-
Top Ice Cream Shops to Visit in Southwestern Ontario Right Now!
I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream shops. Well, you will ALL be screaming for ice cream and a trip through southwestern Ontario once you read about the delicious ice cream shops we have discovered here while day tripping safely during the Pandemic. Celebrating Ice Cream Parlours Is there anything that goes together better than summer and ice cream? Maybe, peanut butter and jelly might rival that partnership but summer was made for ice cream. Also, nobody screams for peanut butter and jelly, well nobody over the age of 5. This month, I wanted to share the love with some area businesses. After all it has been…
-
Creamy Harry Potter Butterbeer Fudge
My family is hard core about Harry Potter. So, it was inevitable that we’d eventually make Butterbeer Fudge. Post contains affiliate links as a service to readers. I make a small commission from purchases made via qualifying links. Why Do We Love Harry? We have all of the Harry Potter movies and most of the Harry Potter books and many of the toys and puzzles too. Harry Potter is a perfect escapist adventure, especially during a pandemic, or for sick days. I asked my daughters both why they loved it and wanted to revisit the entire saga so many times during COVID-19. They said it just makes them happy to…
-
How to Make Soft Pretzels in the Bread Machine
Soft Pretzels in the bread machine? Sure, why not? But the question is how…I mean how do you make pretzels in the bread machine? Homemade Pretzels for the Win Most bread makers do a superb job with fresh dough, so use the bread maker for that portion of the recipe and then turn the oven on for the final baking piece. Easy, peasy and so good. Enjoying Recreating Travel Memories with Food Since we are all grounded right now and we can’t even consider travel, we are striving to recreate some occasional travel memories with recipes we make at home. I think that’s a common theme, with many families right…
-
U Pick Farms Near London Ontario for Fresh Local Fruit
Why not take a quick local morning adventure or day trip to one of these U Pick Farms near London, Ontario? One of the things I miss the most this year, during this particular season is the abundance of local markets that are usually open. I often have enjoyed gathering all of the shades of the rainbow from Masonville Farmer’s Market, open from May through October in the Masonville Mall parking lot near my neighbourhood. But, this year with Coronavirus still in the driver’s seat we have all learned to proceed without a lot of our favourite conveniences. However, even with local Farmer’s Markets closed, I don’t want to sacrifice…
-
Healthy Satisfying Train Ride or Road Trip Snacks
When taking long trips, either by road or by train, it can be challenging to keep everyone nourished and rested. Most forms of public transportation, including trains, offer high calorie, heavily processed foods. And as for road trip snacks, even when you take a long ride by car together, you need to plan your stops and road trip snacks or you end up eating poorly and wasting a lot of money. Why Do Healthy Road Trip Snacks Matter? Without a stable arsenal of healthy and hearty options, your family can quickly find themselves tired, hungry, stressed, and lacking money. We take an annual drive to Vermont for a ski break…
-
Try My Fun Summer Cooking Challenge Now!
Okay, so by this part of the pandemic none of us have any original ideas left to do or share, bake or make. We have been cooking and crafting and climbing the walls for months on end, right? So, what’s next? Maybe a summer cooking challenge is exactly what you need. This month, I might try one of those subscription meal delivery services again, just to change out up a bit. The kids like those and frankly sometimes I can inspire them to get involved making the meals with me. Occasionally, we also find a new favourite recipe out of the experience. They can be a bit expensive though and…
-
50 + Best Canada Day Recipes, Crafts and Games
It’s almost Canada Day! You know what that means right? Well, it’s the start of my favourite month which makes it a great time to try one of these Canada Day recipes, crafts or games. The month of July makes me happy with all of the reasons to celebrate being Canadian. Canada Day comes first and then my oldest girl’s birthday, followed by my birthday. Post contains affiliate links as a service to readers. Purchases made via qualifying links provide me with a small commission. Celebrate Canada Day and More There are so many reasons to celebrate in July! But marking Canada Day with some amazing red and white crafts…
-
Best Ever Italian Wedding Soup
This is my daughter’s favourite meal. It ranks right up there with pizza and this just in, pizza is every teenager’s favourite food. That’s why I love this Italian Wedding Soup recipe. It’s a crowd pleaser. This recipe may contain affiliate links as a service to my readers. I receive a small commission from purchases made. What’s to Love About This Recipe? The way we make it Italian Wedding Soup is low sodium and high on healthy fibre. I load mine up with kale. Love kale for a lot of reasons, but basically it’s good for my family, so I add it to all the things I can. Then, we…
-
14 Life Skills For Teens To Learn During Quarantine
Let’s talk Quaranteens…you know teens in quarantine. My oldest daughter has been doing a lot of baking and finding ways to keep busy during the quarantine. So, this post is one we worked on together. Staving off boredom has been a daily goal here in my home. Some days that’s baking and other days that’s building life skills for teens. While we are trying to work on online schooling, and often also failing dramatically, there are a lot of other life skills for teens that we’ve been working on to fill the time and keep moving forward. Self esteem, mental health and health are actually more important goals here right…
-
Best Glazed Apple Bread Made in the Bread Machine
It’s no secret that our breadmaker has been working around the clock here to churn out constant recipes. This past week, my oldest daughter decided she’d try glazed apple bread in the bread machine. I know I keep saying this, but this recipe really is the best bread recipe yet. Post may contain affiliate links as a service to readers. Also, in case you are interested, our breadmaker is a Hamilton Beach bread maker and we love it. Affordable and easy to use, we love this small appliance. It’s been a huge piece of our quarantine sanity. I don’t mean that as a slight in any way to anyone struggling.…
