Peach Cobbler

I had not baked for a really long time and yesterday I suddenly had the urge to turn on the oven. I had been depriving myself of desert and decided it was time to give in. So, I went on to the Martha Stewart site and the first thing that caught my eye was all about peaches. I love peaches! Last year I went peach picking and had enough peaches to last a month and it was awesome! I decided to go with a peach cobbler. I love apple cobbler but feel it's so overdone and actually kinda boring now so why not substitute the apples with fresh, sweet, summer peaches!? The end result was amazing, especially when paired with creamy french vanilla ice cream! The bf liked it so much he had to have two servings. I will definitely be making this one again :)

Click here for the recipe. 

Summer Travels - Sarajevo

So it's that time of year again when the bfs parents hop on a plane and head to the wonderful world of Croatia ... sigh. I am soooo jealous and wish I was able to go this year! There is so much of Europe to explore and I only just got started ... I had dreams of going to Italy then taking the ferry to Split this summer but just started my job and it's a little early to be taking my three weeks vaca. So ... I'll just have to reminisce about the time I spent at the beach house last summer. I guess I already did that didn't I? If you missed that post click here.

A view of the city from one of the surrounding mountains.  

The Famous Latin Bridge  

Another wonderful place close to Croatia is Sarajevo which I also visited last summer. I had the privilege of staying at the bf's parent's condo in the heart of the city. I love this city which is nestled in the valley of the surrounding mountains.  It has so much history which is unfortunately tainted by the Bosnian War. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip which encompassed trying out local foods, visiting some mosques, churches and museums and spending time with the bf's family.

One of my favourite things about the city is the Turkish influence. You can get hookah (shisha) on every corner and sit down and drink turkish coffee.

I also love that people in Sarajevo spend time outside, walking around, gathering around the numerous courtyards and fountains and enjoying drinks on the wide patios that take up whole streets. I guess these are characteristics of most European cities (the bf has been telling me this for years). I didn't know because I had never been to Europe but definitely wish we had more of an "outdoor culture" here in Canada.

lots of patios in this city. 

The food here is also amazing ... 

Super delicious cevapi 

I also drank boza

and ate a lot of hazelnut spreads 

Word on the street is that this little window in an alley is the best bakery in town. We got some donuts and pretzels and it was delicious!

Happy Tuesday!!

Awenda Camping Adventure!

Last weekend my friends and I headed up to Awenda Provincial Park for the weekend. My friend Seanna was visiting from Vancouver so we took the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors together! I think this was hands down the best camping trip I've even had. Us girls were all roommates back in university and it was so wonderful to spend some quality time together and reminisce. We shared a lot of laughs and it was so nice to get out of the city. We had no rain and I didn't get eaten alive by mosquitoes :)

Our tent which is surprisingly big on the inside. We had some difficulty pitching it and it was a race against the dark but it all worked out!

For camping we had some gourmet meals! We had yummy salads and an eggplant parmesan casserole that I made. YUM! How could I forget about the s'mores? I think the bf must have had like 4 of them lol! They are soo good. I have some graham crackers left and am tempted to make them at home. I know it won't be the same though :(

Of course we also ate hot dogs and other traditional camping food. We had a great day at the beach and my friend's pug tagged along on this trip. 

Me and my girls!

Overall, the trip was a success. I love camping and am hoping to do some camping with the bf this September. We just have to expand our stash of camping gear.

Do you like camping?

Summer Nights

So it's almost 11pm on a Wednesday night and here I am doing a last minute post. Problem is ... I am not at all tired. I just spent the last 1.5 hours playing tennis with the bf and am now feeling invigorated AND WIDE AWAKE! I have not played tennis since high school and really enjoyed it. I would like to spend many more summer nights playing tennis. 

What's your favourite activity to do on a summer night (aside from the obvious of having some food or drinks on a patio with friends)? 

Sigh ... I know I said that I would post about all the yummy stuff I ate while in Vancouver but it's my blog and I felt like writing about this instead haha! Hope you are all getting through the week okay. Even though it's a short work week, I am ready for Friday.

 I promise to follow through on that next Vancouver post ... :) 

~B

Summer Travels: Gradac, Croatia

Like most people I know, I love to travel. If I had the money and time I would travel the world, twice. Recently, the bf and I have been discussing our summer plans which has got me reminiscing about our 2011 summer travels. I hate the idea of travelling, taking lots of pictures and then coming home and basically forgetting about all the fun I've had. This often happens to me because like most of us I return home and jump right back into work mode. So for these reasons I have decided to dedicate a few posts to my 2011 summer travels ... 

The bf's parents own a beach house on the Croatian coast and go there every summer. I had never been and was super excited to finally go to Europe and spend time at the beach house, which I had heard so much about. We landed in Split and took a bus to Gradac ... 

Gradac is a small town on the Croatian Coast. If you squint at the picture below you will see that it is located about half-way between Split and Dubrovnik which have become popular tourist destinations, especially amongst young people. 

Here's the view from the house which is located near the top of a hill ... 

Gradac is a family vacation destination so there are lots of children running around and playing in the water. The scenery is beautiful and I especially love the mountains. 

Life at the beach house is awesome! It basically involves going to the beach, sitting under the fig tree reading, eating yummy food and sharing some drinks on the patio in the evenings.

The daily walk through the town to the beach ...

A typical lunch ... 

Although the beach is rocky and crowded, there's no complaining about the warm, crystal clear waters of the Adriatic. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the time I spent at the beach house. It was super relaxing and fun. If I could, I would return this year and spend some time in Italy before heading to Croatia. Oh ... I will just keep dreaming :)

Another plus is Gradac's central location to Split and Dubrovnik which are just a bus ride away ... 

Beach Dreamin'

Lately I have been dreaming about the beach. Toronto has been dull, rainy and cold lately and although we had a mild winter I find myself eager for spring and the sun and warmth that summer brings. I can't wait to hear the sound of flip-flops!