Rumtopf

While I'm busy making jams and pickles you can bet my cocktail obsessed husband is busy preserving fruit in booze. So far he's preserved mostly cherries (in either Maraschino, Metaxa, or Brandy) that will be used to garnish our cocktails. But this beauty was both of our handiwork.

Usually fruit preserved in alcohol takes on the flavour of the booze, while adding some fruit flavour to the alcohol, creating fruit that is deliciously intoxicating to snack on as well as some fabulously flavoured booze to sip on.  But in the case of Rumtopf the flavour is taken to the next level. We tasted a cherry that tasted like strawberries, rum, blueberries, and raspberries! It was so fantastic we can't wait to make many many more bottles.

Roasted Broccoli

For the last year or so I've been challenging myself to buy as much of my groceries locally as possible. In doing so I not only have a truer sense of the seasons here in Nova Scotia, but also a greater appreciation for my food. After suffering through a winter with fairly limited produce I promised myself I'd enjoy all that spring and summer have to offer by eating a wide variety of local produce. So what's a gal to do with produce she's not crazy about? Find a way to love it!

Broccoli is one of those things that just never stood out to me as an exciting delicious vegetable. I've always thought of it as the sort of thing mums snuck into their kids food, was usually overcooked, and often smothered in cheese to make it more appealing.
This broccoli dish however, really pleasantly surprised me. I actually bought more broccoli again today because I can't wait to make it again!

Watermelon Salad

This refreshing and beautiful salad was another winner plucked from the pages of Super Natural Everyday (what do you mean you still haven't checked out that book?).

Juicy watermelon, salty feta and olives have a party in your mouth with the help of mint, basil, and splash of lemon juice. 

I know what I'm having for a post-swim snack...

Cherry Tomato & Green Bean Salad

So simple yet so good. This is one of my favourite summer staple salads.

You really just can't go wrong with a recipe from Alice Waters.

Quinoa Patties

After waiting for what felt like months I finally got a call from my local library telling me it's finally my turn to borrow "Super Natural Everyday" by Heidi Swanson. I excitedly picked up the book on my way to renew my photo I.D.; a boring task that would surely go by quicker with a book. What I hadn't thought of however was that reading that book on an empty stomach when I'm 30 minutes away from my kitchen would end up feeling like a form of torture.
Kale salad with coconut? Millet Muffins?? Rice Salad with Cherries and Goat Cheese??? My stomach was growling with anticipation.
So you can imagine that as soon as I returned home (after a pit-stop at a bulk food store to pick up various grains for all these new recipes) I dove back into the book head first, this time while in my kitchen ready to play.

Patio Flowers

It's really the "little things" about summer that I love so much. Like drinking coffee in the warmth of the morning sun, eating fresh berries by the handful, or the good night sleep I always get after a late night lake swim.

Today it was making tiny floral arrangements with flowers from my tiny patio garden that gave me such a sense of pure summer joy.

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

I would not exactly call myself a cupcake fan. Mostly because they're usually too sweet, or too big, or full of artificial colours. Sure I ate a few Crave cupcakes while living in Calgary, and we served FRED/Whet cupcakes instead of cake at our wedding but those were exceptions to my cupcake disliking rule.
I think cupcakes are one of those things that became uber trendy years ago and everyone and their dog opened cupcake shops to sell the most tooth achingly sweet treats. To find a cupcake that not only has a moist crumbly cake that is full of flavour with real buttercream that isn't too sweet or full of bright fake colouring, is like searching for nirvana (ok maybe thats a bit of an exaggeration but you get my point, right?).

But these strawberry cupcakes are in a completely different league. They were great.
Despite how much butter and sugar is in the cakes and the buttercream, the strawberries managed to make everything taste so light and fresh. If you haven't done any baking yet with fresh local strawberries then you owe it to yourself to make these cupcakes. Your friends will love you for it, trust me.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

I am literally eating jam straight out of the jar with a spoon. I don't think I've ever done this before in my life but I just can't stop myself. I guess you could say my first attempt at jam was a sweet success.
Actually I'm not a fan of overly sugary jams and this one tastes pretty darn close to my personal version of jam heaven. I really think the salt and lemon juice are crucial and really enhance the flavour of the fruit.

If you've never tried making jam, what are you waiting for? It's surprisingly easy and quicker than I had imagined. Check out my favourite preserving book,  "The Beginners Guide to Preserving Food at Home" by Janet Chadwick and start canning!

Loose Floral T-shirt

I've been dreaming of a shirt like this for a while. Actually in my dreams it's been a super light weight knit shirt, like the one I found in Fresh Fashion Knits.
But until it's cool enough to wear a knit t-shirt I think I might make a few variations on this cute little t-shirt thanks to this very 80's Vogue pattern.

Recycled Skirt and Dress

Another round of recycled clothes from a thrift store! And this time I actually remembered to take before shots so you can really see what changes were made. Below is the original dress, before I chopped off the sleeves and hem length.

Strawberry Basil Iced Tea

Clearly I'm obsessed with strawberries right now. Ever since they made their appearance at my local farmers market I've been buying 2-5 pints a week. They top my morning granola, get baked into many crumbles, the lonely sad looking ones get juiced (which sometimes turn into popsicles!), and my husband has been muddling them into some spectacular cocktails.

Strawberry Shortcake

My love for strawberry shortcake seems to have grown with age. I don't really remember my mother making shortcakes as a child (correct me if I'm wrong, Mum) but I do remember friends families serving the dish with store bought spongey cakes, that to my eyes always resembled actual sponges a little too much. 

But these cakes are perfection. Topped with lightly sweetened cream and the freshest berries you could dream of, you won't be able to stop thinking about them. 

At least that's how it works in our house. I don't think I need to tell you who is currently baking off the leftover cakes to serve for breakfast this morning... 

Herbed Pasta Salad

This year on Canada day my husband and I did what we've done for the last few years; watch a lamb roast on a spit for hours in our friends backyard, and then eventually eat it. I brought a few dishes of yummy summer outdoor food with us to share and this salad was one of the stars of the show (next to the lamb of course) and I've been craving it ever since.