You guys, we did it!  We survived the first week of back to school madness.  Okay, it wasn't madness, but the first week is always slightly painful.  I can't lie, I miss the kids so so much when they are gone.  The first week especially.  I love having them around and the house is so incredibly quiet when they are gone.  Welcoming them home, off of the bus, is a moment I always look forward to.

Did you hear the amazing news?  Sarah Richardson (whose table linens are featured above) is back on HGTV Canada with a new show!  Where are the confetti poppers?!!!  I am c-r-a-z-y excited to tune in!  The trailers have been awesome and I can't wait to see how she designs this family home!  The show premiers this Sunday at 10pm EST (past my bedtime but I'm gonna stay up for it!  Glass of wine in hand of course!).  

In her new show, Sarah Off The Grid, we'll follow Sarah and her family along as they build their family home in the country.  The home will be built off the main power grid,  so I'm quite interested to see how it's all pulled together.  Tommy is back and HGTV Canada Stars, Mike Holmes, Mike Holmes Jr and Colin Hunter also make guest appearances to help Sarah and her husband Alex to help them build their forever home.  Read more about the show right here and the show's homepage on HGTV.ca can be found here!  

In other news, I made my first batch of butter tarts this week and was pleasantly surprised by how well they turned out!  I learned a few lessons, but all in all, super happy with the results!  I used this recipe from Style At Home.

Also, I bought this dress from J. Crew and oh my goodness, it's ah-mazing!  Only kicker, you can nab it for nearly 1/2 the price that I paid!  

Jen and Erin have come together to chat all things blogging in this Podcast.  I look forward to tuning in when I have a quiet moment this weekend.

I'm in the midst of changing up the living/dining room.  It started with some paint swatches going up on the wall (new colour has been chosen) and moving things around.  I purchased the gorgeous candle snuffer in the photo above and love how beautiful it looks on the coffee table.  Looking forward to when this room makeover is done!

Have a lovely weekend, friends!

Cheers,

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Guacamole Inspired Avocado Toast

One of our sons is a rather picky eater.  It's incredible how sensitive his tastebuds are.  Even when I try to sneak food into a recipe, he calls me out.  We recently discovered that he absolutely loves guacamole (riddle me that, I dunno, but guacamole doesn't seem to be the likely choice for picky eaters...or does it?!).  Anyhow, this means that we've been eating our fair share of guacamole as of late, which is fine by all of us!

That gave me an idea for a recipe.  I know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but somedays I could honestly (and well, I totally do, shame, I know) go without.  One thing that I do reach for those mornings that I feel like eating prior to 9am is toast.  Toast and avocado is definitely not something new and though I've tried a few recipes and combos of our own, nothing really stuck.

Today I tried frying some bread in olive oil and essentially used the same ingredients that you would use to make guacamole, plus a few extras, and oh my word, it was delicious!

There's something so delectable about fried bread (think grilled cheese...mmmmm).  It crisps the edges beautifully and the centre stays soft, the hit of olive oil (or butter, whichever you prefer to use) is an added bonus!  The only ingredient that you wouldn't find in guacamole (other than the toast of course) is the cheese.  I went with feta for this recipe, but am tempted to try it with goats cheese too.

Mmmm, so yummy!

Here's the recipe for you to try!

Guacamole Inspired Avocado Toast

Ingredients

• a slice of your favourite toast (I used Bavarian Multi-Grain bread)
• olive oil (approx 1/2 - 1tbsp)
• feta cheese
• 1/2 of a ripe avocado
• 5-6 cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• 1 tsp diced red onion (or more if preferred)
• splash of fresh lime juice
• crushed chili pepper flakes
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Drizzle olive oil in pan and heat over medium heat (careful, oil burns easily, so keep an eye on it!)
2. place bread of choice in skillet, frying each side until a golden brown (you may need to add more oil to fry the second side)
3. place bread on plate when both sides are done frying
4. top with crushed feta (or cheese of preference)
5. top with avocado and spread over entire piece of bread
6. add halved cherry tomatoes and chopped onions
7. add lime juice over entire piece of bread (I used approx half of the juice from 1/8 slice of a lime), salt and crushed red pepper flakes to taste

This is simply delectable and you could easily make more than one at a time!  Especially since you only use 1/2 of an avocado per piece of toast.  Let me know if you give this recipe a try!  I think it would be absolutely amazing with some arugula or similar greens, no?  I can also see this as a great  meal for lunch, too!

Cheers,