Fall Fridays Vol. 1
Welcome to Fall Fridays! After the mild success of my Summer Saturdays series (and by mild success I mean that it made me happy), I wanted to start the weekly roundups again. There are too many things that go on this season to wait until the end-of-month post. Here’s what went on this week!
BAKING/COOKING
Making these sweet & spicy chicken (sometimes turkey) meatballs on rotation.
CRAVING
I might bite the bullet and buy this spooky front door wreath. $10 for some autumnal joy? Completely justified.
DRINKING
I made this pumpkin spice coffee syrup for my iced coffees at home and it’s heavenly. (If that seems like a ton of sugar, just use less - it still tastes great.) And if you prefer a creamier texture, then just add a bit of milk/half and half to it.
Ingredients for pumpkin spice coffee syrup
EATING
Currently obsessed with sriracha, soy sauce and garlic-drenched rice noodles.
EXPERIENCING
I met R.L. Stine! He did a book signing at Barnes & Noble and it was the best. I grew up on Goosebumps, so this was a big deal. Man’s a living legend.
LISTENING
Currently updating and making the very best autumn playlist on Spotify.
LOVING
Global News in Canada interviewed my dad for celebrating his 100th birthday this year, which was very cool. Shoutout to my mom for keeping my glamour shot on the wall in the background when they taped it.
SHOPPING
Okay, so I may or may not have bought the Frosty Goes Ice Skating moving figurine for my Christmas village because it’ll be my first moving figurine and it’s important to find small pockets of happiness while we barrel towards death?
WATCHING
Nathan and I watched The Black Phone and WOOF. What a bad time. I like Ethan Hawke, but this was atrocious.
WEARING
One day I’ll stop wearing this Aritzia 1/2 zip sweatshirt daily, but I can’t give you any information on when that will be.
And I’ve created an autumn highlight reel on my Instagram incase you care!
20 New Halloween Items You Definitely Want
Halloween decor season is upon us! Maybe this is the year that I finally put up an autumn wreath. I’ve seen the Halloween trees that people have posted on Pinterest, but I don’t think I’m at that level of obsessiveness yet, give me a few more years.
Here are some great Halloween finds that I’m absolutely thinking about buying in the next month. (I bought the pumpkin mug a few years ago and it’s my favourite thing to use but ONLY in autumn - you have to have rules.)
Note: no these aren’t affiliate links in this post - Target rejected me for their affiliate program (rude much?), these are all just things I’d love to have.
Autumn List 2023
Is there anything greater than an autumn backyard? (Yes, a snow-covered one obviously, but let’s not be choosy)
Is there anything greater than an autumn backyard? (Yes, a snow-covered one obviously, but let’s not be choosy)
The first day of autumn! This is my Christmas morning. I wait all year for this season because it’s the beginning of everything pure: a cold breeze to wake you up in the morning, taking candlelit baths, maple and apple cider flavoured everything, 90s Halloween sitcom episodes and bite-sized candy. A perfect season. Here’s what I’d love to do this fall.
Make an apple flavoured dessert.
Taste a turnip.
Make a homemade pumpkin syrup for iced coffee.
Wear bolder lipsticks.
Watch at least ten horror movies I haven’t seen before.
I’m keeping the list brief because of the million other things I’m planning for the season. I’ll likely go to Downey’s Farm with the family. Costume planning is well underway. I’ll unpack and display all of our autumn/Halloween stuff later today. I have to make final decisions on what’s getting cooked this year for (Canadian/real) Thanksgiving in October. I’m definitely going to make these leftover stuffing muffins. I’ve already been to Salem and to Sleepy Hollow, so I don’t think there’s any seasonal traveling this year. Of course I’ll get Milk Bar’s Thanksgiving croissant IF it’s available in November (last year they stupidly didn’t do them). I will also find leaves and then proceed to look at them. And every year I make a leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich but with a different bread each time, so that will obviously happen again.
Leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich
Here are some of my past autumn lists incase you’re looking for more ideas of things you might want to do this season. (I really hope you make a list of your own. Yes you may be an adult, but you’re not above it like you think you are.)
I’m also doing an autumn 2023 highlight reel on Instagram that I’ll update each day of the season because I’m a lunatic who’s powers only grow stronger this time of year.
Summer List 2023 Revisited
I’m a little sad to see this summer end since this was probably the best one I’ve had in decades. We had my dad’s huge 100th birthday party, Marla came to visit me in New York, we went on a family trip to Scotland to see my brother Gary’s family, I had such a fun August with the kids in Canada and I finally got a contact lens that fit my left eye. This summer was huge. But how did I do with my summer list?
1. Bake some sort of tomato pie.
Did it! Should I get a medal for hand-making the dough? Yes, yes I should.
Tomato pie with heirloom tomatoes
2. Go jet skiing.
Not even kinda close to doing this one. Hopefully one day!
3. Eat at the new Superiority Burger.
Went! The veggie burger is as good as they claim, but the sides were only okay. I’d go again definitely for the burger and for the dessert.
The veggie burger at Superiority Burger, NYC
The peanut butter pie at Superiority Burger, NYC
4. Finally visit Smorgasburg.
Did not go! I went to countless other markets, but that absolutely does not count.
5. Swim at least five times.
Damnit I only went three times (so I’m taking a half point). I really wanted to get in some lane swimming, but there just wasn’t any time for it. That will be priority next summer.
So all in all, 2.5/5 - I’ll take it! For a season that I usually loathe, a passing grade is a win for me. Don’t judge my low expectations for myself, please. To see further proof that this summer was so great, I posted my favourite summer photos over here.
AUTUMN LIST COMING TOMORROW!
Favourite Summer Photos
And you can see my summer highlight reel on Instagram over here.
Dad's 100th Birthday Party
100!
100!
This is a few months late of a post, but my dad turned 100 (!) in June and we had a giant party for him, which was incredible. And in helping plan the party, I did what I normally do when I need ideas for something - I went to different bookstores to peruse ideas for things that would be helpful in planning such an event. But here’s the thing: there is no book on how to celebrate a 100th birthday. There are ideas for kids birthday parties, weddings, showers, retirements but absolutely nothing specifically for a 100th birthday celebration. So that being said, I wanted to do a post about some of the things that we came up since it was all so fun to plan.
Tip #1: do not try to fit three numbered, helium-filled balloons in the trunk of your car. They will not fit. I popped the “one” almost immediately and thankfully we were still in the parking lot of Party City so I could get a replacement.
Toronto Star front page from June 5, 1923
Since we were having the party at a hall, we decided to decorate the guest entrance area with posters on easels from my dad’s past, like the front page of the Toronto Star from the day he was born (thanks to my dear friend Adele for getting a copy for us). We also displayed photos of his Dale Carnegie classes and students, his RCAF officer photos and medals, as well as an enlarged poster print from a Campbell’s tomato soup ad that he posed for when he was a kid. He also received birthday letters from the mayor of Mississauga, the governor general of Canada, the prime minister of Canada and the king of England, which were all on display. (I have a theory that since King Charles’ coronation took place on May 6th and my dad’s birthday was June 5th, then this could easily be the king’s very first 100th birthday letter that he’s sent as King of England… which is wild.)
Card luggage box
Dad insisted on cards only (no gifts), so I used this vintage luggage I bought years ago from the Toronto Vintage Clothing Show. The two red birds are from Michael’s and the lettering design was (perfectly) done by my sister-in-law Amanda with dollar store sticker letters, construction paper and twine.
100th birthday matchbooks
I got party favour matchbooks made through Zazzle that turned out great.
Decade cookies
I don’t know what else to call these other than the decade cookies because each sugar cookie had a photo from each decade of his life. And they turned out so perfect, I’m grateful that Sweet Star Bakeshop took on the project and could create these for the day.
Mom & Dad
The balloon arch was put together by my sister-in-law Cindy, my brother Robbie, my niece Tianna and her boyfriend Liam and it looked spectacular, especially as a backdrop for photos. Cindy also had the genius idea to create two kids-only tables with colouring and craft supplies. Honestly every event with kids should do this.
The Heathers!
We bought flowers from the grocery store on the day of the event since that proved to be the cheapest/easiest route and we just brought vases from home for them. We got the “100” table decorations, the “100” banner and the guest book all from Amazon.
Birthday letter from King Charles
We had about 400 old photos shown on a slideshow that was displayed on a projection that played on a loop as well as a playlist of songs from the 40s-70s (no Beatles, he hates them). My brother Gary arranged to have some fado (a form of Portuguese singing) musicians play for a little bit since my Dad’s a big fan of it.
Dad & Mom with the cake
He insisted on using a sword to cut the cake (since that’s what the queen would’ve done) and somehow no one got hurt.
And finally we made gift bags that included some of the things that represent my dad: a bookmark (he loves to read), some UK chocolates (because of his English roots), an engraved 100th birthday pen, some wild flower seeds (ideally to be planted as a reminder of the party!) and a jar of homemade Stan jam (he loves strawberry jam) that my mom and I made.
Stan jam!
It couldn’t have gone better and everyone had such a great time. Truly a once in a lifetime kind of day. And just incase you’re interested at all, here’s some more about my dad.
Stanley Heather was born in 1923 in Toronto, Ontario. When he was 18 years old, he joined the RCAF in 1941 and fought in WWII (Ranks Held: AC2 - R118904, ACI, LAC, ACT. CORP SGT., FLIGHT SGT., PILOT OFFICER - J94389, FLYING OFFICER). Throughout his life, he’s had five children and countless grandchildren, he’s worked as an accountant with Hyland Motors and Chrysler, he was a sponsor of Dale Carnegie and taught the five Carnegie courses in the West Indies for fifteen years, he was the Chamber Of Commerce Manager in Brampton, the General Manager of The Mississauga City Board Of Trade and currently still co-owns and operates the daycare supplies company Heather Child Care Essentials in Mississauga with his wife of forty years (and my mom), Hassina. He continues to travel the world with Hassina.
Shukette in NYC
I’ve been wanting to try this restaurant Shukette since Pete Wells reviewed it in the Times two years ago and I’m so glad I finally got to go. A seasonal heirloom tomato salad special was the dish that finally pushed it to the top of my must-eat-here list and I have no regrets.
We ate the labneh (with apricot jam, fennel, serrano, chive), the gozleme (with mozzarella, fontina, summer herbs), the fluke crudo (with watermelon, lime, urfa chile, mint), obviously the heirloom tomato salad (with blistered corn, whipped garlic, basil, sesame, aleppo) and the spectacular tomato rice (with spring onions, basil, cumin). It was a phenomenal meal. I rarely devote whole posts to one restaurant, but I needed to document this one.
Labneh with apricot jam, fennel, serrano, chive
This might be the greatest bread dip I’ve ever had? It tasted like goat cheese’s hotter brother. Just silky as hell.
Gozleme with mozzarella, fontina, summer herbs
We were originally going to get the frena (a moroccan bread) instead of the gozleme to go with the labneh but a cheese bread is hard to pass up. The fact that there are five breads to choose from is genius.
Fluke crudo with watermelon, lime, urfa chile, mint
Never had fluke before and it was refreshing, light and perfect. Love a fancy little fish bite.
Heirloom tomato salad with blistered corn, whipped garlic, basil, sesame, aleppo
The bed of whipped garlic underneath the tomato salad was unholy. It’s apparently just raw garlic pulverized in a food processor with olive oil so that’s clearly on my weekend list of things I need to do. Excessive amounts of raw garlic solve every single problem you think you have.
Tomato rice with spring onions, basil, cumin
The tomato rice might sound boring but it was a revelation. So many restaurants mess up basic rice, but this one was flawless. I could eat an entire pot of it.
I can’t believe how incredible everything was. Next time I have to get the toum (which is a side order of the whipped fluffy garlic that came beneath the tomato salad) to accompany the frena. And definitely try more meat next time. Such a memorable meal.
Washroom sign at Shukette
Hand drawn washroom signs? What a perfect place. RUN HERE.
August Actions 2023
I may frame this
I may frame this
Summer is almost over and I think this is the first time in years that I’ve been a little sad to see it go. I was able to visit Scotland with my family, Marla came to see me in New York, I spent the majority of August in Ontario with friends and the kids, we played so much of Wii’s Warioware: Smooth Moves, I’m maintaining the tan of my dreams and I’ve never eaten so much fresh corn in my life. What kind of summer-loving fiend have I become?? In any case, here’s what went down in August.
Friend hang!
More friend hangs!
I finished my Summer Saturdays series that I loved doing. I’ll definitely do this again (maybe sooner than you think).
The best tweets of August can be found over here.
Loving the new Urban Outfitters Cherry ICEEEE nail polish.
The coolest job of life would be to come up with nail polish names
Obsessed with making this heirloom tomato toast as long as it’s in season.
Made these stuffed summer shells that I’d definitely make again. Summer pasta is underrated.
Summer stuffed shells
Went to a Blue Jays game with my brother Robbie and some of his kids and it was so great.
Skydome, August 2023
CN Tower, August 2023
I need to bite the bullet and just buy the Lemax pumpkin patch train, right?
Maple syrup greek yogurt? I never knew how much I needed you.
Also made cake pops for the first time with my niece Maya and they turned out perfect. Halloween cake pops up next.
At my parent’s house, I found myself constantly making pizza (with store-bought dough) and it’s so much better than I remember homemade pizza being. Maybe it’s because you need to heat the spread-out dough (on parchment, with olive oil rubbed on top) for ten minutes at 450 degrees and THEN put all the sauce/toppings/cheese on it and put it back in for another ten minutes at 500 degrees.
Sausage pizza >
If you’re anywhere near Woodstock, Ontario then you need to get these incredibly squeaky cheese curds.
Went to the Humber Bay Shores Farmers Market and got this great honey soda.
Incredible honey soda
Beach sit!
My greatest discovery this summer? Sponge toffee is ungodly perfect. NO ONE TOLD ME.
In my shopping cart:
Snow globe Christmas stamps from the USPS.
Warm Apple Pie candle at Bath & Body Works
Witches dancing in the moonlight from Lemax (okay, I legit might have a problem)
I’m in love with the Silk Creamy Maple Almond milk flavour for iced coffee.
My dad got a letter from King Charles for his 100th birthday, which is a big deal whether you care about the royals or not. And since his coronation was in the middle of May and my dad’s birthday was the first week of June, there’s a very good chance that this was the very first 100th birthday letter signed by THE KING OF ENGLAND, which is absolutely the neatest thing on the planet.
Dad’s 100th Birthday letter from King Charles
I went to the CNE with my mom and it was lovely. Tried the footlong freak fries that were texturally amazing. I was intrigued by the street corn soft serve but was unwilling to spend over $5 for it. And nobody should pay over $20 for a pina colada in a pineapple so we made them at home instead.
Freak fries at the CNE
Parents with pineapple pina colada
I tried the Benefit brow pencil (because I was temporarily out of the Colourpop one I love) and it was absolute trash. Returned it immediately.
Also flew in a Harvard airplane!
The coolest photo I’ll ever be in?
Some things I watched:
Barbie (for the second time): would honestly go a third time if anyone’s into it.
The Summer I Turned Pretty (season two): I think I loved this season even more than the first. I loved that almost every episode had some fun event that took over the entire episode (the carnival one, the house party one, the motel one, etc.).
Outer Banks (first two seasons): I can’t explain the grip this show has on me. The disgust-turned-to-love I have for JOHN B confuses even me.
Simply Irresistible: so laughably awful, I’m surprised Sarah Michelle Gellar got any work after this. The magical crab was the best character.
M3GAN: first of all, it’s not a horror movie so it’s weird it was sold that way. It’s really not good, but also very fun to watch with kids.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit: I forced the kids to watch this one because my brothers and I saw it about ten thousand times when we grew up. Heathers love this movie.
Junior: how did I never see this 90s classic? It should be law to watch one 90s movie each month. They’re so uncomplicated and good.
The last ten minutes of Beverly Hills Chihuahua: I came home to my niece Tianna watching this with my mom and Baby Dog and I saw literal minutes of it and cried. I can’t see pretend-dead-dogs even when they turn out to not be dead. I’M ONLY HUMAN. (The movie itself seemed actually adorable, maybe.)
And So It Goes (the Michael Douglas/Diane Keaton movie): ugh! So bad. When you get Rob Reiner to do a job meant for Nora Ephron - you get this piece of shit.
And Just Like That (season two): are there people out there who don’t see what a train wreck this show is? I want to talk to them. Also, Carrie is not a cat person. Whoever made that choice truly does not understand this character. Since when does Steve speak Italian? Charlotte was the real winner of the season.
Only Murders In The Building (season three): love how it’s starting out so far, but it’s not really as exciting as the previous seasons.
Summer Rental: truly the worst John Candy movie of all time.
Talk To Me: good/original, but too much gross-out horror for me.
Since it’s the first day of school today, I always think of what we should’ve been learning in school instead this time of year.
I got Baby Dog’s teeth cleaned for the first time in her life and it was a phenomenal experience. I was at Pet Valu and saw that they worked with an organization that cleans your dog’s teeth without putting them under anesthesia. The team at KissableK9 Care was beyond impressive and kind and the whole thing took thirty minutes. I have before and after photos that are pure insanity. I would post them here, but like… even a chihuahua likes her privacy sometimes. Cannot recommend KissableK9 enough!
Visited the Applewood outdoor pool in Mississauga a few times and I can’t wait to try their lane swimming next summer.
My babies! (Yes their boyfriends are my babies too I guess…?)
Some things I’m looking forward to this month: putting the final touches on my Halloween costume, creating an autumn list of things to do, taking Nathan to see The Shark Is Broken on Broadway and I really want to eat the tomato salad at Shukette.
The Harvard flight day
If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in July over here. And my summer highlights on Instagram can be seen here.
Romeo & Baby Dog being alarmingly cute
Heirloom Tomato Toast
If I die in the summer, please serve these at my wake
If I die in the summer, please serve these at my wake
If heirloom tomatoes were always in season, I would eat this every day for the rest of my life. Yes it looks boring, but you have to trust me. It’s as if you’re biting into summer and it is heavenly.
Ingredients
1 heirloom tomato (the ones only available August/September)
Mayo
1 garlic clove, whole
Cheddar cheese, slices
Flakey sea salt
Sourdough
Instructions
Toast a slice of sourdough bread, then rub both sides with the raw garlic.
Spread a thin layer of mayo onto the bread.
The sliced cheddar goes on top the mayo.
Slices of tomato go on top of the cheddar.
Sprinkle the sea salt on top of the tomato and be generous.
If you’re feeling fancy and you have any basil vinaigrette on hand, put a dollop on top of the tomatoes. And if you’re a little psychotic, then grate the rest of the already-half-used garlic on top of the tomatoes.
Absolutely the best thing to eat this time of year.