eat: crave cupcakes

My love affair with Crave spans almost eight years. Two sisters opened the Calgary-based bakery in 2004 in the Kensington area and I was lucky enough to be living there at the time. If you have yet to try a Crave cupcake -heed my words - these sweet and colourful concoctions are worth every single calorie. The icing is buttery and delicious, the cake is moist and decadent and the selections are plentiful. What more could a girl with a sweet tooth ask for?





When we moved back to Edmonton a few years ago, I pined for Crave's melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. Trips to Calgary always included a stop at Crave so I could get my fix. I can't begin to fathom how many A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts I've consumed over the years. It's probably a figure best left to the imagination. (:

So, I was beyond delighted (and excited) when Crave opened an Edmonton location earlier this year. Happy dance time! 3 hour drives to Calgary were no longer necessary. My friend Angela, who lives in Calgary, joked that she would never see me again now that Edmonton had its own Crave. Ha!

In addition to offering more than a dozen tasty cupcake flavours (available in regular & mini sizes), the bakery also offers a feature "craving" ever month. Lucky for us, August happens to have two specials, s'more cupcakes and cookies! I tried the cupcake last week and was in ecstasy. Rich chocolate cake infused with chunks of chocolate and topped with homemade ooey-gooey marshmallow, a graham cracker and more chocolate. This is the perfect taste sensation when camping is just not in the cards.

Take a gander at its loveliness.

If you're more of a cookie monster, they have those too (hello ginger creams!) plus cakes and ice cream sandwiches. Their newest sweet treat? Old-fashioned whoopie pies. Please try the raspberry chocolate - rich, raspberry buttercream stuffed inside delicate chocolate cake. Oh. my. goodness.

And guess who else loves Crave? Why my ladyfriend Christine, of course! She and I met up recently for some of those aforementioned sweet treats and an impromptu (and utterly hilarious) photoshoot. Be sure to check out her take on the mini doughnut cupcake at her gorg blog, just bella. The lady is quite the photographer and the owner of the cutest baby bump ever!




Happy Friday, friends!

Hope yours includes sharing cupcakes and sugar-induced shenanigans with a good friend, too.

Dajana (:

in the dressing room with mad men

I can't lie. I hightailed it to Banana Republic the exact day their much-anticipated Mad Men collection debuted. And I wasn't disappointed - the pieces were a fresh take on the iconic styles of Joan, Betty and even Peggy. I ended up falling in vestiphilial-love with the begonia print dress, the lace dress and the leopard print trench. All three pieces were beautifully made, fit perfectly, and felt deliciously luxurious on. Plus, they were tailored for a lady with curves. Yay for curvature! Nothing wrong with having some junk in the trunk, I like to say. (:

Take a look at who else was jonesing for these chic 1960s inspired threads...

Yup, it's my good friend, Ayesha (last seen here). She ended up at the same BR store that day. What are the chances?

Me and my gal pal entertained the staff at the Southgate Centre BR that evening with our twin-dressing antics. I think we made their night.  Especially the snazzily-attired Sylvester, who gave us styling tips as to what we should wear with the leopard print trench. His take? Red heels, dark skinny jeans and a slinky top. Eat your heart out, Don Draper!

Now, can you guess what both Ayesha and I took home? (;

And what about you? Did anything in the collection catch your eye?

Dajana

drink: lychee slush cocktail

In the mood for a tasty & exotic treat, friends? Why not celebrate the start of the weekend with a refreshing lychee drink you can make at home in just a matter of minutes. The combination of lychee and lime is divine! This is one of my favourite summertime cocktails.


{via chatelaine}

Lychee slush

- 1/2 540 mL can lychees

- 2/3 cup lychee syrup

- 3/4 cup ginger ale

- 1/2 cup apple juice

- 1/3 cup lychee liqueur such as Soho (or plain vodka)

- 2 tbsp lime juice

- 2 cups ice

- lime wedges and raspberries for garnish

Directions:

1. Puree 1/2 540-mL can lychees with 2/3 cup lychee syrup (from can), 3/4 cup ginger ale, 1/2 cup apple juice, 1/3 cup lychee liqueur (or plain vodka) and 2 tbsp lime juice in a blender until smooth.

2. Add 2 cups ice. Crush until slushy. Garnish with lime wedges and fresh raspberries. Serves 6.

Pregnant ladies can still indulge - just leave out the spirits and add an equivalent amount of ginger ale.

Živjeli to the weekend!

Dajana 

p.s. I also like this simple version from Martha Stewart.

shop talk: banana republic has mad (men) style!

Love the retro glamour shown on Mad Men? You're in luck. This week, Banana Republic debuts a fashion line inspired by the hit show. And guess what, local gals? Although the offical launch date is August 11, the collection has already arrived in Edmonton! This is welcome news as the retailer's recent offerings have been pretty ho hum, with the exception of my sunshiney bag, of course.

These stylish threads were designed for a martini-sipping, lipstick-wearing, executive lifestyle, wouldn't you say?
 

images via http://www.stylebistro.com/
The 65 piece capsule collection is the brainchild of Janie Bryant - the Emmy Award-winning costume designer of Mad Men,
and Simon Kneen, creative director at Banana Republic.

You may know by now that it's the full skirts, dresses with pockets and animal print cardis that are calling my name. There's something to admire in a refined appearance, careful fit and chic silhouette. I also love the vintage-inspired bags and shoes in bold leopards and rich reds to the perfectly tailored suits that will have the boyfriend looking like Don Draper in no time (yay!). The colour palettes are lovely too - the grays and browns for the men's suiting and the brighter, more fun and kitschier colours for the womenswear. Ultimately, these are wearable pieces for classy ladies who bring home the bacon and who like to entertain. Like me! (;

And whether you're more of a Joan or a Betty, you'll have no problem emulating the same 60s-inspired looks with these elegant pieces. Consider it something to hold you over until the long-awaited new season of Mad Men premieres next year.

Happy shopping!

Dajana (:

heritage festival pics!

I ate my way through 20 countries at last weekend's Heritage Festival. That's some serious eating, even for me! My favourite discovery was the Persian ice cream at the Iranian pavilion - it was a creamy, saffron, pistachio and rosewater flavoured delight. Pure deliciousness! I raved about it to everyone and anyone that would listen to me. That's how dang good it was. Did you get the chance to try it? If not, don't fret - there's always next year.

Try to refrain from licking the computer screen while perusing these food pics. (;

Persian ice cream! Yumminess in a cup.

Wondering about the golf shirt and fancytastic nametag? I'm a proud Heritage Festival volunteer!
Here I have two Laotian dishes in my hands - kao sankaya and papaya salad.

Kao sankaya from the Lao pavilion - sweet rice with coconut milk, topped with mango sauce.



The Cuban pavilion made its return this year! Yay!
Loved their roasted chicken, rice congris and chicharitas de platano.
Might have had a pork sandwich or two, as well. :)

I started each morning with, karjalan piiraaka, the perfect breakfast from the Scandinavian pavilion -
Finnish rice filled rye and flour pastry topped with egg butter.

Classic Crêpes Suzette from France's pavilion.
The sauce was carmelized sugar, butter, orange juice and Grand Marnier liqueur. So so good!



Have you ever eaten freshly made bannock? It's amazing!
My compliments to the cooks at the Aboriginial pavilion!
Right after this picture was taken, I slathered this bad boy in raspberry jam and butter. Mmmm...

The Heritage Festival wouldn't be complete without a trip to the Dutch pavilion for some tasty poffertjes (small pancakes).

People enjoying the sounds of a reggae band performing at the Caribbean pavilion at the north end of Hawrelak Park.

The three tenors...Heritage Festival-style.

A flurry of vibrant colours at the Aboriginal pavilion.

Teepees at the Aboriginal pavilion were located in an ideal spot, near the Hawrelak Park pond.

Dancer from the Aboriginal pavilion. Everyone wanted their picture taken with this pretty lady.

Scott and our niece Raissa with our good friends from Lloydminster -
Jess & Matt, and their boys, Jakob and Benet. Seen here with a really tall dude.



Sumptuous saris on two dancers from the Indian pavilion.

All male dance group entertaining the crowds at the Indian pavilion.

I love watching the elegant Thai dancers. I also love Thai-iced tea! It's a must try.

Behind the scenes at the Guatemalan pavilion. Countless mangos need to be peeled to make Mango Loco
- mango on a stick rolled in lime juice and spices.

Lucy and Scott came to visit me during the Festival.
Dogs aren't allowed on the grounds so I met them at one of the entrances.
Notice my trusty golf cart. This was my beloved chariot for the weekend. I LOVE driving it!

Giant Taiwanese puppets.

Croatian dancers beginning their performance.
The Croatian doughnut, known as lepinje, are a hugely popular menu item.
People will line up for a heck of a long time to bite into one of these doughy sensations.

Chinese lions running loose around the park! ;)

Next year I'm definitely trying the pelmeni.

Red horse at Scandinavian pavilion. Random but fun.



Who is that buxom lady at the Scandinavian pavilion? :)

By day 3, the Borneo pavilion had run out of some of its more popular items. Luckily, I had tried their yummy banana fritter earlier in the weekend. I'm smart like that. :)

Early morning tai chi at the Taiwanese pavilon. What a tranquil way to start the day!

The south end of Hawrelak Park. There's ample space for everyone to find a place to take it all in.

It was a gorgeous weekend filled with sunshine, culture, food & community building (6000+ volunteers)! Mother Nature gave Edmontonians a much deserved reprieve from the rain, the mosquitoes were nary to be seen, and everyone was able to experience multiculturalism at its best. Have I mentioned how proud I am to be a part of this world class event?!

Next year's Festival takes place August 4 to 6. Save the date, friends!

Dajana :)

p.s. Got a couple more minutes? Read Paula Simons' blog post, Why we live here – a Heritage Festival epiphany. It's a real good'er.