Mid-Christmas Thoughts

-Animals singing "Jingle Bells", and "Deck the Halls". Corny? Maybe, but ever so enjoyable to watch.

-It's going to be a quiet Christmas this year. I'm looking forward to this.

-Hope everyone liked my gifts.

-Red velvet cheese cake. Yum.

-Turkey!

-Still remembering my best present ever from Santa. Also seen in last year's post.

-Some tea would be nice right now.

-I need more moisturizer for my hands; the weather is making them pitifully dry.

-I was gearing up for the Doctor Who Christmas special tonight, only to find out it is on Sunday night. Alas. I envy those of you in the UK.

-Easy A is a funny movie.

-What am I going to do with my life?

-Blah blah blah.

-Thought I'd get through painting my nails perfectly. But no.

-Hello curly hair. It's been a while.

-Haven't seen A Christmas Story yet this year on tv. What is this??? "A center for ants??!"

-Mr. Bean.

-If I could be a part of The Nutcracker ballet, I think I would be a snowflake. Even if I can't really choose myself

-After today, no more Christmas songs on the radio. Sadness.

-How truly lucky I am to be where I am today! Really, though, I feel pretty thankful for all I have and the peeps that surround me.

-Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around. Love Actually

Have a wonderful Christmas!

The weeks leading up to Christmas

Ahh, I've been home for about a week now. Taking it easy at long last. But after finishing a busy term of school, do any of you get that feeling that you should be doing something?? That's how I've been feeling, but that is finally starting to wear off. Now, here are some pics I've taken over the past month or so, having finally taken out my camera!

My housemates were very festive, starting in mid-November. We made ourselves a little Disney gingerbread house--thus the purple icing, which coloured our fingers and tongues red, and was probably toxic. And amazingly, we ate it all within a week.

Looking even worse from the back.

We even set up our own little Christmas tree!

But now, back at home I am... Yay!

Just fooling around with focus...

We had a family Christmas party on Saturday, and this cake (amongst other goodies) was what we had for dessert.

So much dessert!

On one random note, I finally saw Inception! Great movie, and currently I'm obsessing over the soundtrack, particularly this. 2 minutes and 24 seconds of epicness right there.

Now all that's left for me at the end of this week is to wrap some presents. Not the greatest perhaps, but I'm getting better at it, haha.

And to conclude...

Squirrel, trying to take on the bird feeder in the front of our house. Suitable enough for Daily Squirrel?

How to be Alone

Image from here, via we heart it.

I love this vid! One of my new favourites, and it just may become one of yours too.

The Ultimate Ginger Cookeh

I rarely have ginger cookies. But I love them. And it's even more of a rarity when I have them home made. Well, seeing as it is December, and seeing as I was swamped with school stuff, and seeing as I was craving ginger cookies, I took the opportunity to try out a recipe. And you know what? They were fantastic, and pretty much how I always have remembered them to be--sweet, spicy/gingery goodness, and definitely not those generic bland things you get in the grocery store. Nuh-uh. This recipe is one I would definitely go back to in the future, although with a few minor changes I'd like to see if they would make a difference: one would be adding both orange and lemon zest, and adding lemon juice instead of orange.

Ginger Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Ps: I'm home, finally! After three solid months of work+ study, I can breathe easy, and read nothing school related. Ahhh. Will be back (soon!) with more updates!

Prodigal Blogger returns

Image from here, via we heart it

Hello all. It's been awhile. All of two weeks, actually. Apologies for going all cold turkey, it's been a crazy month (as some of you can probably relate to), with lots of stress, sweat and tears... No, really. (At least there wasn't any blood.)

Anyway, for a while I've also been having my doubts about this blog, thinking maybe it's not the best time for me to be keeping this up. That or, I don't really know where I'm going with it. I've always been a wishy-washy person, so my mind swings back and forth as to what I want to do, frequently. This blog sums up the way my mind works. I'll probably keep this baby going for a while longer, see where it takes me--or rather, I take it. And then maybe in the next while, start afresh with another something--possibly on something new, and from an entirely different angle! (Whooaa) But who knows. Have said all this, shall I tally up the previous month for me in a list? ok!

-Essays

-3000+word essay (finished today!)

-Seminar presentations

-Christmas extravaganzas with the housemates

-baking (lots)

-cookies (lots)

-HP & the Deathly Hallows (pretty good!)

-onion soup

-Anything carbs

-Rain (constantly)

-Lack of sleep

-Liberte yogurt--my first buy was cherry and I practically passed out from its amazing-ness

-ice cream sandwiches.

-Frequent Jezebel visits.

-Sporcle (especially on lunchbreaks)

-And possibly the odd Starbucks holiday drink. Image from here

As you can see, most of it is food related, but that's exactly how we have to get by in this stressful work overload period. My housemates and I like our food. This week: three exams to go, and home again in a week. Whooo.

Halloween Weekend, and a new cookie

Alas, apologies! School has kept me busy this week (and the foreboding signs of an oncoming cold), so I was unable to get to quicker posting. It continues to keep me busy this weekend, but the good news is that the cold is gone! Really, it wasn't much of one, but it certainly can bring down your stamina (not to mention your sense of smell/taste).

Halloween was good last weekend; didn't end up going out and dressing up, but my housemates and I still handed out candy. And still got leftovers!! And we carved pumpkins, see the pics below for your viewing pleasure.

Have you ever seen a happier looking bunch of pumpkins?

And of course, the cookie recipe!

They are called "Me and my cookies are so over you", from an awesome, fun to read little cook book called "The Happy Baker: A Dater's Guide to Emotional Baking", by Erin Bolger. I made them as part of a goodie package to send off to someone. Look her up, she's awesome. If you are ever in the midst of a breakup (or are single and just enjoy baking, like myself) this is the strong minded independent ladies' cookbook for you. Enjoy!!

"Me and My Cookies are So Over You"

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup toffee baking bits
1 cup almonds; put almonds in a plastic freezer bag, gently smash with a hammer (I prefer the almonds to be a bit chunky). Roast at 325* F (160*C) for 5-7 minutes.

-Preheat oven to 375*F (175*C)
-In a large bowl combine sugar and butter; beat until light and fluffy.
-Add vanilla and eggs; blend well
-Mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir in chocolate chips, almonds and toffee bits.
-Drop by tablespoonfuls on a lined cookie sheet; bake for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Don't quote me

Well, dear readers, it's been a while since I last posted a quote around here. Last time I checked in, it was Thanksgiving: good food, good times. Now it is almost Halloween! Looks like I won't be going anywhere this weekend, as I've finally been taken down by the cold! Yahoo, barrels of fun with all that sneezing and nose-blowing. Ah well, as long as there's still candy by the end of the weekend. And hopefully this thing will have dissipated somewhat by then. But anyways, I didn't pop in here to talk about my cold; I came in for a quote! I found this a while ago through a radio show that runs every Saturday at 9.00 a.m, but I really liked it.

It's funny these trips we take, to beaches and cottages, to mountains and lakes, and sometimes to the highways, to the place between places. We leave the things that we love, the things that are familiar to us, and trade them for the new and the different. City folks often head to the country, country folks are often city bound. We see things big and small, old and new and we collide with one another, we come together as strangers, and, if we're lucky, learn over and over again how much we are connected to one another; how even, in our differences, we are the same, and how, when we consider it, how safe the world usually is, full of people just like us who are trying their best to do the right thing, and be their best self."

Stuart Mclean, the Vinyl Cafe; September 11, 2010

ps:

Experimented with a new cookie! Food post coming soon :)

Wednesday Wonder

Today I was reading that in Paris, officials came across a woman's apartment that lay untouched for about 70 years after she fled it before the War.

Image from here

Things I got from this article:

1. This woman led a fascinating life

2. They should have put up more pictures

3. I want to visit this place

4. It just sounds so mysterious and fascinating, like the beginning of a great novel. Like the Secret Garden, but in real life!!

Birthday Weekend: 21

Sooo, it would seem that I've turned the big 2-1 this weekend--what! Hard to believe I've been around for 2.01 solid decades. It has been a crazy year entering my 20s--one step up to being an adult. Me? An adult? An independent, full time working adult?? Well, I haven't reached that last part quite yet, but I will eventually. Right now I'll continue to go to school and writing papers and exams, thanks very much. Which brings me to a subject I find fascinating, and I figured it was relevant enough since I'm 21 now.

Apparently our bodies regenerate every seven years, and biologically, we are new people. I mean new tastes, different feelings, and maybe even new allergies. How weird is that??? I learned of this just last year, but the thought has intrigued me all along. Can things really change inside of you? I guess I have "evolved" considerably since I was 14, in terms of who I want to be. It's been so gradual; but then again, that's what usually happens. Sure, I've gotten more confident over time and I've learned lots of lessons (hopefully!) for the better, but I can't really think of ways in which I have changed considerably. I maybe thinking in terms of identity, but I wouldn't know physically, just yet. Whether it's the continual life experiences that change a person, or something "biological" that occurs every seven years, it's constant, and I guess we are bound to change in one way or another. And in that strange sense, I still find it fascinating!

Ahh well--I spent the day basquing in the birthday glow that happens but once a year, continuing my school readings, took a dance class in the evening, and celebrated by going out for dinner tonight with the housemates. All in all, a pretty good birthday!

Reese's Pieces DQ cake FTW!!

Have a great week!

Destination... Unknown

Ahh, only two weeks into the return of school, and I'm already thinking about the next few trips to take. Traveling brings to mind some great memories. Whether it was a trip down to the cottage in the summer, a trip to Europe, or even coming back here to Halifax, it always is something special. As of lately, there have been quite a few places I've been thinking I'd like to visit some day, particularly here in Canada. Actually, it will be my goal within the next few years or so to actually travel around the country, as I have never done so. (Talk about disgraceful as a Canadian!) Also... This is a rather autumn-themed post, just to get us in the swing of the season.

Image belonging from here

1. The Cabot Trail in Cape Breton. I've heard a lot about it lately, and certainly has an appeal growing on me. Apparently the drive through is about four days(!!).

Image from here

And if it looks this pretty in the fall, then I'd love to visit it right about... now. Please?

This is in Saskatchewan. Image from here

2. The Prairies. Sure, some may argue that it's all flat and boring, but there have to be some nice spots like this! I'd love to see it for myself. Plus, when I read this when I was younger, and that kind of drew me to the Prairies.

Image from here

3. Vancouver, yes, in all of it's post-Olympics glory. It's like Toronto's cooler cousin, who doesn't even try to be. It just is.

Image from here

4. Montreal, Toronto's other cool cousin. But on a more Frenchy and sophisticated level.

There are certainly places outside of Canada that I've been dying to visit! Too many, in fact, so I'll shall limit myself to the top 4 (in no particular order):

The French Countryside!!

Image from here

New York!!! In the fall, preferably. Or winter, or spring.

Image from here

Scotland!! My parents went a few summers ago, and absolutely loved it. This picture (from here) is in Applecross.

Alas, I can't think of a fourth place I'd like to visit one day. If you think of one, do tell! Wherever the scenery is incredible.

Just to let all you know, my posts might be sporadic for the next while. Actually, they're probably already sporadic, but it will be more than usual around this time of year. (You know, school.) But I'll try to post when I get free moments! They'll likely be food related, because when I won't be concentrated on work, I'll be concentrated on eating.

Enjoy the week!

ps: I'm already thinking ahead to Christmas. I mean, there are only 90 some-odd days, but... WHHYYYY???!!

Reign of the Blueberry

Well, there goes my first week back in Halifax. I've since settled in nicely, and as of Thursday I'm back to the old school work grind. The flat my housemates and I have been living in needed to be cleaned up considerably, so we've been cleaning stuff up all week. I'm really glad to be back, though, and doing my own thing--even if that means making my own meals! This week it has been iffy in the meal department, and I haven't quite replenished my food supply, so what do I turn to when I've run out of ideas for dinner? Pancakes. Betty Crocker pancakes, to be precise. With a helping of lovely Nova Scotia blueberries to add to the mix, and they are lovely this time of year.

Betty Crocker's (Original) Pancake Recipe

1 cup all purpose flour

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons shortening, melted, or vegetable oil (I got away with canola)

1 tbs sugar

3 tsps baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat egg with hand beater until fluffy; beat in remaining ingredients just until smooth. For thinner pancakes, stir in additional 1/4 cup of milk. Grease heat griddle if necessary. (To test griddle, sprinkle with few drops water. If bubbles skitter around, heat is just right.)

Pour about three tablespoons batter from tip of large spoon or from pitcher onto hot griddle. Cook pancakes until puffed and dry around edges. Turn and cook other sides until golden brown. (To keep pancakes hot, stack on hot plate with paper towels in between.)

On the road again...

Here we are, at the end of summer once more. Once more, I'm ready for another year of adventure in Halifax. I can't believe it's already September again--where oh where did the time go?? The weather for the past few days have been ridiculously hot. It's cooled down a bit today, but you could have fooled me otherwise into thinking it was July. Ah well, if the weather can't convince me that fall is on its way, the changing leaves certainly can.

These last few weeks I haven't been doing much, other than lounging in the backyard. I started packing yesterday, a nice slow process. I'll be leaving this Friday, so chances are I will still be packing. Starting a list really helps.

Taking back my new favourite mug. Words to keep me going on those late nights writing essays.

Can't forget these babies! I took them home to re-sew the ribbons.

The finished results... So far.

Just Peachy

I think I've found a new favourite dessert. For the past few weeks since my sister's big wedding, the fam and I have been living off wedding cake. It wasn't all eaten at the reception, unfortunately, so we had to take the towering delicious beast home. We gave most of it away to our neighbors, but we still had a ton left over. Finally we got rid of it last week, when the bottom layer was found to be moldy (even beneath that fondant).

The moral of the story is that we were, and still are, caked out.

So, seeing as it is August (gasp!), and the peach season is at its peak, I took advantage of some leftover peaches we had on the counter this week and tried my hand at a peach crumble recipe. I got the recipe from here, because it was an easy recipe, and it how it stated the number peaches that were needed, rather than going by cups and 'lbs', which I find more difficult to measure. The end results were impressive, and the kitchen smelled so good as it cooked.

Peach Crumble
serves 4

½ cup flour
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
pinch salt
¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
4 large or 5 small peaches, peeled and sliced into thick pieces

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a bowl.
Cut the butter into the mixture with your fingertips until crumbly.
Arrange the sliced peaches on the bottom of a buttered baking dish.
Cover peaches with crumble topping then sprinkle the nuts over, if using.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Enjoy warm with ice cream, whipped cream or on its own.