CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

I've always wanted to open a bakery/coffee shop since high school. There is something about the atmosphere about walking into a small bakery filled with heavenly scents of fresh baked goodness. I remember my parents use to make their own bread on the weekends and there is nothing better than walking up the smell of freshly made bread. We live in a fast pace society that we forget to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life like good home cooked food. Every time I come home I make my favourite chocolate chip oatmeal cookies which I have perfected over the years.

Time: 25 minutes | Yield: 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 c. flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 c. butter
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups old fashioned oats
• 3/4 c. dark chocolate chips + 2 squares of white Baker's chocolate chopped up

Method

• In a bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon 
• In a mixer cream butter softened at room temperature, sugars and eggs together
• Gradually beat in flour mixture until blended
• Stir in oats and chocolate chips
• Drop dough by tablespoon (I used an ice-cream scooper to keep the size consistent) onto an ungreased pan
• Bake at 375°F for 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 10 minutes for crisp cookies

Enjoy!

-A

FRAMED INSPIRATION WALL

Hi,

So lately I have been feeling uninspired.  The weather sucks in Winnipeg (as I am writing this blog post it is snowing out, yes I ask myself this all the time... WHY DO I LIVE HERE and YES IT'S MAY!) and since my bedroom is situated in the basement there is hardly any natural light that comes in.  For the longest time my desk was facing a blank wall.  Very uninspiring.

*Cue - Unintentional shopping spree to IKEA*

I have always wanted a framed walled similar to this picture below

PHOTO: http://nijihomedesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Ideas-Wall-Decor-Design-with-Art-Picture-Framed.jpg

Believe it or not IKEA has a very small "AS-IS" section with many items blown out for ridiculous prices.  I saw several 5 X 7 black frames on sale for $1 and knew I could use them to make an inspiration wall. 

SUPPLIES:

• 2 pkgs - 3M Frame Picture Tape (Here is a coupon)
• 9 - 5 X 7 Frames of your choice I used these by IKEA 
• Level App
• 9 of your favourite photos 5 X 7 
• Laser Jet printer

INSTRUCTIONS:

I highly suggest planning the frame configuration before you start sticking things onto the wall.  You can stagger your picture frames to your liking but I kept mine very simple and did a 3 X 3 square.  I also wanted to create drama by printing 7/9 photos in black and white (using Photoshop) and 2/9 of the photos in colour.  Using a laser jet printer is an inexpensive way to print high quality images. Below is the configuration I came up with.

1. Place photos into picture frames
2. Place 3M tape on the back of the photo (preferably on the top, centered.  Follow the instructions on the packaging)
3. Using the mobile level app make sure the image is level to the wall
4. Repeat until the desired configuration is achieved)

This is such a quick and inexpensive way to turn a wall into a personalized art installation.  I am so happy with how it turned out!  I would love to hear your thoughts on this little project in the comment section below.

-M

HEART & STROKE

Hi,

A month ago I attended a CPR course geared toward healthcare providers.  To be honest I was putting off doing the training, but was forced since it is a requirement for my course of study.  I was pleasantly surprised on how informative this course was.  

I took the course at The Canadian First Aid Training Centre in Winnipeg.  The instructor was very funny and honed in on the important aspects we needed to know.  Many of the students I sat in with were nurses, doctors and paramedics so it was nice to see their take on healthcare.  The material was delivered by the The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation.  Through video demonstrations I was able to perform CPR and utilize an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) on dummies (infant and adult).  Being part of the healthcare field we were also taught how to preform Basic Life Support (BLS) in groups of two.  

It was a very informative 8 hours session, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Here are some pictures I was able to "sneak" in during break sessions;

I highly suggest taking this course.  You never know when you can save a life!!!

-M

WATER SNOB

Confession, I am a huge water snob. I don't like drinking tap water because I think it taste funny, but I don't have a water filtering system in my apartment and I think buying bottled is a waste of money because the plastic bottles are wasteful and water should be a free commodity, right? I usually boil my water and drink it with slices of lemon but lately I've noticed the water started to taste funny and I could see white specs floating around in my cup. When I looked at the bottom of my kettle it was covered with limescale (limescale is a white deposit commonly found on the inside of pipes, pots and kettles, caused by the leeching of minerals from water) and you won't believe how easy it is to clean!

Supplies

• 1/4c white vinegar

Method

• Pour vinegar into the kettle and fill it with water to the "max" line on the kettle and boil it
• After boiling is complete, empty the contents and fill the kettle with water and boil once more to get rid of an excess vinegar residue

Try this trick, it's quick and easy and your water will taste much better afterwards. You might have to repeat this every 3-4 months depending on how hard your water is. To avoid limescale from building up don't leave water sitting in your kettle. You can pour any excess water you didn't use into a glass jug or mason jar to drink later or water your plants with.

-A

APPS

Sorry about the staggered posted we have just been so busy with school and blogging kinda took a backseat.  Anyway you probably don't care and just want to get to the meat and potatoes of this post. We just want to share some of our favourite apps on our iPhones.

If it is one thing we cannot live without it would be our phones as it connects us wherever we are.  Aside from the amazing features that come with the iPhone already, ie. FaceTime and iMessage we would like to share our top 5 apps we use on a regular basis. Also stay tuned to the end of the post as we have EXCITING news to tell you!

Ashley's Picks

1. PuddingCam - It allows you to take a variety of pictures by choosing various old school cameras and different film types
2. 8 Tracks - If you're a lover of music this app allows you to enjoy a wide spectrum of music genres and pre-made playlists

Mark's Picks

1. Shazam - Have you ever walked into a store and wondered what song was playing? This app allows you find the artist and song currently playing with the tap of a button
2. Nike+ Running This app allows you to map out your run, it syncs to the Nike Fuel Band, and tells you all the statistics you need to know about your run (distance ran, pace, calories, etc.)

Mark and Ashley's Picks

Viber - Newly redesigned.  This app allows you to use your data or wifi to call and text anywhere in the world, free of charge!

We really hope that you enjoy the applications we listed.  At this time we would like to share some exciting news with you.  We are officially launching our Facebook and Instagram pages! Please like and follow us!

-M&A