June 14, 2025

Summer Saturdays Vol. 2

BAKING

These blueberry breakfast cookies are insanely good. I keep them in the fridge because I love a cold cookie in the morning.

COOKING

I’ve been baking a lot of salmon lately - nothing too special. I top it at the end with a garlic/soy sauce/maple/mustard glaze and I haven’t grown tired of it yet.

CRAVING

Two things mainly: June strawberries & lap swimming. I don’t ask for much.

DRINKING

When I was in Turks and Caicos earlier this year, I had the same lunch smoothie each day from a place in town and we’ve made it here at home almost 100 times since then it’s so good. Almond milk, chocolate protein powder, green apple, honey, peanut powder, cocoa powder, frozen banana & ice. Heavenly.

EATING

I’ve been slow-cooking the garlic & peppercorn pork tenderloin from Trader Joe’s and making spinach wraps (which is just spinach blended with eggs and then pan fried to resemble a tortilla) with feta for lunch this week.

EXPERIENCING

So happy to have seen the New Jersey town where the original Friday the 13th was filmed so many years ago.

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LISTENING

I went mad with organizing all of my playlists on Spotify, so this week it’s the 1970s that's on repeat at the moment.

LOVING

My dad turned 102 this week (!), which is obviously incredible.

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SHOPPING

Repurchased my favourite coffee beans (hazelnut creme) from San Francisco Bay Coffee.

WATCHING

I’m in the middle of a rewatch of Downton Abbey, which has been great because it’s been so long so I’ve forgotten most of it. Poor Edith.

WEARING

I’m still living in these Target wedge heels. Best thing I’ve bought all year, by far.

You can see last week’s Summer Saturdays Vol. 1 over here if you like.

June 7, 2025

Summer Saturdays Vol. 1

by Liz Heather in Summer Saturdays

Welcome to the return of Summer Saturdays! I started doing these in 2023 and I write them mainly to reiterate to myself that I am a human woman who is capable of doing fun summer things. For most of my life I’ve hated this horrid season (the heat, everything smells, children run wild/free = all reasons to naturally hate it), but I’ve actively tried to change that mindset these past few years. So these posts are here to stay (until Labour Day). And you might say that summer starts on the 20th, but it starts when I says it does.

BAKING

This is in no way a fun muffin, but these black bean muffins are good, I promise you. Full disclosure: you will not like them, but I do.

COOKING

At-home steak salads are always the answer. And it should be illegal for one to be anything upwards of $20 at a restaurant, I will die on this hill. We used to be a country.

CRAVING

The vegan tahini soft serve from Seed + Mill in Chelsea Market. Top three best soft serve in the city, hands down. Try to ignore the vegan/tahini part of the description because it’s actually really good.

Soft serve from Seed + Mill in Chelsea Market, NYC

DRINKING

LOVE the Schweppes seltzer flavour concord grape. Tastes so much like a purple Crush only without the raging sugar headache.

EATING

A few months ago I realized the secret to an incredible at-home chicken parm - you have to get bone-in chicken (and then just slice it before you cook). Made it countless times since then and it tastes phenomenal.

EXPERIENCING

Saw the new costume exhibit at The Met and of course had many thoughts.

LISTENING

Made a 1960s playlist that’s been on repeat for about a week now.

LOVING

This long sleeve bodysuit from Aerie. I got them in two colours: navy & “canyon sun.” What the hell is canyon sun, you ask? Brown. It’s just brown. People hate the word brown so much they’re willing to come up with the nonsense that is “canyon sun” shoot me.

SHOPPING

Just reordered the Urban Skin RX Dark Spot Facial Scrub. It smells great and really gets rid of any recent acne scars.

WATCHING

The second episode of And Just Like That. I’m very into the idea that there’s a new love interest for Carrie. I’m sure it’ll end badly and she’ll just stay with Aiden, but at least we don’t have to just watch her wondering around her house all day. Also, is it just me or was the show more fun when she wasn’t rich? I’ve rewatched the series so many times over the years and I think I’m onto something here.

WEARING

Wore this gorgeous Simons dress to a wedding because I’m trying to unlearn how much I’ve hated how my arms look in the past. Progress!

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You can see last year’s Summer Saturdays series over here if you like this series but live in the past. Volume 2 coming next Saturday!

August 31, 2024

Summer Saturdays Vol. 9

by Liz Heather in Summer Saturdays

Welcome to the final Summer Saturdays! Yes, I missed the last two weeks of this series but all we can do is move forward. I know that summer technically ends in a few weeks, but this year it’s over for me as of August 31st (today). Autumn will start as usual on September 22nd, but I would like the first three weeks on the month to remain seasonless. I can decide that, right? I have no desire to prolong summer and I refuse to start buying pumpkins. I intend to use this period of time to focus on myself and myself alone. The most self-involved three weeks I can imagine. But for now, here’s how my final week of summer went.

BAKING

These bran muffins are so incredible with added blueberries.

COOKING

Corn-on-the-cob is perfect right now, so it’s the only reason I turn on my stove these days.

CRAVING

One final lap swim of the season.

DRINKING

Nathan got this peanut butter coffee that’s actually delicious.

EATING

I had this perfect baked haddock when we were upstate that I’m still thinking about.

EXPERIENCING

Jeez, so many things have happened in the past few weeks. My dear friend Marla came to visit me and we had such a great time. Nathan and I also went to Cooperstown, NY this week, which was last minute but so nice. (There are highlights from that trip over here.)

LISTENING

Since there was a roadtrip, I made this playlist for the drive.

LOVING

The gluten-free restaurant Thyme & Tonic on the upper west side. The noodles and the popcorn chicken were unholy.

SHOPPING

The autumn candle trio from Bath & Body Works.

WATCHING

Saw Longlegs in theatres and Nic Cage was great (duh). Love an original horror movie. My only notes? Legs could’ve been longer.

WEARING

I will continue to dream about this Dior skirt.

The previous Summer Saturdays Vol. 8 can be found over here and I have a summer highlights section over here.

Thank you for caring about any of these summer posts! I’ll likely be back for Fall Fridays on September 27th.

August 10, 2024

Summer Saturdays Vol. 8

by Liz Heather in Summer Saturdays

BAKING

I made these blue sky bran muffins because Nathan loves a bran muffin and they turned out great! Will add walnuts to the next batch.

COOKING

I was walking through the farmer’s market and was hit with the greatest idea of something to make: CAPRESE SCONES. So I found a recipe and it’s happening tonight. I’m going to use my already-made basil pesto (I use walnuts instead of pine nuts) instead of just plain basil leaves, so I can’t wait to see how it goes.

CRAVING

The baby tomatoes this time of year taste like candy. They are incredible.

Baby tomatoes from the Union Square Green Market, NYC

DRINKING

I made peach daiquiris for us and the only time I love an alcoholic frozen drink is at home. They’re so easy to make and it’s completely satisfying to just have one.

EATING

I tried a sample of the Tropicana orange soft serve at Milk Bar and wow was it gross. What is happening with Milk Bar? No Thanksgiving croissant last year and now this?

EXPERIENCING

I went to the restaurant Hillstone (my first time) and I have fallen in love (thank you to Irene for introducing me!). The service was outstanding and the food was ridiculously perfect. (And if you’re from Ontario, the vibe is extremely Canyon Creek-y, which obviously made me happier than I can express.) They bring you a chilled glass midway through drinking your cocktail and the salad plates come chilled, too. Is the secret to a perfect restaurant just chilling stuff? IT MIGHT BE.

LISTENING

It has been so rainy and windy this week, it’s been amazing. My desk is right between two large windows so I keep the windows open wide mainly to hear all the wild weather noise. It’s a nice change from the garbage trucks and horns that are usually the norm.

LOVING

I cannot get enough of the RFK jokes. Haven’t seen a bad one yet.

Can we please make, “Looks like the worm is at the wheel” a common expression when someone is acting insane?

SHOPPING

I stopped by the best post office in the city in Union Square and got an insanely good stamp haul. I’ve been looking for those Lichtenstein ones for months.

A beautiful stamp might cure depression?

WATCHING

Saw Trap in theatres and liked two thirds of it! I also watched the horror movie Thanksgiving, which was actually pretty great. Surprising for me because I don’t love Eli Roth.

WEARING

I’ve abandoned my pink nails in search of something new. ‘Seas the Day’ by Essie is a minty-blue that I’m kind of loving.

Last week’s Summer Saturdays Vol. 7 can be found over here and I’m keeping a summer highlights section over here.

August 3, 2024

Summer Saturdays Vol. 7

by Liz Heather in Summer Saturdays

BAKING

Found this old recipe from an 80s desserts book and there’s no human way it isn’t the greatest tasting thing of all time.

COOKING

Looking up every way possible to make the most of these perfect summer heirlooms.

CRAVING

The new M. Night movie Trap came out yesterday so we’re going on Tuesday (the cheap day) and I can’t remember the last time I was this excited for a movie.

DRINKING

Making this frozen peach rose slushy tonight.

EATING

The pink lemonade flavoured Oikos yogurt is surprisingly good. Whoever is in charge of their seasonal flavours needs a raise.

EXPERIENCING

There’s something about my parent’s backyard that just makes me feel like I know who I am, I’ll never not love every single season back there.

LISTENING

Don’t get me wrong I love her, but I have a theory that Taylor Swift solely makes certain songs that she thinks people will use over TikToks (ie. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys… c’mon! There’s no way that’s meant as a real song and not dog-owner-bait).

LOVING

Another week of too many things to love:

The phone game Heads Up, perfect for passing time with someone.
I finally got Baby Dog in a kiddie pool and the girl can swim! Might have been the cutest thing I’ve seen on this green earth.
Michaels always puts their Lemax Halloween display up this time of year (someone explain why?) and it sells out within weeks so by the time September comes around that area is (ironically) a ghost town. That being said, I still love getting to see the displays in all their glory.

The extremely dog-friendly Pearson airport (in Toronto) pet relief area - honestly, it’s the best one I’ve ever seen. It’s eons better than the horrid urine-closet they call a pet relief room at LaGuardia.

Pet relief area in Toronto Pearson airport

SHOPPING

The DVD section at suburban thrift stores remains magical. Insanely good finds.

WATCHING

My 13 year niece Maya stayed with me for awhile so I made her watch Creep, I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Craft. It’s called parenting.

WEARING

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Last week’s Summer Saturdays Vol. 6 can be found over here and I’m keeping a summer highlights section over here.

July 27, 2024

Summer Saturdays Vol. 6

by Liz Heather in Summer Saturdays

BAKING

I made individual blueberry cakes from a reel I saw and they were perfect.

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COOKING

Incredibly soft ricotta meatballs.

CRAVING

Wild blueberries in season right now.

DRINKING

At-home mimosas because SHE FANCY.

EATING

Spinach and (fresh) corn quesadillas. Truly a perfect way to use fresh corn.

EXPERIENCING

Fantastic thai at Nimman Thai in Etobicoke.

LISTENING

The Dr. Mario theme is on a loop in my head right now, it’s offensive how good I’ve become.

LOVING

Freshii frozen yogurt, playing basketball behind the school, playing Jenga with the kids, night food markets, orange moons, constantly swimming, there are too many things to love this week.

SHOPPING

Excited to try these Ordinary products.

WATCHING

I saw Twisters in theatre and it was surprisingly good. Little annoyed that there was no Helen Hunt but what can you do. And <spoiler> they really did rob us of an incredible kiss scene.

always remember what they took from us https://t.co/bnZaDe9eJV pic.twitter.com/YYzsalplza
— Sarah | glen powell summer 🌪️ (@sydglenx) July 20, 2024

WEARING

The closet in your childhood bedroom might have some gems.

Last week’s Summer Saturdays Vol. 5 can be found over here and I’m keeping a summer highlights section over here.

July 20, 2024

Summer Saturdays Vol. 5

by Liz Heather in Summer Saturdays

BAKING

Made a batch of oven cooked bacon to add to the tomato toast for the week.

COOKING

Officially time to make the world’s greatest panzanella salad.

CRAVING

With all the rain from last week, the kids and I made paper sailboats but the winds were too strong so we decided to wait to sail them. Now we need another, lighter storm so I can finally sail them.

DRINKING

Got a cider flight with my niece Tianna at Spirit Tree Estate Cidery in Caledon and that place is the absolute best. Their seasonal soup is almost the main reason to go.

EATING

My dear friend Marla brought me plums she grew and they are heavenly. Summer produce solves all.

EXPERIENCING

Went to Activate again and I love that place, especially the hoops room. Maybe I should buy a basketball?

LISTENING

Swim playlist!

LOVING

Heirloom tomato season IS HERE. Right now I can only find them at Whole Foods, but I’ll take it.

SHOPPING

My jaw will forever drop at specialty butters. Fact.

WATCHING

I made the kids watch all of the Naked Gun movies and they were a massive hit.

WEARING

Summer outfits >>

Last week’s Summer Saturdays Vol. 4 can be found over here and I’m keeping a summer highlights section over here.

July 13, 2024

Summer Saturdays Vol. 4

by Liz Heather in Summer Saturdays

BAKING

It’s the perfect time to make these strawberry white chocolate cookies.

COOKING

Buying and eating all of the summer corn. You can’t stop me.

CRAVING

It’s July so I’ve got the cheeseburger dumplings from Mimi Cheng’s on my mind.

DRINKING

Watermelon sangria. It’s perfect from Bite.

EATING

I saw a video of someone squeezing lemon on watermelon, so I tried it and whoa. Do it.

EXPERIENCING

Went to Blue Mountain with the family and it was so, so great. Outdoor pools might be the answer?

LISTENING

My best of the 90s playlist.

LOVING

Remember how many frozen yogurt places there used to be? And how all of them closed at the very same time? No one misses them more than me. So the Menchie’s at Blue Mountain is everything that I could have wanted and more. Also rode the Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster that was the absolute best.

Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster, Blue Mountain, Ontario

SHOPPING

Stopped at a country farm store on the way back and found some sponge toffee, which is so rare to find. Think it’s law to have to buy it when you spot it?

WATCHING

Rewatched the first Naked Gun and it remains fantastic.

WEARING

My J. Crew swimsuit is still going strong after four years and I’m still in love with it.

Last week’s Summer Saturdays Vol. 3 can be found over here and I’m keeping a summer highlights section over here.

July 6, 2024

Summer Saturdays Vol. 3

by Liz Heather in Summer Saturdays

BAKING

My parent’s house has a cake stand, so every time I visit I try to make a cake that first night solely so I can use that stand. There’s just something about seeing a cake in a cake stand that makes me feel like maybe life isn’t hard? So I’m going to make this triple berry coffee cake this week.

COOKING

Need this lemon chicken artichoke pasta salad immediately.

CRAVING

The incredible coronation chicken salad at Nomad Sandwiches.

DRINKING

The Irish Coffee with cheese foam at Murray’s in LIC.

Irish coffee with cheese foam at Murray’s, LIC

EATING

Caesar salads for life.

EXPERIENCING

I always forget about how great Chelsea Market can be for an afternoon out. The crowds are awful, but some of the shops are wonderful. Chelsea Market Baskets might be the best place for food gifts in the whole city.

Why on earth didn’t I buy this perfect LEMON SOAP, Chelsea Market Baskets in NYC

LISTENING

My best of the 00’s playlist.

LOVING

The vegan tahini soft serve at Seed + Mill is magical and I’m angry that it took me this long to learn that fact. I’m neither vegan nor do I love tahini but I will continue to dream about how good this tasted.

Vegan tahini soft serve from Seed + Mill, NYC

SHOPPING

I bought some makeup spatulas to get out the last drops from my concealer tube and I can’t recommend these enough.

WATCHING

The newest season of The Bear. And let me just say, people have been way too critical of this season. Of course there are parts that aren’t as good as other seasons, but no content is perfect (except maybe Dave…).

WEARING

An oversized torn jean jacket that Nathan bought me years ago that’s proving to be the perfect thing to wear with tiny little rompers when I’m out and about in the city.

Last week’s Summer Saturdays Vol. 2 can be found over here and I’m keeping a summer highlights section over here.

June 29, 2024

Summer Saturdays Vol. 2

by Liz Heather in Summer Saturdays

BAKING

Will make a batch of these heavenly blueberry breakfast cookies later today.

COOKING

I’ve perfected my tuna salad sandwich recipe and here it is. Canned tuna mixed with sliced pickles, chopped red onion, dijon, a drop mayo, pickle juice, grated garlic, salt & pepper on a bun that’s been toasted in garlic butter then broiled with cheddar on top. IT IS EVERYTHING.

CRAVING

Why will I always love Lay’s? Two reasons. 1) Their original chips taste the best at parties. 2) The fact that each summer they put out seasonal flavours. Will a cuban sandwich flavour taste incredible? Does it even matter? It’s the EFFORT of creating something new. I’m a woman who will appreciate effort until the day I die.

DRINKING

Snow cones for life.

EATING

Finally went to Golden Diner and fully recommend. I am not a pancake person (because they’re so boring?) but these were other-worldly. Better than Clinton St. Baking Company.

EXPERIENCING

A grimy, Queens carnival! And can I just tell you, the Superman ride truly scared the living hell out of me. I didn’t think I could still feel that way from rides, so that was alarming (but in a fun way?).

LISTENING

The Jiminy Glick Bill Maher interview and it’s so good.

LOVING

The happy hour at Hotel on Rivington on the Lower East Side. $10 martinis in Manhattan? Get the hell out of here.

SHOPPING

Is it sad that I’m over the moon about the Scrubbing Bubbles Foaming Bleach Cleaner I got for the grout in my washroom? If your answer is yes, then I suggest you look inward because holy mother of god, this is a dream cleaner. How have I only discovered it NOW?

WATCHING

Reruns of Living Single on HBO. Now this is a reboot that would heal the world.

WEARING

Technically you don’t wear face wash, so yes I’m reaching here but stay with me. I finally started to use my Dennis Gross all-in-one face wash and I will forever be loyal to that man. A perfect face wash.

Last week’s Summer Saturdays Vol. 1 can be found over here and I’m keeping a summer highlights section over here.