Chocolate-Almond Oatcakes

It's been a week since I've moved back home....and I am already starting to get bored. I don't have a summer job, so a lot of time is spent in and around home.

To combat today's dose of boredom, I decided to bake. I wasn't in the mood for a full-fledged meal, or a complicated dessert, so I went to something that I knew would be delicious no matter what-oatcakes.

Steel-cut oats were a huge breakfast staple this year. I enjoy the chewiness of them, and it was a breeze to make the night before and put into individual jars for the week. On the weekend, I used oats on top of pancakes to add both taste and texture, as well as keeping me fuller for a longer period of time.

Oatcakes were introduced to me on one of my practicum blocks. It was a cooking day with the kindergarteners, and we made healthy oatcakes together.

Now, I'm not a huge health person, so I took a basic oatcake recipe and jazzed it up. By jazzed it up, I mean I accidentally poured too much vanilla extract and cocoa powder into my oatcakes. Best mistake ever.

Chocolate-Almond Oatcakes-makes 12-14
(adapted from Edible Noir)

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar (I used white sugar, and it is a bit sweeter)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup water
Optional: chocolate chips, walnuts, almonds, etc.

• Preheat oven to 375 F, and grease a large cookie sheet
• Mix together all dry ingredients
• Once dry ingredients are mixed, incorporate all wet ingredients and mix until a dough is formed
• Using a tablespoon to measure, form dough into small balls. Place onto cookie sheet and flatten tops
• Bake for 10-12 minutes

These babies are delicious with a pat of butter, jam or even some Nutella! 

Thrift Store Haul- Book edition

I went to the thrift store today and did a silly thing (although I like to think that I am planning for the future)

I went to the Salvation Army during their book sale. The way this limited-time sale works is that all books are 77 cents each- or 10 books for $5, 20 books for $10

Being the future planner that I am, everytime I go to a thrift store, I end up buying a least one children's book, if there are any.  I've built up my collection over the past few months!

Here are my latest additions to the growing collection! 

And here is the entire collection, in all its glory! Most of this has been thrifted over the past 6 months, and it's only going to get bigger!

What are some of your favourite children's books?

Influenster #imPressManicure Voxbox

After a year of working hard, I am proud to say that I am all done teacher's college! I am now back home, contemplating my next move, and waiting to start some additional teacher courses.

As you may realize by now, freebies are most definitely my favourite thing-getting packages in the mail just makes a day fantastic! So when I got the email that I qualified for the next Canadian Influenster Voxbox, I was excited. 

I got the package sent to my home address, and received it when I came back this weekend. 

                                  

A plain white box with two colourful shades of nails

This box was the Influenster imPress box. The imPress manicures are a set of stick on nails-no glue needed, and boast a staying power of up to 7 days. I was a bit apprehensive, because I've previously had poor experiences with stick-on nails and short staying powers. 

As seen above, I got two different colours for the nails- bright Barbie pink and beige with a black lace print. They were a bit difficult to apply, because the backing on the adhesive side sometimes wouldn't come off in one piece, but finally I got them on my nails.

I have no photos of me wearing the nails because... they didn't last long on my fingers.  I don't do much heavy duty work, mostly just typing, dishes and whatnot, but I found that the nails would fall off doing these small things. Two tips started fading after two hours!

My verdict: While they would be great for events like parties and going out, for everyday wear I'd stick to a good-quality nail polish and an amazing topcoat.

The Tea Addiction Continues...

If you've read my 'About Me', you'll know that I am hopelessly addicted to David's Tea. I'm just a sucker for the flavours and varieties they offer. 

Today as a treat to myself, I went and splurged on 9 teas. 

Allll the tea!

Granted, my splurges are about 10-20 grams of each flavour, so maybe this is more of a sampler than a splurge. 

Top Row:
Ceylon Star (black tea), Organic Cream of Earl Grey (black tea), Chocolate Macaroon (black tea) and Shooting Starfruit (white tea)

Bottom Row:
The Spice is Right (green tea), Guava Cadabra (herbal tea), Organic Creme Brulee (rooibos tea), Just Peachy (herbal tea) and Organic Splash (green tea)

To me, all of these flavours are perfect for summer. The herbal and green teas are light, fruity and perect for iced teas, while the black and white teas are perfect as an evening sipper, or as iced lattes.

I'll be enjoying them in this beautiful mug that was given to me. 

                                           

Graduation present for finishing teacher's college! 

What are your favourite teas? Have you delved into the world of loose-leaf tea?

Garlic Marinated Chicken and Kale Pesto Pasta, and a thrift store buy!

To preface this post, it's the time of year where  a lot of university students are moving back home, including a friend of mine. She also didn't want to bring home any food with her, so earlier this week she gifted me with so many food items- cereal, salad dressings, burgers and chicken, and a lot of rice. 

Today was one of those days. You know, the rainy-day, don't-want-to-do-anything,    lazy days that make even the slightest thing seem like an enormous waste of energy. 

Naturally, to combat this I wanted to cook. But I didn't know what to make, and I barely had any energy to stand up and make a fancy meal. Then I looked into my fridge and remembered the many food items I had been given. I marinated a chicken breast in some Italian salad dressing, and put on a small pot of pasta. While cooking my pasta, I thawed the last of my kale pesto. I then baked the chicken breast, and once it was cooked I diced it up. I then threw everything together in the pot.

Delicious, quick. easy and hearty meal

This pasta was flavourful because of both the marinade from the chicken and the pesto itself. It made moving around in the kitchen totally worth it. 

I did do a few errands today before succumbing to the rainy-weather blues, and one of those errands was the thrift store. I went in to look for clothes and walked out with this instead

This was one of my favourite books growing up, because it was so cute! It's about a grandpa who makes his grandson a baby blanket, and the journeys and transformations that blanket makes as the child grows older. It's such a sweet tale.

What are your go-to easy meals/favourite children's books?

Elle Beauty Box

As you may have guessed from my previous post, I love freebies! Especially when I forget that I've ordered them (which happens more often than not)

Today I opened my mailbox and found a beautiful pink box. I looked closer and realized that it was the Elle Beauty Box that I had signed up for, but never got a confirmation about. 

Beautiful package full of goodies!

The mascara is beautiful. Jet black, and using only one coat still makes my lashes look natural. Two coats and we're headed into bombshell territory! 

Sample Mania!

I have been SO sleepy these days. I started my second practicum and I'm with a class of grade 3's. While it's not as hectic as kindergarten was, I find that I'm so much more tired because I'm using my teacher voice ALL. THE. TIME.  I have gone to bed at 8:30...and it was fantastic. 

Yesterday was one of those days. After a looooong day of lots of reading aloud to the kids, and talking I was wiped. But I came home to find a box on my desk....

SAMPLES HAD ARRIVED!!!! 

Top Row: Tostitos Baked Chips, Downy Unstoppables Zzzzquil laundry pellets, a FPC coupon for Tropicana Fruit+Veggie Juice, Snuggie sample, full-size Quaker's quinoa bar, Jergens BB Body Cream

Middle Row: Sunlight pack, car wax, full-size Hershey's bar, Burt Bee's night cream, Frizz-ease thermal control sample, John Frieda Brilliant Brunette shampoo and conditioner samples

Bottom: Frizz-ease Dream Curls samples, Quaker warm granola sample, Jergens Natural Glow samples

I subscribe to samplesource.ca, a site that lets you try different products, and often includes coupons so that if you like them, you can buy them. 

I was amazed at how much stuff can fit into one tiny box! I am so excited to try things out!