Shinrin Yoku: Forest Bathing

Escaped reality for a bit by spending a weekend at the cottage: hiked, paddled, stargazed and bonfired. Nature really is restorative to the soul.

Pandemic Summer

Bike rides and park hangs: my life in a nutshell.

Discoveries of Summer 2019

Bike rides where you don't feel like you're in the city.

I've done this route multiple times and have yet to get sick of it.

Toasted homemade sourdough bread tossed in a caprese salad made with tomatoes from my dad's garden, olive oil I lugged back from Portugal, and Maldon salt a friend kindly brought back from England.

I was doubtful anything could improve a caprese salad, but I was wrong.

Strawberry Ice Cream

Strawberry is one of the first fruits to make an appearance in the summer and I kind of went nuts over them this year. So far, I've made preserves, pie, cake, sorbet and ice cream.

I'm slowly getting a better understanding of ice cream making and went with a custard-less base to let the fruit flavour shine through. While alcohol and corn syrup is supposed to make the ice cream less icy and more creamy (an issue with fruit-based ice cream because of the high water content), I went with neither because I don't mind my frozen strawberry slices a little bit icy.

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Happy Summer!

July is the month where I turn another year older and it's a wonderful month to celebrate a birthday. I’m a true summer baby, where nothing makes me happier than being warm in the sun.

The past year has been a significant one: I finally have job security, which comes with the perk of insured benefits. You know you’re getting older when you’re exciting about benefits!

I also took the big step of purchasing my first home. This has been my goal for years and to finally achieve it is satisfying, yet frightening. It has consumed my life for the past three months (hence the lack of substantial posts), but I’m finally settled in and I hope to get back into the groove of things.

Caprese Salad

Clinging on to the last vestige of summer:


Using the last tomatoes from my garden, I made a Caprese salad. No recipe needed (though Serious Eats has a guide on how not to screw it up): tomatoes, basil, mozzarella di bufala, olive oil, salt and pepper. Simple and delicious.

Crushed Tomatoes

Another item checked off my canning bucket list: tomatoes.


My friends and I got our hands on a bushel (53-ish pounds) of San Marzano-type tomatoes and spent six hours blanching, peeling, de-seeding, cooking and processing them.


By the end of the night, we admitted defeat. We only had several pounds to go but could not bare to look at another tomato. Canning is exhausting on such a large scale, and I am sure tomato remains coated every surface of the kitchen.



However, it was all worth it. After five batches, we ended up with nineteen 1L (quart) jars of crushed tomatoes / tomato sauce / tomato juice.

Pro tip: having company and drinking wine helps with the canning process.

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Summer Lovin'

Temperatures have been hovering around 30 degrees C all week, which makes me ecstatic because I get to bust out the rarely-worn summer dresses.


I spent last weekend at a cottage where we woke up bright and early to watch the sunrise, went for a run, did a bit of yoga, made a delicious breakfast and canoed on the lake, all before noon.

Life is good.

Peach Butter

Let's not beat around the bush: I've had this recipe bookmarked for three years, ever since it was first posted. I love apple butter (it was one of the items I requested in the care package my parents sent me when I was living in Japan), I love peaches, so what could be better than the delicate, fragrant flavour of peaches concentrated into peach butter? Nothing.


When peach season hits, I find myself eyeing this recipe, wondering if I have the time to commit to the whole process. Unfortunately, my summers tend to be hectic and I end up telling myself, "Maybe next summer."

Not this year.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

It’s officially summer here when the pick-your-own strawberry farms open up, and I went to pick my fill.


I debated about what to make with the fruits of my labour. I really enjoyed the strawberry rhubarb pie from last year but didn't want to go through the hassle of making pie crust. Laziness triumphs over ambition.



This is where the crisp comes in.

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Ode to Summer

And just like that, summer is over.


It was a pretty fabulous one, filled with beaches and wineries, music festivals and cottages.


I was surprised to still see peaches at the market this weekend and quickly snatched up a basket. Preserving peaches - my last ode to summer.


Goodbye, summer. See you in eight months.

Quinoa with Zucchini, Currants & Dill

One of the many reasons why I love summer is dragon boat.


There's nothing like being on the water after a long day at work, paddling out your frustrations. The gravy on top is gliding into the sunset with the city skyline visible. Golden hour, indeed.


I am also quite fond of my team because we all know what's important: the potluck meal on race days. Sure, we take our competitions seriously, but it's the food that is of utmost importance. We have our priorities straight.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I've been dreaming of strawberry rhubarb pie for months.



It got to the point where I could no longer wait for strawberry season and I broke down and purchased a pie to satisfy that craving. It turned out to be disappointing not because it was store bought, but because it was a cherry pie even though I was told otherwise. The horror.


Another problem with store bought pies is they tend to be overly sweet. Alas, I impatiently waited for strawberry season to arrive, rounded up some friends to go picking, and turned all that hard work into preserves and pie.

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Grilled Corn & Cheddar Quinoa

I am trying to break the habit of complaining about how busy my life is (as per this article), but my August was a little bit ridiculous. The only time I actually stepped foot inside my home was to sleep in my bed; I wish I was kidding. I've lost an alarming amount of weight over the past several months, but I guess the bonus of that is I get to eat whatever the heck I want.



This long weekend, however, I am making an escape from life and heading north of the city. My plans are to sleep, relax and be one with nature. Lather, rinse, repeat. Bags under my eyes, be gone!

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