PHAB Lifestyle A blog dedicated to a healthy balance

When you are a Mom you get excited about the little things but they seem a lot bigger when your child accomplishes them!  Like today J went tinkle in the toilet!!  Yipeeee!!  He was so darn proud of himself too!  It is a start folks and I hope it happens again real soon!

High five to my little dude for being a big boy today!!

My day started out with a early morning run at 6am.  My bud and I ran 5KM in 30 minutes with hills included.  I think that is pretty good.  It was a lovely summer morning for a run.  I love runs like this morning when it is still quiet and cool enough to not sweat to death.

I was craving some protein after my run this morning so I scrambled up some eggs for J and I for breakfast.

I added spinach and a little bit of cheese for the yummy factor.  I also toasted up a couple slices of Ezekiel bread smeared with raspberry preserves.  It was so delicious!

We also shared the last of the blueberries.

J enjoyed his breakfast as well.  He loves his toast!

After breakfast J and I ran out to do a few errands.  I needed to take back some DVD rentals and go to the grocery store for some fruit.

Since we are having a very warm day here today I wanted something cool and refreshing.

I picked up a Tazo Passion Fruit Tea Lemonade half sweet on the way home!  I forgot how much I loves these!  J had a few sips too.

The loot…

  I got:

• Organic Strawberries
• Organic Blueberries
• Organic Grape Tomatoes
• Kiwi
• Package of small white potatoes
• Lemon
• Asparagus
• Pecans

My plan for supper tonight is to grill up some salmon and I thought some asparagus would be a nice side to it.  I got the small potatoes for the hubs since he does not like asparagus.  The price on the organic berries was so great I was very happy!

Now I think after lunch J and I are going to take advantage of this beautiful day and maybe head out for a nice walk.

Bye for now!

Well sort of.  I found these perfect sized jars on clearance a little while ago and thought that they would be great for nut butter one day.

They have a picture of poinsettia’s on the lid.  But for 2.49 for 4 jars who cares!

This afternoon I decided it was time that I gave Ashley’s Roasted Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter a try. 

Start with naked almonds

Roast them with maple syrup and try not to eat them all when they come out of the oven!

My goodness they were yummy right out of the oven…all gooey and warm!

While I was roasting the nuts I made myself a little afternoon snack.

A cool and frosty green monster.  It had been quite a while since I had one!  I blended it with a scoop of Vega Vanilla Almondilla.  I have been seeing this on a lot of blogs and picked some up to give it whirl. 

I don’t mind the taste of it.  The almond flavour is very pronounced when mixed but still quite good.  Next time I might try the chocolate flavour.

I also added 1/2 a banana, 2 handfuls of spinach, ice and a tsp of maca powder for a little pick me up!  It helped with the growlies and stopped me from eating too many of the roasted almonds!

After the almonds had cooled it was time to grind them up.

This process takes a bit of time about 15 minutes or so.  But after a lot of stopping and scraping the sides of the bowl it got to this lovely buttery state.

Next I added the salt, cinnamon and maple syrup per Ashley’s recipe.

Then you give it a whirl again to combine everything.  Once it is combined you add a little oil (I used grapeseed oil) to thin it out and make it smooth.

An volia!  You have yourself the most awesome and tasty almond butter ever! This stuff is the BOM!  I love..love it!  I had a hard time not dipping my spoon in it again and again and again!! BAH!!

I doubled the recipe and it gave me one full jar and an almost full 2nd jar.  I plan to give the full jar to a friend so I am going to make another batch tomorrow.

You betcha that I will be having this with breakfast in the morning! YUP!

Talking about the morning, I have an early morning run planned so I must get my beauty sleep!

Night my friends!

The time has come in our house to introduce J to the potty.  This morning J and I made a little trip to the store and got a few supplies to start the adventure.  A package of “big boy” pants (aka pulls ups), a little seat for the toilet and a timer.  We are just going to start putting him on a little at a time and the timer will help with that.  Today he sat ok but there was no potty dance…we will get there eventually!  Patience is a virtue!

Before our trip to the store I had another breakfast of VOO this morning..YUM!

I had it along with a steaming cup of joe.

This breakfast will be making A LOT of appearances on the blog this summer.  I just love it!

After rushing around in the store and then heading home it got pretty warm.  I needed a little more power this morning so I made a pit stop at Starbux for an iced latte.

I never finished my whole cup of coffee this morning since I was trying to get J to eat his breakfast so it got cold and I dumped the rest out.  So this gave me what I was missing and then some!

Lunch this afternoon was quick and simple.

A nuked organic sweet potato smeared with a Laughing Cow Cheese wedge and topped with baked beans and a side of steamed fresh broccoli!  Delish!

Creamy, sweet and filling. 

Some sparkling water

and some juicy and cold watermelon for “dessert”.

While J took his nap in the afternoon I got the itch to bake…so I did.  Some yummy High Fibre Double Chocolate muffins actually.

I had to make a few adjustments because the batter seemed a little to soupy to be muffin batter.  But they turned out pretty darn good.  I did cut down on the sugar a little as well.  Since my applesauce was sweetened.

I did not have enough chocolate chips so I also added peanut butter chips to make up for it. 

The end result was moist and a little gooey from the melted chocolate chips.  But I was a little disappointed that the peanut butter chips did not melt as well..not sure why??

They were so good that I ended up eating two!!  Bah…I paid for that one.  My tummy was pretty darn full with all the fibre these babies pack.

So I prepped supper for the hubs and J and then I went to an early Body Pump class since there was no way I was going to be hungry for supper at 6 o’clock!

When I got home from Body Pump I was hungry for supper.  I had a great workout and upped my weight a little this time for my squats.  Oooooo..I felt the burn!

Supper tonight was tacos!

I fixed two for myself on sprouted grain corn tortillas.  I topped the ground bison with avocado, romaine lettuce, and salsa.  I cooked onion and tomato into the meat with a few random spices (ancho chilli powder, granulated garlic, cumin, oregano, sea salt, pepper and red pepper flakes).  It was spicy but very yummy!

Now I am going to go and soak in a hot bath and rest my muscles!

Night!

My weekend has been pretty low key and laid back.  Friday night we enjoyed the nice summer weather we have been having by bbq’ing some hamburgers.

Of course they were served on the pretzel buns I purchased at the farmers market.

I topped my burger with Jack Cheese, spinach, tomato, red onion, pickles and mustard.  YUM!  We also had some backed beans as a side.

I also sipped a ice cold Wrasberry Ale with my meal.  It tasted so good with the burger.

The pretzel buns are so darn good they are salty and chewy and taste awesome with a juicy burger!

Later after supper we decided to take a walk along the river and enjoy the nice evening we were having.

J was happy to go for a walk.

We took a short drive towards downtown and walked along the paths by the Bow River.  There were lots of people out walking, running and biking.

We let J out of his stroller so he could stretch his legs and practice his walking!

He held Mommy’s hand.

He had so much fun!  I loved it.

He likes the grass too!  After this picture he plopped his butt down to take a bit of a rest I think!

Saturday morning I woke up and started my day off with some VOO.

Two cherries on top!

I am just hooked on this breakfast…it is so darn good!  I love the Cherry/Banana soft serve…holy YUM!

After breakfast I went for a run around 11am.  It was just the right weather for it, not too hot and cloudy with a bit of a breeze.  It was also spitting rain out which was kind of nice.  I ran 4.25KM and then called it quits.  I needed a drink bad and it had been awhile since my breakfast.  I should of had a bit of a snack before I left I think.  I made a pit stop on the way home for a sports drink.  I drank it as I walked the rest of the way home…I felt better after gulping it down.

I was sweaty but still felt good afterwards but I was very hungry.  I made my lunch before I showered.  I could not wait!

I threw together a quick but filling lunch.

On two slices of toasted sunflower seed rye bread I put some hummus, tomato paste, a sprinkle of Mrs.Dash and some sliced avocado.

On the side I had a bowl sautéed veggies.  I cooked up a zucchini, yellow pepper and some spinach in EVOO, sea salt and pepper.  It hit the spot.

The rest of my day was spent puttering around the house and then the hubs and I watched a movie later on in the evening.

This morning it was my turn to sleep in and I did till almost 9:30am!!  When I got up I was hungry and was craving some French toast.

I mixed a little mashed banana, 1 egg, 1 egg white and a dash of cinnamon together.  I dredged my whole wheat bread into the mixture and got it nice and coated.  I fried it up in the pan with a little non-stick spray.  Before turning the slices over to cook the other side I sprinkle a little coconut on them.  Mmmmm…it turned out great!  I topped it with blueberries and pure maple syrup….so delish!

For lunch this afternoon we went on a little family outing.  I have been craving a Bagel and Lox all weekend so I got me some this afternoon!

We went to our favourite place Myher’s Deli.

They have the best Bagel and Lox for me and for the hubs the Montreal Smoked Meat his fav.  So we are both happy campers!

J also had a Montreal Smoke Meat sandwich and loved it…just like his father!

After lunch we took a little walk along 17th Avenue since we were close.  They call it Uptown 17th and it has a bunch of cool little shops that line the street for blocks.  It is fun to walk and paroose the stores.  Well we paroosed ourselves right into the Buttercream Bake Shoppe!

They sell the best cupcakes!  I got a Lemon Poppyseed and the hubs got the Blue Vanilla.  We will be sharing these with J later for a little after supper treat!

Well I am going to go and enjoy the rest of my Sunday!

Last night a friend and I took part in the preview to the Calgary Stampede.  They always open up the grounds and midway the evening prior to the official start date of the Stampede called Sneek-a-Peek.  So we decided to go and we are glad we did because the weather was PERFECT for it.  It was warm and not a cloud in the sky!  Plus it is half price to get in.

We got there in the evening and hit the ground running.  We were thirsty and hungry so we scouted out some drinks and grub first.

I got a fresh squeezed lemonade…it is my favourite!

Now we had one thing on our minds for our meal and it had to be BBQ’d beef!  It took us a bit of walking around to find the stand.  While we were walking around we saw some interesting things that is for sure!  Like these..

Like REALLY???  My goodness!

and this….a PORK PARAFAIT???  all I can say is blech!  But deep fried pickles sounded tempting. 

We did find our BBQ’d beef though we just followed the smell of the smoke!

They smoke their meat right there and it smells so good.

I got their basic beef on a bun…

I drizzled it with a spicy bbq sauce..mmmm…so good.  It was super tender and just the right amount of smoky flavour!  Plus this meal was not the worst health wise either.

I washed it down with an icy cold H20.

We did a lot of walking around and checking things out.  We took a walk through the Showhome.  They raffle off a new home every year by a local builder.  It was ok but not good enough to purchase tickets.

We also stopped and just people watched and checked out a few rides.  I loved this ride when I was a young.  The Polar Express.

They play loud 80`s music and the ride goes around backwards really fast.  We stood a watched it for a bit.

Then we just had to indulge!

You just cannot  go to the Stampede without getting a bag of Those Little Donuts.  They are warm and gooey and coated in cinnamon sugar.

This is the only time I will ever really eat donuts….so good!!  I love them when they are hot and fresh.

We were happy gals while snarffing these babies down! YUMMO!

I was a nice wife to my hubs as well and picked up some for him on the way out of the park.

After our donut indulgence we paroosed the grounds a little more and then called it a night.

It was such an absolutely lovely night we decided to walk back to our car.  Which was parked on the other side of downtown. 

It took us about 45 minutes to reach our car and we probably walked about 3 or 4 miles.  It was good actually since we did indulge at the park we walked it off a bit. 

Even though I got home late last night I still managed to get myself up early this morning to go to the Farmer Market. 

I had to get me some of these.

These buns are so darn good.  We like them with hamburgers or even just by themselves.   I got two bags they will go in the freezer for future use as needed.

All of the loot!  I also got a loaf of rye bread with sunflower seeds, organic strawberries and cherries.

I needed to replenish my cherry stash…I don`t like to run out!

I also got a loaf of this bread.  I liked the grainy appearance with the sunflower seeds!

I LOVE grainy bread…yum!

I had a piece with my lunch today.

I toasted a piece and smeared it with spicy hummus to have along with my soup.  Even though it is hot out today I really felt like soup and it hit the spot.  The bread was awesome!

I also had a nice cup of cherries…so darn good!

I just have to say that a cherry pitter is the BEST gadget ever!

I bought this a few weeks ago and I LOVE it!  It is so easy to use and makes eating cherries a joy plus it is great to prep cherries for the freezer too!  If you eat a lot of cherries and hate the pits go and get this gadget for yourself! Now!  It is worth the price.

Well since we have another nice evening we are going to BBQ some hamburgers and take a walk along the river tonight!

Tah..tah!

This morning I was up bright and early to take a run with two friends.  We did a short but quick 3KM.  My one friend is training for a marathon and I tag along on her training runs a couple of days per week.  After my run and a shower I dug into the most delicious breakfast!

Yup, my favourite breakfast by far this summer has been Banana Soft Serve Vegan Overnight Oats!  Thanks to Angela of Oh She Glows it is her recipe   I have been making it for a little while now but last night I prepped some cherries to make Cherry Chocolate Bomb Vegan Overnight Oats.

It turned out delish!

Cherry Bomb Banana Soft Serve:

• process 1 frozen banana with about 1/3 cup frozen cherries

Tah dahhhhhhh!

Cherry Chocolate Bomb Vegan Overnight Oats

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup regular oats
• 1 cup Almond Milk
• 2 tbsp Amazing Grass Amazing Meal Chocolate Protein Powder or Protein Powder of your choice
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp chia seeds

Directions: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl and then add the wet ingredients and whisk. Place in fridge overnight or for 45 mins – 2 hours in the fridge. Make Cherry Bomb soft serve (above) and layer in a dish.

My cup runneth over this morning! Ooops!

These oats are the bomb!  I also but a layer in between of puffed rice cereal and some raw cacao nibs for crunch…mmmmm..YUM!  You can see the layer a little bit in the middle of the glass.

This breakfast is cool, frosty and refreshing on a warm summer morning…I LURVE it!

I topped it off with a cherry…my favourite summer fruit!

Last night I also went and got my feet pampered after my holidays they were looking a little worse for wear.  I even got a little nail art for the first time.

I told her nothing to wild and crazy. I think it turned out pretty cute…I really like it.  I might do it from time to time now for fun.

Tonight a friend and I are going to take a Sneek-A-Peek at the Stampede before it officially starts tomorrow!  We have had a lovely hot day here so it will be the perfect evening to hit the Stampede grounds!

I will be back tomorrow with all the details!

The 2nd part to our vacation was spent camping with the hubby’s parents.  When we got home from B.C. we only spent 24 hours at home and then we were off again!  It was pretty hectic!  We had to unload and then reload to head out to my in-laws the next day.  We store our trailer on their property when we are not using it.

When we got there I needed to clean out the camper and then we went to town and got a some groceries and few other things we needed.

We went camping to a place called the Hummingbird.  It is kind of out in the middle of nowhere Alberta.  It was also a little chilly at night even though it is July.  We had the heater on in our trailer every night!  During the day the weather was pretty nice but at times windy.

It took us about 2 hours to get there from my in-laws place.  A good part of the drive was on dirt roads.  It was so darn dusty!  The inside of our trailer had a film of dust on everything and I spent an hour cleaning when we got there! 

But after everything was cleaned and set up we were all set!

We were camping with a bunch of people that the hubby’s parents camp with every year.  They have quite the set up and it does not feel like roughing it at all even though we were technically “dry” camping (no water or hook ups for the trailer).

Here is a shot of our camp town! Most of the people also bring their horses along to ride the surrounding trails with.  My in-laws brought their horses as well.  The hubs got back on a horse after YEARS!

He got on his Mom’s horse Cash and went with his Dad down to the river to water the horses.  Not a long ride but a ride non the less!  He had to wear his rubber boots since he forgot his cowboy boots!

My father in-law on his horse.

I also got on Cash to make the hubs happy!  He wanted to snap a picture of me…of course!

I was not the happiest person…since I am not really a horse lover!  I sat on Cash for about 5 minutes and then got off!

J also had a seat on the horse with Daddy….

It did not last very long.  J did not like it very much…hmmm..maybe it will grow on him??

Most of our days camping were spent around the campfire and chatting with everyone and just relaxing.  I did a lot of reading and managed to finish a book for once!

J looked so cute sitting in his little chair.  He was a good little camper.

He had a lot of fun.  He went for rides in the cutest little wagon.  I want to get one of these for him.

He loved it!

He played outside a lot!

We tried our best to keep him out of the dirt!  He played with the rope for like an hour..too funny!

Such a cutie patooie!

We also had great camp food of hamburgers and steaks but breakfast is always my fav.  We had eggs every morning with either bacon, sausage or pancakes.  Yum!

It always tastes so good when cooked over the fire.

We also took a little trip and did some very short hikes to see Hummingbird Falls and Ram Falls.

Hummingbird Falls

These Falls are really pretty and a little smaller than Ram Falls.

We could not go too far since we had to carry J in his chariot.

We stuck to the wide trails.

The hubs did a little 4X4 with J in his Chariot!

Next up we went to Ram Falls.

Much bigger!

With a bit of walk down to the platform to get a closer look.

Walking down was easy but coming back up was a bit of a workout!

There were also some mountain sheep soaking up the sun on the side of the hill.

Walking back to the truck.

All in all we had a relaxing vacation.  I sat on my butt most of the time…but that is usually my intention while on vacation.  I like to relax since when I am home I am mostly on the go all the time with J.  I read, played cards did a little hiking and just enjoyed the quiet it was great.

Now we are home and back into the swing of things.  I got my butt back in gear, did a mountain of laundry with still more to DO and got back into our routine.

I also got my lazy self exercising again!  I will post more on that later.

Ta for now!

Just returned a few days ago from 2 weeks of vacation time with my family.  I spent most of it unplugged and away from the computer and cell phone.  It was for the most part relaxing.  We started our vacation at the end of June by going to British Columbia.  We went to Silverstar Resort in Vernon to be exact.

The hubs likes to downhill bike and during the summer at Silverstar you can ride the chair lift and ride your bike down the ski hills.  We met up with a few of his friends and he rode his bike to his little heart content for 4 days.

I hung out with J and relaxed.  The drive to Vernon takes about 8 hours with a toddler since we had to stop and eat and take little breaks so we could stretch our legs.  I packed a cooler with lots of healthy snacks and lunch to munch along the way.

When we got closer to Vernon I made a pit stop at a lovely fruit stand and got some very fresh and local strawberries!  I love the fresh ripe fruit you can get in B.C.

J was a good little traveler for us and did not complain much

We rented a two bedroom condo for the 4 days it was really very nice.  We were however a little disappointed.  We had rented the condo with a hot tub but when we got there we discovered that none of the suite hot tubs were working yet!!  The hubs was not a happy guy!  We did get a refund for it but they really should have told us that when I booked the reservation because we probably would have stayed somewhere else on the hill instead.

This is the main living area and off to the left was a bedroom and then off to the right was the mudroom, bathroom and the master bedroom.

  While we settled in J got out his toys and started playing.Over the next few days the hubs hit the trails hard and J and I just hung out and took little walks.  The weather for the most part was quite nice but at times it could be cool.

I had a little photo sesh with the hubs while we were waiting for his friends.

  Oh…I think there is a bit of a smile in that picture

My seski man!

Getting suited up and ready to go….

Ready and waiting for one more…

off they go.  I hung around the village with J and took a few more pictures.

The village is not very big but it was cute and had a few stores and restaurants.  I did manage to shop while I was there!  I got a t-shirt and a really cute pull over shirt that was half price.  Score!

Pretty hanging baskets of flowers.

I went to this cafe a couple of times for some very delish cafe lattes.  They also had the most amazing pastries and sandwiches.  I should have snapped a picture of them but I did not have my camera with me then. 

A few views of the hill.

The front of the condos we were staying in.  Our condo was on the bottom floor we had a patio and a bbq which we used while we were there.

I did not snap a pictures of what I ate.  I just sat down and ate.   For breakfasts we ate eggs mostly with sausage and bacon for the hubs and one morning was pancakes.  For lunch and suppers were sandwiches, hamburgers, turkey sausage and we had pasta the first night.  One night we ate at one of the restaurants because they were having a party for the first weekend being open for the summer.  They offered free appetizers and prizes so we went to partake in the fun.

Also one night we had a lovely sunset so I snapped a few pics of it.

I loved the orange colors on the clouds it was so pretty and calming.

The day before we left I thought that I would do J’s laundry since he pretty much got everything dirty.  We had a washer/dryer combo in the condo.  J was pretty intrigued with it!

He just sat there and watched it work through the whole cycle…it was too funny!

I would never get a machine like this!  When it went to dry the cloths it did not…would NOT dry them!  I ended up hanging all the damp cloths in the bathroom overnight to finish drying. 

The 4 days that we spent at Silverstar went by pretty fast.  Before we knew it, it was time to pack up and head home.  However, we would not be home for long!  We stay just overnight and then packed up again the next day to head out camping with my hubby’s parents.

Vacation part II to be continued……

I can’t believe that is has been 7 years since we were married!  We were married on June 21st the first day of the summer the longest day of the year!  It was one of the best days of my life that I will never forget.  We had an awesome time!  But the last 7 years have been just as awesome!

We celebrated this year with a fancy shamancy dinner at Capo!

It is a lovely intimate Italian restaurant with a-maz-ing food!  I have always wanted to eat there and had heard and read outstanding reviews about it…so I thought it would be perfect for our Anniversary dinner.

The restaurant was small but quaint with a modern twist.  I loved the dim blue bubble lighting they had.

I started out with a bottle of sparkling water.  I was a little thirsty.  Plus I like to drink a lot of water if I will be consuming wine.

I had a delicious glass of Merlot/Syrah/Sangiovese, Gaja “Promis”.  I am not good with wine lingo but all I can say is it was good!!  I sipped and savoured it throughout my dinner.

The hubs had a martini of sorts.  It had vermouth, vodka and mint leaves and something else I can’t quite remember…it tasted very refreshing but it was strong and meant for sipping that is for sure!  He did however, have another one!

Before we had a look at the dinner menus they brought us a little amuse bouche of a beef meatball with the most incredible sauce and sprinkled with cheese with a little crostini.  It was awesome!

I can still remember tasting this…so darn good!

While we waited for our order they served us some very tasty, chewy and cheesy bread.  The butter was whipped with roasted garlic and sundried tomatoes..again  OMG!  We had seconds of course!

We shared two of their starter plates because we wanted to try almost everything! So we went with:

SEAFOOD
SWEET & SOUR CALAMARI;
WILD SCALLOP CEVICHE WITH TRUFFLE-LIME;
ROASTED PEPPER WITH PRESERVED TUNA AIOLI, 12 YR BALSAMIC

and

CLASSICS
BEEF CARPACCIO WITH PICKLED EGGPLANT;
PARMA PROSCIUTTO WITH CONFIT MELON;
MASCARPONE ARANCINO WITH CHEESE FONDUE

By far our favs were the Sweet and Sour Calamari and the Mascarpone Arancino with cheese fondue…holy YUM!

This was perfect for sharing because everything was small enough for the hubs and I to have a bit of each of them.

Next up we had a course they call in-between.  We decided to share the gnocchi.

HOUSE MADE RICOTTA DUMPLINGS, LOBSTER AMERICAINE SAUCE, BLACK TRUFFLE OIL & MICRO GREENS

This dish was off the charts de-lish!  It was KILLER!  I loved…loved…loved it!  So rich and creamy.  I savoured every single bite!  The gnocchi were so tender and practically melted in my mouth.  This was the best gnocchi I have ever had.  Plus having the big chucks of lobster in the middle was so decedent!

The hubs enjoyed his too!

He was tempted to lick the bowl…

but did a pretty good job with just his spoon! HA!

After we had a chance to digest a bit it was time for the main course!

I had the Ocean’s Three

SCALLOP:  SEARED WILD, ISRAELI COUS-COUS, VERJUS;
GREEN TIGER PRAWN:  POTATO-APPLE SALAD, SMOKED PAPRIKA OIL;
FISH OF THE DAY:  BAKED, PUTTANESCA SAUCE, MICRO GREENS

It was again delicious!  The best part of the dish was the Seared wild scallop with the Israeli cous-cous…Oh my goodness!!  The scallop was so tender and just melted in my mouth…wonderful!  The Fish of the day was halibut.  It was meaty and tender and went so well with the puttanesca sauce.

My meal was also served with the cutest little pot of grilled veggies

It contained zucchini, grape tomatoes, onions and snap green peas sautéed in EVOO and garilc with herbs.  I ate it all!

Hubby had the Lean Cuts

LAMB:  GRILLED RACK-CHOP WITH TOMATO & OLIVE VINAIGRETTE;
BEEF:  CREPINETTE OF FILET WITH CAMPANIA’S SUNDAY RAGOUT;
VEAL:  CALZONE STYLE, TALEGGIO-HAM FILLING & BEECHWOOD MUSHROOM SAUCE

I had a bite of the Lamb.  Usually I am not a real fan of that type of meat but it was very good and very tender.  He enjoyed his meal thoroughly!

You would think that we would not have room for dessert after a feast like this but since this was a special dinner we had to partake in dessert.  Plus their dessert menu sounded way to good to pass up!

I picked the Panna Cotta

VANILLA BEAN/BUTTERMILK PUDDING WITH RHUBARB
CONSOMME & ORANGE CAT TONGUE COOKIES

It was light but rich and so darn yummy!  The berries and rhubarb consommé paired so well with it!  I practically licked the plate clean.  I also had a few of the cookies, they were light, crisp and slightly sweet.

I also had a decaf cafe Latte that I forgot to snap a picture of.  It smelled and tasted amazing.

The hubby had a very rich dessert of:

HOT TORTE, BANANA-CARAMEL ICE-CREAM &
GIANDUJA MOUSSE

I am not sure how he finished it all but he did!  I had a small bite of the Hot torte is was very good and very chocolaty!

It was a very gastronomic evening but hey it was a celebration and we love our food!  So every once in a while it is fun to indulge especially when you visit a restaurant as nice as Capo.

Now I have plans to pack..pack..pack!  We leave for vacation in T minus 2 days!  We are headed to B.C. for a little relaxation and mountain biking fun!  Then after that we are off to go camping with my hubby’s parents.

Better get my butt in gear…

Bye for now!

On Saturday Devin, Jaxin and I did a 3KM walk for Ups and Downs.  It turned out to be a very lovely sunny day for it too!  Thank goodness because our weather has been pretty crappy thus far this spring!

This is a great association for people with Down Syndrome that we support and are a part of.  Lots of families turned out for the walk.  Team Jaxin managed to raise $6,710.00 in total for Ups and Downs and was the top fundraising team!   We were thrilled to say the least!  In total about $40,000 dollars was raised by this event.

The walk was held at Fish Creek Park in the south side of the city.  We got to the park at 9am for the registration.  Then we hung out a little bit and chatted with a few other families before the walk started at 10:15am.

While we waited we listened to some music.  They had a girl singing some cute catchy tunes and they also had a clown for the kids who was making some animal balloons.

Jaxin sat in his stroller and watched.

After a little bit we took him out and let him stretch out his legs a little.  He went for a walk with Mommy!

Then it was time to get lined up at the start for the walk.

There was also a 10Km run as well.  The runners started first.  There was just a few of them.

Then it was our turn…

We started off in a huge pack then we spaced out a little once everyone set their pace.

It was such a warm and beautiful day for a walk.

When we finished the walk it was time for a little BBQ lunch!

They gave out hamburgers, hotdogs, all the fixins, chips, water and juice.  It was very yummy…we were a hungry bunch!

We got our lunch and sat down and enjoyed it in the warm sunshine.

  After lunch it was starting to get warmer and Jaxin needed a little stretch again so we went for another little stroll.

He was so funny…he kept wanting to walk towards the bushes and play with them.  He was very fascinated by it all!

He was very happy after doing some big boy walking!

We hung around for a little bit after all the festivities to see if we won anything from the raffle tickets that we had bought.  There were some great prizes.  I was VERY excited when she called my number!!  I had won a $100.00 dollars in gift cards to spend at one of our malls in the city.  I practically sprinted up to get my prize I was so excited!!  The hubs unfortunately did not get any pictures of it…boo!

After the numbers were called we packed it up and headed home.  It had been a long day!

Next up….a celebration!