Tuesday, June 29, 2010

My 5 Kitchen Essentials

The other day I was trying to clean up the apartment for when my sister comes to stay (and take care of the cat and water the plants, etc) and I started going through the fridge to throw away and reorganize the contents. As I was doing so I started to wonder what things in my fridge I absolutely have to have and which of the contents I could do without.
What would my top 5 kitchen essentials be?
This is what I came up with for the time being:

*This top 5 is subject to change as I remember things I may have forgotten slash don't currently have in my fridge so have neglected to remember I like*
1. Frank's RedHot hot sauce
You know how their slogan is 'I put that sh*t on everything? I do.
2. Salsa.
Probably my all-time favourite condiment. You can use it with anything and everything. Hamburgers, hotdogs, nachos (obviously), I mix a good helping of it into my scrambled eggs...This might be gross and John makes fun of me for it but I've been known to put salsa in a bowl, add a tbsp or two of sour cream and eat in with a spoon. Whatever. Mild, medium, spicy, chunky...I love salsa.
3. Black Pepper
Again, goes with anything and everything. Potatoes, eggs, beef (peppersteak, mmmm), chicken, potato chips (black pepper & lime - so good), pasta, I even add it to salads.
4. French Vanilla Coffee Cream
Though it should be mentioned I am also partial to the mocha flavour and the caramel vanilla flavour. We buy the family size bottle of this cause we go through it pretty fast. It's one luxury I will never give up. It gives coffee such a wonderful flavour. And you can't go with the low-fat version here, you have to go full fat. It's just not the same.
5. Mustard
A top competitor with salsa for my all-time favourite condiment. Mustard is the most versatile of the condiments. Honey mustard, hot mustard, dijion mustard, that grainy looking mustard, I've purchased balsamic mustard (really good)....one time (true story) my friend from University bought me a selection of mustards for my birthday. And I loved it.

Anyway those are my top 5.

If I can think of any substitutions I will update the list but as it stands, those are the 5 things I think I will always need to have in my fridge.

And although I am a huuuuuuuge lover of pickles, I think those kind of fall into a food catgeory and that starts a slippery slope into my favourite foods, which is not the point of the essentials.

What are your top 5?

This activity is a good way to clean out your fridge/cupboards :)

Monday, June 28, 2010

Packing Woes



I've been in the process of packing for about a week now and I'm sad to say that I am no closer to being done now than I was this time last week.

Having conquered the all important first step, I can admit that I have a problem.

Hi, my name is Jamie and I am a compulsive over-packer.

This is my suitcase as of 5 minutes ago.

I know...

Yes, I realize I'm only going for 10 days - but who's to say I WON'T wear 6 pairs of shorts, 6 dresses, 3 skirts and a jumper in that time?

That didn't even convince me....I need to go through and be tough with my clothing. I've tried going through it realistically but was only able to take out one dress and one shirt.

Yikes.

I still need to make room for my toiletries, jewelry, sunglasses (another problem I have...perhaps upon my return I will count how many pairs I wore), running shoes (cause I'm determined not to come back as a plump deep fried person).....what else?


Ok, indulge me here for a second. I'm going to try and talk to myself rationally in the third person.

Does Jamie really need more than 6 bikinis? For 10 days? 2 of which will be entirely consumed with wedding prep? No.

Does Jamie know the truth about those shirts that she packed while saying to herself "I'm going to pack it cause I might wanna wear it"? She's not going to wear them. Take them out.


I could always get a bigger suitcase.....


NO!

Be strong.

You can do this.

You can pack like a reasonable person.


But so help you if I get down there and want to wear one of the things I unpacked....



Sorry if you're a big fan of the movie....but this clip is waaaayy better


Anywhoooo

I promised to make John a seafood pasta for dinner so I better get on that....and then go man to man against my suitcase once and for all.


OH!

I don't know if I posted a pic before but here is a (small - sorry) picture of what my bridesmaid dress looks like! Only imagine it in a light pink :)

Friday, June 25, 2010

Everything Tastes Better with Bacon

Ever heard the saying 'everything tastes better with bacon'?
No? Well neither have I but it's a well known fact that everything does, in fact, taste exponentially better when bacon is factored into the mix.
Example 1:
Bacon wrapped asparagus.


So good. I made it for dinner last night along with a variation on jerk chicken and basmati rice.
The bacon fat that is rendered into the pan really gives the asparagus a nice flavour.
Last summer we made bacon wrapped corn on the BBQ.
Literally everything tastes better wrapped in bacon.
Also last night we dined al fesco on the balcony.
Our cozy dinner nook:
And dining outside reminded me of a long-standing item on my to-do list:

Sneak into this pool across the street from me.

It's been one year today since MJ and (sadly overshadowed by MJ's death) Farrah Fawcett passed away.
It does NOT feel like a year has gone by!
Insane.
Guess it's a reminder to stop and smell the roses and not to wish away the day, something I find I do all too often.

Back tomorrow with a concert pic and more Jamaican recipes!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Waiting for the Big Reveal.....

2 posts in one day.....you guys are sooo lucky.
I've been very anxiously hovering around my computer pretty much all day....waiting patiently and not so patiently to hear the big reveal.
And I bet the vast majority of readers of this blog are also waiting on pins and needles for the same reason.



Which will it be???
BIG Congrats to Jennie and Adam today :)
Now hurry up and let us all know!


Jamaica Countdown:
7 DAYS!
Today's Jamaican cuisine recipe:
Festival


1. Sieve 1 1/2 cups flour in to a bowl and stir in 3 tbsp cornmeal, 1/2 tsp salt, 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp baking powder.
2. Add 1 tsp vanilla to 1 cup of water.
3. Add a small amount of the vanilla water in to the flour mixture and work it in to the mixture with your fingertips. Keep adding small amounts of water to the mixture. When half of the cup has been added the mixture should resemble breadcrumbs.
4. Keep adding water until the mixture becomes a firm dough which is only slightly sticky (you should not need to add the whole cup) If the mixture gets too sticky to work with, add more flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes.
5. Divide the mixture in to eight portions Knead each portion and roll it in to a small sausage shape. Cover each festival with a mixture of flour and cornmeal.
6. Deep fry the dough in a sauce pan of oil until golden brown. This should take about half an hour.
7. Dab excess oil off of the festival and then enjoy!
I'm working all day today so I will post pictures and a review of the concert tomorrow!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Jamaican Me Hungry For Jerk Chicken

One of my favourite things about our kitchen (apart from the various appliances) is the stick-on blackboard I got from Indigo.
The best.
I've always had a weird love-affair with chalk boards and this one, stuck up on the cupboard, allows us to write down grocery needs, what we're making for dinner, and more recently Beatles song quotes.
It started with 'Love is all you need' (potentially my next tattoo) and has continued from there.
Here's yesterday's quote

* Mom: please don't hate on the grammatical error in 'Todays' special. There WAS an apostrophe but it has since eroded and I only realized it once I posted the picture.
In other news,
the Jamaica countdown in single digits has begun!
We depart next Thursday, putting the countdown at:
8 DAYS
(including today)
I love me some jerk chicken and I have been amping up my workouts and eating much healthier in anticipation of the 5-10 lbs I'm coming home with.
For the next week I'll be posting some recipes of the fooods I am excited to try while on vacation!
First up, because I'm most excited to try the authentic recipe:
Jerk Chicken
1. Chop up 3 medium onions, 8 cloves of garlic, and 6 scotch bonnet peppers (or use jalapeno peppers).
2. Place in a blender with 2 tbsp thyme, 2 tbsp allspice, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp salt, 2 tsp ground black pepper, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp nutmeg, 2 tsp ginger, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup soy sauce, the juice of 1 lime, 1 cup orange juice, and 1 cup white vinegar. Blend all of the ingredients together to make the jerk sauce.
3. Rub the sauce onto 4 peices of chicken (breast, leg, thigh, it's your choice) and let the meat marinate overnight in the fridge.
4. In the oven, bake the chicken for 30 minutes, then flip and bake for another 30 minutes. If using a grill, turn regularly and baste with some of the remaining marinade sauce until cooked.
I may try this recipe before I go away. I have a pre-mixed jerk rub but I want to try and make my own jerk sauce.

In hairstyle news, the Lauren Conrad hairstyle (number 6) is pulling ahead of the competitors!
Tonight: Robin, John and I are off to see John's brother in concert! If you recall, he's drumming for a Canadian artist named Jesse LaBelle and they're opening for Emily Osment (Hannah Montanna's BFF and little sister to Hailey Joel "I see dead people" Osment).
I'll definitely be posting some pics from the concert!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Hairstyles...Help! Round 2

Round 2.
I kind of told a fib as I definitely have more than 6 hairstyles to showcase today.
But I've already veto-ed some of the styles I posted.
First up:
2 partial updos for your consideration
Partial updo 1:
Partial updo 2 (I like the glamorous low pony):

...and now back to the updos.

Number 7:

Number 8 (like it but don't love it):

Number 9 (I used the golden power of Veto on this one but will still present it to you):

Number 10 (really like the back of this one):

Number 11 (like the back and front of this one):

So.....thoughts? I think my favourites may still be from Saturday's post.
I'll look for a few more partial updos and then i'll make a final decision.
:)
I'll get back to recipes tomorrow, promise.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Happy Father's Day!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

For the Dad who blamed you for pressing the nurse call bell when your sister was born.
For the Dad who walked to school wheeling two bikes so that you and your sister could cycle home.
For the Dad who did cartwheels on the front lawn with you.
For the Dad's who fixes things, often with mixed results ;)
For the Dad who cried with you the night before you moved out.
For the new Dad's, Happy first Father's Day.
For the soon-to-be first time Dad's, congratulations!
For the Dad's who have come and gone, you will always be in our hearts.
HAPPY FATHERS DAY!
Here's a Cheeseburger recipe from Martha for any man or woman who loves the grill
Martha's Classic Cheeseburger
you will need:
  • 2 pounds ground beef, preferably chuck
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 ounces cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 2 tomatoes (12 ounces), sliced
  • 8 leaves Bibb lettuce (1 small head)
  • 1 small red onion, sliced

To make:

  • Heat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Season meat with salt and pepper, mix very lightly, and shape into four patties. Grill hamburgers 4 to 6 minutes per side for rare and 9 to 11 minutes for well done. If making cheeseburgers, lay cheese slices on top of the hamburgers after they have been flipped.
  • Serve immediately on buns (toasted, if desired), topped with tomatoes, lettuce, and onion slices.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Hairstyles.....Help!

The Bachelorette party last night was AMAZING!
So much fun.
Limo, champagne, heels, a free bottle of vodka, and a bunch of fun and beautiful girls.
SO. MUCH. FUN.
In exactly 2 weeks from today, two of my very very best friends will be getting married!
2 weeks!
Yikes!
It reminded me that I have not found a hairstyle for the wedding yet.
So I've been scouring the world of google images all morning. I have 12 so far so today I'll give you the first 6 and I'm going to number them so that you can give me feedback on which one's you like best. And please please please give feedback because I am awful at making decisions.
So Mom, Wendy, Andrea, Jennie.....Mike, Dad, and occasionally John let me know!
Also - I'm torn between a partial updo and a full updo. It's in Jamaica and it's going to close to 40 degrees outside so keep that tucked away.
Ready?

Number 1 (I really like this one, think it's a top 3 contender):
Number 2 (elegance on the elegant Rachel Weisz):

Number 3 (like the top but not so much the super curly bun):

Number 4 (like the wispy aspect of it):

Number 5:

Number 6 (I like this look a lot too, another top 3 contender):

So there's your first round of 6, the next 6 will come on Monday. Then I'll narrow it down to 3 and make my decision. I need to know how long I need my hair cause I have a hair appt on Wednesday the 30th and am getting at the very least a trim, if not a cut.
Tomorrow is Father's Day so if you haven't gotten anything for your father/baby-daddy yet.....
:)

Friday, June 18, 2010

Champagne Dreams, Bachelorette Wishes

The Big Bachelorette Party is Tonight!!!
I've been to a grand total of one bachelorette party in my life so I don't have a whole lot of experience to back up my planning.
The one I went to was for my cousin's wife and it was sooooo much fun!
I'm stealing game ideas from her and her friends :)
The theme of the evening is 'Sexy Lingerie' and I've been busy all morning trying to turn my living room into a boudoir.
Because I am my mother's daughter I also got a little gift for all of the girls (and it fits with the theme):

Sleep masks!
Thank you Dollarama.
Here's what my apartment looks like at the moment:
I'm only about half way done with decorating. I have lots of suspiciously phallic looking balloons that still need to be put up. The streamers are done, the wedding bell balloons are up, I have rose petals to scatter on the coffee table, I still need to set up the dining room table and cut up the fruit .....and I have 3L of champagne chilling in the fridge!
Champagne cocktails!
Game-wise I'm still brainstorming ideas. I have an anonymous "Never Have I Ever" game - I printed out 30 cards for people to write down their never have I ever's and then we'll draw them out of a Tiffany & Co. bag (cause I be fancy like that y'all) so that if people want to put down tame ones they can without getting booed and if people want to put down absolutely raunchy ones they can do so without judgement.
Man am I inclusive or what?
The other game I have at the moment is a pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey version of Kiss The Stud.
As the name suggests you put on a blindfold and place your sticker kiss on the stud. There's only like 6 stickers so I may print some more out and we can tape them on.

One game I want to steal from my cousin (she and my other cousin's wife I refer to as my cousin's cause they're both really cool AND readers of this blog which furhter intensifies their cool factor. Hi Andrea! Hi Jennie! Shout outs! Brapp brapp brapp) is a kind of truth or dare-esque game where the bride to be is given 11 questions to answer and 10 shots, should she decide she would rather drink than answer the question.
The problem I'm having with this game is that the bride to be doesn't want to be embarrassed so I have to come up with somewhat tame questions. But then there's no push to take a shot instead. Hmmm......I have a few hours to figure this out.
I'm heading to the beach today as it's Amy's last day in Toronto :(
Her flight leaves tonight at 11:30 so we're trying to cram her last day full of sun and fun.
We were going to go to Toronto Island but I kind of ruined it cause I have to go down to Police headquarters to have my police check done and they close at 4 case of the stupid G20 Summit. Thanks, world leaders, for shutting down the city. Appreciate it.
And then I have to go to the doctor's for 5 to make sure I don't have TB.
Funny story, I was most definitely exposed to it this year at the hosital so I've been keeping a close eye on my arm. So far no reaction! Hurrah!
I thought I was telling a funny 'hey look I'm in health care too' kind of bonding story with my doctor when I joked I was worried about the TB skin test this year and SHE WROTE IT IN MY MEDICAL FILE!
Hahaha I know it's probably important to note but I felt like Elaine from Seinfeld. I wanted to snatch back my file and erase it!
I have to get back to decorating.....almost done, almost done.
Just gotta keep the kitty from tearing down my streamers.
He's already tried.
Several times.
Eep.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

A Quick Recap

I'm about to take Amy out shopping for last minute gifts but I thought I'd give you a quick recap of some of the adventures we've gone on in the last 2 weeks.
On Tuesday we went to Niagara Falls. It's easy to forget how pretty it is when you don't see it for awhile.

The Bridal Veil (aka the less impressive American Falls - obviously no U.S-Canada rivalry), and the Horseshoe Falls

A beautiful rainbow over the Falls


On the Maid of the Mist

We also went up* to the cottage last weekend. Saturday was rainy but Sunday we were gifted with some beautiful weather.

*I say up knowing full well that the cottage probably isn't "up" from us as in North and I know this will drive my grammatically correct mother a little crazy. I tend to use 'up' and 'down' and 'over' to places at random.


A final note before we head out on our shopping extravaganza:
I get emails from this website called Who What Wear and today I got one titled
Airports: What They Wore.
I want a cute outfit for my Jamaica plane trip.
Bachelorette Party is tomorrow night - you can bet on some planning photos. I have games and plans for food and champagne cocktails
whoop whoop whoop!

Monday, June 14, 2010

...And now for something completely different

And so, dear readers, the time has finally come.
Tomorrow is Ivory Coast's first World Cup game.
They play Portugal.
And they are going to wiiiiiiiin.
Why am I cheering for the Ivory Coast?
They are a smaller, lesser known country and I flatly refuse to cheer for one of the more popular teams, i.e. Brazil, Portugal (2 of the 3 other teams in the I.C.'s group), England, France, Italy, etc, etc. I cheered for France last time around and even got my Italian friends riled up....until I got several rude phone calls. No conversations. Just me holding the phone as far away from my ear as possible while my friends, in the middle of the Italian celebration, screamed 'FORZA ITALIAAAAA' at me.
I will never cheer for Italy for that reason alone.
Loooooove the country. Probably one of the most beautiful places I've been. But deepest regrets, Italian soccer players, you do not get my rooting.
So. Let's learn about the Ivory Coast so that tomorrow you will cheer them on with me too!


Making wild assumptions from this google-image map, Yamoussoukro is the capital. And it's located between Liberia (side note: everytime I see this country I cannot help but sing Liberian Girl by Michael Jackson. True story), Ghana, Mali, Guniea and Burkina Faso.
In an interesting twist of fate that makes me believe it was more than random chance that I chose to cheer for the I.C., their flag is this close to the Irish flag!

So friends, please. Please help me root on the underdog in this so called 'group of death'.
How can you not cheer for such a happy-go-lucky group of guys like this?

IVORY COAST!
IVORY COAST!
IVORY COAST!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Gone Fishing

Gone a-cottaging for the weekend.
Back on Monday.


I'm afraid that with what the weather network is predicting, we're in for not a lot of the above and a lot more of below:


...but I packed Cranium and a Michael Crichton book so all is well in the world.

Until Monday, here's John's birthday cake. Cleverly (crappily) crafted into a shotgun.
He's gotten big into hunting.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Blueberry Lemon Trifle

Trying to stay true to my word, I'm going to try and write a few posts and post-date them so that I am technically blogging while away at the cottage for the weekend.
Bridal shower recaps first.


These are the favours that we put together for the shower.
Very easy and very affordable.
The flower pots I got at the Dollar Store - 3 for $1. Then they were filled with a ring pop and hersheys kisses. Once the pots were wrapped in ribbon and cellophane, we inserted a garden butterfly and a flower lollipop. Very cute. I know you can't see them so well in the photo above but it's such a beautiful picture, taken by the bride's very talented younger sister.
Now for the promised recipe.
Blueberry Lemon Trifle
To make this variation on Martha's Lemon Cherry Trifle:
  1. Make an Angel Food cake - then cut it into cubes.
  2. Make a lemon curd - in a small saucepan, combine 3 egg yolks, zest of 1/2 a lemon, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 6 tbsp sugar. Whisk to combine and set over medium heat. Be sure to stir constantly with a wooden spoon. You'll know it is ready when the mixture thickens and sticks to the back of the spoon, usually about 5-7 minutes. Remove the suacepan from the heat and add in 4 tsbp butter, one tbsp at a time, stirring until melted in. Put mixture in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, ensuring that the plastic wrap lies right against the top of the lemon curd to prevent a film from forming. Chill for at least 1 hour.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 2 cups of heavy cream until soft peaks form.
  4. In a trifle bowl, start by placing the angel food cake cubes so that the bottom is covered. Next, spread the lemon curd over the angel food cake. Sprinkle on top 4 cups of blueberries then top with the whipped cream. To finish the desert, sprinkle a frew blueberries on top with a few curls of lemon zest.

Well friends, that is all for today, unfortunately.

John's playing the neglected boyfriend card so I have to go and shower him with love and affection :)

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

CUPCAKES: Lime Ricotta Cheesecake & Chai Tea

I know, I know.
It's been over a week since my last post.
Sorry.
In my defence, I've been working every day and night so far this week AND all of last week and weekend was planning for the Bridal Shower.....
....which went so well!
The games, the food, the company, the venue, everything was just perfect. We were originally planning on hosting it at a friend's house but moved it to the staff lounge at UCC (Upper Canada College, quite possibly the most expensive school in Canada). The room was full of windows so there was sunlight galore and despite the predicted forecast of rain, there was nary a rain cloud in sight.
I made a trifle and two types of cupcakes.
Today you'll get the cupcake recipes, tomorrow I'll show you the favours we put together and give you the trifle recipe (which was delicious). Then after that I'll show you the cake I made for John for his birthday party.


Lime Ricotta Cheesecake Cupcakes
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • In a bowl combine 1 cup graham crackers, 3 tbsp melted margarine/butter, and 2 tbsp honey. Spoon one tbsp of the mixture into each of the 12 cups and press firmly. Chill until set.
  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix together 4 cups ricotta cheese with 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cups icing sugar, and 1 tsp orange extract. Spoon the mixture into the cups on top of the graham cracker crust.
  • Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing the cupcakes from the pan. Chill until ready to serve.
Chai Tea Cupcakes
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a bowl, mix 2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp baking powder, a pinch of salt, and 1 tbsp of chai tea powder.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 1/4 cup butter and 3/4 cup packed brown sugar until combined. Add in 2 egg whites then slowly add in the flour mixture. Pour in 2/3 cup buttermilk and mix until combined.
  • Pour into cups and bake for 20 mins. Let cupcakes cool then enjoy!

That's all!

Back tomorrow with the trifle recipe

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Beautiful Toronto: Skydome & The Jays

Staying true to my chronicles of Toronto's best places to visit -
SKYDOME!
Yes, you Ted Rogers loving, Toronto hating people who just said to yourself 'oh I think she meant the Roger's Center' IT IS THE SKYDOME.
IT WILL ALWAYS BE CALLED THE SKYDOME.
Sorry. I feel very strongly about that.
Rogers Center, psh. Ya right.
Skydome.
That's where I go to watch the boys of summer.
Anyway. Ranting aside, going to see a baseball game is perhaps the quintessential thing to do in the summer in Toronto. The dome open, the hotdogs and popcorn and peanut shells (bum bum bum) everywhere, the iiiiiice coooooold beeeeeeer flowing, the 7th inning stretch....it all just wraps up exactly what summer should be.
*Quick side note: if you click on the link above and have never seen that man before then shame on you. He is a Toronto celebrity. Much like Zanta. No? Still scratching your head? Google search these people or youtube them. They even have facebook groups dedicated to them. I'm dead serious.
If you live in Toronto and don't recognize either of these two great men then get out. You don't really live here.
First skydome then this rant....am I moody or what today?
Remember when the Jays won the World Series? Twice? Back to back?



True story: My grandmother had a more-or-less life size cardboard cutout of Paul Molitor. I have no idea what has since happened to the cardboard Mr. Molitor.
You know who my favourite was?
John Olerud.
He had that geeky lovable factor. And he always had to wear a batting helmut even when he was playing the field because he has a metal plate in his head.
But mostly because we have the same birthday.
And we spent a magical birthday together one year at Fenway park where he helped led the boys to a victory over the Red Sox.
My dad's life long dream of getting to Cooperstown and seeing the Baseball hall of fame cleverly disguised as a family trip to Boston. We did get to see the Salem Witch Museum though which was cool. And my diary says we stayed in a hotel that had TWO pools.
Ballin'
Oleruuuuuuud.
Soul mates.
Except that my google image search rudely pointed out that the man has a family. Damn you google.
P.S. Is it really creepy that I posted a photo of John Olerud's family? Almost as creepy as the time I google searched Darcy Tucker's children because I wanted to discredit his "hot" wife.

Someone get me a hobby.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Beautiful Toronto: Toronto Island

As my cousin's arrival in Toronto approaches, I've decided to post some of the places I want to take her.
One of my favourite favourite favourite places to go in Toronto is to Toronto Island.
I think I love it because I have such fond memories of it from my childhood. From playing Cee-Cee-My-Playmate on the ferry, to the log ride at Centerville, to the hedge maze, to playing in the fountains (that clearly said "stay out of the fountains") to the four-person bike....everything gets played back in my mind with a rose-coloured hue. Beautiful.
So needless to say I will be taking Amy to Toronto Island!

Not every city is lucky enough to have a place in the city where you can be so removed from the city. It's a beautiful spot. If you've never been get yourself there RIGHT NOW!
It has an amusement park, beautiful walking and cycling trails, a beach, a haunted lighthouse....what more could you want? It caters to everyone's needs!

If this hot hot weather sticks around all summer you better believe I'll be making myself known to the workers and residents on the Island!
For more info click here