I USED TO BE BETTER - AND, BOY, I'M HUNGRY!

MARION KEYES COOKBOOK

When I was on maternity leave, I was very tired and had a lot of time on my hands in a seated position. I read a lot, one handed. I devoured biographies about Castro, read fantastic gothic books like The Shadow of the Wind (or as I like to think of it, The Library of Forgotten Books), and Love in the Time of Cholera (pedophilia warning), and then came the phase of what I refer to as "pink books", more commonly referred to as chick lit. Marion Keyes was my first. If I imagined her Irish accent, it was even more fun. I started with Sushi For Beginners and have read since almost her entire collection. This was a different kind of discovery. She has a great website: www.mariankeyes.com/. It talks largely about her characters, and she comes across quite clearly as a character herself, but she is honest in her struggle to overcome depression, and this cookbook is a result of one period of self-discovery with baking as therapy. It's a little biographical, and a lot pretty with more than a few good ideas. I have, alas, tried to avoid baking as therapy since I hit my 40s, but I hope to get though the highlights over the next few years. Get yourself a copy, if only to read and drool, but I suspect you might be tempted to a little therapy yourself.

RAINBOW LOOM ADDICTION

My daughter got a rainbow loom from Santa this Christmas. I hadn't realized that she liked it so much, and in her disinterest, I started making different patterns and colours to order for her and her friends. Then she got a rainbow loom for her birthday, and finally she was free to "have her own"! I didn't realize I was holding her back!
Here's a sampling:

PINTEREST FAIL?

My daughter's birthday was this past weekend, and yet again, I found myself the day before attempting to make cake pops that my daughter requested - owls and ice cream cones, peppermint flavoured. This year she chose the inspirations very seriously, and she was very pleased. I'm not so sure I deserved her admiration. I think it was closer to a Pinterest fail, but you can be the judge! Actually, the ice-cream cones were pretty reproducible, and all tasted great to a pack of 8 year old girls!
Check out Bakerella.com for some really admirable stuff!  Last year was the 2nd attempt with the panda bears. The first year was not recorded, as I think not one survived to be witnessed (not for popularity, but because the cardinal trick of chilling before mounting on the stick was not known to me, and every single Hello Kitty head was skewered through to devastating effect!)
No wonder I was up so late last year - I even made cupcakes for the family party! The last photo was an attempt to fancify the rice krispie cake. I think more even cuts might have improved the aesthetics a little!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This is a cool little kit! It looked impossible that the icing would be enough, but it was!

Here is the kit we used last year, with some extra Halloween fancy leftover!

O Tannenbaum!

Snow men and icicles

Botanical Gardens decorated for Christmas

Cutest gingerbread ever, with a cup of Good Earth tea.

Here is what we left for Santa and his Reindeer this year!

NATIONAL CAPITALS AND CUPCAKES

I wanted to take my daughter to Ottawa to stay at the Chateau Laurier, so when I got asked to be an examiner at a nearby venue, I found a rate that matched my reimbursement amount, I was ready to invite my princess to visit her castle. I set up a treasure hunt for her in the lobby (there are cool hiding spots out in the open, and a piano that plays on its own) and she swam in the art deco pool with her dad while I worked. It's an easy walk to Byward Market, where we ate at Zak's Dinner with friends, had a Bellini at Milestone's, and The Grand Pizzeria, which made us think of Napoli! I can also recommend Mama Grazzi, The Earl of Sussex Pub, and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory from previous trips!

What a beautiful hotel! What a great city!

I love Ottawa. This is us in front of the Centennial Flame/ Parliament Buildings.

The Cupcake Lounge and their beautiful handiwork. Day olds are excellent for half the cost.

SEATTLE GOURMET WEEK NOT TO MISS!

I returned to Seattle with a friend for a conference and loved being a tourist there again.  We hit the highlights, learned a lot, and happened on a great week to be in Seattle; Gourmet Week!

If you've never been and like romantic comedy, take a look at Love Happens with Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart. Of course, Sleepless in Seattle spends some time in Seattle, but mostly in NYC. The Twilight movies are set on the west coast, as is the addiction netflix series The Killing.. Grey's Anatomy does a nice job of seeing the suburbia and some of Puget Sound.

Thanks to my previous visit with an amazing package through expedia, I had a suite last visit at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, and I dreamed often of returning just for the tomato bisque soup and the unique mozzarella croutons shaped in a tube! It was amazing! Alas, it was not being served when we ate, but at The Georgian, we had a gorgeous meal, very reasonably priced, being lunch, and part of the Gourmet Week Prix Fixe Menu. I had a delicious silky heirloom tomato soup with truffle foam and rosemary "toasty", a beautiful spinach salad with local cheese, a  creamy wine risotto with crispy cheese wafer,  and rich mousse for dessert. This time, we stayed at a friendly well located Hotel Vintage Park, and enjoyed each evenings wine tasting and morning coffee. Both stays were an unforgettable experience. I'm just waiting for the chance to take my family to visit next!

Gum wall off of Pike Place Market

Bread worth eating with chilled creamy butter

Risotto with parmesan crouton

Perfect end to a perfect meal

Tomorrow night, maybe?

LOCAL FARMERS MARKET - SO BEAUTIFUL

BALLET GIRL

Did you know that you can use the leg part of an old sock to make a beautiful bun? Here's my handiwork on my gorgeous girl's hair.

DAY DATE AT IL CORTILE

With my daughter at school, my husband and I went to our favourite downtown Italian restaurant for the first time since we had been to Italy. The restaurant is sheltered but it's draw is the open courtyard (il cortile is the italian word for the courtyard).  It was the usual spectacular fare with a lovely autumn day. We were fortunate see the Dale Chihuly exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts on yet another occasion. I fell in love with his glasswork in Las Vegas. It is featured in the ceiling of the impressive lobby of the Bellagio. My uncle introduced me to his work in Richmond, Virginia. His most impressive work is near his home, and Seattle's Needle Chihuly garden is a must see at night! Even so, it was a breathtaking exhibit in Montreal. Here is his work called the sun, and a few dishes from that meal.

Chihuly's Sun in front of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Bellagio's Chihuly ceiling

Crespelle with Zafferano Sauce

Eggplant parmigiana

Gnocci with wild mushrooms

Mushroom risotto