Saturday Stuff

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It's Saturrrdaaaayyyyyy!!! Happy weekend to you all and may it be fun, spontaneous, friends-filled, family-filled, food-filled, and delicious.

Our weeks and weekends have been busy recently with the official start of wedding season, the unofficial start of summer which has led to the official start of patio season, and planning for our upcoming Norwegian adventure (I'M SO EXCITED!!). Over the last little while I've shared many great meals with friends, and prepared a few myself (I'll be sharing more soon, promise!), and have really been taking advantage of this weather with leisurely evening walks. It's been pretty great. I hope you've been pretty great too.

This weekend we'll be visiting friends and family in the home town while also visiting Other Half's very elderly and sadly ailing family dogs. We don't think they are going to make it much longer so we're really going to try and squeeze in as many puppy snuggles as possible.

However, that doesn't mean I won't be starting my weekend with my customary lie in bed sipping a coffee and catching up on my reading. I hope you'll join me. Except in your own bed. With your own coffee. Let's not get weird about it.

So here's to the weekend, enjoy!

I'm sorry, but this is a salted butterscotch popcorn cheesecake semifreddo and I must have it.

It's peanut butter jelly time! In muffin form. For when you need something a little less fancy, but no less delicious than that semifreddo up there.

These popsicles (or poptails) look so perfect for your next backyard bash. You should make them and then invite me over. 

OR I'll make them and invite you over, just as soon as I have a backyard that looks like this. Or a backyard in general. 

Who runs the world? Girls!

Look at these DIY boardgames! I want them all! I better get busy...

Until next time!

Roast Beet, Feta and Arugula Pizza

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Remember a few weeks ago when I shared this perfect pizza dough recipe? Well at the same time I also made this perfect pizza featuring roast beets, feta cheese, and arugula.

I have to admit, when we made pizza at home too often it turns into a basic cheese with some random vegetables tossed on. And while that's mighty tasty, taking a step back and realizing all the delightful combinations we can create is pretty great too.

Roasting the beets first brings out their sweetness and when you pair it the peppery arugula and salty feta then the flavour combination is basically one big party in your mouth. Yep, I said it. Party in your mouth. You're welcome.

We're keeping it short today so that you can get to this delicious pizza - I highly recommend that you do!

Roasted Beet, Feta, and Arugula Pizza

makes 2 pizzas

1 recipe pizza dough
2 medium beets, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup pizza sauce (this one works great)
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 bunch of arugula

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 F and roast beets until tender
2. Divide remaining ingredients in half
3. Roll out 1/2 recipe of pizza dough onto pizza stone, approximately 15 inches round
4. Spread out pizza sauce and top with beets, feta, and arugula
5. Bake at 400 - 425 F for 15-17 minutes (all ovens are different, I bake for about 17 minutes)
6. Repeat with the second pizza
7. Slice and enjoy!

Saturday Stuff

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Happy long weekend! It's Canada's unofficial start to summer! (photo credit)

Not only is it the weekend, but in Canada it's the looooong weekend! Nothing feels better than 5:00 on Friday afternoon of a long weekend, amiright!?

Last weekend Other Half and I experienced the jet-set lifestyle and flew over to the UK for my cousins wedding. We both took Friday off work and were back in our desks on Monday morning. It was a bit of a whirlwind but so 100% worth it. It was so nice to see family and celebrate such a happy occasion. Plus Dorset county is so beautiful this time of year! We swooned everywhere we looked.

This weekend will be decidedly more low key with almost no plans at all. That means lots of sleeping, sipping tea, and catching up on reading. Perfect.

What are your plans for the long weekend? Are you taking a mini-holiday? Or stay-cationing it up? Headed to the cottage? The park? The couch? I'd love to know!

Whatever you do, enjoy! And here's some reading to help you kick it all off...

This thai cashew coconut ginger peanut sauce dish has all of the flavours and looks amazing to boot! I'll be trying this one for sure!

I'm a kale fan. Some are, some aren't. I don't understand those who aren't. It's just such a lovely hearty green! Pretty sure this salad would go down a treat.

Obviously after all of that goodness you need to follow it up with something sweet. Allow me to introduce you to Smitten Kitchen's roasted marshmallow milkshake (!!!!!!!!!!!)

Home brewing your own beer is really having a moment these days. If you're a hipster, or just curious, check out this great guide from The Kitchn which will be guiding you through the process throughout the month.

The instant I get a house of my own you better believe I'll be renting some chickens. Please oh please some one I know do this so I can come over and delight in their presence and their presents! (get it? the eggs? they're like presents from the chickens? .... I know, I'm too witty for my own good)

On a more serious note (though I will seriously be renting chickens!) these images paint a pretty accurate picture of today's smartphone use in society. I'm all for smartphones and technological advancements in general (obviously, mine is also strapped to my side) but the art of conversation is definitely less pronounced in our younger generations (mine included).

Notes On Turning 30

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Hello World, it's my Birthday. And not just any birthday, but a big one. THE big one (until 40). The big 3-0. 30. Thirty. I'm thirty today. Today, I am 30. I'm just going to keep repeating that because I'm not quite sure I believe it. I don't feel thirty. I'm certain I rarely act thirty. I probably look thirty, but let's not go there. So what's a girl to do when she's faced with entering a new decade? 

Ride the emotional rollercoaster, of course! Over the last two weeks leading up to this day I have been at times excited, angry, confused, indifferent, and blasé. 

I've worked to figure out why, when I know logically it's just a number, I'm reacting this way. Let's break these down for real.

Excited - It's a whole new decade! I don't relate to those hard-partying 20 somethings, so now it's time to find my people. Huzzah! Also, look at everything I've done and I'm only 30! I've traveled near and far. I've lived on 3 continents. I've met the greatest man and gotten married (he even baked 2 dozen chocolate glazed doughnuts for a party on Saturday). I've finished a Master's degree. I've got a career. I've got the greatest friends. All in all I'm thrilled with where life has taken me and I cannot wait for the adventure to continue.

Angry - This often comes with the dangerous exercise of comparison. Don't ever do this. It's stupid. I did it and I felt crappy after. All those great things I've accomplished that I just mentioned? Well, they get lost in the void and the focus gets switch to the things I haven't done compared to friends/family/complete strangers. 

Confused - Am I supposed to feel different? Because I do and don't all at the same time, which is confusing in and of itself. 

Indifferent - Whatever, it's just another day. Except I'm going to get a free drink at Starbuck's - so that's a plus. 

Blasé - Harrumph. Meh. Ugh. However you word it, that's me.

At this moment, I'm a little bit of all of these things, and I feel like I'm feeling all of the feels, but come tomorrow they're all going to be a thing of the past - and I'm pretty happy about that. It'll be back to normal and in reality no different than any other day. 

There you have it world, that's me at thirty. It's time to go and eat some cake!

Until next time!

Saturday Stuff

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It's Saturday! Oh lovely, glorious, Saturday! And it's a beautiful day! It's sunny! It's warm! The sky is blue! The grass is green! And I'm having a birthday party at a bar that has wood fired pizza and arcade games! I won't mention how old I'm turning because there's only about 5 people who read this blog and you already know and there's no need for me to utter that terrifying number. Ugh, this is going downhill ...

... let's get back to Saturday. It's the best day of the week, one made for fresh goals and long boozy brunches. I can't wait for today!

Here's a few things I found while simultaneously watching friends and playing Two Dots on my phone. Enjoy them and enjoy this day!

Sometimes cooking and baking can be overwhelming. I'm a gadget gal, but there are times when I really appreciate just taking it back to basics and understanding how simple staples work for all cookery jobs - this helps. A lot.

This rainbow power salad is so colourful and so flavourful looking that I'm practically wiping the drool off my keyboard.

You know I love me a good cocktail, especially when they start to get creative!

When we were in Cuba over New Year's there was a night at the buffet that featured bananas foster. Our pal Steve went bonkers for them, something tells me he's going to appreciate this french toast as well.

But have you seen the pocket shark!?

When I'm about to explore a new city I'm always on the look for a good city guide, and I often turn to these from Design*Sponge first.

Have you heard? Denmark and Copenhagen are hella expensive places to visit. Undoubtedly worth it, but we're going to have to watch the budget pretty tightly on this one I think. Luckily smorrebrod exists and I'll be eating them all.

Have a great weekend!