Friday Favourites

Linking up with Andrea, Erika and Narci for Friday Favourites.

I saw this clip from This Hour has 22 Minutes yesterday.  My US readers will not understand but my Canadian readers will appreciate it. It has been 2 years since Tim Hortons changed their cup sizes but I still have to think twice before I order what I want.

I love having my windows down when I'm driving, and so does E.  Sometimes it is just too hot and I need the A/C but this week wasn't too bad and the windows were down (and the volume on the radio was up).

On Thursday night I made grilled pizza for the first time.  I read about how to do it first, which was important because it has some tricks to it.  I was impressed with myself and they were really tasty. 

E finished up his round of summer camps this week and he had a great time at all of them.  I didn't know what to expect but I was very impressed with the camp staff and the activities that they had planned for the kids.  He went to two weeks at the High Park Eco Camp, and then two weeks at a local elementary school, one had a swim lessons, and one had a sports theme.  All were put on by the City of Toronto.  There are even more options for camps as the kids get older so it will be fun to see what E can enjoy in years to come. 

The Olympics wraps up this weekend, and we will be sad to see it go.  Canada is not a powerhouse in the Summer Games but we are a proud nation and there have been many great stories that have come out of the Olympics.  Bring on 2018!

Happy Friday!

Go to Pinterest Meals - Summer Edition

I posted some of my favourite Pinterest meals here.  I still use a lot of them but they are better suited to fall and winter (except for the broccoli salad, still a staple around here).

I thought I would share some of my favourite summer Pinterest meals.  You can link to these on my Pinterest boards here.

Grilled Chicken Kebabs - I love Greek food and this is a simple recipe to make your own.  I have made this for us and for guests.  You can eat it altogether in the same bowl, as the recipe suggests, or warm up some whole wheat pitas and wrap everything up together.  (Grilling/Summer Meals Board)

Tortellini Salad - I have only made this once but it was so good, I have been thinking about it since and I know it will make another appearance on our table soon.  I didn't add the prosciutto the first time I made it, but it was still very tasty. (Salads Board)

Lemon Risotto with Pancetta and Roasted Chicken and Sweet Potato Risotto - I used to avoid making risotto and just order it at a restaurant, but these recipes are actually very simple and are less rich that something you'd get out.  Although you're standing at the stove for awhile, it is less hot than having your oven on during the hot weather.  I can't pick a favourite, but the lemon one with the fresh asparagus and peas is lovely for summer. (Supper Ideas Board)

Lemon Parm Pasta - Another lemon centric dish that is perfect for summer, and gives me a chance to use the fresh parsley from our herb garden.  We usually grill up some chicken to serve with it. (Supper Ideas Board)

Fruit Crisps - This is my own recipe that I shared here.  I love fresh peaches, cherries, and berries combined with the crisp cinnamonny (not a word) topping.  We need to enjoy these things before they are all gone! (but then I guess we'll just make apple crisp which isn't really a hardship). (Dessert Board)

Media Wednesday

This month's book club selection was The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham (not to be confused with another book called The Dressmaker that takes place on the Titanic).

I mentioned in a previous post that this book has now become a movie starring Kate Winslet and Liam Hemsworth.  

This book takes place in Australia following World War II (I think, I don't remember ever having this detail nailed down), in a small rural town.   We are given numerous details about the villagers, so much so that I eventually gave up trying to keep them all straight.  We meet the main character at the start, she is making her way back home after living abroad as a dressmaker.  Her mother is unwell and she has decided to come home to look after her.  There are a few male characters that become part of the story, and I had a hard time trying to figure out who Liam Hemsworth would be playing in the movie.   I finally checked IMDB when I was finished the book, and I was still kind of surprised about who it was.  I didn't think his character was actually that important when I was reading it. 

It took me about halfway through the book to actually start caring about the story, but even then, I was not overly impressed with the way the plot played out.  There was too much death, carnage and bad luck.  I think I know what the author was trying to do, but I didn't really enjoy it.  If I see the movie on Netflix or on TV somewhere I will check it out, it will be interesting to see how the movie adapts the story.  It says it is a comedy drama, but to me, I didn't get much comedy from the book. 

Cape Breton Recap

We haven't been to Cape Breton in a few years, so it was nice to finally be back there.  This year Dave's family was celebrating a family reunion so we knew we wanted to make it down.  

We started our journey in a bit of a rough spot, poor Dave was not feeling well at all and getting up at 4:00 am for a 6:00 flight (complete with 3 hour layover in Halifax) did not help matters.  E and I basically travelled by ourselves while Dave looked after himself, but we kept ourselves entertained.  

The next day, he was feeling much better and the weather was beautiful.  This is the Mira River.  

The men standing around assessing the movement of this floating dock into the water.  

The young guys looking on, this will be them in a few years. 

They got some pirate paraphernalia and took over the dock. 

Just happy to be here.

In the afternoon we went across to the other side of the Mira to visit some friends of Dave's parents.   Dave tried the paddle board and E tried the little kayak.  

Taking a rest with some chips

Later that night E and Papa (and Isabella the dog) started a fire.

The next day, the kids "found" a treasure map in bottle on the shore, so they donned their pirate outfits and headed out in the boats to find the treasure.  They had a great time!

(they were only going to the land right across here)

Lawn games for the rest of the afternoon

Redneck Sarah

Another fire that night with some blackened marshmallows.

The next morning (Friday), Dave and his parents golfed in the reunion golf tournament, so I hung out with E and Dave's sister.  We went canoeing and swimming and then E played with one of his cousins until the rain started.  We waited some of it out under the tree on some lawn chairs.  I didn't get any photos of the afternoon activities, but they involved a scavenger hunt for the kids, with recorders as the prize, a march around the land in the rain while "playing" these recorders, and a nap for me!

That evening we went to the Mira Boat Club for the official start of the reunion.  People came from all over, so I took a picture of the map where people could mark their hometowns. 

On Saturday morning we went back for the family photos.  There were over 200 people there.  The reunion is for the descendants Dave's great grandparents.  His great grandfather had two wives and ten children.  The different colours of shirts represent each of those children.  We are in the purple shirts (the Angus group), third from the right. 

In the evening, after the dinner, we went back for the fireworks.  E loved the photo booth. 

Needless to say, we were tired after the weekend and ready to go back home.  It was great to see everyone!! We enjoyed our Nova Scotian hospitality (also a pro tip for those travelling through the Halifax airport, the restaurant serves some really great fish cakes. Order them with a glass of my favourite wine, L'Acadie Blanc from the Grand Pre Winery.)

E and his buddies waiting for the luggage. 

Stay Tuned...

We are recovering after our week in Cape Breton, so stay tuned for a recap later on.  Pirate adventures, campfires, lots of cousins, and a family reunion attended by 200+ people.

Also, the Olympics! What a great week, we are so proud of our athletes!

Friday Favourites

Linking up with Andrea, Erika and Narci for Friday Favourites. 

I am not one of those people who loves being pregnant, but since I definitely appreciate that this is a privilege, I am focusing on some positives today.  These are the five favourite things about being pregnant:

Having my little buddy with me.

I am never alone, I always have someone with me, even in the shower.  I don't talk as much to this baby as I did with E, but it is nice to know he's there.  I remember feeling lonely the first time I had a shower after E was born because I was all by myself in there.

Feeling all of the movement.

This child is super active already and I felt movement early on and consistently.  It can be a little uncomfortable at times, but really it is pretty cool to have that feeling. 

Fizzy lemonade.

I really miss my wine, beer, martinis, etc. but it is a good break.  It gives me a chance to enjoy some fizzy lemonade which is a pretty great drink for the summertime and something I would probably not be ordering/buying if I was drinking alcohol.

Taking it easy.

As you can tell from reading my weekend recap posts, we like to keep busy and stay active.  A few times this summer we have not made plans, or E and Dave have gone off somewhere together while I have stayed home.  It is nice to take a break sometimes and enjoy some quiet time. 

Having the excuse "I'm growing a human!". 

Maybe I want to go to bed early, or skip an event at work, or complain a little more than usual about something.  If anyone gives me a hard time (and they don't really at all), "Hey! I'm growing a human!" is the best thing to say.  There is no comeback for that.  It is a true little miracle that is pretty amazing.

The Olympics

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love the Olympics and try to catch as much as I can when they are on.  Joy is found in little known facts about previously obscure athletes, a montage of slow motion Olympic moments set to inspirational music, and of course seeing our athletes perform their best.

I have found that watching the Olympics also provides some fun learning tools for kids.  Our excitement for the Games has carried over to E and he has been very interested in watching "our Canadians" (that is a direct quote from him; he was watching and we came back into the room and he says "Guys, our Canadians are doing well!").

There are some good practical lessons to learn while watching the Games:

Geography - We have a globe that we look at to identify which countries are participating.  We can talk about what they do in those countries and what it would be like to travel there.  (And despite Zika, crime, etc., I still really want to visit Rio, it is so beautiful!!)

Flags - Of course the Canadian flag is easy to spot, but E is becoming familiar with some other flags.

Math - Identifying the score and who is leading at any particular time.

Winning and Losing - Not everyone gets to finish first and not everyone gets a medal.  There are disappointments when someone finishes off the podium, while at the same time a 4th place victory is an unexpected amazing finish for someone else. 

Those are the obvious ones, but we also talk about participating in sports and doing your best.  E sees the swimmers putting their faces in the water (something E has been having trouble with lately), how the soccer players dribble and pass the ball, and how in every sport it is vital to pay attention to what you're doing and keep your eye on the ball or finish line. It is easier to show him how these things should be done rather than just telling him.  We want him to be inspired by what he sees on TV and then we hope it translates to the pool, the field or court. 

This Olympics have also been a great time to promote women in sport.  Our Canadian team is about 60% women and our team sports have been dominant - rugby 7s, basketball, soccer, etc.  I want E to grow up taking for granted that women have the same opportunities as men.  It does make for interesting conversations when he sees the women's gymnastics floor routine as more of a dance with music rather than the men's floor routine which is pure power and strength moves.  

No rhythmic gymnastics for men!