Spring Sundays Vol. 9
Something about mid May feels great. No horrid heat yet, no jacket weather, everyone seems to be in a good mood - I’ll take it. I also love that it’s planting season. Not sure when I became this person, but here we are.
ADDICTED TO
The $2 coffee from Second Cup. Do not sleep on Second Cup.
BAKING
I made Ina Garten’s coconut cake for Mother’s Day and good god, that’s a good cake. I would absolutely make it again. Almond extract is so underused and I love it. But honestly the frosting especially stands on its own. I might make just the frosting next time and put it on banana bread.
Coconut cake
Frosting Recipe
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted (doesn’t matter if sifted or not)
6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut (optional)
Frosting Instructions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioner’s sugar and mix until just smooth (don’t whip!).
The next coconut cake I make (which will likely be in a year or so because I think I can only stand coconut once a year) will definitely be the Smith & Wollensky coconut layer cake. It’s on their dessert menu and it’s luxurious and perfect, but seems like a finicky recipe. Have to attempt it, though.
COOKING
Still making the blue sky bran muffins on a loop.
CRAVING
The sun. It’s finally warm today and I might just spend an hour on the lawn and read a book in warmth.
EATING
An incredible beetroot salad at Lobby in Hamilton.
Beetroot salad at Lobby in Hamilton, ON
EXPERIENCING
I know I won’t shut up about this tree, but look at it. She’s gorgeous.
Magnolia tree
HATING
Torrisi in the number three spot of the New York Times list of New York’s top 100 restaurants?! Get real. Overrated as hell.
LEARNING
I did that trick where you wrap fresh/warm cake layers in plastic wrap to lock in moisture before frosting a cake and I think it really worked! Love a new baking tip.
Wrapped cake layers in plastic wrap
LOVING
This article on Martin Short in the New York Times. Great idea from it:
“EVERY MONDAY, Short reflects on the week and gives himself grades in nine categories of life, including Career, Family, Friendship and Lifestyle. The fact that Discipline is one of the nine is telling. He’s done this for decades. Originally, it allowed him to feel good about himself during slow professional stretches. When his career wasn’t going well, he raised his score by working harder on something like Family. There’s clearly a best-selling self-help book here.”
And if you’re curious what all of the nine categories are, I looked it up.
Self: Your own personal physical health, mental well-being, and daily maintenance.
Immediate Family: The core of your daily life, including your spouse, partner, children, and pets.
Original Family: Your relationships with the people you grew up with, including parents and siblings.
Friends: The health, frequency, and attentiveness of your friendships.
Money: Financial security and stability, which provides peace of mind.
Career: How fulfilling and successful your daily work is.
Creativity: Your creative endeavors, outlets, and innate creativity outside of your primary work.
Discipline: The self-control and drive to sustain work toward your goals.
Lifestyle: Are you having fun, making a difference, and actively enjoying your day-to-day life?
God, I love this man. You should really read his memoir.
READING
I found an index of all of Ina Garten’s published recipes and I bookmarked all of the ones I want to try this year. I really can’t remember a time when I tried one of her recipes that fell flat, so that’s what started this journey. Some ones that especially stood out: Roast Chicken with Bread and Arugula Salad, Roasted Italian Meatballs, Maple Roasted Carrot Salad. Wait, maybe I just like roasted things. Also this potato basil puree looks nuts.
SHOPPING
This notepad was on sale at Indigo so I didn’t have a choice but to get it and it’s thick as hell, which is great. It’ll take me forever to go through it.
I also bought another bowl from Zara Home. No idea what I’ll use it for, but she’s gorgeous.
Rose bowl from Zara Home
WATCHING
We saw Hokum in theatres and wow. It’s almost refreshing to see such a laughably bad movie. Terrible writing, awful story, Zero respect for Adam Scott doing it.
Spring Sundays Vol. 8
This New Yorker cover (above) is too relevant for this week. I know that every single person in Toronto feels this way, but if the weather doesn’t change soon THAT’S IT. Not sure what “it” is, but I’m serious.
ADDICTED TO
Staring at the magnolia tree in the front yard.
Magnolia tree
BAKING
Granola scones. Love it when I can find something completely new to make.
COOKING
Tried this chicken marinade for grilled chicken on the BBQ because I don’t care if the temperature is 10 degrees, it is spring in my heart and I will grill.
CRAVING
My favourite panzanella salad. I can’t eat it when it’s this cold because it just feels wrong, but as soon as the weather turns this is getting eaten. The raw garlic in the dressing is so harsh and perfect. Whenever I make it for a party, 90% of people are alarmed at the taste and then slowly walk away from it but there’s always at least one person (other than me) that’s like, “Yep. This is the greatest thing I’ve ever eaten” and I will always make it because that person gets it. Live for your fans, not your critics. Is that a quote? It is now.
EATING
Okay, I thought I loved the lentils at Trader Joe’s but the $1.50 No Frills ones are spectacular. Oh, and the white bean dip from Burdock Brewery downtown was so good.
EXPERIENCING
You know when you part your hair in a new way and it gives you a headache? Lately every way I part my hair gives me that headache and I don’t know what to do about it. Can someone just tell me where my hair part is, please?
HATING
People are honking TOO MUCH. Have I already vented about this here? Someone should invent a device attached to your car that legally allows you a maximum of two honks PER DAY and then it no longer works for the rest of that day. Everyone is honk happy, I can’t stand it. This used to just be a problem I noticed in New York, but it’s rampant in Toronto now too. Even in the suburbs. And I’m sorry, but if you honk at someone and you’re within view of SQUARE ONE SHOPPING CENTER, you’re a loser, bud.
LEARNING
Did not realize that they (obviously) have some cherry blossoms in Kariya Park in Mississauga. They’re not as wonderful as say the ones at the Botanical Garden in New York, but I’ll take it. Especially since I don’t think I have the patience to make the journey to High Park to see those ones.
Kariya Park, Mississauga, ON
LOVING
The DQ cupcake. A perfect dessert.
Dairy Queen cupcake
SHOPPING
In my attempt to stop wearing leggings so much, I might get these trousers.
WATCHING
Nathan and I saw Deep Water in theatres and it really felt like a true 90s movie. Not as fun as an actual movie from the 90s, but the elements were there. Lord knows why Ben Kingsley and Aaron Eckhart wanted to be apart of it, but I guess times are tough for everyone?
WEARING
I made the decision to stop buying pre-ripped jeans last year because I really don’t care for how messy it looks. So say goodbye to my final pair.
R.I.P. ripped jeans
WRITING
April Favourites can be read over here.
P.S. Why do I feel bad about what I said about the Kariya Park blossoms? They’re perfectly beautiful and I shouldn’t compare trees, it feels wrong. Okay, I won’t do that again.
April Favourites
It’s annoying to talk about weather, but I can’t help myself and I’m not sorry. To put it plainly, these temperatures are bullshit. It has been cold, windy and wet for what feels like weeks. I’ve never been moodier. Someone said it’s perfect autumn weather and that’s too obnoxiously true. If something doesn’t change soon, well there’s nothing that can be done. So that’s fun.
Spring Sundays has been going strong.
The best tweets and threads of the month can be seen here.
Tried the lemon meringue pie M&Ms and they were weird and good, but taste nothing like an M&M.
Decided to never to to Tim Hortons again. The quality of everything at Second Cup is better and it’s fully Canadian, so the choice has been made. It’s fun to make declarative statements sometimes.
Loved Emily Lycopolus’s cookbook A Rising Tide: A Cookbook of Recipes and Stories from Canada’s Atlantic Coast. I’d never even heard of Jonah crab or hot milk cake, so I intend to eat/make them soon.
I can’t get over how well my basil plant is doing (this is growth from only three weeks).
Basil, week one
Basil, week four
I will always make these blueberry bran muffins because they’re perfect and I can never find a bran muffin anywhere. I store them in the fridge, then slice in half and heat up and if you’re feeling fancy then added some salted butter on top.
Blueberry bran muffin
Spring Sundays Vol. 7
The Best Tweets + Threads of April
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.