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. 7
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. 3
Spring Sundays Vol. 2
Spring Sundays Vol. 1
Fall Fridays Vol. 4
BAKING/COOKING
I made this sweet potato kale salad with hot ginger dressing and it was great. I added feta and I’d definitely make it again. Perfect autumn meal.
CRAVING
If I don’t buy these new STAMPS OF DELIVERING STAMPS soon I might explode.
DRINKING
I had a chai latte for the first time and it was so good. I never, ever drink chai tea so I thought for sure that I’d hate it but here we are. I don’t know when I adopted this ideology that I think I know everything, but I absolutely do not. What a miserable trait, I really hope it leaves me entirely someday.
EATING
Forever love a Hillstone salad. That almost-shaved grilled chicken they add to their caesars? Ungodly.
Hillsone caesar salad
EXPERIENCING
I made a batch of pumpkin coffee syrup and I think one of the best feelings in the world is sitting on my couch on a Sunday morning, drinking an iced pumpkin coffee in front of my Halloween village. I DON’T ASK FOR MUCH.
This Halloween village + me against the world
LISTENING
Officially a week until the 31st, so my Halloween playlist has started playing.
LOVING
All things baseball. The great tweets. The Tim Hortons Blue Jays cups!!
Tim Hortons Blue Jays cup, 2025
SHOPPING
I just bought these brass spiderweb coasters because 1) they look like they’ll last years, 2) I deserve to have nice things and 3) the world is burning but I still don’t want cup rings on my coffee table.
WATCHING
Old CSI episodes. It’s been so long since I’ve seen this show that I don’t remember any of the plot lines, so it’s like watching it for the first time again. Love Grissom.
WEARING
My new ivory Blue Jays crew sweater from Peace Collective. Deeply considering these shorts, too (below).
Peace Collective Blue Jays shorts
You can read Fall Fridays Volume 3 over here, I’m doing an autumn highlights reel on Instagram and you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.
Summer Saturdays Vol. 13
The final Summer Saturdays of 2025! I know there are technically still three weeks of summer left, but with children going to school and the temperature already dropping - it feels like we should all move on from the season.
BAKING
I reached out to Spirit Tree Estate Cidery to see if they’ll give me the recipe for their carrot cake muffins because I will dream about how good those muffins were for the rest of my life.
COOKING
I bought a fresh seafood mix from the Halifax airport to make a chowder for my parents and thank god I used this recipe because it was heavenly.
CRAVING
DRINKING
About to make a batch of this September sangria that sounds wild. Didn’t know blackberry brandy was even a thing.
EATING
I had an incredible panzanella salad (with fior di latte, heirloom tomatoes, marinated red onions, garlic toasted croutons, avocado, basil pesto with an aged balsamic vinaigrette) from The Bicycle Thief in Halifax. Also, the Digby scallops from Finer Diner were a dream.
Panzanella from The Bicycle Thief in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Digby scallops from Finer Diner near Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia
EXPERIENCING
Peggy’s Cove! Absolutely beautiful, I’ve never seen a lighthouse I didn’t love.
Peggy’s Cove
LISTENING
The song My Kink is Karma on repeat. (Am I three years late to this song? That’s none of your business?)
LOVING
The basil soft serve from Dairy Bar in Halifax. UNREAL.
SHOPPING
An ungodly amount of corn from Allison’s Farm Market. I am definitely a corn snob (go bi-colour or go home), but this stuff is eons better than anything you’re getting at a grocery store.
WATCHING
We went to the Halifax Museum of Natural History to witness their 103 year old tortoise named Gus eat a snack. Seriously, he does this at 3pm each day. He eats or takes a walk, whatever he feels like doing. I am not being sarcastic when I say that this was absolutely wonderful to see. Gus for life.
Gus!
WEARING
Sweatshirts in the summer. I never used to do this, but the air-conditioning in every single store is outrageous this year.
And that’s that! You’re sweet to read any of these little summer updates. I love doing them. Depending on how busy the fall gets, Fall Fridays might make a return…
You can find last week’s Summer Saturdays Vol. 12 over here and you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.