Heat Wave

     Ottawa finally got a taste of early summer this weekend. We were blanketed under a heat warning. The air was moist and I kept my long brown hair up in a ponytail to keep cool. The thermometer said it was a million degrees, but that didn't stop us from going to our local Farmer's Market.

 
     The air conditioning in our car decided to go on the fritz in the middle of this heat wave. When we arrived at the Westboro Farmer's Market in Byron Park, Henry's cheeks were rosy and his forehead was sticky. Despite the humidity, he was happy as I pushed him in his stroller. I think the motion created some kind of air current. The Farmer's Market was busy as people bought locally grown produce, food and crafts from different vendors.

     We found a spot in the shade and treated ourselves to a SuzyQ gourmet doughnut. The lemon thyme pastry was soft and gooey. The doughnut company is based in Ottawa and they offer unique varieties including maple bacon.

     We also bought some melt-in-your-mouth lettuce and juicy tomatoes for salad. In an effort to be adventurous, we purchased a couple of steaks from The Elk Ranch. The elk are raised in a free-range and natural environment. Later, we had a barbeque and it was delicious. The meat tasted sweet and tender and our salad was fresh and crisp.

     Our trip to the Farmer's Market inspired me to plant my own garden. I always thought you needed a house with a large yard in order to have a garden, but my home has a lot of untapped growing space on the balcony.

     My urban garden includes; tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, chives and basil. Living in the city often means dealing with a lack of yard space, but these pots provide the perfect solution. Henry will be starting solids soon and now he's going to get to enjoy nutritious home-grown food.

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A couple of things before I sign-off...

1. I will be returning to 101.9 DAWG FM this Tuesday at 8 AM to co-host with Dylan Black because I miss my amazing co-workers. I'm excited to introduce them all to Henry. You can listen live here.

2. I'm excited to announce my first giveaway! For you awesome readers. A randomly drawn commenter from this post will be receiving a $25 gift certificate from Gymboree. A winner will be revealed on my next blog post.

My newsboy modeling his new Gymboree onesie.

Keep smiling.