Roadtrip 2015 | Jasper, AB | Fairmont, BC

After being away from each other for 6 months, my husband and I decided to do a week long road trip together starting from Jasper, Alberta and ending at Fairmont Hot Springs, British Columbia. My husband was offered an opportunity to work 4 hours north from where we live in his field of study. Therefore, we have spent limited time together throughout these past 6 months. With that said, we really needed this trip away!

We started our trip off going to our neighboring provincial park, Jasper. We have been there many times but we never get tired of going there. My husband surprised me with a two night stay at a cute log cabin facing a "roaring" river with rainbow lake chairs surrounding the view. We spent our day adventuring around Maligne Lake, Maligne Canon, and Jasper Park Lodge.

Our next and final stop of our road trip was going to Fairmont Hot Springs, BC. Along the way we stopped at a magnificent spot with vibrant coloured Paint Pots in Kootenay National Park. This was an Ochre field where the iron mixes with glacier water to make up a wonderland of red, orange, and yellow artwork. It was definitely a site to see! We stayed at the Fairmont Hot Springs lodge and spent numerous of hours out in the sun at the hot spring pools since we had unlimited access to it. We also took advantage of the beautiful hikes in the surrounding valley area especially the nearby hoodoos. Towards the end of our vacation, we took a day trip out to a heritage town called Fort Steele which displayed the early settler life of the Kootenay region of BC. This trip was our first summer vacation as a married couple and has made me excited for many future summer vacations to come.


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May Favourites | 2015

Hello! I apologize for the late favourite post. Better late than never right?? May was quite a hectic month for me. First off, my dog was sick for the majority of the month and also got into a porcupine (poor guy!). We also had a mouse issue at our house where they were coming out from under our stove... we now have it under control (I hope). Who knew that May would be the month of critters at our house haha.

June is here and now is the time to plant flowers, focus on our tans, and barbecue like crazy! I have planted my herb garden and I am so excited about it. Anyways, I have a great selection of  products from May that I am excited to share with you all. Lets get started!

Favourite Jewelry 

Mini Coin Initial Necklace by Taudrey. For those who have seen me frequently in the last month, may of noticed that I have been wearing this necklace everyday. I have discovered this brand of jewelry from following a well known blogger on instagram where she wears this brand all of the time. I fell in love with the style and had to check out the brand myself. I ended up buying this coin necklace and I really like how dainty it looks! Taudrey is a hand-made jewelry company based out of Florida.

Favourite Mascara

Roller Lash Mascara by Benefit. This is a predictable favourite due to all of the hype around this product. Honestly, I caved! Being a big mascara fan, I just had to try it out. It really did add volume and length to my lashes. I like how it hooks on to your lashes easily and curls them. This is something that I would definitely buy again.

Favourite Hygiene

Soaplicity Soap by Rocky Mountain Soap Company. This particular soap was limited edition and it smelt so good! Usually I would buy the Pumpkin Soap for my dry skin but thought I would try something different for once. If you haven't tried any of the soap bars from Rocky Mountain Soap Co, then I recommend you to go to their store or visit their online shop to try them out! 

Favourite Nail Polish

Bikini So Teeny by Essie. I have been obsessed with this blue colour nail polish! I have been wearing it a lot on my toes lately. I think it is such a great colour for the Spring/Summer time. 

Favourite Tea

Iced Green Tea Powder by Stash. I have been drinking a lot of Iced Tea lately and thought this was a great one to share. I like how you do not need to brew this and it tastes so good with some squeezed lemon and a bit of sweetener in it. 

What have you been loving in the month of May? 

Talk to you soon,

Avocado Caprese Salad | Recipe

I am not kidding when I say this but my husband and I literally eat this salad every single day. This salad has become part of our norm for about 3 years now. Our friends and family always make fun of us about it but we don't care! It is so easy to make and we never get sick of eating it. I have made this salad so much that I can now do it with my eyes closed! Everything about it is extremely healthy and requires no effort. 

This is our variation of the caprese salad. If you prefer to serve the salad in a bowl instead of a platter then dice your avocado and tomatoes instead of slicing. We hope you enjoy our daily favourite salad as much as us! 

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Avocado Caprese Salad Recipe 

Author: Sweet Rustic Love

Recipe Type: Salad

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 Ripe Tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 Avocado, cut into slices

1 fresh Bocconcini Mozzarella, cut into 1/4 inch slices 

4-5 Fresh Basil Leaves

3 Tbs Olive Oil

1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

1. Arrange alternate slices of tomatoes, avocados, and mozzarella decoratively on a platter. Spread fresh basil leaves over the salad and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

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Talk to you soon,

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding | Recipe

Lately, I've been adding chia seeds to my diet and I have to admit that I am absolutely obsessed with this superfood. Hard to believe that such a small seed has so many powerful nutritional health benefits! Chia seeds are loaded with antioxidants and contains a large amount of nutrients. I love how they are so easy to incorporate in your diet. When chia seeds are mixed in with a liquid, they turn into a gel texture.

This Chia Seed Pudding contains very simple ingredients. Surprisingly, this pudding satisfies my sweet tooth and it is not even bad for you! Instead of using Cocoa, I used Cacao (yes, spelling looks very similar) Powder. What's the difference between Cocoa and Cacao? Cacao is made by cold-pressing un-roasted cacao beans. This process keeps the living enzymes intact and removes the fat. Whereas Cocoa is raw cacao that has been roasted at high temperatures. This method lowers the enzyme content and the overall nutritional value. Regardless, you can use either powders!

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Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Author: Sweet Rustic Love

Recipe Type: Desert

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

1 Cup Milk 

1/3 Cup Chia Seeds 

2 Tbs Cacao or Cocoa Powder 

3 Tbs Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Toppings:

Grated Chocolate (optional)

Greek Yogurt Chips (optional)

Shredded Coconut (optional)

Mixed seeds/nuts/raisins (optional)

Whip Cream (optional) 

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl until well blended. Place bowl in the refrigerator overnight or until the texture of the pudding is thick. Garnish with toppings of your choice (optional) and serve. 

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Talk to you soon,