Happy Christmas!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday!

Perfect treat for a cold morning

I absolutely love baking. And this is definitely the time of year to get your mixing bowls out and your ovens going. What better way to enjoy a cold winters morning them with a cup of tea or coffee and a warm Orange Cranberry scone?! This recipe comes courtesy of my beloved Ina Garten, and can be found here. Words can really not describe how good these little babies are. Sweet and delicious and flaky. The trick is to keep all the ingredients cold. They may not be the fastest thing to whip up, but they are definitely worth the effort.

And for some reason everyone is REALLY impressed when you make scones. I brought them into work and they got snapped up in record time!

If you know a girl who runs, this is what you should buy her

So, a busy social and work schedule prevented me from doing a big holiday shopping guide this year. For this I am sorry. However, there are a couple days left before the BIG day. And if you have a girl on your list who is a runner (or you are a girl runner and want to treat yourself - which is what I did), then these running gloves from Lululemon are a MUST! They have the great slim fit glove design I loved about the pair I bought last year, but they've added a windbreaker mitten flap! Perfect for those cold blowy days I know are coming.

Oprah's got nothing on us

Step aside Ms. Winfrey, there is a new Book Club in town! My girlfriends had the great idea the other month of starting our own Book Club. Our goal is to read one book a month. Brilliant. Our first pick was The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I LOVED this book. The story centers around a group of women in Jackson Mississippi during the civil rights movement. Most nights I was up super late because I couldn't put it down.

Just as great as reading the book, was getting together with the girls to discuss it. We had some yummy snacks and plenty of good wine. You know when you wake up with a bit of a hangover that your Book Club is a great success!!

I've been a delinquent

Hello there friends. I've been a total blogging delinquent lately. Apologies. Work's been busy. I've been exhausted. And rather social. New posts will start again tomorrow. Promise!

Lavender Honey

I don't know about all of you, but for me, the last couple of weeks have been just manic! Between busy-ness at work, and social obligations my life has felt a little stressed. So each night when I get home, I like to unwind, and relax. Try to de-stress. Now ideally, this would be done with a lovely glass of wine. But I've needed a nightly destresser so often that I'm afraid this much wine would quickly turn me into an alcoholic. Which would then cause me greater stress. So instead I've been having tea (yeah yeah, I hear you already, tea is not the same as a lovely glass of wine, but let's pretend shall we?). But not content with just plain Jasmine tea (which is delightful) I decided to "kick it up a notch" as my Dad would say. While on a recent trip to the St.Lawerence Market I discovered Lavender Honey. It's ever so slightly less sweet then regular honey and has this really pretty delicate lavender taste at the end. A small spoon of Lavender Honey in my Jasmine tea each night, and I'm feeling pretty mellow...

Charm School

Every once in a while when I visit my parents, my Mom goes through her old jewellery and lets my sister and I have some pieces she doesn't wear anymore (this is a truly fun activity!) Fortunately for me, my sister can't wear silver, so I automatically get all that stuff. One of my FAVOURITE pieces is my Mom's old silver charm bracelet. I have a deep love for charm bracelets. This one is like a little look into Mom's teenager years. Charms from trips she'd been on. Charms for interests she had. Charms given to her by my beloved Grandpa. To me, it's a very special piece. But I had begun to worry that perhaps I was getting "too old" for such sweet things. But the other weekend I had some of my very fashionable friends over for Bad Movie night, and noticed that almost all of them were wearing pretty little necklaces with small charms! Horseshoes, initials (I must say, I've been eyeing these ones from Tiffany's for a while now), and of course the ones we got from our San Francisco marathon. So I took this as a sign - charms are still ok! They give you that classic preppy look that pretty much sums up my style.

So now, everyday I happily wear my marathon charm with a smaller piece my Mom gave to my sister and I the other year for Christmas. The pearl is from a necklace that was my Grandma's, and the diamond was from a pair of earrings my Grandpa gave her. Like every charm should be, they are personal and well... Charming!

Bottoms up!

A couple years ago my best friends introduced me to what has become my favourite drink - the Aperol Spirtz. It's orangey, a little tart, a little bitter, not to sweet, and very refreshing. But you could really only get them at certain italian restaurants. (We always get them at Terroni's) You couldn't buy Aperol in Canada, and believe me, we searched. At best there was a store in New York that sold it. Not exactly convenient. When I was in San Francisco we found a fancy gourmet food store that carried it and I immediately grabbed a bottle. Then lugged that bottle around for a couple hours. Then had to carefully pack the bottle in my suitcase and pray that it did not break on the flight. All this only to discover the LCBO now carries the stuff! Sheesh!! Oh well, this stuff was well worth all the effort, and now I don't need to ration it!

To make my beloved Aperol Spirtz combine 2oz. of champagne or sparkling wine, 1.5oz. of Aperol, a splash of Soda, ice and a slice of orange. Stir and enjoy!

What have I been missing?!

Growing up, we did not eat garlic. My mom and sister both have a rather severe allergy to it. It wasn't until I was well into my 20's and living on my own that I really started cooking with garlic. I had become so used to omitting it from recipes that I didn't really think I was missing much. Then I tried roasted garlic. Amazing! I could eat clove after clove of this stuff! It's great mashed and spread on a thick slice of toasted bread (best garlic bread ever!). Much milder and sweeter then raw garlic, it's fantastic in soups and sauces. And SUPER easy to make! But be warned - a good ventilation system in your kitchen is highly recommended. While I was making this my little apartment smelled like roasting garlic for about an hour.

Ms. Martha Stewart has a great recipe you can find here.

Apparently if you demand it, I will bake it...

This is a dangerous habit for me to get into - Baking on demand. The problem is I like baking, and I like making people happy. And the two just seem to go hand in hand. I had joked with friends at work that when a big project finally kicked into high gear, I'd start bringing in baked goods to help get us through the day. They have decided to take me up on this joke. And now they want some treats! Considering I had a freezer full bananas, I figured this would be the perfect way to get rid of some. Banana Chocolate Chip muffins to the rescue! This recipe can be made in a jiffy (I made them one night after work while watching a basketball game). And they taste great. A little tip - add some chopped walnuts to the recipe for added deliciousness!

Thankfully, my coworkers are happy now!

But for how long...

Urgh, this is embarrassing...

I'm ashamed of myself.

I'm embarrassed.

I can't believe I'm actually going to say these words. But when you have a problem, it's important to admit it...

My name is The Little Honey Bee, and I love Twilight!

Urgh! I never thought I'd say those words. I have made fun of this series for months! They are absolutely ridiculous books. Ridiculous. The writing is terrible. Just really really bad. I roll my eyes while reading them. I often want to smack the characters. Their conservations are repetitive. And painful. But despite all of this, these book are addicting! Once you start, you can't put them down! They take me back to my pre-teen V.C. Andrew days.

So if you're looking to indulged in a little guilty pleasure and want a (VERY) easy read, consider picking up the Twilight series. But be warned, you may hate yourself for it!

The San Francisco Treat

My friends and I had a BLAST in San Francisco. We ran a marathon(!). We went to Alcatraz. We toured the Napa Valley. And we ate. We ate a LOT. San Francisco has some amazing restaurants. And we certainly enjoyed a few. Here are some of the great places we enjoyed ourselves at:

John's Grill - A friend of Sonia's recommended this steak and seafood restaurant. It was the site of our first official meal in San Fran, and did it ever get things started off right! With so many fantastic menu options, it was really hard to choose, but I eventually opted for the broiled halibut. Incredible! And the portions were huge! I couldn't even finish mine. John's Grill also has a great wine list. We ordered a bottle of the house red and I have to say, it was one of the best bottles of wine I've ever had!

Tartine Bakery & Cafe- I heard about this place from my weekly Goop newsletter (thanks Gwyneth Paltrow!). When we arrived Saturday morning to this small cool Mission District spot, the line up was out the door and down the street. We knew this place MUST be good! Thankfully the line moved quickly and we were soon inside and able to make our selections. Lesson learned: traveling with people who like good food as much as you do is the BEST! We each ordered the quiche (p.s. BEST quiche EVER!) and something extra. My something extra was an almond croissant. Heavenly!! And totally justified as pre-race carb loading!

The Slanted Door - Following our race it was time to celebrate! And the very hip Slanted Door is where we went. I recommend going with a group of people and ordering several dishes, as things here are served family style. We had beef, chicken, lamb, halibut and tofu. Not to mention a couple of appetizers to start. But the best was the Confectioner's Plate we had for dessert. The peach cotton candy was incredible - and super fun!

The Plant Cafe Organic - The day after our race we were feeling a little gross. Not from the large amount of food the night before. But from the large amount of Gatorade, Gu, and sport beans consumed during the marathon. We needed something fresh. Thankfully Sonia had spotted The Plant while we were out the previous night. This place was just what the doctor ordered. Super fresh breakfast burritos (I'm a sucker for anything with avocado) and a large glass of their Body Cleanser raw organic juice and I was feeling like a new woman!

Pier 23 - My parents and I had seen this place on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It looked like a casual fun spot, so we decided to check it out. It was a little dead on the night we went (it was a Monday night), but no doubt this place is hopping on the weekends. The Zinfandel and ceviche I had while we sat on the heated patio were delightful! This place was also the site of one of our funnier conversations ;)

American Cupcake - It was quite the hike to get to this place (literally, walking the streets of San Francisco is liking hiking!). But it was well worth it! Now, sadly they were out of the Red Velvet Fried Chicken we had heard about, but we still managed to enjoy waffle fries, club sandwiches, mini pulled pork sliders, and mac-n-cheese. Then it was time for dessert! Not content with just getting one cupcake, we decided to get a cupcake and whoopie pie (each)! This place is very fun and girly. Rainbow coloured lights dance along the ceiling while 80's tunes flow out the speakers. Definitely a good time!

So as you can see, we ate a LOT while in San Francisco! What made things so great was that we did all the research and planning before hand, so every night we knew we'd be getting a great meal! And for my last bit of cheesiness, the best part of each meal was the company - Sonia, Kathleen, Katrina and Sam were fantastic dining companions!

If you're going to San Francisco...

Be sure to wear flowers in your hair. Or at least that's what the song says to do. We opted not to do that, and instead booked some fabulous tours. Now that the marathon was done, it was time for us girls to have some fun!

First up was Alcatraz. Also known as The Rock!. I had heard good things about this tour before we went. People who had been had raved about it! And with good reason. It's a REALLY well done tour. You take a boat out to the island and can walk around a bit once you get there. When you enter the prison cell building make sure you pick up the free audio tour guide. Now I'm not usually a fan of the audio tour. I rarely get them when I go to museums. But this audio guide is a MUST. First of all, there was not much written info offered before hand, nor were there many signs or fact on the walls (like you get in a gallery or museum). The audio guide is narrated by former prison guards and prisoners (ekk!) who direct you around the building and tell you stories about it's history - the battle of Alcatraz, the famous escape from the Rock, famous prisoners, and life on the island (guards families with young children lived there?!?!). While walking around outside you also get fantastic views of San Francisco and the surrounding area. I personally went a little photo crazy! The whole tour only takes a couple of hours and should not be missed. But be sure to book your tickets in advance. The tours sell out everyday, so if you just show up on the day you want to go, you'll likely be S.O.L

The second tour booked was the one I was REALLY excited about. A wine tour through Napa!! A comfy shuttle bus picked us up in the morning we drove us out to wine country. Once the morning fog cleared we got to see that Napa is unbelievably beautiful. Miles of mountains, and vines with the warm California sunshine beating down on us. We got to visit four wineries - Domaine Chandon, V. Sattui, Whitehall Winery, Franciscan. The sparkling wine offered at Domaine Chandon had me quickly feeling a little tipsy (and it was only 10:30am), so you knew you were in for a fun day! A picnic lunch by the vineyard and a fabulous tasting at V. Sattui soon followed. Whitehall Winery had us walk through their processing area (very cool to see), and at the Franciscan we sampled wine among the vines, picking the grapes to try with it. The day was absolutely perfect! By the time the bus dropped us off at the dock for the ferry boat ride back to the pier, I was seriously considering a career change. I'd happily move to Napa and pick grapes for a living!

My First Marathon - the good, the bad, and the ugly

It's hard to believe it was only a week ago today. A week ago today I ran my first marathon! I'm not officially a marathoner!! Not to be a major cheese ball, but it was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life.

The Good - The course was absolutely stunning. San Francisco is a beautiful city! After making our way out of Union Square, we ran up to the waterfront where we were greeted by a gospel choir and cheerleaders. Past the Embarcadero we made our way up to Fishermans Wharf. After this the hills began. First small, and steep. Then LONG and STEEP. No amount of hill training could have fully prepared me for how tough these hills were. But the views along the way were incredible. At the top of the hill we could see the Golden Gate Bridge. Golden Gate Park soon turned into beautiful residential neighbourhoods. And more hills. But now we had views of the ocean, the beach, waves crashing into the shoreline. Amazing. I began wishing I'd brought my camera along for the run. Never before had I seen such inspiring scenery.

The Bad - Things remained good until about the half way mark. The weather had been good. Cool and overcast. But somewhere around mile 12, it started raining. At first only lightly. It was actually nice, helping to cool us off a little. It was also around this point that the half marathoners separated from us full marathoners. We went from being surrounded by tons and tons of people to only a few dozen. It was a little hard. Knowing that they were almost done, while we still had 14 more miles to go. At mile 16 we started making our way along the Great Highway. From here it was about an 10 mile out and back. It was also at this point that the rain and wind picked up. Mental fatigue was also starting to set in. We had been running for a LONG time. I really just wanted to be done! Slowly the mile markers continued to pass us by.

The Ugly - We'd been running for hours. Several bathroom breaks and a tougher then expected course had squashed any hope of finishing in our predicted time. (After the first 6 miles we decided to ignore of watches and just run for fun) The rain and wind were now coming in fast and cold. While the ocean view was gorgeous it seemed never ending. I just wanted to get to the finish line! Then finally... there it was... Like a mirage... The Finish! I forced my now very tired body to push itself over the finish line. Now the fun stuff! The tuxedo wearing firemen handing out the Tiffany necklaces. I was close to tears as a very cute fireman handed me my little blue box. Then my bubble was burst. An event coordinator came up to me "honey, we've run out of the necklaces for this year. This one is from another year. We'll mail yours to you". I stood there in shock for a minute. WTF!? They RAN OUT?! How is that possible? The race had been sold out for months! They knew how many people would be running. I was now upset and freezing cold. I asked a volunteer where the heat blankets were, and was informed that they had run out of those as well. Meanwhile, volunteers were walking about with 2 of them wrapped around themselves. WTF!? Now I was just shocked. Frozen. Shivering. I managed to stumble over to the bag check pick up, throw on my dry sweat shirt and quickly get on the shuttle bus. It was on the bus that I discovered my necklace was not only from the wrong year (2008) it was also slightly tarnished. Great. Thankfully after a very long hot shower back at the hotel I was able to polish the necklace back to an acceptable state. A couple days after the race I received an email from Nike letting me know that my necklace would be mailed to be in 10-12 weeks. 10-12 weeks! Grrr....

The Conclusion - It took a couple of days to process that days events. Yes, I was disappointed by the finish line issues. But I decided not to let that take away from what I was able to accomplish. I ran a freakin' marathon!! My first! And while my finish time wasn't the greatest, the point was that I finished! I ran 42.2km of a very tough course. And better still, I'd consider running one again (not any time soon mind you!)

And I can't finish this tale without giving a BIG shout out to Kathleen and Sonia (the "we" I've been referring to). We travelled down to San Francisco together, and I wouldn't have been able to do it without them! Love you girls!!

Leaving on a jet plane

EEEEKKK! Well dear friends, today is the day I leave for San Francisco. The marathon is on Sunday. Where the heck did the time go?! I remember signing up for the lottery to this race back in April, and now I'm less than 48 hours away from actually running it! I'm nervous. Excited. Anxious. Did I mention NERVOUS? Oh la... the idea of running 42.2 km is starting to sound a little crazy. But there's not much more I can do now. I've put in the work (at least I hope I have), now it's time to just enjoy the journey.

BIG thanks and much love to my family, friends, coaches and fellow training mates for all the support and encouragement these last few months. I can say without question that I would not be able to do this is if we're for all of you guys!!

Fingers crossed the race goes well!! And good luck to everyone running the Toronto Goodlife race this weekend!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have SO many things to be thankful for. And thankfully I'll be spending the day with my fantastic family. I hope everyone has a great day. Happy Thanksgiving!!

(now I'm off to eat some turkey!!)

Absolutely Gourd-geous

Well Fall is finally here! You can feel it in the air! No literally, it's in the air, the temperature has dropped... I couldn't be happier, as Autumn is my favourite time of year! The weather is cool and crisp. The leaves are change colour. Food offerings become hearty and comforting. And decorating ones home becomes a snap! My friends and I are obsessed with mini pumpkins and gourds. Some much so that last year when my dear friend Lindsay got married she decorated her wedding reception with them. They come in all colours, shapes and sizes and add an instant touch of festive Fall to any room. I like them in little groupings along my window sill. The tiny white pumpkins are a particular favourite - so cute! Perfect for decorating your Thanksgiving table this weekend - and they'll last until your ready for the Christmas decorations!

Easy listening

So this just might be the BEST album EVER. Ok, I might be a bit biased (as I do know these guys). But the new Bedouin Soundclash album Light The Horizon is dope! Do people still say "dope"? Whatever... The album is unbelievably catchy. And while just about every song is my favourite, I really Really REALLY love Chance of Rain (which you can download for FREE here - aren't these guys generous!), Rolling Stone, and Brutal Hearts.

Bedouin will be playing in Toronto at the Sound Academy on Nov. 19th! I've got my tickets, be sure to get yours!!

I'm also sorta (majorly) in love with the album We Are Born by Sia. A little pop, a little folky, and little soul. Like Adele meets Lenka meets Amy Winehouse. The song Be Good To Me has my wishing I could sing, and the piano/vocal version of I'm in Here is hauntingly beautiful.

I dare you to listen to either of these albums and not dance. Go ahead, just try! I dare you...

Is it still a signature scent if I have three?

I know it's possible to have a signature scent. But are you allowed to have three? Because I just can't make up my mind. You see, smelling good is sort of an obsession of mine. The idea of smelling bad terrifies me. (As someone who rides the TTC everyday, I know this is not a fear everybody shares...) But I've never been a fan traditional perfumes. They all smell the same to me. Too perfume-y. You know what I mean? That sort of over powering, strong floral smell? I really don't like it. Thankfully, over the years I've been able to find perfumes that smell perfectly amazing. Here are my three signature scents:

1. Clean - The name says it all. This line of perfumes smell clean. Like beautiful soap. There are many different smells in the Clean family of products. I LOVE pretty much all of them. But if I had to pick a favourite it would have to be Provence. It's light, crisp, fresh, and well Clean! You can buy Clean products at Sephora.

2. Lollia - If I'm going to wear a floral scent, it's going to be Breathe No 19 by Lollia. The scent is really lovely and light, not over powering at all. Very feminine. And the bottle is really really pretty. I can't remember where I last bought this stuff, but I'm fairly certain I've seen it at Anthropologie and Teatro Verde.

3. Satsuma - My friend Katie would likely argue that this one should be considered my signature. Only because I've been wearing it since high school. Back when Body Shop perfume oils were all I could afford. To this day I still love the warm citrusy scent. But only use a drop or two. This stuff can be very strong, especially if you apply it your pulse points (the warmth of your body intensifies the smell)

I like to dress cheap

More accurately, I like to dress nicely in clothes that don't cost a fortune. I've mentioned my LOVE of Joe Fresh before. But I'll say it again. I LOVE Joe Fresh! You've got to get there soon. They have a fantastic Fall line in right now. Amazing collection of cozy sweaters. I got this cardigan which looks like something my Mom would knit (high praise as my Mom is a world class knitter), for the low low price of $19. The super cute stripe boat neck shirt was a mere $16! The perfect top for a casual Saturday brunch. So run on down to Joe's before I buy up everything!!

Bad Movie Night

TIFF is now done. There were many great movies. So I thought we'd talk Bad Movies. I LOVE Bad Movies. And I have a bit of a gift for picking them. Now let me back up here for a moment. Bad Movies have a time and a place. I do not see Bad Movies at the theatre (not intentionally anyway). No no, if I'm going to spend approx $30 - 40 on a movie (ticket, popcorn and soda), then that movie better be good. Bad movies are most definitely something you rent.

Let me clarify what I mean when I say "Bad Movie". A Bad Movie is one that thinks it's good. It takes itself seriously. And yet, it is so terrible, so ridiculous, so BAD that is becomes good. And highly entertaining. A Bad Movie is also one where paying close attention to the plot is not really necessary. You can take a bathroom break during a Bad Movie and not worry about hitting the Pause button. You can talk during a Bad Movie. In fact, talking is encouraged! One of my favourite things to do is have Bad Movie night with my friends. We get some sort of take out (usually Thai or sushi). Alcohol of some kind is present (usually fun cheap champagne). An assortment of sweet snacks is always on hand (the Popcorn from Two Dishes cookbook is a must!) Combine all that with comfy lounge clothes and my uber comfy sofa and you've got yourself a fun evening. Once you press Play, the good times begin. While watching a Bad Movie, we chat a bit about our lives, talk back to the characters in the movie, or (and my personal favourite) make up our own dialogue.

If you've had a stressful/bad week (or even if you haven't) I highly recommend having yourself a bad movie night. And to get you started here are some of my favourite Bad Movie picks:

Twilight 1 + 2 - I know this may get me some haters, but these are absolutely brutal movies. But brutal in the best way possible. Watch Edward's face and tell me if doesn't look constantly constipated...

I Know Who Killed Me - this might be my all time favourite. Never heard of it? Don't be surprised. It did not make a lot of money. This is one of the movies Lindsay Lohan did after Mean Girls. Let's just say it involves pole dancing and a fake battery powered leg. Need I say more...

Disturbia - Now I like Shia LaBeouf. But this movie had us yelling at the T.V. It does have some fun suspenseful moments that made us hide in our sweat shirts, but by the end we had renamed it Stup-urbia (get it, because it was stupid)

Rosemary's Baby - Now this was a little long (over 2 hours). And not nearly as scary we had thought it was supposed to be. But... the "special effects" are hilarious (they were after all from 1968). And the story is rather ridiculous. It's a classic for a reason

Primeval - The story of a giant crocodile run a muck in Burundi. Halfway through I remember turning to my friend and saying "I'm sorta routing for the crocodile at this point!"

TIFF!

The Toronto International Film Fest is now in full swing! I love the film fest but hadn't planned on going to any of the premieres this year. So imagine my delight when my lovely cousins Holly and Jason offered me tickets to the opening night party last Thursday! My friend Lisa happily agreed to go with me. So that night we put on our chic party girl finest and headed down to the Liberty Grand. The opening movie was a hockey musical, so naturally everything at the party was hockey themed. There was a hot dog station. Poutine station. Hockey rink shaped dance floor. And many many stocked bars. After we finished our poutine and grabbed a beverage we headed outside to the gorgeous patio. We both brought our cameras (just in case we spotted a celebrity!), and Lisa started scanning the small group of people around us for someone to take our photo. She settled on a petite blonde girl in a very cool gold hooded mini dress.

"Excuse me?" Lisa politely asked. "But would you mind taking our photo", gesturing towards the two of us.

"Sure! No problem", the blonde replied. She enthusiastically took Lisa's camera and snapped away. "I'm going all Mom-like on you right now", she even joked.

After she handed the camera back to Lisa I really took a good look at her. She looked really familiar. The cool blonde hair. The rock and roll outfit.

"Lis, I think that's the lead singer of Metric..." I whispered

"It does kinda look like her", Lisa whispered back

"No, I think it IS her Lis!"

So Lisa then politely taps her again and asks, "Umm sorry... but are you in a band?"

"Yeah, we all are" the blonde replies, gesturing to the two cool looking guys she's talking with.

"OH MY GOD! Lisa, I told you we just asked Emily from Metric to take our photo!!" I yelped.

They laughed - thankfully! While we were mortified that we had just asked the famous people to take our photo, they joked about how awesome it was. We chatted with them for a few minutes. Talking about their new album. Talking about their recent gig at Lollapalooza. They could not have been lovelier. So we decided to push our luck a little more. I must admit. We are not cool party people. We get excited about seeing famous people. So yeah, we asked if we could have photos taken with them. They were kind enough to grant our request. So we snapped a couple pictures, thanked them, turned our backs for one second... and they were gone!

But it didn't matter. That 10 minutes made our night! And it gave us a great new way to approach famous people... You walk right up to them. And then ask them to take your photo! We tried it again later in the evening when I recognized a former star from Degrassi the Next Generation. He however was NOT into this. He clearly thought we should have immediately acknowledged who he was. And because of this, we obviously didn't.

So I must thank Jason and Holly again for the great party tickets! It was TIFF-rrific!

Beat the heat on your feet

This Summer heat... It just won't give up! Every time I like we're going to get a break, Mother Nature throws some more heat and humidity at us. Like this week. The temperature is supposed to be ridiculous this week. Which means being hot. And sweaty. And potentially smelly. But the WORST is when you're feet get hot, and sweaty and smelly (sorry if this is grossing anyone out, but we've all been there). The Body Shop has a great product for just such a problem. Their Peppermint Cooling Foot Spray is heavenly. With just a little spritz, your feet feel instantly more comfortable. And if you want SUPER cooling effects, store the bottle in the fridge. At $10 a bottle, it's a perfectly affordable feet treat.

(and to my running friends, this stuff is FANTASTIC after our long runs!!)

It's Grrrrrr-eat!

My cooking spree is still going strong. More and more I wonder why I would ever consider buying something that I could make myself - from scratch!

I've made this granola many many times. It's an Ina Garten recipe, so you know it's going to be good! Whose Ina Garten you ask? (and if you have to ask, we may not be able to be friends anymore, plus I've blogged about her previously, so there's really no excuse). She is the Barefoot Contessa, also known as one of my favourite chefs. She is my queen of home cooked comfort food. And not only are her recipes delicious, but they are also easy. Like this granola. You can make it in large or small batches, and adjust the nuts and fruits to your personal taste. I also like to add a dash of cinnamon to mine. Sprinkled on top of non-fat plain yogurt it is the perfect fast and healthy breakfast - much better then anything you'll find at Starbucks!

Click here for the recipe

p.s. When I met Ina at a book signing a couple years ago we talked about this granola!

We jammin'

My mom often jokes that I was born in the wrong decade. Based on my tastes in music, clothes, and decor, she says the 60's would have been a good time for me. She of course is referring to the 1960's. However lately I've been thinking the 1860's may not have been so bad either, as I have decided to take on a new hubby in the form of food preserving. (very Little House on the Prairie)

The idea started the other week when my friend Sibylle and I decided to start cooking more on the weekends and freezing the extras. We'd made gazpacho and pesto and were searching for other food ideas. I had been wanting to make my own jam for a while, so we starting looking for recipes online. This of course also brought up links to storing homemade jam. Immediately we were excited about the idea of making and jarring our own jams and preserves. A quick check on the Martha Stewart website brought up a 10 minute how to video, at which point we realized we may be in a little over our heads. There was some equipment we were going to need to purchase (thermometers, funnels and tongs - oh my!). Then there is the whole issue of needing everything to be uber sterilized. And all this before we even knew if the jam we make would be any good! So I decided to take the endeavor in baby steps. Step 1, was to just make a small batch of jam...

So last Saturday I walked over my local fruit market and picked up a HUGE container of blueberries. They were insanely cheap, about $4 for 4 pints. When I got home I immediately stuck half of them in the freezer (which is quickly being filled with some fantastic items!). The remaining berries (about 2 cups worth) got put in a small pot and sprinkled with a bit of sugar. This is the great thing about making things from scratch. You get to control every single ingredient. I don't like super duper sweet jams, and most of the recipes I found on the internet called for a large amount of sugar, so I just used less! Next was to bring the berries up to a boil, then turn down the heat and slowly simmer for about 45 minutes, until the mixture had thickened. I let it cool slightly in the pot, then transferred into a tupperware container. Once it was completely cooled it went in the fridge for me to start enjoying! And let me tell you - It. Is. GOOD! Fantastic on plain bread, or a small drop added to plain nonfat yogurt.

Now that I know how easy the jam making can be, I can start experimenting with more challenging recipes and yes... the preserving aspect...

To be continued...

The Little Honey Bee turns 1!

Happy Birthday to the Bee! It's my little blogs birthday! Yay! Thanks to everyone for reading!!

(p.s. The cupcake is Dufflet. You can buy them at Loblaws!! Yum!)

Apparently I like singing the F-word...

I've had this song on repeat all afternoon. It's amazingness is completely stuck in my head! So upbeat and catchy! Almost makes me wish I had recently been dumped so I could call it my breakup anthem. Oh well, I'm sure if I think really hard, someone will up into my head... ;)

p.s. NOT an appropriate song to play near children!

Click here to play

Ready to start racing?

We interrupt the many recipe posts to bring you a marathon training update...

This Saturday is sort of the kick off to my racing season. It's the Mid Summers Night 30km. I'd like to say that I'm not at all worried. Cool as a cucumber (or a bowl of chilled gazpacho). But sadly, this is not the case. The Summer heat and humidity have been kicking my ass for weeks. EVERY run has felt like a massive, horrible, sweaty challenge. It's hard to tell if I'm improving, or getting stronger when I feel just as exhausted 13 weeks into training as I did at week 1...

So Saturday's race is 30km. Followed in a few weeks by the Scotia Waterfront Half Marathon. And then the San Francisco FULL Marathon a couple weeks after that. Yes, as of this weekend my goal race is only 8 weeks away. To some, this may seem like a long time. Nothing to worry about. However I remember not too long ago finding out we got into the race. At that time, race day was 25 weeks away. Those 23 weeks have FLOWN by. Which means the next 8 weeks will likely fly by also. And in addition to my upcoming races, there are also the most difficult training runs still to come.

Nerves are creeping up. Doubts starting to set in...

So now may just be the perfect time to pull out a book my friend Yvonne at work gave me for Christmas. It's called "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running". To quote Yvonne, "I saw it and thought it was everything you were about - Japan and running!". It's a fantastic little memoir about author Haruki Murakami's experiences over the years as a long distance runner. Now I personally am not a fan of the Oprah approved, chicken soup for the soul, hug yourself daily self help genre (I refused to read "The Secret" even after my mom tried to pawn it off on me after she accidentally stole it from Costco - that's a funny story for another day...), but while reading this book I found myself constantly tagging pages or underlining sections that I found inspiring or could relate to. The quote that struck me most, the one I will now be repeating to myself before each race or difficult long run "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." I'm running a long tough distance. It's going to hurt. It may suck. But how much I let that effect me is totally under MY control.

"What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" is a great book to read in general, but if you're a runner, it's an absolute MUST!

But for now, wish me luck for Saturday. Or as we runners sometimes say - Hope I can kick asphalt!

Pesto Party!

So in our effort to save a few bucks and eat healthier, Sibylle and I have decided to have Saturday morning cooking parties. Not only do we get to have fun hanging out and cooking in their fab kitchen, but we end up with loads of tasty food in our refrigerators and freezers!

This weekend we decided homemade pesto was on the menu. I love pesto, but buying it at the grocery store can be a little pricey. Especially if you want good quality. Fortunately for us Sibylle had a great pesto recipe from her sister. We bought the cheese at Costco (which is quickly becoming one of my favourite places) and the produce at a local fruit market. This was a much more economical then buying the ingredients at the grocery store. You'll need a LOT of basil for this (we needed about 10 cups). At the grocery store Basil was about $1 per stem. At the fruit market we got a MASSIVE bag for about $3. Well, we think it cost us $3. We bought 4 items and were only charged for 3. It's possible the cashier liked us. We left the store and started reenacting that Ikea commercial, running down the street laughing "start the car, start the car!!" Bottom line, grocery expensive, fruit market cheap!

When we got back to Sibylle's we quickly got to work prepping all of the ingredients. With everything ready to go, and a super powerful food processor, we were able to make quick work of this. I recommend doing this in several batches.

The trick is to taste every batch you make, adjusting quantities as needed. Then you mix all the batches together in a large mixing bowl, so you end up the a perfect mixture.

The results were DELICIOUS! We filled 15 jars with the most amazingly flavourful pesto I've ever tasted. As Sibs and I licked the mixing bowl clean we came up with a million different ways to use this gorgeous green sauce. The best part is knowing that I have a freezer full of this stuff!

Here's the recipe we used. This makes 1 batch:

3 cups of fresh basil

7 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup of pine nuts

1/2 cups of parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of pepper

1/2 cup of olive oil

1/3 cup of lemon juice

Add all the dry ingredients to the food processor and pulse a few times, then add the lemon juice and olive oil. Pulse until you have the desired consistency.

Summer in a bowl

The other weekend I had dinner at my friends Traven and Kristin's new house. It was a beautiful summer evening. We ate on their fantastic third floor patio. But the beautiful summery setting was no much for the beautiful summer meal Kristin made. We started with a wonderful bowl of chunky cool gazpacho. I can not remember the last time I tasted something so fresh and amazing. It was like a big bowl of Summer! Tasted delightful AND super healthy! The next day I had to email Kristin for the recipe, which she was kind enough to pass along to me. I knew Sibs would love this as much as I did, so we decided to make some on Saturday for dinner. With the help of the food processor, it took us about 5 minutes to make.

I only wish there was a smell feature on this blog. Because it smells incredible! So good in fact that we kept sticking our heads in the fridge while it was cooling just to get a good sniff! If you're looking for a fast, delicious and SUPER healthy summer meal, I absolutely recommend making Kristin's gazpacho:

- 6-8 ripe tomatos
- 1 cucumber (seeds and skin removed)
- 1 red pepper
- about 1/2 cup onion (green, red or white, they're all good)
- 1 clove of garlic
- about 1/4 cup olive oil (more if it's a bit bitter)
- about 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- parsley (optional)
- salt and pepper

Why can't everyday be Saturday?

Stress free Saturday morning breakfasts are the BEST! This weekend I wanted to make waffles for Sibylle and Steve (they make me dinner ALL the time!) Any good waffle needs a good topping. The three of us are trying to eat healthier, so I thought a warm apple compote would do the trick.

The results? Amazing! The apples have the perfect sweet/tart balance and are perfect on top of the waffles. This compote is also delicious on ice cream or plain yogurt (should you feel like being healthy!)

Just like all food I love, the apple compote is SUPER easy to make:

Cook chopped apples with a pinch of sugar and cinnamon, squeeze of lemon and a little water. The apples take about 15-20 minutes to cook through and start to break down. Mash slightly for a more apple sauce like texture. This compote is also great pears.

So what do you drink with homemade waffles and apple compote? Homemade lattes of course! While I prepped the food, Sibs whipped up these fantastic drinks. She's even working on her foam art

I'm not sure, but I think this little fellow was supposed to be Steve...

If only every morning could be so tasty!

Letting the market speak to me

In the Summer months I love going to the fruit market with absolutely no plans of what I want to make. I let the produce "speak to me". I buy what looks good. Figuring out what to make as I go along. Last weekend EVERYTHING looked good! The fact that I had been running for over 3 hours may have had something to do with that! It was hard to restrain myself. But I decided to make a fresh bean salad and roasted potatoes.

The bean salad was SUPER easy to make and SUPER tasty. If you only add the vinaigrette right before serving you can make this in a large batch and enjoy it all week! Here is the recipe:

- yellow beans

- green beans

- thinly sliced radishes

For the vinaigrette:

- 3 parts olive oil

- 1 part rice wine vinegar

- 1 part sesame oil

- sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds

- good pinches of fresh ginger and garlic

- salt and pepper to taste

Blanch the beans then toss with the radishes. Mix together the vinaigrette and lightly dress the beans. Eat and enjoy!

My Summer of Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll!

I love having great books to read in the Summer. But I usually want something on the lighter side. One Summer I read The Incredible Lightness of Being. I can assure you, there is nothing "light" about that book! But I can't do the "chick lit" thing. (The last time I was at my parents house I decided to read Something Borrowed to help me fall asleep. I became enraged instead!) But this Summer I think I've found the perfect alternatives. First up is East Riders, Raging Bulls, a fascinating book about how the New Hollywood of the 70's saved the movie industry. It's page after page of insider stories about some of the most iconic films ever made. It's got the drugged up craziness of Denis Hooper. The bed hopping of Warren Beatty. And is anyone cooler the Jack Nicholson? I think not.

Next, it's Furious Love, the story of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. I am VERY excited to start reading this book. Last month Vanity Fair published sections from the book and it is a REAL page turner. Those two drank hard, fought hard and loved hard. Who needs Brangelina when you've got these two!

I'm Tee'd off!

I have loved running for a few years now. I still love it. Will always love it. But it's not "new" to me anymore. Yes, the marathon distance is new. And I can certainly improve my run times. But it's still just running. For the most part, I know what I'm doing now. (Though at times that is up for debate!) I was starting to feel like I needed a new challenge. Enter golf! Sibylle had decided to learn this summer so she could play with Steve. She asked if I'd be interested in taking lessons with her. Always up for something new, I agreed! And what fun it has become! We signed up for lessons at the Dentonia golf course in Scarborough. It could not be more convenient, right outside of the Victoria Park subway station. The lessons were great (VERY reasonably priced). We got instruction from a very patient golf pro once a week for an hour. The funniest was when he'd watch us take a few swings. We look up, eager to hear what he had to say. His usual comment - "Ummm... okay...." then he'd walk away. It was hilarious. But thankfully, my swing has gotten better. I can't wait to go out and play a round.

One of the BEST parts, this has opened up a whole new world of fun equipment/apparel! Polo shirts and golf gloves?! Yes please!

Four!

Chill out

So yeah... this has becoming one HOT Summer. Keeping cool has become my mission. It's not been easy. My apartment doesn't have air conditioning. Some nights I've had to sleep with an ice pack under my neck while a fan blasts me at full speed. The last thing I want to have when my apartment gets this hot is an even hotter beverage. Which was putting a kink in my weekend morning routine of enjoying a relaxing cup of coffee. So when my cousin Holly recommended the Starbucks Via iced coffee at home packs I picked some up right away. Well thank you Holly! These are awesome. The mix dissolves easily in cold water and is already lightly sweetened. But one pack does make a whole lotta iced coffee, so either use only half, or be prepared to drink a lot!

Stay cool my friends!

I'm Mad!

I'm MAD for Mad Men!! Season 4 starts on Sunday!! Are you watching? I hope you're watching. If you're not watching I'm not sure we can be friends. It's been a long few months without my favourite Madison Avenue fellas. Oh Don Draper, how I've missed you....

(Above is a picture of me with the Sterling Cooper boys. Look at them trying to get me drunk!)

I like it fast and easy!

If something is quick and easy to cook, I'm all for it. If it's also delicious, well woohoo sign me up! I got the recipe for these tuna cakes from the Martha Stewart Everyday Food blog. I LOVE them. They are quick, easy, delicious AND cheap. Click here for the recipe.

I've made these a number of times. You can switch up the fresh herbs depending on what you find at the grocery store. I've done these with cilantro, parsley and dill. I also like to add a small amount of Terroni hot peppers. Served with a light arugula salad, it's the perfect weeknight dinner. (And one batch can last a single gal 2-3 nights!)