I miss this: Vancouver.

So, there were a few flakes of snow swirling through the air this afternoon.  I almost cried.  And then I decided it was time to focus on happier times, when there wasn't even a hint of snow in mind, like the week I spent in Vancouver at the end of August.  Although there was quite a bit of cloudiness the sun did peek out and I even spent one day at Kits Beach!

Some of my favourite places to visit in Vancouver are Granville Island, Main Street (which contains The Regional Assembly of Text, Barefoot Contessa and 49th Parallel/Lucky's Donuts - which are the cutest stationery store/sweetest clothing store/best coffee & donuts respectively), Kits beach, English Bay, Commercial Drive and Yaletown (mainly so I can visit The Cross Design!)

As you can tell, I spent a rather large amount of time in 49th Parallel...so much so that I think I was starting to get odd looks from the baristas.

I bought the cutest stationery and stamps!  So if anyone would like to be my pen pal....just let me know.

I hope you all have the sweetest week!  You can see more photos of my Vancouver adventure in my instagram feed @taylorstoesz.  xo, T.

mint & peonies.

So, unlike last summer which was full of constant baking and crafting and making, this summer, so far, has been full of adventures, books, bike rides and coffee dates.  Namely, things that I'm not really used to blogging about.  But I missed you guys so I thought I would try and mix it up and see what happens!

When I moved out in January my dad gave me this sweet little vintage cabinet for our living room.  I really wanted to refinish/re-paint it right away, but seeing as how there was 6 feet of snow on the ground and and I didn't really want to cover my hardwood floors in mint paint it got moved in as-is.  I finally got around to re-painting it today, and I am so so glad I did it.  It looks so much better, a little mint paint can fix anything!  I love the curves along the bottom and how the front hinges down to open up.  It's the perfect size to display pretty blooms, sweet dishes and lovely little bottles of perfume!

 Do you have any chipped, unfinished or sad looking pieces of furniture lying around that need a little love?  Make it your summer project!  It can give a completely new life to an object that's been sitting in your basement forever and make you love it all over again.

To re-paint my cabinet I sanded all the surfaces just enough to rough up the surface a bit, wiped it all down with a damp cloth to remove the sawdust, let it dry, applied one coat of primer and two coats of paint, letting dry sufficiently between each coat.  From start to finish it only took 2 and a half hours. It was a sweet way to spend my morning in my sunny backyard.

You cannot believe how happy I am to have summer and the warm weather here!  I am so excited for all the fun things the next two months hold! xo, T.

d.i.y. chalkboard paint plant pots

It's gradually starting to feel like summer here.  It snowed three weeks ago, and by this point I think we've all just decided to bypass spring and go straight to summer!

One of my favourite parts of warmer weather is when the greenhouses open and all of a sudden my parent's yard is filled with colourful blooms and new little buds.  I love love love flowers.  However, I tend to be a horrible gardener...after three weeks I get distracted and I forget to weed/water.. and everything dies.  So this year I decided to start small and manageable with pots, I feel this will end far nicer.  They make my house so much prettier!

And to make things even more fun I decided to add some chalkboard paint, because chalkboard paint makes everything far more fantastic!

Things you need:
_chalkboard paint.  I used Rust-Oleum.
_terracotta pots.
_paint brush.  And if you're fanatical about straight lines, painter's tape.

What you do:
1.  draw out your shape on your pot with a pencil.  I decided to go with two hearts and a triangle.
2.  using the paintbrush (smaller is better) paint in your shape, starting with the outline and then painting your way inwards.  If you require straight edges I would recommend taping off your shape with painter's tape!
3.  finish painting in your shape, making sure your layer of paint is smooth and even.
4.  let your pots dry according to manufacturer's directions.  Mine called for a three day drying time.
5.  one dry, prime your chalkboard surface by rubbing the side of a piece of chalk across the surface and then wiping off with dry cloth.  This helps it to erase better.

And you're done!  Now you can make a pretty label for your new plant that you can redesign on a whim!

I think these would make the sweetest housewarming gift!  Is your house or yard starting to look like summer?  xo, T.

eat me:. whole wheat saskatoon shortcake.

So, it's already the middle of August, and I'm already dreading the end of summer. I really like being warm, being outside all the time in the sunshine and the chance to go to the beach. In an effort to prolong summer as long as possible I decided to bake the most summery dessert I could think of, shortcake. Shortcake is the quintessential summer dessert to me, light and sweet with fresh whipped cream and fruit. I decided to make it the prairie girl version by swapping the usual strawberries with saskatoons. Best choice ever.

Whole wheat Saskatoon Shortcake. Shortcake recipe modified from joy the baker.

for the shortcake:

1 C. flour.

1 C. whole wheat flour.

1/4 C. sugar.

2 tsp. baking powder.

1/3 C. cold butter, cut into small cubes.

1 large egg.

1 tsp. vanilla extract.

1/2 C. milk.

sugar for sprinkling.

In a bowl sift together flours, sugar and baking powder. cut in butter with a fork or pastry cutter until it looks crumbly. mix together wet ingredients. form a well in the centre of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients, slowly mixing together. Knead together and transfer to a floured surface, kneading and stretching a few times. Form into a rectangle approximately 6"x9". I made my cakes smaller than suggested so they weren't so thick. this makes nine shortcakes. if your prefer larger, thicker pieces then form the dough into 4"x 7" and cut into six pieces. sprinkle tops with sugar and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. let cool.

for the whipped cream:

1 C. whipping cream.

1 tsp. sugar.

in an electric mixer beat the cream and sugar on high until soft peaks form. don't overbeat. you can also do this by hand, it'll just take a while longer.

for the saskatoon compote:

2 C. saskatoons.

1 1/2 C. sugar.

in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat bring saskatoons and sugar to a boil, stirring constantly throughout. let simmer for a minute or two then transfer to a bow and let cool, it should thicken up quite a bit.

To serve cut short cakes in half and layer on whipped cream and saskatoons to your hearts content.

Have the sweetest rest of your summer! xo, T.

d.i.y:. painted glasses.

So kitchen items are my favourite things ever.  Nothing makes me happier than getting to use my vintage seafoam green mixer or finding more vintage plates to add to my collection.  So far I have a pretty good stash of things for when I move out, dishes, mixing bowls, small kitchen appliances and measuring cups are all covered.

The only things missing on my list are cutlery and glasses.  I have been in search for the perfect vintage juice glasses for a very long time and although I still refuse to give up on this goal I decided that maybe it would be fun to paint my own glasses.  I used mason jars as my glass of choice because they're inexpensive and sweet looking, but you can use any kind of plain glass of your liking!  I really love how they turned out!

Things you need:
_glasses.  i used 500ml mason jars.
_paint brush.
_glass paint.  i used martha stewart all surface paint from michaels.  it is apparently dishwasher safe on glass, but i have yet to see.

steps:
1_choose your designs and practice drawing them out a few times.  i suggest not picking anything too complicated since you are going to be free-handing it on a curved surface.  i chose to do three with the word "drink"  and some little flowers and three with a pattern of leaves.
2_clean glasses with rubbing alcohol or window cleaner to remove oil/grease, let dry then start painting.  go slow and take your time.  if your jar has a pattern on it i suggest sticking only to the smooth portion to make it a bit easier.  embrace the fact that this is your own personal set of glasses and that they won't be perfect and that each one will be a little different.
3_to get a more opaque design i suggest doing multiple coats, letting the paint dry in between.  i did two coats.
4_continue painting all of your lovely glasses with as many designs as you like.  try using the back end of your paint brush to create cleaner looking polka dots.
5_you have a lovely set of new glasses! let dry according to manufacturers directions.  for this paint it has to cure for 21 days before being washed or filled with liquid.  apparently they are dishwasher safe, but i will let you know how that goes when i have the chance to try it.

When your glasses are finally cured use them to enjoy your favourite drink, like raspberry lemonade, or lemonade + cucumber +gin.  I'm really into lemon right now.

Now all I need is a cute little apartment, and maybe some cutlery.

Have a beautiful week! xo, T.

lake life.

Going to the lake is one of my favourite summer things.  My family has been going to Clear Lake for most of my life and I love it, we've made tons of family friends who have also been going every year for the past 13 or so years and it's neat to see them again every summer!

We stay in this a little cottage suite in this tiny old motel with wood paneling, that is super tacky.  One of the units has a woven panda rug on the wall and the tables are faux wood.  It's so bad it's endearing. I love it.  My aunt and little cousins come now which is super fun and gives me an excuse to do crafts and go to the park all day!

The little town that we stay in is called Wasagaming and it has a lovely log cabin theatre and so many cute shops, all right on the lake!  Here are some of my favourite shots from our trip in early July, the fireworks are from Canada Day!

on the way there we stopped to visit my grandma in portage, and then I made my dad stop so I could run through a canola field.

scrases is an old general store that has now been converted to an awesome cafe, a clothing store, candy shop and sweet little jewelery store!

Yep, that's my family, group tie dye and all.  We are the coolest.  This would only happen at the lake.

Have a lovely week! xo, T.

eat me: saskatoon tarts.

It's summer time now in the prairies and you know what that means? Saskatoons! hurray!  Saskatoons are one of my favourite summer berries, and I just happen to be lucky enough to have a saskatoon tree in my backyard.  I think the previous owners dug it out of a ditch and replanted it.  Good for them.

You might remember these tarts from last august, when I made a rhubarb version and was super excited because for once my oven didn't burn the crust.  This tart crust is pure magic I tell you.  Therefore it was clearly the only option for my precious saskatoons.  This time around I added a little bit of lemon and swapped the milk for almond milk, just to see.  I love lemon and cornmeal together and the almond milk didn't change anything, the dough was still perfectly cooked and flakey!

Saskatoon tarts - adapted from recipe posted here last August.

cornmeal tart dough

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fine cornmeal
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces (if using unsalted butter add 1 teaspoon of salt to dry ingredients.)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons almond milk (or any kind of milk)
2 egg yolks
1/2 a lemon, zested and juiced.
1 batch Saskatoon Compote (recipe below)
Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or a fork until the consistency of bread crumbs. Stir the eggs, lemon juice, zest and milk into the mixture and mix gently. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a single ball.

Divide dough into 10 even balls and flatten each piece of dough into a five inch circle or so, so its about 1/8 inch thick, using the heel of your hand and gently pressing out the edges with your fingertips.

Place three spoonfuls of saskatoon compote into the centre of each piece of dough and fold us the edges, pinching and folding as you go around the circle.

Carefully transfer the tarts to a baking sheet using a spatula. Either line the baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease it with butter to keep the tarts from sticking. Place in the freezer and freeze until firm, at least one hour or up to two weeks, tightly wrapped.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake from frozen for approximately 30 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and the bottoms are golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. They can be stored up to two days in an airtight container or can be kept in the freezer until needed and baked on a whim! Makes 10.

Saskatoon compote
3 1/2 cups of saskatoons
1 cup minus one tablespoon white sugar

Place three cups of saskatoons in a medium saucepan with the sugar. Heat on medium low, covered, for 20 minutes. It will thicken and the berries will soften.
Uncover and turn up the heat to medium. Cook for another 15 minutes or so, or until the saskatoons are bubbling and soft. Add in the remaining saskatoons, pour in a bowl (or multiple bowls to cool faster) and place in the fridge to chill.

The compote lasts for up to one week in the fridge and is also delicious on yogurt!
Enjoy! xo, T.

eat me: grapefruit yogurt cake.

Happy Wednesday!  So, you know that's kind of exciting.  Want to know what else is exciting?

Grapefruit.

yep. 

I don't really know where it came from, but all of a sudden one afternoon it struck me that grapefruit is like, always left out of desserts.  Orange is in everything.  Lemon has a square.  Lime has a pie.  And grapefruit has nothing.  At least nothing I've tasted.  How incredibly unfair.  I decided this needed to be fixed immediately and the result is a delicious one.
This cake is super simple- one of the only things I bake that can be thrown together in one bowl - and super summery.  It's light, and moist, not super sweet and the citrusy taste is nice and refreshing.  And it has yogurt in it.  So it's healthy!! Sort of.

grapefruit yogurt cake. modified from Martha Stewart

1 C. flour.
1/2 C. sugar.
1/2 tsp. baking powder.
1/8 tsp. baking soda.
1/2 C. plain yogurt.
1/4 C. vegetable or canola oil.
zest of one grapefruit.
juice of half a grapefruit.
1 egg.
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.
1 grapefruit, segmented and zested for garnish.

sift together dry ingredients.  add yogurt, oil, zest, juice, egg and vanilla, beating after each addition.  pour into a prepared 9-10 inch baking pan, baking at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

dust with powdered sugar and garnish with grapefruit segments.

Enjoy! xo, T.

drink me: rhubarb soda.

Well it's mid June and my rhubarb plant is finally ready to be picked! I've waited all year to have rhubarb again so I decided I needed to make something new and special out of it. For some reason all I've talked about with my friends lately is flavoured syrups and sodas, probably because we're so very awesome. So I decided that this would be a perfect moment to make some of my own! It makes a super delicious and refreshing summery drink! I'm excited to use the same basic recipe to make a whole bunch of different drink syrups over the summer.

rhubarb simple syrup.

3/4 C. brown sugar.
1/2 C. water.
2 C. coarsely chopped rhubarb.

In a small saucepan bring the water and sugar to a boil on medium-low heat, stirring every once in a while to keep the sugar from burning. Add rhubarb and bring back to a boil, simmer for a few minutes and then remove from heat. Let steep for one hour and strain. Makes one cup. Store in the fridge in jar or other airtight container. The stewed rhubarb can be reserved to eat with yogurt or just on its own!

Simple syrup on it's own is just the sugar and water, so you could replace the rhubarb with anything, I think that peaches, pears, lemons or grapefruits would make a really delicous drink as well!

To make into soda pour 3 tbsp into a glass, add ice and top with sparkling water.

Enjoy! xo. T.

summery evenings and exciting engagements.

Happy September! 

Now that work is finished the past week and a half have flown by with getting things together for school, baking, kayaking trips (photos to come!) - and wedding related events.  yes.  weddings.

Last weekend specifically was full of wedding loveliness, with two friends very sweet wedding day in Morden - pictures of which do not exist because I was too busy dancing around with glow sticks.  yes.  mennonites love glowsticks - and then my very beautiful cousin's engagement party the following evening.

It was a gorgeous, sunny evening at Assiniboine park, sitting on a tucked away little patio with family and watching the sun set through the lovely prairie grasses.

It was a delightful, calm summery evening with the best food and cake and a chance to spend time with my lovely girl cousins, who just happen to have matching nose piercings - you can tell we're related!

Needless to say I'm pretty pumped for their wedding.  As a general rule I'm pretty pumped for anything that invovlves pretty things, dresses and dance parties.  I'm quite certain Andrea introduced me to Tyler's parents as "this is my cousin, she's super excited for the wedding."  yep.

So, so very lovely!

They have the sweetest engagement story, something involving surprises, explosions, hills and an inevitable yes!  Although I think it happened a little more gracefully than that all sounds.

And finally, everyone's favourite part, cake!  They did a very lovely job of humouring everyone cutting it, since this will be the only cake photo op!

The cake was amazing - and I have high cake standards - chocolate with raspberry buttercream in towering slices.  So very delightful!

I cannot wait  for their wedding, and all the lovely little things leading up to it.  Next up is the shower, and mass amounts of cupcakes and other treats, perhaps you'll get a peek at it too!  xo.