happy to be moi

i think this says it all.

off to the races

and they said it couldn't be done, a dog sledding team from jamaica. the brainchild of danny melville, this team is anything but ordinary. after watching them race at the haliburton highland dogsled derby, i realized that the team was more heart than gimmick. lead musher robb, shows a passion for animals and a determination for success which explains why the team attracts a lot of attention. with a reputable documentary (sun dogs), world-wide race dates, media blitzes and resolute members, the jamaican dogsled team proves that nothing is impossible- mush mon! mush!

fairytale

olivia loves the "beat" of this song, i like what it has to say. check out sara bareilles new cd little voice for more great music.

happy birthday!

it was wayne's birthday over the weekend and we celebrated with a cottage visit, dog-sledding(more about this later) and vanilla cake. the cake was particularly yummy- vanilla, strawberries and chocolate butter cream frosting. check out the recipe from nyc's magnolia bakery here.

chocolat

perusing through my photo archive, i always seem to happen upon images that conjure up warm memories. this photo is from late summer 2004 taken at les chocolats genevieve grandbois in montreal. such a gorgeous shop run locally by genevieve grandbois herself, the integrity of the ingredient and the artisan is exemplary. in toronto, you can check out soma, an equally gorgeous shop in the distillery. with offerings like toasted hazelnuts tumbled in dark venezulan chocolate and baci d'allassio (chocolate hazelnut kisses), you won't be disappointed.

diana henry

my favourite type of food layers flavour and texture, marries sweet with sour, brings together heat and coolness. a suberb example of such blissful union is diana henry's bulgar and spinach pilaf from her beautiful cook book crazy water, pickled lemons. the doughy bulgar, unctuous roasted tomato, crispy onion, bright spinach and cool labneh contrast and work together in a great symphony of flavour. i made this brilliant dish a couple of months ago (when my oven was still working) and nearly fainted with pleasure. while the recipe seems rather involved, it is so worth it! check out the recipe below:

Bulgar and Spinach Pilaf with Labneh and Chili Roast Tomatoes
1 onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves
6 ounces bulgar wheat
1 1/4 cups
(10 fluid ounces) vegetable or chicken stock
salt and pepper
10 1/2 ounces spinach
leaves torn from a small bunch of mint
extra-virgin olive oil

For the labneh:
1 1/8 cups (9 fluid ounces Greek yogurt)
1 fat garlic clove, crushed
pinch of salt

For the tomatoes:
12 plum tomatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoon harissa
2 teaspoons soft dark-brown sugar

For the onions:
2 onions, very finely sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon soft brown sugar
juice of 1/2 small lemon

You have to start the labneh the day or night before. Just line a sieve with a bit of cheesecloth and set it over a small bowl. Put the yogurt into the cheesecloth and refrigerate the while thing. The yogurt will lose a bit of excess moisture over the next 24 hours, leaving you with a firmer mixture, a bit like cream cheese. Help it by giving it a squeeze once or twice. Tumble the yogurt into a bowl. Add the garlic, a little salt and mash it all together. Cover and put the labneh into the refrigerator until you need it. (Can be purchased at any good Middle Easter store.)

Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and put them in a small roasting pan or oven proof dish. Mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, harissa, some salt and pepper, and pour this over the tomatoes. Turn them over, making sure they get coated, ending with them cut-side up. Sprinkle the soft brown sugar over the top and put in an oven pre-heated to 350F degrees. Cook for 40-45 minutes (hs note: less time if you use smaller cherry tomatoes), until the tomatoes are shrunken and sweet. they can either be hot or at room temperature when you add them to the pilaf, so you could do this part in advance.

For the pilaf, saute the chopped onion in half the olive oil in a fairly heavy-bottomed saucepan. When the onion is soft and translucent add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. Tip the bulgar wheat (or alternately couscous - see headnote) into the pan (on top of the onions you just sauteed), pour in the stock, and season. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let the bulgar simmer in the stock for about 15 minutes. All the stock will have been absorbed by then. Cover the pot and let the bulgar sit to fluff up for another 10 minutes.

Take the stalks off the spinach and wash the leaves well. In a covered pot, cook the leaves in just the water that clings to them after washing. they will wilt in about 4 minutes. Squeeze out the excess moisture and chop the leaves very roughly. Saute the spinach for a few minutes in the remaining olive oil and season it well with salt and pepper. Stir this into the bulgar wheat.
Quickly cook the finely sliced onions in very hot olive oil - you want them golden brown with some crispy bits. For the last minute of cooking time, add the cinnamon and brown sugar. Stir this around and, once the sugar has melted and begun to slightly caramelize, add a good squeeze of lemon juice and some salt and pepper.

Layer the different components in a broad, shallow bowl: tip in the bulgar wheat, sprinkle on half the mint, then the tomatoes, then the rest of the mint. Break the labneh into lumps and scatter them over the tomatoes. Now strew the onions on top, drizzle with a slug of extra-virgin olive oil, and serve.

birds of a feather

image courtesy of daily mail

somewhat old news, but poignant nonetheless. this macaque (here 12 weeks old) is abandoned by its mother and finds companionship in a pigeon at a animal santuary in China in September 2007. a stellar example of boundless friendship.

pylones

images courtesy of pylones.com

love these whimsical gadgets by pylones. from graters to dustpans, each product is artfully designed in france with function and aesthetics in mind. find amusement in the most mundane of tasks and check out the entire line @ pylones.

sub-zero

image courtesy of cbc.com

given the arctic temperatures out there today (-21 with wind chill in t.o.) i thought this image would be apropos for today's post. to check out a clip of the adorable knut (the superstar bear born at the berlin zoo on december 5, 2006) click here.

new design

here is a design that we just completed for spring. we're working to play on the word apex. any feedback would be great!

envirosax

images courtesy of envirosax
i received one of these envirosax's as a gift over christmas and was duly impressed. each sac folds up into a teeny bundle (similar in size to a chocolate swiss roll) which can then easily fit into a purse and the like. say goodbye to forever forgetting your canvas tote when shopping, voila! - this roll is ready to expand into a substantial bag. with the colourful selection and light weight, there really is no excuse not to have a green moment. to purchase check out envirosax online. happy shopping.

crafts

image courtesy of whip up.net
i recieved a link this morning (thanks jo!) to a excellent blog, whip up that features handcrafted goodies. this month their focus in on crafts for kids. check it out here and get some inspiration!

dew

captured these images yesterday afternoon- tealight dew droplets.

book collection

anyone who knows me knows that i love books. this passion occurred at age 11 somewhere between judy blume's are you there god it's me margaret? and the sweet valley high series. i'm sure that i don't need to tell you how blissful a good read can be, but i thought it might be interesting to share a grain of my vast collection with the hopes of hearing about your favourites - enjoy!

moi

olivia came home yesterday with this picture crumpled in her book bag. the moi made it a keeper! have a fabulous weekend.

nicole katsuras

i recieved this hand painted christmas card from toronto artist nicole katsuras and couldn't believe my good fortune! not only do i have one of her gorgoeus pieces hanging on my wall (we purchased one of nicole's paintings this past fall) but i can now hang this beauty on my cork board - thanks nicole! check out her entire collection online or if you can, visit her studio.

hadley hutton

i purchased two of hadley hutton's prints for olivia over christmas and couldn't be happier. the colour is right up my alley (pink galore) as is the subject matter. hadley has both orignal art on wood or canvas and prints for sale. to order check out her etsy page or her website.

olivia's view

i thought that i would share some pics that olivia took while we were travelling in august. love the unadulterated perspective and haphazard variety.

etch-a-sketch

over the holidays we discovered buried in the pump room at the cottage, olivia's old etch-a-sketch. virtually on its last limbs, having suffered from broken stamping tools and imploded magnetic bits, this great toy relic proved its worth. the kids lost interest somewhere between hand faces and backward writing competitions, but the adults were kept entertained for hours!

tagged

happy new year!
after fighting flu and cold alike i'm back with as much achy vigour that i can muster. hope everyone had a fantastic holiday!

i was tagged today (see explanation below) by carolyn gavin of mirage paper co. what a great way to return to blogging!

here are the rules:
1. link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. share 7 random and/or weird things about yourself.
3. tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. i eat the EXACT same thing every morning - no exceptions (muesli, kamut cereal, banana and almond milk) horribly boring, but this is what it has come too.
2. i am always inspired by olivia's drawings - the colours, facial expressions, tone.
3. i love reading cookbooks, my current favourite is diana henry's crazy water, pickled lemons.
4. i am obsessed with hot pink. recently painted olivia's room eye-popping gypsy pink- gorgeous.
5. would love to go to spain.
6. cannot tolerate spicy food (and i married a jamaican-ironic).
7. love silk.

i am tagging:
nylon diner
the photographic eye
token gifts
daily dose of imagery
oh joy!
delicous days
boxcar kitchen