Grilled Smokies and Easy Baked Beans

This is a sponsored post. While I was compensated financially, all opinions are my own. This is the seventh week of isolation for me. It feels like the time has slipped by, and yet February feels like ages and ages ago. I was talking with a friend today, and she mentioned how much she loved her life three months ago; how good she had it. I couldn’t agree more. Those were the days of hugging your friends, going for coffee spontaneously, and no one thought twice about going into the grocery store. I miss those days. I miss a lot of things. But with the longing for “the old ways” comes an acceptance for what is the new “normal”, and a whole lotta gratitude for the life I have. It’s not that bad. Everyone I love is safe and well. I have a fridge full of food. I' have a little bit of money in my bank account. And, I've got all the springtime feels. We’ve had a burst of heat here in Saskatoon and it can’t come at a better time. I’m so grateful that I have a huge yard to spend time in. Me and the cats go outside for at least a few hours every day. They climb trees, sniff every flower bed, and curl up in the patches of sunlight. I dig in the dirt, happy to see all of the green stuff poking out, then I take a break and sit in my chair and drink tea, grateful for the sun shining on my face, warming me up from the inside out. 

Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms Stuffed with Italian Sausage and Asiago Chese

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine. And, as usual, I will only write about products that I really love! 

Last night I caught the tail end of Mr. Bean's Christmas. You know the one. He ends up with the turkey on his head and hilarity ensues. When I run into one of the long ago Christmas specials like Mr. Bean, or A Charlie Brown Christmas I feel all warm and fuzzy inside, or maybe it's just the wine or maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic. This is nostalgia's prime time though, no? It seeps in from all sorts of crevices - like when you unpack your boxes of ornaments, and there's a Christmas card from 1999 tucked in, from an old friend you haven't seen in as long. Or when you hear "River" and have to sit down because it gets you every time. It doesn't take much these days to momentarily transport you back to another Christmas; another life.     

Grilled Sausages with Balsamic Caramelized Onions and Sauerkraut

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine. And, as usual, I will only write about products that I really love! 

And just like that I'm writing on the second last day of August. Seems like only yesterday we were  brushing off our patio furniture and planning what we wanted to plant in the garden. Now I'm wearing woolly socks in the house and turning on the lights much sooner. The fans, which came in handy for the few heat waves we had this summer, are now collecting dust and have to be put away this weekend. Yep, summer is darn near over, and I hope it was a good one for all of you. Mine had moments that were super good, and not so good, and if I'm being honest, I'm kinda ready for the new start that fall always seems to hold. But first, one must send summer away with a last hurrah, and with that hurrah always comes excellent food, right?