Our tickets are booked! Our bags are packed! We are finally travelling home for the summer, after not being able to visit my family in Canada for more than two years. Prior to moving to Dubai, I used to live in Vancouver, British Columbia – also known as one of the most beautiful places on earth – for more than 14 years. It truly is a picturesque city with an endless number of fun outdoor experiences that I love to share with my children.
Over the years, we have developed a routine that has now become tradition: we begin our days with breakfast at home, then the kids head out to a day camp, and in the early afternoon we hit the road to discover a new park, trail or lake in close proximity. During the weekends, we usually venture further and go on trips to places like Whistler, Victoria Island or the Okanagan region.
It was on one such day a few summers ago that I planned a day trip to Victoria Island to visit The Butchart Gardens, an incredibly beautiful park that attracts both local and international visitors. The night before our trip I baked my signature lemon drizzle cake for a mid-day coffee break, packed some sandwiches and snacks and woke up early to make egg-muffin sandwiches to eat when we hit the road. It was a crisp, cold morning as we drove to the ferry that would take us to Victoria Island. We parked our car, found our way to the deck and indulged in some obligatory selfies amid the beautiful scenery.
Finally, we all settled in our seats and kept ourselves entertained with books, board games and plenty of conversation. After an hour-and-a-half spent in this manner, we finally made it to the island and drove to The Butchart Gardens.
An hour into our visit, our kids started to get hungry, so we took a short break and I opened a container filled with the citrusy cake.
I remember stopping on the path and saying, “Who wants a slice of lemon cake?” “ME!” was the response I received from the kids – as well as some random passers-by. As someone who loves feeding others, I was amused by their cheeky response and I offered them a slice, too. To my surprise, the strangers accepted and were complimentary of its taste. And soon more people paused, intrigued by the ‘oooh’ and ‘aaaahs’ they could hear and they were curious to taste the lemon cake themselves. Before I knew it, the whole box of cake was distributed among many. Thankfully, I had made two whole loaves and divided them – so we still had some to enjoy with our coffee later on.
This moment will forever be one of my favourite interactions. It was a pure and carefree time, when strangers shared moments and exchanged kind words without having to worry that their personal health and safety was being threatened. Whenever I make this lemon drizzle cake, it reminds me of that time and ignites hope that we will be able to return to our old sense of normality.
I do hope you enjoy this recipe; may it remind you of happier times and keep you hopeful of more to come.
With love, Zahra
