mouth I started to think about what this would mean so late at night. I didn't want lots of dishes and I definitely didn't want to use any electronics. With these things in mind I found a recipe here. It is a simple, easy and delicious recipe that didn't take long to whip up especially with some assistance. Even better was the fact that the recipe didn't produce too many cookies so the more I shared the less temptation for me. It just goes to show that delicious baked goods can come from a spur of the moment decision. All you need is to find a recipe to suit the occasion and have all the ingredients on hand.

Foot fetish

Yesterday I allowed myself to go a little bit shopping crazy and pick up a few things I needed and/or wanted at the mall. I literally spent the whole day there and thankfully did not come home empty-handed. When it came to shoes, I set myself a somewhat measly budget of $100.00 with the hopes I would be able to pick up two or three pairs of flats. I am happy to say that I was successful with this challenge because that kind of budget may seem unrealistic. I picked up three different pairs of shoes from Call It Spring including a pair of boots, which I definitely was not in the market for seeing as it is summertime now. The boots were too cute to resist and who doesn't love additional discount on a sale item. Strangely the shoe sizes I brought home weren't my norm so I hope my feet don't swell and I live to regret my cute new purchases. 

Instagram

Social media isn't really my thing and I am 99.9% sure I will never return to Facebook, but I couldn't resist the pull of Instagram once I got my iPhone last year. It quickly became a regularly used app and now I admittedly access it daily. I would like to say I just use it to check in with friends and give them a snippet into my life with random photos because of being on the other side of the world and all, but I also like to follow bloggers, celebrities and randomness. It does help keep me in touch with things and occasionally it inspires me in life and what I get up to. I think in this day and age it is hard to avoid being a part of some fad or craze, but anything in moderation doesn't hurt.

Chocolate cupcakes with mint chocolate chip frosting

Surprisingly, it took me over a month to christen the new kitchen with some baking, but I think it was worth the wait. What better excuse to bake then my housemate Corinne's birthday this past Tuesday. It had to be cupcakes over a cake as I have yet to perfect the art of basic cake decorating without it looking like a child did it. When you live with someone I think it gives you a good idea of what they like so with this in mind I decided on the cupcake recipe including frosting that I found here. As part of the baking process, I was really excited to be able to use a couple of items I got in a house warming present - some very cute liners and a cupcake scoop that is one of a set of three. The liners were great because of the height they had and the ease in which they peeled away from the cupcakes. I may have been a bit heavy with the scoop as I only churned out twelve cupcakes, but this was perfect.

I did two things differently with the recipe. I used milk instead of heavy cream and I sprinkled the cupcakes with dark chocolate and mint chips as opposed to putting mini ones in the frosting itself. 

The cupcakes turned out really well, which always makes me happy when it comes as a result of trying out a new recipe. I know the birthday girl enjoyed at least one of them and that also made me happy.

Musical musings for May

There will be no musical tardiness for the month of May as I make an effort to inspire and recommit wherever I possibly can. So really is there any doubt that once more the songs I purchased and have been listening to this month are of a country nature. Although, I occasionally find a new artist I like, I mostly gravitate back to existing artists and snap up either their new stuff or some of their old. Buying new music doesn't mean I don't have some existing favourites on replay too. Before I unveil the latest, I want to mention how excited I am that Nashville has been renewed for a third season. However, way more exciting than this is the fact that we bought tickets to the 2015 CMA Music Festival being held in the home of country, Nashville. Sometimes I feel like I live a charmed life that affords me the ability to do so many of the things I love with some amazing people. That being said, May's musical musings came in the form of:

1. It Ain't Yours To Throw Away (feat. Sam Palladio) - Nashville Cast
2. Bartender - Lady Antebellum
3. She Get Me High - Luke Bryan
4. Believing (feat. Charles Esten & Lennon & Maisy) - Nashville Cast
5. Rewind - Rascal Flatts

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

Seattle in May

The Canada/USA border isn't that far from Vancouver, yet I don't find myself crossing it too often. This past long weekend, in part, reminded me why it isn't always best to do via sea or land. Two friends and I decided to do a one-night relocation cruise down to Seattle, which was an exciting prospect. The cruise ship experience didn't quite live up to our expectations mostly due to the length of time it took us to get on and off of it. There were definitely elements of the cruise that were pretty cool like watching the sunset from one the top decks, enjoying a delicious dinner and yummy cocktails as well as the enormity of the ship itself. I am just not sure if I could do a real cruise, but I still might consider an Alaskan one. 

Seattle was enjoyable as always, especially considering it was supposed to rain all weekend. We enjoyed some shopping, The Cheesecake Factory and the duck tour. 

Our trek home via bus was full of more waiting at the border and cemented two thoughts for me - that the May long weekend could be better spent in Vancouver instead of being a part of the mass exodus and also that the best ways to travel are via planes, trains and automobiles.

All moved in

Now that the dust has settled, I wanted to properly acknowledge the fact that I moved at the beginning of the month. The act of moving itself is never fun, I mean who wants to pack up their worldly possessions, clean like you have never cleaned before then navigate the actual moving itself. The lead up was a tad bit stressful, but thankfully moving day went quite smoothly even though it did involve me driving around a minivan as part of it. Deliveries were received, cable was set-up, boxes were unpacked and furniture assembled. Whilst everything may be unpacked, our kitchen is currently being invaded by all of the cardboard that carefully held the sparkling new furniture we now own. For further motivation, I thought it would be nice to give updates as the new apartment slowly evolves into the lovely home I know it will become. The foundations have been laid with each room in a state of half-completion. I am so excited that my housemate and I get to add our personal touches throughout the apartment. For now, I will share part of our living room view, which is somewhat zoom assisted.

One new thing

This blog has been a labour of love since I started it almost three years ago and as such I don't want it to fall by the wayside. That being said, I don't want to create moments just for blogging, instead I want to remind myself about what inspires me to write. One of the things I realised this past weekend is that I am too often letting life just pass me by, sometimes filling it with mundane daily routine. So I resolved to try to do one new thing or visit one new place each week. There is a chance that I have previously made this vow to myself, possibly on this space, as I often feel that I so easily allow routine and the norm to become my way of life. Therefore, as often as I find myself in a rut, I hope to be able to recognise this and do a reset because life is too short to not enjoy as many minutes of it as you can. Vancouver is full of hidden gems and so it is my mission to find as many of them as possible!

Lighthouse Park

Participating in physical activity never came naturally to me and I am pretty sure I don't have the ability to run to save my life if I was being chased by a bear or something similar. However, I love to walk and from this I am able to partake in the somewhat easier, less hilly hikes around Vancouver. With this in mind, I thought it was about time I took advantage of the glorious, yet spotty weather we have been having of late and went for a hike this past Sunday with a friend. The destination of choice was Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver, located a short bus ride from downtown. The weather didn't disappoint and neither did the gorgeous views at the many vantage points along the trail. We stopped a few times to snack, admire the scenery and soak up some rays. I really loved the tranquility of it all, amplified by the fact that we were so close yet far enough away from downtown. The hike inspired me to make this a regular outing and maybe one day I will work my way back up to the likes of the Grouse Grind again.

Belated musical musings for April

The end of April came and went too quickly for me to find the opportunity to muse about music, especially because I moved. However, I had to still write this post, if only to rave about country music some more. I added a handful of songs to my music library last month whilst also listening to Luke Bryan a lot in preparation for his concert this past weekend, which was amazing by the way. Nashville, one of my favourite TV shows, continues to provide musical inspiration for me. I also found a couple of artists that I hadn't heard before. The songs I included in my packing soundtrack were:

1. Whatever She's Got - David Nail
2. 19 You + Me - Dan + Shay
3. Black Roses (feat. Clare Bowen) - Nashville Cast
4. Joy Parade (feat. Lennon & Maisy) - Nashville Cast
5. I Ain't Leavin' Without Your Love (feat. Jonathan Jackson, Sam Palladio, Chaley Rose & Striking Matches) - Nashville Cast

April's musical musings can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

Furniture inspiration

Going this long without posting something, anything really, always seems a bit disheartening to me. However, just because I haven't put thought to keyboard of late doesn't mean I haven't been trying to seek out inspiration. I could write about some of my latest online or in store shopping escapades, but that wouldn't be as exciting as talking about my upcoming move. Almost a year has passed since I moved into my current home, but now it is time to move again...hopefully the last for a long time. The place has been found, in the same neighbourhood, but closer to one of Vancouver's gorgeous suburban beaches and just in time for summer no less. Our, my lovely housemate and I, new place is going to be fabulous and as such means saying goodbye to a lot of current mismatched furniture, trading it in for new pieces that will turn an apartment into a home. Therefore, we have had a lot of fun lately with furniture shopping even if our budget is quite conservative. For the living room, there will be a new sectional sofa from IKEA, a gorgeous bookcase from Pier 1 Imports and a delightful kitchen cart turned portable bar also from IKEA. 

Our bedrooms are going to be all sparkling new too. For me, a bed frame, to hold my hotel quality mattress, and dresser from IKEA. Lastly, there will be some kind of cute word print to adorn the top of it. 

I don't have photos of everything I mentioned and even the things I do aren't the best because I always feel guilty trying to snap a photo in a store. I will definitely do another post once everything is bought and set up. These items are all just for starters and are some of the things that make me truly excited for this move. As one door shuts another one opens and I cannot wait to create new memories in what won't take long at all to become my home.

Musical musings for March

I truly have no idea how we got to the end of March...these first three months of the year have just flown by. I am pretty sure this is not a new statement I am throwing out there, but it is true nonetheless. 2014 has been such a whirlwind of events and now I am getting ready to move at the end of next month. It is definitely shaping up to be a big year and what better soundtrack for it then some country music. Below in no particular order are my latest purchases:

1. Whatcha Got In That Cup - Thomas Rhett
2. Sorry For Partyin' - Thomas Rhett
3. Make We Wanna - Thomas Rhett
4. In A Minute - Thomas Rhett
5. Front Porch Junkies (Remix) - Thomas Rhett
6. Call Me Up - Thomas Rhett
7. All-American Middle Class White Boy - Thomas Rhett
8. Country Girl (Shake It for Me) - Luke Bryan
9. If You Ain't Here to Party - Luke Bryan
10. Suntan City - Luke Bryan
11. Drinkin' Beer and Wastin' Bullets - Luke Bryan
12. Young Love - Kip Moore

I cannot wait for the Luke Bryan concert in just over a month's time...it is going to be amazing!

March's musical musings can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

Banana cake

I was a very productive girl yesterday morning, baking up a storm including a birthday cake for one of my housemates. The recipe I used for this banana cake is a nostalgic one as it is one from my childhood and comes from my grandma's church recipe book. I don't have a copy of the book here with me in Vancouver, but a while back I asked my mum to email me the recipe. Since then I have been waiting for the opportunity to bake the banana cake, a recipe I baked many times previously. The recipe is as follows:

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp bicarb soda
• 2 tbsp warm milk
• 1 and 1/2 cup self raising flour (I used all purpose)
• 2 eggs
• 3 bananas
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sugar, add bananas that have been well mashed, then beaten eggs & vanilla. Dissolve soda in milk & add alternatively with flour until mixed. Put into 2 greased log cake tins.

Bake Elec. 375 for 40 minutes.

Bake Gas 350 for 45 minutes.

Check after 25 to 30 minutes.

I baked the cake in a round tin at 375 for approximately 35 minutes, but I probably could have taken it out a few minutes earlier. The frosting was a buttercream one that I whipped up and the finishing touch was some white chocolate chips. As you can see I can still do with some practice when it comes to frosting cakes, but it did taste pretty good.

More reads for 2014

So I think I might have a little bit of a booking-buying problem. The reason I call it a problem is because I haven't finished reading all of the books I mentioned earlier in the year yet. Instead, for some reason, I have been on a book-buying spree to the point where I am about to start reading Divergent and will still have six books to read once I have finished it. I let this book skip the invisible queue so I can go see the movie while it is still in the cinema. After this, in no particular order, I will read the following new purchases:

• The First Love Cookie Club - Lori Wilde
• Blue Dahlia - Nora Roberts

As well as these existing book purchases that I haven't had the chance to read yet:

• 12th of Never - James Patterson
• The Life List - Lori Nelson Spielman
• Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger - Beth Harbison
• Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) - Mindy Kaling

I just finished reading Never Have I Ever by Katie Heaney. This was a newer purchased that I decided I needed to read ahead of all the other books. Lets just hope I can get through all of these books before the need to buy more gets the better of me.

Chocolate frosted peanut butter chocolate chip cupcakes

At Christmas time, I gave out a few baking coupons as presents thinking it was a creative concept that would be enjoyable to have people redeem in the new year. My first coupon redemption happened today and as a result I whipped up a new cupcake recipe that I found here. I had gotten it in my mind to make chocolate chip cupcakes so the peanut butter element was a nice bonus. I didn't have two cups worth of semi-sweet chocolate chips so I used some milk ones as well. For the chocolate buttercream frosting, I didn't rely on a recipe, instead I combined:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp meringue powder
• 3 heaped tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 cup icing sugar, approximately
• milk, to create the desired consistency

I beat the frosting for around five minutes to create a nice fluffy and smooth consistency. Corinne, my housemate and cupcake recipient, was responsible for the sprinkles. We both quite liked the pink on brown combination the best. As with all new recipes, one had to be sampled before letting anyone else have free reign on them. I have to say they tasted pretty good...a nice combination of flavours.

Musical musings for February

I hope you didn't think I had forgotten about this month's musical musings. I definitely had not, I just almost ran out of time to squeeze it in on here. I am honestly not sure when or if anything other than country music will appear in my purchased folder, but I am completely okay with this. I managed to buy quite a few songs this month, both new and old artists as well as Lady Antebellum's complete album. This was all courtesy of a gift card I got from some friends for my birthday. I will really be listening to a lot of Lady Antebellum's music in the next week and a half, as I get ready to go their concert on March 10th. Speaking of concerts, my housemate/fellow country music lover and I managed to score tickets for the much-coveted Luke Bryan concert in May. I have seriously never had a concert be so hard to purchase tickets for. The successful purchase really has to be credited to another friend who managed to get two tickets side by side by selecting one ticket in two different browsers. Yes this is the lengths I will go to sometimes and just shows what awesome friends I have. So without any further ado, the music now in my iTunes library is:

1. Golden (complete album) - Lady Antebellum
2. Ain't Worth the Whiskey - Cole Swindell
3. Lookin' For That Girl - Tim McGraw
4. This Is How We Roll (feat. Luke Bryan) - Florida Georgia Line
5. Grew up in a Country Song - Jordan McIntosh
6. We Are Tonight - Billy Currington
7. Up All Night - Jon Pardi
8. Carolina - Parmalee
9. Jumped Right In - Dallas Smith
10. Southern Girl - Tim McGraw
11. The Blues Have Blown Away (feat. Connie Britton & Lennon & Maisy) - Nashville Cast
12. Don't Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet (feat. Hayden Panettiere) - Nashville Cast
13. You'll Think Of Me - Keith Urban

February's musical musings can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

Curling

I am not sure if anyone got struck down with a case of Olympic fever recently, but I personally managed to watch some of the action. Although, I honestly wish I had watched more because I think it is awesome to see what some people are capable of achieving, plus I get incredibly patriotic. In the aftermath of the Olympics, I coincidently was able to try my hand at curling via a Groupon offer with a bunch of friends, who like me were all newbies. After a quick 101 from an instructor at the Richmond Curling Club, we were split into two teams and pretty much left to do our own thing. What followed was an entertaining hour and a half as we all tried our hand at being the skip, the sweeper and the curler. My efforts were questionable, but I managed to contribute a point to the winning team's final score. It was a really fun afternoon spent in great company even if I did come away with a bit of a bruised knee probably due to my ill-formed technique. Two hours over in the blink of an eye and with them a winter sport tried whilst snow fell outside, one I definitely will do again.

Cake and cookies come together

During my time in Vancouver, I've been lucky enough to have some great people become a part of my life. One such person has allowed me to not only become a friend, but also a part of her family. We celebrated her baby shower last Sunday and I was honoured to be able to assist in the preparation. This of course meant some baking amongst other things. I was charged with making mini cupcakes so I decided on a funfetti cupcake using the recipe found here, topped with a mini sugar cookie courtesy of this recipe. I baked the cupcakes using vanilla yoghurt and regular milk where choice was necessary. I managed to make fifty-one mini cupcakes using just a single recipe batch and found I needed to bake them for 11 - 12 minutes. For the frosting, I did my usual experimentation in combining icing sugar, butter, vanilla essence, milk and pink colouring to tint for a buttercream variety. For the sugar cookies, I did not add any almond extract, but otherwise followed the recipe as written. I did however make the mistake of adding pink colouring to tint at the end instead of before the dry ingredients. This is why the cookies turned out more tie dyed than actual pink, but cute teddies and feet nonetheless.

I was also responsible for this guy (courtesy of a recipe provided to me) sans the eyes and his ducky friends, which were all done by the guest of honour's best friend and amazing chief baby shower organiser:

What I am most proud of was the candy bar that I got to source and create. Who would have thought that pink candy wouldn't be so accessible, but I had a lot of fun scouring the stores for it and doing a few visits to Party City. I cannot take credit for the tablecloth, white owl, the main candy bar sign or the cookies you can spy. However, the rest was all me with a sprinkling of assistance in set-up from the guest of honour's two adorable nieces.

It was such a lovely shower that took a well-led army to create and pack up, but it was definitely worth every minute of it. We all cannot wait to meet this baby girl!