Best Things to do In Vermont in the Summer

Favourite things to do in Vermont in the summertime in no particular order

1.Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream in Waterbury

Visiting the factory where this creamy goodness is made is always a treat to do. It's a lovely drive up to the small town of Waterbury and you are rewarded with rolling hill views and ice cream. I have yet to convince my family to stop at the antique shops that dot the roadside.

2.Drive through the Notch

This can follow a trip to Ben & Jerry's as Smugglers Notch is on the mountain road between Stowe and Jeffersonville. Worth the detour for the windy roads, picturesque rocky stops and short hikes if you are so inclined. I am not.

3.Shopping on Church Street

It's four blocks of pedestrianized walkways with local and some chain stores on either side. Restaurant patios extend into the bricked lane and with the hustle and bustle of shoppers, buskers, and shop workers it has a great lively atmosphere.

4.Sailing on malletts Bay

Obviously this one is a bit tricky if you don't have access to a boat or a friend with a boat. But generally just getting out onto and into the water will do. Grab that beach towel and head to the sandy shores of Malletts Bay.

5.Watching the Sunset Over Lake Champlain  

Sunsets are a thing of beauty almost no matter the setting, but over Lake Champlain the sun really does seem to outdo itself each night. Worth a viewing at least once.

6. Go to a Baseball game
The Vermont Lake Monsters is a minor league team for the Oakland A's. They play in Centennial Field on the University of Vermont campus.

7.Eat at Beansies 

Go for the Michigan, stay for the fries!

8.Creemees

Also known as soft serve ice cream, but doesn't it sound more appetizing as a creemee? A family favourite is Black Raspberry or Maple. It is Vermont after all.

9.Bike Riding along Island Line Trail

Bike riding in general is a fun summer activity, doing it along the waterline makes it so much more enjoyable. Rent a bike in Burlington or bring your own.

10.Movies at Sunset Drive-in Theatre

Two movies for the price of one in the comfort of your own car? Count me in. This is a tradition for my mum and I. When I was a kid, I remember thinking it was soooooooo late when the movies finally ended. I mean, yeah it is late, but it's summer and when else should you indulge yourself?

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Canadian National Exhibtion Foods

For many Torontonians the onset of the Canadian National Exhibition is the official end of summer. It culminates in a airshow by the Snowbirds and finally shuts its gates for another year just after Labour Day weekend. 

The CNE has been running almost continuously since 1878, the most popular events have changed and shifted over the years from agriculture focus, new commercial product displays, auto shows to the food building. Many people cannot wait to experience the carnival foods on offer and it becomes big talk in the city. 

This year I spent some time on the CNE grounds and took the opportunity to sample some of these crazy foods available. 

Prepare yourself, you're going to get hungry.

I started off easy with a falafel wrap. (I was so excited to eat it, I couldn't get a clear shot...or maybe it was low blood sugar).

Heard about the deep fried Oreos and had to try them. They were good. Oh so good!

Next, my two favourite foods collided in the sushi burrito from Su&Bu. Yum to the Salmon Samba.

An enormous Yorkshire pudding and roast beef from Eat my Bowls.

Crispy Chicken sliders from Coco's Fried Chicken.

All foods are better on a stick. A Sundae on a stick. Picture perfect.

And topping it all off with a Drink from a Fruit (with a free refill just to get my money's worth). Watermelon, pineapple or coconut options. Got crazy and had pineapple as my refill in the watermelon. Bonkers!

My mother has already kindly body shamed me and reminded me to go for a run. Oh mothers. Gotta love'em.

I mean I could have had this milkshake from Fran's Restaurant, but I didn't--Oh I really want to try this milkshake now!

Bringing all the boys to the yard... #sorrynotsorry ;-) 6ix Milkshake #regrann from @connievictoria #CNE2016 #mymilkshake #fransrestaurant

A photo posted by Frans Restaurant and Bar (@fransrestaurant) on Sep 2, 2016 at 2:13pm PDT

What's your favourite carnival food to eat? Share it in the comments below

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Mac and Cheese Fest 2016

As soon as I walked away from Mac n' Cheese Fest 2015 with a belly full of cheesy goodness I was already planning my trip for the following year. The happy day arrived back in June and I called up a foodie friend to join me. 

After last years widely criticized location of Liberty Village being much too small (organizers greatly underestimated Canadians' love of mac and cheese) the event this year was moved to Ontario Place, the multi use site and location of a now defunct IMAX cinesphere. In my opinion, it was the best decision. We went early in the day and it was super hot, but there were lots of shady areas and things were comfortably spread out.

Now on to the food. There were some clear winners in my mind, but overall I didn't find the mac n' cheese selection and options to be all that good. Now that could be a result of poor choosing on my part, but really everything I had was just okay. I was also sad not to find the mac n' cheese sushi there, my favourite thing from last year. 

This year my favourite dish of the day was the Mac Smash from Junked. They were at last years event, but the line up was just too long to bother with, this year I was determined to get me some! And honestly this mac n' cheese concoction served in a Doritos bag with lettuce and sour cream was like a mac and cheese taco and I wasn't mad at it. 

I almost went back for seconds.

This Pancetta mac n' cheese was a very close second. My mouth is watering just thinking of it.

This cake is not mac n' cheese related but delicious nonetheless. Can't go wrong with rainbow cake.

If you plan to attend this event next year, I highly recommend it and also suggest getting there early. It's free and un-ticketed, but the security check entering the park slowed things down and we noticed a crazy long line (fast moving but still not fun to do when standing in the hot sun).

Another summer food fest. I can't get enough of them. What's your favourite thing to do in the summertime?

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Summer Wishes

Inspired by Diana's Summer Wishes I wanted to mentally create my own wish list in an attempt to not let my summer of fun in London pass me by. Every year I most look forward to the family vacation where we rent the same cottage by the bay and all get together for the week; sharing summer meals, playing lots of scrabble, and plenty of bike rides, not to mention countless hours on the beach. I'm going to miss out on this, this year, but I don't want to start a pity party for one, because I'm living in London. London is at it's best when soaked in summer sunshine. 
My list focuses on the small things that make the summer months great for me, leaving me feeling satisfied with life. As Diana puts it, here are a few things "I hope will rock my summer".

Watermelon and summer foods. I love the freshness of these kinds of seasonal items that just make a meal so much the better.

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That tiredness you get from playing all day, preferably accompanied by pruney fingers from spending most of that play in a body of water. Where nothing is accomplished all day, but fun.

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Summer nights. Staying out to the very last bit of sunlight has disappeared beyond the horizon and the air begins go feel cool and refreshing against bare skin.

Tea on a balcony. There's just nothing better than a morning cuppa enjoyed outside in the first morning sun.

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Ice cream. Always and forever, ice cream. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. I can't get enough of this stuff, but last summer I discovered a way to make my own dairy free and somewhat healthy version of it.

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Nature! While living in the Big Smoke, you can forget there is more to the world then concrete and car fumes. You therefore have to seize opportunities to connect with nature whenever they present themselves. (Just look at that wild hair, I do belong in the wild)

What are some of your summer wishes?

Fun travels!