I’m not on TikTok but I do make appearances.
December Dalliances 2022
Christmas Eve view, December 2022
You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here. (I also made a list of my very favourite Christmas tweets.)
I recapped my autumn list of things to do and made a new seasonal list of things I’d like to do this winter.
I finally wrote about my trip to Las Vegas from back in September.
I went to the newly opened (and fantastic) Museum of Broadway.
I got a seasonal latte at Elevenses Cafe in Astoria and it was very cute, I’d go again.
I have fallen in love with The Body Shop’s new scent Wild Pine. I’m fearful that it may be a seasonal scent, so I’ve already stocked up.
I ate at Soothr and it was so, so good. Love a new thai place.
Paul at Soothr, NYC
Some things I watched this month:
The Santa Clauses (the new Tim Allen show): Ugh, it was terrible. Maybe I’m not the audience it’s supposed to be for, but still - just a stinkfest.
Jack Frost: I love Michael Keaton, but I just couldn’t get past the first half hour. It’s way too sad.
The Crown (seasons 3-5): Loved the season three Wales episode. The moon landing one was also perfect. It’s a great show, but extremely depressing if you’re binging it over a short period of time.
Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?: God, I hated it. Netflix has this annoying habit of making documentary series out of things that could easily be 40 minutes long and it is obnoxious as hell. You do not need to watch this. Read the Wikipedia page about it instead, you’ll save yourself so much wasted time.
I was looking up trivia for the movie Scrooged and learned that the childhood house in the movie is a real place in Queens! So obviously I walked over to see it in person. Insanity that it hasn’t changed after all of this time.
Frank Cross’ childhood home from Scrooged (1988) in Queens, New York
I won a lottery ticket to see A Christmas Carol on Broadway and… YIKES. I can’t describe how bad it was. First of all, IT WAS A ONE MAN SHOW. And I didn’t know that beforehand, so yes that’s my fault. But oh my god, it was agony.
A Christmas Carol on Broadway in New York, December 2022
Are we all aware of how garbage the brand Silani is? I tried it for the first time and lord was it bad. Never again. Spend the extra dollar and eat something edible.
I watched the final World Cup game with my parents and I’m glad France lost, give others a chance to win too, ya know?
World Cup final with my parents, December 2022
I will never be above latte art.
Latte art from San Remo’s in Etobicoke, Ontario
I went to Bell, Book & Candle for some Christmas themed drinks and it was great. Love a divey, but good bar.
With Irene at Bell, Book & Candle, NYC
Is it even Christmas if I don’t make Nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies? I also made a few batches of Alison Roman’s amazing chocolate chunk shortbread cookies that were a big hit.
The Nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies from Ambitious Kitchen
Obviously I went to my parent’s house for Christmas and it was exactly what I wanted & needed.
My nephews watching Jingle All The Way, December 2022
My mom’s Christmas window can’t be beat
Christmas Day, December 2022
Our Christmas tree
Snowfall before Christmas is everything to me
Went ice skating for the first time in twenty years and it was great. Think I’m gonna buy some skates and make this a yearly thing.
Ice skating at Celebration Square in Mississauga, Ontario
Jackbox and Nintendo Switch games remain the perfect family activity around the holidays.
The game Use Your Words on Nintendo Switch
The game Use Your Words on Nintendo Switch
My mom and I saw a wild fox in her backyard and it. was. incredible. It was just playing in the snow and I can’t believe we got to see him/her.
Winter skies might be the best skies.
December 2022
If only I could bottle this kind of blue and keep it in my pocket
I made the Christmas tree spinach and artichoke dip and it was a hit. It did not look pretty, but the flavours were great.
I also made a leftover turkey sandwich with STUFFING WAFFLES and it was so, so good. Again it photographed rough, but tasted incredible. I used this recipe to make the waffles. Definitely have to do this again.
The main reason to go to the Union Square Holiday Market? Duck confit poutine at Duck Season. It’s honestly a better poutine than some Canadian places.
Duck confit poutine at Duck Season in NYC
I fell absolutely in love with the newest Bob’s Burgers Christmas episode, The Plight Before Christmas.
Crate & Barrel continues to have the cutest fabric Christmas ornaments.
Harry Potter-looking cat ornament at Crate & Barrel
Fabric snowman ornament at Crate & Barrel
Trader Joe’s had Christmas wreaths this year, so I got one and it was perfect. It makes me feel so together to have a wreath on my door. I still have it up. I don’t want to say goodbye.
Christmas wreath from Trader Joe’s
I went to see Noah Baumbach talk about his new movie White Noise at a NYPL event and it was very all right. I wish he’d talked more about older movies of his that I’ve loved, but I guess it makes sense that he didn’t since he was promoting this one.
Noah Baumbach speaking at an NYPL event promoting White Noise, December 2022
The candy cane cold brew from Blank Street? Unparalleled.
One of my favourite things to do in December in New York is to walk around the city looking at the holiday lights and listen to that Darlene Love song on repeat.
The Rockefeller Christmas Tree, December 2022
Saks holiday lights, December 2022
Macy’s holiday decorations, December 2022
Holiday taxi display on Fifth Avenue, December 2022
I went to Essex Market to see their Gingerbread Village display, which was cute but I wish it was bigger. And since I was there, I took a look at the sandwich menu at Shopsin’s and holy christ I need to go back.
Gingerbread Village at Essex Market in NYC, December 2022
Nothing better than a Boxing Day puzzle.
Boxing Day, December 2022
Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: I’m going to get real dressed up and go see Moulin Rouge on Broadway with my friend Diana, I’m excited about seeing the Restaurant Week menus for this season, I’m going to start using this first-of-the-month checklist again, Classpass is doing a free monthly promotion right now so I’ll keep doing that until it starts charging again, and I really can’t wait to make this lasagna soup.
The Heathers 2022
If you have any interest in the other monthly roundups of 2022, they can be found here: November 2022, October 2022, September 2022, August 2022, July 2022, June 2022, May 2022, April 2022, March 2022, February 2022 & January 2022.
Baby Dog, December 2022
October Occurrences 2022
Ontario, Canada - October 2022
This might be the hardest week of the year because it’s officially the longest period of time until next Halloween. I tend to take a few days to decompress a bit, so by this coming weekend I’ll be fully ready for holiday-mode. That being said, October was such a great month that felt like almost a year long - in a good way. Here’s what went down.
You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here.
I think it’s clear that I watched every good 90s Halloween sitcom episode that I could find links for.
For Halloween, I dressed up as Tony Montana (Al Pacino) from Scarface and Baby Dog was, umm, my main accessory.
In love with this article, “The Secret To Marriage Is Never Getting Married.”
I’ve always wanted to make the Nestle Toll House chocolate chip oatmeal cookies recipe (on the back of the Toll House package) and they were really, really good. Might become a staple in my cookie repertoire.
I made these soft pumpkin cookies with salted maple icing again this year and they continue to be incredible - and that’s coming from someone who truly hates soft cookies.
I also made these garlic butter chicken meatballs with creamy orzo (in a slow cooker) and the meatballs were great, I’ll definitely make those again. But the orzo cooked in a crockpot? Hard pass. Pasta always tastes terrible from a crockpot, I knew this and still went ahead, so it’s my fault really.
I was in Canada for awhile, so I…
Went to the new(ish) Keg near Square One and it kind of sucked? What the hell? The meat was nowhere worth the price, which is weird because I remember that it used to be better. I’m trying to find my new Canyon Creek (since it closed) and it’s a hard task to undertake but I won’t give up.
I had the burger from Ozzy’s Burgers and the lamb was terrible, but the regular burgers were fantastic.
My niece Layla turned 17 (!) so thankfully we were able to get the Milk Bar birthday cake from the Toronto location. It’s such a shame that location is closing at the end of the year.
I also planted some bulbs in the garden with my mom, which makes me even more excited for spring to come next year to see if anything blooms.
I tried the new Lays flavour Fries & Gravy and good god I love this country.
I made the apple fritter cake (again) for (Canadian) (real) Thanksgiving and I. love. this. cake.
My dad put up his seasonal bird feeder and I think I’ve said this before, but the answer to life is getting a bird feeder and then sitting down to watch it. Nothing better.
Heaven on earth?
My dad & Baby Dog, October 2022
Mississauga, Ontario - October 2022
Fries & Gravy Lays
Oakville, Ontario - October 2022
I made my way to the Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard in North Salem, NY (with my friend Diana) where we had the best warm apple cider donuts and cider mimosas. Afterward we went for brunch at The Arch restaurant, which was beautiful & old, but nothing really spectacular food-wise.
Cider mimosa at Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard, North Salem, New York
Cider donuts at Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard, North Salem, New York
On Halloween, I took Baby Dog on our annual autumn visit to Central Park and it was bursting with beauty.
Central Park, October 2022
Central Park, October 2022
Central Park, October 2022
Baby Dog in Central Park, October 2022
Baby Dog in Central Park, October 2022
When it comes to all purpose cleaners, I’m in love with Mrs. Meyers. The snowdrop scent is my favourite one (which should be coming out again soon), but I just got the apple cider one and yikes. It’s perfect. Is it sad to have favourite seasonal all purpose cleaners? Absolutely. But here we are. Welcome to your late 30s.
Now if we’re talking seasonal coffee drinks? The Starbucks pumpkin cream cold brew (only 1/2 shot of syrup, extra foam) makes me a little sick by the end of the drink, but I still love it. And the vanilla cream cold brew at Tim Hortons is also really good. Oooo and the Tim Hortons hazelnut cold brew with espresso foam? Get out of here, so good. I think I just like foam.
Loving the new Charlie Brown stamps from the USPS. Wait, who is in charge of deciding the new stamps? Oh god, have I discovered the greatest job on earth? I THINK I HAVE??
So I got a new Apple charger from The Apple Store, the one that apparently charges faster. Aaaaaand my battery dies even quicker now! Sweet!
I was scrambling to find a dress for a wedding this month and Bloomingdale’s saved me. How do I always forget about that place? I love an old, good department store. Yes they can be overwhelming, but they’re practically deserted. I have to remember this for the future. Oh! And Macy’s too! Such great dresses for special occasions.
So Nathan and I went to Los Angeles for a wedding (the dress code was “outdo us”) and we stayed at Citizen M hotel in downtown LA. Let me just say that this is not the type of hotel for two people to share a room, that’s the nicest way I can put it. It’s definitely clean and relatively nice, but the rooms are laughably small. The wedding was fun and I loved walking around downtown LA mostly because of the incredibly well preserved buildings. Sure, the area is pretty dicey but it’s beautifully ancient. We walked to Santee Alley (where I got my new favourite feather clutch) and three days was the perfect amount of time to stay in that area. And the baja tacos from Tocaya were insanely good. Also the Wolfgang Puck Express stand at LAX had really good food to take on the plane.
Citizen M hotel room, this bed is literally the width of the room
Baja taco from Tocaya, Downtown LA
Ummm, is Nathan somehow cooler in LA??
Okay hold up, are we BOTH COOLER IN LA??
WE BAD
California blonde dreams coming true
The Los Angeles Theatre opened in 1931 - Downtown LA
The Eastern Columbia Building opened in 1930 - Downtown LA
The Orpheum Theatre opened in 1926 - Downtown LA
Speaking of airports, the restaurant The Hearth by Lynn Crawford at Pearson in Terminal 1 in Toronto is great! Get the meatballs. Love it when airport food is above average.
Of course I listened to the new Taylor Swift album Midnights and the best songs are Question…?, Sweet Nothing, Anti-Hero, Bejeweled, Maroon and You’re On Your Own, Kid.
Some things I watched this month:
Smile: such a fun time. Love a fun horror movie.
I rewatched the first two Friday The 13th movies with Layla (her first time seeing them) and I’d forgotten how good they were. They really hold up well over time.
Recent SNLs: Nothing super noteworthy in any of the episodes, I like the new guys. I was introduced to that great Megan Thee Stallion song Anxiety, which I can’t stop playing. The worst sketch I’ve seen in years was that Jack Harlow one with the joker. Just awful. Oh, and Colin Farrell looks alarmingly good.
Celebrity Jeopardy: I solely watched because I love Ike Barinholtz (and he was great). But look, I know that Celebrity Jeopardy is, like, the easiest Jeopardy to exist. I understand that. But I had no idea how incredibly dumb most celebrities are. I mean, I know they’re not exactly known for their IQ levels but this was actually just wild to watch. Every single person on each episode I saw was a complete moron (with the exception of Ike and Simu Liu).
Barbarian: so great, loved every bit of it. Bill Skarsgård remains as hot as always. (Sidenote: I was gushing about Skarsgård later to Nathan before bed and he scoffed and dismissed it so I asked him, “You probably don’t even have an answer, but who would you consider an attractive celebrity man?” and without even a second of hesitation he goes, “Pierce Brosnan in ‘97.” Hahahahahah, god I died. He’s not wrong.)
Some things I’m looking forward to this month: I’ve already put my order in for this year’s bayberry candles, I’m finally going to read Dave Grohl’s book, of course I’ll get the Thanksgiving croissant from Milk Bar, I’m definitely gonna go to the NY postcard show, and I’ve already got my ticket to see the Thierry Mugler exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum which opens on the 18th. Oh! And a gentle reminder if you’ve started Christmas shopping: get the damn gift receipt.
If you have any interest in reading what went on in September, come on over here.
Ray of sunshine on my ray of sunshine
August Actions 2021
Summer is almost officially over, so obviously the autumn planning has commenced! This will soon be me.
God, I can’t wait. Here’s what went down in August.
You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here.
I got artificial (not acrylic) nails again and I’m in loooooove. Powder dip is all I’m going to do from now on. If you’re in Mississauga, the absolutely best place to get them done is at Nails For You in Square One. SUCH a beautiful job.
Have you ever even heard of the Michael Keaton movie Pacific Heights? I hadn’t and it is so good. Love that man. Love that movie.
I made this corn dish (with mozzarella instead of halloumi) with tomatoes and basil as a side dish and it’s so summery and perfect.
I kind of love the idea of this fist-fighting festival. “Small rural communities high in the Andes, many of which do not have regular access to law enforcement to resolve disputes, settle their scores once a year in a public arena, with their fists. The ultimate aim is to begin the new year in peace. For this reason, every fight — whether it involves men, women or children — begins and ends with a hug.“
I made this sweet potato corn chowder and boy was it not good. Never again.
If you’re looking for some small Ontario towns to visit, I didn’t even know all the places on this list.
I tried Bellucci Pizza in Astoria (the Sicilian pepperoni, to be exact) and it was stellar. The texture of the bottom of the slice was unreal. Is it annoying to have another great pizza place? Never.
And while bad pizza is hard to find, I did try Champion Pizza and let’s just say that New York has waaaay better to offer. Steer clear.
Nathan and I saw the movie Old with some friends and it was such a party. You can only see this movie with people who won’t take it very seriously because it’s obviously terrible, but in such a fun way. Movie of the summer, as far as I’m concerned.
Incase you’re looking for some perfect background noise while you cook.
I know zero about wine (other than the fact that I loathe South African red wines), but I’ve discovered lately that I’m especially fond of Australian Chardonnays. Look at me!
A friend and I tried Society Cafe for Restaurant Week and it was wonderful, I’d definitely return.
I have been using this eyebrow serum Nulastin for a few months now and it’s working miracles on my face. I’m gonna do a full post on it this week so that you can see the before and after for yourself.
I returned to the bakery Mel and got the ham & cheese croissant and some cookies. I know it’s hard to come across a bakery that isn’t doing God’s work but this place is at the very top of my favourites list.
You know how when you’re making croutons and the recipe always tells you to use sourdough? MAN, is that bad advice. Or maybe not bad, but sub-par for sure. FOCACCIA! FOCACCIA CROUTONS! I promise you. So crispy on the outside, but little fucking pillows on the inside. Never going back to sourdough croutons. Pass it on.
I watched Desperate Housewives in its entirety for some reason?? Terrible show?? I always watch things I hate in August for some reason.
Speaking of bad television, I started watching the new Riverdale episodes and… oh no… it might actually, finally just be bad. Was it always? Have I grown? I don’t want answers to these questions?
I tried the Beyond chicken nuggets at A&W in Canada and whoa are they good. Must remember this.
I also tried the Swiss Chalet chicken sandwich and it was very all right. I felt like it was missing one element and I’m too dense to know what that could be.
There’s been a warning sign on my rooftop door since we moved in and it suddenly disappeared (why? I don’t ask questions), so I finally got to see our own rooftop view and it’s wild that it took me this long to go look.
I went to Carmenta’s in Brooklyn and had a great chicken parm & caesar salad. Love when boring food can be done well.
I’m using this Drunk Elephant set I just bought and yes they’re good products, but their packaging is complete shit. I can’t stand it when a decent company falls flat on its packaging. Too much or too little product comes out in these types of bottles and it’s infuriating every single time.
They were showing the French film La Piscine at the Film Forum, so I went to see it with Irene and god DAMN I love an old theatre. Such a nice summer night idea. Can’t stop listening to this song now.
We also had dinner that same night at Vic’s and it was only okay. Don’t think I’ll return, even if their garlic bread was pretty unique and good.
Tried the Double Double Coffee Crisp and for the life of me could not taste the difference between it and a regular Coffee Crisp, so that means? Both are perfect.
I made a Hazel McCallion (Hazel McCallion is a Canadian politician who was the mayor of Mississauga, Ontario, from 1978 until 2014) crop top because I’ll always love her and this shirt needed to exist.
I was on the latest episode of Positive Anger.
I made this peach panzanella with burrata and it was very, very good but when is a panzanella ever bad?
I also somehow forgot about my love for bruschetta, which is just wrong. Love it when dozens of little pieces of tomatoes go flying in every direction just so I can get one measly bite. It’s mayhem and pleasure all at once.
I made this cold vegetable noodle salad and cold noodles always comfort me in ways I never expect. Love this recipe. Even if you omit all the vegetables.
Since I haven’t been able to get a reservation at Carbone yet, should I just buy the damn sauce online or continue to wait it out?
The Nordstrom sale prompted me to get these fantastic tan sandals that I haven’t been able to stop wearing. So light and perfect.
Some great pieces I came across this past month:
How To Have a Happier Post-Pandemic Life (I know it’s not yet over, but still a great read)
I always loved the Rosie O’Donnell talk show and this Vulture piece about it just makes me miss it harder
I bought this teeny card holder from Target specifically so that I have a mini organizer for my cards in my smaller purses.
My niece Tianna and I finally found the cream donuts we’ve been searching for for years! They can be found at the Mississauga Central Lions Club farmer’s market on Sundays 8am - 4pm (runs weekly through late October 31, 2021 at 3 Robert Speck Parkway, in the parking lot). CASH ONLY!
Some things I’m looking forward to this month: I will try to finish off the final things from my summer list, I’m trying to decide if I want to go apple picking or if I just feel like I should, I’m also prepping everything I want to do for autumn, and I might go try this PSL dipped cone (below) because why the hell wouldn’t I?
If you have any interest in reading what went on in July, come on over here.
Levain Bakery in NYC
I've been hearing things about Levain Bakery for years now, so when I found myself on the Upper West Side the other day - I had to see what all the fuss was about.
And I get it. These cookies are three dimensional and crazy good. The kind of crazy good that takes you two days to eat to completion.
I got the chocolate-walnut one for myself and the dark chocolate peanut butter chip one for Nathan (which to be quite truthful, took three days to devour). The shop itself is small and vaguely reminded me of the interior of the soup nazi's shop on Seinfeld. There's always a line that goes out the door, but they move so swiftly that waiting in that line is hardly an issue.
Definitely try these cookies if you find yourself nearby!
“Bake a batch (or two) of Christmas cookies, wrap them up in a few different tins and keep them (wrapped) and in your refrigerator. So when someone surprisingly shows up with a gift for you, you have one in return for them. ”
Cracker Saver
For crackers or cookies! I don't know about you, but I feel an enormous amount of pressure when opening cracker/cookie bags to eat them all within the span of two or three days, in fear of them going stale. Am I alone here? Am I the maniac? Anyway, such a good idea.
Are you not as excited about this as I am? 'Cause that's a shame then.
You can buy them off Amazon for $12.50 for a set of two.
Nutella-Stuffed Brown Butter + Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies
Want to know what's up? These cookies. THESE CHRISTMAS COOKIES. What makes them Christmas cookies? The fact that THEY GETTIN' MADE ON CHRISTMAS. And also, they are gluttonous as hell.
I have never made cookies from scratch before and these were my first attempt. And they're sort of ridiculous-tasting, I think - ie. amazing. MAKETHEMNOW.
Recipe from Ambitious Kitchen here.