25 September 2013

Lunch Today: Mini Quiche



I don't know what came over me but I actually made these this morning! Six eggs, 1 cup of shredded cheese, 3/4 cup of chopped ham, mix, pour in muffin tin, and bake 15 minutes in 350° F oven. That's it! I would have thrown in a veg if I had leftovers too. Also, one should grease the muffin tin for easier removal. Next time.

This made 8 mini crustless quiches; 2 went in the freezer for a future easy lunch and 4 went in the fridge for an upcoming breaky and a snack.

· 2 ham + cheese mini crustless
· mini tomatoes
· red pepper strips
· cucumber slices
· apple sauce

18 September 2013

Makes Me Happy: Board Games on the Weekend


The rain came this weekend. Just the excuse we needed to bust out our Lost Cities game for the 10+ crowd. Spud and I love playing this and it has been awhile. It's about strategy, problem solving, adventure, and a pinch of math thrown in for good measure.

Welcome to Makes Me Happy Wednesdays. Why not celebrate hump day with a little happiness? A photo. A Caption. A smile. What made you smile recently?

17 September 2013

DIY Beer Can Mini Camp Stove


We recently did our first hike-in camping as a family. Even though it was just overnight we wanted a wee stove to boil water and make simple meals with. Of course Hubs had something in mind ... super light and practically free too! A beer can stove.



Hubs went to Lifehacker and Instructables for guidance on this project.


15 September 2013

Book: Party Origami

Chronicle Books popped this crazy-cute book in the mail for us to take a look at ... and share ... it's Party Origami by Jessica Okui who you may know from Zakka Life, a favourite blog of ours.


We recently acquired a cake stand and I can't wait to pretty it up with the origami mini banners! So darling. But in the meantime we made little paper baubles for adding to party beverages. They are both decorative AND practical as they help party guests keep track of their drinks.




The instructions for each of the 14 paper projects are well thought out and illustrated. And I can't even express how much I love the pretty little modern paper that comes with book. That would be a kind of a dream job for me ... designing such pretty little patterns.


This book would just make the sweetest little gift to a budding event planner ... or anyone with a passion for paper.

08 September 2013

Summer Fun Passport: Learn About a New Country



"Learn about a new country and then try its cuisine" ... that's another tick on our Summer Fun Passport list! We chose Ethiopia. Partly because it would give us an excuse to look at that part of Africa and also because we have a quite a few Ethiopian restaurants with good reviews that we've wanted to try and thought it would add to the whole experience. I was a bit worried though. I know the cuisine is very yummy but its presentation is also very unique from what Spud has tried before. It was going to put his "risk taking" skills to test ...

But first, we found all kinds of facts about the country here. Like, what its flag looks like. We learned that it has twice the population of Canada and yet it is far smaller. The capital is Addis Ababa and has about twice the people our city does. The country is landlocked, has a tradition of carving churches out of rocky ground and has suffered great war and famine over the years. We saw some stunning National Geographic photos of the nation here. And awed at this gorgeous fox, the rarest in the world.

Next, we chose the top rated Ethiopian restaurant in our city. If you are ever in Vancouver check out Fassil. So good! It's been years since Hubs and I had Ethiopian food so we needed a refresher on how to eat it. When presented with a large platter of food placed on top of injera, a bread which tastes a bit like a strong sourdough with a unique spongy texture, Spud looked intrigued. We each held a roll of injera in our left hand tearing off pieces with our right hand to scoop up bite size portions of the food. No utensils! Totally fun. And really tasty. Spud surprised us both with his foodie prowess; he tried everything except the greens (no surprise there) and the one dish we declared spicy. He actually gobbled up most of the lamb himself. A definite thumbs up from the whole family.

Here's our full Summer Fun Passport List for 2013 and our passport we made to keep track of everything we accomplish this summer!

05 September 2013

Lunch Today: Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes


I used the leftover cream cheese from yesterday's wafflewich where I sweetened the cream cheese with maple syrup. After dipping these locally grown beauties from the farmers market into the cream cheese mixture, I dipped them in cookie crumbs I made from digestives.

This treat (inspired by momables) is accompanying a thermos of leftover butter chicken and rice.

04 September 2013

Happy First Full Day of School Lunch

Happy Grade 4 Spud!


· Wafflewich with maple syrup cream cheese and sliced strawberries (inspired by momables)


· Apple
· Watermelon
· Skewers with tomato, olive, mozza cubes and kolbasa triangles

01 September 2013

Summer Fun Passport: Hike-in Camping!


Spud has done a fair amount of "Car Camping". And loves it. Normally. But Hubs' favourite kind of camping is "Hike-in Camping". It would be my favourite too if it had showers and I didn't have to sleep on the ground. I really like our cushy bed in our roof top tent and our outdoor shower!


Anyway, we did an overnight "test" to see how the family likes it, as a whole. And it was epic. In so many ways. I mean, check out the pics!



We went to a spot that Hubs used to go to with his uncle when he was young. Those were important times and good memories. I was excited to see the place I'd heard so much about. And boy, is it stunning. The weather was amazing too.



But there was also A LOT of whining from our little city kid. (and a bit from me too). Too much dirt and bugs and well, nature, frankly. He said he would do it again though. My aching bones after sleeping on the ground said "no". We'll see. Maybe "Canoe Camping" is more our thing? If we can load it up with some cushy luxuries.

Here's our full Summer Fun Passport List for 2013 and our passport we made to keep track of everything we accomplish this summer!

31 August 2013

Summer Fun Passport: Amusement Park Day



Another important tick! Spent the day at the amusement park — this year with rain warnings that didn't stop us one bit. Zero line ups meant the kids could go on ride 9 times in row if they wanted. And they did! Large umbrellas, rain ponchos, fun company, serendipitous breaks in the rain during meal times and a sense of adventure helped make this a fantastic, memorable day.

Here's our full Summer Fun Passport List for 2013 and our passport we made to keep track of everything we accomplish this summer!

30 August 2013

Summer Fun Passport: Write Letters to Family!




Nice way to keep the practice of writing up during the summer as well as spread a little love. I found the above truly adorable letter kit in Portland which, as I'd hoped, helped Spud get excited about this task.


Here's our full Summer Fun Passport List for 2013 and our passport we made to keep track of everything we accomplish this summer!

29 August 2013

DIY Freezies!

This has been on my wishlist for some time. I've always been a fan of freezies but thought it would be SO much better if I could decide what went into them. When I found these online you can bet I did a little jig.

Pour juice in each one, using a funnel. Place them upright in the freezer.



Once frozen, enjoy.


Rinse. And repeat.

28 August 2013

Makes Me Happy: New Portable Grill Test



Loving our new little portable grill — perfect for short hike-in camping trips (especially when the fire bans are in full force!) and for picnics on the beach and at the park. Buying it at the end of the season was accidental genius also, as we saved 50%! Happy.


Welcome to Makes Me Happy Wednesdays. Why not celebrate hump day with a little happiness? A photo. A Caption. A smile. What made you smile recently?

27 August 2013

Summer Fun Passport: Go Geocaching!




We got another tick! Hubs found a clue to a geocache in one of our neighbourhood parks, it's called Urban Waterfall.


Here's our full Summer Fun Passport List for 2013 and our passport we made to keep track of everything we accomplish this summer!

26 August 2013

Zoku Love

Pretty smitten with our new purchase! Here are a few of our first creations ...







25 August 2013

Summer Fun Passport: Take Puppy on a Hike!




A dear friend, who recently moved to a nearby island, saw our summer passport list and invited us over for a little puppy hike. And we learned a few things. First, puppy might need to wear pants on future hikes because she has a tendency to pick up twigs and leaves with her fur. Every few steps she would stop. Dead in her tracks. It took us awhile to figure out that each time she had amassed a bundle of forest debris between her hind legs. That can't be comfortable! It was indeed tedious to have to bend over and clear it out every few steps. Hence my idea of puppy hiking pants. We are also going to try trimming her in her little nether region.

The other thing we learned is that burrs can be quite evil. The ones that got stuck in her leg fur were fairly easy to get out but the poor thing had gathered half a dozen or so just under her chin. They were so badly embedded that the fur had completely wrapped itself around most of them. A few snips with scissors was required. Not sure if we should get her a matching balaclava for her hiking pants or what?!

Overall though, had a gorgeous hike, tuckered out the pup, and the kid, and us! It was a lovely day with gorgeous weather and lovely company. Exactly what summer days are made of.


Here's our full Summer Fun Passport List for 2013 and our passport we made to keep track of everything we accomplish this summer!

21 August 2013

Makes Me Happy: Piano Practice, Outside!



All kinds of happy here. Four pianos, around the city, each waiting to have its keys tickled, thanks to Keys To The Streets. Spud has already played 3 of them.

I lost the video I took of this particular day but Spud played Linus and Lucy, James Bond and my favourite, Hallelujah. Well, instead, here are Spud and Hubs playing Hallelujah as a duet a few weeks ago ... only it was inside.


Welcome to Makes Me Happy Wednesdays. Why not celebrate hump day with a little happiness? A photo. A Caption. A smile. What made you smile recently?

18 August 2013

Summer Fun Passport: Tie Your Own Shoes!



The kid's got a new pair of shoes. And there is no velcro to be seen. It's time, finally, to step up, take the plunge, and learn how to tie your own shoes, kid. I'm re-introducing the idea this time, with a couple of videos I found on the topic.

First, a sweet and simple animation ...


And a Sesame Street skit!


Here's our full Summer Fun Passport List for 2013 and our passport we made to keep track of everything we accomplish this summer!

17 August 2013

Summer Fun Passport: Watch the Sunset



Tick. Times 2!

Here's our full Summer Fun Passport List for 2013 and our passport we made to keep track of everything we accomplish this summer!

16 August 2013

Summer Fun Passport: Hike With Friends

TRAIN WRECK TRAIL   |   WHISTLER, BC






And a couple of Instagram videos ...


Here's our full Summer Fun Passport List for 2013 and our passport we made to keep track of everything we accomplish this summer!

14 August 2013

Makes Me Happy: Evening Frozen Treats


Spontaneous evening frozen cherry yogurt treat while people watching on a picnic blanket with my guys. Just trying to get the most out of summer here. Before you know it ... Autumn will be upon us!

Welcome to Makes Me Happy Wednesdays. Why not celebrate hump day with a little happiness? A photo. A Caption. A smile.

13 August 2013

Summer Fun Passport: Poolside Afternoon

Keeping it cool with new pool toys, sun-warmed water, and cozy towels to dry off with. Happy.





Here's our full Summer Fun Passport List for 2013 and our passport we made to keep track of everything we accomplish this summer!

12 August 2013

Summer Fun Passport: Piggy Back Ride




Here's our full Summer Fun Passport List for 2013 and our passport we made to keep track of everything we accomplish this summer!