Day 12: Things I Love About My Hometown

1) Free Concerts. Summer 2012 included Carly Rae Jepsen and Hanson (yes, that Hanson!!).

2) Awesome Saturday Farmer's Market (and Wednesday Market too!).

Outside in the summer :-)

3) Our Zoo. A great free attraction!

4) Our restaurants. Honestly. We have some of the best.

Gerti's has the best fries. The best.

Delicious feta hot pepper dip at Favourite Greek.

Jeff Purvey's. The best fish I have ever had. Fact.

5) Poutine. And this link only shows half of their creations. They recently updated their menu. Ohhhh dear.

And their dessert poutine. Ohhh wow. *Drool*

6) Our downtown shops, we really do have a great selection!

2 gems: Naked Chocolate & S.O.S

7) Nature! We are surrounded by it here in the Kawarthas and Jackson's Park is a good place to start!

8) We have Starbucks. Three, actually. 

9) Our annual Breast Cancer Dragon Boat Races. 

10) This sign: 

No, really. How amazing is this?!

 



And what do you love about YOUR hometown? Or your current town?

Day 10: A Favourite Tradition

I'm not one for routine, but I do appreciate the importance of traditions. They give you something solid to look forward to, and who doesn't appreciate that? There are some things that happen daily, weekly, monthly or annually for myself. Whatever it is, big or small, it's a piece of happiness that I know I can count on no matter what else is happening in my life. 

In my personal opinion, the weekly traditions are the best. I feel like they keep me grounded more so than anything I could do daily (becomes habitual) or annually (headache-inducing deal once a year).

My (current) favourite weekday for traditions happens on Saturday, AKA 'Starbucks Saturday'. Aside from the obvious consumption of Starbucks, we also make sure to visit the year-round farmer's market to grab some pierogi and mini donuts, along with anything else we may need (we really do try to shop local!). 

In the summertime, almost every Saturday night includes a wander downtown to the Little Lake MusicFest and ends with a bonfire, whether we are in the city or the country. Sadly, nothing much happens during the winters on a Saturday night. I think I will do something to change this fact! Friends? Ideas?

My latest Starbucks Saturday: Raspberry Java Chip Frappuccino. Just try it, once. Trust me. 

What's something you look forward to that helps bring you back to ?

Day 03: Something I Ate Today

I remembered to take photos of what I ate throughout the day yesterday, but I completely forgot to post about it. Oops :-S 

So, without further delay, I present to you Something I Ate Today (which was really yesterday): 

Pierogi from A Taste of Russia at the local farmers market. They're a Saturday staple in our home.

Fresh mini-donuts (topped with cinnamon sugar and icing sugar), also from the Farmer's Market.

Ginormous Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. No really. It was MASSIVE. 

Okay... I know that I shared more than one thing, but these are all too good not to share! Seriously! 


What was something you ate today?  

Some DIY and Local Awesome

A bit of local awesome:

I was somewhat traumatized a handful of years ago, when I experienced my first spa-manicure. I won't bore you with the details, but it ended with a (probably) life long painful ugly mess of a non-growing cuticle. I swore I'd never do a mani (or pedi, not that I'd ever had one) at a spa, ever again... until today. 

For my most recent birthday, I was given a voucher for a mini-spa adventure which included a mani, pedi, facial and arm/hand massage. A girl can't say "no" to some pampering, especially not a girl who's on a mission to explore her hometown while creating herself. I'm glad that I was given the opportunity to get over my dis-taste for spas because this experience was a world away from my last. The owner, Emily, was a gem. She made me feel totally relaxed and at home. I will be back! She doesn't have a website, so I snapped a quick picture of her brochure:

Beautiful, relaxing view

A few fun cleaning tips, inspired by Pinterest:

1) Drain cleaner made from baking soda, white vinegar and boiling water. So simple and it worked like a charm! I used it in the bathtub drain which was definitely getting clogged up with a lot of hair, especially after giving a couple of felines a bath or two recently. It really couldn't have been much easier!

2) Jewelry cleaner made using dish soap, salt, baking soda, hot water and a piece of tin foil. Again, so simple and incredibly effective. I was shocked at how sparkly an old family ring came out - I've never seen the diamonds so sparkly! Be sure to read through the comments on the post as well, there are more helpful tips there.

So easy!

3) Microfiber couch cleaner using rubbing alcohol in a spray-bottle, a sponge and a bristly-brush. Our light-tan microfiber couch gets a lot of abuse (I really need a bib when I eat/drink anything) and has consequently seen much better days. We were honestly starting to consider tossing this one in the basement apartment and replacing it with something of another material. Well, I don't think that any of that will need to happen because the two small test-spots that I have used appear to be turning out gorgeously and I can't wait to get started on the rest! I will try to remember to post before and after photos when I do.

And that's about all that I have to report for the day. I plan to spend the next two days devouring my camera guides and hopefully starting on a photography project to get me practicing. Stay tuned!

Hello, Friday!

I failed at posting yesterday. I had every intention of writing and even almost got back out of bed at 1am to do so, but I decided that sleep was a better option - I figure you'll forgive me. I did start my day off being productive, but by mid-afternoon I had the worst random headache I think I've ever had (I very rarely get headaches outside of the typical sinus headaches during allergy season). It knocked me right out of commission. I feel for people who get them on the regular. Honest. I would smash my head open with a hammer to relieve the pressure if it were me. At any rate, staring at a computer screen was not an option for the rest of the day/evening. 

But I was still a bit productive before that:

1) I found a wonderful website on cat nutrition that is very informative, and I know it will be a great tool for when I make the transition from commercially produced cat food to a raw diet prepared by myself. Her FAQ section is incredibly extensive, and she even provides a letter both from you to your veterinarian and vice-versa.

2) I have officially convinced my taste buds that coffee is still delicious without my beloved flavoured non-dairy creamers. They really are a guilty pleasure of mine, but there's nothing healthy about them. We only buy flavoured coffee anyway so really, do I need the extra flavour? As I have learned, that's a negative. Which is awesome, because I typically consume the contents of a full 4-cup french press every morning. One win for being healthier! 

3) Mike purchased a couple of kettlebells a few weeks ago, one for himself and one for me. Neither of us have the first clue how to properly use them, but we knew they were highly beneficial judging by their recent rise to fame amongst our fitness guru friends. Yesterday, I spent some time searching through YouTube videos for some reliable instructions so that we could finally put them to use. After finding a few great videos, I tried out the kettlebell swing which seems to be a great starting point for beginners. I heard that they were great for cardio, but wow - they really get your heart pumping! I think I'm officially addicted. Another win for being healthier! 

Can you guess which one is mine? Teehee!

4) I supported the local economy and spent quality time with my mom all at the same time by enjoying a delicious lunch at one of my favourite restaurants, The Favourite Greek. I'm sure that I've written about them already but I don't care. They are that good.

*Bonus points: I decided to make the 15-minute walk to the restaurant instead of have my mom pick me up as was the original plan. More wins for health! 

Greek salad and Meze: spanakopita & various dips with pita. YUM.

5) When my headache finally started to subside late last night, we decided to watch the movie Hick. We'd never heard of it, but it caught our attention because Blake Lively is one of the stars, and we do love us some Blake Lively. And honestly, anything to help me with my Gossip Girl withdrawals is good by me.

The movie itself was definitely a bit strange and I'm not convinced that it was a perfect fit for Blake, but the girl who played main character Luli was truly amazing. Everyone: keep your eyes open for Chloe Grace Moretz, a 15-year old actress who already had a pretty credible resume that is only going to grow. Watch for her starring role as the title character in the remake of the Stephen King's Carrie, currently filming and due to be released in 2013. I know I'll be making a solid effort to watch her work!  

I guess that's about it for my Thursday. Today will definitely be a bit more productive, especially now that I've received my guides for our DSLR:

I wonder which one I'll enjoy more?

Hootenannys and Dinosaurs

There were approximate 12 trillion things happening in Peterborough over the weekend. 

Honest. 

I have a hard time deciding what to do when there are very few options, so when I am thrown options such as Hootenannys, exhibitions and concerts, it gets a bit overwhelming. My solution? Pour a vodka and go with the flow. Here is the resulting 'flow':

1) Vodka-Friday-turned-prostar-dinner, created by myself and two of my favourites: 

Kebabs, pre-grill. So colourful and so yum! Yes, this is the only decent-ish photo a got. Fail.

2) In honour of National S'mores Day, I made this: 

PB & J s'more: Jumbo strawberry marshmallow & peanut butter M&Ms on graham crackers, baked in toaster oven at about 300 for 3-4 minutes (watch for marshmallow to puff up and chocolates to go glossy.

3) Johnny's Eh's pulled pork & cheese sauce on a hotdog at Hootenanny on Hunter: 

I will eat pulled pork on anything. Even a hotdog with cheese sauce, both of which I despise. I have issues...

4) Delicious little box of Naked Chocolate: 

 

Right beside an awesome shoe store, S.O.S

Nope, no pictures of the chocolates. Oops.

5) A wicked awesome dinner at a favourite spot of ours, The Favourite Greek. They have amazing feta and hot pepper dip which is especially delicious when mixed with their tzatziki, which then in turn makes a great dip for either warm pitas or any of their souvlaki. Which is also very delicious. All of it. We eat here a lot :-|   Super tasty chicken gyros too... okay... stopping. But go here! Seriously!

6) 2 (so far) failed attempts at a Pinterest DIY project. I am determined to master this one, because it's just way too awesome. 

7) Premiering this fall: Animal Practice, an animal hospital comedy in the style of the one and only medical dramady of House, only with Justin Kirk of Weeds fame (Uncle Andy) as the main character. We stumbled across this gem on Sunday, After watching the closing ceremonies of Olympia 30. Seriously, I think it's going to be an Awesomely hilarious show, check it out! 

8) Lunch at another favourite restaurant of ours, All Star Wings in Vaughan:

Caesar Does Texas wings - our favourite flavour so far

Greek Fries - an absolute must at All Stars

9) A short-but-sweet visit to Canada's Wonderland. We managed to see their new Dinosaurs Alive! exhibit and ride on one coaster before a giant dark cloud moved in and rained us out:

T-Rex & Triceratops - dinosaur classics

They've discovered so many dinos since I was a kid!

And now, I must go attempt to master the DIY I posted... wish me luck!

Reuben Love

I'd like to think that you can judge how good a sandwich shop is by the level of Awesome in their Reuben. You may agree, you may disagree. No matter what it is to you, in my world that's the straight-up truth.

"What in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks made you want to talk about sandwiches?"

Simple: 2 hungry people, 1 local sandwich shop. Mike had tried this newer-ish deli out a few weeks ago with some friends while I was off on my road trip and insisted that I try it soon, so when we realized that it was well into lunch time and we hadn't yet eaten any food today (I may or may not have filled up on coffee), he suggested venturing to Sam's Place. 

See what others are saying about Sam's Place!

Mike ordered himself a California Club with a side of potato salad and his traditional beverage, Dr. Pepper. I had to steal a few bites of the potato salad because it's one of my favourite foods and, surprisingly, so few people can make it delicious for my mouth. Well, they have a winner. 

Super-delicious potato salad. Sorry 'bout the fork - I was dodging the hungry man eating his sandwich.

 

California Club - Avocado, Turkey, Mayo, Cheddar, Bell Peppers, Red Onion, Lettuce & Tomato on Marble Rye, served cold.

 I, of course, ordered the Reuben. I'm ashamed to say it, but I was so hungry and the sandwich was so good that I honestly completely forgot to take a picture of my sandwich until my last bite. But no worries my fellow foodies - I will be going back to have another so I will be sure to add a photo when I do! I would easily give it a 10/10, yes indeed I would. The only complaint that anyone may possibly have is that it's not a mile-high Reuben, which some people swear is the only way to eat them. I disagree with that, and think that it should be the perfect blend of all of the flavours. And, my friends, it was. Ohhhh was it ever. And for that reason, 10/10 it is.

While we are on the topic of Reubens, I should probably toss you this gem, a whole website dedicated to the most amazing burger recipes including "The Brooklyn" (page 24, "The Inaugural 30") which is probably the greatest burger/sandwich creation of all time. I sh*t you not. Yes, we did make The Brooklyn. Yes, it was even more amazing than it sounds.

*Our variation: We used President's Choice Prime Rib frozen burgers (I know - cheating, but they're SO GOOD) and they were probably sprinkled with some seasoning salt and slathered with one kind of BBQ sauce or another. The Swiss Cheese was just whatever our grocery store had, and we used marble rye instead of dark because someone around here really loves fun-looking things. Including bread. Next time, I'd make it with fresh bacon burgers because bacon should always be included. Always. 

In conclusion: if you're in Peterborough or will be visiting any time in the near-ish future, you have to check out Sam's Place. You won't be disappointed. And if you're not ever around here, you had better make The Brooklyn. Or you could just do both. I vote both.

If your love for a good Reuben matches mine, leave a comment sharing where you had the best Reuben and what made it so Awesome!

In a Nutshell

Well,  I haven't posted since Monday, but I've just been so busy... you know.... living my life and being all awesome and stuff. It's time consuming, just for the record. Anyway, if you'd like to see what I've been up to this week, read on:

1) I was reminded yesterday how much I love swimming. I spent some time swimming and floating my troubles away at a super-elite swimming hole, complete with waterfalls, "jacuzzis" and a lazy river. No, I'm not telling you where it is ;-) 

But I will give you a tiny peek. So pretty, no?

2) I'm actually kind of mad at the central air right now. I've been outside enjoying the heat for the last few days, feeling it go from sweltering to super-relaxing as the sun got lower in the sky, so the central air was a giant slap in the face when I got home from Paradise last night. So sue me.

3) I became friends with the chipmunk from last week. Now he needs a name other than "Chippy". Suggestions?

Great success!

Billy Goat chipmunk

  

4) Discovered: great patio with amazing food, right downtown Campbellford. If you've never been to Capers, you HAVE to go. The first server who saw us was probably a witch or something because she was miserable and made no effort to hide it, basically calling us morons for wanting to sit on the patio in "this heat" and then ignored us when we sat outside anyway. However, our second server was amazing, so friendly and chatty and attentive despite being busy. I wish I got their names but I failed at that. First server = older curmudgeonly Mormon-looking woman, second server = young and bubbly and cute. That's all I've got, good luck. But seriously, don't let my witch-talk get in the way of your taste buds.

You. Must. Go. Here.

5) This summer, my mom and I are taking a road trip through the North-Eastern States. Major points on our route are: 

• Burlington, VT
• Portland (with a side-trip to Rockland), ME
• Boston, MA 
• NYC 
• Possibly Watertown, NY at the end, if needed

After asking everyone for some tips on where to go and what to do in these cities, one of my friends (who lives in Maine) sent me THE greatest tour-guide email, full of great tips on where to eat and what to see and do while visiting her state.  Having locals give you their insider information is genius. Just sayin'. If her tips play out favourably, I will let you know!

6) When you light cattails on fire, they smoke. If you wave smokey cattails around while being assaulted by various asshole flies, said flies piss right off. Although, I don't recommend going and setting any fires just because I said something on fire was cool, because I'm not taking responsibility for anyone starting forest fires or some shit. 

Bye bye buggies

Yup, I think that's about the extent of my week. Until next time! 

Hello again, Monday!

Happy Monday! 

To save you from my usual babble, I will summarize my weekend with a short-but-awesome list of what my weekend looked like:

1) We went for a midnight stroll on Thursday night to grab some Whistle Stop dessert poutine. Yum.

Strawberry Dream Poutine

2) I was able to use up a few more of our absurd amount of too-ripe bananas by making these muffins. I used 1/2 cup of white sugar & 1/4 cup of brown sugar instead of the full 3/4 cups of white sugar, and I added about a teaspoon of vanilla to the banana mixture. Next time, I'd replace even more of the white sugar with brown (I'm a bit obsessed with brown sugar), but these were still very very delicious!

Mmm Banana Crumb Muffins

3) I spent Friday night having Vodka Friday with the girls, however I decided to drink pretty much everything BUT vodka, and ended up with a Hangover of Death all day Saturday. No, I do not have photographic evidence of this one.

4) Despite my liver trying to kill me all day Saturday, I was able to acquire two new pieces of art for our walls, created by the ridiculously talented Ashley Wilson.

So much going on in this one!

I have wanted this one since I first saw it. The colours!

5) Hangover of Death finally (mostly) subsided by Saturday night, so we went to a late screening of the newest Happy Madison film, That's My Boy. As usual, Adam Sandler knows how to cause side-splitting laughter. Hilarious movie with a great cast, which happens to include Blair Waldorf Leighton Meester to help me out with summertime Gossip Girl withdraw...

6) I decided to have craft time, so I went on Pinterest and decided to make these Father's Day cards. Super-easy for anyone who may be craft-challenged!

Aaaaand that just about sums up my weekend. How was yours? What did you do to amuse yourself in this heat? 

Crayfish & Bucket Lists

My week has been amazing for far and it isn't even Friday yet.

So there. 

It all started with a cottage adventure on Monday night with a few good friends for a mini-birthday party. We wore flower leis, danced to 90's music, and drank a few too many. We made s'mores with giant marshmallows and Reese peanut butter cups, and lit a ridiculous amount of citronella candles to keep away the mosquitoes (it worked). Then things get a little fuzzy...

Lots and lots of fire oooooo

... I woke up the next morning, after having passed out (1st to pass out apparently) with my lei still around my neck and my drink beside me on the night stand. My big bottle of vodka was almost empty and there was a paper bag on a roosters head, which I'm certain ties in with the video that I discovered on my phone of one of my girlfriends leading a discussion on male-roosters and their human body-part name-sharers. I think it may have been a good night, judging by the aftermath.  Once everyone was up and moving, we went for breakfast and then for a drive to some waterfalls where we skipped rocks and played with crayfish.

Click on the picture to get a better view of "Pinchy"

 Back at the cottage, I found a chipmunk that I was determined to become friends with and tried to bribe him with peanuts. Chippies might actually be the cutest little creatures of life: 

GIMMETHENUTSWOMAN!!

Trying to lure him inside... shh!!

Eventually we had to head back to reality, and when I arrived there, I found a message from an old friend that contained a ridiculous picture of me from back in the good ole sailing days. 

Me at 16, doing what I loved most :-

I really was innocent at one point in my life (although this picture probably does not represent such a time).

Since we were headed to Canada's Wonderland the next day, and Mike had to work in Barrie disgustingly early in the morning, we decided at the last minute to head up that way for the night. We didn't end up checking into the hotel until 11pm, but it was worth the extra sleep-time that I knew I was gunna need for dominating an amusement the following day. 

And dominate I did.

After Mike finished work, we checked out of the hotel and made our way to Wonderland to celebrate another birthday. Being mid-week during the school year, the park wasn't overly busy. The longest line that we waited in was 20 minutes, and that was for the brand new roller coaster Leviathan. We took advantage of the short lines and rode as many rides as we could, including a water-ride (which soaked us). And the best part of my day was when I got to cross something off my bucket list: I finally found enough people to tackle the Xtreme Skyflyer with me. It. Was. AWESOME. I'm officially going to take on as many of them as I can. And you should too!

Waiting in our "x-ray gear" to be hauled up 170ft and dropped to the ground at over 100kms/hr.

All in all, it was a busy and excellent few days, and the next few are sure to be just as good. 

Today, I am on a mission to find a fun DIY project to start.... any suggestions?