Field Trip: Crescent Beach

      I warned you last week- more beach posts were surely coming up and here we are back at the beach again! This weekend we made the journey out to Crescent Beach in White Rock- which is a fair distance from our house but well worth the hour car ride! A perfect way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.

        Crescent Beach feels like it is in a different country- it feels a bit like a California ocean- side resort community- slightly removed from White Rock and a bit off the beaten path. The water is amazing- clear, shallow and warm- everything water in Vancouver is not! In addition the architecture is fantastic everything from super modern Dwell like homes to quaint English cottages- and the people watching can't be beat!

       The tidal pools are a real treat- tiny fish (we think Rock Cod or Flounder) can be seen darting from shady spot to shady spot- sea worms, anemones and if you are lucky live sand dollars! Oh and the shells- it is highly advisable to bring a bucket for your collection which will surely grow!

     So much to explore and do in Crescent Beach- and by so much I mean so many miles of sand to roam and so many ice cream flavours to try- 52 flavours to be exact! So if your idea of a good time is chilling out on the beach while your Littles run for miles on safe, sandy beaches followed by either a pint with fish and chips or a sugary treat at the ice cream stand than this is the place for you!

P.S- if you go be sure not to be fooled by the brisk ocean breeze- slather on the sun screen and throw on your hoody!

Farmer's Market: Kitsilano

        By now all my readers know how much I love a good Farmer's Market- I love supporting the local food producers and feeding my family high quality food straight from the folks who grow it. I love the atmosphere- the music, the food trucks but most of all the community that is felt in the air. With this in mind I decided to make it part of my Summer mission to visit every Farmer's Market in Vancouver- if there is a market I will visit it!

       This weekend we hit the Kitsilano market- this is the market we visit the most often even though it is not in our neighbourhood- it is sort of in our old neighbourhood and we have been shopping here since the Littles were brand new- perhaps it is nostalgia that keeps us coming back. At any rate we love this market even though we have to now drive to get there.

       Always busy with scores of people stocking up on fresh goods- like the yummy garlic scapes that are now in season- the Kits market can at times feel a bit frantic. It is always good to go with a written list- if I don't have a list I can get overwhelmed and forget what I even came for!

      Aside from all the amazing food and artisan vendors the Kits market is adjacent to a great playground that is a must visit post market. Our usual marketing plan is hitting the food trucks first so we shop on a full stomach- then we shop for groceries- then we grab an iced coffee and hit the park with the kiddos. All in all it makes a great morning!

        While the Kitsilano Market is one of the busier markets in Vancouver I still find it a much more relaxing way to shop than in a conventional grocery store. Maybe it is the "natural" lighting and fresh air- maybe it is connecting with the people who produce our food- or maybe it is the fact that there are no carts crashing into the back of my legs! Whatever it is this is my favourite way to shop!

        Located at the corner of Larch and 10 ave- in the parking lot of the Kitsilano Community Centre- the market runs from 10-2 pm every Saturday. Prepare to meet your maker! Next weekend we are hitting the Trout Lake Market- I will bring you back a full report next Monday!

Summer Days

       The weather has been that spectacular sort that is just too good to ignore- so instead of checking things off my "to do" list much time has been spent outside at the beach- yes be sure more beach posts are to follow- it's just how we roll this time of the year! So iced tea (not whiskey iced tea because I know my Mom will wonder) and peanut butter sandwiches on blankets outside are happening with regular occurrence lately. Lunch time gatherings with friends by the shore- long afternoon spent outside on the deck- chatting and enjoying the breeze- that is all.





















     Friends it is Friday again! I am so happy- the Mr. has been working some long hours lately and we are looking forward to lots of family time this weekend. The water parks are now all turned on for the season and of course the Farmer's Market- I mean what else do we ever do! I hope that where ever you are in this fine world of ours that your days are filled with laughter, joy and some spiked iced tea - much love Friends!

P.S. be sure to check out my Plain Jane Facebook page for details on my upcoming Textile Printing class- I still have room for two more people!

Whiskey Iced Tea

     It is getting hot here- like Summer has finally arrived- with that hot weather comes the urge to hang out on our deck- enjoying the ocean air and sip on some tasty, Summery libations. One of my favourites for warm weather sipping is Whiskey Iced Tea- spiked with a bit of lemon balm or mint.

     At the start of the day I like to brew up a jug of Sun Tea- harvest solar energy and use it to your advantage. Sun Tea is simple- get a jug or a jar and fill it with water- throw in a tea bag or two and mint or lemon balm- place it in a sunny spot and leave it to brew. When you come back a few hours later you have an infusion that just tastes like sunshine- pour over ice and enjoy.

         Whiskey Iced Tea

1 once whiskey

ice

lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

sun tea

garnish with mint or lemon

      Kick back in a lawn chair on the porch and enjoy- just sit and watch the ice melt- sip- watch the world go by! I think the art of doing nothing has fallen by the wayside- I am most guilty of this as I always have a project on the go- my goal this summer is to redefine relaxing- patio chilling- with this fine bevy in hand!

* this is most definitely enjoyed even more when with a friend or five!

Making: Kiselo Mleko-AKA Yogurt

        Kiselo mleko or yogurt has been on my bucket list of things to learn about for a long time- I have a friend who makes it regularly and I remember my parents making it when I was growing up. Kiselo mleko is the Serbian version of what we know as yogurt- my Great- Grandmother (Boba) used to make it regularly- and although I don't remember her I did feel a sort of connection to my Serbian heritage while making this.

       Now I don't have a fancy yogurt maker- then again I am sure my Great Grandmother also did not have a yogurt maker! You can insulate your yogurt really many different ways- blankets, crock pot, or like me a mini cooler! Fancy appliances need not apply!
 
      First of all lets talk milk- lots of discussion revolving around what type of milk works best- I used 1% because that is what I had on hand- it worked and tastes like 0 Fat yogurt from the grocery store would taste. According to my sources- Dad- the higher fat content milk the better the yogurt- I will keep this in mind for next week! You are going to need six cups of your milk of choice- place that in a sauce pan with a thermometer and slowly start heating- you do not want to boil the milk or scorch it- so whisk often. Heat the milk to between 190-200 degrees.

      Now that the milk has been heated to kill off any competing bacteria- bring the temperature back down and introduce the live cultures- to do this simply place the sauce pan of hot milk in a cold bath of water in the sink- leave the thermometer in and don't walk away- bring the temperature down to 120 degrees. Once the milk is at 120 whisk in two tablespoons of live culture- I used two tablespoons of my favorite store bought yogurt. Pour into Mason jars and put lids on.
   

       Place jars of milk into the cooler- pour in hot water- you want to keep the temperature at 120 degrees- bring the water up to about two inches below the lid- put the lid on and tuck your cooler away in a corner for the night. I left mine over night- about ten hours- it really depends on what sort of cultures you are using.

        Come this morning we opened up the cooler and were greeted by two jars of yogurt- perhaps a bit different than the kiselo mleko my Great Grandmother used to make but delicious none the less. We use a great deal of yogurt around here- at least two containers a week- which adds up to a lot of plastic containers- making our own not only cuts down on the cost and increases the quality but it also reduces our plastic consumption. I am sure my Great Grandmother never had to worry about things like food quality and plastic overuse- she just made this as part of her weekly food preparation- now so will I.

*hint- keep at least 2 tablespoons of your current batch to use as your starter for the next batch!

P.S- my instructions come from the Food In Jars website and my Dad

Reading: The Nature Connection

        On a recent trip to our most favourite of all book stores in Vancouver- Kidsbooks in Kitsilano- I stumbled upon this most interesting nature workbook. I liked the scrapbook type layout and all the simple prompts to help engage kids with the natural world. Umm I am also a bit of a keener and like anything with the word "workbook" in the title- so it was an obvious choice The Nature Connection, An Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families and Classrooms  by Clare Walker Leslie was coming home with us!

        On a quiet afternoon- after a morning spent at school followed by a trip to the beach with friends- The Boy and I had some quiet time to ourselves while Miss Lo slumbered nearby. We started talking or "making observations" about what we had seen at the beach earlier that day- seagulls, Canada geese, new green leaves, ants, water, sand and apparently an apple.

        While we practiced drawing leaves and birds together we chatted about the sounds we had heard- what we remembered the most. We also discussed how the air felt- the wind and sand- what happened when you put the two together. We both dabbled in the watercolours- drawing and painting the things we remembered and colours that had stuck with us.

       My Mom is the Queen of Teachable Moments- if there is an opportunity for learning she will find it. It is from her that I learned education does not stop when the bell rings- there are dozens of opportunities to connect with and teach our kids every day- ordinary moments so often passed by. Not only is this book a great resource for parents looking to engage their kids  in life outdoors it is full of fantastic projects, drawing ideas, as well as great conversation prompts.

"We can't blame children for occupying themselves with Facebook rather than playing in the mud. Our society doesn't put a priority on connecting with nature. In fact, too often we tell them it is dirty and dangerous"

                                                                                                                                      David Suzuki

The Weekend On Instagram

 
         These past few days have been so full of just hanging out and relaxing- everything a weekend should be! Saturday this Momma had a few un-interrupted hours in the studio doing what I love best- working on some new items for the Etsy shop- lots of Summer goodies! The Mr. took the Littles to the park for a run and a swing on the monkey bars so they were in heaven.

     Sunday found us at the Kitsilano Farmer's Market- of course- stocking up on delicious seasonal yummies- I bought a bunch of rhubarb to freeze for a rainy day. Also the first of the seasons strawberries were out- I guess we had best plan a trip to the berry farm soon!

  The garden is starting to really come together- we got our tomatoes and peppers all planted up yesterday- we are rapidly running out of space but I think we have room for one more pepper plant! I'm not going to lie - I may be a tad addicted! I have no illusions our deck garden could sustain us - I look at this more of a science experiment- figuring out how to grow things for when we do have a yard with a bigger garden. Until the day comes that we have a yard we can grow tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, garlic, kale, radishes, peas and loads of herbs- oh and the strawberries (more on that next week!)- the Littles know how plants grown and where our food comes from and that is all that matters.

      In other news I have been encouraged to join Instagram- my friend who blogs at Oolawoola is participating in a handmade challenge for the month of June. So of course I jumped on the band wagon as I do love a good challenge!  All pictures here on this post are from my Instagram weekend- I love it!