Summer Treats

My life is crazy insane right now with no time off for good behaviour.  So I'm always happy when I find that someone has done the work for me.  Bree of Baked Bree has done just that by putting together a listing of some terrific summer receipes. 

I'm going to try this one first.

Lemon and Blackberry Crumb Bars - Betty Crocker

It's My Birthday

I just can’t resist something this delicious...

Iced honey mascarpone and almond cake with fig salad

I Have No Will Power

I just can't resist temptation.

Brandy Almond Pound Cake by Jessica of the Novice Chef – Love & Olive Oil

Cookie Dough - Enough Said

Who can resist cookie dough.  It has so many great memories for me with my mom.  Getting to lick the spoon, clean out the bowl, heaven when you're little.  My son enjoys the same memories.  So you can imagine how much I'm looking forward to finding this cookbook when it's released. 

Image Love & Olive Oil

"I am so excited to finally announce that my book, The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook, will be published by Quirk Books this coming June. June 5th, to be exact. That’s less than 5 months away."

Want a sneak preview?  Here is one her most popular posts and right on the cover. 

Cookie Dough Truffles.

So I'm marking June 5 on my calendar.  Hopefully it will make its way to Canada too.

Best Laid Plans Meet a Wall of Resistance

Just as I announced to everyone that I was going on the 2012 Whole Living Action Plan for 28 days my family stepped up and refused to go on it with me.  Healthy eating - fine, Exercise - fine, Contemplation - fine, but no fast and they're weren't even thinking of themselves.  They saw how much I suffered last time and didn't want me to go through it again.  Stubbornly I refused and announced I was doing this by myself then.  Well after one week I've conceded.  Cleanses just don't work for me and leave me in such grief that it's just not worth it.  For this entire week I've felt nauseas, tired and irritable.  BUT, I'm going to continue with the exercise program at any rate. 

Cinnamon Poaches Applies with Walnuts

This is one recipe that I tried this week that the family all agreed they could live with.  There are few others that were good too, but they left me in discomfort so I'm not posting them.

There might be other factors involved as well since I've been pushing myself since the beginning of November when my mom died.  I've been going non-stop as we ramped up for Christmas, I started a new job and dad was diagnosed with ALS.  We've sold the home they lived in for 34 years and began sorting through everything and packing up to move my dad into a new apartment on his own.  Doctor's have advised us to keep stress to a minimum for dad so you can imagine what this move has been like. 

The timing just isn't going to work for me.  Maybe I'll tired again next year.

Meditation of the Week

Think before you eat. Take three deep, slow breaths before every meal and give each bite your full attention.

For those who still want to follow along:

Week 2 Shopping List
Week 2 Recipes
Wake up with weights

A Delicious Treat - Chocolate Dipped Almond Macaroons

I think I've mentioned this before, but I'm crazy about almonds ... anything.  So when I spotted these on Love & Olive Oil I decided to give them a try.  Quite delicious.  Now I want a trip to Italy to try the real Amaretti cookies.

Chocolate Dipped Almond Macaroons

Image from Love & Olive Oil

A Treat for Me

I love almond ... anything really.  I'm a big fan of marzipan in particular so you can imagine my total delight when I spotted this recipe on the Love & Olive Oil blog.

Marzipan Swirl Ice Cream

Image from Love & Olive Oil

Profile: Love & Olive Oil

A great recipe from the kitchen of Love & Olive Oil…

I believe this couple are referred to as the stinky neighbours in their building... in a good way.  I recently made their almond, cherry cupcakes and brought them to work.  I’m now inundated with requests for the link to their site for the recipe.  She was trying to create the perfect cupcake and I think she succeeded.

Images from Love & Olive Oil

"We’re not chefs, in fact we’ve had our fair share of flames and failures. But like any good relationship, cooking has its ups and downs. We’re all about quick and flavorful dishes that don’t hurt the wallet. We invite you to our kitchen (as tiny as it may be) and share in our love for food and desire to always find something new to eat."

 Check out their site.  They have great recipes.  My son is crazy for these cupcakes and has put in a request for more recipes from the site.  Their working on a cookbook so I'm going to be keeping my eyes out for that since I'm sure it will be filled with items that would interest everyone.