Sage

A few nights ago I cooked what I believe to be my first meal using sage.
It is sort of a mystery herb to me - so distinct in its smell and flavour, and yet not overly potent and doesn't steal the flavour show.

This is definitely going on my list of herbs to plant as soon as the garden dethaws and to explore more in my cooking.

Lovelies, Do you know any sage recipes?

PS. Happy Friday!

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Memphis Diners

My veggie burger from one of our favorite Toronto Diners - The Yellow Griffin.

My job has me flying away again this weekend, this time to Memphis, TN for approximately 48hrs. I actually only have 4 hours of work to do while I am there, but the flight schedules have me staying for two nights - which is fine by me because it gives me extra time to do what I love doing most, eating.

Any not just any eating. Diner eating.

About a year ago, Mr. S and I stumbled across a Food Network show that has us drooling and asking for more. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is now a Friday night staple around here and a topic I manage to squeeze into my daily conversations on a far too regular basis. I am a serious fan.

The Host, Guy Fieri, drives around the United States looking for the best diners that make all natural, homemade, fresh to order down home goodness - and then he devours it all in a way that makes you wish you were there and swear you can smell every bite he is enjoying.

So in preparation for my trip to Memphis, I have looked up and mapped out four restaurants that are on the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives list and am already drooling over their menus and what I think I will be ordering (keep in mind that I only eat fish when it comes to meat...a strange twist of fate for a bbq diner lover)

#1 - Tom's Bar BQ and Deli
Channel Catfish Sandwich, Cole Slaw, Seasoned Fries, homemade pie

#2 - Cozy Corner
BBQ Spaghetti (it is quite literally homemade BBQ sauce on spaghetti), Corn on the Cob, Slaw, Slice of Pie

#3 - Leonard's Pit BBQ
Homemade Onion Rings, BBQ Bean Pot, Combination Salad (looks amazing, no meat), Homemade Lemon Icebox Pie, Southern Pecan Pie

#4 - Marlowe's Ribs and Restaurant
Fried Pickles, Fried Green Tomatoes, Catfish Sandwich, Mississippi Mud Cake


I promised myself that I would cleanse for about three days prior to this heart stopping, artery clogging trip, but alas the cold weather has me just eating more. I will cleanse after...

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It's going to be a great day.

The day here is still just in the morning hours, but already it has been such a good one. Little life things are all lining up and making me feel so lucky and happy.

I woke up to a few really sweet emails in my inbox and relatively few not-sweet ones in my work mail (which is very good!).

It was a beautiful sunny day when I woke up, which has turned into a lovely wintry day with soft snowflakes falling. A perfect change from the rain we were receiving and how a good Canadian winter should really be; cold and snowy!

There are four blood oranges sitting on my kitchen counter waiting to be consumed. I was a very literal child, so blood oranges were of no interest to me for many years. However, my mom would scoop them up from the grocery store with such enthusiasm every time they were available and devour their sweet pink juices with such joy that I eventually caved and have been devouring them alongside her ever since. To me they are the ultimate treat and I can't wait to taste their sweetness.

Tonight we will join my family to eat delicious food and watch a play. And if there is any subtle humor that is well delivered, my mom's laugh will echo through the theater and make the other patrons contagiously giggle alongside her.

I hope you are having a perfect day as well. And if you aren't, let me know if I can do anything to help! I would happily pop an orange in the mail to make you smile!

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Rainy Day Welcome Home Chili

Mr. S came home again on a chilly and rainy day, late in the evening and after 13hrs of travel. I wanted him to walk door and be welcomed by not only me, but the smell of something cooking - and with the damp and dreary day outside, Chili seemed the perfect welcome home meal!
Fresh vegetables, herbs, hot chilis and a dash of beer, I let the chili boil down all afternoon and fill our house with its spicy aromas. Some broiled cheese to finish it off and some fresh baguette to clean the bowl with, it was a perfect welcome home meal!

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A belated Christmas Card

Last week I made a quick dash out to our mailbox, hoping that no one would catch a glimpse of my home office attire, and was so thrilled to pull out something address to Mr. S and I, and it wasn't a bill or solicitation! It had the return address of friends we miss so much (EB and J), which made it all the more exciting.

The card came double wrapped with EB's familiar writing all over it and many stamps, circles, return dates and Canada Post rejections. Our friends had send this card to us not once, not twice or three times, but FOUR TIMES before it actually arrived at our door. They had the address correct and the postage just right each time and yet it too four trips through the postal system to reach us.

I open the card and cried. It made me miss these friends so much; the kind of friends that will send you a Christmas card four times just to make sure it reaches you. Almost exactly a month after the date the card was sent to celebrate, I think it arrived perfectly on time.

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Winter Freshness

I think it is fair to say that last week the heaviness of winter got to us. Our home went a little stir crazy and nothing seemed to be quite clicking. I think it happens every time this year, and yet it is always comes as a surprise when that "fussed" feeling descends upon us.

To help shake the winter blues and our attitudes, we planned a dinner made out of simple and fresh foods - tomatoes, large leaves of basil and buffalo mozzarella. Pure, simple and perfect for our winter hunger! We transformed these simple beauties into an appetizer of baguette topped with buffalo mozzarella, basil, a splash of olive oil and dash of smoked salt. And dinner, a delicious margarita pizza.

We went to bed stuffed full and feeling much better - una sera perfetta

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we taught our cat to sit

We taught our cat Maude to sit. On command.
It was a quiet day around the house and I decided Maude's little feline brain was under utilized and that I would work tirelessly over the next weeks, months, years even; whatever it took to teach her the useful skill of sitting on command.
She doesn't typically get treats, so she was instantly intrigued when I pulled them out. Every time she sat nicely, I praised her and gave her a treat and said the word "SIT" a lot so she would connect the two. It took only 4 times of us doing this for her to learn how to sit when we told her to.

Fun, right?

WRONG!

Instead of teaching our cat a fun party trick we were going to wow our friends with, we have taught our cat to sit a lot of get annoyed when we don't reward her. Now whenever I go in the kitchen to look in the fridge (about every 10mins), do a dish or make some tea I can sense her, sitting and staring at my just waiting for my to turn around notice. And when I do finally look down at her and offer her no prize for her efforts, she whines in protest and follows you around (whining) until she gets distracted by a shadow or the sheer exhaustion of her feline life lulls her back into sleep.

This week I am going to step up my game a little (since she blew the sitting task out of the water) and am going to teach Maude to iron. Might as well put her to work if she is going to be sitting around the house so much!

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T.L.C. - tea loves coffee

I love coffee. I love it from the moment I open the package and smell the fragrant grinds, the way the smell wafts up in my face as I pour the steaming water over it and the golden colour it turns as I pour some sweet almond milk into it. I love the excitement I feel as I bring the steaming mug to my lips and the first taste runs over my tongue. It is at this point that my love affair with coffee makes a cold hard stop.

Once coffee has entered my body we stop getting along. It makes me jittery, anxious and generally un-easy. I battle out the emotions until its powerful caffeine effects have worn off and I make the promise to never drink coffee again. until tomorrow.

This weekend I found this happy balance at my favorite tea shop (Tealish): T.L.C - Tea Loves Coffee. This blend has me enjoying the best of both worlds; hints of the coffee smells and flavours I love without the anxiety jitters.

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a golden dinner

Yesterday was a day that met us without a to do list. A day open for whatever the day would bring. Not always easy for me as I take great comfort in a good schedule and the planned minute, but even I eventually let go; enjoyed a walk, some carefree grocery shopping and a stroll through the 'hood. We agreed on an evening of Golden Globe watching, to which I planned out the accompaniment of a three course meal. Something more special and complicated the usual as I had the time and excitement to do it; and Mr. S has just arrived home again, which is always reason to celebrate!

round one. From scratch mushroom ravioli.

round two. stuffed portobello mushrooms with apricot herb sauce. edamame mash topped with grilled asparagus

round three. molten chocolate cakes.

All of the recipes were modifications of things I found over at Sprouted Kitchen, one of my new favorite food blogs. Her recipes are special, but easy to follow and the photos are a meal in themselves!

Needless to say that by Round 3, Mr. S and myself were knocked out. It was a perfect golden dinner.

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perspective - looking down

Mr. S and my view from up here.

There are so many cute photos on so many cute blogs taking from the perspective of looking down at one's feet. I love this angle because no one can see it just like you.

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pink and grey

An afternoon photo shoot with my sweet little love, Maude. She keeps me extra company when the house is less one member and sits in my lap as I work, purring away until she ultimately falls asleep; her head landing on the key board and typing repetitions of letters for me 'nnnnnnnn' making the keyboard ping in contempt.
Today the sun showed off her sweet shades of pink and grey; I could just eat her up.

Happy Saturday!

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Comings and Goings

Hello Lovelies. I just looked up and it is FRIDAY! The week has flown by and I have neglected this little space.
Mr. S has been on the road and it could not be more true what they say about "distance making the heart grow...". sigh. Right now having someone to miss is in my top 10 favorite things, but only because it means you get to re-unite and welcome them back again!

Fortunately for me I have been able to track his every move on my Christmas present from him (nope - not a fancy GPS or computer thingy) - a vintage roll-down school map of North America!

I had been eying different ones for a long time now and Mr. S gifted me with the nicest one I had ever seen. The colours and details are fantastic and there is just enough vintage wear and fading to give it so much character.

I love looking at it hanging in out living room, wondering about the places Mr. S is exploring and dreaming about the next time he will be walking back through the door!

Happy Friday!

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Soundtrack to being an Angst-Filled Teen.

Check out yesterday's Soundtrack to Monday post - my Soundtrack to Being an Angst-Filled Teen!

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Peek-A-Boo!

This pile of cuteness came for a visit the other day. Clicking through the photos is melting my heart on this chilly Monday!

I hope your week is off to a heart warming start.

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an all day breakfast

Today started with home made sticky buns topped with orange glaze, and big bowls of coffee with soy milk foam.

We met the middle with breakfast sandwiches, home made granola, and bubbly mamosas to wash it down.

We finished with board games, two perfect blockus scores, and bowls of tea.
It was a perfect all day breakfast; we used all of the hot-drink making tools in our house. Happy Weekend.

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