vacation: montreal

Here is the second part of my summer vacation recap (you can see the first one here). After exploring some of northern New England, we headed up to Canada and stayed in Montreal for a couple of days. I thought Montreal was wonderful- it had a very European feel and I loved all of the French influences around the city. We walked a ton so I had ample opportunity to snap pictures; believe me when I say I easily could have doubled (or tripled) the number posted below.

{this welcome sign was as close as i got to an actual moose} 

{intricate detail outside the basilique notre-dame} 

{obsessed with these antiqued gold leaf candle holders inside the basilique} 

{chic storefront + funky poster art} 

{row of houses, row of rent-a-bikes} 

{perfectly refreshing peach-lychee cocktail after a long day of walking} 

{beyond gorgeous exterior of the four seasons}

seasonal dining

A couple of nights ago I was in the mood to try cooking something new, and I came across this recipe for zucchini cakes. We had an abundance of summer squash laying around so I substituted that for the zucchini and was delighted with the result. The cakes were flavorful and really simple to make. Paired with Rachael Ray's corn and black bean salad and glasses of Skinnygirl sangria (with added fruit), it made for a perfect summer meal.