Peachy Blueberry Chia Seed Popsicles

For the last couple months, we’ve been planning out our summer road trip around Saskatchewan and Alberta. Now after weeks of last minute change of plans and “where did that reservation email go?” discussions, we’re finally on our way to the airport! Wheee!

If you’ve read my blog, you’ll probably notice that August tends to be our “on the go” month. We were married in August, we bought and moved into our condo the following August and then a few weeks later, we flew to Manchester for a wedding and then traveled to Paris. Basically, it’s almost become a running gag that we save the majority of our vacation days until the end of summer.

Trail Mix Banana Muffins

It’s been pretty quiet here on the baking front. Even though we have air conditioning, our desire to eat anything flour or sugar-based has reached an all-time low. But if you shift through my archives, you’ll notice that this happens every summer. With the weather being as nice as it is, I tend to spend less time in the kitchen and more time outside. It’s not a bad thing, but I like to acknowledge it because the summer season is so short and we need to all get outside and enjoy it while it’s still here. Pretty soon we’ll be swapping our iced coffees for pumpkin spiced lattes and pulling our boots and winter coats out of storage. Ugh.

Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies

A couple days ago my office held a charity bake sale. I love bake sales because it gives me a chance to go crazy and bake something fun while at the same time give it all away. Plus, for very obvious reasons they are one of my favourite work events. It brings everyone in the building together and it creates a sense of community while raising money for a great cause.

However, I’ve been known to get a little carried away when baking for others, so in order to have fun and maintain my sanity, there are a few things I have to keep in mind when baking something for work:

Raspberry Coconut Milk Ice Cream

For the last week, we’ve been cat-sitting for one of Trevor’s co-workers while she’s out of the country. Besides slowly morphing into cat people, we’ve also become aware of all the loud and not-so-loud noises in our condo. People passing by in the hallway, the TV when we watch our favourite shows, and recently, the ice cream maker. These are not sounds we would notice on a day to day basis, but now that we have a cat around, every little creak is like space shuttle launch in the living room.

Luckily our new feline friend has been warming up to us and his new surroundings. By the time I pulled out the ice cream maker yesterday, he was already chilling with Trevor on the couch and didn’t bat an eye when I turned it on. This was a far-cry from our first night together when he would run every time he saw one of us and then spent the night in the bathtub. Now when we come home from work, he’ll be at the entrance to greet us and has claimed his own spot on our bed. Trevor and I will definitely be going through a transition period when he goes home to his owner in a few days.

Cookie Butter Rice Krispies Squares

As a food blogger, it’s pretty funny how dependent I am on the weather. Not only do I try to take my photos on days where the weather is nice (hello natural light!), but the heat, rain, and levels of humidity all have a weird impact on what I feel like making and eating. For example, I’m less likely to make something heavy, like a cake or batch of cookies, when the sun is shining and an extra layer of sunscreen is a must. I’m also less inclined to turn on our oven, even though we pretty much always have our air-conditioning running whenever we’re home.