hello girlthursday

Taco night

2012-02-05T21:13:00.001-05:00

M and J suggested we meet up for tacos at the semi-new taco joint Grand Electric a couple weeks ago. After an hour wait, I got the phonecall and we were in. M+J were super excited because the weekend before, after waiting for 3 hours, they never got the call and their taco dreams were crushed. Here they are high-10ing upon being seated:

We decided we wanted to taste 4 of the 5 tacos on the menu so we asked them to bring them in rounds. Beef cheek came first- very tasty and tender but with a spicy hotness from the peppers that lingered on our lips till the end of the night.

Pork with pineapple:

Chicken was our least favourite because it just lacked the "wow" that beef cheek and the fish taco had.

But here was our favourite of the night, which is the only flavour I would order if I went back (only because I'd order 3 of them!), with a side of the chips and guac. It was *fantastic*. The slaw and the crispy fried fish took it over the top. We were all debating about how it compared with Big Star 's fish taco, of which we are all huge fans. I think it's just as delicious as Big Star's and prettier too.

And in case you were wondering- yes that is a deep fried pork rind standing up in the middle of the guacamole, and of course we ate it!

Hello, 2012.

2012-01-31T19:30:00.000-05:00

Ah, where did the time go? It's already the very last day of the first month of 2012. And to be honest, I've been in a creative funk. You know how sometimes the days just pass you by and you feel like you have nothing to account for them? Well I'm trying to take things one day at a time, work on some personal projects, and be good to myself– that would include yoga, a nice coffee, reading books that nourish the heart and the mind, and spending time with friends. This short video (by Julia Warr) about an elegant 95 year old, Maia Helles, posted on Apartment Therapy's the Kitchn a couple weeks ago, was inspiring and encouraging: Simplicity, Work and Enjoyment.

My friend Maia from julia warr on Vimeo.

Rituals

2011-10-02T15:33:00.000-04:00

Ever since Carlo's cousin Alessandra arrived from Italy two weeks ago to live with me while she studies English for the next 5 months, the rhythm of my weekends have changed. One thing that's slowly becoming a ritual is the saturday pasta meal (cooked by Alessandra) at cousin Tom's place. As I watch Ale (pronounced Ah-lay) patiently craft her Pasta alla Bolognese, we speak in broken English and broken Italian, all the while laughing non-stop (she has a potty mouth, and Carlo and Tom have to translate her dirty Italian jokes to English for me).

We started off with some crostini spread with some spicy 'Nduja and rapini preserved in olive oil- "Prodotti tipici" that Tom had brought back from Calabria this summer. The rapini tasted oddly but deliciously creamy on the toasts.

And the piece de resistance, the Bolognese… mmm. Ale told me that a Bolognese sauce doesn't have a lot of tomato sauce and shouldn't be very liquidy. It's more chunky with the meat and veg. Fantastic, comforting and I definitely tasted the love.

Battipaglia

2011-09-21T20:48:00.000-04:00

Battipaglia. My second visit there yet I've only ever seen one part of it–this little shack of a store that makes and sells Mozzarella di Bufala. As we left the Amalfi Coast and headed down to Calabria, we stopped for lunch and ate the one and only item on the menu here: Caprese salad. The best Caprese salad with big hunks of Mozarella di Bufala and the reddest, juiciest tomatoes.

And once the family heard we'd be making a cheese shop pit stop, requests were called in- "Burrata!" "Mozzarella di Bufala!" Everything packed up for us in a tidy styrofoam box, we hit the A3 again.

Can't let go of Summer

2011-09-20T22:00:00.001-04:00

Vietri Sul Mare, known for their ceramics…
Of all the little towns along the Amalfi Coast, this was our favourite because it wasn't infiltrated with designer boutiques and tourists.

The shop owner told us his little dog would wave his paw at us when he said "Ciao"!

More ceramics…

Even the public fountain is a hand painted ceramic vessel.

And then a big ceramic warehouse/school/shop that had all sorts of ceramics embedded into the outside structure of the building itself!

Carlo and I each picked a ceramic piece we wanted our photos taken with before we embarked on the next leg of our journey:

I didn't realize I chose such a violent portrait.

And here's what I saw on the road to Battipaglia in the middle of nowhere Italy… IKEA?!!

How? Why? What is that doing here in the midst of our dolce vita? Next stop: Battipaglia, home of the one and only Bufala Mozarella.

Laziest vacation blogger- Positano

2011-08-21T15:25:00.001-04:00

I don't want to be a hater, but I didn't *love* Positano. Don't get me wrong, the views are breathtakingly beautiful and the town is charming. But, it's just *too* touristy! I don't want to drive miles and miles up a mountain to encounter a Burberry boutique or buy Diesel jeans. But maybe some people do?

You really do feel transplanted to another time and place… but it was a tight squeeze driving up here, just like every other place along the Amalfi coast. Here we encountered tour buses, motorcycles, and people marching in a parade for a saint.

Even walking around was tough at times because there are no real sidewalks so you're trying to avoid getting hit by oncoming traffic.

We just came for an evening walk around town before heading back to our B&B in Amalfi.

Street festival…

The next morning, C and I had breakfast on the veranda of our B&B with a beautiful view of the sea before we continued our way down south to Calabria with a quick stop for ceramics in Vietri Sul Mare.

The Amalfi Coast

2011-08-03T22:04:00.004-04:00

We embarked on our short but sweet Italian adventure to attend C's cousin's wedding in Calabria. But the exciting part is really the journey, not the destination.

The first part of our roadtrip… Rome to Amalfi. And let me just give props to Carlo for his amazing job navigating those wind-y mountain roads where you're either about to bash into a side of a mountain or sideswipe a concrete guard rail preventing you from tumbling down a rocky cliff into the sea. All while a giant tractor trailer is coming at you from the other lane.

But! It is so so worth it!! This is the view from our B&B as we walked into town.

The Amalfi Coast is known for their lemons. There was an abundance of lemons and lemon products for sale everywhere we went.

And check out this GIANT lemon…

Also, I noticed, not just in Amalfi, but in Calabria too– the abundance of "natural Viagra" for sale… One package I bought for friends even warned of "heightened sexual appetite"! Probably a lot cheaper than the real Viagra.

Now, don't tell Canada Customs, but see that wall on the right in the pic below? It was a wall full of SEEDS for sale! Italian oregano, basil, arugula, onion seeds from Tropea… yup, I brought them across the border with me. These are my souvenirs!

Next up: A quick jaunt from Amalfi to Positano, then to Vietri Sul Mare (known as the gateway to the Amalfi Coast).

Where have I been?

2011-07-19T22:14:00.000-04:00

A jam-packed 8-day Italian road trip that started in Rome, took us down the Amalfi Coast, to Battipaglia for a Bufala mozzarella pit stop, down to Calabria for a Sikh/Italian wedding, a day trip to Taormina, Sicily, then back up to Rome…and back to the reality of Toronto.

I'm still trying to get caught up on real life and being back at work (Whaaa, I'm not at the beach anymore?) so more photos to trickle in slowly over the next few days…

Favourite meal of the day: Breakfast

2011-07-08T00:18:00.000-04:00

Ontario strawberries + scone = breakfast happiness.
Get the recipe here.

Balcony garden 2011 version

2011-06-25T11:19:00.000-04:00

Over the past couple years, I've experimented with growing different veg in containers on my balcony… broccoli, fennel, tomatillo, eggplant, kale, tomatoes, herbs… but after a village of slugs ate their way through all my kale; sad, limp fennel; broccoli that had giant stalks but tiny florets, I decided to stick with the things I've had success with: herbs, tomatoes and hot peppers.

Everything is green right now, but things are growing. Look, strawberries!

Mazzitti hot peppers:

A Berkeley Tie Dye heirloom tomato:

I can't wait to make pesto with this Japanese perilla (thanks for the seeds, Yayoi!):

I'm particularly proud of this Rosemary, because I'd saved a little clipping last Fall from Carlo's garden and kept it alive in a glass of water all Winter until I finally planted it this Spring! I am notorious for being a Rosemary-killer so I consider this an amazing feat.

This year's tomato jungle includes: Black Brandywine, Pink Brandywine, Yellow Perfection, Yellow Aiko (from Japan), Chocolate Stripe, Berkeley Tie-Dye, and Golden Queen. Phew!

Market weekend

2011-06-14T16:35:00.000-04:00

My Saturday mornings are normally spent at the Green Barn Market at Wychwood/St. Clair but this weekend I trekked it to St. Lawrence Market to visit my new friend Dawne's booth, where she was selling her handcrafted soups. It was her first Saturday selling at the north market, I hope lots of people took home some of her savoury soup! I grabbed a jar of her Saffron Lentil soup and it made for a very comforting, cozy lunch.

Of course there were so many things to see, smell and buy…

Peonies are my absolute favourite flowers, such an explosion of petals. I'd never seen dark red ones like these before.

It's rhubarb time…

Apple cider is what I like for braising cabbage, sauce for ribs, drinking with some fizzy water.

That's about all I could carry in my bag without it busting open. Time to go home!

Summer's here. Finally.

2011-06-07T20:35:00.000-04:00

Same friend, same office, different Summer. Almost exactly a year later and we're still having smoothies for lunch on the grass. See the 2010 version here.

Friday night

2011-06-05T18:38:00.000-04:00

Parties are over…time to go home and go to bed.

Summer?

2011-05-24T19:05:00.000-04:00

Did you sense some hesitation in the title of this post? We've had a dark, wet, dreary Spring but today was surprisingly sunny and warm. I'm cautiously contemplating pulling out the sandals I bought a month ago…dare I say Summer might be around the corner?

Clutches

2011-05-16T14:40:00.001-04:00

If you know me, you know my love of Clare Vivier bags. It all started with Le Trop and next came the Messenger (although at the time I got mine, it didn't come with the adorable detachable clutch). Now I've got my eye on a clutch. But which colour? Decisions, decisions…

Clutches on display at the new Vivier and Bentley shop. Photo from www.seevivier.blogspot.com.

But if you're of the crafty sort and want to attempt making your own fold-over clutch, how about this tutorial from ECAB? It's a perfect everyday clutch you could toss into a tote or bike basket.

Love the suede string detail on this linen clutch. Photo from www.ecabonline.com.

And if you were crafty *and* wanted something very pretty and demure for a wedding or garden party, you could attempt making this wedding clutch by Laura from the Purl Bee. I love the fabric choices, especially the metallics. Photos from www.purlbee.com.

Cookies at Mini Maker Faire

2011-05-06T07:58:00.002-04:00

Did I mention that I've got a side project? It's called Cookie Friday Co. and I make and sell deliciously dense cookies to go with that perfect cup of coffee. From classic flavours like Belgian dark chocolate to flavours that remind you of childhood… think peanut butter & grape jelly…cookies are the ultimate comfort snack food. And this weekend (May 7-8), my cookies and I will be at Toronto Mini Maker Faire, Toronto's very first Maker Faire being held at the Evergreen Brickworks! So come say hi, check out all the great demos, workshops and displays, and treat yourself to a cookie.

Callebaut dark chocolate with a sprinkling of Fleur de Sel

Callebaut milk chocolate + almond (made with organic Red Fyfe flour)

handmade with love

2011-04-26T21:50:00.000-04:00

My newest favourite accessory! I love receiving beautiful handmade gifts from talented friends. For my birthday last month, T bequeathed me with this bohemian west coast-inspired necklace made with a variety of silver chain and suede.

And check out the pretty wrapping it came in… vintage pattern paper and button adornment!
T, you really outdid yourself…thank you!

Out of the cave

2011-03-30T22:30:00.000-04:00

This past Winter was just brutal. I literally felt beat up by the constant snow storms, windchill and way-below-zero temperatures, so no surprise I retreated…to the comforts of warm blankets and junky tv-watching habits (The Bachelor, anyone?)

When I finally emerged from the cave, I wanted to head to my favourite place to eat the things I craved so C and I met up at Torito!

Some Cava to start…

Now here's what I *always* have to have, no matter how hard I try to get something else… the flatiron steak with the egg on top and chips on the side. It's irresistably juicy and savoury:

Carlo's must-have– the pan fried sardines with Romano beans, fennel, mint, parsley salad

We also had a new item on the menu which was an octopus and potato concoction that is my #2 favourite item now, after the flatiron steak:

And since we were still hungry for more, a little deep fried fish on a bed of shoestring fries hit the spot:

Dessert? Why of course! Churros and a house-made mini chocolate peanut butter cup with a side of berries…mmm…

Thanks for a delicious evening, Torito! We'll be back again soon, now that it's Spring.

Gift from Japan

2011-03-26T15:36:00.000-04:00

Feeling really thankful that my friend Yayoi arrived safe and sound from Japan, just days before the devastation that hit.

We had a bake sale at work to raise funds for the Red Cross relief effort last week. And a friend recently told me about Toronto Bakes for Japan, a city-wide bake sale taking place at numerous venues such as The Evergreen Brickworks and The Rivoli on April 9 and 10. I considered volunteering to bake but I think this time I might just sample everyone else's delicious wares.

And speaking of delicious wares, I finally opened up one of the gifts Yayoi brought me back from Japan– little baby chick pastries! They are almost too cute to eat; the Japanese are such artisans of packaging. Thanks for the goodies from afar, Yayoi. I'm so happy you and your family are safe and that is the best gift.

Cookies for a cold day

2011-03-06T18:40:00.000-05:00

Oh I baked some delicious cookies this weekend that I can't stop eating! In fact, I'm nibbling on one right now as I type. Buttery cookies filled with little specks of cacao nib that taste chocolatey and nutty all at the same time. Here's the recipe from Orangette.

blah

2011-02-26T16:03:00.002-05:00

Winter's been getting me down. So I went shopping. And I actually found some things I like today at Jonathan and Olivia. The perfect faded grey jeans which I've been on the hunt for now for a couple months, and a pair of ankle clog boots on sale for half off. Both Topshop, and not made in China.

February

2011-02-01T16:15:00.000-05:00

Happy February! I'm loving this wonderful desktop calendar that Nikole and Shanna collaborated on. And they're generously sharing with us for download here. Oh to have a homemade powdered donut with a hot coffee right now… stay warm, everyone.

One week's worth of fond food memories

2011-01-30T21:50:00.000-05:00

Since I'm about to embark on a 21-day cleanse beginning tomorrow, I thought I'd share some of the good things I've eaten in the past week. Things that are most likely not cleanse-compliant, like super crispy, juicy Korean Fried Chicken from the new Galleria Supermarket at York Mills…

…and Malaysian curried chicken my friend and colleague K made and brought me for lunch (one of the nicest things one could do for someone else, I think, is to bring them a homemade lunch!):

Of course, alcohol is a definite no-no when you're detoxing, but not when you're brunching (at Marben) with friends you haven't seen since last year!

And to top off the weekend before the cleanse, C bought some rabbit meat at our farmers' market and some fresh homemade pasta and we had fettuccine with braised rabbit ragu for dinner last night. 'Twas a week of some special meals for sure.

the designer's uniform

2011-01-27T16:21:00.001-05:00

I didn't see my pal T all day, until she came over to my desk late in the afternoon and someone pointed out we were wearing the same outfit, down to the same colour tank underneath! It's no secret we both a have a stripe fetish, as evidenced in this strangely awkward, arm-less photo. Mike, another designer in the office, sent us the "vignetted" pic he took on his phone.

SnB

2011-01-22T17:15:00.000-05:00

When it's too cold to go outside over the lunch break, we stay in…and knit! Last Winter, there was a nice little group of ladies at the office who met on Tuesdays and knit / learned to knit. This Winter feels colder so a few of us have been staying in and meeting twice, sometimes three times a week to work on our projects.

Nat started a scarf last year with some gorgeous wool from Americo and started it up again. She's treating it like homework now, assigning herself 20 rows to complete over the weekend. I think she's determined to complete it to wear in Summer 2011.

Sarah crochets! She whips up fingerless gloves like nobody's business and she's going to teach us knitters the fine art of crochet.

Me- I've been having so much fun making these wee baby moccasins from this pattern from Purl Bee. There have been lots of Winter babies coming into the world this year so I've been busy.

enjoying…

2011-01-21T15:48:00.002-05:00

Vicariously staying warm while simultaneously being inspired by LA artist Jeana Sohn's Closet Visits. My voyeuristic side likes that she lets us peek into not only the closets but pocketbooks…

2010 in pictures

2011-01-09T15:45:00.000-05:00

omg. I've been sick with a nasty, phlegmy cold since Christmas and it's only starting to depart my body. Now it's already halfway through the first month of 2011! I'm giving myself this month to figure out my goals for this year, but I think the general guiding principle will be to do the things I need to do to nourish myself.

In the meantime, here's a brief tour down my 2010 memory lane. So long, 2010– A beautiful summer with lots of balcony gardening, friends and family getting married, a trip to the sea, delicious food shared with people I love. I look forward to what 2011 has in store.


January

February


March


April


May


June


July


August


September

October


November

December

Saturday before the holidays

2010-12-19T18:38:00.000-05:00

A busy saturday, catching up with a friend I haven't seen in 4 months, picking up last-minute gifts at City of Craft (I felt so overwhelmed by the number of talented vendors and all their amazing wares!) before heading out to Alberta next week, and of course some good eats. Hope you had a wonderful weekend, can't believe next weekend is… Christmas! Where did 2010 go?

Before the snow falls

2010-12-05T11:45:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning to lots of little snowflakes fluttering outside my window. Winter is just knocking at the door…yikes.

When it was still a sunny but brisk Fall morning, C suggested we go pick rapini. Berry picking I have heard of, but never rapini picking! An hour later we were way out in the boonies. There were no signs or directions on how to get to the field, where to park, how much to pay; all we saw were a random smattering of people hunched over in a huge green field. Then, we became one of those hunched over people, filling our Ikea bag with heaps and heaps of rapini (also known as broccoli rabe). I had never seen it outside of a grocery store before. The leaves were much broader and the stalks looked thinner in the real-life version.

In the end, we left with a big blue Ikea bag full of fresh rapini, along with three grocery bags also full, and a small paper shopping bag stuffed to the brim. The farm had two sprawling fields–one that was closer to the farm house, where we drove to pay someone for our goods. We had no idea how much we'd be charged and I was shocked when the young man that came out of the house took a look at how much we had picked and charged us just $15!

C took the rapini home and spent an hour washing and blanching the harvest and dividing everything up into freezer bags so we wouldn't have to eat it all right away before it went bad. And last night I tasted the farm-picked rapini for the first time when C made spelt pasta with rapini for dinner. It had a delicate sweetness and definitely had less of the bitterness one normally associates with this vegetable. Super delicious with the nuttiness of the spelt pasta and a wonderful way to preserve a little bit of the Fall. Thank you, dear Autumn, for your bright sunshine, crisp air and bountiful harvests. And now to make way for Winter…

Beaujolais Nouveau 2010

2010-11-22T22:05:00.002-05:00

Back in September, our friend Joey suggested we have a Beaujolais Nouveau party. What is Beaujolais Nouveau, you ask? According to a New York Times article, it is "the wine crushed from 100 percent Gamay grapes from the Beaujolais region of France, in the southernmost part of Burgundy" and they are released on the third Thursday of November. These wines are immature and meant for immediate drinking. They certainly aren't the most complex wines, but are supposed to be an indication of the vintage's success. They say that Beaujolais Nouveau Day is just a big marketing ploy, but we went with it and used it as an excuse to get together to eat and drink with our friends.

Dinner party preparations

The Beaujolais Nouveaus and Triple Creme Brie!

Carlo, Darcy, Liz and a plate of homemade pizza to get the party started.

Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau

We opened the George DuBoeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau first and both Carlo and Darcy exclaimed in unison that it tasted like homemade wine, hah!

Joey, Carlo, Darcy

I had always wanted an excuse to make a Tartiflette, because who wants to eat that much cheese, potatoes, bacon, onion and cream on their own? Beaujolais Nouveau and Tartiflette make good neighbours. And for some greens- a brussel sprout leaf, endive, arugula + toasted almond salad, recipe courtesy Giada.

I made a poster where we could write down the wines and vote on our faves. Joey (a.k.a. J-Hups) wrote comments for each wine, like: "Very mellow" or "Nail polish remover" to indicate what one wine smelled like.

Aww, everyone was such a good sport, squeezing into my tiny dining room.

Time for dessert! I think chocolate and red wine usually pair well. Chocolate pavlova with whipped cream and raspberries. As you can see, dairy (along with the wine) is a continuing theme.

Next and last up: Roasted Italian chestnuts and pomegranates. Carlo's always the one telling me that you have to have red wine with chestnuts, so this is how I ended up serving chestnuts at the end of the meal. And why pomegranates? Because I happen to think that chestnuts and pomegranates taste delicious together, something I only discovered for myself last week. It was hard work trying to peel the hairy chestnuts and plucking out those little jewels out of their membrane. Sorry, friends!

It is so satisfying when you get a perfectly clean shelled chestnut that slips out of that crusty dry exterior! Looks like a little brain.

Mrs. Bryony Hupka to her husband, Mr. Joey Hupka: "Joey, you have cheese AND pomegranate on your shirt". The cheese came off in one chunk with a swipe, but alas, pomegranate seeds are messy little suckers.

And the final votes show that the Mommessin was the winner tonight. As Bryony put it: "It's got personality!"

A trip to Japan Town

2010-11-18T19:37:00.000-05:00

Is it just the designer in me or are the Japanese just exceptionally skilled at creating the cutest, brightest, punchiest packaging that makes you want to buy everything? Here are a few shots from a recent trip to Japan Town:

Sweet snacks

Savoury snacks

All sorts of pickled vegetables in the fridge section

Sauces, sauces, sauces!

And it wouldn't be a trip to Japan Town without some interesting English grammar mistakes!

Minding the nest

2010-11-11T20:16:00.001-05:00

Nesting. I hate that word! But I think that's what I've been doing since the seasons have changed and the temperature's dropped. Remember this fabric I picked up at the Textile Museum sale? Well it's been transformed into a pretty draft snake.

And remember these herbs from the balcony garden? Well, they were re-potted and brought inside. Not all of them, just the parsley, English thyme and oregano, which needed a haircut but is still pretty bushy.

To top off a day of feathering my nest, I roasted some chicken and potatoes to make this toasty chicken, kale and white bean stew.

But! I saved some of the chicken pieces to make chicken salad sandwiches for lunch. And I hate to say it, because I find GOOP so annoying and smug… but damn, Gwyneth's got a great chicken salad recipe on there. So go forth and nest because the month are only going to get shorter and colder in the months to come.

Last weekend, before this weekend arrives

2010-11-05T06:39:00.000-04:00

Oops, where did the week go?

A couple of highlights from last weekend…

During the day- the Textile Museum sale! (I bought the cute little strawberry pieces)

During the evening- meeting up with friends for pizza straight from the brick oven at the Wychwood Arts Barns…mmm…

Three fridges

2010-10-31T14:32:00.000-04:00

Snooping in other people's fridges is almost as exciting for me as it is to see inside their closets. After one week of eating what's in our cupboards, fridges and freezers, here's a peek inside VC's fridge, mine, and my pal Yayoi's. YY didn't do the challenge last week but wants to join this week…I think she won't need to buy food for an entire season! VC's fridge is practically empty while mine is around half-stocked.

From L-R: VC, YY, me

The Eat-What-You've-Got Challenge

2010-10-27T21:38:00.002-04:00

So my colleague Vanessa C and I like to talk about food. A LOT. Every single day without fail she asks me what I ate for dinner and what I brought for lunch. Somehow these conversations about food consumption morphed into talk about wasting food, how much money was being spent buying food, buying coffee, buying snacks, wasting money… and from that came the idea of a self-imposed one-week challenge where we aren't allowed to buy any food– groceries, coffee, snacks or otherwise. I suggested it would be okay to buy for example, black pepper, since I had run out, but strict VC said NO. No purchasing of any food items. And then she got even stricter and imposed another rule: No buying ANYTHING! At all. Period.

So here I am, Day 3 of the "Eat-What-You've-Got" / "Don't buy anything" Challenge. And you know what I've realized? I've got a LOT of food in my fridge and cupboards. It's just finding creative ways to put them together. Like tonight, for example, I made Japanese curry with whatever I had on hand, which was a can of chickpeas I found in the back of my cupboard, a few potatoes and some cauliflower. And it was delicious! And you know what else I realized? I throw money away on dumb, frivolous things like random drugstore purchases when I'm bored, and often purchase food I don't eat and end up throwing out because it goes bad. By the end of this week, when I'm allowed to purchase items again, I'll definitely be more aware of how I choose to re-stock, which is good because I've been told that the challenge is going to ramp up for Phase Two come next Monday!

Here's V's take:

I don’t even really remember how we came up with the idea (emails were going back and forth about goals, food, much food we eat, the kind of food we eat, being picky about food, etc.) but somehow LK and I have challenged each other to “eat-what’s-in-your-fridge-and-cupboards” in an effort to be less wasteful (LK empty your fridge and freezer!), save money for our respective, big, US Thanksgiving shopping sprees and try new things.

The rules are :

- One big shop was allowed on the weekend to stock up on fruit and vegetables and meat and any cupboard-essentials. (Unfortunately I went a bit crazy and ended up spending a bit over $150 at Fiesta Farms…as a result next weeks challenge – to truly make this a challenge – will be limiting the weekend grocery-stock-up spend)

- You can not buy or consume anything that’s not in your fridge or cupboards – you can use and make whatever you want that’s in your house. (No cheating and buying lunch or coffee or snacks)

- The challenge started Sunday night and goes until Friday at 6pm.

- Note: Week 2 rules are TBD.

So far… I roasted a whole chicken Sunday night (and made a mediocre corn/spelt bread) and turned the leftovers into chicken salad (although didn’t taste as good as the time LK made it), THEN made chicken stock which turned into lentil soup. Monday - spelt pasta with butter and parmesan with sugar snap peas. Yesterday I had an interracial meal (LK inspired me with her interracial vegetables) and had leftover burdock root from my mom, tofu with ginger and curried cauliflower.

Tonight my plan is to use up beets I’ve had in the fridge for a week by making these cupcakes.

VC's very full fridge

VC's chicken about to be roasted

Autumn knitting

2010-10-24T10:33:00.001-04:00

Know what goes hand-in-hand with crisp Autumn days, freshly picked apples and pretty leaves? Knitting! Sometime around April, my knitting bug vanished and I had no desire to sit inside, working on something wooly and warm. But now that the days are getting shorter and colder, I kind of need warm things to wear and like having something to do while I idly spend my time watching The Real Housewives (of NYC) and Teen Mom.

A couple of weeks ago while out for a drive in Picton, I found a charming little yarn store and got myself a few skeins of Noro Silk Garden. This easy pattern from JCasa Handmade called for one skein to knit up one pair of fingerless mitts–my favourite type of hand covering, as it doesn't render your digits completely useless. I finished these within a week, knitting at a casual pace here and there (kind of the same way I run long distances). Now I just started another pair (which will be a gift), but this time using the Maine Morning Mitts pattern which has a more distinct/thicker ribbing pattern, but also only takes one skein. Happy knitting! {Oh, and thanks to Vanessa C. for snapping these pics, even though she thought the leaves were dirty and I shouldn't be touching them.}

21.1 km later

2010-10-17T19:24:00.000-04:00

24 hours ago I was laying in bed, my entire body aching, shivering and sweating at the same time. This is not good. I'm thinking, "What the hell?! I'm scheduled to run a half marathon tomorrow!" After loading up on Cold FX, echinacea tea, vitamin C, loads of garlic and hot pepper, Advil Liqui-gels and tons of sleep, I miraculously woke up at 6am this morning feeling surprisingly good. So I ran. 21.1km. And it was great. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day for a long run. Rosedale Valley Road was stunning; the sun shining through the red/orange/gold leaves, the fresh Fall air… I felt really happy to be running. Mind you, the last 2 kms were torturous and by then I just wanted it to be over…but the other 19.1 km were pretty fantastic, as was the sandwich I ate at Black Camel afterward :-)

Here I am with my friend and loyal cheerleader, Yayoi:

And here with Carlo, who was bugging me cuz I was bugged with him for showing up 45 mins *after* I finished:

procrastination

2010-10-03T12:03:00.001-04:00

I'm supposed to be doing an 8 mile run today. Probably like right now. But I'd rather be: making pesto with my perilla harvest, or eating a macaron, browsing blogs, or even…vacuuming (the household chore I despise the most)! I know I'll feel so virtuous and good when the run's over, but it's the getting started that's so hard. Especially when it's cold and cloudy out like it is today. Wish me luck.

Nothing a little chocolate can't fix

2010-09-28T23:54:00.001-04:00

Wow. That was a long break. Longer than I'd intended. You know how sometimes you neglect things and they start to snowball and things just get bigger and bigger until it becomes larger than you? That's how I'm feeling lately about not having updated this poor blog and about the cleaning situation in my apartment. And my Summer / post-Summer / early Fall wardrobe is just a mess and confused because of the rain / sun / humidity / wind… gaaa, I'm just a wreck these days. So, bear with me for a bit as I'm just going to take a big yogic breath and a nibble of some delectable almond and sea salt Mast Brothers Chocolate that Kevin so generously shared with me and chill for a bit (I promise it won't be as long as it was this time). I have lots of pictures of my Fall thus far to share. Soon.

I met my doppelgänger and lived to tell the story

2010-09-07T23:54:00.000-04:00

Do you have a doppelgänger? Well I didn't know I had one, until I met Elsie–on this crazy thing we call the internet. Somehow, through random comments we left on each others' blogs, we discovered we both shared a love for Clare Vivier bags, Italian men, Ikea, and more.

So when I found out I'd be heading to LA for my cousin's wedding, we decided to meet up. The meeting which started off as a taco truck dinner ended up evolving into drinks and dinner at a cozy winebar in Los Feliz called Vinoteca Farfalla and gelato at a place up the street. We had such a great time on our multi-couple blind date (my cousin Esther and her husband Todd were there too)! Sergio and Carlo chatted away in Italian and neither Elsie nor I combusted upon meeting! It was worth fighting the nasty LA traffic for a fun night with new friends, good food and wine. Come visit us in Toronto soon, Elsie and Sergio!

Back from vacay

2010-08-30T19:54:00.002-04:00

I got back from my west coast vacation last week, but it has literally taken me an entire week to get caught up with life back in Toronto. Major technical problems with my Blackberry (the camera snaps pictures by itself anytime day or night, and I can't type punctuation or spaces), trying to get my training runs in before the half marathon (October 17), never-ending loads of laundry and uploading 100+ photos from the trip. So, I'll be posting in parts.

Part 1: Landing in LAX / Solvang / Carpinteria

Solvang (beautiful Danish settlement / town featured in the film, Sideways, hence the pic of the grapes)

You can't be in a Danish settlement without a windmill. This was only one of many scattered throughout the town.

Aebleskiver–Danish pancakes in the shape of a little sphere, kind of like a popover. Delicious! Probably the Danish version of beaver tails, or any kind of sweet fried dough native to your region.

I did end up buying a pair of clogs (made in Sweden). They were on sale for $30 in the kids section.

This is Carpinteria. Known for the safest beach in North America.

It was too cold to go swimming (not that I can swim) so we just stuck our feet in.

C and my cousin's daughter, Hannah, liked playing this game where they would try and go as close to the water as possible and run away when the tide came in so it wouldn't touch their feet.

Crazy tangle of kelp. Not sure if this is the kind you can eat (probably not!), but there were tons of this stuff all over the beach. Unfortunately swarms of flies buzzing around too.

On our way back, actually from Solvang to Carpinteria, we stopped at a random beach and had a nice picnic lunch with some cheese, salami, bread and wine we picked up in town. And we did do a couple of wine tastings in Solvang, but I think I was just too loopy from all the wine to properly take any photos!

Desserts and Friends: a good combo.

2010-08-14T08:41:00.001-04:00

Yikes! Summer's almost over, where did it go? In a matter of hours, I'll be boarding a plane and going south for 10 days of ocean, sun, sand and a wedding (no, not mine!). We had a end-of-summer catchup dinner with cousins and friends last night at Mildred's Temple Kitchen. Included in the bunch were (as C titled each person): a Travelling Journalist, Married Father of 1, with Another One the Way, Italian Originally from Toronto.

I was too busy stuffing my face to take any pictures during the dinner which included Blueberry Chipotle ribs, Duck Crepes with blueberry sauce and the classic Mildred's burger. And just when I thought I couldn't eat another bite, someone ordered three desserts to share:

Brownie with banana ice cream

Blueberry bread pudding

Profiteroles

A small indulgence

2010-07-25T16:51:00.001-04:00

My friend Yayoi and I unofficially made a pact we would check out as many farmers' markets in Toronto as possible this summer. Last Thursday we met at the Dufferin Grove farmers' market and fell in love with the organically grown flowers at Underground Organics. For just $5, Shane composed a beautiful, unpretentious little arrangement for me. And then Carlo showed up and said I was invited to dinner with his family so I got a second arrangement for his mother. Shane then whipped up a lovely purple themed bouquet for Yayoi. He wraps them in the simplest brown butcher paper and ties them up with a bit of hemp rope. No scotch tape or tacky printed paper here.

I don't grow any flowers on my balcony so it's exciting for me to have cut flowers in the apartment. Funny how something so simple can make me so happy. It's nice to have living things indoors as well as outdoors. Think I'll be going back next week for another bouquet.

Day 199

2010-07-18T10:21:00.002-04:00

Today is already Day 199 of my 365 Project.

When you live in a northern climate such as ours, you can't help but start to feel a bit sad about the passing days of Summer. I don't know about you, but Summer is what I look forward to all year. Autumn is a close second, but it's not as carefree and adventuresome. Rather, Autumn for me is more about being organized, fresh starts, and getting serious again. My real depression starts to set in around the August long weekend when we start the home stretch of the lackadaisical days of Summer. This year, instead of anticipating feeling bad, I'm going to try to wring out each last ray of sunshine and soak myself in it.

Day 2: a small dent

2010-07-14T21:41:00.000-04:00

A teeny tiny dent in decreasing the contents of my fridge and cupboards: Tortillitas with shrimp, and a glass of Moscato. You know you've got champagne problems when you're complaining about having too much food to eat.

Eating what I've got

2010-07-12T22:07:00.002-04:00

After a weekend of throwing out rotting and rotten food from my fridge, I've decided this week that I'm not allowing myself to buy groceries and eating what I've already got in my fridge, cupboards and (hypothetical) pantry. It seems the older I get, the worse I feel about throwing away food that would have been perfectly good, had I just consumed it just a little bit sooner. And now that it's Summer and C and I are sharing a half share of a CSA box, I'm getting fresh, seasonal vegetables and fruit once a week. So I really shouldn't have a reason to be going out to buy even more food.

So, here you have it. Day 1 dinner of eating what I've got:

- leftover pork/shrimp/water chestnut wonton filling shaped into patties, breaded and fried
- zucchini + red potato (both from last week's CSA box) Korean-style pancakes
- blanched asparagus with olive oil + Cannonau wine vinegar
- I even had a bottle of Moscato crammed in the fridge which was a nice dinner complement

Want to know what's on the menu for tomorrow? Me too.

A weekend, in pictures.

2010-07-11T20:04:00.003-04:00

It was a good weekend. I hope it was for you too.

Instead of our usual trip to the farmers' market, C and I decided to head out of town early in the morning to pick sweet cherries. I only ate a few (to sample what each tree had to offer) and came home with 7 lbs. Nothing compared to the 26 lbs that C got!

I also got a good start on a book I've been wanting to read for awhile now, "The One-Straw Revolution", about natural farming ideas developed by a Japanese microbiologist-turned-farmer who wrote about his ideas in 1975.

Then I spent some time on my balcony with my plants. There's a little baby Habañero pepper forming! But unfortunately at the same time, my Rosemary has died. I've never had much luck with Rosemary plants and this time I didn't even water it as much as I've done in the past. I don't know what to do.

I was lucky enough to get a copy of the film "L'élégance du hérisson" ("The Hedgehog", based on the book "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" by Muriel Barbery) and was completely charmed by the artwork of the 11 year old main character, Paloma.

Last but not least, a little shopping. A new bag, with short and long handles. I think I was attracted to the sparkly silver. This will give my Tropézienne a break for a bit.

Back to the grind tomorrow!

The part about Summer I hate…

2010-07-07T22:00:00.001-04:00

…is what cheap sandals do to your feet. grrr…!

Happy long weekend

2010-07-02T10:05:00.001-04:00

It was Canada Day yesterday, and my work generously gave us today off as well so I am enjoying a lazy Summer day… coffee, homemade waffles and strawberries before I head out for a date with my city. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I shall leave you with a few highlights from my past (albeit short) week.

Pretty pastel meringues at La Bamboche

Fresh garlic scapes from our CSA box…

…turned into garlic scape pesto

Arrival of my Jen Corace print, "Down, Down, Down" from Tiny Showcase.

Deadline met.

2010-06-29T00:49:00.001-04:00

Sometimes it's good to have deadlines for the things that are normally left open-ended. My self-imposed deadline is June 29, a day when I'm expecting family guests from out west.

Chairs have been re-upholstered, a new table runner has been sewn, along with a pretty bunting to decorate the guest room. Tonight, C helped me hang my Ork Toronto print and vacuum while I vigorously cleaned bathrooms, polished mirrors and made a batch of rice krispie squares. And now? I wait. And try not to get anything dirty, at least until my guests arrive.

Happy Hour {by guest blogger Kevin}

2010-06-28T17:11:00.000-04:00

Today I have a little treat from the guy who doesn't normally drink, but knows how to mix a mean drink. Each day at work, I get a run down of what Kevin's concocted to elevate a day of gardening or quiet reading into a more sophisticated past time. So I asked him to share one of his latest cocktail recipes with me. {Thanks for the recipe and the photo, K!}

Here is a grown up take on limenade, one of my favourite childhood drinks. Add mint and a liberal dose of gin to freshly squeezed lime, and you have a taste that soothes the hazy heat of summer. The cucumber and rose water serve to enhance the natural flavours of the Hendrick’s gin. A pinch of sea salt adds depth. This delightful refresher can be enjoyed on the patio or while gardening.

Hendrick’s Limenade

- Hendrick’s gin
- Club soda
- Agave nectar
- Cucumber
- Mojito mint
- Rose water
- Sea salt

Muddle some cucumber and mojito mint leaves. Strain the juices into your glass. Squeeze half a lime and add some agave nectar to taste. Pour 1-2oz. Hendrick’s gin with a drop or two of rose water. Add ice cubes before filling the glass with soda. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt, stir and garnish with sliced cucumber and mint leaves. Enjoy!

Green

2010-06-25T23:25:00.000-04:00

Wow, the exceptionally warm Spring has brought about a lot more green in my balcony garden these days. Mother Nature's warmth and a little help from some kelp meal, and the plants have been shooting up. Even the little wimps I thought weren't going to make it (Dinosaur Kale and Tomatillo), have gotten a new lease on life. Here's my top three (or more) plants of the week:

Arugula– doing so well (and ready to be picked soon) despite the initial rough transplant to the outdoor planter.

Perilla (Japanese basil)– all grown from seed brought back from Japan by my friend Yayoi. I don't know if I'm more proud of them for flourishing in foreign soil or me for not killing them! Koreans eat perilla leaves as a side dish, fresh or seasoned with a soysauce marinade, but last year I tried a perilla pesto on pizza and it was delicious!

Mixed herb container– Clockwise from bottom left: oregano, English thyme, garlic chives, sage, coriander, curly parsley. The oregano was gifted to me by Yayoi, from her container garden. I love how it stretches out past the edges of the container. The parsley's had many haircuts so far, as I've already gone out to help myself whenever I've needed it for cooking and same with the thyme. But I think I see a blank spot in the container right up front… what to fill it with?

A little before and after

2010-06-24T23:43:00.002-04:00

It's been awhile since I intended to complete this project, but finally, I've been in an upholstering mood! Teak chairs I got off craigslist for a steal + chintz from the Textile Museum sale + a little elbow grease = (almost) brand new chairs. I still have two more to do, which will be upholstered in the sister fabric of this lovely blue–same pattern but cream background. Soon, very soon.

Summer's here.

2010-06-19T15:41:00.000-04:00

Pardon my absence, I've been kind of preoccupied with Summer! I know it's not *officially* Summer until June 21, but all roads are pointing to it. Lazy lunch hours sitting in the sun and a visit from a lucky ladybug…hope this is a sign of more good things to come.

The balcony farm

2010-06-14T23:04:00.000-04:00

All my little seedlings have now been sent outside to grow. A sampling of what's growing in this year's balcony farm: Rosa Bianca eggplant, Brandywine tomato, Tomatillo, 2 kinds of Perilla (Japanese basil), Alpine strawberry, Peppermint, Grapefruit mint, Fennel…

I think I see a baby strawberry forming!

And here's some Perilla…

Fun on a rainy night

2010-06-04T20:59:00.003-04:00

On rainy nights, my favourite thing to do is stay home, huddle under the covers and watch re-runs of America's Next Top Model. But not C. He loves going out on rainy nights, which is how I ended up at Guu Izakaya on Wednesday night. And I'm so glad I was dragged out. It was one big party happening that night (and every night, I'm told by friends). From the second we walked through the big wooden door, it was non-stop roaring chatter, with staff singing, clapping, greeting patrons entering or leaving the restaurant.

And the food? Just as fun to eat and pretty to look at. Small dishes to share and something for every palate. I think that we eat with our eyes first, so rather than trying to describe it, re-live the short but savoury night at Guu Izakaya with me…

Other people's apartments

2010-05-29T00:48:00.002-04:00

We had a chance to visit C's friends Sofia and Josh while in Chicago. It just so happened that the weekend we were in town, they were having a daytime housewarming party, having recently moved to a new apartment in Logan Square. Most of the time I'm admiring Chicago's cute walk-ups and apartments from the outside, so I was excited to see the inside of their place.

Sofia and Josh's third floor apartment (they're on the top floor of the building) was absolutely charming. I only got shots of their living room, but it was bright with warm, worn wood floors, original fixtures and a beautiful fireplace. It's inspiring to see how other people decorate and arrange their living spaces. Sofia says it's still a work in progress, but I love it, especially those chairs.

Dogs of Green City Market

2010-05-25T23:28:00.000-04:00

C and I spent last weekend in Chicago visiting my sister. A sort of last minute decision to take the 8.5 hr road trip. Because we'd be missing our Saturday farmer's market ritual, my sis took us to the Green City Market in her city. Yes, there was an abundance of beautiful produce, but what captured my attention that morning were all the doggies! It was just as much a social event for them as it was for the humans. My favourite of the morning was the droopy Basset Hound, see if you can spot him!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

One more thing to cross off my list

2010-05-10T20:34:00.001-04:00

It looks rough because I had to snap this pic as soon as we finished… the wallpaper in the dining room is done. Finally! In case you're wondering, it's called Lumimarja from Marimekko. And if you're in Toronto, you can get all things Marimekko at Paloranta, 833 Queen west.

Next up: Acacia tiles to cover up the ugly concrete balcony floor.

What I'm listening to

2010-05-06T11:41:00.001-04:00

For those of you who are wondering if I ever completed my wallpapering project… It's still half-done because I ran out of motivation and my glue dried up in the meantime. I'm gonna wait until motivation returns and I think it might be returning in the form of this new Goldfrapp album that I'm totally digging. Very synthy 80s, part ABBA, part Olivia Newton-John à la Let's get Physical, this just might get me through the rest of wallpapering hell. Stay tuned.

Ork does Toronto

2010-04-28T23:21:00.001-04:00

Not even a week after ordering, my Ork poster arrived safe and sound. There are soooo many neighbourhoods! Ork said that there were something like 67 more neighbourhoods on the Toronto map than their current most dense map. Toronto friends, do you spot your hood?

A weekend of non-stop eating

2010-04-26T11:42:00.001-04:00

It started with an Indian feast at Banjara on Friday night, followed by a comfort lunch of grilled cheese at The Grilled Cheese in Kensington Market on Saturday afternoon, and another cheesy treat Sunday evening– fresh ricotta from The Green Barn farmer's market spread on rye flatbread and drizzled with honey from Beamsville. Nevermind that I'm supposed to be avoiding wheat and dairy…

Day 104/365

2010-04-20T21:58:00.001-04:00

April 14 was Day 104 of my 365 project. This pretty much sums up my current home décor status these days: chaos and upheaval.

My town

2010-04-16T16:01:00.001-04:00

I realize this is sort of old news now, but I just found out via Apt #412 that Ork (the creators of the typographic city neighbourhood map posters) is coming out with a poster for Toronto. The last time I was visiting my sister in Chicago, I was very jealous of her Chicago neighbourhood poster and wished there was one for my city, and now there will be very soon!

It's the small things

2010-04-15T22:54:00.000-04:00

It's been a hectic month, but I finally managed to get one thing off my home improvement to-do list: make cushion covers. Uh, why did I not do this sooner? It is *so* easy and gives an instant update to the room. I whipped up three tonight and I'm kind of excited to make more to swap out for each season or whim.

Good fungus

2010-04-13T22:18:00.000-04:00

Not the kind of fungus that causes Athlete's Foot! I'm talking about oyster mushrooms. That I've been nurturing everyday since the end of February. How did I end up with mushrooms growing in my living room, you ask? Well it all started with this great idea I had to buy a mushroom-growing kit for my beloved Carlo for Valentine's Day (nothing says I care about you more than fungus!). Upon presenting the kit to him, C said he wouldn't be able to keep it at his house because it would upset his mother's home décor (he's Italian, he still lives at home!). So, I got to keep the mushroom kit, even though I wasn't able to taste a single morsel from the first harvest because I was on a liver cleanse at the time, and banned from ingesting mushrooms. But, the cleanse is over now and I'm allowed to eat mushrooms again. Just in time, because the second harvest should be taking place in the very near future. The spores are going nuts and little oyster mushroom families are popping out like crazy!

M.I.A.

2010-04-11T22:15:00.000-04:00

I've been a lazy blogger! But I haven't been lazy in other aspects of my life. Really! I've been busy typing up lesson plans for C every night, trying to get a handle on the overwhelming list of projects to finish in my apartment (wallpaper installation in dining room, sewing cushion covers, hanging mirrors, re-upholstering 4 chairs, de-cluttering…and on and on), trying to stick to a parasite-eliminating diet, knitting, and reading books books books (currently reading The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri). Will the home projects ever come to an end? Will my addiction to all the FREE books and movies from the public library ever subside? I doubt it.

Day 88/365

2010-03-29T21:03:00.000-04:00

It's supposed to go up to 28 degrees by the end of this week(!)
Goodbye Spring, hello Summer? I'm wearing my Winter coat and scarf today. I have weather confusion!

March 24

2010-03-24T19:45:00.001-04:00

I'm a year older today. So very thankful for good health, family and friends. Ready to embrace the upcoming year with an open heart and mind.

As I write this, C's preparing a birthday dinner of salmontrout with fennel and onion in parchment, spelt spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and pepperoncino, and sautéed kale on the side. Gotta go!

Day job

2010-03-19T14:04:00.001-04:00

Sometimes when I'm designing something, I have to zoom up really close to see if everything is *perfectly* lined up (makes me crazy when elements are off by even a hair!). And this is what fills my screen… it gets all digital Monet. Kind of pretty, I think!

Hello, March!

2010-03-02T22:02:00.002-05:00

It hasn't even been a week since I planted these Broccoli di Ciccio seeds at the book launch party for Grow Great Grub, but they're coming up! Things are growing, a positive sign that Spring is around the corner…

Russian Caravan Tea

2010-02-23T20:42:00.002-05:00

(image: CB I Hate Perfume)

I detest perfume. You know the kind I'm talking about… picture it radiating from a lady with a big poufy bleached hairdo, obtrusive fur coat, too much eye makeup… So I was super excited to come across CB I Hate Perfume. Christopher Brosius even has a manifesto for his creations. I like how he describes perfume as "…an art that shows us who we can be if we dare – an invisible portrait of who we are".

Last Friday, I picked up Russian Caravan Tea at Ewanika, at Bathurst and Dupont and am loving it so much! It's described perfectly on the site as: Smoked black Indian tea, bergamot and the hint of shelves full of old books.

And the story behind it goes: I love tea I always have. There is nothing more comforting than a nice cup of tea. My friend Barrie has a lovely house in the English countryside. It is perfectly comfortable and it's full of the most fascinating books and curiosities. Barrie also makes a wonderful cup of tea. One of his favorites is a Russian Caravan Tea he found somewhere in his travels. It's dark, smoky and just the thing to sip when you're tired or cranky. There's nothing nicer than sitting by his fire with a good book drinking a pot of Russian Caravan.

If I could have bought one more, I would have picked Winter 1972: A field of untouched new fallen snow, hand knit woolen mittens covered with frost, a hint of frozen forest & sleeping earth.

Friday shopping

2010-02-20T22:36:00.000-05:00

I traipsed around town on Friday to pick up a few things…

had lunch with a friend…

and came home with this:

Belated Valentine's Day

2010-02-17T18:46:00.000-05:00

I wasn't feeling well on V-Day so we postponed dinner for the 15th. Carlo made my favourite pasta all'amatriciana for dinner and I made us a chocolate cake. It has Guinness in it and makes for the most dark, deep, moist chocolate cake ever. *love*

edible clouds

2010-02-11T21:30:00.000-05:00

My order of marshmallow clouds arrived today! Nikole wrapped them up so beautifully, it was as much a pleasure to open the package as it was to eat the marshmallows. Could there be anything cuter than these floating atop your hot chocolate in the dead of winter??

displacement

2010-02-11T00:18:00.003-05:00

To displace:
1. to compel (a person or persons) to leave home, country, etc.
2. to move or put out of the usual or proper place.
3. to take the place of; replace; supplant: Fiction displaces fact.
4. to remove from a position, office, or dignity.

A bit late, but this was the theme at work last Friday. Our office in the midst of some desk shuffling. Cubemates Tomi and Kevin were displaced from their cozy cave to a random busy hallway, where their work area now consists of nothing but a couple of sad post-it notes that someone scrawled their names on. And on the same day, two penguins and a sloth were visiting our office (the one in the photo looks like he's flanked by his body guards). Now if that isn't displacement, I don't know what is.

Wardrobe doldrums

2010-02-04T22:50:00.001-05:00

Seriously, my closet's busting out. But when I go in there, I stare at it all and feel like I have nothing. to. wear. What is wrong with me?? I think a clear-out is imminent and I need to find the stuff I really love amidst the chaos.

A break from computers

2010-01-31T18:19:00.000-05:00

Before the Christmas break, I signed up for a letterpress class with Tomi, taught by Arounna at her shop, Bookhou. Her tabletop press really is old-school and requires no water or electricity. Strictly human power! And boy did we get a workout.

Leading up to the class, I was feeling stressed about not having any creative inspiration, but Tomi and I ended up cranking out a whole lot of stuff and printed on Moleskin cahiers, cards, and all sorts of tags. We over-stayed our original 4 hours, time really flies when you're having fun and Arounna was such a wonderful teacher. Not only did she teach us how to use the press but gave us great ideas and encouragement. It was so much fun to see how each print would turn out, how the colours would show up on the paper and just touching the printed pieces because letterpressed items have such a lovely tactile quality to them. Thank you for a great workshop, Arounna, I'm already thinking of what I'd like to print next…

Black Beauty

2010-01-27T22:40:00.001-05:00

I'm freaking out. Ms. Clare Vivier strikes again! First with the clutch for Target's Red Hot Shop, then the sweet Mini Sacs and now, La Trop NOIR! I think my CViv collection might be expanding…

Window shopping in the Junction

2010-01-24T21:52:00.000-05:00

A stroll down Dundas West to digest brunch. So many crazy good furniture stores, but it wasn't quite yet noon so nobody was open. Care to join me on our walk?

Cowl love

2010-01-20T00:38:00.005-05:00

My friend Lynda stopped by the office for a visit the other day and guess what? She was wearing her beautiful hand knit Americo cowl! Lynda's cowl was the one that inspired me to knit one up. Check out that lovely blue Copito Merino she used up close here.

Lloydminster cowl

2010-01-14T21:18:00.001-05:00

It's done! A quick knit, which is great since I like projects that give me as close to instant gratification as possible (ie. I don't knit sweaters!). I finished this cowl at a leisurely pace over one week and wore it out already. Lloydminster cowl will replace my winter scarf, it is so cozy and can even double as a hat if I just pull it over my head.

What graphic designers eat

2010-01-12T23:46:00.000-05:00

We really do live, breathe and eat typography. Hah!

This is day 12 of the 365 project, where I aim to take / post a photo a day for one entire year. You can see my progress so far here.

The best hot chocolate

2010-01-12T01:09:00.002-05:00

You know what else goes hand in hand with cold winter nights and knitting? A mug of homemade hot chocolate. I'm not talking about the instant Carnation stuff I grew up on with the dehydrated marshmallows. I'm talking about the real deal: actual chocolate and whole milk! Here's how I made it tonight (I used Callebaut 70% dark chocolate), from a recipe on my fave food blog, Orangette:

1 ½ cups whole milk
2 ½ Tbsp. water
2 ½ Tbsp. granulated sugar (I find this to be too sweet and reduce the sugar)
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, water, and sugar. Place over medium heat and whisk occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture just to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate. At this point, blend the mixture. If you have an immersion blender, you can do this directly in the saucepan; if not, you’ll need to transfer it to a traditional blender. Either way, blend for 1 minute (on high speed, if using a traditional blender - and take care(!), as hot liquids expand when blended). The finished mixture should be very smooth and frothy.

Serve immediately.

The knitting bug

2010-01-10T00:06:00.001-05:00

People, it is freezing cold here these days. The thing I never understood when I moved to Toronto from Edmonton was windchill. If it says -8 degrees, why can't it just be that? Why does it have to *feel* like it's -25??!

Anywho, the only thing I'm inspired to do in a cold spell is knit because I can stay nice and toasty in the bed while I do it. And bonus, the final product can actually help keep a person warm when you do have to venture outside. I'm really loving the wool at Americo these days and am tempted everytime I go there. I knit C's hat here with their Highland Simple Twist using Americo's Border Hat pattern. And get this, he learned how to knit today and is making a new slouchy hat for himself now! In the meantime, I'm working on a big comfy cowl for myself using the Copito Medio from Americo. Pics to come soon.

The feet are warm, but I feel ugly.

2010-01-04T20:58:00.000-05:00

Five Toronto winters, my first pair of boots. I finally gave in to the elements. Although they are toasty warm, my feet look *huge*. And faux snakeskin leggings don't really complement Sorels.

2010: To do and to read

2010-01-03T19:20:00.007-05:00

I always feel like the new year is that time to make lists of different things I would like to do and accomplish. Resolutions don't really appeal to me because they seem so strict or official somehow. I've definitely been reflecting on things I would like to do / not do this year. The topics range anywhere from travel to creative pursuits to personal relationships.

But another thing that's on my list is books. Books I want to read, or started reading and haven't finished, books that have been recommended to me, books for pleasure and books for knowledge. I'm almost finished A Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion and as much as it has been extremely thought and memory-provoking, I'm ready to move on. This book gives me anxiety and I've only been able to consume one chapter at a time because it's made me think a lot about death. (The book is Joan's account of her husband of forty years' sudden death and her life in the following year, trying to cope with life in the absence of her partner). As you can see, I have my choices for what to read next. I think I'll go back to How to Read the Bible next since Carlo and I agreed it would be our Wintertime book club (book club is a very loose term- we are the only members of our self-designated club) selection. And perhaps I'll tackle The Gargoyle simultaneously since it's a library book and due back soon.

What are you guys reading these days?

Pretty pretty

2010-01-03T01:43:00.004-05:00

A few new things around my place to kick off the new year. A Shinzi Katoh desk calendar that I like to have on my kitchen bar, a new French cookbook, and a pretty quilt to keep me warm this Winter.

Good-bye, 2009

2009-12-31T16:39:00.001-05:00

I'm kinda going bonkers right now trying to unpack my suitcase (just got back from Christmas in Alberta yesterday afternoon), do laundry, clean and tidy my apartment– all before 2010! It's getting down to the wire since I have to get dinner ready for C and me soon. Luckily, my mom packed me some homemade frozen dumplings(called mandoo in Korean) and marinated Korean shortribs. On this past trip, my mom, gramma, cousin Esther and I had a dumpling-making party where she showed us how to make various fillings– meat, vegetable, and kimchi– and how to wrap the dumplings based on whether they would be used in soup or being pan-fried. My cousin put up the tutorial here, in case you want to try too!

Happy Christmas

2009-12-24T14:03:00.003-05:00

Happy Christmas Eve! I fly out west tonight to be with my family for the next week. Hope everyone stays warm and gets to spend time with those you love. I'm really a grinch and hate the craziness and excessive consumerism of Christmas time, but for me it's about spending time with my family and seeing friends that I now only get to see once a year. And this year, my mom says she's going to show my cousin Esther and I how to make Korean dumplings, yeah!!

So, I'm off in a couple hours. With my newly-arrived Clare Vivier gray messenger bag in hand. It came just in time for Christmas, thank you thank you Clare!

Be well, everyone.

Les chausseures

2009-12-17T01:08:00.003-05:00

Let me introduce you to… Swedish Hasbeen Johdpurs and gold snake Finsks. Except– when I got home and opened the Finsk box, I found out I got 2 mismatched shoes!

After discovering this morning that a murder of sorts had taken place in my refrigerator overnight (a half-consumed bottle of sparkling shiraz exploded), I wasn't exactly thrilled to rush home for a night of cleanup and stain removal. Luckily, a pre-holiday shopping event at Chasse Gardée distracted me and I finally acquired the Swedish Hasbeens I'd been coveting since August. You'd better believe I was in slightly better spirits when I got home to start attacking the fridge mess.

Pink doily

2009-12-08T16:05:00.001-05:00

My version of the doily canvas bag. It contains a present for a special little girl in Alberta.

A couple of projects

2009-12-03T23:27:00.004-05:00

A few little goodies I'm working on for Christmas, and the fabric I'll be using to re-cover my new-to-me teak chairs.

Granola Missionary

2009-12-02T22:49:00.003-05:00

Granola has taken over my life. I never use to like it when I was younger but in the past couple years it's grown on me. And in the past couple months, it's become an obsession. But the granola I evangelize doesn't contain any sugar. It's a take on the NY Times olive oil granola recipe which Tomi and I modified by subbing brown rice syrup for the sugar and maple syrup. Ever since, it's become an obsession and addiction for her too. But the story doesn't end here because I don't keep this granola to myself; I try and convert others. So far, I've successfully converted my bf Carlo, his mother, sister and niece. I've also spread the word in Ottawa and will be spreading the good granola news out west over the Christmas holidays. My colleagues Lionel and Natalie can also attest to sampling the granola.

It's no wonder then, that the lovely and talented Tomi would give me the nickname "Granola Missionary", and look what she made me! I love it!!! It even came on the rubber stamped bookmark she hand stitched grosgrain ribbon to. Thanks Tomi, you made my week!

Livingroom curtain update

2009-12-02T22:27:00.001-05:00

They're finally up! After more than 4 years of naked livingroom windows, they're finally clothed. I must admit, it does warm up the room somehow.

Musical chairs

2009-12-01T10:52:00.004-05:00

My apartment. It's always in a state of flux and evolution. Well it's evolving again, and it's a big mess right now. I just picked up a table and four (teak) chairs from Craigslist a few days ago for $40. I thought it was a mistake when I saw it but nope, the seller wanted $40! And truthfully, I didn't want another table since I was just looking for chairs. But for $40, what the hell! I had a van for the pickup anyway, so why not? The chairs will need to be re-covered and need a little TLC but the basic shape is exactly what I was looking for.

And in the same theme of nesting and re-arranging, I finally decided to put up curtains in the living room after having no window coverings for the almost five years I've lived in my apartment. Not sure how I feel about them yet so there will be some tweaking tonight. And more tweaking to come in the other rooms. It never ends.

Winter Fling… A Craft Thing

2009-11-30T15:41:00.003-05:00

Saturdays used to be all about sleeping in for me, until I discovered the Green Barn Farmer's Market. They're not even open crazy early like the St. Lawrence North Market, but it's still early for me. And this Saturday, December 5th, will be even busier because after I hit the farmer's market, I'm heading straight down to College / Bathurst for the Winter Fling craft show. How could you resist a "school dance-themed afternoon filled with snowy decorations, DJs playing tunes and early handmade holiday shopping"? Fun!

Feeling crafty?

2009-11-25T15:36:00.001-05:00

How charming is this doily canvas bag by Ashley Campbell? And wouldn't it make a great gift, especially for my ladies in Toronto where you have to shell out 5 cents for a bag when grocery shopping. Ashley's posted full instructions here.

There are too many pretty things I want to make lately! This slouchy hat with beautiful wool from Americo would be perfect for a guy or a girl, tissue holders are always useful especially during flu season and I can never have too many pairs of fingerless gloves.

My latest obsession

2009-11-24T11:06:00.004-05:00

In a world of chaos and uncertainty, there is nothing more satisfying than bringing peace and order to my home through some deep cleaning. Now, those who know me can testify I am normally not a clean freak. Sure I sweep up dust and hair everyday but I don't go out of my way to scrub anything unless it is DIRTY.

A couple weeks ago, a friend who shall remain un-named (she also hates cleaning) suggested picking one day during the week as "cleaning day". Basically, just clean anything. Scrub your bathtub, do some laundry, dust, whatever tickles your fancy. She picked Monday as her day and I chose Wednesday. It was great– I tidied, purged, vacuumed dust-clogged bathroom vents and washed floors. But you know what I discovered through this process? Once you start, you can't really stop because everything else starts to look dirty and messy compared to stuff you just cleaned up! So now I'm obsessed. I've been cleaning something everyday. And last night I attacked the thing that was bugging me the most for the past six months: the gunky, oily, dusty vents on the microwave. Disgusting!! Let me just mention that prior to the microwave, I actually pulled out my oven and scrubbed the entire outside, vacuumed the floor underneath/behind it and washed the floors too. Check out the before and after of the microwave vents. I am so pleased! Next up, the fridge!

A change of season

2009-11-17T22:41:00.001-05:00

An oldie shot I never posted… memories of end-of-summer sales, of the Summer that never was, but a Winter that's currently on hold. I'll take what I can get.