Favourite Things

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie!

Oh hot damn, this is my jam. It’s got me partying til the A.M. Y’all don’t understand! It’ll make you throw your hands in the ayer, ay-ay-ay-ayer.

You know what’s awesome? What’s awesome is when you walk into the grocery store and are literally barraged by the scent of fresh, local, intoxicating produce. Like, for example, these beautiful Quebec strawberries: they were begging me to take them home. And although they weren’t big fat GMOs with all that swagger, they were cute, humble, far-more-flavourful nuggets of juice that took my breath away. I lopped off the tops and have been using them to trap my fruit flies ever since. Amen.

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Summer Bucket List

A couple weeks ago, I wrote down some of my thoughts on summer – some of the things I hope to experience before a chill sets into the air again and I’m back off to school. Today, I want to solidify my summer bucket list to ensure that despite my full-time job, I still live my summer to the fullest! Life’s good in the summer, and I don’t want to miss a thing. Here’s my summer to-do list!

  1. Have a picnic
  2. Go to the closest amusement park – July 20
  3. Spend a day at the beach
  4. Buy fresh produce at the local farmer’s market – July 4
  5. Take a hot yoga class – June 17
  6. Go for a motorcycle ride – June 29
  7. Attend a music festival – Montreal International Jazz Festival: June 25-July 4 (attended ~5 performances)
  8. Participate in Camp NaNoWriMo
  9. Throw a BBQ
  10. Practice my Spanish on BBC Languages
  11. Cook fresh lobster – July 10
  12. Take a cooking or a dancing class

Ooh I’m getting excited just writing it all down. So far this summer, I’ve already had so many amazing experiences: drinks at a live jazz club, long talks in an abandoned gazebo, reading on park benches, being showered by love by an outdoor tabby cat, poker nights with doors and windows wide open, fresh pie at midnight on an outdoor patio.. it’s been absolutely wonderful. I’ve been working hard, making friends, practicing my French (I speak exclusively French at work!) and enjoying the beautiful weather. I can’t wait to get the keys to my adorable new apartment and start making myself a home. So many exciting things to look forward to!

Tell me, what’s on your summer bucket list? Have you already had some amazing summer experiences? Let me know!

Mushroom Bruschetta

Fresh, light, delectable, summery.

As you probably know, I love bruschetta of all kinds. Although bruschetta is traditionally just toasted bread with fresh garlic rubbed over the top, I much prefer fresh tomatoes mixed with anything on hand (see here and here) and a generous helping of the bright flavours of balsamic vinegar and goat cheese.

The other day, I was in the mood for a decadent lunch that included some of my favourite tastes – fresh, crusty baguette, creamy goat cheese and tangy balsamic vinegar. This is the simplest of meals that could also double as an hors d’oeuvre at a party (just use smaller baguette rounds), paired with some champagne?

It’s incredibly easy, and so tasty!

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My Burning House

  • My Grandfather’s old French map of the Great Lakes
  • Handmade art from Kenya, given to me by a great friend
  • My favourite scarf, from a trip to Paris
  • A teddy bear made from a Hudson Bay Company seal coat that has been in my family since 1890
  • My childhood stuffed elephant
  • My MacBook, because it contains all my pictures, writing, memories
  • Three spiral-bound journals, my daily diaries starting the first day of my freshman year
  • Vintage French cake stand given to me by two of my best friends and my boyfriend, for my 20th birthday
  • A wooden jewelry box, made by my other Grandfather, and the pearls my Dad gave me for high school graduation (inside the box)
  • My passport
  • My scrapbook
  • My Swiss Army knife, given to me by my Dad for my 16th birthday
  • A bag from my mother’s trip to China
  • (My camera, used to take the picture!)

I was reading Yes and Yes this morning, and I stumbled across a brilliant website called The Burning House. It’s the answer to the question: What would you save from your burning house?; and it’s brilliant. Go have a gander, because everyone featured rescues very different, very personal things from the hypothetical fire, and it’s absolutely fascinating.

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