The June Edit

Sea buckthorn, birthday celebrations, jelly shoes, and Past Lives.

It’s officially summer and Nootka rose petals are painting the town pink! I’ve been harvesting little handfuls on my walks around Elk Lake and adding them to salads and herbal iced teas (I linked my new favourite summer tea below). A friend recently told me to leave half the petals on the flower so the pollinators can still do their thing - brilliant!

We basically live off homemade pizzas and salads for the summer - it’s a hard life. A slightly fermented dough cooked on the BBQ with fresh local tomatoes, you simply can’t beat it. The Moss Street Market is in full swing, we get in line on Saturday mornings and bring home an abundance of local produce for the week. Those Northstar Farm organic yellow slicer tomatoes bring in the crowds - no joke, they are the talk of the town. Have you tried them?

Birthday season is happening within our circle. We caught and enjoyed fresh crab a few weeks back for my best friend’s birthday. Such a treat to be out on their boat. The following weekend was spent enjoying the mineral pools in Oak Bay for Scott’s 37th! Then it was off to Saskatoon for a little surprise Father’s Day visit full of bike rides and backyard games.

June has been good to us and the gratitude is strong. These are the kind of days I wait all year for.

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Lauren’s List Vol. 1

This loft is a dream.
Liza’s herbal tea is my new fave.
Every recipe in this book is perfection and beauty.
Talk to me about the weather.
Looking forward to this movie.
Summertime sleeping nooks for adults, I’m into it.
Just made a reso for this Nordic oasis.
Excited to try this smoothie.
A luxurious (all-natural) sunscreen.
Every summer as a child, my grandma took me to get jelly shoes. When I noticed this 90s trend coming back, I snagged myself this pair right away. So good.

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Get your sea buckthorn hydration on!

I’ve been drawn to these little sunburst berries so strongly lately. These tart little gems are bright orange and bursting with nature’s highest source of omega-7 fatty acids (the beauty nutrient), beta-carotene, and juicy vitamin C. They’re anti-inflammatory, healing, and mega hydrating! If you’re into the whole ‘skincare from within’ practice, this is your berry for a plump and healthy complexion. The antioxidant profile also helps combat the extra sun our skin is consuming right now - double bonus.

I’ve been rocking the pure sea buckthorn oil on salads and yogurt with honey. I bought Scott this raw powder for his birthday to add to his ever-growing smoothie potion collection. If you can find yourself a local source for these berries - consider yourself lucky (and add some squished berries to your water). Our friends on Salt Spring grow sea buckthorn and I’m hoping to harvest some this fall to make a jam and freeze the rest for winter delights. I’ll keep you posted.

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This edit has been very food-focused - there’s no secret we’re a bit of a foodie family around here. I will stay on the topic and leave you with a few of our favourite summertime places to eat in Victoria.

Nubo Japanese Tapas - light, quality, fantastic sushi
Be Love - smoothies, drinks, bowls, salads
Nohra Thai Kitchen - fresh, authentic, delicious
Boomtown - patio lights, taco bowls, filling
Hey Happy - coconut lattes, breakfast goods
Prima Strada - pizza for the beach, always
Tourist - something new for the wine lover

Buon appetito everyone!

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a comment, give it a like, or send to a friend. My goal with this monthly newsletter is to initiate conversation, whether that’s in person the next time I see you, or here online. Less scrolling and more connection - your community cork board. I’ll leave you with a few questions…

What’s your farmer's market secret ingredient?

Favourite spot to eat in your city?

Do you have a favourite summer cookbook?

I would love to grow this community and word of mouth is the biggest
way to help others find me. If you know someone who would
find value from this newsletter, please send them the link. Grazie mille!