“If you’re baking a cake and you buy store bought icing, you can whip that icing in a mixer and get four times as much icing as there was initially in the container.”
Tim Hortons & Nutella
Tim Hortons has partnered with Nutella! The items in question? Chocolate-hazelnut doughnuts and Nutella pastry pockets. I tried the doughnut and truthfully? It's way too sweet. And coming from me, I think that really says something. And the Nutella isn't really displaced very well - there's just a blob of it in the center. What's with that?
The pastry pocket (shown above), though? Such a delight. The perfect amount of Nutella is in that baby. Definitely get that one the next time you're in the mood.
They're both available all summer until August 30th.
Love
When Internet Explorer asks to be your default browser.
Mom Says
“It’s bad luck to count the cars in a funeral cortege.”
Pearl River Mart in NYC
I've been going to this store since I first came to New York in 2005 and it's insane that it's closing. If I had to summarize what kind of store it is, I'd say it's basically a slightly-more-expensive dollar store with a heavy Asian flare and gorgeous dishware.
Pearl River's rent, currently hovering at just over $100,000 per month, will leap an astounding amount next year, to more than $500,000 per month. How is that possible? I don't know, New York is terrible sometimes?
Their lease expires later this year in December, so if you find yourself in Soho - you should definitely drop in here and take a look around. I've been getting greeting cards here for ten years, so I'm not really sure where my next go-to card spot will be now.
Apparently they have a pretty decent online store as well, so if you've never seen the store you can check out the kinds of things they have over here.
Such a damn shame that it's closing.
“The pact of timelessness between the two of us was ended, and I went from him into the darkening tunnel of the years.”
Chia Seed Pudding
I can't tell you how much I love eating this pudding for breakfast - and it's not even bad for you (as long as you go easy on the maple syrup)!
Ingredients
- 1 cup vanilla-flavoured unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt (or whatever yogurt tastes good to you)
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus 2 teaspoons for serving
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1 pint strawberries, hulled and chopped
- Raw pecan pieces
Directions
- In a medium bowl, gently whisk the almond milk, yogurt, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, the vanilla and a pinch of salt until just blended. Whisk in the chia seeds; let stand 30 minutes. Stir to distribute the seeds if they have settled. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, in a medium bowl, toss the berries with the remaining 2 teaspoons maple syrup. Mix in the pecan pieces.
- Spoon the pudding into bowls or glasses; mound the berry mixture on top and serve.
This recipe has been adapted slightly from Food Network.
Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler - A Review
Available on Amazon
Available on Amazon
Note: I've never seen Chelsea Handler's show (or stand up) before, so there's basically no bias whatsoever in this review.
With the exception of the chapter about her "mini me," I enjoyed this book! Some of my favourite parts ahead.
"I have a very hard time maintaining my composure when I see anyone cry. It only takes a few seconds for me to start crying, too." I think I liked this line so much because, personally, I love criers. To anyone over the age of 30 who's comfortable with crying - I'm a big fan of you. It's hard to say why, really. I guess it has to do with the fact that criers are so comfortable with it in a world where we're all told constantly to stop crying. Also, I'm a crier. So I have to like criers.
"Being in jail was similar to being in a hospital bed: You're fine until you see or speak to someone from your family, and then you completely lose your shit."
"This woman/killer was a testament to my theory that the crazier you are, the more calories you burn. That's why psychos are always so skinny."
Honestly, the whole chapter about her being in jail was my favourite part of the book. Partially because it's so interesting to hear about, but also because she describes it so vividly.
Also, remember how I have that new words document that I'm constantly adding to? Well, any time I read a new book, there are usually a ton of words I didn't know the meanings of. So if anyone cares, the words from this book that were added to my list of new words were: egalitarian, alacrity, unctuously and effusive. I usually don't include those in these books reviews, but I thought that I should start since you might not have known these words either. And if you already did? I guess we know who's better than whom. (And if I used that "whom" in the wrong context, you can go right to hell.)
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Fifteen - Taylor Swift
I took my niece Tianna to her first concert years ago and it was to see Taylor Swift. I'd never really heard any of her songs at that point, but this one was the main one she did that stood out that night. I know it's kind of lame for a definitely-not-fifteen-year-old to love this song, but I tried to fight it for years before giving in. It's so goddam catchy. And the line, "Back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday but I realized some bigger dreams of mine"?! C'mon, that's gold.
In any case, I know this song's old and everyone knows it already, but it's literally still on my iPod and I love it to pieces.
Lenny & Carl
I know I'll never get a tattoo, but can someone I love please just get this one so I can look it all the time in real life?
I've seen so many good Simpsons tattoos on people, but this one is definitely my favourite.
I've tried to find out who designed it so I can credit them here and bow down to them eternally for creating it, but I haven't had any luck. If I do find out, I'll be sure to update this.