NIGHT MARKET

1. deep fried ice cream

 2. ice cream pops

 3. curried fish balls

4. mango ice cream/shaved-ice bowl

 5. rotato

 6. night market

this post is long overdue,

but it has to be done.

school has come to a start again and 

summer feels almost like a dream.

back in august, i went to the richmond night market with some people from my church and it turned out to be a great time!

we ended up being able to try lots of food from an

array of different vendors since we got 

into groups and split our purchases.

this place isn't just about the food,

they also sells cute socks, accessories, electronics, onesies,

batons, bear mace, and much more!

the night market season has unfortunately come to an end,

but there will always be next year.

sorry again for my tardiness.

i hope to post at least once a week now 

that school is back in session.

ciao for now

:)

VANCOUVER AT IT'S FINEST

this summer has been a good one for vancouver.

the sun has been shining non-stop for most parts,

which is quite a rare occurrence.

my friends and i took a stroll along the olympic village which is located right by science world.

it was beaaauuutiful.

it's got this modern/laid back feel to it;

a perfect place to chillax and enjoy the good vibes.

if you're visiting vancouver or even if you're just a local,

the olympic village is a great location to go check out.

only a 3 more weeks left of summer vacay until 

school starts again!

where did time go?

enjoy what's left of this fine season

:)

SUNNYSIDE

this past week i was given the opportunity to

to volunteer as a primary teacher at sunnyside camp in alberta.

the long 18 hour drive to get to this 

magical camp was well worth it.

i encountered my first sighting of hay bales in alberta.

i didn't know that massive roles of hay that are probably double my hight could exist.

it looks so awesome when 100+ hay bales are scattered randomly across a large field of green.

the best part of the trip was being able to meet a ton of talented and beautifully crafted people.

there were musicians of all ages who could play their instruments like beasts.

there were dancers who could flip and pop to each beat in a song.

there were artists who used their imagination and soul to move their pen.

i saw so much love and support in this one week, it was no surprised that some people have been attending this camp for 30+ years.

i hope i'll be back for year 2 next summer!

xox

:)

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

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.

:)

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

:)

MAUI FEVER

these are some pictures from maui back in august 2011.

just looking at these makes me wanna go back to this warm and beautiful place. my dad and i went up to mount haleakala, bright and early to see one of the most spectacular sunrises ever. the last picture was captured on this mountain at over 10000ft.

wish i was in maui at the mo, since rain is the only thing present in the vancity weather forecast.

PEACE

have faith in God because everything is going to be alright.

peace i leave with you; my peace i give you. i do not give you as the world gives. do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. john 14:27

:)

(pictures taken in maui 2011)

HOLLA GABRIOLA

summer fun with the gurls on gabriola island. we lucked out on beautiful weather, ate a ton of comfort food, sun bathed with spf  30 (gotta watch the skin), and spent good quality times together jammin out to one direction and jbeibz. one of the best moments was sitting on a log above the tides, watching one of the best sunsets i've ever seen. so thankful for great friends. 

:)