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a few mishmashed pictures from around our house lately.

everything i know i learned on facebook

i find myself regularly saying (embarrassingly. out loud) 'i think i saw something about that on facebook!' and its true. so often i read about current events or heartfelt stories through articles being shared by my 463 'friends'. i dont think its entirely a bad thing. its a little bit amazing to see how social media has the ability to take a small idea and explode it into the lives of millions of people- even if just for a moment of distraction during their regular lives, but i do appreciate the organicness and impact of that process (most of the time- excluding the big chunk of completely useless 'fluff stuff' that i somehow manage to usually avoid.)

one of my favourite news streams comes from bust magazine - a gentle feminist magazine that always seems to have stories and links i cant stop myself from clicking. recently, they featured an article entitled '17 feminists of the future' - spotlighting the new generations of women and men working tirelessly and breaking new ground to better the future of women everywhere. one of the people they spoke about was comedian jamie kilstein - who recently made the internet explode by simply stating 'rape is bad'. according to his belief that comedy “should be used to take down oppressors, not [the] oppressed,” kilstein is on a mission to generate meaningful public discourse about rape culture, among other social injustices. and just incase thats not enough for to take the bait and give jamie a chance, he is also a vegan ;)

the below video is hilarious. bitterly sad, anger inducing, and unfortunately true, but hilarious. its pretty much all i have been able to talk about since last week, and is a welcomed belly laugh around an issue that is often associated with feelings of wanting to vomit.

NOTE: a word of caution that there is some colourful language used in this video. 

my favourite season...

as the years pass, i realize how truly nostalgic i am about many things in life. yesterday marked the first official day of fall, and for me, there is literally nothing better! i love the cooler days, the crisp air warmed up by scarves and chunky sweaters and pretty layers of all your most beautiful things that have been tucked away since may. i love hot hot coffee and cooking and baking and bread making with the endless options from the seasons harvest. i love thanksgiving more than any other holiday (which is why we got married last year on thanksgiving weekend, and look forward to celebrating our first wedding anniversary in a few weeks! even though i keep forgetting about it :) ) and love falling into new routines, old hobbies and exciting activities to hopefully help carry us through the grey, wet winter.

its funny because everyone boosts spring as this amazing and transformative time of year- where you clean and organize and get so excited and somehow come out on the other end as a new and improved you, but for me, i really feel that fall marks that time for me- and perhaps its a little bit to do with the challenging summer we have had, but right now i really and truly feel like a new wave of happiness is coming into our lives. its an incredible and beautiful season, and i genuinely look forward to the next few months of colourful leaves, fun outings with my kiddo, loading up our tiny little freezer with delicious pies and hearty soups, and seeking out new activities that the season brings to light.

a few things i'm really looking forward to this fall...

eating :: soup! i am such a soup monster these days- i made this one the other night and it was life changing!
drinking :: coffee, coffee, coffee! and maybe some tea
practicing :: patience. with everyone, including myself.
mastering :: sewing- dusting off that ol' sewing machine to make stuff!
learning :: how to brew kombucha. kristen powell- i need you!
finishing :: pretty little liars (argh!) me and two of my gf's have started watching this series and i'm (embarrassingly) hooked! so good/bad!
reading :: all the books in my bedside table. so many half started, its embarrassing.
walking :: in the rain all over this town. i have set goal to work up finns endurance to be able to walk to and from preschool by the end of the year- we will see how that goes.
wearing :: boots, wool, scarves, hats... man i love fall!
cooking :: everyday. i need to make up for a summer full of sushi and taco takeout.
working :: on growing - my business, my blog, my personal relationships... the next few months are really focused on all areas of my life that could use a little focus.
traveling :: to surrounding islands and beautiful pockets of BC. There is no shortage of amazingness around us and we are finally settled enough to explore more than our own backyard!
wanting :: more intentional family time. finding things to do, little adventures and fun activities for the three of us to do together

the above list was borrowed from bleubird blog

eggplant parmesan

i am grateful to have fallen back in love with cooking and baking. it's been a while since i have wanted to do anything in the kitchen- my intentions were always good, but takeout and easy salads seemed to reign in our house over the summer.

the other night i made a favourite dish of mine - eggplant parmesan, but changed it up a bit and made it into a casserole. the results were pretty much magic and a great segue into a winter happily spent in my kitchen.

eggplant parmesan casserole

:: ingredients ::
1 large eggplant
kosher salt (as needed)
2 eggs
a splash of milk
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1/2 cup of flour
oil as needed (i used aroma free coconut)
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cartons of cherry tomatoes, 10-12 cocktail tomatoes (or equivalent), chopped
1 cup vegetable broth
a splash of balsamic vinegar
medium bunch of basil, chopped
1.5 cups of grated cheese (i used old cheddar and a bit or parm because its what we had, but mozzarella or anything yummy would also be great)
salt and pepper to taste

:: directions ::

• slice eggplant into 1/4" thick slices. generously sprinkle with kosher salt and place in a colander. repeat and stack all slices. let sit in colander in the sink for 30-60 minutes. the salt helps draws out excess moisture.
• remove from the colander and place eggplant on clean dishtowels or paper towels to absorb left over moisture and remove any excess salt.
• in a large skillet, cover bottom with a generous amount of oil. heat over medium high heat.
• in a shallow bowl, whisk eggs and milk together. in a second shallow bowl, lightly mix breadcrumbs and flour together.
• take eggplant slices and dip in the egg mixture followed by breadcrumb mixture. place in skillet once oil is hot.
• cook eggplant until soft and golden on both sides. remove and place on paper towel to absorb excess grease. you made need to do this in a couple of batches depending on the size of your pan.
• while the eggplant is cooking, add a splash of oil to a large saucepan over medium heat.
• add onions and toss until translucent. add garlic and continue to cook until just starting to brown.
• dump in chopped tomatoes and mix around until the tomatoes start to soften.
• add vegetable broth (i just wing this - add more or less depending on your desired wateriness) and a splash of balsamic vinegar. 
• add basil and salt and pepper to taste.
• simmer until the sauce starts to thinking and tomatoes start to really soften up. around 15 minutes.
• preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• grease a small oven safe dish- a pie plate or half casserole dish would be perfect.
• spread a bit of the sauce mixture on the bottom of the dish. top with a layer of the fried eggplant and then sprinkle with cheese. add more sauce, another layer of eggplant, cheese etc... continue until all sauce, eggplant and cheese is used, ending with a layer of cheese on the top.
• bake for around 20 minutes. let cool for a few minutes, serve with a giant green salad and enjoy!

A few notes: in a pinch, you could swap out a jar of tomato sauce for the homemade version described above, but its seriously so yummy. i make it all the time to use with pasta or arancini or pretty much anything that needs cooked tomatoes. Also, you could bake your eggplant in the oven instead of pan frying for a healthier take on this recipe.

these days

i havent quite figured out the words to write about life these last few months, but i also felt the need to get back to sharing- its been a wild and exhausting summer, but the changing season always breaths new life into these tired bones. i wont say things are back to normal, but they feel a lot more comfortable than they have.

this space- my little chunk of the internet- has always been my place to share. uninhibited, its the story of our lives since finn was born. i plan to share more deeply about the events that have taken place since the passing of our sweet baby roo- its just taking me more time than i thought to get it all just right.

below are a few photographs jeff captured of finn over the summer - he has purged most of his camera gear these past few months, but still manages to take the most beautiful images with the junk cameras and old clunkers we have collecting dust around the house. his eye sees moments i forever hope to be able to freeze, and for that, i am so grateful.

(click to enlarge)