Île d’Orléans + Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré

November 6, 2015

Hello again!

I am back and sharing some more of our travels in Canada. While visiting Quebec City, we visited a few surrounding sites like Montmorency Falls, and today I’m sharing with you our explorations on Orleans Island, (or Île d’Orléans in French) and Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.

Île d’Orléans is a cute little Island across the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City.

There is one way onto the island over a bridge, and when you enter the Island and go counter clockwise, you see some of the quaint gorgeous little homes on the beautiful island countryside. There is a beautiful view of Quebec City from one end of the Island in the area referred to as Sainte-Pétronille.

There are a few little restaurants on the island, and my kids loved going to the Chocolate store. The island is also well known for their country grown strawberries if you are on the island during strawberry season, be sure to pull over and grab a basket from the local fruit stands.

The Cathedral of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is about 20 minutes outside of Quebec City. It is stunning, and massive in size. People have been gathering at this shrine for over 350 years dedicated to Saint Anne the grandmother of Jesus. It holds beautiful artwork, paintings, stained glass windows, and mosaics. It also holds daily mass.

The grounds and surrounding areas were also beautiful and nice to walk around.

Norah’s Outfit

Gap Kids Denim Jacket

Gap Kids Floral shorts (similar)

Gap Kids Grey Top (similar)

Navy Saltwater Sandals

Ezra

Sweater- Nununu

Converse All Star High Tops

Thomas

Loved by Hannah and Eli Tee

Puma Shoes

If you’re in the Quebec City area in Canada, I highly recommend visiting Île d’Orléans + Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré!

Thanks for following along our adventures! Feel free to check out more of our Family travel posts here.

A Fall Table // Trebo Salad Recipe

November 4, 2015

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, Fall tablescapes are on my mind. I like an approach to a Fall table that doesn’t seem so obvious. A few fall colors mix in with some brighter colors makes for a beautiful table that doesn’t scream Fall or Thanksgiving and I think is a nice chic approach.

A simple Rosemary sprig can help dress up a place setting, and it doesn’t break the bank.

Florals always bring a finishing touch to the table. I picked up this fall floral bouquet from Harmons Grocery, and a table cloth and linens from Home Goods. Once I knew the colors with the help of my tablecloth, I was able to put the rest together. I found the perfect little Pellegrino bottle from Harmons and a few little treats to decorate the table from Home Goods.

This salad is one of my favorite salads, but would also be an amazing addition to your Thanksgiving spread. With brussels sprouts and fresh thyme, it is the perfect fall salad that is always a show stopper. My friend JaNaan served this at one of her amazing lunches, and I just had to get the recipe. It has a homemade vinaigrette with a lovely fresh lemon flavor mixed with fresh thyme.

Trebo Salad

Adjust amounts to the size of salad you will need:

Fresh Arugula

Shaved fresh brussels sprouts

Toasted sliced almonds (toasted in a skillet for a few minutes until the edges are a little golden)

Hard Boiled Eggs, Sliced

Bacon, cooked and cut into small strips

Pecorino cheese, grated

Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons finely minced shallots

1 teaspoon fine lemon zest (zest the yellow part of the lemon only with a microplane)

1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme leaves

pinch of freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste.

Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of regular olive oil (not extra virgin).

Adjust lemon juice to the acidity taste you like.

Add the dressing to the salad just to coat and serve.

Enjoy!

I hope this has helped inspire your fall table. I don’t know why, but I just love a nicely set table. It seems to be a rare occurrence these days, gone are the days that every couple registered for a nice china set for their wedding. But, I sure hope the art of setting a nice table continues on. There is something special about sitting around a table with those you love enjoying a nice meal.

Table Sources: (affiliate links included in this post)

Florals: Harmons Grocery

Dishes / Plates: A lucky thrift store find

Tablecloth/ Cloth Napkins: Home Goods

Treats: Home Goods

Chairs: Scoop Back Chairs West Elm

Stem Glasses: Tai Pan Trading

Silverware- Wayfair

Moroccan Glasses: Wayfair

{all photos by me}

Recipe: Harmons Holiday Pies …

November 2, 2015

Pie. Isn’t it everyone’s favorite part about Thanksgiving? Well, it most certainly is one of mine!

There are so many pies to choose from when making your favorite holiday pie, and sometimes it is just too hard to have to make that decision! Well, you’ve come to the right place! We did all the hard work for you!

I’ve teamed up with the Harmons Grocery Bloggers to bring you a master list of amazing pies with amazing flavors that have been tried and tested!

We were able to meet up, chat, sample and photograph these beautiful pies, talk about food, and our favorite recipe secrets. I just love getting together with fellow foodies to eat and talk about one of my favorite subjects, food!

I made my favorite French Apple Tart. I shared the full step by step recipe here. I’ve made it countless times over the years, and my mom has as well. It is a family tradition to eat at Thanksgiving, and special holidays. I hope it will become your tradition too!

Becky from A Vintage Mixer made this unique Almond Butter Pie. It was a perfect combination of Chocolate and nuts.

Si from A Bountiful Kitchen made this beautiful Chocolate Silk Pie. Si knows her pies, just look at that crust! It’s a tried and true recipe that I know you’ll just love!

Rachael from La Fuji Mama made this beautiful Gingerbread Chess Pie. It had the most unique flavors and the gingerbread was just amazing!

Jesseca from One Sweet Appetite made this Streusel Pumpkin Pie. If you are sick of plain old boring pumpkin pie, then give this one a try this year to spice things up!