10 Years Young

My baby brother turns 10 tomorrow. Ten! We celebrated and I made this cake for him (he's into cars). Amateurish? Yes. A suitable birthday cake for a kid? Sure. Man, it was sweet though. A few went into sugar shock.

Wee baby knitting

No, not for me. I've knitted two of these wee baby hats so far for friends of ours and they're so damn cute! It's an umbilical cord hat because of the knot at the top. Hee!

Blech

I’ve just experienced a truly heinous muffin. I woke up hungry from my nap on the train this morning (I do not miss driving into work) and decided to pick up a Tim Horton’s Low-Fat Cranberry muffin along with my super-size steeped tea.

What a waste of 290 precious calories. Oily cotton candy is not my muffin flavour of choice.

The tea was drinkable though. And I enjoy the camaraderie of standing in line with other sleepy patrons as we shuffle forward to order the shot of caffeine that makes the morning easier to get through.

How to Please Me

Scallops & Marinated Lobster with Niagara Verjus and Passion Fruit Dressing
Truffle Ravioli with Globe Chokes, Rocket & Porcini Foam
Fireweed Honey Butter Tart with Mulled Dried-Fruit Compote & Ginger Ice Cream

And a glass of Biff’s Big Juicy Red

This was my dinner at Canoe on Friday for my birthday and It. Was. Fabulous.

The designated eater had:

Hearts of Romaine with Creamed Horseradish Dressing Tomato Preserves & Focaccia Crisp
Cumbrae Farms Angus Ribeye (Naturally Raised) with Northern Woods Mushrooms, Yukon Confit & Sherried Truffle

(we shared the honey butter tart).

I'm back!

Phew! There are always gaps in my postings, but this was getting ridiculous! As my friend Dave said, “you’re back from Europe, the CBC is on the air and it’s time to start blogging again.”

Our trip to Greece and London was great and I’ve got a bit of a travelling bug…I hope it’s catching. Next on the list is another jaunt to Europe. Prague and Vienna are compelling as are the twin cities of Buda and Pest (I think that's Buda on the left and Pest on the right but I'm not sure).

There’s also a cruise ship that travels through Northern Europe making stops in Berlin, Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki, Cohenhagen, St. Petersburg and a city in Estonia I’ve never heard of! If we can manage to get a group of friends to go with us, it’ll almost be too good to be true.

In the more near future though, the other half and I are trekking out to unknown parts of Etobicoke tomorrow evening to attend a lecture entitled “Tavern in the Town: A Look Back at Drinking in Toronto.” As a history buff, and a quaffer of beer, this seems an appropriate educational event to attend…especially given that the admission price includes a sampling of 19th century “bar snacks.” One can assume that “Chex Mix” won’t be offered, thank god.

Speaking of beer, a friend and I met for lunch this afternoon at an upscale joint where purportedly “80% of the menu features beer as an ingredient.” Yum! I had a Unibroue beer called “Blanche de Chambly,” a white beer that was really refreshing. I paired it with a beer-marinated mushroom and blue cheese pizza that was quite tasty.

I’ll report back on those bar snacks for you.