Summer days

I did try a recipe – peach cake with ginger cream cheese frosting – from All Cakes Considered but don’t have any photographic evidence to share as it was gobbled up by hungry BBQ guests. I thought it was good and Andrew thought it was very good so it will likely surface again at some point. It is a special someone’s birthday next week and he has requested that chocolate be involved so perhaps I will try a red velvet layer cake or a chocolate pound cake with fudge icing next. But only if I can stop myself from finally making these.

Outside of my kitchen, I enjoyed brunch with these lovely ladies this morning. I apparently didn’t get the memo about the preferred shirt-style but still had a good time.

So true

” I love cake. But I can do without it. What I’m hooked on, and what you’ll get hooked on, too, is basking in the joy of simply giving people something delicious to look forward to.”

Melissa Gray in “All Cakes Considered“

Seal

I’m taking a hiatus from canning this year and enjoying the act vicariously through the August image on my Nikki McClure calendar.

Produce panic

It’s that time of year when I start to feel jumpy knowing that the bounty of summer is coming to an end. This year it is exacerbated by the fact that we didn’t get to the farmer’s market very often and the few times we did most of the wares were picked over.

Luckily our neighbourhood markets are bursting with fresh produce so I picked a plump zucchini from the bin and made this divine galette.

I’m usually hesitant to make anything that involves a pastry crust as my dough turns out soggy on the bottom and burnt on the edges. But I forged ahead thinking my luck was bound to change and sure enough it did. The crust was oh-so buttery and flaky, and held up well under a generous layer of ricotta and zucchini.

Was this a fluke or have I defeated the pastry monkey on my back?

To dry for

It’s a good thing my Internet time has been severely limited since Nolan’s birth otherwise I’d be unable to resist the charms of these tea towels from to dry for.

Seeking normalcy

It may seem odd, but I have a newfound appreciation for weekends now that I’m not at work. When I hear Andrew’s key in the lock on Friday afternoon I feel an instant sense of relief knowing that there will be two of us to interpret Nolan’s needs and tend to them.  There are only so many hours of I can walk around the condo and neighbourhood streets narrating my actions to an infant before I start to go nutty.

Now that Nolan is approaching six weeks old, we’re also looking for ways to reclaim our “old life” or, more accurately, bits and  pieces of it. On Saturday, we packed up the stroller and walked to the farmer’s market at Trout Lake. Nolan was so well-behaved that we even dared to stop for lunch at a local cafe. Little Nest is an easy place for getting back into dining out but it still felt like an accomplishment for us: such is life these days. Next up: I attempt to read something other than a passage in a baby book.

What a difference a year makes

Last year on this day Andrew and I exchanged marriage vows and celebrated our union with family and friends into the wee hours. The year that followed has been a happy one and has passed in the blink of an eye.

Fast forward one year and I find myself with another Medd boy to love and cherish. Here are Nolan and I celebrating my first Mother’s Day. Nolan and his dad set the bar high for future Mother’s Days with a luxurious gift of a day at the spa (obviously for use at a future point in time.) Thanks boys! I also got a very cool necklace made from an “N” scrabble tile and a tomato plant from Kate and Drew. Will my track record with plants improve now that I have some real-life nurturing experience? Stay tuned to see if we can harvest some tomatoes this summer or if the plant goes the way of all the other greenery I have attempted to cultivate.

Bath time

Bathing Nolan is quite a process. It involves numerous towels, lotions, a bath tub of course and because our bathroom is pretty small, the kitchen table. Contrary to the photos below Nolan seems to generally enjoy his bath time.

A happy (and tired) family

Green Bouncy Chair

Sharon and Jen bought Nolan a great bouncy chair for Alyssa’s baby shower. It has turned out to be one of his favourite places to relax.