Amazing Adventure- Rattlesnake Point and Soupy Sunday Finish

Today I want to share how awesome my Sunday was. It was actually much more than our hiking adventure and delicious soup. It started with a great power workout in the morning, followed by a delicious brunch with my parents. Love them so!  Then the 'serious' stuff started.

Before my daughter and I left for our hike, I put all the ingredients for this incredibly delicious Stuffed Pepper soup in my crockpot and ran to the hills. (recipe at bottom).

My daughter wanted to go for a hike to a place she'd never been...in the snow... in winter, Sigh!

So I say, 'anything to support my daughter's healthy living efforts', and we headed off to Milton to Rattlesnake Point. I remember this place way back in high school when my friend Janice and I would hike through the hills with our headbands, lip smackers and leg warmers... this time though, my daughter and I had the right equipment and spirit.



See, there was lots of snow, but it was patted down and fairly easy to hike on.

Look below this incredible selfie (LOL), we are up high on the mountain (ok, escarpment).

We read that this park was established in 1964 and the proof is carved into the rock.

Look at the gorgeous Melanie just looking out over the escarpment. The sun was amazing with just a little wind blowing. I captured the essence of her joy and excitement at trying something new and exploring the world around her. I LOVE this picture!

Interesting wooden tee pees.

Looking over the escarpment...

... and looking up at the cliffs, we saw some people climbing with their mountain climbing gear- just like my brother used to do.  I am so grateful for my beautiful daughter. I would not have gone out again after a big, sweaty gym workout in the morning, but she pushed me to try something new and it was amazing!

And now the Soupy Sunday part of this post.

Crockpot cooking is the best! After our hike, we came home and our dinner was ready!

I love sharing my Soupy Sunday recipes with you - especially when it's so effortless and really delicious. 

Here's the recipe.

Stuffed Pepper Soup (adapted from www.recipesthatcrock.com/slow-cooker-stuffed-pepper-soup/)

INGREDIENTS

1lb lean ground beef

1 diced onion

1 diced clove garlic

28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice  

2 chopped green peppers

1 chopped red pepper

4 cups low-sodium beef broth

½ T dried basil

½ T dried oregano

½ t paprika

½ t dried chili flakes

Salt and Pepper

2 cups cooked rice

INSTRUCTIONS

Brown beef with onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Drain fat from beef and place in crockpot. Add all the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Meanwhile cook some rice. When ready to serve, put some cooked rice at the bottom of the bowl and spoon soup over.

Amazing Adventure - Family Day

I hope you all had an amazing Valentine's Day/Family Day weekend!  Today I want to share with you some of the Amazing Adventures my daughter and I had on Family Day (Valentine's Day recap to come soon).

If you recall, when I started my healthy journey a few year's back,  I would go on these fun outdoor treks with my daughter. I called them Amazing Adventures.  Well, it is with great pleasure that I share with you the latest installment in this series. This time- Frozen Lake Edition.

We were meeting my sister for a Family Day Café a little later, so we thought we would take advantage of the fact that it wasn't -35 with the windchill and go for a walk by the lake before our date.

We went downtown Oakville, 'the bottom of Navy' park we call it, but it turns out it has a name- The 'Homecoming' Trail. 

We were totally frozen, but had so much fun feeling the wind on our face, the air in our lungs, the frigid cold on our legs... we were giddy with excitement!  Couldn't believe the Canada Geese, mallards and loons all bathing in the water as if it was nothing!

Just check out Melanie's broadcast debut, Australian Outback accent and all, reporting on the Frozen Canadian waters and the fowl that inhabit it without any issue!

Well enough of the cold Canadian wildlife, this bunch of Canadian girls- warm toques and all- was ready for another Canadian favourite....

That's right! Warm coffee with lots of milk and hearts on top.... aka- latte time!  

Hope you were all able to spend the weekend with the special people in your life and share amazing adventures or quiet times with the ones you love!

Amazing Adventure... the next generation

When I started this blog, I started a series called 'Amazing Adventures', usually, these posts were the visual stories of me and my little girl Melanie, getting outdoors and exploring our gorgeous surroundings and reaping the physical, emotional and spiritual rewards of spending time outside and soaking it all in... us girls.... we love to browse... we love to linger in a park, in a scenic downtown and just become one with our surroundings... that's why these posts usually include girly, girls. Men, don't like to walk, just for fun, you need a purpose (ask my brother in law!).

So now, I am so pleased that my sister has introduced the next generation -her wonderful children- to this new way of life.... living for the Amazing Adventures!

Stephanie was all ready with her hat, sunglasses and matching polka dot hoodie- a true Adventurer!

Melanie, an old pro, had her head gear on, and her Happy Face sunglasses ready... and look, Stephanie, was looking over yonder.

Guess where we went? That's right, our favourite park- Lakeside Park- but this time they had all the water works going, it was so impressive for the little kids... check out Cooper getting real thrilled!

Grand-Maman took part in this adventure with her amazing safari wear (LOL)! With this grandchild...

... and this grandchild....

... and what a cool grandchild he is!

Ok, maybe this swing is a little too big????

... and maybe this hat is a little too small...

...now this fits better eh! Look at the effort Stephanie is putting into it!

... and this one, well, it was a little hard for them to figure out, but once they got in, Julie and I were the working mules pulling the thing around.

We showed Stephanie how to throw rocks into the lake, she would pick the wet little ones all the time. What a special teaching moment!

Mother-Daughter big, beautiful pebble beach smiles! I just love how this picture turned out.

The best part of this adventure was watching Stephanie embrace nature. She loved picking the flowers for us all, they were mostly dandelions.... and she was so excited to share with us. The best though, was watching her pick the fluffy ones and give them to us like they were beautiful roses, so precious, so kind and so innocent.

...and most of all was the wonderful teaching moments we shared. Grand-mother showing her grand-daughter how to blow on the flower and make all the 'fluffies' fly, older cousin showing younger cousin how to 'work' the playground equipment, aunt showing her niece how to skip rocks into the water... and Cooper- the boy cousin- well, he just slept- it's a boy thing!

 

Niagara-on-the-Lake- An Amazing Adventure

It's always an Amazing Adventure when we go to Niagara-On-The-Lake... even better after a wonderful 14th Anniversary Sleepover at the Falls.  I love just walking around, window shopping and smelling the awesome smells from the bakeries and sweet shops... no calories for just smelling!

Since it was still quote cold, these are the only flowers that we saw outside!

A stop at Greaves for some delicious jam. Brent's favourite- Rhubard Strawberry Jam.

Can you find my favourite?  It's one of those!!!!!

I just love fancy tea towels, don't you?

And of course, no trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake would be complete without a visit to the Christmas Store. We just love it... and every year, we have to buy a new ornament. I tried to convince Brent we should get a cupcake one.... they look so real! But it was a 'it's not Christmasy enough' what??

The funniest were these fridge magnets, I so wanted to buy them all, but instead, I just took a picture. Funniest... The Beaver! LOL

Next stop: COWS, we just love this store! It's really an ice cream store- which we did not partake of- but all the cow souvenirs are hilarious!

Pyjamas with a back door.

Clever t-shirt.

Funny t-shirt.

LOL t-shirt... we got a fun butter dish, a drinking cup and a coffee cup... with cows on them... of course!

Ok, gratuitous 'over-the-top' sweet chocolate treats shot.... just had to throw it in there. No chocolates were ingested in the taking of this picture!  Just loved the colours, shapes and textures!

Amazing Adventure- How to enjoy this Winter Wonderland!

That's right, winter isn't all bad!

You just need to dress properly when you do venture out on your Amazing Adventures. Just look at my daughter... in her penguin hat and neon-green shades!

...and me, her mom with her matching scarf and hat ensemble!

 

...and lots of hugs... and an arm to grab onto so that you don't fall down the big hills.

being cute and careful on the snow-covered bridge...

 ...some trick photography- no that's not a drop of water- it's an icicle, frozen in time dripping into Melanie's mitten.

Gorgeous trees, covered in ice, but still shining with their bright red tips.

Some advanced photography skills here... look at the sharply frozen drips from this branch.

Gorgeous scene.

Flowing Credit River, wild with little rapids, we even saw ducks paddling through. Brave little birds!

Happy Thanksgiving- Amazing Adventure Apple Picking

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian and ex-pat friends, family and followers!
On this special day of giving THANKS, I wanted to spread some love and say that I am grateful for each and everyone one of you and mention that without all your love and support I would not have come so far on my healthy living journey! Merci, Gracias, Thanks!

On this Fall Festival of the Harvest, I wanted to share some of our own harvesting we recently dig. One of our favourite Fall activities... the Amazing Adventure that is 'Apple Picking' at our  favourite Milton Farm- Williams Orchards.

This time was an adventure of a different kind because it was Stephanie's first time apple picking. Well, first off, she LOVED the cart.

...she loved trying to eat a whole apple for the first time.

...so did Melanie, but it wasn't her first time !

...so did  my Mom! It got pretty warm and we started peeling off our layers onto the wagon.

Mother- daughter picking moment.

... and I love this 'oooooh' face of hers... so cute!

...maybe she'll try another again?

I love my sister!

...my sister loves apples!

So much fun placing the apples gently into the baskets, right Stephanie? LOL, she was pitching them in... so we had to intercept, and for those bruised ones that got by... well I just cut them up right away. I'll show you below.

Stephanie the Farmer sitting on her big tractor. It was a wonderful day and we were blessed with gorgeous weather.

Then I got home and knew I had to do something with this half bushel of apples. I read somewhere that if you cut up the apple in and place them in a large bowl with water and about 1 tablespoon of vinegar and they won't go brown. It worked! I placed these apples on a cookies sheet all separated, and then once they were frozen, I placed them in large freezer bags. So now I have bags full of frozen, sliced apples ready to go any time I have the urge to bake some crisps!

... and of course, I had to make my delicious apple crisp too... you know, quality control. Had to make sure they were good enough to be called McIntosh!