Friday Favourites

Happy Friday!

We started our week with some heavy rain on Monday.  If you can make it out, this is the view from my office window and most of the CN Tower is in the cloud, only the bottom is visible.

E's baseball game was cancelled on Monday due to field conditions, but Q's soccer was still on.   He's number 7.

The rain showed up again on Tuesday night so that led to both t-ball and baseball practice being canceled so we had a free night! (We watched the last Harry Potter movie.). Q and Dave took some shelter under the playground structure on their bike ride home from school.  It was really coming down!! This was also the site of the cancelled t-ball practice.

The sun came out on Wednesday.  These plants are on the street beside the bike lanes. 

I love this coleslaw.  I also like to add cut up chicken fingers and it's like something you can order from Wendy's or something. 

Q and I went to the Farmer's Market on Wednesday.  We got strawberries, Brazil cheese buns, and croissants.  

Yesterday I got two badges from Peloton - 60 days in a row and 300 strength workouts.  Go me!

Have a great weekend.

Linking up with Andrea and Erika

Monthly Musings

 

1. What are you looking forward to this summer?

My favourite things about summer are the same things I liked as a child, bike rides and swimming.  

2. Favourite summer traditions?

Camping, lots of biking, and going to Blue Jays games. 

3. Favourite summer recipe?

This one is a favourite - mini shell pasta with bacon and peas (and I will add asparagus if it's in season).

4. Summer vacation plans?

Camping for the long weekend in July, cottage weekend with friends for the August long weekend, and then Nova Scotia for a few days. I do love being in Toronto in the summer, people come here for their holidays and we get to be here all the time, so we try to appreciate it!

5. Coleslaw or potato salad? Recipe?

I like both but only if they are "right".  I do not like that fluorescent green coleslaw from the grocery store, and I don't like overly creamy potato salad with eggs.  

I make coleslaw like this:

Thinly sliced cabbage and shredded carrot (I buy a pack of this already prepared from our local produce store, but you can do it yourself).  I put it in a colander in the sink and sprinkle with salt, sugar, and white vinegar, tossing together, then let it sit for about 15 minutes.  After that time, I squeeze as much liquid out as I can, then add to a bowl.  I add mayonnaise and grainy mustard in enough quantities to make it the consistency I want.  I don't add much grainy mustard, only a couple of tablespoons.  Then add some salt and pepper to taste.  It's simple but that's how I prefer it. 

6. Favourite ice cream or frozen treat?

Mint chocolate chip ice cream every time. I also like a root beer popsicle (if they still make those!).

7. Favourite summer beverage?

Aperol Spritz

8. Beach, lake, or mountains?

Beach is my first choice, but mostly I'm left to a lake beach here in Ontario.

9. Best ways to beat the heat in the summer?

Spend time in the shade and wear a hat.  I would be remiss not to mention that we just got central air in our house, so we will be happy about that as the temperatures get warmer. 

10. Favourite sunscreen?

Ombrelle from Garnier.  Anything between 30 and 50 works for me. I prefer the cream but the rest of my family likes the spray.

Linking up with Holly and Patty.

What's Up Wednesday

It's time for another What's Up Wednesday, May flew by!

What we're eating this week...
Sunday - Meat and cheese plate (we had a late lunch)
Monday - Chicken fingers and corn
Tuesday - Chicken with dijon sauce and smashed potatoes 
Wednesday - Sausages
Thursday and Friday - picnic dinner at the park (sports)
Saturday - We may go back to Ossington but take the boys with us.

What I'm reminiscing about...
My cousin's son just turned 3 and I was looking at photos of him and his little sister.  I was reminiscing about when our boys were small, what a time!!

What I'm loving...
That are street construction is finally done and the tree fences are gone, and there is fresh pavement.  Our grass that they had to patch has come in nicely (and no raccoons turning up the sod!). It was a long time, like since 2021, and we are happy it's done!

What I'm dreading...
Packing for overnight camp.  Both boys are going to camp for two weeks at the start of July so the next month I will have to make sure they have everything and then get it efficiently packed up in a duffle bag.  Because you know we need more tasks besides finishing up school, all the sports, and our full time jobs (and two trips and house guests).

What we've been up to...
Coaching baseball - I'm managing E's baseball team and Dave is doing Q's t-ball.  We are always putting together practice plans and line-ups for the games.  

What I'm working on...
Figuring out what I want to say about the situation in Gaza, the hostages from Israel, the encampments on college and university campuses, the hate that seems all the more prominent, but every time I start to write a post, I stop. I don't think I really have anything else to add and if no one else seems to be able to disentangle the various points of views, truths, and lies, then who am I to do so? I think instead I will say it's possible that many statements can be true at the same time - October 7 was horrible, the attacks on Gaza and Rafah are horrific, people deserve freedom, people deserve basic necessities.  But know I am paying attention, I am always thinking, I keep learning, and I listen to points of view from all sides. 

What I'm excited about...
I will probably start biking to work soon.  I love getting that fresh air and exercise first thing in the morning and I look forward to the end of the day for another bike ride.

(Dave and I always say this when we talk about our bikes)

What I'm watching/reading...
We are watching Bridgerton and Wrexham, but it takes so long to get through a program since we have such busy evenings, by the time we sit down it's hard for some of us to stay awake for a full hour show.  And there is also Blue Jays baseball and Oilers playoff hockey to keep us engaged.

I have Coronation Year up next. I will post about the books I read this month on Monday.

What I'm listening to...
The summer bops - Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, Chappelle Roan, Post Malone (who has the market covered with collabs this year!), Jack Harlow

What I'm wearing...
I bought myself a new dress on the weekend. It's black, as if I don't have enough black, but the other choice was white and although I love white, it is not suitable for a dress I want to wear to work. 

What I'm doing this weekend...
Soccer on Friday, ball hockey and baseball on Saturday, t-ball on Sunday.  And hopefully some yard work. We haven't done our herbs yet or bought any flowers for the backyard, so far only a couple of pots for the front.

What I'm looking forward to next month...
June is my favourite - my birthday, weekend trip to Newfoundland with friends, visits from family, Father's Day, end of school, and camping.

What else is new...
We finally decided what we are doing for our week off in August - going to Nova Scotia! I am excited to spend some time at "home" and visit some beaches. 

Linking up with Shay.

Weekend Recap

We had an absolutely beautiful day on Friday.  And then I was reminded that our office is doing summer hours meaning we can leave early on Fridays (or in my case this week, not feel guilty for taking a long lunch but then going back to my desk to finish up a few things before 5:00).

I did get out for a run.  I love being down by the Humber River, you do not feel like you are in the middle of the city, although because you know that you are in the city, you appreciate all that Toronto has to offer.

That night Q had soccer at High Park so we all picked him after school on our bikes and rode to the park for a picnic supper before his soccer.   And then afterwards we got some French fries and watched the t-ball game.

On Saturday we were supposed to have ball hockey for Q and a baseball game for E.  But it was raining so ball hockey was cancelled and we only got one inning of the ball game.  Dave got a bunch of errands done and I did some more work (so much for that half day on Friday!).  Dave and E got out for 9 holes in the afternoon, after the rain had cleared up.

Then Dave and I went out to dinner for our anniversary.  We first had drinks at The Gift Shop on Ossington.  It's a speakeasy in the back of a barber shop, recommended by a co-worker.  It was a cute little spot and we enjoyed our pre-dinner cocktails. 

We then walked up the street to La Banane.  We had a very nice meal, everything was fabulous - Oysters, beef tartare to share, then I had the chicken and Dave had the flatiron steak.  We picked the salad and the vol-au-vent with spring vegetables for our sides.  And then I could not resist ordering rum cake for dessert.  Would highly recommend this place if you're in the West End. 

We had much better weather on Sunday.  Q's ball hockey was rescheduled to Sunday, so he was able to play that and then still be on time for his t-ball game.  We are lucky the ball hockey and ball are beside each other at the same park.  I joined them after church. 

Great win by the Yankees.

It was so nice out we could not resist stopping at a patio on the way home for a late lunch.

I stayed up on the street to do some errands and when I got home, I put together this little platter for a light dinner (and I made macaroni and cheese for the boys), and Dave and I watched the F1 race.

We were all tired that night and Q even fell asleep while I was reading to him, which doesn't happen as often as it used to. 

Recipe - Greek Lentil Salad

Over the past couple of months, I have been pretty good at bringing my lunch to work.  Not only do I save money and time during my work day by already having something to eat with me, I'm also able to bring healthier meals. Last December I shared two recipes for an easy lunch - a Mexican bean salad and a spin on Mujadara - and this recipe is in the same vein as those two.  It basically involves opening a can, very minimal food prep, and something that is easy to transport and lasts for a couple of days in your fridge. This one I'm calling Greek Lentil Salad.

1 (540 ml) can lentils, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

3/4 cup cucumber, diced

1/2 cup crumbled feta

6-8 black olives, pitted and quartered

1 tbsp Za'atar spice (or just oregano)

Juice from 1/2 lemon (or equivalent from a bottle)

2 tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  You may wish to adjust the flavour by adding more lemon juice or olive oil.  If you like more or less of the vegetables, feta, or olives, just do whatever works for you.  To tell you the truth, I don't even really measure anything, I just throw a bunch of things in, but the measurements provided above will get you started.  The fibre and protein in this meal keep you full so this should last for 3-4 meals.

It's even better on the second day. 

Friday Favourites

 

Happy Friday! We had a short work week but it still felt very long.  

The Grade 7s and 8s had a concert this week, all of the classes performed a song with everyone playing an instrument and some singing. Q and I had front row seats.

Here comes E with his cello.  He joined the Strings group after Christmas, having never played cello before.  The Strings did a great job with their piece.

His class performed "What is Love" and E was on electric guitar. I didn't get an actual photo, this is a still from the video. 

They also had the kids' artwork out on display so I snapped photos of E's work.

Dave and I celebrated our anniversary yesterday. In a true representation of our marriage, we spent the evening tuning the bikes where Dave worked away at figuring things out and fixing them and I reluctantly helped.  

Taking it for a spin to make sure it's shifting gears. 

We did manage a toast to each other once we got back inside.  We have dinner plans for Saturday night on Ossington. 

Q got his haircut and I wanted a photo but it was the end of the evening so he wasn't that into it.  He is starting to smile here though.

E and I watched the Chef movie last week so now we are watching The Chef Show.  I've seen it before but it's enjoyable to watch again.  Some day I'll get to a Roy Choi restaurant. 

Have a great weekend!

Linking up with Andrea and Erika.