Trip to TBay

It's been a busy month of weddings and other related wedding events for my friends. The majority of them have been around town, but one of them was in Thunder Bay. The Mins was in tow for a Northern adventure!

As soon as we got off the plane, we picked up our rental car and drove to the Hoito to have their famous Finnish pancakes. This was my second time and the Mins' first. Our tummies were very, very, very satisfied.

We then checked out some of the shops nearby. This store in particular specializes in Marimekko products. I loved the colourful napkins! I had to show restraint and bought only two packs.

My friend's wedding was in the late afternoon / evening at Fort William. The Mins was pretty tired from the travelling, so he stayed back at the hotel.

The next day we visited the Terry Fox Memorial...

 ...which overlooked Sleeping Giant Provincial Park.

 We also checked out Kakabeka Falls (the sole reason I wanted to rent a car). I should have taken more photos of the surrounding area, because it reminded me a lot of the Group of Seven paintings.

 After a BBQ with friends, the Mins and I went to the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.

And before heading back to the airport, we picked up a dozen Persians (pastries). I purposefully packed light in order to bring these back for my co-workers. I didn't tell them in advance, so I was the hero in the office the next day!

Classic Bran Muffins

The Quatchis were muffin-spired! They wanted to bake a classic, and found a recipe with a healthier take. Hellooooooooo, bran muffins!

Bran Muffins

1-2/3 cups natural wheat bran

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

2 tbsp molasses

In medium bowl, stir together bran, flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder.

In large bowl, whisk together sugar, buttermilk, oil, egg and molasses until well blended. Add bran mixture. Stir just until moistened. Do not overmix.

Scoop batter into 10 to 12 muffin cups with paper liners. They should be about 3/4 full.

Bake in preheated 375 F oven 20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Makes 10 to 12.

Source: Toronto Star

Friendship Quilt

We truly have the greatest friends! Sophia from QuatchiFan2010 made us a beautiful quilt!

Life's been kinda blah (I've been working a lot lately), so this brightened up our day heaps!

Hanging Around

Mother nature can't make up her mind lately! It was hovering around zero today, without the crazy gusts of wind. I escaped the cold weather at the City of Craft - a fantastic craft show that takes place twice a year (I went for the first time last fall). I bought a whole bunch of stuff, including some screen printed cards, homemade soaps, and a bag from Bookhou. I hung up my bag when I got home. Later on, I found the Quatchis just hanging around. I guess they like my new purchase too!

Happy weekend!

Superb Strawberry Scones

It's been a while since we've made scones a mi casa. We think of them as a treat, given their high cream and butter content. Mini was eager to help out, as always with baking. He measured all of the ingredients to a tee!

Strawberry Scones

1 cup chopped strawberries

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons shredded (or cubed) cold butter

2/3 cup cold half-and-half (or cream or buttermilk)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place parchment paper on baking sheet. Set aside.

Combine sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add butter, using a pastry cutter or 2 knives. Stir in chopped strawberries, then add cream. Gently stir the dough until it holds together.

Turn dough on a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to incorporate the dry ingredients. Don't overwork the dough. If the dough gets sticky, sprinkle with flour. 

Press the dough into a circle 3/4 inch thick. Push strawberries into the dough if they peek out. Cut circle into 8 wedges, then transfer the wedges to the baking sheet, leaving at least 1/2 inch of space between them. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.

Source: Confessions of a Tart

Made with Love

I love hanging out at home in my pajama pants. Who doesn't, right? Now Q can too!

Q's pants are inspired by his favourite board game - Scrabble!

And they were made by his favourite person - my mum! She measured Q, made a pattern, and sewed everything by hand! Thanks, mum, for making Q's day!

Eat Yo Greens

These brussels sprouts from A-OK Foods were ahhhhhmazing!

Q was all smiles!

:]     :)     :D

Dear QuatchWatch Friends...

This is a long overdue THANK YOU to our QuatchWatch friends who have sent us mail over the past few weeks!

We appreciate your thoughtfulness and friendship!

Cheers!

Trip to Ikea

I've been in my condo for a good year now. I've made some small strides, but I still have a ways to go. Q joined me on an Ikea outing to get some inspiration. He's a great shopping buddy.

Q liked this media unit, but I think he liked the sasquatch-sized chair even more!

This rocker was quite comfortable, but the colour doesn't match with the living room colour scheme.

If Q could have it his way, he would have bunk beds for him and the Mins!

Q made some friends in the kids department. Their smiles are similar, don't ya think?

In the end, I only bought two picture frames. I wanted to get a media/storage unit, but it's been discontinued. Although I didn't buy much, I left with a lot of ideas. I think my to-do list has grown three times!

Larger than Life!

Like his best pal, Q, the Mins is quite the foodie. And lately, he's been into things that are larger than life! But I guess, many things are big for him considering his small size.

He's digging these lemon squares from our new Smitten Kitchen cookbook. I've tried them before, and failed miserably! He's encouraging me to try them again.

He was able to finish this Chocolate-Chocolate cookie with ease! This is another Momofuku Milk Bar recipe.

He also drank a latte as wide as him at Cafe 260. The drink was compliments of our friend, B, who gave us her Indie Coffee Passport. Thanks again, B!