Love My Rail Trail

I've decided that this summer is the Summer of Walking. It is also the summer of cycling, swimming, and being outside in general, but I recently read the book Wild by Cheryl Strayed and it reminded me how much I enjoy walking. If you haven't read it, check it out, it is very moving and inspiring. Highly recommended. 

There is a trail near my place that was converted from a railway line. This is my favourite trail for both walking and cycling, though walking requires a lot more bug spray. The trail runs parallel to the road, so it's pretty hard to get lost. Use of the trail is shared with ATVs, dirt bikes, runners, dog walkers, horseback riders, and sometimes groups of summer camp kids. I have always had safe travels on this trail, and have always found the people on motorized vehicles safe and respectful to pedestrians. It is a really positive space.

This is what part of the trail looks like heading North-ish.

And here is the view of the trail heading South-ish.

I realize they both look pretty similar. In either direction, the rail trail is a fantastic place to spend time and I plan on enjoying it as much as I can this summer.

300th Post!

Well with the help of my 30 day blogging challenge, I have made it to my 300th post! I have also posted more in one month than I ever have on this blog. Lots to be proud of right now.

Just wanted to take the time to thank all my regular readers and all those who happen to stop by. I really appreciate you and your comments. Thank you for being here.

Family Fun Trip

A few months ago Target opened some stores in Canada. The closest Target to us is in Orillia and it opened at the end of March. I had never been to a Target before, but I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I proposed a road trip with Mom and Grandma, and on a rainy day in April we made our way to the big city of Orillia, Ontario!

The three of us hadn't been to the Orillia Square Mall in probably 10 years. I worked in Orillia from 2000-2003, and only rarely did I go over there at lunchtime. They've made some renovations to the mall recently and we walked around before exploring Target.

First stop - lunch. The Food court was pretty limited but they had a Burger King so I treated Mom and Grandma to burgers. Surprise of the day, we were there on a Wednesday (also known as Whopper Day), so our meals were cheap and delicious. I love when I offer to buy lunch and get an unexpected deal. Everyone wins! We didn't know it at the time, but eating at Burger King was the highlight of our day.

Orillia, ON Target

Maple Leaf, Heart, Target Logo

Apparently the big draw for Canadians when cross border shopping at American Target is the amaze-a-deals. Unfortunately, these deals never made it to Canada. I'm not really a shopper in general, so it takes a lot to get me to part with my money, and Target did absolutely nothing for me. Mom and Grandma felt the same - they were both unimpressed with the store. Basically Target just has the same stuff you can get at Real Canadian Superstore or Walmart but at a slightly higher price. I can say some positive things about it: (1) it had a very clean bathroom and (2) there was a Starbucks right inside the store.

The point of heading to Orillia that day was to spend some fun social time with Mom and Grandma and I got to do just that. They are both backseat drivers but I didn't have to pull over to kick anyone out of the car, so that was good. Plus we learned that every Wednesday is Whopper Day, and I've been to my local BK six times since then to enjoy this tasty treat.

Have been to a Target Canada? What did you think?

Any Which Way You Can...Have Chili

We love leftovers around here. I recently posted about our chili in a bread bowl, and not wanting to consume another half loaf of bread in one sitting, we had to change up how we ate the leftovers.

Bring on the chili fries! We baked some homemade fries, topped them with chili, cheese, and guacamole. It was a winning combination!

Iced Everything Please

How's the weather where you are? We are currently involved in some sort of heat wave. It has been over 30°C for the past three days and everyone is melting. I'm all for the heat (winter was unbearably long this year), but I wouldn't be Canadian if I wasn't commenting on it. :)

To beat the heat I have been spending limited time outdoors (though still trying to get at least 30 minutes per day), and having lots of cold foods and beverages (cold salads and homemade iced tea are favourites). Another treat helping us beat the heat are homemade iced cappuccinos.

We use our Magic Bullet to make these, although we use our full blender to crush the ice first (it actually has a button called "Ice Crush"). We find the big blender crushes the ice more evenly than the Bullet, and to get it the way we like it, we don't mind the extra step.

We add crushed ice to the Magic Bullet cups.

Next we add instant coffee and brown sugar to taste (about 1 large scoop of each for me), and 3/4 cup milk (more milk if you like a thinner ice cap).

Blend in Magic Bullet until smooth. Drink with a straw and feel the relief!

Enjoy!! And feel free to check out previous posts using the Magic Bullet:
Smoothies
Scrambled Eggs