More Winter Fun Outdoors
We took some time off to get some hiking and snowshoeing in before the winter ended (and because it felt like a great time to unwind from not-so-fun-stuff from everyday life).
We packed up a few essentials like warm thermals, hot tea, snacks and extra socks for the cold Northern winter and headed out to Algonquin Park (see map here).
Our first day there was absolutely beautiful. The sun was out, the weather was warm (by Canadian winter standards) and our trail was easy to handle.
Beautiful sunny day.
Inukshuk made of ice and snow.
Snowshoeing Trail
Much better to snowshoe than walk through the deep snow.
Slippery bridge over a river.
Peace in nature.
Feeding the adorable chickadees.
I left some seeds behind as we moved along.
Part of a fallen tree we had to crawl under.
Love the ice.
Bridge at the end of a trail.
The second day….could have been nicer but it was lovely snowfall nonetheless.
Bad weather and moose warnings.
Love the rock colours.
Can’t wait for summer!
Tracks
Beautiful sunset.
What do you enjoy doing during winter as a way to unwind from a hectic life? Comment below and share!
Banana Pistachio Cake
As promised, here is the banana pistachio cake recipe. It’s lovely, moist and subtle in flavour *^_^*
Ingredients:
3 medium ripe bananas
1 egg
1½ cups flour
½-¾ cup sugar (depending on your preferred sweetness level)
1 cup roughly chopped pistachios (save a sprinkle for the end)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½-¾ cup butter or vegetable shortening
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 325ºF.
In a small bowl, mix together the egg, shortening and sugar.
In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients minus the pistachios.
Combine the wet ingredients into the dry mixture.
Add chopped pistachios and mix until evenly distributed.
In a greased pan, pour the batter and even it out with a spatula.
Sprinkle remaining chopped pistachio.
Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean.
Enjoy!
Snow Day!
Lots of snow has surrounded our home…and much of Canada and the North-Eastern US states. It looks pretty everywhere we go although we do empathize those who are struggling with wicked weather in their areas. For others in the city, many have declared today a snow day and have taken the day off work. This is conveniently on a Friday before a long weekend, so many people get to enjoy four days off unexpectedly this month.
Luckily, I already had the day off, so I took some time to cook a decent meal and bake something delicious. Yum!
***Banana pistachio cake recipe to be posted tomorrow!***
Winter in the City
We’ve had a string of snowy days and it’s quite beautiful outside. I love brisk walks on cold days, especially when the sun is shining. To give you an idea of my neighbourhood, here are a few photos from some of our days out:
This swarm arrived before the food I brought even hit the ground.
Went across via ferry to the islands for a hike.
Someone forgot to put their boat away.
The changes in temperature caused steam to rise from the lake.
Simple Chia Desserts
I love chia for so many reasons. They have a high amount of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. The whole seeds can easily be broken down and absorbed in the body, unlike other seeds (that you would have to grind up to gain any benefits) and the best part, you can add chia to virtually any dish you like.
Dry Chia
The seeds pretty much don’t have much taste, so you can toss them in sandwiches, salads, soups cereals and more. You can add them as dry seeds or you can soak them in water or milk, which will make them look like little balls of jelly. I soak them in water overnight in a container so they’re ready for breakfast.
Chia Jelly
The photo above is one of the chia milk desserts that we absolutely love in our home. If you would like to try it out sometime, here’s the recipe:
Chia Chai Dessert
Ingredients:
1½ -2½ cups milk
½ cup water
1-2 vanilla chai tea bags (depending on how strong you like the flavour)
3-4 tablespoons honey or cane sugar
1 cup chia jelly
Procedure:
- Soak dry chia seeds in water or milk overnight to create the chia jelly(approximately ½ cup dry chia seeds with 1 cup water/milk equals 1 cup chia jelly.)
- Over medium heat, bring milk to a boil.
- Add vanilla chai tea bags and honey/cane sugar then reduce heat to simmer for approximately 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Once cooled, remove tea bags and add chia to milky chai.
- Spoon into small bowls and enjoy!
If you would like something different for breakfast or a snack, try this one:
Chia Blueberries and Yogurt Dessert
Combine 1 cup fresh blueberries with 4-6 large tablespoons Greek blackberry yogurt and add 3-4 tablespoons chia jelly. You can also add granola or cereal for a healthy breakfast packed with vitamins and minerals (it will also help keep you full for a longer period of time).
If you haven’t had a chance to try chia, I recommend trying it for at least a short period of time to see if it does make a difference in your diet and lifestyle. You can pretty much find it in any health food store or larger grocery store.
Let me know your findings, I would love to hear what you think of chia!
Christmas Shopping
I am one of those people who loves to organize everything well ahead of time. I write lists, include alternatives and always keep everyone in the back of my mind for holiday gifts. This year, I’m just finishing up my Christmas shopping -just a few people left for initial gifts, then the task of wrapping and decorating all of them.
How about you? When do you start/finish your Christmas shopping? 
