April Wish List

April Wish List

Friday 28 April 2017

So, the end of April has come and what a month its been! I often spend the last few days of a month reflecting on the things I have learned, experienced, and felt throughout the month. I figured that since I have been posting more regularly, a blog post would be a great place to document these thoughts and feelings!

An important thing that happened this month is that I finished University(!) - I hope to convocate in June! I wrote my last exam on the morning of the 19th, afterwards I enjoyed a latte sitting on a bench in the courtyard of Uni. A monumental life change like this has many side effects - things like having to find a job, moving home, and other changes. I went from studying constantly with endless looming deadlines, to sleeping in and doing fun relaxing things like baking, bathing, reading, and watching Netflix! Its been a sharp change in lifestyle, but I have gotten some much needed relaxing after 4 long years of school work.

More importantly is how I have been feeling through out the month. Jason and I have been composting for over a year now, so conscious consumerism, sustainable living, and environmentalism have been in my thoughts for a long time. I have recently transposed that kind of thinking to my feelings and knowings about life. I have found it increasingly important to recognize how all aspects of my life are connected, intertwined, and intersecting - (a snippet of ecofeminism for you 😉). Anyway, this has shaped my train of thought and has influenced the sort of things which I have been wanting to collect through purchasing and by making.

So, long story short, my April wish list consists of products which I have considered in environmental, sustainable, and local context. This has sparked my interest into "slow fashion," so here is a list of some of the items that I wish I could add to my collection!

1. The Sandy by Sevilla Smith

This is a handmade shoe designed to last, or so I've heard! I would absolutely LOVE a pair of these shoes. They are timeless, stylish, and could go with any outfit, making them incredibly practical. They are handmade in Barcelona, Marrakesh, Philadelphia - all depending on where the travelling lady goes. I highly recommend you give her website a visit and read the wonderful story behind the brand.

(Image by Sevilla Smith, Etsy) 

2. The Florence Short by Elizabeth Suzann

I own one piece of Elizabeth Suzann clothing (see my review here), and spoiler alert(!), I absolutely love it. The quality is impeccable, the attention to detail is apparent, and the Elizabeth Suzann business model is extremely attractive to those of us who care about slow fashion and slow, sustainable living. These shorts are beautiful and I can just picture myself barefoot in the garden on a warm July day wearing them!

(Image By Elizabeth Suzann)

3. Perforated Leather Crossbody Bag by Pine and Boon

I am a lover of cross-body bags! I have been wearing the cork cross-body by Matt & Nat for several years now, and although it hasn't worn out, I have had my eye on this one by Pine and Boon for a while. The bags are handcrafted locally in the United States.

  

(Image By Pine and Boon)

Maybe one day I can add one of these lovely items to my collection of things ... after a wardrobe clear-out, or two. 

I hope to continue the monthly wishlist into the future, keeping sustainability, slow fashion, and slow living in mind!

Thanks for reading,

Madison xx

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Heart of Palm Pasta Sauce

Heart of Palm Pasta Sauce

Thursday 27 April 2017

The star of the show in this dish is Heart of Palm! This vegetable is super delicious and often used in salads, or just eaten whole. I decided to play around with them a bit and figured out that they are also super delicious when they are cooked! This is a tomato based pasta sauce that goes perfectly with spaghetti, tagliatelle, pappardelle, among others! Feel free to pair this sauce with whatever pasta you have on hand!

Directions

In a wide bottomed sauce pan, heat both garlic and olive oil on medium heat. Add the anchovy fillet and allow it to melt. You can add as many as you like, depending on taste. I prefer the subtlety of one.

Add in the crushed tomatoes, diced heart of palm, capers, and sugar. Stir to combine and allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to your desired taste. (Keep in mind, the anchovy gives a salty flavour). Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In another pan, add a splash of olive oil and turn it on medium heat. Allow the oil to heat thoroughly and then add the chopped mushrooms.

Once the mushrooms have cooked down, turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Season lightly.

After the tomato mixture has simmered for 15 minutes, add the mushroom and parsley mix and stir to combine - simmer for another 10 minutes. Add in a splash of pasta water if the sauce becomes too thick - this allows the sauce to thin out slightly.

Finish off the sauce with a healthy grating of parm and sprinkling of fresh parsley!

Serve over freshly cooked pasta & enjoy!

Let me know if you re-create this recipe & be sure to come back for more!

Thanks for reading,
Madison xx

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Portree | what to See in Scotland

Portree | what to See in Scotland

Wednesday 26 April 2017

The largest town on the Isle of Skye is Portree - nestled by the ocean, surrounded by rugged hills. Skye itself is a wonderful place to visit, with lots of hikes (see my post on the Fairy Pools), dramatic landscapes, a rich history, and wonderful winding roads to drive on. Amidst all of the nature, there are a few towns scattered throughout the island which provide rich local culture and some great attractions. 

Portree has a plethora of colored buildings which are extremely pleasing to the eye! When you walk around the harbor you can get quite great views of these buildings - opportunities for 'instagram worthy' pictures are plenty!  

When I last visited Portree, the old stone church building in the picture above (directly above the light green and blue house) was open to the public and had a lovely local market going on inside! There were local vendors with their products, lots of knitting, wool, local art, and other goodies! I strolled the market with my grandpa, a memory I will not forget any time soon.

Wentworth Street in downtown Portree is filled with shops and cafes, we ate lunch at "the Cafe" which is the floor level of the Caledonian hotel. I had a delicious milkshake which was topped with whipped cream and other goodies like cookies and sprinkles, it was great! There are only a few major streets in Portree, but they all have some sort of cool shop or cafe.

Another great place to eat, and drink 😉, is the Merchant Bar - located on bosville terrace, which is centrally located and just next to the harbour. This is a cool looking bar with modern finishes that still maintain the charm of an old highland pub. They have local scotch and beer available as well as many other great options.

In a few pictures above, I pointed out the stone church where my grandpa and I visited the market. Above that church, there is a large forested area where this tower is located! If you walk past the church up along the road, there will be a foot path on to the left. That path will take you into the highland games area, which is a large natural peninsula looking over the ocean. If you continue to walk around the forest, veering to the left, you will reach somewhat of a foot path through the trees. The footpath will lead to this stone tower! There is an opening where you can enter the tower and climb stairs to the top! 

(View from the Tower)

While Skye itself is an attraction, Portree is definitely a place that should not be missed! 

Thanks for reading,

Madison xx

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Overnight Oat Bread

Overnight Oat Bread

Monday 24 April 2017

We go through bread so quickly in our household, so I have been making it at home more regularly! I grew up with my parents making bread every now and then, so I definitely enjoy the taste of good quality homemade bread. While I use a plethora of recipes for bread, "Overnight Oat Bread" is different as it provides a dense, moist texture as well as rich flavour! It is also SUPER EASY to make, as it requires no kneading and very little time to prepare!

 

Directions

Pour 2 cups warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast into the water. Warm the honey slightly and then drizzle it into the yeast mixture, stir it well, and then let it sit for 5 minutes to let the yeast activate.

Once the yeast is activated (foamy), add in the oats, 3 cups flour, and salt - reserve the 4th cup of flour. With one hand, start to mix the wet and dry ingredients by using a folding motion. I find this method the easiest when making any kind of bread dough. Once things start to come together, add the 4th cup of flour a little bit at a time, as needed. The dough is meant to be quite sticky and wet at this point, so try not to add any more than 4 cups of flour. 

When the dough is well combined cover the bowl with saran wrap and drape a towel over top. This creates a dark, humid environment for the dough to proof in. Place the dough in a dark(ish), warm(ish) place like the pantry, or a drawer, where it wont be disturbed - I have the best results when I put it in the microwave to proof! The dough needs to proof for 13-15 hours, so it is best to do this at night and let it proof until morning.

After proofing the dough should be triple the size it was and look nice and bubbly, you may even be able to hear it popping! It will still be quite sticky, so use wet hands to pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl. Once it is pushed down it should still be quite pliable and moist. 

Take a bread pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper - you can grease the pan if you don't have parchment. Make sure to cover every inner part of the pan, as this loaf could stick to the pan. 

Put the dough into the pan and squish it down with wet fingers. Sprinkle the top of the dough with oats and dust it slightly with some flour. Then take some more saran wrap, dust it with flour, and place it over top of the loaf. Once again, put a towel over the loaf, and allow it to rise for another hour. In the mean time, preheat your oven to 400F. 

After its second proof, place the dough in the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. When it is done, the bread should be lightly golden brown on top and should sound hollow when tapped. Allow it to cool a bit in the pan, 30 minutes or so, and then remove the bread from the pan to cool completely. Store in a bread bag on the counter for up to a week. My favorite way to eat this bread is toasted with butter and jam. 

Let me know if you try this recipe & be sure to come back for more great recipes!

Thanks for reading,

Madison xx

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University Apartment Tour

University Apartment Tour

Friday 14 April 2017

I have been going to University for a while now - I am in my fourth and final year (YAY)!! I have never really had a constant living situation during my time in post secondary. I have had unusually bad luck with roommates, except for a few wonderful humans along the way. But to put it simply, in four years I have had about 12 different roommates in 6 different apartments. This is quite a lot, and it hasn't allowed me to really settle into a place. I do live with Jason during the weekends and my time off, but during school, I am living in Calgary.

In August I moved into this apartment with my best friend Emily. It has been the first really steady living situation which I have had at Uni. It's been so refreshing and rewarding living in this space! We have been able to furnish the place however we wanted, drink beer out of whatever vessel we wanted (yes U of C residence, I am referring to your no beer bottle policy), and we have been able to remain close to campus! All big pluses from me. Perhaps one of the greatest things about our apartment is that it was renovated just before we moved in, so were the first to live in the fresh, new space!

I am moving out of the apartment in a few weeks once my last final exam is finished, so I decided to do an apartment tour!!
I filmed the video and put it on youtube - you can find the link below!

I am sad to be leaving this place, it has been such a treat to live here with my best friend and her cat. We have had many good memories sitting at the kitchen table talking until 3:00am. Many nights were spent studying, and many nights were spent laughing. I am so grateful to have spent my last year of post secondary living in this awesome environment.

Cheers to us, Em! xx

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Ring of Brodgar | what to see in Scotland

Ring of Brodgar | what to see in Scotland

Thursday 13 April 2017

Located on the Orkney Islands, the Ring of Brodgar is a Neolithic stone henge (2500 BC). It is found on the mainland of Orkney, 6 miles north of Stromess - one of two cities on Orkney. The stone henge itself is really really large - the diameter of the circle is 340 ft, third largest diameter of a stone circle found in Britain. There are 27 remaining monoliths (standing stones) outlining the circle, it is predicted that there would have been 60 during its prime. 

Purple Scottish heather surrounds the area, it is in full bloom during the late summer months. The Orkney islands are extremely windy so there are no trees. Because of this, the dramatic landscape is exposed and all of its rugged features are visible. Compared to the flat land in Alberta, this aspect of the Orkneys is quite special. 

(Scottish Thistle)

The Orkney Islands have been inhabited for around 8,000 years now, and have been under many different regimes. Originally the Islands were under Viking rule, then Norwegian rule, and in the 15th Century they became Scottish. The history is incredibly rich, and I suggest giving it a 'google search,' as there are many interesting facts!

I first visited the Ring of Brodgar when I was 12 years old. It sparked my love for history, particularly archaeology. Even though I study Biological Anthropology, Archaeology will always have a place in my heart. Historic places like this are extremely special to me (especially if they are in Scotland 😊).

Anyone who studies archaeology will know that mounds in historic places are often incredibly interesting, important, and home to a midden or perhaps a burial! I was immediately drawn to this mound next to the Ring of Brodgar. Unfortunately I couldn't find any information on this particular mound, but I do know that not far from this location is another mound called Maeshowe. It is a chambered cairn used as a neolithic burial system. There are many chambered cairns around the islands, perhaps this is one of them??

Not far from the Ring of Brodgar are the 'Standing Stones of Stenness' with only a few erect stones left. There would have been more at one time, but only several remain. Lots of archaeological work has been done at both of these sites, among many others on the Orkney Islands. Anyone who is interested history will definitely appreciate these beautiful monoliths!

(Stones of Stenness)

The Ring of Brodgar is definitely one of the places I recommend to visit if you are in Northern Scotland or the Orkneys - it has inspired me so much and continues to do so! 

Thanks for reading,

Madison xx

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