Sunday Sweets: O Canada

Haul out the toques, maple syrup and throw as many "ehs" into sentences we can! It's Canada Day! Every year we head to Kitimat to take in the festivities since it's the best Canada Day party in the northwest! They have the parade, the international food fair, all the activities happening at Riverlodge, entertainment and the night wraps up with fireworks...which we'll of course have to miss this year. And, it's also one of the biggest social events of the year. If there's someone you haven't seen in ages, you're bound to run into them! Walk a few feet..."Oh heyyy! How have you been?? Haven't seen you in ages!!" Walk another few feet..."Oh heyy! How have you been?? Haven't seen you in in ages!!" Walk another few feet...you get the picture! Our weather has been so miserable, rainy and cold. Zero summer so far. But, when does miserable weather ever stop us? I guess if it did, we wouldn't live here (we just stay to keep complaining about it! Ha!) So Little Miss was put into her "Canadian Cutie" t-shirt (can't quite see it in the photos I took), flags were attached to her stroller and we were off! With all of the hub bub of development going on in the area, we figured the parade was going to be quite long. It was. One of the largest parades in years! I grew up in Kitimat, so it was nice to go down for the day, see some familiar faces and partake in one of our favorite events of the year!

Lately, I've been seeing over the top flavour combinations all over Pinterest like crazy! Peanut butter cup, cookie dough, oreo cupcakes. Peanut butter, pretzel brownies. Chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake bars. Just to name a few. So I thought I would partake in some of this madness to celebrate our nation's birthday....something red and white? Add a little richness. A dash huge amount of deliciousness. Et voila! Happy Birthday, Canada!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Brownies:

1/2 cup butter
1cup sugar
1tsp vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder
pinch of salt

2-3 tsp red food colouring (gel)

1 tsp white vinegar

2 eggs

3/4 cup flour

Cheesecake:

8oz. cream cheese, softened (VERY important to be softened! I wasn't patient and it turned out lumpy!)

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/8 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8 pan.

Melt the butter. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the next six ingredients. Stir to combine. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs. Add to the mixture and stir. Fold in the flour, being careful to not over-mix.

 Reserve 1/4 cup of the mixture. Pour the remainder of the batter into the pan.

Beat the cream cheese until soft using a stand or hand mixer. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until combined. Spread the cream cheese mixture overtop of the brownie batter in the pan. Drop spoonfuls of the reserved brownie batter on top of the cream cheese. Using a toothpick or knife, drag it through the batter to create the swirls. (I was really rushing and ended up with more of marbled effect than swirls)

Bake for 30 minutes or until the cream cheese is set. Once done, place on a cooling rack and allow to completely cool before cutting. Serve. Enjoy!

I cut mine into 9, so they were a hefty size. I then individually wrapped them and threw them in the freezer. I of course ate one two before they made it in. Actually I think I'll go get one now...

Happy Canada Day!!

Little Miss is... 10 months old

Are you for real? My baby girl is 10 months already?! Where is the time going? When people tell you to enjoy every minute of it because it's going to go by so fast, you think yeah, I know it will. You hear it so many times over and over again that it just kind of becomes this thing that goes in one ear and out the other and it's like yeah, yeah, I know and you don't really quite believe it. But I'm telling you now....believe it! It's true! The time goes by so insanely fast and really, where do the days go? Not to sure, but now I have a 10 month old Little Miss!

Finally, first time in a swing at Ambleside Park while visiting Grammy and Grampy

Weeeeeee!

It's funny how when you're a first time mom you have all these big ideas of things you're going to get done and work on. What's really funny is how little time you actually have to get those done. When you finally do have a spare minute, you just want to sit there and do nothing. Be a mindless blob. At least that's how I felt! I started to write Little Miss emails each month. I think her last one was when she turned five months. I haven't even kept up with writing in her baby book. Isn't this only supposed to happen with your second or third child? Your first child is supposed to have every single moment, every milestone documented? Uh oh.... I think it's time to start writing down those milestones, likes and dislikes!

Planes, Ferries and Baby Showers

Just thought I would forewarn you, this is a very long post. We were away for nine days! Lots to cover!

We just got back from vacation visiting my parents and sister. We flew down and this wasn't Little Miss' first plane ride. For an almost 10 month old, she's already quite the seasoned traveler. Coming home would mark her eighth time being on a plane. Just like all the other times, she did wonderfully! I was a little unsure as this would be the first time since she's been mobile. She did get a bit restless as she just wanted to get down and about. That's where those wonderful things called Cheerios came into play. What would we ever do without Cheerios?! This trip however, would mark her first time going on the ferry! We took some time to go over and visit my sister and brother-in law in Victoria. She loved it! She was constantly pointing out the window and when I took her outside she was so fascinated by the water. Most of all though, it was the people. She is such a people watcher. And kids! If there's a kid in the crowd, Little Miss will find them, most definitely.

D took it with his phone from inside the ferry so it looks like there's white smudges on Little Miss!

Again, smudges on the window. I don't wear dirty pants!

The weather wasn't all that great, but for the most important days (2 of 9) it was gorgeous. The first of those gorgeous days, we took Little Miss to the Vancouver Aquarium. Was that ever fun!! I couldn't even remember the last time I had been. Maybe when I was maybe 6 or 7? It sure has changed from what I could remember. Little miss would just stare at the tanks of the fish, but as soon as she saw a kid. That's all she wanted to look at - and there were lots! It was a great experience and I definitely recommend taking your family - Even better if you can find a coupon or discounts to go. We lucked out with a bogo coupon from our car rental! There was also a $2 off on the back of our ferry receipt, but we had already been. The highlight for me was definitely the new penguin exhibit. Little Miss loved looking at them through the glass. There was one who was quite smitten with her as well!

Summer!

Yes! It's officially here!! Oh how I love summer! Yes, I do say that Fall is my favorite season, but it's only because my most favorite day is a crisp fall day with a clear sky and the sun shining. However, it's probably only by a percentile that it takes that title...Summer, how I love thee!!!

D's been driving my car. I had to switch to automatic from my standard, because of my foot...it was making my plantar fasciitis worse. Saturday, because we were having a garage sale and I've been trying to sell my car, we decided to keep it in the driveway on display at the sale, so he took his car to work. Well we've had some problems with it...it is afterall, very close to the 200 thou km mark....So when he got home Saturday, something else happened. I said of course. When you take it to work, something happens. I could have it for however long and nothing. So to make a long story short, lol, it has forced me to finally bike to work. I figure, today is the 2nd day of summer, it's about time!

When we lived in our other house, I had biked to work a few times and loved it. We lived on the southside and so I took the new bridge. Since we've moved to the Horseshoe, I have been putting off doing the ride. I would have to cross the old bridge....AIYEE!! I also wasn't sure about time either. It kinda seemed like it might take much longer. So, this morning, I finally took the plunge! And it worked out to be about the same timing...

I DID IT!!!

It was oh so painless as well! And the great thing I'm thinking about, is the ride home. When I was going the other way, I had to battle the hill coming up from the old bridge. I'm going the other direction this time. I don't even think I really have any uphills.

Isn't it funny, how you get something in your head and you can put it off and put it off and put it off. It's that fear that holds us back...the fear of the unknown. You know, I can't think of any situation where my fear was holding me back and then when I actually faced it, it wasn't even as close to being bad at all. Oh the mental game of it all!!!

So I know for our challenge, we were supposed to do something that took us out of our comfort zone, like every day. Well, this is what I wanted my challenge to be for me...and I finally did it! The final day. Better late than never.

I did it!!!

Oh, I also pool jogged in my pool yesterday...I had been wanting to do that, and I finally did.

Summer, how I love thee!!!!!!