Ahh the Weekend...

Well, I think might just be the luckiest girl in the world. What a weekend!
My Mom was in town and suggested we stop into Holy Grill for lunch after seeing it on You Gotta Eat Here. Never one to turn down their delicious sandwiches and beet chips, I happily said yes. As we were turning into the parking lot who did we see? Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lanaster from Game of Thrones) and Mitch Pillegi (Darby from Sons of Anarchy)!

This photo was taken shortly after circuit, hence the sweat dried hair and makeup-less face.

On Sunday, two of my girlfriends threw me the most incredible tea party wedding shower. It was so great to have so many of my favorite ladies in the same room.

Thank you, Brit and Lindsay!

Wreck City

This is so cool.

Wreck City:
WRECK CITY is a community-based art experiment transforming nine Sunnyside houses scheduled for demolition into temporary art, installation, and performance spaces. Organized by local Artists to commemorate 809 Gallery, Calgary's first garage-based art gallery (also scheduled for demolition) WRECK CITY features over 100 Artists, Musicians, Curators, and Performers! Perhaps the largest DIY exhibition of its type ever seen in Canada, participants are free to radically alter the architecture of the houses, re-shaping the homes using materials from the houses themselves and beginning a metamorphosis made possible only by the freedom of working with buildings soon to be destroyed. You're invited to witness the transformation!

Yes. That IS a slide coming out of that house! The houses are open until 11pm, but Saturday is the last day. Click here for more info.

Have a fun weekend!

Mom's Carrot Cake

You know how there are certain things that your Mom makes that no one can rival? My Mom's carrot cake is one of those things. My whole family has grown up on it and we still get excited every time she makes it. It's insanely moist, full of pineapple, and topped with cream cheese icing- which automatically makes everything more delicious.

Carrot Cake
1 1/2 c. oil
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
14 oz. crushed pineapple, drained
2 c. grated carrots

Preheat oven to 325.
Mix oil and sugar; add eggs and blend thoroughly. Stir in dry ingredients, pineapple, and carrots. Mix well. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 55 minutes. Allow to cool fully before icing.

Cream Cheese Icing
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. butter
2 tsps. vanilla
2 1/2-3 c. icing sugar
crushed pecans (optional)

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Mix in vanilla and icing sugar until smooth. Spread on cooled cake and top with pecans.

Shakey Graves

Just try not to tap your foot to this. I dare double dare you! ;)

The song starts at 1:46 if you don't want to watch the intro.


Have a good weekend!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Poached Eggs

This dinner came about due to sheer laziness. It was a Monday night, I didn't feel like going to the grocery store, and all I had in the fridge were brussels sprouts and eggs. Now it's one of my favorite meals.

Preheat your oven to 400. Cut brussels in half and toss with olive oil, pepper, and salt. Place in a pan or on a cookie sheet in a single layer and roast for about 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, poach your eggs. I have an egg poaching pan, but here are some tips from Alton Brown if you prefer the traditional method. Top roasted brussels with eggs.

Chatty Press

Knowing that we have about 75 wedding invitations to send out (along with return envelopes), I ordered this stamp from Chatty Press to make the address process a little easier. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

It's almost time to start mailing them!!

J. Crew and Topshop

Goodbye, disposable income. That's right friends, Topshop/Topman and J. Crew are both coming to Chinook Centre! I just ordered these J. Crew swimsuits for an upcoming trip to Cuba.

I'm looking forward to putting shipping costs towards more clothes! Topshop/Topman won't open until November, but J. Crew is slated to open in June.

Have a great weekend!

Chia Cereal

Chia seed seems to be all the rage these days and since it's packed with protein, fibre, and eight times more omega 3 than salmon, there's no doubt as to why. Plus, when it's not providing you with all that nutrition, it's making these:

Source

I decided to make a chia cereal for quick and filling breakfasts. This recipe will make enough to last a while so be sure to have a large resealable container on hand.

Chia Cereal
2 c. Chia seed
11/2 c. Hemp hearts
1/2 c. Buckwheat
2 tbsp. cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a jar.

There are a million ways to top the cereal. To prepare it, I use 3 tbsp. of cereal and about 1/3 c. of liquid (water, coconut milk, or almond milk). Stir in the liquid, and let sit. Chia can absorb nine times it's weight in liquid, so the longer you let it sit the thicker it becomes. I like topping it with fresh or dried fruit and nuts or granola for a bit of extra texture.

Shovels and Rope

On Sunday, we went to see Lucero with Shovels and Rope. Lucero are awesome in their own right, but boy can they ever pick opening acts. Last weekend it was Shovels and Rope that opened for them and stole the show. Man, I just want to be her!

When my friend Carrie and I saw them in Seattle a few years back, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears opened for them. If you ever get a chance to see them live- take it! Their albums don't do them justice (and I'm a total sucker for a live horns section).

Have a great weekend!

Wedding Plans- Our Photographer

We've chosen the incredibly talented, Brittany Esther, as our photographer. We weren't planning on getting engagement photos, but being two people who get uncomfortable in front of the camera, we thought it might be a good idea to get some practice for the big day. Brittany couldn't have made it any easier. She's funny, laid-back, and didn't force us to look longingly into each others eyes (thank God!). It would've been an impossible task even if she'd tried. We can't look at each other without bursting into smiles. I think that's probably a good sign. Here are some of the engagement photos she took out in Banff.

We were a bit ill-prepared for our snowman building, but managed to put together this creepy little guy.

I see Christmas cards in his future :)

Ahh the Weekend...

I hope you had a good long weekend! Ours was filled with food and family- always a winning combo. On Friday night we checked out the Wiener Schnitzel Haus with our parents. Eric's Mom is German and although it's technically Austrian food, we figured it would be close to the real deal. Our meals were delicious, a bit lacking in vegetables, but delicious nonetheless. I think reservations are probably a must for their tiny space, but definitely check it out of you're looking for something new.

Saturday was brunch and the Zoo with my family. I made this Overnight French Toast and it was a hit. It might be my new brunch go-to. I like that you can do most of the work the night before and have more time to sleep in.

Sunday was egg hunting and dinner with Eric's family followed by the Lucero concert (you'll hear more about that later this week).

And then, before I knew it, the weekend was over. Even the long ones are never long enough.