Catching-up in Canada

As most of you know, I'm back in kanata (Iroquoian for 'village' and the origin of the name 'Canada') and not quite feeling it, but continuing to move forward nonetheless. I've been catching-up with great friends and learning to accept that some relationships have completely ended and will not be renewed (on my part at least). So long. Farewell. Auf wiedersehen. Good-bye! Let them all go. 

In working through this process, I've decided to delete my Facebook account. Hallelujah! I can't even deny my excitement. Social media presents itself as an opportunity to maintain relationships and keep in touch with people, but as a wonderful woman said to me yesterday over breakfast, "I have over 500 friends on Facebook and I can't find one person to go to the beach with me today." The facade is obvious to anyone who has their eyes open: Facebook is a joke. People posting useless, poorly "researched" information, pictures of their cats, kids, cars, vacations and to what end? The negative psychological effects of using Facebook have been proven to be detrimental and don't even get me started on their obscenely intrusive "privacy policies".

Bye-bye, Facebook. Bye-bye LinkedIn (yeah, what is that forum supposed to do exactly???). I haven't gotten any positive responses from that social media platform. I've read articles about how to advertise and market yourself using LinkedIn and the response has been...Well, I haven't gotten any response to my profile, hahaha! Since I own three businesses, I don't need it in my life either: purging never felt sooo good! Now, how to get rid of google+? If anyone would be willing to help me with that, I'd be eternally grateful!

I've done more than just purge since being home-promise! I went on our annual summer vacation to Ottawa and then to my family's cottage on Little Crotch Lake (HAHAHAHA! Never fails to make me laugh!). Before we left for the cottage, we went out to celebrate graduations! My cousins both graduated in June-one from elementary school and the other from high school.

Ottawa:

 Hello, Indian food!!!

 Sooo yummy!!! This isn't even the FULL table of food we ordered, lol!

We certainly gorged ourselves while on vacation! Next up: BBQ TIME!

 My uncle (with his eyes closed-my fault!) making pork loin on the barbie!

My dad acting like he's actually helping...But not really doing anything excepting hanging out with my uncle.

 During an afternoon out to meet an old colleague from UVic (he's living in Ottawa with his gf), I stopped to look at a bakery that had made cookies to celebrate Canada Day! Hilarious! LCBO is Ontario's liquor store (government-run).

It wouldn't be a proper Canada Day weekend without eating something originally Canadian: butter tarts!!! SOOO GOOD! I don't care for sweets, but butter tarts are one of my favourite!

At the cottage:

 Em, tubing; she's pretty good at it!

 Em and my aunt scared of drifting off, so they linked arms to keep their floaty chairs together.

 My dad hanging out in the boat after an afternoon of swimming around the larger parts of the lake. Nice goggles, eh?

We bumped into loons while we were driving back to the cottage. So beautiful and sleek, they barely even acknowledged us.

The fun didn't stop there though! We went from bbq to bbq, from home-cooking to the annual Rib Fest and it was...Well, it was incredible.

 Look at all that meat!!! 

 At Rib Fest downtown in Victoria Park

 Signage boasting menu items and various awards

 It may have been raining, but it didn't stop people from lining up for ribs!

 Mmmm, a little TLC goes a loooong way!

 My mouth was watering! I hadn't had ribs at Rib Fest in over 10 years!!!

 Chicken, ribs, baked beans and mashed potatoes

Classic mac 'n cheese!

It wasn't ALL about barbequing this summer. I've also baked...Not a lot, but I've baked :) 

#1: Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cheesecake:

 I bought this cookbook from Home Sense when it FIRST opened on Wellington Rd. S many, MANY moons ago. It's the best cheesecake recipe book I've come across!

 The crust (my modification because I don't like graham crackers)

 Crust chilled? Check! Filling made? Check!

 Spreading the top layer on the baked cake

 Chocolate shavings on top!

The finished result!!!

#2: Vanilla Pound Cake (1st attempt)

I've never made pound cake before. This is a Martha Stewart recipe :)

 Not a bad finished product, but I used the wrong flour...

Alright, ladies and gentlemen. That's it for now! I have more to post about, but that's for another day ;)  Hope August was wonderful to you and that you're enjoying Labour Day weekend!!!