When looking through the recipes I’ve shared with you, I noticed that there seems to be a lack of a great bar recipe. I shared this recipe for brownies a while back, and decided to try out the Magnolia Bakery’s recipe for Blondies with Cream Cheese Swirl and Pecan. I was skeptical that a bar recipe having not a drop of chocolate could stand up to a chewy brownie, but I was proven otherwise. The combination of the brown sugar, toasted pecans, and tangy cream cheese ensured that I couldn’t stop at just three one. The sugary, chewy texture with the occasionally crunch of a pecan…it was love at first bite.
When I lived in Edmonton I had a lovely girlfriend introduce me to a local, specialty tea shop. It was the first time I had heard of anything other than the teas you can buy in bulk at the grocery store. It took all of ten seconds for me to fall in love and purchase the most delicious bags of tea. So when I decided to start planning a tea party for my best gals, I knew there had to be a self serve Tea Bar involved. Especially after the Champagne Bar at my Oscar party was such a success. I found flavored sticks of honey and agave, a choice of iced or hot tea, and multiple flavors of the most delicious tea I could get my little hands on. The only thing left..perhaps a few spirits to make these spiked teas.
Rag & Bone Blouse (different color), Paige Premium Denim, Burberry Trench, Fiorentini & Baker Boots (similar here), Escada Scarf (similar here and here), Tiffany Earrings, Celine Handbag
Even though it snowed the majority of the weekend here in YYC, in an effort to remain positive I switched out my fall/winter wardrobe for my spring/summer threads. I pack away my out of season items to create more room in the closet. It’s so much easier getting dressed when you know that everything in front of you is season appropriate. One of the top items that I was ecstatic to see again was my trusty trench coat. It never fails me, and with the exception of the coldest days of winter and the warmest days of summer, I can basically wear it year round. It has been exceptionally handy these past few days, and I would absolutely label it my number one spring essential. That and a crisp glass of rosé, it is almost patio season after all.
I’ve always had a thing for cheesecake, and I would often bake my own, using a more simplified version on the back of the Philly cream cheese package, inside a pre-made crust. I haven’t made a simplified cheesecake in forever, and a proper, fancy one, ever. So when my girlfriend suggested a baking date, I jumped at the chance to have a buddy in the kitchen. We used this recipe for Espresso Chocolate Cheesecake, and used Oreo cookie crumbs for the crust. Don’t let the multiple steps intimidate you, it’s well worth the effort. This is absolutely one of the most delicious things I’ve made and I know it will be close at hand for when I need to impress my dinner guests.
Earlier this week Jaclyn of Sharing My Sole tagged me to share five things about myself that may not be known to my readers. I’ve loved reading about other blogger’s fun facts, so I’m sharing my own below.
- I’ve only had stitches once in my life. I was five and thought it would be clever to scale my brother’s dresser by pulling out the drawers and using them as stairs. I still have the scar.
- I have asthma. It’s well managed but created havoc in my earlier years.
- Due to point #2 I wore a fanny pack for many years. But it was neon and super cool. It housed my inhalers, thus the need to wear it 24/7.
- I have a closet similar to Monica’s secret closet in Friends. It’s where all the junk goes to die, and I would be mortified for anyone to see it. At least twice a year I pull everything out, rearrange it, and shove it back in.
- I had a pet gerbil when I was younger. There’s photo evidence of me loving, playing and cuddling it. You couldn’t pay me to touch a gerbil these days, they actually make me squeamish in the pet store. I still can’t believe we got that one past my mom.
Okay, next up let’s here from the lovely ladies Kate, Sheri-Ann and Lisa!
