Thursday, June 28, 2012

Suppose I never ever let you kiss me so sweet and so soft


picture from theflowergirlblog.com

I am in love with the picture above. I think it perfectly captures this time of year. eating outside. dusk. rose wine. lots of small plates of food. conversation. taking your time. 

Things are really great right now. I have a plan. I am excited. I have big non-blogging news that I can't wait to share. (soon!) 

I love summer. I know its gets hot and its sometimes uncomfortable but the pros far outweigh the cons. Long days, swimming, and all of the fresh amazing food that is grown in our backyards is available to us. 

This weekend I am taking Friday off work and heading up to the cottage early for the long weekend. I can't wait. We have plans to go strawberry picking (Holly you totally inspired me to do this!), jet-skiing, water skiing, BBQs, bonfires, sun tanning, book reading, and heck, if my cell phone never makes it out of the bottom of my suitcase...well...you just can't blame me.

Have a wonderful weekend. xox

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Prinstagram


So are you a chronic instagrammer like me? You love all the photos you take but have never done anything with them?

Here is the best thing!!


you can order 48 of these mini prints from prinstagram for only $12!!! (With shipping to Canada the total was more like $20)

They are the size of a business card so perfect to carry around in your wallet, stick up on a bulletin board, take a few to the office, etc. etc. We have three taped up to the fridge.

They are printed on really nice paper and took about 3 weeks to come in the mail.

Also the software is really easy, ordering the prints took all of 20 minutes. you just log in by using your instagram information, then the site automatically loads all of your pictures and you can select which ones you want to print! you can even do doubles of some pictures if you want copies to give away.



I think these are super cute idea to send with Thank you cards or give to friends to remember your fun times together.

Peter carries a special one in his wallet all the time and I love to flip through them or show them to friends because the pile sits in our living room.



Sorry had to include the next picture:
thats me with oreos in my teeth and a picture peter drew on one of those magnetic kids toys. he really nailed it eh?

Friday, June 15, 2012

Then I look at you and the world's alright with me


Happy Friday! 

its been a great week. One of ups and downs and lots of optimism. 


This weekend:
-get my bike! (and hopefully one for Peter too)
-make ginger lemonaide
-go to the local farmers market
-buy lots of fresh veggies and make an epic meal saturday night
-go see some free concerts for NXNE
-set up our roof top patio with the new christmas lights
-buy and plant a bunch of greenery on the roof!
-film our adventures together
-go and see moonrise kingdom (last time we went it was sold out)


Do you like these pictures? I used a cool technique where you disconnect your lens from the camera and then take the pictures. it creates a bunch of light leaks and unfocused areas. I really like it.


Super excited that my BFF is coming from France for THREE WHOLE WEEKS at the end of the summer!

We have already started planning the trip. One weekend in the city, one at my cottage and probably one in Montreal.

SO SO SO EXCITED. I haven't seen her in a year and a half and to get to spend that much time with her will be amazing. we had a two hour skype session last weekend to start planning and even though its still a month and a half away I am so happy.


reading: Almost finished my book. Before I go to Sleep. So good! highly recommend. wow the last little bit was totally unexpected. love books that take you on a rollar coaster right before they finish. I don't want it to end.

watching: Mildred Pierce, an HBO mini-series. We rented this from the DVD shop and its been really great. only one more episode to go! its a really great story and inspirational for women entrepreneurs. (and bakers - Leanne!)

Listening: Bill Withers. on repeat. every morning.

Enjoying: this new to me blog, Everyday Musings.  beautiful photograph. found via Holly. Thanks girl!


Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Strawberry and Cream Biscuits


These biscuits (or scones, as I kept calling them) are absolutely, hands down, no questions, AMAZING. I made them last Saturday morning when we had a few friends from out of town sleep over and I would be lying if I said I've stopped thinking about them. 

Strawberry's are perfect right now. Don't cheap out and buy the weird ones that are the size of your first, shipping across the world, with the white centers in them. Pay the extra money for fresh, ontario grown, juicy, dark red kind. extra points if you buy them from a farmer market. 

this recipe took about 20 minutes to prepare and only about 12 minutes to cook. Perfect for hungry guests or ..ahem...you and your boyfriend to scarf down. 

recipe shamelessly stolen from Smitten Kitchen. That girl knows how to do it. 

Ingredients:


2 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (15 grams) aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold, unsalted butter
1 cup (about 130 grams) chopped very ripe strawberries (I quarter small or medium ones and further chop larger ones)
1 cup heavy cream

A couple of notes about the ingredients. I have no idea what aluminum free baking powder is but the crappy no name stuff thats been in my fridge for approximately a year tasted fine. also, if your using kosher salt, which I was, I was light with the measurement. I find kosher salt has a much stronger taste then table salt. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In the bottom of a large, wide-ish bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, sugar and salt together. Add butter, either by cutting it in with two knives or a pastry blender (alternatively, you can freeze the butter and grate it in on the large holes of a box grater) cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, breaking it up until the mixture resembles a crumbly meal with tiny pea-sized bits of butter about. Gently stir in the strawberries, so that they are coated in dry ingredient, then stir in heavy cream. (I like to use a rubber spatula to gently lift and turn the ingredients over each other.) When you’ve mixed it in as best as you can with the spatula, go ahead and knead it once or twice in the bowl, to create one mass. Do not worry about getting the dough evenly mixed. It’s far more important that the dough is not overworked.

Generously flour your counter. With as few movements as possible, transfer your dough to the counter, generously flour the top of it and with your hands or a rolling pin, gently roll or press the dough out to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/2-inch circles with a floured biscuit cutter or top edge of a drinking glass, pressing straight down and not twisting (this makes for nice layered edges) as you cut. Carefully transfer scones to prepared baking sheet, leaving a couple inches between each.

You can re-roll the scraps of dough, but don’t freak out over how wet the dough becomes as the strawberries have had more time to release their juice. They’ll still bake up wonderfully.

Bake the scones for 12 to 15 minutes, until bronzed at the edges and the strawberry juices are trickling out of the biscuits in places. Cool in pan for a minute, then transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

a weekend in the junction

Hey lovelies.

So after going back and forth we decided to stay in the city over the weekend. It ended up being a gorgeous day on Sunday and we took full advantage of it.

We started the morning at the first ever Junction Flea Market!

There were a ton of great vendors. lots of vintage goodies and handmade leather goods, silkscreen items and awesomeness.
 

oh and hey look: There was a fortune teller inside this trailer!!




we wandered around a little in the neighborhood and window shopped. 



and after we had sandwiches ordered at the deli and walked to high park to eat them! yum yum.


Have you seen this can above? Somersby? its AMAZING!! the LCBO just started carrying it and its an apple cider beer that is so so so so so tasty. The drink of summer 2012 for sure. 

Oh and also from our neighborhood we stopped and bought wheat and gluten free donuts from Bunners which went incredibly well with the ontario strawberries organic ice cream from Delight

I'm a bit of an ice cream snob (having grown up in the home of Kawartha Dairy and all) but this ice cream is sooooooo delicious and taste so fresh. Highly recommend. 


I just love my neighborhood. its perfect! so many great shops and cute stores and the people are SO friendly. There are always new things going on, they recently started a farmers market on saturday mornings just a short walk from my apartment and this flea market will be a monthly occurring event in the summer. 

I wish I could afford to buy instead of rent but I wouldn't want to move out of this neighborhood, even if it means waiting a few more years to save up. 

If your looking for a great place to spend a day in Toronto, I highly recommend the junction


Friday, June 8, 2012

friday fun times



wow this blog should be called the Friday blog seeing as that seems to be the only time I update.

this week has been...sick.

I was off work Wednesday afternoon and thursday with a bad sinus cold. The pressure inside my head made me feel like I was going to burst! It was so bad and I couldn't focus on anything close to me (no instagram, no reading my book, no blogs) which was the WORST. pretty much all the things I like to do when I have extra time and I couldn't do any of them without feeling nauseous.

Anyway, feeling much better today :)

a couple of highlights from the week -

we bought the Of Monsters and Men and Alabama Shakes albums! (Buy one get one 40% off!!)
Peter taking such good care of me when I am sick
going to pilates full time again
getting my instagram pictures back in the mail, a full post on that later...
finishing a HUGE project at work

this weekend is sort of up in the air. we have been invited to a friends cottage but its about 3 hours away and the forcast is calling for rain soooooo we will see. Peters brother and a few friends from LNZ are coming to the city tonight and we are all going to see Prometheus in 3D IMAX.

There are some great things going on in my neighborhood this weekend including a farmers market and a Flea market sale with amazing vendors. photo recap if I'm in the city for sureeee.

oh and these strawberry and cream scones look like the perfect thing to make this weekend, rain or shine.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Its Friday!!


Hello!

Its Friday!!

This week went by SO fast and I can't believe its June already. crazy talk.

This weekend we don't have too many plans....tonight after work we are going thrifting (The Goodwill by my  apartment has 50% off every Friday) having dinner and some drinks and then going to see Moonrise Kingdom. Check out the trailer if you love Wes Anderson movies. 




Saturday Peters parents are in the city, I think we will hit up the St. Lawrence market with them and my friend Julie is coming over for dinner and drinks. Hopefully its not raining and we can go out to the cutest bar that just opened near my apt. 3030 on Dundas West. oh and my friend is playing at another bar just down the street too. 


Sunday is for relaxing, reading, working on new business cards for Two Birds Eatery and listening to records. 


Have a great weekend!! Stay dry :) 






Picture Source 1 & 2
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