Two summers…actually, three summers ago (my sense of chronology is on permanent mom mode), I had an amazing ‘mobile’ herb garden that we planted and grew in a bunch of mismatched pots on our deck. When we moved in to our first home, our tiny garden was totally professionally landscaped and we didn’t dare touch it, so this little collection of herbs was our attempt to curate and craft something of our very own in the backyard. Because I am a terribly undomestic goddess, I mostly just admired the herbs from afar (my husband trained as a chef in his twenties, so he’s in charge of the kitchen), until one day I decided to get experimental and leverage my love of cocktails to create a truly beautiful and very simple recipe.
So you’re thinking about starting a family. And you’re trying to start a family. And trying. And trying. And you’re at the point where, if one more person tells you to “relax” so “it will just happen”, you might lose your S@#* completely.
You’re thinking about seeing a doctor, or you’ve seen one, or three. The idea of IVF has come up. Or maybe it’s come up for your sister, or your best friend. You have questions, but you have no one to ask. You’re scared it won’t work, you can’t afford it, that it’s going ‘too far’. You hate needles. You’ve begun to wonder if there’s a deeper, cosmic reason you can’t have a baby. There are countless reasons why it’s impossible to even try. And then you suddenly start to feel like you’re just done with it all.
Summer! The time of year that we take a dip in a clear, cool swimming pool and grill burgers and wild asparagus on fired-up barbecues. It’s also the optimal time to get the freshest ingredients to make refreshing summer cocktails! There are so many delicious options!
If you are planning a summer event and you want to treat your guests to more than basic beer and wine, a few signature drinks are cool and memorable. You’ll also keep the headache of in-the-moment prep to a minimum by choosing drinks that can be prepared ahead of time with multiple servings, have similar or complementary ingredients, and will work with a variety of appetizers. Set yourself up for entertaining success! For those who prefer small gatherings with a few close friends (or just you and a good book!) fruit-based summer drinks are still the perfect choice.
We are supposed to be working while balancing the shuttling of kids to and from camp or letting them be free and active in the yard. I’m not feeling the ‘easy breezy summer’ quite yet. I think it must indicate that I need a break – maybe a vacation for the first time in what feels like ages. (Or more Pokemon GO and fewer invoices deadlines!) Maybe some perfect fresh summer cocktails would help ease me into the guise of a vacay at least! I’ve got some delicious ideas to bring the feeling of vacation to your backyard.
Diala’s Kitchen is one of my favourite new food blog obsessions and after getting gluttonous on the (terrible, curse on whoever invented this) “Eat What You Want Day” with a bowl of popcorn to carry me through from breakfast to lunch, an inhaled curry pad thai for dinner, and half a huge bag of dark choc almonds to follow—let’s just say that I woke up this morning hungover, overcome with guilt, and looking to redeem myself.
Diala to the rescue with a dish that’s fresh, healthy, totally yummy, and makes me feel like I might not have to wear a T-shirt over my swimsuit during baby swimming lessons this summer.
There’s nothing quite like pleasing your whole family with a meal you made in about 3 minutes. As part of our new ‘taco Tuesday’ tradition I pulled out the slow cooker and created a healthy, bean-filled chili that cooked all day. Though you could use dry beans, we had cans on hand. Grated cheese, sour cream (the spice is in the taco kit), salsa and cilantro were all available so the kids could choose their own toppings for the mexican crockpot chili tacos.
It’s every parent’s biggest worry. Will they have so much fun at school they don’t want to come home? OK maybe not the BIGGEST, but it still ranks up there. Especially if your kids have some anxiety about leaving you or being in school, a developmentally-appropriate lunchbox note can go a long way. Before they are reading, familiar images or photographs can be great. I can’t wait to start sending Shakespeare verses once my boys get older… I’m sure they will be SO thrilled with that!!
The breastfeeding world can be noisy and overwhelming. Sometimes it’s exclusionary, especially for women who don’t exclusively breastfeed their babes straight from the breast. The way we choose to feed our babies is a personal decision. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Parents have to decide what will work best for their babies, their families, and themselves. It can be a challenging decision. That difficult choice can be made even more difficult by feeling ostracized or judged if the chosen feeding method isn’t what society has deemed is “best.”
What’s a toonie? Like canoeing, Gord Downie and striped blankets, it’s a quintessential symbol Canadian pride. Many of us take such a ‘small’ sum for granted. Individually they may slip under car mats and between sofa cushions, but gather a bunch of them together, and they can completely change lives. 1.1 MILLION lives. As parents, we get thoroughly annoyed when our littlerless lunches return home containing untouched food. Not only have we purchased and prepared these delicacies, but we know that learning is enhanced when tummies are full.
Do you enjoy cooking up fun? I love spending quality time in my kitchen, cooking, baking, adapting recipes and trying new things with my family. It makes my heart happy to put out delicious food for guests. I love entertaining and feeding my family -whether it’s experimenting with things like Chipotle Ketchup or making a family favourite recipe. I also love my Netflix. Here are some fun food related choices on Netflix that I thought you might enjoy: