Looking back, this month had a little unexpected theme: sports, but also street food, and a garden that’s finally doing its thing.
“Maya The Bee” Goes To The Final
We don’t usually follow tennis closely with the exception of Roland Garros and Wimbledon. These are the two tournaments that are on on our TV for the whole time. Polish player Maja Chwalińska made an incredible run all the way from the qualifications to the final. My daughter rebranded her entirely to “Maya the Bee” since Maya the Bee is one of her favourite cartoon characters :). It stuck immediately, and now that’s just who she is in our house.
World Cup Fever
And then, of course, the World Cup — hosted this year across Canada, Mexico, and the USA. Being here in Canada made it feel extra close to home, and we were rooting hard for our team. My family and I watched almost every single game, cheering for other countries, as well. Unfortunately, Poland didn’t make it this time so that was a bummer, but it didn’t spoil the fun for us. At the end when Spain lifted the trophy, we were super thrilled!!! 🙂 Football/ soccer won!
Homesick For Zapiekanki
On the food front, I finally attempted zapiekanki at home for the first time — the beloved Polish street food. I’ll be honest, they didn’t quite match the ones from my hometown (some things you just can’t fully recreate outside the source), but they were still delicious, and my hubby and Lily devoured them so enthusiastically that a repeat batch is already on the calendar for next weekend.
A Cheesecake For Daddy
Father’s Day was another highlight — Lily and I teamed up in the kitchen to make Daddy’s favourite cheesecake, plus a few extra treats, to make his day feel special. There’s something so sweet about a little one taking her “job” in the kitchen seriously, carefully stirring and sneaking tastes along the way :).
The Garden Is Thriving, and Jurassic Kingdom
Outside, our garden has exploded with life. The tomatoes and basil are especially happy this year, and the mint, green onions, thyme, and lettuce are all coming in beautifully. Bell peppers are just starting to show themselves too. We put the lettuce and green onions straight to work in some burrito bowls this month — nothing beats cooking with something you grew yourself, even if it’s just a handful of herbs.
We also made a trip to Jurassic Kingdom here in Ottawa, wandering among the life-sized dinosaurs.
June turned out to be one of our fullest months yet.
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