“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
— F. Scott Fitzgerald
Truly a great June. I haven’t eaten as many strawberries as I’d have hoped, so I need to make that happen. Other than that, I might actually be excited about summer? Here’s what went down last month:
The best tweets of the month can be seen over here.
I went to visit my parents to celebrate my dad’s 101st birthday (!), which was so great. Always love a spring visit.
Dad’s 101st birthday
Nathan mowing my parent’s backyard
Rome strugglin’
Ate an incredible conch salad from this Bahamian place Old Nassau in Toronto. My parents loved the conch fritters, too.
Went to Corleone’s in Mississauga for a quick lunch and got the junior meatball. Nothing spectacular but decent.
My oldest niece Tianna graduated from teacher’s college!! Beyond proud of this beauty.
My baby!
And speaking of Tianna, look at this gorgeous card she drew (below). How on earth did I not know she had this talent?? Really blows my mind (in a good way) when there are still new things to learn about the people who make up the fabric of your life.
Drawn by Tianna
Got dinner at Golden Diner and my god, those pancakes aren’t messing around. And that’s coming from a person who absolutely never orders/eats/likes/tolerates pancakes. They also had incredibly crispy home fries, and even the caesar salad was good if not a little too overdressed. Definitely skip the chicken katsu, though.
I watched the new Jiminy Glick clips and when he asked Nick Kroll where he was when “Queen Latifah’s show got cancelled” I fully lost it. So damn funny.
Found a lovely little bar inside Hotel Rivington with a $10 cocktail happy hour. Absolutely will return.
I promise to stop mentioning it soon (not yet), but I can’t describe how much I love the Scrubbing Bubbles Bleach Cleaner for bathrooms. It makes my life so much easier. (Don’t feel sadness for me for that last sentence, it truly brings me joy!)
I made this lemon cake and it sucked! Do you know how depressing it is to make a lackluster baked good? So unbelievably disappointing.
The best cubano sandwich ever is at La Cubana in Toronto. I’ll forever love that neighborhood (Roncesvalles).
My dear friend Richard made me (a Reno specialty?) spaghetti salad and fruit pizza and both were too good. Nobody cooks for their friends anymore! Can we please bring this back?!
Fruit pizza
Spaghetti salad
Me with Richard & Paul’s dog, Hatcher and their insane view
Visited Shukette again and it remains amazing. The only bad thing we ordered were the squash blossoms (they just weren’t crispy and the batter tasted old), but bury me in the toum (whipped garlic).
Whipped garlic (toum) at Shukette, NYC
Strawberry labneh at Shukette, NYC
Went to Ray’s Candy Store in the East Village and got an Obama coffee with vanilla ice cream. Fully recommend.
Inside Ray’s Candy Store, NYC
Got the tres leche ice cream at Bad Habit (which closes for good later this month) and it’s so smart that they sell freezer transport bags (why don’t all ice cream places do this?).
Tres leche at Bad Habit, NYC
Two things I can’t stop making:
Hummus Dip: To store-bought hummus, I add chopped red onion, cucumbers, feta and tomatoes. It’s unreal. It’d also be good as a spread on a sandwich.
Tuna Salad: To canned tuna, I mix in red onion, dijon, a small amount of mayo, grated garlic, sliced pickles, salt and pepper. Then I put it on top of a bun that’s been toasted with garlic butter and then broiled with cheddar on top. Phenomenal.
Some things I watched:
What Jennifer Did: Jesus! How did I not hear about this awful story?
I Saw The TV Glow: wow, did I hate it. Especially since the reviews made it seem incredible.
Meg 2: The Trench: couldn’t get through more than half an hour, just an abomination.
The Cannonball Run 1 & 2: I watched these movies over and over as a kid and I was feeling nostalgic this week so I put them on and OH MY GOD I finally figured out why I’m obsessed with finding the right zippered jumpsuit. (See the scene below.)
Some things I’m looking forward to this month: I can’t wait to finally go lane swimming I feel like I’ve been talking about this for months I’m so sorry if you’ve heard me say it a million times, the cheeseburger dumplings have returned to Mimi Cheng’s so that’s definitely on the list, I can’t wait to see my family a ton next week when I visit again, I’ll probably watch at least a few of these summer classics and these summer vacations movies, Nathan has some crazy big news later this month that I’m so proud of and I’d really love to finally get Baby Dog in a kiddie pool to see how she likes the water.
If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in May over here.
Sometimes you need a mini day trip to see a horse in New Jersey
Sometimes you need a mini day trip to see a horse in New Jersey
June was so packed with stuff, I can’t believe it’s actually over. Here’s what went down!
I started a new series of posts I’ll do for the whole summer - Summer Saturdays, which is just a summary of what I do each week. Volume 1 posted over here.
I bought this Aritzia 1/2 zip sweatshirt in both white and black and I’m really considering getting the pink one now, too. I might have a problem.
If you like dark chocolate, then you must make this dark chocolate cake. It’s the absolute best recipe I’ve ever tried. And with this chocolate icing? Unreal. It’s heavenly. (Pro tip: don’t refrigerate it, it tastes incredible at room temperature, even days later.)
Dad’s 100th birthday cake
I was about to talk about how great my dad’s 100th birthday went, but there are so many details that I’ll just do a post about it this week instead.
I will never get over how incredible the frozen yogurt at Freshii is. Nobody talks about this enough.
Freshii frozen yogurt might even be better than TCBY
Did you know about the secret, unadvertised Baskin Robbins deal? On the 31st of every month (on months that have 31 days), they offer 31% of all scoops and pints. Pass it on.
Always gonna be excited when Trader Joe’s drops a new candle scent.
Trader Joe’s salted caramel and pistachio scented candle
I tried some curried fried rice at a friend’s house recently and I can’t stop thinking about it, such a genius way to do fried rice.
I’ve been eyeing mattress toppers for a few months now (my mattress is old and springy), but they’re always too expensive. So instead I bought a thick comforter for about $20 and spread that underneath my fitted sheet and it is now the most comfortable bed in this country. It’s a strange feeling to have all the answers and still not be ruler of the world?
Officially into rhubarb now since I was introduced to this rhubarb syrup, which is a phenomenal mixer for anything alcoholic.
Lays, I love you. Never stop with your insane flavours.
Lays Italian Red Meat Flavor
I was in Canada for a bit and good god, it was a perfect spring visit.
Dinner in the sunroom during a blackout
Nephews & Baby Dog
These only bloom on my dad’s birthday
Fully recommend having friends who just GET IT
I went to Canada’s Wonderland with my nieces and there is nothing more satisfying than the end-of-day funnel cake you’re legally required to have before leaving. Also loved the new(ish) Yukon Striker.
I stopped by the new reincarnation of Zellers (it’s in a weird, small section at the back of The Bay) and the deals are wild. Go. If they bring back those Zellers diners with that gravy, they will be unstoppable.
I got a “root shadowing” done at Bloc + Mane in Etobicoke (by the lovely Amanda) and it was everything I needed. It’s a process that blends your hair colour if you’ve dyed it in the past year but you don’t want that aggressive grow-out line.
Since the new Indy was coming out, I rewatched Temple of Doom and wow is Kate Capshaw so unbelievably bad in it. Sure I’m no expert on great acting, but this is just torture to watch.
And Just Like That: I’ve said it before, but we’re in a hate/hate relationship. The dialogue is so horrid that it reinforces the idea that anyone can succeed in the entertainment business. Talent has zero to do with it.
The Bear (season two): absolutely LOVED it. Did they use an offensive amount of R.E.M. songs this season? Sure! But once you look past that, it’s a flawless season.
I bought these gorgeous olive coloured running shoes from Call It Spring that are beyond comfortable.
Men’s running shoes are eons prettier than women’s
Burger Au Poivre (everything should be au poivre, as far as I’m concerned)
Some things I’m looking forward to this month: are you aware that there’s a third My Big Fat Greek Wedding coming out?? And I can’t wait for some reason? Even I don’t really understand why, but I loved that first one so much when it came out. Other things: obviously excited for Barbie, my great friend Marla’s coming for a visit (!), I really want to find some good soft serve and I have a family trip to Scotland that I can’t wait for.
It's insane that June is over. It's even more insane that I'm keeping my promise and doing another one of my monthly wrap-up posts. So many things to talk about. Let's begin.
Do you remember how I said the HBO show Barry was good but not that good? Well, I finished the first season and the season finale made me realize that it's a good show. So there.
On the first of the month, I went to the Noguchi Museum in Queens for the first time. Tip: the admission is free if you go on the first of the month. And I actually liked it! Something really calming about the whole place.
At the Noguchi Museum
Nathan, Baby Dog and I went to Atlantic City for a few days since Nathan was doing shows at the Borgata. Great hotel. Even better pool. We saw a free screening of Ocean's Eight (MEH), walked along the boardwalk, and took BD to the beach for the first time. I know that maybe that doesn't sound like a big deal, but it was because she loved it. Also, my best friend Harmeet made this great collage.
I read an article awhile ago about how Chrissy Teigen uses Aquaphor on her elbows to keep them soft, so I tried it out and she's 1000% right. I used to use the Life brand Vitamin E cream found in most Shoppers Drug Marts, but Aquaphor is eons better (although it does get on everything when you use it and doesn't really absorb as good as other creams may). But still. I've only been using it for a few weeks and I'll never go back. Elbs are crazy soft right now.
I can't believe I haven't already told you how much I've been in love with Larabars lately. Actually, only one flavour 'cause the rest suuuuuuhuck. The Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip one is the only one worth a damn, and I only know this because I've tasted 90% of their flavours.
This insane basil vinaigrette is something that I've been putting on everything lately (spinach, chicken, carrots), I can't believe I'm only now learning of its existence.
Many people have hounded me to watch The Good Place, so I did, and okay - I get it. It's a good show. I watched the first season, but I didn't think it was anything crazy special at all. I mean, I'm happy for the people who love it, but maybe leave me alone, I think I'm good!
I finally tried hot pilates and it was... no different from regular pilates. Why do people try to make it sound so much more intimidating? Do people even do that or was I just building it up in my head? Either way, it's so doable for anyone so if you're in any way intrigued, then try it out.
While I was at my parent's house, my brother Gary introduced me to jackbox.tv - which is essentially a digital board game that you can play with people in the same room as long as you have a TV and everyone has their own phone. And the games are actually fun (like Drawful and Fibbage). They're also sort of perfect if you're looking for something to do with friends/family when you're having people over.
Tim Hortons now has poutine. HOW DID IT TAKE THIS LONG FOR THIS TO HAPPEN is the real question here. My verdict? They should call it a wedge poutine. I know, I'm being a pain, but I'm not wrong. Calling something a regular poutine is saying that regular French fries are being used in said poutine. So when wedge potatoes are used instead? You need to declare that shit. I'm being nit-picky here clearly because this is important. That being said, this wedge poutine was fantastic. Which shocks me. Tim Hortons has been putting out some shady products over the past few years, so for them to use real curds and a crazy decent gravy? Whoa.
Tim Hortons poutine
Won't You Be My Neighbor? came out and I saw it and cried right alongside every other person in that theatre. And here's the thing: I really think everyone should see this movie alone. I'm a big champion on people going to the movies alone, always have been. I just feel like you can really enjoy a movie without the element of having to deal with another person. Does that sound dumb? I feel like it's important to experience things like that alone since it allows your thoughts and reactions to be completely uninterrupted by someone else. Anyway, the movie was great, so many parts were perfect and I recommended absolutely everyone to see it.
I saw Hereditary twice, not because I'm some kind of maniac, but because I went the first time with some friends and then saw it again because Nathan hadn't seen it and that was our date night for the month. I thought it was a pretty good movie! I don't get why so many people hated it.
Baby Dog has had a pretty decent month in that she's gone to two dog cafes, Boris & Horton in the east village and Chateau Le Woof in Astoria. I think I preferred the one in the east village mostly because there are small laptop-friendly tables in the dog area, and the general setup was a little more welcoming to dogs and owners.
This white bean rosemary soup is the best soup I've had in ages. I ground up some dried rosemary instead of using fresh and it was still insanely good. Have to remember to keep this one in the recipe rotation.
Ate at Campagnolo in Toronto with some friends and everything was reeeeally good.
I feel like I've been in a fried chicken mood these past few months and I just ate a great fried chicken sandwich at The Penrose on the upper east side. Remember how I was complaining about how bad The Spotted Pig one was? Yeah, I was right. THIS is how it's supposed to taste.
I also stopped by Two Little Red Hens, which is a short stroll from The Penrose, since I've been hearing about that place for years. I sampled a few small things, but the standout winner? The cupcakes. And hear me right. I'm not a cupcake person. I make fun of cupcake people. I don't believe in buying cupcakes because they're so incredibly easy to make and they taste the exact same as ones you can buy at any overpriced "cupcake shop." But these were different. These were somehow both airy and luxurious. No idea how they did it. I only had the mini Boston cream pie cupcake, so maybe it's only that specific flavour that tasted like God himself came down and whipped that batter. I'll have to go back, try others, and then really let you know.
I finally ate at Bocca since I really wanted to see that parmesan wheel and it was good. Nothing crazy to write home about, but good!
I made my yearly visit to The Met, and let me tell you. Some changes have been made. First of all, they have "updated" their admission policy. It's only New York State residents now who are allowed to pay their "suggested admission" - everyone else, ie. tourists, must pay $25/per person. And while I could rant about this for days and how stupid it is, I will not. The Met can definitely fuck right off, though, for the record. The only good new thing that they've implemented is this.
I initially went to see this year's rooftop exhibit, but the rain forced me to change my plans and settle for the Heavenly Bodies exhibit indoors. Here are some highlights.
Hated how high up these were, I can't see details way up there!
Dior
In larger news, I've cancelled my Ipsy membership. There was one main reason and it’s best described by my friend Julia’s Instagram story that you can view over here.
Whoa! Look at all that stuff! Excited to see what July will bring...
(If you have any interest in last month’s roundup, it can be found here: May 2018.)
