Keira-anne.com

If you’re anything like me, you have a hard time passing up dessert of the gooey, chocolaty variety. Lava cakes, brownies and chocolate layer cake are anything but healthy, but one recipe in Gwyneth Paltrow’s My Father’s Daughter gives them a run for their money while lowering your caloric intake.

What separates these Fudgy Chocolate Brownies from their competition is the ingredients. Spelt flour can be better than all-purpose baking flour because many bodies find it easier to digest. Instead of dumping in cups of refined sugar, the recipe calls for maple syrup and light agave syrup – the agave syrup, consumed in moderation, won’t cause blood sugar levels to spike. [source]

The fewer the bowls and tools that a baking recipe requires, the easier it is to create. Much like muffin recipes, G’s Fudgy Chocolate Brownies recipe combines a bowl of dry ingredients with a bowl of wet ingredients (including yummy, slightly sweetened soy milk). The batter is more similar to that of a cake, but trust me – it’s got more than enough “oomph” to pack a punch in the pan.

A squared is called for, something I don’t own. I poured the entire bowl of batter into one, small round pan, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Making substitutions like that can be risky, and this could have been disastrous! The batter was deep and therefore required a much longer baking time than the recipe suggested.

As the clock ticked, my apartment smelled increasingly delicious. Though they didn’t look exactly like the brownies in the illustration, I have no doubt that my attempt tasted as good as can be expected.

Warm and fluffy with melted chocolate chips, the only thing dense about these brownies was the rich, chocolate flavour. Delicious on their own (and not a terrible dessert at less than 350 calories per serving), it’s difficult to eat just one. While they could be considered a healthy-ish option for dessert, J and I went for gold and scooped chocolate chip mint ice cream alongside our brownie servings.

As usual, I won’t post G’s recipes on my blog (go buy the book!) but Self Magazine has published the recipe online.

Some things go hand-in-hand with summertime in the Comox Valley: swimming at Barber’s Hole, slurping ice cream cones on the dock at Comox Harbour and grilling up a storm on the backyard BBQ. You can add “rocking out at the Big Time Out” to that list. For the fifth year, Cumberland Village Works is cooking up a tour de force line-up for their annual music festival.

Quickly becoming known for its eclectic mix of body-moving, soulful and diverse acts, the BTO can certainly be described as legendary. Far more than just music, BTO promises a smörgåsbord of tasty local eats, sideshow performers, roaming dance troupes and a lot of heart-filling fun for everyone.

With each passing year, BTO keeps getting bigger with acts that are hard to beat. Among this year’s scheduled performers you’ll find Juno Award-winning Bedouin Soundclash, Beats Antique, The Boom Booms, Dub FX, Australia’s Kim Churchill, Current Swell out of Victoria, Kuba Oms & the Velvet Revolution, Brasstronaut and a few more surprises. Big Time Out 2011 will not disappoint.

Your fantastic friends at Cumberland Village Works are offering one very lucky Keira-Anne.com reader – and an equally lucky friend – the chance to spend a sun-drenched weekend at BTO with weekend passes*. You’ve got four chances to get in on the action:

1. Leave a comment below and tell me which artist you’d be most excited to see. (2 entries)

2. Post the following on Twitter (1 entry):

I want to spent a music-filled weekend in the sun at Big Time Out thanks to @thevillageworks and @keiraanne! http://tinyurl.com/65ss9m7

3. Visit the Vancouver Island Blog page on Facebook, click on the Contests tab and tell me why you want to check out Big Time Out 2011. (1 entry)

I’ll pick the lucky winner at noon on Friday, July 22nd – good luck!

Where is it? Cumberland Village Park, Cumberland, BC in the beautiful Comox Valley. The park is located at the corner of 6th Street and Dunsmuir Avenue.

When do we party? August 12 and 13, 2011

How much are tickets? Until July 15th you can nab a two-day early bird pass for $85. After that the price goes up to $100; single-day tickets are also available. Buy yours online. Kids 12 and under are FREE!

I want tickets in my hot little hand! You can find tickets at Tarbells and The Waverley (Cumberland), Bop City Records (Courtenay), Lucid (Nanaimo), Music Plant (Campbell River), Green Soul Organics (Tofino), Lyle’s (Victoria) and Highlife Music (Vancouver).

Where can I stay? Campgrounds abound plenty in the Comox Valley, but some on-site camping will be available. Buy your campsite pass online – check out their policies first.

Where am I gonna park my car? Parking in Cumberland is extremely limited. Carpooling with friends is your best bet or grab a ride with Comox Valley Transit. If you decide to drive, don’t block residents’ driveways and be sure to park in designated areas only.

I need more info! Visit Big Time Out 2011 online, find them on Facebook or follow Cumberland Village works on Twitter.

*Passes will be awarded to one winner at random. Passes are non-transferable and have no monetary value. Winner will be responsible for all costs associated with the weekend apart from festival admittance. All photos © Cumberland Village Works.

Those that have been, know. Those that visit for the first time are lovers for life.

My childhood summers on Hornby Island were far more impressionable on me than words can tell the tales of, so last week I packed up the camping gear and brought J along for his first trip.

After two quick ferry rides, we found ourselves at Tribune Bay Campsite and quickly set up. Unsure if the rain would come, we hung the world’s largest tarp over our site, I pitched the tent and J got busy chopping firewood. I’m quite proud to say that not only did he teach me to chop firewood with an axe that weighs as much as I do, but he also showed me how to start and maintain an excellent campfire.

Relaxation was the priority for our first evening – something that’s not hard to do on Hornby Island. Rather than spend time exploring, we grabbed cold beer from the Co-op and grilled up some dinner. My only “luxury” when camping? A pop-up kitchen.

I love this guy…

Despite rumours to the contrary, I found Tribune Bay campsite to be exactly as it was over a decade ago the last time I was there. It’s a quiet, family-friendly campground filled with happy dogs, kids racing around on their bikes and crackling fires at every site. We were lucky enough to have fun neighbours that challenged our Monopoly skills on the second night.

One of Hornby Island’s must-sees is Helliwell Provincial Park. On our first full day, we pulled into the parking lot before the sun got too hot and readied ourselves for the 5-km picturesque trek.

Flip flops might not be the greatest of ideas, but I made do with what I had.

The biggest draw to Helliwell Park is the breathtaking cliffs that bring hikers out of the woods and along the water. A bit of common sense is all that’s required. Keep kids close and dogs on leashes. The stunning views are not to be missed!

Taking our time, we veered off the path for some beach-combing fun! Vibrant purple starfish scattered the shoreline amongst slippery seaweed and crunchy barnacles.

Another often missed but worthwhile visit on Hornby Island is Ford’s Cove. Found at the furthest end of Central Road, this marina defines “quaint.” With a pizza cafe, boat-shaped fish n’ chips stand and organic fair trade coffee, spending a quiet morning at Ford’s Cove is hard to beat.

We scrambled over and around crater-like sandstone formations that felt more like moon-walking than exploring a shoreline. Shallow waters surround the area, so spotting crabs, geoduck sprays and fish in the water provides for some natural entertainment.

For anyone that has ever visited Hornby Island, the star attraction is undoubtedly Tribune Bay beach and the adjacent Little Tribune Bay beach.

Nestled in between tall trees on one side and incredible, natural sandstone sculptures on the other, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more stunning beach in BC.

Tribune Bay features aqua water, powdery white sand and stunning vistas into the Georgia Strait further than they eye can see. J constructed a “deck” out of driftwood, I slathered us in SPF 45 and we spent a sunny afternoon at Tribune Bay.

Noshing on organic strawberries, tossing a football around and watching skilled skimboarders made for a perfect beach day.

Rarely is dining out acceptable when camping, but Hornby Island is most certainly an exception. Visiting the Cardboard Bakery is unavoidable with their tasty pastries and chocolate shakes. On our final day, we visited Jan’s Cafe for breakfast.

Jan’s Cafe has been a staple in the Ringside Market for more years than I can remember. Known for creating fresh, delicious and healthy food, my favourite part of eating at Jan’s is the sunny atmosphere and infectious smile served up by Jan herself.

Four days and three nights wasn’t long enough for us, but we’ll take what we can get. There’s so much more on Hornby Island to explore, including wineries, a distillery, a meadery, more beaches, petroglyphs, a free store with an incredible local recycling program, kayaking and biking. I suppose that only means we’ll have to visit again next year with a few extra days added for good measure! You can view all my photos from Hornby Island on Flickr.

P.S. Do as we did. If you’re visiting Hornby, fill jugs with tap water and bring it with you. Water is a scarce commodity on the Island, so leave what’s there for the locals to use.

To stay connected to the Hornby Island community or to plan a vacation to the island, visit Real Hornby online.

Disclosure: cmp.ly/0

On my trip to Zihuatanejo, Mexico in April, I had the great pleasure of attending a mucho gran fiesta in a breathtaking villa overlooking Zihuatanejo Bay. Along with the ice cold beer, delicious cultural cuisine and smiling local faces was the musical stylings of Josie Kuhn. Having shared the stage with Steve Earle, the Mavericks and Emmylou Harris, Josie’s soulful stylings have earned her an international fanbase.

Though she spends most of her days in Zihuatanejo, Josie’s bringing her incredible repertoire of music to Vancouver next week. Often compared to a cross between Patsy Cline and Buffy St. Marie, Josie Kuhn rocks the stage with sultry Mexican-inspired tunes, rocking guitar riffs and seductive vocals. Don’t believe me? Check her out on YouTube.

Josie Kuhn will be playing two sets between 8:00 p.m. and midnight at Heritage Grill (447 Columbia St. in New Westminster) [website] on Thursday, July 14th and at 8:00 p.m. at Hop & Vine (1601 Burnswood Drive in Burnaby) [website] on Friday, July 15th. To find out more about Josie Kuhn, visit her official website.

Having spent the long weekend in the Comox Valley, it was almost impossible to go anywhere without being treated to a view of Mount Washington. Since J had never been, on our last day in the Valley we made a last-minute decision to make the quick trip up the Strathcona Parkway to take in the views from an opposite perspective.

The vibe on the hill is a bit different during the summer months (though you wouldn’t know it, being that the slopes were open for skiing over the Canada Day long weekend), but there’s still a ton of activities and events to keep you busy. We quickly discovered that shorts and flip flops were a smart idea as the plaza was free of snow and the sun was shining brightly.

After grabbing a quick, deliciously roasted coffee (and an oatmeal raisin cookie for good measure) in the lodge, we made our way to the star of the summer show. Mile-high chair rides draw visitors wanting to take in the expansive views often obscured by clouds during the winter months.

With all the snow still on the ground, you might not believe it to be July. However, the sun was toasty warm and the air fresh, making the 15-minute ride to the top nothing but relaxing.

Instantly we were greeted by the Inukshuk Gallery, compiled of rock formations created by those visiting the top of the mountain. While making one of my own would have been fun, I was instantly distracted by the panoramas.

If these photos are worth 1,000 words, then taking in the view in person would no doubt leave you speechless. To the north we could see Campbell River, surrounding lakes, Quadra Island and Cortes Island.

In the southern direction, the Comox Valley was laid before us – everything from Comox Lake to CFB Comox and all points in between. Denman Island and Hornby Island were in the immediate distance and the faint silhouette of Mt. Baker was on the horizon. Seeing Mt. Baker from Mt. Washington was a bit of trip, as only the weekend before we were standing on that peak, looking in the opposite direction.

Despite the snow at the top and the flip flops on our feet, our toes managed not to freeze.

And as we made our way back down, both J and I were blown away by our sky-high perspective on the Comox Glacier.

Mount Washington Alpine Resort is open daily until September 5th for mile-high chair rides. A family of four can visit the top for $43; those 5 and under are free while all other riders are $16 each. For more information on this and other great summer activities, visit Mount Washington Alpine Resort online.

Disclosure: cmp.ly/2