Spring Sundays Vol. 6
I’m never prepared for how much rain there is in April. The grass is growing so tall, I’m itching to mow it but I have to wait for a few consecutive dry days. What have I become? And why do I love it?
ADDICTED TO
Checking out cookbooks from the library and then photocopying the recipes I want to try. I came across Jennifer Emilson’s The Lemon Apron Cookbook and it’s got so many great recipe ideas. Some of the ones I’m going to make in the imminent future: pappardelle with fennel and italian sausage bolognese with ricotta, a cider sage gravy, italian sausage sourdough stuffing muffins and autumn sangria. I’ll always love a cookbook that’s organized by the seasons.
BAKING
Marla made me the incredible pistachio thumbprint cookies that are heaven on earth.
Pistachio Thumbprint Cookie
CELEBRATING
Arbour Day was Friday, why don’t we care about this holiday anymore? Did we ever? Can’t say ‘cause I really can’t remember. There definitely was this one teacher in elementary school who stressed how important a day it was and it’s just stuck around in my brain since then. I think because it’s so close to Earth Day - that must be why it gets no respect. Instead of planting a tree (which yes is a lot of work), I opted to mail plantable cards this year. Might make that the tradition. Need to bring back some respect for Arbour Day.
COOKING
Beef short ribs in a loaf pan for two? Nothing better.
CRAVING
A Dairy Queen cupcake. I found a location that does them, so it’s happening this week. I also really want to try the new menu at Spirit Tree Estate Cidery soon.
EATING
The at-home version of Earl’s hunan kung pao chicken with egg noodles (from their cookbook). It’s ridiculously easy to make.
EXPERIENCING
Sleeplessness. I refuse to use melatonin because it makes my dreams nightmares. I think I need to stop looking at my phone from maybe like 8pm onward, that might help?
HATING
The new Winners at Square One. First of all, the entrance makes no sense. The glass windows show you inside the store, but you have to walk all the way around to Uniqlo to enter. And once you’re inside, it’s wall-to-wall people. Sure, it just opened but it’s such a bad set up. Will never set foot in there again.
LOVING
Zara made a summer version of my wedding clutch and I love it.
Zara summer clutch
MAKING
My own return address labels (finally!), which is kind of really big news. For years I’ve been ordering seasonal labels from Zazzle, but when I saw recently that one sheet of 12 labels now costs $15 (American!) I had to find another way. So I bought a pack of 600 labels from Avery for $30 and I will now print my own. I don’t know if you realize how huge this is. I. Can. Make. My. Own. Seasonal. Labels. OF ANYTHING I WANT. Trademarked things, personal photos or things that I create completely on Canva. Life might begin… now?
SHOPPING
I bought this clover glass bowl from Zara Home, which is perfect for spring/summer hosting. Do not sleep on Zara Home.
WATCHING
I’ve been watching so much baseball because there’s cable at my parent’s house and it might be too much baseball because it’s infiltrating my dreams almost every night. The other night I had a dream where Springer was explaining to the media (haha the media, not even me) that he’s listed his Toronto house for sale because he just wants a bigger house and nothing more. I woke up and felt relieved?? I don’t know what to do. Don’t say stop watching baseball. Clearly not the answer.
WEARING
New purse alert. This Zara bucket bag. It’s so bland, but perfect. I know we’re supposed to hate Zara (and I do in theory), but I’m a weak person when I want something new.
Spring Sundays Vol. 5
Was I always into lighthouses? I’m trying to trace it back to where it started and I can’t pinpoint when it happened but I really can’t get enough of them.
ADDICTED TO
Reporting potholes. I’ve done it twice so far and they fix them immediately. The satisfaction of this makes me feel… powerful. It might be a problem.
BAKING
I made this incredible carrot cake coffee cake that will forever be in my spring rotation now. I thought it would feel wrong to do carrot cake without the cream cheese, but the honey butter was perfect.
CRAVING
A meatball sub. But I really want someone to make it for me.
EATING
I wrote that above sentence and then went to get a meatball plate from Cosimo’s on Dundas. Great place, lovely owners, meatballs were great. A true mom and pop shop.
EXPERIENCING
We’ve been having small seasonal parties at our house and there’s only been two so far, but I think this might be the answer to life. I already love the seasons. I love cooking seasonal food. I love people in our home. It took me 40 years to figure this out, but I can’t express how fun each one is to even plan. I have a document that lists everything that I made (and notes on what worked and didn’t work) and ideas for the next one. It’s also one endless long feeling of looking forward to something, I love it. The goal of each one is to basically have the vibe of this (below).
HATING
No one is more anti-GLP-1 than I am and I’m not sorry. So it was really disappointing to hear that Katie Lee Biegel is publicly endorsing it. And as I was digesting this new information, I then saw that she had Tieghan Gerard on her podcast this week!? Absolutely not. Unsubscribing from all her stuff. I don’t have time for this shit.
LEARNING
I saw a segment on making your own basil oil and I’m doing it today. I bought a basil plant from the grocery store a few weeks ago and somehow I’ve managed to keep her alive. I saw a video about how to keep a grocery store basil plant thriving and it’s done wonders, I can’t wait to plant her in the garden next month.
LOVING
SHOPPING
I bought this perfect copper-toned mug for iced coffee from Simons. I absolutely don’t need another mug, but my new system of buy-a-mug-throw-out-a-mug is in full swing, so I’m covered.
WATCHING
There are coyotes that roam my parent’s neighborhood and I saw one in the backyard again. I promise that I will not approach or feed or try to be friends with them, but just look at his/her face. How could you not want to be friends with this guy??
WEARING
A henley shirt that’s $10 on sale? You know I had to.
WRITING
This week’s Google searches included:
And finally, god do I miss this girl. She really loved spring.
Spring Sundays Vol. 4
Okay, I’m ready for normal spring weather. We’ve earned it. Enough already.
BAKING
I need to put these bran muffins back in rotation. And I need to add golden raisins to them. You can’t stop me.
COOKING
Nothing worse than when a recipe falls flat. I made this white bean, tomato & sausage pasta that I saw on The Kitchen and it was the blandest pasta I think I’ve ever made. It was dry and flavourless. It takes real effort to make a pasta bad, so that was fun.
CRAVING
A lighthouse bird feeder would fix me.
EATING
I tried the burger at Rosie’s (on a bed of lettuce instead of the bun) and it was fine. Don’t see the hype.
The Best of March
Why don’t they make sky bridges anymore? Nothing better.
I compiled the best tweet tweets/threads of the month over here.
I finished up Winter Wednesdays and started Spring Sundays.
I heard a tip for making extra crispy wings: sprinkle them with baking soda and then dry them out in the fridge before air frying. Well, I went a bit overboard and added too much and they tasted like metal. Probably the grossest thing I’ve ever made. It was honestly a little alarming that Nathan still ate them all? Sometimes I think I’m a great cook because of how much he likes my food, but then something like this happens and I think… oh no.
I had a happy hour drink at Castell Terrace in midtown (remember when a $12 drink was the not-happy-hour price?) and the service was better than the ambiance, but I’d go again if I found myself desperate in Times Square.
Another new midtown find: Dutch Fred’s. Uncomplicated and not expensive.
Loving my new spring seasonal plates (as shown below by Irene).
I went to Malaparte in the West Village and I think I’m done with village restaurants at 7:30pm. The noise level in here was ridiculous. The food was fine, but my head throbbed from how loud the space was. Never again. I really can’t tell if this is just a “welcome to your 40s” situation (it is) though because I looked around and every 20-something year old looked like they were also in hell.
The chicken salad cup from Daily Provisions is a perfect small lunch, how am I only learning this now.
I took Nathan to Kim’s Video because everyone who loved video stores should go and it made me realize how much I miss browsing for movies.
Nathan and I saw Dog Day Afternoon with Jon Bernthal on its first night of previews and it was fantastic. Nothing that man can’t do.
So you know how I like to peruse the cookbooks at Barnes and Noble for recipes (sometimes I buy, I swear), well the cookbook for Levain Bakery is sealed up in plastic. So of course that filled me with a special kind of rage to now stay away from the company.
I went on a tour of the Woolworth Building and it was everything that I wanted it to be and more. Had no idea that it was Woolworth who basically invented the whole "five and dime” concept for a store.
Spring Sundays Vol. 3
The Best Tweets of March
Spring Sundays Vol. 2
Spring Sundays Vol. 1
Winter Wednesdays Vol. 13
Welcome to the last of Winter Wednesdays! How the hell did it take so long to get here. I feel like you can see how cold that water is above.
BAKING
Made the Magnolia banana pudding for the millionth time. Stellar as always. It’s such an incredible (and easy) dessert to any gathering.
COOKING
I also made a sausage and mushroom strata, but with chicken breakfast sausage this time and it still tasted as good as it did with pork sausage.
CRAVING
I need to make this spring panzanella salad with crispy shallots immediately.
DRINKING
Attempting to make lavender vanilla iced lattes this week to usher in the springtime.
EATING
I’ve eaten so much cottage cheese lately (the good Trader Joe’s one) that when I had a bite this morning I audibly went, “Okay, it’s too much” so I think I need to take a break.
EXPERIENCING
On a weekend trip away, we stopped at the Friday the 13th diner again. Our fourth time. We might have a problem.
