Originally, when my husband proposed the idea of a vacation in Canada I was intrigued but not thrilled. The thought of driving 6.5 hours to Montreal, then another 3 hours to Quebec City just a few days later with a stopover on the way home in Vermont, sounded a bit adventurous for my liking. You see we're really not the road trip type. I was also skeptical about the weather and not really interested in going anywhere the temperatures might fall below 80 degrees (I need to suck up every bit of warmth before the winter). But after a few weeks of thumbing through Fodor's guide and a little bit of coaxing, I agreed we should go and we started getting excited!

Turns out, the drive really wasn't that bad. With Mall Cop and Pitch Perfect on the iPad for my daughter and Geometry Dash to keep my son busy (what is it with that game?!) we had no problems in the car. My husband and I chatted away (ok, I nodded off here and there) and before we knew it, we were driving past the old port of Montreal. It was here where I experienced some of the most delicious breads, brioches and croissants I've ever had (other than in France of course), courtesy of Maison Christain Faure and Olive + Gormando (I could have sat in this café for days) just footsteps away from our hotel.

The kids enjoyed riding the Metro (Canada's subway), soaring up an unusual elevator type apparatus called a "funicular" at Olypmic Park (where the 1976 Olympics were held) and attending mass in French at the beautiful Notre-Dame Basilica.

Then there was the ride to Quebec City, which was easy compared to the first leg of the trip. I was so incredibly impressed by the history of this old city. Every nook and cranny of Quebec City had a story to tell, from the battle between French and English on the St. Lawrence River to the Citadel, that was built to protect Canada from an American attack in the mid 1800's (that never happened). We toured the country-side where we walked over waterfalls and visited a centuries old house where we tasted freshly baked bread with maple butter...yes, maple butter!

To make a long story short, it was certainly worth the trip and the kids got to explore and taste new foods, including the famous "poutine" (which is basically french fries with gravy and cheese curd). Having said that, I'm so happy to be back and in my own kitchen. I'm trying to catch up on the last bit of summer produce that is overflowing at the markets right now.

This week's recipe was inspired by... maple syrup, of course (you didn't think I'd come back from Canada and NOT post a maple syrup recipe did you)? I was craving a breakfast on the lighter side after a long 9 days of indulging. What better than Greek yogurt with all it's beneficial probiotics, to help get your GI system back on the right track.

Interestingly enough, I recently heard about the #MadeWithChobani series, asking people to get creative in the kitchen with Greek yogurt and I wanted to participate! I merged the delicious creamy texture of Chobani plain greek yogurt with the Canadian maple syrup I brought back, along with crunchy granola, ripe peaches, wild blueberries and cinnamon! This recipe is so versatile, you can add just about any fruit and adjust the amounts of granola, maple syrup and cinnamon according to your liking. Enjoy as a healthy, satisfying breakfast, snack or late afternoon treat! Check out Chobani's healthy recipes page for more creative ways to use Greek yogurt!