sweet pea and parmesan crostini

It's July, which is my favorite month of the year, hands down.  For me, July signifies sunny weekend days spent at the beach and warm, late night casual dinners on the deck, all accompanied by the wonderful anticipation of my upcoming summer holidays. 

July also means that it's our local fresh pea season! 

I love fresh peas, and when they are in season, we gobble them up around here.  Shelled and tossed into salads, or standing in Granny's garden and eating them as fast as I can while fighting off my brother, I'll take them any way I can get them!

Here is an easy, delicious recipe to utilize those summer peas that I made last summer when fresh peas were in abundance.

~ courtesy of Chatelaine magazine ~

8 thinly sliced pancetta rounds

2 cups (500 mL) shelled fresh peas

1 lemon

1/2 cup (125 mL) freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup (50 mL) shredded fresh basil

1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil

Generous pinches of salt

16 toasted baguette slices

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook until crisp, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel. When cool, carefully slice in half.

Meanwhile, bring a partially filled pot of water to a boil. Add peas. Cook until very tender, 5-15 minutes. Drain well.

Place peas in a food processor. Squeeze 2 tbsp juice from lemon and add to peas along with parmesan, basil, oil and salt. Pulse until smooth. Taste and add more oil and lemon juice if you wish. To serve, top each baguette slice with a dab of pea purée, then a piece of pancetta. Spread more purée over top.

For easy baguette toasts, cut baguette into thin slices. Lightly brush both sides with olive oil. Bake on a large baking sheet at 500F (260C) until golden, 1 to 3 minutes per side. Cool before using.

Hip Hip Hooray...

...it's my birthday today!

I don't know about you, but

I

LOVE

BIRTHDAYS! 

I just feel like a kid again on my birthday, right from the start when I wake up giddy and excited!  I look forward to it all ~ the phone calls from my family, the 'hey, happy birthday!' from friends, the cake, the love, the card in the mail from my sweet Granny, all of it! 
I don't know, I just feel different on my birthday.

 I'm guessing by the hushes and rustling of paper going on behind closed doors that there may be a present, and perhaps a handmade card or two! 

And we're leaving this evening to go camping for the weekend at a really lovely spot by the ocean, called French Beach.  3 nights, a sunny weekend (that's me sending out hopeful energy), some friends, and a birthday!

Am I alone in this birthday department?  Do you love your special day, or do you like it to come and go with out much fuss?

Happy early weekend to you!  Hope it's a good one!

Friday finds from Etsy

Happy Canada Day!

It's a long weekend for the Canadian crowd,

as we celebrate our country's 144th birthday today.

There's much happening around the city of Victoria this weekend, with markets, kids activities, music performances, and of course,
fireworks downtown in the Inner Harbour.
Not sure yet what we'll make our way towards, but it will be
a weekend of celebration to be sure!
~

this pretty rainbow of pillows just makes me happy! ~

I want this dress, that hat, and a warm day to go summer market shopping ~

these playful pinwheels have me smiling ~

love the deep plum color of this cotton & lace camisole set ~

some cute straws for summer entertaining ~

 a gorgeous lilac amethyst & gold bangle

Happy weekend to you!