These Days

            These days we are starting to notice darker days creeping in- that sly fall wind is blowing in from the hills and with it more rain than we have seen in months- the land is happy- the people miss the sunshine! School is back in and the Littles are complaining about new bed times and our old school routines. Recently we spent a final weekend in the Okanagan with the cousins and Grandparents to celebrate the end of Summer- scooting beside the lake that we love and roasting marshmallows and racing through the twilight.

           The garden at my parent's is yielding up the last of the harvest- the tomatoes are in as are the prolific tomatillos. While our family enjoys all this garden has to offer up I still dream of a day that we will have a garden of our own- be able to grow our own groceries. So much beauty to be found down in the garden these days it's impossible to stop looking.

        There is nothing better than watching our babies moving in a pack with their cousins- making the most precious of memories. Watching these kids grow over the past 2 months has been such a joy- watching their relationships evolve- watching them all figure things out. This is what being part of a family is all about.

          While we put this season to bed I reluctant to embrace shorter yet busier days- I will miss swimming in a tepid lake, eating ice cream for dinner and bbqs with friends. This is the stuff Summer is made for and of. What I do look forward to is tucking into our home- turning the heart to the hearth and getting back into the swing of making things. Summer might be over but Fall is peeking right around the corner!

Friends it is Friday- we are headed up to the Okanagan yet again- to the North this time- I am looking forward to tucking into a fine box of wine and playing with some new wool- may your hearts be warm and your feet be dry friends- Happy Friday!

Life Lately

       Life has been moving pretty fast these days of late- so much of our time is spent in motion- running, walking, scooting, swimming. I always have really big plans for everything I am going to do over the summer- such a brief flirtation with light makes these days so precious that I feel like I need to fill those days wisely. What actually ends up happening is quite the opposite- much of our time is spent seeking out cool places by the shore or poolside- which is exactly where the past week has found us!

         Life lately has seen this wee boy of mine becoming more of a "man"- I'm not quite ready to give him up to the world of men as yet but there are brief glimmers when I see the man he is to be peaking through. He is showing an independence I have not seen- walking ahead of the family- eager to get where we are going. The fact curator is in full swing this summer- spouting interesting bits of knowledge that he certainly did not learn from us- showing us where his interests lie. Much like everyone else on earth this boy is wanting validation of his emotions- asking that we at least listen to why he is angry or sad or happy- all of the feelings are happening and they all need to be talked about.

       Life lately has seen this wee girly of mine in new summer sandals- a physical representation of just how much she is growing- her arms and legs stretching and becoming lanky- strong with all the running and swimming. I can see impressions of her friends and classmates where none existed a year ago- sometimes I recognize a funny voice or laugh of another little friend. This one is wise beyond her years- telling us fantastical stories as long as we are willing to listen- so many questions to be answered about life, God and how the world works.

    As I said life is moving pretty fast- I hear Ferris Bueller daily mocking me to look up or I'm going to miss something. I love the family we are becoming- this Golden Age of my children- who aside form constant squabbling are pretty amazing little people. I'm not really afraid of missing anything- I'm not afraid of time unwinding so quickly I can barely breath- I know that these are the days that my children will remember- that will form them and all I need to do is be there- with them for them- to let life happen.

End of June

           Hi Friends! Boy when I planned on taking a short blogging break two weeks ago I had no idea that time would get away from me so quickly! The end of our school year has been filled to the brim with all sorts of special visitors- so many great memories made that I could not even put it all into words. Our dear friends from New Brunswick were visiting for some time- as were my parents and more friends from up-Island- being surrounded by so many wonderful human beings I had no choice but to just pause and soak it all in.

        So here we are at the end of our school year- my Littles are not so Little anymore- growing like weeds and becoming big kids more and more each day. It's really difficult for me to wrap my head around how my Littlest is finished Kindergarten- both kids are in grade school now! They have both come so far this year- lots of struggles interwoven with many successes- it's cliche to say but this year has been so full of hills and valleys.

      Heading into the summer we are all excited to slow down a bit- we have loads of family weekend plans and some short trips in the works- lots of ice cream to eat and some trails to wander. I find it really funny that people lament summer vacations of yesteryear- "Give Your Child an Authentic 70"s Summer" or some such headline has been popular on social media these days. What I find hilarious is the fact that the 70's or 80's or whatever were not any better than today- in fact they were probably much more dangerous with the lax seatbelt laws and all.

      I think the real difference is kids in the past did not have all of the things at their fingertips- perhaps making them more resourceful. Children were left alone to their own devices- left to play with sticks and drink out of hoses. Sticks and hoses still exist and when families come together to explore or revisit these freedoms together it can be a beautiful thing. My kids won't be unplugging this summer- hey I'm a realist and I want to sit quietly with a glass of wine on my deck occasionally. What we will all be doing this summer is tuning in- to each other and to nature- tuning into our friends and family- the important things that sometimes get missed.

     While our Littles have been growing and learning all year long so have we as parents- our lives have suddenly sped up now that our youngest was in full time school. What I know to be true is that I miss the slow days of toddlerdom- the endless hours spent throwing rocks into the inlet or watching diggers. As a parent I can recognize how precious our downtime is and how important it is for us to connect with whats important every chance we get.

     

Life Lemons

With the amazing weather we have been enjoying in Vancouver these days we are slipping into our Summer routines early. Every day we walk home from school in the sunshine- dreaming of cold treats and ways to chill out and relax. It was during one of these strolls home that memories of lemonade at the farmer's market last summer were brought to surface- plans were made and our own lemonade created!

In a blender combine the juice of six lemons- 1/4 cup of sugar or to taste- two cups of water and around four cups of ice cubes. Flip the switch and let 'er fly! Aside from all the juicing this slushy beverage is as close as we got to farmer's market lemonade- once the kiddos have and their fill this is the perfect base for gin or vodka- an excellent hot weather cocktail!

Best enjoyed with one's feet up on a Friday afternoon!

Summer Reading Club

             This Summer- at our house- has been declared the Summer of reading by the Littles- it's only natural that they catch the reading bug as both The Mr. and I are big readers- some might even call me a book worm. At any given time I usually have at least two or three books on the go- my tastes vary and are fairly all inclusive- I read a lot but am not a literary snob! With the Littles deeply immersed in our regional library's Summer reading program I thought it would be fun to talk about what books I have my nose stuck in right now!

      Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton is an old favourite- I have read this book no less than three times already but still I keep coming back to it again and again. Gabrielle writes about her relationship to food through her journey as a chef- from childhood to the kitchens of France and Greece to the experience of owning her own restaurant. She paints pictures with words of people sitting down to eat- a satisfying experience.

     Creative Block by The Jealous Curator- Danielle Krysa- this book is an extension of one of my favourite art blogs- interviews, projects and real life advice from 50 contemporary artists- including my friend and artist Jessica Bell! This book is a source of inspiration for days when I need a quick hit of creative block- busting!

     Made By Hand by Lena Corwin- this is my most recent book purchase- I had been holding out even peeking in this book at Spool Of Thread as I was saving it for the Summer! Full of projects from some of my favourite bloggers and makers this book is full of inspiration! I have already started on the boot sock pattern from Jenny Gordy- hoping they will be done by fall! Made By Hand is like Summer Camp- I sat and soaked it all in- cover to cover over our vacation!

        This is what is in my current reading stack- I'm interested dear friends what you are all reading this Summer! Please comment here- I'm always looking for some new book recommendations and I know there are some fellow book worms out there!

Summer's Day

"To lie sometimes on the grass

under trees on a summer's

day, listening to the murmur of

the water, or watching the 

clouds float across the sky, is by

no means a waste of time"

John Lubbock

Photo credit: Lisa Pickard Photography

Whats For Dinner

       Friends it is Friday- it is the Long Weekend- it is sunny! All these things are terribly exciting to me right now as I sit here on my deck- sipping my first coffee of the day- surveying my kingdom- AKA garden. It's just before 7am and all ready it's hot out- not Santa Clara hot- but hot enough to sit out on the deck sipping coffee in a tank top- just for the record I also have pants on. At any rate I'm already thinking about how hot our apartment will be this afternoon at dinner time and I've decided that a hot day like this will call for some easy comfort food tonight- enter in the humble lentil salad!

Lentil Salad

2 cups lentils- soaked and cooked
garlic- minced
1/2 onion diced
one red pepper diced
one bundle spinach- rinsed and drained
salt and pepper
olive oil
apple cider vinegar
Dijon mustard
maple syrup

- in a frying pan saute onions and garlic until translucent- add in red pepper at the end just to soften up a tiny bit- add in spinach and cover- cook for a few minutes until spinach is wilted- remove from heat
- in a large salad bowl combine pre-cooked lentils and veg mixture
- to make salad dressing combine- 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar, small amount of Dijon mustard and a drizzle of maple syrup- s&p to taste
- drizzle dressing over salad and combine well- this is great when made ahead and left to marinade with the dressing on a few hours.

- serve as a side with a fried or poached egg and avocado toast for what is quite possibly the most simple meal ever- of and don't forget the wine- aways wine!

       As stated Friends it is indeed Friday- this weekend we are shockingly staying off the roads for a bit of a Staycation- we will be hoofing it all over our fair city being tourists in our own town- first up the Trout Lake Farmers Market! I hope you all have a spectacular weekend filled with love and fine boxed wine- Happy Friday Friends!

Canned: Dilly Beans

           Our family takes our Caesars* very seriously- that tasty breakfast libation that I consider more of a snack than anything as the garnish is just as important as the actual beverage. One of my favourite garnishes is the Dilly Bean- similar to a Dill Pickle but with beans instead- delish! My recipe comes from one of my Aunts- possibly Aunt Barbara- written out when I was a child- I must have been visiting in the Summer.

 The Goods:

2 lbs beans- washed and trimmed
1-2 tsp cayenne pepper per jar
4 cloves garlic
4 heads of dill
2.5 cups of water
2.5 cups of vinegar 5%
1/4 cup pickling salt

The Deal:

Place a clove of garlic and a head of dill in each of the sterilized jars- if you like garlic add more- if you don't so much like garlic use half a clove.

Pack jars with beans- I like to cut them to uniform size so I can really pack them in tight- sprinkle with 1/4- 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper. Cover with boiling brine- place sterilize lid and ring on jar- set aside to be processed.

 Seal Process: place jars in a pot of boiling water- this is where the big black canners usually come into play- I don't actually have one so all I do to process is place a hot mitt or tea towel in the bottom of a large pot- this prevents the jars from smashing against the bottom. Process in boiling bath for ten minutes- set aside to cool and seal.

Set aside in your cupboard for at least a month before enjoying with a delicious morning Caesar! I also really like to eat my Dilly Beans in salads as a side- its a great way to add a bit of interest and different flavour to any meal! Enjoy!

* a Caesar is very similar to a Bloody Mary

Earnest Ice Cream is Earnestly Good!

       We discovered Earnest Ice Cream about a year ago at the Winter farmer's market out at Nat Bailey Stadium and we were instantly hooked! Originally it was just the Salted Caramel then we sampled our all time fave Blasted Chocolate- yup chocolate ice cream infused with Blasted Church Merlot- our kid's called it "Mummies Wine Ice Cream" and they would not be too far off the mark! This past week marked the opening of Earnest Ice Creams bricks and mortar scoop shop at 3992 Fraser Street in Vancouver.- you know because we needed yet one more reason to love this area of town!

          Part of what I love- beside the amazing flavour combos- is the fact the every thing about Earnest Ice Cream is so honest! A quick glance at the ingredients list will read like a grocery shopping list- eggs, cream, milk, lemons, blue berries- just whole food- much of it local. Plus this delicious treat comes in a re-usable glass jar- take your clean lids and jars back for a dollar off your next pint- how good- or Earnest if you will- is that!

         A few things to consider before you go- take cash- or a credit card as they don't take debit yet- all prices include tax- a pint with four spoons is $11- worth every penny! It is busy- the line up was out the door- which is fantastic for their first week in business- the folks at the scoop shop handle it like pros though and the line up moves quickly- do not let the line up get between you and your ice cream! And finally- it is tough to pick just one flavour- we went for Milk Chocolate- divine, Vegan Lemon- delish and Blueberry- heavenly!

p.s. can I just say the design nerd in me loves the look of the store! That penny tile back splash? Get out of town!

Summer Bucket List

      To say we have had a busy summer would be an understatement- this has been one epic summer in terms of adventuring and trying new things. Back in May we sat together as a family and mapped out how we wanted to see our summer panning out- we made our summer bucket list for 2013 and got on board with the Happy Family Movement. Making a bucket list was fantastic- it gave direction to our summer- we were forced to commit to plans like booking camp grounds months in advance- for a family full of Aquarians (slightly flaky) this worked really well.

     Since our summer is winding down I thought I would take a look at what we have done and what we have left to cross off our bucket list- regardless of adventures completed or not- we really did have the best summer ever!

 1. Go camping- two camping trips down one left to go!

2. Eat S'mores- obviously we have eaten our fair share of S'mores over the last few months!

3. go strawberry and blueberry picking- make jam- we picked strawberries- I will be making jam this fall one rainy day!

4. Go to Atlantis Water slides in Vernon- we haven't done this yet- summer isn't over yet!

5. Go to the Twilight Drive- In theater in Aldergrove- yes! Check me out with my massive soda!

6. Picnic with Dee- yes and often! We had lots of fun with our little friend and her family this summer!

7. Water fight with friends

8. bike ride to Second Beach pool- well we rode our bike to Lumberman's arch instead

9. Bike ride to Ganges on Saltspring Island- this never happened- sadly the Mr.'s bike was stolen the week before we were set to go- maybe next summer!

10. make Popsicles

11. Bon fire at Poppa's house- due to a fire ban this item will have to wait until Thanksgiving weekend

12. go on a Momma date to the beach with wine- well there was no wine but plenty of whisky and gin! I was fortunate enough to go to a few movies in Stanley Park with some momma friends- I'm looking forward to planning one more night out before it gets too dark too early!

13. explore Fort Langley- we decided to save this for a rainy fall day

14. try a new beach- we sampled from so many new beaches in and around the Lower Mainland- we are so blessed to live in such an amazing place!

15. go hiking in Pacific Spirit Park

16. Go to Whistler- we are heading up on the long weekend

17. check out the Sole Food Farm- we have hit their farm stand many times at the market!

18. more crafting- obviously!

19. learn to make Kombucha- this is still on the agenda for fall!

20. learn to make ice cream- I can't believe we haven't made ice cream yet! This is a must do for the last few weeks of summer!

        I totally loved this Summer bucket list and I think we will make one for the fall- there are so many amazing things to do on the Coast that we have yet to do. We had such fun crossing things off our list and documenting it along the way! While lists aren't for everyone I found that since we kept it simple it really helped us to focus and actually get out and do things- since lots of stuff was pre booked we just had to show up- which was awesome! There is still another month or so to go- here's to hoping we can cross off a few more things!

        Friends it is Friday again- this has been quite a long week for me- super busy- my sister and her sweet family are coming to visit today- I am looking forward to just kicking back with a glass or three of fine boxed wine to enjoy my family. My wish for you this weekend is that regardless of rain or sun that you get outside and enjoy these last long days of summer! Much love and peace Friends!

Late August

         I can feel the summer slipping away- it is already somehow late August- I am trying my best not to look ahead to the cooler days that I should be preparing for- they are surely right around the corner. I am trying to stay present- enjoy our last few days of freedom before school starts and my boy goes off to Kindergarten. With that in mind we have been treating every day like a holiday and living as much of our life outdoors as possible.

      Yesterday we headed over to Robson Park- one of our favourite city parks year round- especially good in the summer! In many of the local parks all summer we discovered so much goodness- crafts, snacks, spray parks, wading pools and free bikes and toys- all put on by the city of Vancouver. We have thoroughly been enjoying these free programs- the wading pools have been voted as most favourite by The Littles!

        Sadly all this goodness comes to an end tomorrow- Friday August 23- so get out there and enjoy the last two days of crafts in the park! Today is also hot dog Thursday at Robson Park- every Thursday the staff BBQ hot dogs and sell them for like a dollar- how much more summery can you get?!

       As I mentioned we love Robson Park year round- located at Kingsway and 13th - huge chestnut trees dominate the landscape- providing lots of excitement in the fall when the prickly bundles start to drop. Really great play equipment for Littles of all ages- swings, soccer field and community gardens- this park is great for a romp year round!

       I'm not going to lie- my boy is heading off to school full time in a couple of weeks- I am a hot mess even thinking about it- I will be an even hotter mess the day it actually happens!  We still have a week and a half with my sweet first born at home and we are going to make the most of it! I think today we will hit another spray park- or maybe get ice cream- regardless of adventure we will be soaking it all in- enjoying the last few days of August!