Lost in Translation

As someone who lived in Japan for a year, I like to think of myself as an expert on many great Japanese things. I can tell you the best places in Tokyo to go for sushi (anywhere near the Tsukiji Fish Market). I can tell you where to go to buy the coolest souvenirs (100 ¥ stores are the BEST) But the BEST BEST BEST thing about Japan is the Karaoke. Before living there, I was not a huge karaoke fan. Standing in front strangers and singing was more my idea of a nightmare. But all that changed when I tried karaoke in Japan. You rent a private room with your own machine and many microphones. Now as much as I may like to think my singing voice is like Mariah Carey, in reality it's closer to a tone deaf eight year old, so this type of private room situation is much more relaxing. I know the only people who might laugh or mock are my friends. And I can handle them! We would go to all-night karaoke in Japan all the time. So I was thrilled to discover similar places in Toronto! BMB and XO Karaoke are both located on Bloor Street in Koreatown. Are they as fancy as the places in Tokyo? No. Are they cheap and fun? Oh hell yes! They have great (and fairly large) books of songs to choose from. Here is a list of some of my go to karaoke songs:

- Phil Collins, Against the Odds. Make sure you "air drum" while singing. It really adds to the song. My friend Lindsay and I "perform" this as a duet. And by duet I mean we both sing really loudly at the same time.

- Oasis, Don't Look Back in Anger. A great song for drunken scream singing with a group of friends

- Anything by Guns N' Roses. You have to dance and do leg kicks Axel Rose style

- Bon Jovi, Livin' on a Prayer. No one loves Bon Jovi like people in Japan. I'd never seen so many grown men with feathered hair cuts in all my life!

- Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. Anything by these two will do. Nothing showcases my "amazing" vocal range like a power ballad.

Fall comforts

Autumn is my favourite time of year. I love the smells, the colours, the crisp air. But I especially love the food. Fall foods are the best. Comforting. There's nothing I love more then throwing on a chunky sweater and scarf, walking to a market and picking up fresh fall fruits and vegetables. Then spending a couple of hours puttering around the kitchen making a fabulous meal. This is my ideal way to spend the weekends. But, a girl has to eat during the week too. And timing doesn't always allow for me to spend hours slaving over the stove on a weeknight. (Not if I want to eat before midnight anyway).

But thanks to my Mommy, I have fantastic recipes that allow me to enjoy all of Fall's finest in very little time. One of my favourite such recipes is Stuffed Squash. Delicious, hearty, and super quick and easy:

4 Servings
2 medium acorn squash
1 lb ground beef
2 medium apples, chopped
1/4 raisins or cranberries or nothing
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
4 tsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. butter, melted

Pierce squash a couple of times with tip of knife to allow steam to escape. Place squash 2 inches apart on paper towel in microwave. Microwave on high 6 minutes. Carefully remove squash from microwave and cut into halves (cross the middle) and scrap out seeds. Remove stems and if necessary cut a small slice from end to allow squash to stand up on own. Arrange squash halves cut-sides down in baking dish, (9 X 13 - or do in batches). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high until tender, 6 to 9 minutes. Let stand 3 minutes.

Cook ground beef in frying pan until browned. Place cooked beef into large bowl. Add apples, raisins, salt and nutmeg to ground beef.

Turn squash halves cut sides up. Scoop pulp from shells, leaving about 1/4 inch thick wall in each half and add to meat mixture. Combine well. Pile mixture into shells. Top with sugar. Melt butter and drizzle over each shell. Return squash to baking dish, cover tightly with plastic and microwave for 7 to 9 minutes. Remove plastic and let stand for 3 minutes.

I like to serve this with green beans or brussel sprouts. And for dessert, the easiest Apple Crumble ever (stay tuned for that recipe!)

Enjoy!

Fits like a glove

Nerd alert! I'm about to get really (and dorkily - is that a word?) excited about a pair of gloves. Running gloves. I love running gear: timing watches, technical socks and fuel belts. (I've been made fun of a lot in the past for my love of a good fuel belt)

This week I bought a new pair of Brisk Run Gloves from Lululemon. I haven't worn them yet, but I love them already. They're thin, but brushed on the inside to keep your fingers warm. There's a palm pocket for keys or money. And to quote the description on the tag "Soft fabric on your thumb for nose wiping (gross, but they really thought of everything!). And I got mine in a fun purple colour - most run gloves are grey or black. These little babies are so cute I'm almost happy the weather has gotten so cold. Now my hands will be warm and stylish while running!

A little Bubble and Squeak

Thanksgiving left overs are amazing. I love eating cold turkey sandwiches for a week. But sometimes you want to change up the veggie left overs. Which is why the day after our dinner my Mommy always makes Bubble and Squeak. It's a traditional English dish, and it could not be easier (or tastier!) to make. You take vegetables like peas, carrots, brussel sprouts or turnip, and mix them into mashed potatoes and fry up the mixture until the potatoes are warmed through and browned on the edges. Served with cold turkey, it's the BEST way to use left overs!

Congrats to the happy couple!

Over the weekend I had the joy of watching one of my best friends get married. The day was glorious. Beautiful weather, lovely venue and stunning bride. The event was perfect and very "them". Congrats to Sibs and Steve! Love you kids bunches!!

Mashed Potato Mountain!!

Thanksgiving is my favourite holiday. You get to enjoy quality time with your family without the stress of Christmas gifts. And of course there is the food! I am fortunate to have aunts and cousins who are amazing chefs. Thanksgiving dinner with my family is the BEST! One of my favourite Thanksgiving menu items is my Mom's mashed potatoes. They are not your ordinary mashed potato. We take them up a few notches! I believe she got this recipes years ago from a Canadian Living cookbook. The recipe is pretty simple. Peel, chop, boil and mash a bunch of potatoes. Then add equal amounts of sour cream and cream cheese. (the amount depends on the amount of potatoes) Add enough to make the potatoes creamy but not soupy. Then you add finely chopped green onions, a little poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. The potatoes are rich and delicious!

While it's too late to make them for Thanksgiving this year, definitely consider making them for Christmas. You won't be disappointed!

There's a hole in this cake!

I love bundt cakes. They're tasty and super easy to make. And I like the word Bundt. Bundt! And when you use a fancy cake pan, people are often very impressed. I once took a bundt cake to a BBQ attended by many boys. Several of them thought I had actually carved out the design by hand. I decided not to correct them and instead continued to let them think I was some sort of genius cake sculpture.

This year for Thanksgiving I brought my favourite bundt cake for dessert. This recipe comes courtesy of my beloved domestic goddess Martha Stewart. Click here for the recipe. The GREAT thing about this recipe is that it's so versatile. You can do it with lemons and blueberries. Or lemon and raspberries. Or orange and raspberries. To finish it, you can drizzle it with a glaze, or dust it with icing sugar. I went the icing sugar dusting route this time. My six year old little cousin helped me dust it before serving. She then told everyone that she made the cake. I decided not to correct her...

That's one Spiced Pumpkin!

Most people can tell the changes of seasons by looking at nature. Leaves changing colour. The first snow fall. Me? I look to Starbucks. As soon as Starbucks introduces their seasonal beverage, I know what time of year it is. So I was delighted to realize Fall had arrived a few weeks ago when Starbucks started offering their signature Pumpkin Spice Latte! I LOVE this drink. It's like Autumn in a cup. But delighted though I was to see it, I couldn't get it right away. It was still too warm outside. For me, the Pumpkin Spice Latte must be enjoyed on crisp, cool day. The sort of day that reminds me of walking around Kingston in the afternoon when I was in university.

So I've been really happy that the mercury has started to drop a little. It's now Pumpkin Spice Latte weather!! But if you're a fan of the Latte, get to Starbucks soon. Apparently the drink is so popular, stores have a hard time keeping the syrup in stock. And it's only available for a limited time. Before you know it, Starbucks will be announcing the arrival of Christmas with their seasonal Hot Chocolates...

Congrats to the Newlyweds!!

This weekend I had the great pleasure of attending the wedding of my gorgeous friend Lindsay and her handsome new husband David. Everything was beautiful and perfect. From the carved white pumpkins that the decorated the dining room...

To the adorable (and tasty) marzipan fruits favours. The day was fantastic. I'm so unbelievably happy for Linds and David! I look forward to them celebrating many more happy occasions over the coming years. LOVE you guys!! Many many hearts!

Get a great hand job

Not that kind of hand job! Get your minds out of the gutter people. I'm talking about manicures! I don't get manicures very often. They are a rare treat reserved for special occasions (or if I'm feeling fancy). So if I'm going to have my nails done, I want the polish to last longer then a couple of days. That's why I go to Lux Hand and Foot Spa. It's a beautiful, serene little space in Yorkville. They are the only place in Toronto that I know of that uses a waterless manicure method. When you soak your nails in water, you actually weaken the nail. Your nail absorbs the water, expanding and then contracting as it dries, causing the polish to chip. When I get my nails done at Lux the polish lasts for at least 7 days. And they give fantastic hand massages! Talk about a happy ending... ;)

(Today I chose Ballet Slippers. Beautiful soft neutral pink)