Europe 2013 - A Photographic Sample {Portugal}

So....let's just skip past the whole part where I was supposed to post these pictures a long, long time ago. Okay? Good. In case you missed it, one of my best gal pals, Jenae, and I went on a 3 week long gallivant around Europe during the summer. Our last week was spent in Portugal, in and around the Lisbon area.

Pastéis de Belém - ohh maaan, these are SO good...warm..fresh..crisp outside & creamy inside. I'm salivating now.

When we landed in Lisbon I was a bit hesitant and unsure of being there; I was expecting HOT, sunny weather but the skies were totally overcast, I initially found the architecture to be not as impressive as we'd seen in other countries, AND I was definitely missing our hilarious tour guides from the first leg of our trip. Wah-wuhh.

But don't fear! The weather cleared and we discovered some of the most beautiful buildings with incredible history. One bite of a Pasteis de Belem (traditional custard pastry) was really all it took for me to fall in love with Portugal. Jenae and I made way too many great memories to list, but some of the highlights include touring the local cathedrals, mansions and castles, sunset drives along the coast, stretching out on hot, sandy beaches, enjoying Santini Ice Cream (lots of it),  devouring pastries for all 3 meals, and of course, getting pulled over by the local police. Trip of a lifetime, I'm telling you! Enjoy the pictures! =)

Europe 2013 - A Photographic Sample

Well, Jenae & I have been home for about a month and a half and I haven't shared any pictures from our trip on this blog yet. It would be cruel and unusual punishment to post anywhere near all of our pictures....as we took well over 5000 of them. This first post covers the first two weeks of our trip and is very, very condensed. Enjoy a few of my favourites =)

By the Brandenburg Gate on our first day!

Kickin' Fish Tacos

One of my closest gal pals, Jenae, is home for a month! I'm ecstatic! This summer the two of us are setting out for some world travelling, so, to prepare we have big plans to finalize our itinerary, master the art of DSLR photography and get a little more in touch with our creative sides. We wanted to kick off her break with a fantastic meal. Since we're both a bit addicted to avocados, cilantro and limes, it made sense to make these delicious fish tacos - a recipe found through Pinterest (we're a bit addicted to that too). The fish is pan fried until golden, then topped with a spicy slaw and avocado! Wipe that saliva off your chin and go try this recipe out! =)

Kickin' Fish Tacos
Recipe adapted from Censational Girl

4 fresh white fish fillets (we used Tilapia)
8 small size torillas - corn or flour
1 1/4 cup of each (shredded): green cabbage, red cabbage, carrot
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
3/4 cup light sour cream
3 limes
1 bunch cilantro
1 tbsp vinegar (we used red wine vinegar)
oil
salt & pepper

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce were a foreign ingredient to me until last summer when I used them to make spicy chicken wings - yum. In this recipe they are used to give the slaw dressing a heated punch. Only one pepper is needed - cut it open and remove the seeds. Make sure you save a couple teaspoons of the adobo sauce the peppers are packed in for the dressing.

In a food processor, blend the chipotle pepper, 2 tsp of adobo sauce, sour cream, juice of 1 lime, a handful of cilantro & vinegar until smooth. Pour over the shredded cabbage and carrot and mix until well combined. Set aside.

Season fish fillets with salt and pepper and pan fry on medium heat with a bit of oil until cooked through. It would be amazing to grill these on a BBQ in the summer. Squeeze half a lime over top while cooking to infuse some extra flavour!

Heat tortillas in a pan with 1 tbsp of oil, turning over after 30 seconds or until they begin to "puff" slightly. Transfer to a plate with paper towel.

Slice up some avocados. I say "some" because you can never have too much. We used 2 for 3 people (it's a healthy fat!). Chop up a bit of extra cilantro and wedge some limes for garnish.

Compile all the ingredients, fold it up and devour! These are so delicious and you don't even have to feel guilty about enjoying a few of them! These would be perfect for a summer meal on the patio with ice cold lemonade or frozen drinks. Let me know what you think!

PS - I just bought a used DSLR camera and these are some of the first pictures I've taken with it. I'm still getting the hang of it! It's fun, but there are quite a lot more buttons than on my cell phone! =)

Taking a Trip!

I love to go somewhere. Sometimes I get these urges, like, "Man, I just really  want to get on a plane right now. Even if it's on it's way to Edmonton." Packing a suitcase and getting out of town can be such a good feeling! And that's exactly what I did this past weekend. As stated in an earlier post, I have been on "hiatus" from life with work or school for the past few weeks and I was starting to get a liiiiittle bit stir crazy. Luckily for me, my very good friend Jenae is living in Whistler for a bit and invited me up for a few days. It was such a good time! We have so much fun together - even if it's just watching our favourite TV shows in our pyjamas while eating trail mix by the handful.

Day 2 - Check out that sunset!

Day 3 - Exploring!

Day 4 - C-c-c-cold! But Beautiful!

Highlights from the trip include the beautiful sunny weather that lasted all five days, falling off a plowed trail into a snowbank, smoked salmon eggs benedict (enough said), and traipsing through a variety of luxury hotel lobbies.

I had the best time and it was exactly what I needed! Thank-you Jenae for hosting me - it was absolutely lovely! Xo

A Favorite Quote

A friend is one to whom you can pour out the contents of your heart, chaff and grain alike. Knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.

 Anonymous