Date night!

Grandma is in town for a visit this weekend, so the hubby and I may get to sneak out for dinner and a movie (we really need to find a babysitter!). Last time we went out on a date we went to see this movie and it was so good! I was excited to see Suburbicon, but it is getting horrible reviews!

We don't know what to go see. Wonderstruck looks a little twee. The Square looks a little weird. Maybe the Bill Nye: Science Guy documentary? Why can't they make good movies?!???

Any good recommendations?

XOXO

(Photo from a past date night at Cartel a great restaurant in Mile End that just closed down. Boo!)

Apple Streusel Breakfast Bars

Continuing on my quest to use up all the apples in our house, I tried my hand at making some breakfast bars. I thought these would be great for mornings I'm running late and need to get both my son and myself fed quickly and out the door. I've never made breakfast bars before and these were really tasty—but awfully sweet. I would cut the amount sugar in the bar by half. They were definitely a nice occasional treat for breakfast here and there, but are too sweet to become an everyday staple around here. The original recipe I adapted these from has a raspberry filling, and maybe the tartness of the berries would be a better pairing with the sweetness of the bar. The recipe is beyond easy, you basically chuck everything into the food processor and call it a day, so I think it might be worth experimenting to get them right.


Apple Streusel Breakfast Bars

Ingredients

For the filling:

8 apples

Splash of lemon juice

Pinch or so of cinnamon, to taste

1 tablespoon sugar

For the crust and crumb:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (I think 1/2 cup would be better)
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

Method

Peel and cut the apples. Add the apples, lemon juice, and sugar to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Let apples cook down and reduce. Add more sugar if necessary, and cinnamon to taste. Set aside and let cool.

In the meantime, make the crust and crumb.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass or baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.

Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until combined. Add the butter and pulse until loose crumbs form.

Reserve 1 1/2 - 2 cups of the mixture and set aside. Pour the remaining mixture into the prepared pan and use your hands (or the back of a large wooden spoon) to push the crust into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. The crust should touch the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool.

Assemble and bake the bars: Spread the apple filling evenly on top of the cooled crust. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly on top of the filling.

Bake for 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble around the edges.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cut into bars and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days, or they freeze well.

Recipe adapted from the Smitten Kitchen.

XOXO

Leaf Peeping

We never made it down to Lake Placid a couple weeks ago, but if we did get a chance to go leaf peeping in the country, this is what I would wear...

A cozy cropped turtleneck (I have this in another colour and it is made out of the softest, coziest fabric).

A pair of high rise skinny jeans to tuck into warm boots and socks (I also have these jeans and they are the comfiest skinnies I have ever owned).

A warm wool scarf to stay toasty.

The aforementioned warm wooly socks.

Waterproof boots for stomping through the forest to collect a few leaves.

Happy Monday!

XOXO

Weekend Links

Even though it was a short week this week, it sure didn't feel like it. We never made it to Lake Placid last weekend—our little munchkin got sick, so we've spent the last week cuddling and nursing him back to health. Hopefully this weekend goes more to plan. We're having friends over for brunch tomorrow and then hopefully getting caught up on some much needed sleep! Happy weekend and a few links from around the web...

Remember when I posted about quitting Facebook a couple of weeks ago? My hubby sent me this article this week and it has me rethinking how much I use my smartphone.

Have you been following the Harvey Weinstein scandal? I'm glad he is going down for his terrible behaviour. I just once wish someone would be honest and say "I knew about his behaviour, but because he was so powerful, and for the sake of my own career and ambition, I turned a blind eye and continued to work with him. Treating women like he did is part of the cost of doing business in our industry." Until we as a society own up to ignoring this behaviour, and start to truly believe women do not deserve to be treated as such, this type of toxic masculinity will not go away. I thought this article from The Toronto Star made a good point.

Well, this turned rather serious didn't it?

On a lighter note, I'm currently crushing on cropped wide leg pants. I don't know why—they don't fit my lifestyle at all. I think they look better with a bit of a heel and bare ankles, neither of which I can do (fall came to Montreal this week and it's chilly here!).

I don't know if it's cool to shop at The Body Shop anymore—when I was in elementary school there was nothing cooler than having one of those pots of neon lip goop from The Body Shop—but they were having a big sale so I stocked up on body butter for the winter. I love it and find it helps stave off dry itchy skin over the colder months.

I love lists of new books! I'm always on the hunt for something good to read.

Do you have a capsule wardrobe or participate in closet challenges? I don't, but it's sometimes fun to follow along on Instagram.

We haven't decided what to make yet for brunch this weekend. May our tried and true pancake recipe?

XOXO

A Week of Meals

I love reading weekly round-ups to see what people actually wear for a week, or what people cook for a week, so I thought I would do my own week of dinners. This is from the last week of September. It was smoking hot for most of the week—we were having unseasonably high temperatures, so many of the meals were planned around not having to turn on the oven.

Sunday - BBQ salmon (chicken for my meat-eating hubby), potatoes, and steamed green beans

Enjoying the last tastes of summer—garden fresh potatoes and green beans. One of my favourite, and easiest ways to BBQ salmon is to place it in a piece of tinfoil and smear it with dijon mustard.

Monday - This beet salad

One of our favourite hot weather meals. We bought honey goat cheese and it was a nice addition to the salad.

Tuesday - Jamie Oliver's pesto pasta

Another favourite that we haven't had in a while. This recipe is from Jamie Oliver's 15 Minute Meal cookbook, a cookbook we cook out of quite often. There is a grilled rosemary chicken that goes with this dish in the cookbook, but we decided to go vegetarian. A good way to use up the rest of our fresh beans from the market. The addition of the beans and the spinach make for a hearty pasta dish. (Sorry for the poor quality iPhone photo—I forgot to take a picture until I had already tucked into it!)

Wednesday - Vegetarian fried rice

This is one of my son's favourite meals (or should I say one of the only meals he will eat —picky toddlers amirite??). Stir fry lots of veggies—broccoli, red peppers, green onions, peas, carrots, add cold steamed rice and eggs. No soy sauce for the munchkin, but add some for the grown ups, and lots of hot sauce for me!

Thursday - Panini sandwiches and salad

Another easy weeknight dinner that doesn't require the oven. I load mine up with pesto, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and cheese. Grill up until the cheese is nice and melty. Serve with a side salad. Done like dinner.

Friday - Take out from Tacos Victor!

A tasty treat to end the week! I love the shrimp tacos from Tacos Victor. And yes they have french fries on them. And yes they are amazing!

Saturday - Thai chili bites

An easy recipe that my husband and I whip up when we aren't in the mood to do proper cooking. Shrimp for me (chicken for my hubby) coated in panko and stir fried with green onions and Thai chili sauce. Top with carrots and serve over steamed rice. Easy and delicious.

XOXO

Lake Placid Trip

Happy Thanksgiving! We're in Lake Placid enjoying a Thanksgiving long weekend break! Hopefully by the time you're reading this we are curled up by the outdoor fire drinking a cup of hot chocolate!

We've been down to Lake Placid a few times. It's a short (and very pretty) drive from Montreal (about 2 1/2 hours), there's the perfect place to stop for lunch along the way (the ADK Cafe in Keene), and once you get there it is absolutely stunning! The town is tucked into the Adirondacks, nestled along the lakeshore of its namesake Lake Placid. And at this time of year the fall foliage is so pretty!

There is lots to do in the area—hiking in the Adirondacks (beware the hikes are tough), Olympic tourism, including the Miracle on Ice rink, ski jump, and Olympic bobsled track (it is so rickety!!), skiing in the winter, and a quaint little tourist town to poke around. And there are lots of good restaurants, from pubs and casual spots, to cute little bistros to check out.

We like to stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites Lake Placid which has pretty lakeside views, comfy rooms, a nice indoor pool, and a great back deck with an outdoor fire pit. It's a really relaxing spot.

Here are a few pics from a past trip, if you want to see...

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

XOXO

Let's Talk About Scandal

The final season of Scandal starts tomorrow night, and I'm sort of excited? Scandal used to be one of my favourite shows—Kerry Washington is amazing as Olivia Pope, it's twisty-turvy plot lines make for engaging TV, and it tackles major issues, like abortion and racism, head-on.

But last season was just bonkers! It's been a little bit of a gong show for a few seasons, but last season the plot made no sense. I still don't really get who Peus and the Mystery Henchwoman were, and in the end it was Frankie Vargas's wife Luna behind his assassination and all of the shenanigans so she could seize power?!? And Olivia's mom was involved somehow? I can't even remember how it was all supposed to fit together. It was just crazy.

And I don't get how it was just supposed to be in the final couple episodes that Olivia's dark side started coming through. Olivia, and basically every character on that show, are terrible people. They gave up wearing the white hats in like season one I'm pretty sure.

With all that being said, I think I will tune into the final season to see how it all plays out.

Do you watch Scandal?

XOXO

Apple Muffins

With so many apples on our hands from our apple picking day trip, I've been trying to come up with creative ways to use them up. Apple crisp is always a favourite, but you can only eat so much of it. I've been trying out a few new recipes and stumbled upon a recipe for maple apple muffins. Whenever I make apple muffins I make apple streusel muffins, so it was good to try something new. They were definitely a hit with my son!


Maple Apple Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients

Muffins:
1 1/4 cups (310 mL) quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) Milk
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/3 cup (80 mL) sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) maple syrup
1 egg
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter, melted
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
2 cups (500 mL) apples, peeled or not and finely diced

Topping:
2 tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup

Method
Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Lightly butter nonstick muffin pans or line with paper liners.

In bowl, combine oats and milk; let stand for 5 min. In separate large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk sugar, maple syrup, egg, butter and vanilla extract into milk mixture. Pour over dry ingredients and sprinkle with apples. Stir just until moistened.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan. Bake for about 25 min or until tops are firm to the touch. Let cool in pan for 10 min. Transfer to rack.

Topping:
Brush warm muffin tops with maple syrup. Let cool completely.

Next time I would add a little cinnamon to the recipe. Otherwise, perfection!

Muffin recipe from Dairy Goodness.

XOXO