ISLAND LIFE - PART 3

on gabriola island, there is a farmers market

held on saturday mornings.

my friend is obsessed with this bread stick that is stuffed with feta and sun-dried tomatoes.

so naturally, our first stop at the farmers market was 

the slow rise bakery stand.

there we bought 5 sticks of this feta/sun-dried tomato bread, 

and just for kicks we got a pumpkin/white-choco/raison scone.

after taking a stroll around the market, we quickly booked it to this beach and dug into this scrumptious bread.

my friend is right, this bread is definitely one of a kind.

(the scone was delicious too)

after heading back home, we decided that we will attempt to make this feta/sun-dried tomato bread by the end of this summer!

hopefully it won't be some catastrophic disaster.

stay tuned...

:)

ISLAND LIFE - PART 2

1. this is an alpaca

2. sunset at it's prime

3. two hooligans on a rock

4. dreary eerie morning

5. abstract?

6. bff's?

is it true that the older you get, 

the faster that time goes by?

this summer has literally been slipping 

through the ends of my fingertips.

i can't seem to get a grasp on it.

it's making me realize how fast-lived our lives our.

we are just like water particles running down a river bank;

there's no stopping us.

i fear that one day i’ll get old and

realize that there were more things that

i should have done, should have seen, or should have said.

so i guess all i can do right now

is make the most out of each day.

-learn and grow.

-enjoy and savour.

-laugh and smile.

:)

ISLAND LIFE - PART 1

1. coolest lamp i've ever laid my eyes upon

2. nothing better than some german yodeling

3. thrifting at it's finest

4. look at that fine view

5. dayum

i went to my friends cabin on gabriola island again this summer.

this little island is packed with a ton of mesmerizing views and quirky attractions.

what we did:

-we took embarrassing videos of us dancing hcore 

and squashing spiders (how cruel of us)

-we went to this recycle depot and found 

heels and booties for $1!! (best day ever)

and i got memoirs of a geisha for $0.50!! (p.s. great book)

-we had a lovely quinoa dinner by the ocean accompanied by some bumping tunes

-we strolled along the beach with this random kitty-cat on a rainy morning and sang low by flo rider in a 

very obnoxious manner

-we took a 2 hour nap just because we could

-we visited some alpaca's and miniature horses

-we watched our fav movie he's just not that into you for the bagillionth time and went gaga over 

ben affleck and jennifer aniston

it was nice being able to get away from the city

with my hommie, and spend a carefree weekend not having to worry about work.

"sometimes the bestest of things, 

comes from the bestest of places." 

-some random kook

:)

more to come!

CANDIED PECANS + SUMMER GREENS

my friend nasim and i love preparing and eating 

yummy meals together.

this time we decided to make a 

candied pecan + summer greens salad

all you need is:

-any type of green salad

-1/2 an avocado

-4 strawberries

-handfull of blueberries

-1 cup of cooked quinoa

-1/4 cup fetta cheese

-2 dried dates

-1/4 cup candied pecans

-any type of dressing you wish to drizzle

1. cut up the avocado, strawberries, and dated into

bite-size pieces.

3. cut feta into sprinkle-able pieces

2. put all ingredients into a large bowl.

4. serve!

we attempted in trying to make our own candied pecans.

all we used was:

-1/3 cup pecans

-tsp of butter

-1 tbs white sugar

-1 tbs water

1. put heat on medium

2. cook sugar, butter, and water until it turns to liquid.

3. add pecans

4. cook until liquid covers the pecans and 

sugar starts to solidify.

5. voila!

for our salad we used a refreshing 

balsamic olive oil dressing:

-2 tbs olive oil

-1 tbs sweet soy sauce

-1 tbs raspberry balsamic vinegar

-1 tsp course black pepper

1. mix together and drizzle onto salad

enjoy this salad on a clear blue day!

  

:)

also check out my friend nasim's blog at:

nasimbagheri.blogspot.ca

s

DIY - SNAZZY JEWELRY BOX

want a pimped out jewelry box?

painting this little box is a crafty activity 

you can do with friends, 

and it is very simple!

i bought all my supplies at michaels.

the one thing i would suggest is getting a fairly small brush that is well made. this way, the paint goes on smoothly and you can get more control so the edges look cleaner.

-get your creative juices moving

:)

VANCOUVER STROLLING

many things are taken for granted in our day to day lives in vancouver.

for me, there are many times i fail to 

appreciate the beauty of vancouver.

"it rains to much"

"it's cold"

"etc."

then i go outside, and take a stroll, on a vibrant summer day

and i'm like ah, yes, this place that i call home is magnificent.

all those 8 or so months of rain is what keeps vancouver so green, lush, and beautiful.

the long and dreary months can be taunting but i guess the wait is totally worth it.

-cheers to vancouver, a special gem.

:)

FEROCIOUS KALE JUICE

kale, kale, kale

there is quite the health craze over this green vegetable,

but why?

benefits from eating kale:

1. it keeps you lean and mean. 

no fat, low in calories, yet packed with fiber.

(1 cup of kale has 33 calories)

2. it contains more iron than beef!

if you are anemic, then kale is your friend.

3. it has plenty of vitamin K which helps with the prevention of cancer and helps maintain bone health.

4. it contains more calcium than milk!

your teeth, bones, and nails will thank you.

5. it helps lower cholesterol levels.

go kale!

for more info, check out:

www.mindbodygreen.com

www.webmd.com

shrinkingjeans.net

there are a variety of ways to add kale to your diet.

i happened to try making a ferocious kale juice.

this drink actually tastes good, i'm not fooling you.

FEROCIOUS KALE JUICE

ingredients:

(serves 2-3 people)

-2 cups of kale

-1/2 big fat peach

- 1 small apple

-1 cup orange juice

-1 cup water

-1/3 cup of berries (raspberry, blueberry, etc.)

how to:

1. blend in a mixer.

2. blend until the mixture looks like juice.

3. serve!

and there you have it, a very ferocious drink that will help energize your day!

:)

CRANBERRY + WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

you can never go wrong with a freshly baked batch of cookies.

however instead of making a regular 

batch of chocolate chip cookies, 

i decided to add a little spin to the recipe.

CRANBERRY + WHITE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

(makes around 2 dozen cookies)

you will need:

-1/2 cup unsalted margarine or butter

-1/4 cup white sugar

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1/2 tsp of salt

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-1 egg

-1 cup of all-purpose flour

-1/4 tsp of baking soda

- 1/3 cup walnuts

-1/3 cup dried cranberries

-1/3 cup white chocolate pieces

how to make:

1. pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. in a bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar.

3. add salt, vanilla, and egg to the mixture. 

4. in a separate bowl mix the flour and baking soda together.

5. mix the flour mixture into the creamed mixture.

6. add in the walnuts, dried cranberries, and white chocolate.

7. mix all together!

8. sheet parchment paper onto a cookie sheet

9. place tbs sized balls of dough onto the cookie sheet

(make sure the balls of dough are 

approximately 5 cm apart from each other).

10. bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until they are golden brown on the outside (bake cookies on middle rack).

11. once cookies are done let them cool for a bit, 

then plate, and enjoy!

:)

MAGIC OF CHIA

ever given chia seeds a try?

maybe you'll give them a shot after finding out all the wonderful benefits of eating these powerful little seeds.

magic of chia:

1. they contain tryptophan which is an amino acid that helps you feel fuller for longer!

2. they fight belly fat by helping you body's muscle, fat and liver cells respond to insulin normally.

3. they contain protein which is great for vegetarians.

4. they help keep your bones and teeth strong since they're packed with calcium.

5. stock up on fiber fiber fiber

check out more health benefits at

www.huffingtonpost.ca/chia-seed-benefits

and here is a clever way to add some chia into your life

chia pudding:

(serves 4-6 people)

2 cups of soy milk

2 tbs of honey

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup of chia

1. add soy, honey and vanilla into a bowl and mix until honey melts

2. add chia seeds and mix

3. put in fridge

4. after an hour, mix

5. wait 3 hours and you're pudding is finito

serve with fruit and enjoy!

i got this recipe from

kitchensimplicity.com/vanilla-chia-pudding-with-honeyed-strawberries/

p.s. this pudding makes you quite full 

:)

THAI PEANUT DRESSING SUMMER SALAD

it finally feels like summer in vancouver!

to kick-start the sunny weather the right way, 

why not enjoy a crisp and dreamy salad?

THAI PEANUT DRESSING SUMMER SALAD

recipe for two

salad:

1/4 of whole cabbage

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups of water

1/3 cup of shell-less edamame

1/3 cup dried mango 

1/3 stick of carrot

1. cook quinoa - bring quinoa and water to a boil, 

after it has come to a boil, cover, and cook for 10 minutes at low heat (between the 2 and 3 on your stove dial).

quinoa is ready once all the water has been soaked up.

2. dice cabbage (look at first picture as an example) 

3. cook edamame

4. cut dried mango into little bits

5. grate carrot

dressing:

1 tsp honey

2 tbs peanut butter

1 tbs sweet soy sauce

1 tsp grated ginger

3 tbs water (more if you like dressing thinner)

1 tsp sesame oil

1. heat up honey and peanut butter in microwave for 10 seconds
so that mixing is easier

2. add in rest of the ingredients

3. stir stir mix

4. put dressing on the salad

and voila
you have your summery and fantastic salad!

enjoy

:)