Visit: Grand Bend, ON

Last weekend I had a great (although wet) time in Grand Bend, a small beach town on Lake Huron. Every Sunday they have a flea market that is huge and amazing. The shops downtown Grand Bend will make you think you are in a surf town on West Coast. I got a really unique Baja pullover from one of the stores downtown and some antlers from the flea market that I cannot wait to mount on my wall!

Watch: The Amazing Race Canada

Last night the second episode of The Amazing Race Canada aired on CTV and I am already hooked! I am excited to see the corners of Canada the show will take the contestants and the cultural elements that will be emphasized in each place. Yesterday, the contestants went from Kelowna, BC to Vancouver, BC where they stressfully explored China Town on their "Detour". My favourite contestants thus far are of course the infamous "Body Break" couple (Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod) and the hilarious best friends, Jet Black and Dave Schram. Next week the remaining 7 teams head to Calgary, Alberta!  

Yummy Veg Dinner

I have been watching a lot of Master Chef lately which has me wanting to poach eggs all the time. So, earlier this week when Toronto saw one of its biggest rain storms in a while, I decided to sauté some veggies and poach an egg on top. The result was a filling and delicious dinner!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup zucchini*

4 spears of asparagus*

1 cup kale*

1/2 cup broccoli*

1 egg

1 tbsp olive oil

Pinch of salt and pepper

*these are just approximations, you can cook up however much you want to eat or base quantity on how many people are eating (this recipe was just for me) 

Directions:

1. Cut your veg (other then the kale) into small bite sized pieces)

2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet on high and add all the veg but the kale mixing occasionally

3. Fill a small saucepan with water and let boil

4. Mix the kale with other veg and add a pinch of salt (turn down skillet if veg is getting too brown)

5. Poach egg (I have yet to master this but approximately 2 mins cracked in the boiling water should be good)

6. When your veg has a nice brown crust on it remove them from the heat and plate. Place the poached egg on top so when you break the yolk it spills all over the veg. Season with a little salt and pepper 

 

Visit: Brady Lake, ON

My family and I went to a cottage on Brady Lake this past weekend and had a really great time. Brady Lake is a small and quiet lake with lots of cottage rentals available. My family and I were lucky enough to have access to the platoon boat shown below (also shown, my sister struggling to get back in the boat after taking a swim). If you are looking for warm water, lush woods, and an overall great getaway from the city, I would look into renting a cottage on this lake! 

 

My Cottage Packing List

Cottage season is finally here and I couldn't be happier about it. If you are like me, when you drive up to a friend’s cottage for the weekend you are jammed in a car with little space for the amount of bodies and everyone's stuff. Packing light is essential for a variety of reasons when it comes to the cottage, not only for car space but to make your life a lot easier when you come home on Sunday night and unpack. Packing light is additionally important for me because I am usually racing around in the last 10 minutes throwing a bag for the weekend together. So after years of weekend cottaging here is my list of what I bring:

- Long pants*
- Shorts*
- 1 or 2 tank tops/tee shirts
- Underwear
- Bathing suit
- Towel
- 1 Thick pair of socks
- PJ's
- 1 Sweatshirt
- 1 flannel shirt (if I'm expecting cooler mornings and nights or lots of bugs)

*Wear one of these up to the cottage!

That's it. Nothing fancy, I am usually in my bathing suit with shorts all weekend and then switch into pants when the mosquitoes come out. I sometimes bring my running stuff as well if I am feeling motivated and also a blanket and pillow if the host has asked me to. Then when I come home I just throw everything into the wash so it's ready for the next weekend! Sometimes my friends get cute and pack a little sun dress but I prefer those for patios in the city. The cottage is a place to lounge all day on the dock and play cards all night on the porch! Some people also pack a pair of hiking boots but I like to spend the weekend in my bare feet (this may be why I get poison ivy every summer- but I never learn).

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Squares

I came up with these last night and they are amazing! Take your standard rice crispy square recipe and add a cup of chocolate chips and a cup of crunchy peanut butter while melting the marshmallows in your saucepan. Can't wait to share them at the cottage this weekend!

5 Ways to Achieve Beach Vibes

1. Start with a blank canvas- paint your walls white.

2. Raw wood furniture (no fancy stains).

3. Add pops of colour.

4. Include a few beach items for accents (one or two, do not go overboard here) like a shell, drift wood, a surf board, or a model boat.

5. Add a couple plants with nice big green leaves.

Hurray! You have successfully created a beachy room!