it's the simple things.

 a decorated mantle helped make anniversary celebrations even more special.

sugar cookies for a special friend's folks' wedding anniversary.

a handsome man soaking up some late afternoon sun.
white nails & pineapple juice : fresh & delish.

oh, you know.

jamaican rum punch cocksicles.

lately i've seen a shit tonne of recipes floating around pinterest for cocktail popsicles or 'poptails' (i personally prefer 'cocksicles' myself -- same thing but totally different), which are basically popsicles made up of the same ingredients as classic cocktails like sex on the beach, margaritas, strawberry daiquiri's and so on, and are full of alcohol. as a fan of rum, i wanted to try my hand at a rum punch version of this tasty summer treat, and with a bit of searching realized i couldn't find a recipe that was just right. so with some ratios taken from one recipe and a little smoke and mirrors, i came up with my own version of a 'rum punch cocksicle' and they ended up being everything i wanted them to be: blow-your-head-off delicious.

how we do: jamaican rum punch 'cocksicles'

{makes 10}

prep time: 15 minutes

freezing time: 24 hours

you will need:

10 ounces of jamaican rum (we love appleton estate)

1 super ripe pineapple

1 pint of raspberries

1 lime

1 cup orange juice

popsicle moulds

peel and chop up your pineapple and wash your raspberries. in a blender add all the pineapple, 1/2 of the rum (5 ounces), the juice of 1/2 of a lime and 1/2 cup of orange juice -- puree until smooth and fill the moulds halfway with this mixture. rinse the blender and combine all of the raspberries, the other 1/2 of the rum, lime juice and orange juice. again, puree until smooth and use this mixture to top off the moulds. i shoved a few whole, smaller raspberries into the moulds for a little texture and colour. pop these babies in the freezer and 24 hours later you can throw on some bob and you'll feel like you're sittin' on a beach in jamaica, sippin' a rum punch (amongst other things) 

and livin' the dream.

note: we had these at a very special friend's birthday party this weekend and found it a little difficult to get some of the cocksicles out of their moulds. run them under hot water for a moment and then give them a second to melt a bit before trying to pull them out. when all else fails, if you get desperate enough like i did, grab a spoon and scoop that shit.

healthy reminders.

{image via}

two years.

{credit nataschia wielink photography}

today we are celebrating our second wedding anniversary, shit does time fly! paulie surprised me by coming home from work last night to say he took today off, so we're going to take advantage by spending the day together at home, followed by a dinner date at one of our favourite restaurants. a low key day is completely unlike how we celebrated our first anniversary, but i think it's important to mix up how you celebrate these special days so you can whole-heartedly enjoy and appreciate each and every one of them.

i think there are worlds inside all of us

contained only tenuously

by the soft covers of skin.

the green in your eyes alight with the sun

and i realize

yours is the most beautiful world

i've ever the privilege to touch.

--author unknown.

rhubarb & shortbread cookie sundaes.

being in charge of dessert for an impromptu sunday dinner at my parents this weekend sparked the hamster to start running full speed on that little wheel stored in paulie's giant heed, and the result was effing delicious. after shooting down my idea to make pizzelle 'funnel cakes' with ricotta whipped cream and fresh strawberries, i left the plan and execution of what he was convinced would be the better choice up to him. now i'm not saying he was right, but i'm not saying he was wrong either.

how we do: rhubarb & shortbread cookie sundaes

{serves 4}

prep time: 5 minutes

cook time: 10 minutes

you will need:

3 stalks of rhubarb

1 tablespoon of grated ginger

1/3 cup of orange juice

2 teaspoons of sugar

vanilla ice cream

8 shortbread cookies

wash and chop 3 rhubarb stalks into small, even pieces, and add to a frying pan on medium-high heat. grate 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger and add it to the rhubarb, as well as 1/3 cup of orange juice (freshly squeezed or from a carton) and 2 teaspoons of sugar, and allow it to cook until the rhubarb softens to the consistency of a chunky jam.

while your rhubarb is sautéing, get 4 shortbread cookies into a ziploc bag and pound into a crumble, with a nice mix of fine and coarse pieces, this will be the topping for your sundae. when your rhubarb mixture is ready and still hot, scoop a tablespoon into the bottom of each sundae glass or bowl you are serving from. add 2 big, round scoops of creamy vanilla ice cream, a second dollop of rhubarb, the shortbread cookie crumble on top and a full shortbread cookie for garnish and scooping.

the rhubarb sauce is a nice mix of tart, tangy and citrusy, which is lovely with the cool creaminess of the ice cream and rich, buttery flavour from the shortbread -- the fact that they're so pretty is an absolute bonus. change things up by adding fresh strawberries or blackberries to the rhubarb mix or a tasty orange liqueur like grand marnier. shit son.