balsamic strawberry no bake cheesecake

 

happy canada 150!!!! i can only imagine the celebrations happening across the country tonight both big & small. there will be fireworks in my town & even more fireworks over the falls. i wanted to leave you with a perfect summer recipe incase you need a last minute dessert for a bbq tonight or for a fourth of july gathering! no bake cheesecakes are PERFECT for the hottest of summer days because they involve no heat element. it is for those days where it gets so hot you can't even think about turning on a stove top or oven. i love balsamic strawberries as a snack or topping on ice cream so i thought it would work well as a topping on this cheesecake too... it did! the balsaimc is very sublte, a little goes a long way. plus the sugar really offsets the bitterness of the vinegar. i think it would work well with peaches too. anyways i am starting my long weekend celebrations the second i hit post:)

happy canada day!

happy fourth of july!

happy long weekend!

xo

ingredients

for the graham cracker crust

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

for the balsamic strawberries

  • 2 cups fresh strawberries, quartered
  • 2-3 tablespoons white sugar (depending on sweetness of berries)
  • 1 teaspon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tablespoon quality balsamic vinegar

for the cheesecake

  • 16 oz full fat cream cheese ( two 8oz bars)
  • 1/3 cup + 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

directions

for the graham cracker crust

  • in a large mixing bowl toss together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and sea salt.
  • add the butter & vanilla, stir well.
  • pour mixture into a pie dish or skillet & shape crumbs into a crust with a one inch high edge.
  • place crust in the fridge to chill while you prepare the filling & strawberries.

for the balsamic strawberries

  • in a mixing bowl toss together the strawberries, sugar, vanilla and balsamic. let flavours mend while you prepare the filling. cover & refrigerate.

for the cheesecake

  • in the bowl of a standmixer (or hand mixer) beat together the cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar & vanilla until fluffy.
  • in a separate bowl whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks are formed. add in the remaining sugar.
  • fold whipped cream into the cheesecake ensuring not to deflate the whipped cream.
  • pour filling over crust & let rest in the fridge to set for 2-4 hours covered.
  • when ready to serve, top with the marinated balsamic strawberries.

p.s. skillet is by lodge cast iron & black mixing bowls are by falcon enamelware! xo

master bath refresh

 

in my opinion, spring is the perfect time for a little bathroom refresh! now i can't take full credit for this gorgeous bathroom. the previous owner had already done the most beautiful renovation featuring a marble shower & a custom marble vanity. it was one of the features in the house that won my heart over. it is the only full bathroom in the house, but unlike every couple on hgtv i really didn't care about an ensuite. one full bathroom featuring both a bathtub & shower was plently! who wants to clean multiple bathrooms anyways? not me. there was just some minor things i wanted to change to the space & personalize it with my own touch.

step one: the paint

the original colour of the space was a powder blue. i am not big on colour when it comes to wall paint (or anywhere) so i knew i wanted to change it to white. we actually ended up having to paint it TWICE! the first colour i chose turned out just awful, it had a beige tone to it & simply looked like a dirty off white. FARROW AND BALL TO THE RESCUE! i talked with my friend over at dreamy white lifestyles who seems to have done her research when it came to finding the perfect shade of white. i wanted something with no undertones so she recommended her favourite colour all white! farrow and ball's all white in estate emulsion is perfect. it is clean, bright & has that perfect chalky finish. i stuck to farrow and ball's wevet for the trim to match the rest of the house, which is actually a touch darker then the walls & has a slight grey hue to it. it is something you don't notice in the other rooms, but when you put it up to a clean white you finally see the hint of grey! lastly, i painted the door farrow and ball's mole's breath to bring in a touch of grey & pull from those marble veins.

step two: the lighting

the previous lighting in the space was very classy & square, but i tend to lean towards more school house & industrial vibes. the mirror was a huge frameless mirror that i had no intentions of changing, but we accidentally broke it when we painted! so i chose to get both the mirror & light fixtures from restoration hardware. i am obsessed with this store, but we all are.. right?! i am so happy how the shadeless sconce lights look along side the chrome framed mirror. i chose the same school house style light fixture for the spare room & office, but in the bathroom i went for the clear shade instead of the milk glass. the clear shade looks a little more elegant & i love how the vintage edison bulb is visible to match the scones lights.

step three: the hardware

the faucets in the sink, tub & shower are all moen's kingsley line. the hardware, however was not. i managed to find all the matching pieces to moen's kingsley line on wayfair (p.s. yay to free shipping in canada)! they sell the faucets featured in this space too. i installed a toilet paper holder, towel bar, glass shelf & towel hook in the matching chrome finish. the beautiful shelf above the bath is the perfect spot to hold candles as well as a place to rest your glasses/jewlery before you get into the bath tub. the towel hook i installed next to the shower makes it so much easier to just grab your towel before getting out of the shower. it is WAY to cold to get out & search for a towel! lastly, that cute modern farmhouse basket where i store the extra towels is from wayfair as well. it is perfect to hold just about anything in & even comes in a copper finish!!!

step four: the linens

i chose the same rough linen bath makeover that i used in the powder room design. not to sound like a broken record, but i just can't get enough of rough linen's linen! the quality, the texture.. everything about it is perfect. trish (the owner) did such an amazing job sourcing the perfect fabric. featured are the "natural" coloured linens, but i think the grey would look just as amazing! i just saw they released linen baby blankets now too, i kind of want to get one for buddy. she is close enough to a little baby! maybe it would keep her out of my linen bedding every morning, but doubtful.

check out all the sources at the links below:)

orange creamsicle cocktail

 

i hope everyone had the BEST (most spoiled) christmas ever! i am beyond stuffed from all the turkey & ham that was consumed, not to mention the italian tradition of a big plate of pasta before every meal. the sugared cranberry cheesecake was a hit too! it was the first time any of my family had eaten sugared cranberries and they loved them.

the holiday celebrations are not over yet though! we have one more boxing day dinner tonight with justin's family before we get ready to ring in the new year! i am not that big of a new years eve person anymore.. we will probably stay in, make some fancy snacks & ring in 2017 in our new home. however, i love new years day brunch gatherings. one last meal before we all start to lose the holiday weight caused by endless amounts of food & drinks.

this year i wanted to create a lighter cocktail to sip on during brunch. a vodka twist on the classic mimosa, but still including fresh orange juice. orange juice always has to be served with breakfast or brunch, so i created this orange creamsicle cocktail using zevia's natural cream soda. it is so good, it literally taste like an orange creamsicle popsicle. bonus points that it is made with zevia's zero calorie cream soda sweetended with stevia. this cocktail will be sure to impress your guest & bring them back to those childhood creamsicle days.

happy new year friends! cheers to the last post of 2016. i can't wait to see what 2017 has in store:)

xo

ingredients

  • 1.5 oz vodka
  • 2 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 oz milk * 2 oz zevia cream soda
  • ice, for serving
  • fresh mint, for garnishing

directions

  • in a cocktail shaker add vodka, orange juice, milk, cream soda & ice. shake well!
  • pour into desired cocktail glass, add fresh ice & garnish with a sprig of mint.