Bianca, Author at Bits of Bee

monday listicles

10 Things I Love About #Vancouver

Vancouver, BC Canada – where you can swim in the ocean and ski on the mountains on the same day. Where you can enjoy four seasons of weather. Where beautiful people from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds can live harmoniously. Where foodies, outdoor adventurists, artists and shopaholics have a plethora of options to satisfy their passions. I was born and raised in the most beautiful city in the world. Here are just 10 of a million things that I love to do, see, and enjoy in and around my beloved city by the sea: 1) North Shore Hiking There are…

food

RECIPE: Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf Minis

Meat and cheese are my two favourite foods. So what could satisfy my meat tooth more than meat muffins oozing with ooey gooey cheese? Lathered in a delicious tomato-basil sauce, and topped with freshly-grated parmesan cheese, these delicious meatloaf minis make the perfect comfort food for a chilly Fall evening – and the kids love them too! Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf Minis Ingredients: 1 cup panko crumbs 1 cup Antonella’s tomato-basil sauce 4 sticks mozzarella string cheese 1 large egg 2 lbs. extra lean ground beef 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions Serves: 4 (plus leftovers) Cook + prep time: 45 minutes Directions:…

food

Adoption: Nature vs Nurture

Throughout my life as an adoptee, I’ve always internally debated the dichotomy of adoption: am I the way that I am because of who I came from (nature), or because of who (and how) I was raised (nurture)? Do my interests and characteristics come from inherited traits, or environmental factors? Growing up, and throughout my post-secondary years when I was studying psychology, I was convinced that nurture was the winner of this debate. I truly believed that who I was had nothing to do with where I can from, and that my personality, interests, and skills were all as a…

family

5 Ways To Help a Friend Through Miscarriage

If I hadn’t lost my last pregnancy, I would look like this right now: Alright so I’m not exactly Halle Berry, but seeing celebrities like her in the spotlight from the day they announce their pregnancy, to the day they deliver their new bundles of joy, makes me wonder: what do they do in the case of a pregnancy loss? I feel like I hear about starlets becoming pregnant on an almost daily basis, but with the exception of Jack and Lisa Osbourne’s late-term pregnancy loss, you just don’t hear about miscarriages in the media. And while I understand the sensitivity…

family fun

A Taste of the Country at Taves Family Farms

Born and raised in the heart of the city, my childhood was spent surrounded by tall buildings, traffic, and man-made parks. The country life was something that I had read about in childhood stories – a life that I thought was only lived far far away from my home. Places like Green Gables and Avonlea. I had never grown and harvested my own food, or even picked my own apples, and I certainly hadn’t walked amongst llamas, sheep, goats and pigs. But today, my family experienced a true taste of the country, and only an hour away from our home.…

food

RECIPE: Stuffed Pork Chops

As a mom to two very picky eaters, I often run out of dinner ideas. My kids won’t eat anything with potatoes, or tomatoes, or seafood, or red peppers…the list goes on and on. And while they’d be perfectly happy to have my chicken broccoli bake every night of the week, that’s just simply not happening in this bee’s hive. I try to make balanced meals that we can enjoy without the take another bite’s or mommy this is gross’s, so unfortunately, my diverse palate has to take a back seat, and simple, easy-to-make recipes are on the menu on a daily…

family

Back To The Barre: Adult Ballet Classes

I’m embarrassed to admit that while I loved barre fitness, and was convinced that I had finally found a fitness regime that worked for me, it’s been almost a year since my last class. I really did enjoy it, but something was missing for me. This Summer, I decided to give my daughter the independence to choose her own extracurricular activity, and she opted to replace her ballet dancing with tap classes. I was proud of her for deciding to try something new, but a part of me felt disappointed. That is, until I realized that my desire for her to stick with ballet,…

food

RECIPE: Kale Chips

I know this recipe is an easy one – like posting directions on how to make ice cubes – but they were just so tasty, I had to share. Confession: I have been stubbornly refusing to try kale, and anything to do with kale. I’ve been hearing so much about it lately, that I wanted to be a “rebel” and avoid the leafy fad “to be different”. I also felt as though I’d be betraying my meat tooth by succumbing to a veggie fad. But my kids have turned me. When my daughter and I went to pick up my boy…

family

The Extracurricular Jigsaw Puzzle

If you have (or have ever had) a school-aged child, you’ve likely engaged in an exchange similar to this one: Mom Friend: “Ugh my schedule is so busy, my kid’s in soccer, ballet, t-ball, singing, piano, and swimming this year! What are your kids doing?” Me: “Oh, well.. we’re still trying to decide, there are so many options…” Translation: I’ve failed as a mom. Or at least that’s how I feel. For some reason, selecting extracurricular activities for my children feels as though I’m selecting numbers on a lottery ticket. Each number seems equally as legitimate, but how do I put them together to get the big…

travel

Vancouver By Water

To wrap up our Summer, our family headed out for a day on the water, exploring the most beautiful city in the world – Vancouver, BC. We launched our boat at Cate’s Park in North Vancouver, and headed out on a nautical jaunt along our city’s breathtaking coastline, breathing in the fresh air and taking in the scenic landscapes that surrounded us. We headed up Indian Arm to our first destination and favourite spot – Bedwell Bay. A quiet little cove nestled in Port Moody, BC, Bedwell Bay is the perfect spot to wakeboard, tube, or enjoy a serene picnic…