Summer Reads

I don't want to jinx it, but I think summer might finally be here. Bring on the weekends and evenings spent outside with a glass of wine and a good book! My requirement for summer books is that they're quick, light reads. Here are a few of my favorites:

These two are full on tear jerkers, but they're too good not to include. The Art of Racing in the Rain might be my favorite book of all time.

I also loved reading B.J. Novak, Mindy Kaling and Tina Fey's books. They're perfect for picking up and putting down throughout the summer.

Do you have recommendations? I'm half way through two books right now (The Boys in the Boat and Frog Music), but I can't seem to get through either.

The Birkenstock Trend

Of all the shoes I brought on our honeymoon (and there were a lot), these are the ones I walked Italy's cobblestone streets in.

Those paper thin soles weren't particularly supportive and by the time we reached Cinque Terre (2 weeks into the trip) I needed something new. I'd seen a few girls on the train sporting Birkenstocks and thought- for the first time ever- that they looked kind of cute, so I grabbed this pair on our way to dinner.

I sort of assumed when we got home that they'd be weekend, lounging about type shoes, but now I see that they're becoming quite trendy!

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What do you think? If nothing else, they're insanely comfortable!

Happy long weekend!

Mini Reno

Being over 100 years old, our house has a few quirks- one of which is the kitchen bathroom (picture fridge-wall-bathroom door). When we originally looked at our place I figured it would be the first thing to go, but now I've grown fond of its convenience. We do plan to fully reno it one day, but it's on a pretty large to-do list. Until we get around to tearing out its wood paneled walls and leveling it's half grouted floors, I decided to give it a bit of a sprucing up.

After a fresh coat of white paint, I bought paintable (and easy to remove) wallpaper from Home Depot for the backs of the cupboards. I had planned to leave it all white, but once the wallpaper was on, it turned out to be more beige and only increased the already 70's cottage vibe. I painted the wallpaper in Behr's 'Elf Hat' and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

All renos need wine. Especially when wallpaper is involved.

Now to tackle the deck, floors, siding, windows...etc., etc. :)

Black Bean Dip

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Here's a Mexican inspired snack to pair with your margaritas today.

Black Bean Dip
1 yellow onion, diced
3 roasted red peppers, diced
6 slices of bacon, chopped
3 14 oz. cans of blacks beans, one drained
2-3 canned chipotle peppers
1 c. salsa
chopped cilantro, queso fresco for garnish

Cook bacon in a large pot until lightly browned. Add diced onions and red peppers. Cook until the onions are translucent. Remove half of the mixture and set aside. Add 2 cans of black beans and their liquid to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. In a food processor, purée the mixture from the pot and the chipotles. Once smooth, put it back in the pot and stir in the remaining ingredients. Once cooled, garnish with chopped cilantro.

And a margarita recipe, just in case ;)

Around Calgary- Sled Island & Folk Fest

Both Sled Island and the Calgary Folk Music Festival have released their full lineups and it's looking like it's going to be a good summer for music! We picked up tickets for Neko Case and Blitzen Trapper at Sled Island, the 5-day music/film/art festival that takes place in several venues throughout the city. As for Folk Fest, I'm looking forward to seeing Jason Isbell, the Lone Bellow, St. Paul and the Broken Bones and Trampled by Turtles. I love spending the evenings listening to music in Prince's Island Park. Let's hope for good weather!

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The Spritz

We discovered the spritz far too late in our trip to Italy, but as soon as I tried it, I made up for lost time by stopping for one every chance I could. I was nervous to try it at first, having never had Aperol, not really liking the taste of alcohol, and that color (!), but- as you may have learned about me- you can pretty much mix anything with prosecco and I'll be a fan.

Spritz
3 parts Aperol
2 parts prosecco
1 part soda
orange garnish (optional)

We also saw them made with white wine and soda instead of bubbles. They tasted delicious either way!

Easter

Happy belated Easter! I hope you had a nice weekend filled with family and mini eggs. We were very lucky having TWO ham and scalloped potato dinners with our families. I had some girlfriends for brunch (see the brunch bake recipe below), explored the Crossroads Farmers Market, sat outside and soaked up some sun and on Sunday we lazed around watching movies (Mistaken for Strangers, August: Osage County). It was the perfect long weekend.

A friend sent me this Brunch Bake as a good alternative to quiche. I followed the general recipe as far as the eggs, ricotta, and spinach, but I substituted ingredients that I had on hand for the filling.

Brunch Bake
2 sheets (one box) puff pastry
6 eggs
1 c. ricotta cheese
2 cups spinach
4 slices of bacon cooked, chopped
1 c. cheese (I used gruyere)
fillings of your choice- I used caramelized onions and asparagus

Preheat oven to 400. Separate the sheets of puff pastry and roll out to 11 inch squares. Use one to cover the bottom and sides of a greased 9 inch spring-form pan.
Whisk the eggs together in a bowl. Reserve 1 tbsp. Combine the rest in a food processor with the ricotta and spinach. Mix until the spinach is chopped and ingredients are combined.
Pour half the egg mixture into the pan. Top with half of your other ingredients. Repeat.
Cover with the other sheet of puff pastry, pinching the two sheets together to seal everything in. Brush the top with reserved egg. Cut slits into the top of the pastry. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the spring-form pan.